RAS question
How many Indian states share a border with Rajasthan?
Correct answer: (D) 5.
Rajasthan shares its border with five Indian states: Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat.
Explanation
Rajasthan borders five Indian states, which makes option D correct. The official Resident Commissioner Rajasthan page states that, apart from its international border with Pakistan, Rajasthan is bordered by five Indian states: Punjab to the north, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh to the northeast, Madhya Pradesh to the southeast, and Gujarat to the southwest. The count is not just a number to memorise, but the total of these five named neighbouring states. Punjab appears once in the Indian-state list; the page separately mentions Pakistani Punjab for the international side, which should not be counted as an Indian state border.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) Three leaves out two of the five Indian states named in the official boundary description: Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat.
- (B) Four is still short by one because the official list contains five Indian neighbours of Rajasthan, not four.
- (C) Seven overcounts the Indian-state borders; the official source lists exactly five Indian states bordering Rajasthan.
Concept
This tests Rajasthan's political and administrative geography, specifically state boundaries. It recurs in RAS because border facts anchor questions on Rajasthan's location and neighbouring states.