Along which one of the following meridians did India experience the first light of the sunrise of the new millennium ?

The correct answer is Option 4 (92° 30’ E).

To determine where the first sunrise of the new millennium (January 1, 2000) occurred in India, we must consider the Earth's rotation from West to East. This implies that the easternmost points of a country experience sunrise first.

• Geographical Logic: India’s longitudinal extent is roughly between 68° 7’ E and 97° 25’ E. Since the sun rises in the East, the meridian furthest to the East will witness the first light.
• Specific Location: Katchal Island in the Nicobar archipelago, situated near the 92° 30’ E meridian, was identified as the first place in India to witness the dawn of the year 2000.
• Why others are incorrect: Options 1 and 3 (West) are outside India's hemisphere. Option 2 (82° 30’ E) is the Indian Standard Meridian, which is located significantly to the West of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Arunachal Pradesh.

Thus, 92° 30’ E is the correct meridian for the first millennium sunrise in India.