Previous Year Question
Which one of the following pairs of States of India indicates the easternmost and westernmost State?
Assam and Rajasthan
Arunachal Pradesh and Rajasthan
Assam and Gujarat
Arunachal Pradesh and Gujarat
Correct Answer: D
Detailed Solution
Option (d) is correct.
Arunachal Pradesh is the easternmost State of India. The official State Profile of the Survey of India explicitly describes Arunachal Pradesh as India’s easternmost state. The State borders Myanmar on the east and extends approximately from 91°30′ E to 97°30′ E longitude.
On the other hand, Gujarat is the westernmost State of India. The State Profile published by the Centre for Entrepreneurship Development, Government of Gujarat, explicitly describes Gujarat as “the western most state of India.” Gujarat extends approximately from 68.4° E to 74.4° E longitude.
Thus, the two geographical extremes are:
Easternmost State → Arunachal Pradesh
Westernmost State → Gujarat
Assam is certainly situated in eastern India, but Arunachal Pradesh extends farther east. Similarly, Rajasthan lies in western India, but the Kachchh region of Gujarat extends farther west than Rajasthan. Another official geographical profile of the Government of Gujarat records the State's western extent at approximately 68°10′ E.