UPSC Prelims 2026 Question:

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 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:

Explanation:  

• Uttar Pradesh shares its boundary with eight Indian States: Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana,  Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Bihar. This is generally treated as the highest  number of neighbouring Indian States for any State. So, statement 1 is correct.
• Rajasthan shares India’s longest international border with Pakistan, but the statement says “among all  Indian States”. West Bengal has a longer total international border because it shares boundaries with  Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan. Therefore, Rajasthan does not share the longest international border  among all Indian States. So, statement 2 is not correct. 
• Sikkim shares its boundary with only one Indian State, West Bengal. However, it is not the only Indian  State with such a feature. For example, Meghalaya shares its Indian State boundary only with Assam  So, statement 3 is not correct. 
  
  

Therefore, option (3) is the correct answer.