Official Question UPSC 2026
Which of the following with reference to Indian States is/are not correct? 1. Uttar Pradesh shares its boundary with the highest number of other Indian States. 2. Rajasthan shares the longest international border among all Indian States. 3. Sikkim is the only State that shares its boundary with just one other Indian State. Select the answer using the code given below:
Solution & Analysis
Answer: C
Let us scrutinize the political map of India:
•Statement 1 is a Correct fact: Uttar Pradesh is the central anchor of North India. It borders an unparalleled 8 States (Uttarakhand, HP, Haryana, Rajasthan, MP, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Bihar) plus 1 Union Territory (Delhi).
•Statement 2 is an Incorrect fact: While Rajasthan's border with Pakistan (approx. 1,070 km) is visually prominent, the state of West Bengal possesses the longest international border. Driven primarily by its highly jagged, winding, and complex boundary with Bangladesh (over 2,216 km alone), combined with its borders with Bhutan and Nepal, West Bengal's total length exceeds 2,500 km.
•Statement 3 is an Incorrect fact: Sikkim does indeed share a border with only one Indian state (West Bengal). However, it is not the only state with this trait. Meghalaya is landlocked domestically by just one state: Assam.
Conclusion: The prompt specifically asks which statements are not correct. Since statements 2 and 3 are factually flawed, Option C is the correct answer.