Previous Year Question
If you travel by road from Kohima to Kottayam, what is the minimum number of States within India through which you can travel, including the origin and the destination ?
6
7
8
9
Correct Answer: B
Detailed Solution
Kohima is located in Nagaland, while Kottayam is located in Kerala. The minimum number of States required for an entirely domestic road journey can be represented by the following route:
Nagaland → Assam → West Bengal → Odisha → Andhra Pradesh → Tamil Nadu → Kerala
Thus, including both the State of origin and the State of destination, the minimum number is 7 States.
This route can also be verified through the Government of India's National Highway network.
1. Nagaland → Assam
The National Highway records of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways describe NH-2 as entering Nagaland from Assam and passing through Mokokchung, Wokha and Kohima. This establishes Kohima's road connection towards Assam.
2. Assam → West Bengal
NH-27 passes through places such as Bongaigaon, Bijni, Nalbari, Dispur and Nagaon in Assam and connects with Siliguri, Jalpaiguri and other locations in West Bengal. The Government highway schedule explicitly records both Assam and West Bengal on this corridor.
The geographical significance is that the terrestrial connection between India's Northeast and the rest of India passes through the Siliguri Corridor region of West Bengal. Therefore, without crossing an international boundary, West Bengal cannot be avoided while moving towards mainland India.
3. West Bengal → Odisha → Andhra Pradesh → Tamil Nadu
According to MoRTH, NH-16 begins near Kolkata, passes through Kharagpur in West Bengal, Balasore and Bhubaneswar in Odisha, the Visakhapatnam region, Rajahmundry, Vijayawada and Nellore in Andhra Pradesh, and terminates near Chennai in Tamil Nadu.
Thus, a major north-south highway corridor successively connects:
West Bengal → Odisha → Andhra Pradesh → Tamil Nadu
4. Tamil Nadu → Kerala → Kottayam
The official MoRTH highway schedule describes NH-183 as running from Dindigul in Tamil Nadu through Theni and Uttamapalayam, and then through Kumily, Peermade, Kanjirappally and Kottayam in Kerala.
Therefore, the complete minimum sequence is:
1. Nagaland
2. Assam
3. West Bengal
4. Odisha
5. Andhra Pradesh
6. Tamil Nadu
7. Kerala
The number cannot be reduced below 7. Assam must be crossed when moving from Nagaland towards mainland India, and the terrestrial connection from Assam to the rest of India passes through West Bengal. West Bengal does not share a border with Kerala. Kerala shares its land boundary only with Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, so at least three more States are required in a State-to-State chain between West Bengal and Kerala. Odisha → Andhra Pradesh → Tamil Nadu provides such a minimum chain.