Neighbors — Set 4

Correct Answer: B. Sikkim

• **Sikkim** = shares the smallest border with Bhutan among the four bordering Indian states, measuring approximately 32 km. • **32 km** — Sikkim's border with Bhutan, compared to Assam's ~267 km (longest), West Bengal's ~183 km, and Arunachal Pradesh's ~217 km. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: West Bengal: shares ~183 km with Bhutan, much longer than Sikkim's; Assam: shares the longest border with Bhutan at ~267 km; Arunachal Pradesh: shares ~217 km with Bhutan.

Correct Answer: B. Nepal

• **Kalapani** = a disputed territory in Uttarakhand's Pithoragarh district claimed by both India and Nepal, centred on the origin of the Kali River. • **Kali River source** — the core of the dispute: India says the source is at Limpiyadhura while Nepal claims it is closer to Kalapani, shifting the boundary. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: China: disputes involve Aksai Chin (west) and Arunachal Pradesh (east), not Kalapani; Pakistan: disputes involve the LoC in J&K and Sir Creek in Gujarat; Bhutan: border dispute with China, involving Doklam and the western areas, not involving Kalapani.

Correct Answer: C. West Bengal

• **West Bengal** = shares the longest international border with Bangladesh at approximately 2,217 km, accounting for more than half of the total India-Bangladesh boundary. • **2,217 km** — West Bengal's border with Bangladesh, out of a total India-Bangladesh boundary of ~4,096 km. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Assam: shares ~263 km with Bangladesh; Meghalaya: shares ~443 km; Tripura: shares ~856 km, the second longest after West Bengal.

Correct Answer: D. Pakistan

• **Line of Control (LoC)** = the military control line dividing the Indian and Pakistani controlled parts of Jammu and Kashmir, established after the Shimla Agreement. • **1972** — the year the Shimla Agreement established the LoC; it is not a legally recognised international boundary but serves as the de facto border in J&K. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: China: boundary is called the Line of Actual Control (LAC); Afghanistan: boundary is the Durand Line (between Afghanistan and Pakistan); Bangladesh: India-Bangladesh boundary was settled by the Land Boundary Agreement of 2015.

Correct Answer: D. Nepal

• **Nepal** = is the only foreign country that shares a border with Uttar Pradesh, running across several northern districts. • **~551 km** — the length of the Uttar Pradesh-Nepal border, an open border allowing free movement of citizens of both nations. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: China: borders Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh, not Uttar Pradesh; Bhutan: borders Assam, Sikkim, West Bengal, and Arunachal Pradesh, not UP; Bangladesh: borders West Bengal, Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, and Mizoram, not UP.

Correct Answer: D. Bangladesh

• **Mithali Express** = a passenger train service between India and Bangladesh, connecting New Jalpaiguri in India to Dhaka in Bangladesh. • **2022** — the year the Mithali Express was inaugurated, enhancing rail connectivity and tourism between India and Bangladesh. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Myanmar: no direct passenger rail service exists between India and Myanmar; Pakistan: the Samjhauta Express (now suspended) was the India-Pakistan train service; Nepal: no international passenger train service connects India and Nepal currently.

Correct Answer: C. Sri Lanka

• **Kachchatheevu** = an uninhabited island in the Palk Strait that India ceded to Sri Lanka through bilateral agreements in 1974 and 1976. • **1974 and 1976** — the two agreements under which India formally ceded Kachchatheevu to Sri Lanka; the issue resurfaces over Indian fishermen's access rights. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Pakistan: maritime dispute with India involves Sir Creek in the Arabian Sea; Maldives: separation from Lakshadweep involves the Eight Degree Channel; Bangladesh: New Moore Island was the disputed maritime feature.

Correct Answer: D. Mizoram

• **Mizoram** = uniquely shares international borders with both Myanmar (to the east) and Bangladesh (to the west), making it a trade gateway to Southeast Asia. • **2 countries** — Mizoram is the only Indian state that borders this specific pair of nations, with ~318 km along Bangladesh and ~510 km along Myanmar. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Assam: borders Bangladesh but not Myanmar; Manipur: borders Myanmar but not Bangladesh; Tripura: borders Bangladesh but not Myanmar.

Correct Answer: C. Himachal Pradesh

• **Himachal Pradesh** = does NOT share a border with Nepal; it borders Tibet (China) and the Indian states of Uttarakhand, Punjab, J&K, and Haryana. • **5 states** — the five Indian states bordering Nepal are Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, and Sikkim. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Uttarakhand: shares ~275 km border with Nepal; Uttar Pradesh: shares the second-longest border with Nepal (~551 km); Sikkim: shares ~99 km border with Nepal in the eastern Himalayas.

Correct Answer: C. China

• **Line of Actual Control (LAC)** = the demarcation line separating Indian-controlled territory from Chinese-controlled territory, divided into three sectors: western, middle, and eastern. • **3,488 km** — the approximate length of the LAC; unlike the LoC with Pakistan, the LAC has not been precisely delineated on agreed maps. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Myanmar: India-Myanmar boundary follows the 1967 Agreement on Border Demarcation; Bangladesh: boundary settled by the Land Boundary Agreement of 2015; Pakistan: de facto boundary is the Line of Control (LoC) in J&K.