UPSC Prelims 2026 Q26: Indian States and Their Boundaries — Explained
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.
- 1 only
- 1 and 2
- 2 and 3
- 3 only
Answer: (c) 2 and 3
Statement-wise explanation
- 1: correct — Uttar Pradesh borders eight states: Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Bihar. It also borders the National Capital Territory of Delhi and the country Nepal. No other state borders as many states. Assam comes next with seven: Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura, Meghalaya and West Bengal. So this statement is correct and is not one of the answers.
- 2: incorrect — West Bengal has the longest international border of any Indian state. Its border with Bangladesh alone is 2,216.7 km (Ministry of Home Affairs figure), and it also borders Nepal and Bhutan. Rajasthan's border with Pakistan is only about 1,070 km. The Rajasthan sector has had about 1,048 km fenced, which shows roughly how long it is. So the statement is wrong and is one of the answers.
- 3: incorrect — Sikkim borders only one Indian state, West Bengal, but it is not the only such state. Meghalaya borders only Assam, to its north and north-east. Its southern and south-western side is the international border with Bangladesh. The word 'only' makes the statement wrong, so it is one of the answers.
How to eliminate
First, notice that the question asks for statements that are NOT correct. Missing the word 'not' is the most common mistake here. Statement 3 says 'only', which should make you suspicious. Look at a mental map of the North-East: Meghalaya sits between Assam and Bangladesh, so it also borders just one state. That makes 3 incorrect, which leaves the two options that include 3. To choose between them, you need statement 2. If you remember that the India–Bangladesh border (about 4,097 km) is India's longest land border with any country, and that more than half of it runs through West Bengal, then Rajasthan cannot have the longest border. That makes 2 incorrect. You can also check statement 1 by counting UP's neighbours (eight states plus Delhi). Facts to remember: UP has 8 neighbouring states, West Bengal has the longest international border (2,216.7 km with Bangladesh), and both Sikkim and Meghalaya border only one state.
Know more
State boundaries are a favourite map question. UPSC usually tests the extremes: the state with the most neighbours, the one with the longest border, and states with just one neighbour.
| Fact | State | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Most neighbouring states | Uttar Pradesh | 8 states + NCT of Delhi; also borders Nepal |
| Next highest | Assam | 7 states (all other NE states + West Bengal); borders Bhutan and Bangladesh |
| Longest international border | West Bengal | Bangladesh 2,216.7 km, plus Nepal and Bhutan |
| Only one neighbouring state | Sikkim | West Bengal (also borders China, Nepal, Bhutan) |
| Only one neighbouring state | Meghalaya | Assam (also borders Bangladesh) |
India–Bangladesh border by state. The border is about 4,096.7 km long. West Bengal has 2,216.7 km, Tripura 856 km, Meghalaya 443 km, Mizoram 318 km and Assam 263 km. It is India's longest land border with any neighbour.
India–Pakistan border. It is about 3,323 km including the Line of Control. It runs through Gujarat, Rajasthan, Punjab and Jammu & Kashmir. Rajasthan has the largest share, roughly 1,070 km, much of it across the Thar desert. Even so, Rajasthan's border is less than half the length of West Bengal's.
Other things to watch for:
- Some questions count Union Territories along with states. Ladakh and J&K are UTs since 2019, so they no longer count as states.
- Tripura borders Assam and Mizoram. Its remaining boundary, on three sides, is with Bangladesh.
- The Siliguri Corridor in West Bengal links the North-East to the rest of India. It lies close to Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh.
NCERT Concepts to Revise
- India-Bangladesh border: Statement 2 depends on knowing that West Bengal's 2,216.7 km Bangladesh border is longer than Rajasthan's roughly 1,070 km Pakistan border.