UPSC via PYQs
UPSC Prelims 2026Question 26Geography

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:

Options

  1. (a)1 only
  2. (b)1 and 2
  3. (c)2 and 3
  4. (d)3 only
Correct answer: c
Decision rule

Test a uniqueness claim by hunting a second case, not by verifying the first: one more example (Meghalaya beside Sikkim) falsifies 'the only State'.

Explanation

Correct Answer

(c) 2 and 3

Explanation of the Correct Answer

The question asks which statements are not correct.

  • Statement 1 is correct:

    Uttar Pradesh shares its boundary with the highest number of other Indian States. It shares borders with several States such as Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Bihar. It also shares a boundary with the Union Territory of Delhi and the international border with Nepal.

  • Statement 2 is incorrect:

    Rajasthan does not share the longest international border among all Indian States. Rajasthan shares a long border with Pakistan, but among Indian States, West Bengal has the longest international border because of its extensive boundary with Bangladesh.

  • Statement 3 is incorrect:

    Sikkim shares its boundary with only one Indian State, West Bengal. However, it is not the only State to do so. Meghalaya also shares its boundary with only one Indian State, Assam, while also sharing an international border with Bangladesh.

Therefore, statements 2 and 3 are not correct.

Why Other Options Are Incorrect

OptionVerdictExplanation
(a) 1 onlyIncorrectStatement 1 is correct, so it cannot be selected as “not correct.”
(b) 1 and 2IncorrectStatement 2 is incorrect, but statement 1 is correct.
(c) 2 and 3CorrectRajasthan does not have the longest international border among all States, and Sikkim is not the only State sharing boundary with just one other State.
(d) 3 onlyIncorrectStatement 3 is incorrect, but statement 2 is also incorrect.

Relevant Supplementary Information

State-wise Boundary Facts

StateBoundary FeatureImportant Point
Uttar PradeshShares boundaries with the highest number of Indian StatesBorders 8 Indian States, plus Delhi and Nepal
RajasthanShares longest Indian border with PakistanBut not the longest international border among all Indian States
West BengalShares long border with BangladeshHas the longest international border among Indian States
SikkimShares Indian State boundary only with West BengalAlso borders Nepal, Bhutan and China
MeghalayaShares Indian State boundary only with AssamAlso borders Bangladesh

Indian States Sharing Boundary with Only One Indian State

StateOnly Indian State BoundaryInternational Boundary
SikkimWest BengalNepal, Bhutan, China
MeghalayaAssamBangladesh

Uttar Pradesh: Neighbouring Indian States

Neighbouring StateDirection / Broad Location
UttarakhandNorth
Himachal PradeshNorth-west
HaryanaWest
RajasthanSouth-west
Madhya PradeshSouth
ChhattisgarhSouth-east
JharkhandSouth-east / east
BiharEast

Key Takeaways from the Tables

  • Uttar Pradesh shares boundaries with the highest number of Indian States.
  • Rajasthan has the longest border with Pakistan, but not the longest international border among all Indian States.
  • West Bengal has the longest international border among Indian States due to its long boundary with Bangladesh.
  • Sikkim and Meghalaya both share boundaries with only one Indian State.
  • The phrase “not correct” is crucial: the answer is 2 and 3.
PointExplanation
UP borders the highest number of Indian StatesIt shares boundaries with 8 States.
Rajasthan has the longest India-Pakistan borderBut it does not have the longest international border overall among States.
West Bengal has the longest international border among Indian StatesMainly because of its long Bangladesh border.
Sikkim is not uniqueBoth Sikkim and Meghalaya share boundary with only one Indian State.
Read “State” carefullyUnion Territories like Delhi should not be counted as States.
Read “not correct” carefullyIn the original question, statements 2 and 3 were not correct.

