Neighbors — Set 7

Correct Answer: D. BSF

• **BSF (Border Security Force)** = is responsible for guarding the India-Pakistan border and the India-Bangladesh border, raised in 1965. • **1965** — the year BSF was raised to ensure India's border security; it operates approximately 6,386 km of international borders. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Assam Rifles: guards the India-Myanmar border; ITBP: guards the India-China border; SSB: guards the India-Nepal and India-Bhutan borders.

Correct Answer: B. Ngultrum

• **Ngultrum (BTN)** = the official currency of Bhutan, pegged to the Indian Rupee at a 1:1 ratio. • **1:1 peg** — the Ngultrum is pegged at par with the Indian Rupee; Indian Rupees are also accepted as legal tender throughout Bhutan. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Yuan: currency of China; Taka: currency of Bangladesh; Rupee: currency of India (Indian Rupee is also accepted in Bhutan but is not the Bhutanese currency).

Correct Answer: D. Agartala

• **Zero Line** = a term used to describe the international border very close to Agartala, the capital of Tripura, where the boundary runs through or near residential areas. • **Agartala** — among the world's capitals closest to an international border; in some parts of Tripura, the Bangladesh border is less than 2 km from the city. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Sikkim: border with China (Nathu La) and Bhutan is mountainous, not referred to as Zero Line; Ladakh: border with China is called the LAC, not Zero Line; Kutch: the Rann of Kutch is the border zone with Pakistan, not Zero Line.

Correct Answer: B. Nagaland

• **Nagaland** = does NOT share a border with Bangladesh; it borders Myanmar to the east and the Indian states of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, and Manipur. • **5 border states** — the five Indian states sharing a border with Bangladesh are West Bengal, Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, and Mizoram. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Mizoram: shares ~318 km border with Bangladesh; Meghalaya: shares ~443 km border with Bangladesh; Assam: shares ~263 km border with Bangladesh.

Correct Answer: C. Bangladesh

• **Bangladesh** = is India's largest trading partner in South Asia, with bilateral trade exceeding $15 billion annually in recent years. • **$15 billion+** — approximate bilateral trade value between India and Bangladesh; India exports cotton, machinery, and food products to Bangladesh. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Sri Lanka: bilateral trade with India is significant but smaller than with Bangladesh; Nepal: trade with India is substantial but lower than Bangladesh; Bhutan: trade with India is strong (mainly hydropower) but much smaller in absolute value.

Correct Answer: D. Gujarat

• **Gujarat** = has the longest coastline among all Indian states at approximately 1,600 km, bordered by the Arabian Sea. • **1,600 km** — Gujarat's coastline length; this extensive coastline defines India's maritime boundary with Pakistan in the Arabian Sea. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Maharashtra: coastline ~720 km; Andhra Pradesh: coastline ~974 km; Tamil Nadu: coastline ~1,076 km (second longest).

Correct Answer: A. China

• **Kailash Mansarovar** = is located in the Tibet Autonomous Region of China, regarded as a sacred pilgrimage site for Hindus, Buddhists, and Jains. • **Tibet Autonomous Region** — the part of China where Kailash Mansarovar is situated; Indian pilgrims access it via Lipulekh Pass (Uttarakhand) or Nathu La (Sikkim). • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Bhutan: no equivalent holy site of this scale; Bhutan's spiritual sites are within its own territory; India: the Mansarovar pilgrimage destination is across the border in Tibet (China); Nepal: some pilgrims cross Nepal to reach Kailash, but the site is in China.

Correct Answer: B. Bangladesh

• **Teen Bigha Corridor** = a strip of Indian land in West Bengal leased to Bangladesh to provide access to the Bangladeshi enclave of Dahagram-Angarpota. • **2011** — the year India operationalized 24-hour access through the Teen Bigha Corridor to Bangladesh, resolving a decades-long enclave connectivity issue. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Myanmar: connected via Moreh-Tamu road crossing in Manipur, not via Teen Bigha; Pakistan: connected via Wagah-Attari border, not Teen Bigha; Nepal: connected via multiple road crossings; no corridor issue similar to Teen Bigha exists.

Correct Answer: D. Myanmar

• **Myanmar** = is the country located closest to the northern Andaman Islands, specifically via the Coco Islands of Myanmar separated by the Coco Channel. • **Coco Channel** — the narrow maritime channel between India's North Andaman and Myanmar's Coco Islands, making Myanmar the nearest mainland neighbour to the island chain. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Sri Lanka: lies to the southwest of India's mainland, far from the Andamans; Thailand: lies to the east of the Andaman Sea but is farther from the Andaman Islands than Myanmar; Bangladesh: lies to the north of the Bay of Bengal, not close to the Andamans.

Correct Answer: C. Nepal

• **Nepal** = is a landlocked country with no coastline, surrounded by India on three sides and China (Tibet) to the north. • **Landlocked** — Nepal's landlocked status means it is entirely dependent on India for access to seaports for international trade. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Sri Lanka: an island nation in the Indian Ocean with an extensive coastline; Maldives: an archipelago nation entirely within the Indian Ocean; Pakistan: has a coastline along the Arabian Sea (part of the Indian Ocean).