Test: India- Size And Location- 1 - UPSC MCQ

Indira point is the name of the southernmost point of Republic of India. It is situated on Great Nicobar Island in the Nicobar Islands, which are located in the eastern Indian Ocean at 6°45'10″N and 93°49'36″E. This is not on the Indian mainland, but within the Union Territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

Lakshadweep, formerly the Laccadives, is a group of islands situated some 400 km off India's west coast in the Arabian sea. They are India's only coral atolls and geologically a part of the same chain as the Maldives.

• Option A: (a) Tropic of Cancer - 8°04’ N
  • This is incorrect. The Tropic of Cancer is located at 23°30’ N, not at 8°04’ N. The coordinates 8°04’ N are part of India's southern latitudinal extent.
• Option B: (b) Latitudinal extent - 68°07’ E to 97°25’ E
  • This is incorrect. The given coordinates (68°07’ E to 97°25’ E) represent the longitudinal extent of India, not the latitudinal extent. The correct latitudinal extent of India is 8°04’ N to 37°06’ N.
• Option C: (c) Andaman & Nicobar Islands - Bay of Bengal
  • This is correct. The Andaman & Nicobar Islands are indeed located in the Bay of Bengal, to the southeast of mainland India.
• Option D: (d) Total area of India - 7th largest country in the world
  • This is incorrect. While it is true that India is the 7th largest country in the world by area, the statement "Total area of India" should correspond to "3.28 million square km" for it to be correctly matched.

• India's strategic position at the head of the Indian Ocean provided a commercially favorable location, facilitating trade and relations with various countries.
• This advantageous position enabled India to establish close cultural and commercial contacts with regions like East Africa, West Asia, South and South-East Asia, and East Asia throughout ancient and medieval times.

Uttar pradesh shares an international boundary with Nepal.

Let's analyze both statements:

• Assertion (A) is true: Sri Lanka is indeed separated from India by the Palk Strait.
• Reason (R) is also true: Sri Lanka is located to the south of India.

However, the reason that Sri Lanka is located to the south of India is not the explanation for why it is separated from India by the Palk Strait. The Palk Strait is a specific geographical feature that separates the two countries, independent of their relative locations.

Therefore, the correct option is: If both Assertion and Reason are true but Reason is not the correct explanation of Assertion.

The standard meridian of India is 82°30'E. It passes through Mirzapur (Uttar Pradesh). The time of this meridian is taken as the standard time for the whole country.

Because, before the opening of Suez Canal, to reach Europe one had to cover almost half the east and whole of west coast of African continent taking a round through the Cape of Good Hope.

The geographical features of lofty mountains in the north acting as a natural barrier against intrusions and the seas/ocean in the south shielding the land, have historically facilitated the assimilation of cultural elements into Indian society, promoting unity and homogeneity.

• Option A: (a) The Suez sea route - Connects Australia and Europe:
  • Explanation: This is incorrect. The Suez sea route provides the shortest route to industrial Europe and America, not specifically connecting Australia and Europe.
• Option B: (b) Indian Ocean - Third-largest ocean in the world
  • Correct: The Indian Ocean is indeed the third-largest ocean in the world.
• Option C: (c) East Africa - East of the Indian subcontinent
  • Incorrect: East Africa is located to the west of the Indian subcontinent.
• Option D: (d) Upanishads - Modern Indian literature
  • Incorrect: The Upanishads are ancient Indian texts that are part of the Vedas, not modern Indian literature. Therefore, the correctly matched pair is Option B: (b).