Context and Current Relevance

  • Indian boundary questions often test careful distinction between State borders, Union Territory borders, and international borders.
  • Rajasthan is often confused because it has the longest India-Pakistan border, but West Bengal has a longer overall international border.
  • Sikkim is not unique in sharing a boundary with just one Indian State because Meghalaya also does so.

Table: Indian States with Important Boundary Facts

StateImportant Boundary FactExplanation
Uttar PradeshShares boundary with the highest number of Indian StatesBorders 8 States: Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Bihar
RajasthanHas the longest border with PakistanShares around 1,070 km border with Pakistan, but not the longest international border among all Indian States
West BengalHas the longest international border among Indian StatesShares a long boundary with Bangladesh, along with borders with Nepal and Bhutan
SikkimShares boundary with only one Indian StateIts only Indian State neighbour is West Bengal
MeghalayaAlso shares boundary with only one Indian StateIts only Indian State neighbour is Assam
Madhya PradeshLarge number of inter-state boundariesBorders 5 States: Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh
AssamBorders many North-eastern StatesShares boundaries with Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Meghalaya, Tripura and West Bengal
ChhattisgarhCentrally located in eastern-central IndiaBorders Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Odisha, Telangana, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh

Table: States Sharing Boundary with the Highest Number of Indian States

StateNumber of Indian State BoundariesNeighbouring Indian States
Uttar Pradesh8Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Bihar
Assam7Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura, Meghalaya, West Bengal
Chhattisgarh6Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Odisha, Telangana, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh
Maharashtra6Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Telangana, Karnataka, Goa
Karnataka6Goa, Maharashtra, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala

Table: States Sharing Boundary with Only One Indian State

StateOnly Indian State NeighbourInternational BoundaryImportant Point
SikkimWest BengalNepal, Bhutan, ChinaNot the only such State
MeghalayaAssamBangladeshAlso shares boundary with only one Indian State

Table: Indian States with Long International Borders

StateMain International Border(s)Important Fact
West BengalBangladesh, Nepal, BhutanHas the longest international border among Indian States
RajasthanPakistanHas the longest India-Pakistan border among Indian States
Arunachal PradeshChina, Bhutan, MyanmarStrategically important eastern Himalayan State
AssamBangladesh, BhutanImportant North-eastern border State
Uttar PradeshNepalLong open border with Nepal
BiharNepalShares international border with Nepal
PunjabPakistanImportant India-Pakistan border State
GujaratPakistanIncludes land and coastal/creek border areas
SikkimNepal, Bhutan, ChinaSmall State with high strategic importance

Table: Common Boundary Confusions

ConfusionCorrect Understanding
Rajasthan has the longest international border among Indian StatesIncorrect. Rajasthan has the longest border with Pakistan, but West Bengal has the longest international border overall.
Sikkim is the only State bordering just one Indian StateIncorrect. Meghalaya also borders only one Indian State, Assam.
Uttar Pradesh borders only northern StatesIncorrect. It also borders central and eastern States such as Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Bihar.
Delhi should be counted while saying UP borders the highest number of StatesDelhi is a Union Territory, not a State. Even excluding Delhi, UP still borders 8 States.
Assam borders all North-eastern StatesIncorrect. Assam borders many, but not all, depending on exact State configuration.
West Bengal is only an eastern coastal StateIncorrect. It is also a major international border State with Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan.

Table: State-wise Neighbours of Uttar Pradesh

Neighbouring UnitStatusDirection / Broad Location
UttarakhandStateNorth
Himachal PradeshStateNorth-west
HaryanaStateWest
RajasthanStateSouth-west
Madhya PradeshStateSouth
ChhattisgarhStateSouth-east
JharkhandStateSouth-east / east
BiharStateEast
DelhiUnion TerritoryWest
NepalCountryNorth-east / north
Open this in the study app →

Learn this in NCERT

Related questions the exam has asked

Independent UPSC previous-year-questions study tool — not affiliated with or endorsed by the UPSC. Question text is reproduced from publicly released UPSC examination papers.
UPSCviaPYQs · Privacy · Terms