Neighbors — Set 3

Correct Answer: C. SSB

• **SSB (Sashastra Seema Bal)** = is the border guarding force for India's Nepal and Bhutan borders, operating under the Ministry of Home Affairs. • **2001** — the year SSB was assigned the border-guarding mandate for Nepal and Bhutan, replacing earlier arrangements with a dedicated force. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: BSF: guards India-Pakistan and India-Bangladesh borders; CRPF: is India's largest paramilitary force focused on internal security, not border guarding; CISF: provides security to government establishments and airports, not international borders.

Correct Answer: C. Pakistan

• **Samjhauta Express** = a bi-weekly train service between India and Pakistan, running between Attari (India) and Lahore (Pakistan). • **1976** — the year the Samjhauta Express was inaugurated; it was suspended in 2019 amid rising tensions between the two countries. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Bangladesh: connected by Maitree Express and Bandhan Express; Myanmar: connected by road via Moreh-Tamu corridor, no direct train; Nepal: connected by road; Janakpur-Jaynagar rail link exists on a narrow gauge.

Correct Answer: C. Kali

• **Kali River (Mahakali)** = forms the western boundary between India (Uttarakhand) and Nepal, eventually joining the Ghaghara River in India. • **Kalapani** — the contested source region of the Kali River, central to the India-Nepal territorial dispute over the Kalapani-Lipulekh-Limpiyadhura area. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Gandak: flows through both countries but is an interior river, not a boundary marker; Ganga: flows entirely within India after entering from the Himalayas; Kosi: flows from Nepal into Bihar and is not a boundary river.

Correct Answer: A. Bangladesh

• **New Moore Island** = a small uninhabited island in the Bay of Bengal near the Hariabhanga River mouth, disputed between India and Bangladesh. • **2010** — the approximate year the island fully submerged due to rising sea levels, resolving the territorial dispute by natural means. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Sri Lanka: Kachchatheevu island is the maritime dispute with India; Myanmar: Coco Islands is the relevant maritime feature near India; Pakistan: Sir Creek in the Arabian Sea is the maritime boundary dispute.

Correct Answer: A. Bhutan

• **Bhutan** = is known as the 'Land of the Thunder Dragon' or 'Druk Yul' in Dzongkha, its national language. • **Druk Yul** — meaning 'Land of the Thunder Dragon'; the dragon ('Druk') is also the central symbol on the Bhutanese national flag. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Tibet: is an autonomous region of China, not a separate neighbour; Myanmar: known as the 'Golden Land' or 'Land of Pagodas'; Nepal: known as the 'Himalayan Kingdom' or 'Roof of the World'.

Correct Answer: B. Myanmar

• **Coco Channel** = the maritime channel in the Bay of Bengal that separates India's Andaman Islands from Myanmar's Coco Islands. • **Myanmar's Coco Islands** — the island group north of the Andaman Islands; their proximity makes this channel strategically significant for naval surveillance. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Thailand: separated from the Andamans by the Andaman Sea further east; Indonesia: separated from the southern Nicobar Islands by the Great Channel; Sri Lanka: separated from mainland India by the Palk Strait, far from the Andamans.

Correct Answer: A. Haryana

• **Haryana** = does NOT share an international border with Pakistan; it is a landlocked state surrounded by other Indian states. • **4 territories** — Gujarat, Rajasthan, Punjab, and the UTs of J&K and Ladakh share international borders with Pakistan. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Rajasthan: shares India's longest state-level Pakistan border (~1,170 km); Punjab: shares ~553 km with Pakistan; Gujarat: shares ~512 km with Pakistan in the Rann of Kutch region.

Correct Answer: B. Assam Rifles

• **Assam Rifles** = India's oldest paramilitary force, nicknamed 'Sentinels of the North East', primarily tasked with guarding the Indo-Myanmar border. • **1835** — the year Assam Rifles was raised, making it older than India's independence; it plays a dual role in border security and counter-insurgency. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: BSF: guards Indo-Pakistan and Indo-Bangladesh borders; Indian Army: handles military defence, not routine border guarding; CRPF: focused on internal security, not international border patrolling.

Correct Answer: D. Indonesia

• **Great Channel** = the maritime passage that separates India's Great Nicobar Island from the Sumatra island of Indonesia in the Indian Ocean. • **Indonesia (Sumatra)** — the nearest foreign territory to India's southernmost point; the proximity makes Indonesia one of India's closest maritime neighbours. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Thailand: lies to the northeast of the Andaman Sea, not near the Great Nicobar; Myanmar: lies north of the Andamans, near the Coco Channel; Malaysia: lies further east near the Strait of Malacca, not adjacent to the Nicobars.

Correct Answer: C. China

• **Nathu La** = a high mountain pass in Sikkim that connects India with the Tibet Autonomous Region of China, reopened for trade in 2006. • **2006** — the year Nathu La was reopened for trade after being closed since the 1962 war; it is one of three open India-China trading border posts. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Bhutan: Sikkim borders Bhutan but no notable named pass connects Sikkim specifically to Bhutan; Bangladesh: is a plains country with no mountain pass connections; Nepal: connected via Lipulekh Pass (Uttarakhand) and other crossings, not Nathu La.