RAS question
Which Indian state has the longest coastline?
Correct answer: (C) Gujarat.
Gujarat has the longest coastline among Indian states, with the revised official PIB table listing it at 2,340.62 km.
Explanation
Gujarat is the right answer because the official PIB release on the coastline of the country places Gujarat at the top among Indian states in the revised state-wise table. The release says India's coastline was reassessed by the National Hydrographic Office in coordination with the Survey of India, using modern GIS software and high-resolution High-Water Line data. In that revised table, Gujarat is listed at 2,340.62 km, ahead of Tamil Nadu at 1,068.69 km and Andhra Pradesh at 1,053.07 km. The older official figure for Gujarat, also shown in the table, was 1,214.70 km; either way, Gujarat remains the longest among states. Andaman and Nicobar Islands is longer overall among Union Territories, not states.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) Kerala is not the longest because the PIB table lists Kerala at 600.15 km in the revised figures, far below Gujarat's 2,340.62 km.
- (B) Tamil Nadu is a major coastal state, but the PIB table lists it at 1,068.69 km, which is less than Gujarat's revised coastline.
- (D) Maharashtra has a long western coastline, but the PIB table gives it 877.97 km in the revised figures, well short of Gujarat.
Concept
This tests Indian physical geography, especially state-wise coastal distribution. It recurs in RAS because coastline length links static geography with ports, coastal planning, disaster risk and map-based questions.