Question map
Which one of the following pairs of States of India indicates the easternmost and westernmost State?
Explanation
The easternmost longitude of India is 97° 25′ E, located at the easternmost tip of Arunachal Pradesh[1], making it the easternmost state of India. The mainland of India extends from Kashmir in the north to Kanniyakumari in the south and Arunachal Pradesh in the east to Gujarat in the west[2]. India's mainland extends between longitudes 68° 7' to 97° 25' East[3], with Gujarat being located at the western extreme (68° 7' E) and Arunachal Pradesh at the eastern extreme (97° 25' E). Therefore, Arunachal Pradesh and Gujarat represent the easternmost and westernmost states of India respectively.
Sources- [1] Physical Geography by PMF IAS, Manjunath Thamminidi, PMF IAS (1st ed.) > Chapter 18: Latitudes and Longitudes > Explanation: > p. 247
- [2] INDIA PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT, Geography Class XI (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 1: India — Location > INDIA – LOCATION > p. 2
- [3] Geography of India ,Majid Husain, (McGrawHill 9th ed.) > Chapter 16: India–Political Aspects > INTERNATIONAL BOUNDARIES OF INDIA > p. 28
PROVENANCE & STUDY PATTERN
Full viewThis is a 'Gatekeeper' question—easy for serious aspirants, fatal if missed. It validates the 'NCERT First' rule: the answer is literally in the first paragraph of the Class XI Geography textbook. No advanced logic needed, just basic map literacy.
This question can be broken into the following sub-statements. Tap a statement sentence to jump into its detailed analysis.
- Explicitly states the mainland of India 'extends ... Arunachal Pradesh in the east to Gujarat in the west', naming both states as the east and west extremes of the mainland.
- Directly identifies the two states (Arunachal Pradesh and Gujarat) as geographic end-points, allowing a student to name easternmost and westernmost states for the mainland.
- Gives the easternmost meridian of India (97°25′ E) and ties that meridian to the easternmost tip of Arunachal Pradesh.
- Reinforces Arunachal Pradesh as the eastern extreme by linking a precise longitude to that state.
- States the longitudinal extent of the Indian mainland as 68°7' E to 97°25' E, corroborating the meridian cited for the eastern extreme.
- Provides authoritative numeric bounds for mainland longitudes that support identifying extreme states by longitude.
- [THE VERDICT]: Absolute Sitter. Direct lift from **NCERT Class XI (India Physical Environment), Chapter 1, Page 2**. If you got this wrong, your foundation is shaky.
- [THE CONCEPTUAL TRIGGER]: **India: Location and Extent**. The syllabus explicitly mentions 'Physical Geography of India', and this is the starting point (Latitudinal/Longitudinal extent).
- [THE HORIZONTAL EXPANSION]: Memorize the **Four Extreme Points**: North (Indira Col, Siachen), South (Indira Point, Nicobar / Kanyakumari, Mainland), East (Kibithu, Arunachal), West (Ghuar Mota, Gujarat). Also, the **Standard Meridian** (82°30' E) passing through Mirzapur and the **8 States** touching the Tropic of Cancer.
- [THE STRATEGIC METACOGNITION]: Do not just read 'Arunachal to Gujarat'. Open the Atlas. Observe that while Rajasthan is 'West', the Kutch region of Gujarat protrudes significantly further west (68°7' E). Visual memory beats rote memorization here.
The references give India’s mainland longitudinal bounds and explicitly state 97°25' E as the easternmost meridian, linking longitudes to extreme states.
High-yield for geography: many UPSC questions ask about extreme latitudes/longitudes and their geopolitical or climatic implications. Mastering this helps answer questions on time of sunrise, extreme points, and mapping tasks. Prepare by memorising official longitudinal/latitudinal extents from NCERTs and practicing map-based questions.
- Physical Geography by PMF IAS, Manjunath Thamminidi, PMF IAS (1st ed.) > Chapter 18: Latitudes and Longitudes > Explanation: > p. 247
- Geography of India ,Majid Husain, (McGrawHill 9th ed.) > Chapter 16: India–Political Aspects > INTERNATIONAL BOUNDARIES OF INDIA > p. 28
One reference specifies 'mainland ... Arunachal Pradesh in the east to Gujarat in the west' and another mentions territorial sea limits, highlighting the mainland/territorial distinction.
Important for precision: UPSC often distinguishes mainland extremes from national/territorial extremes (island territories may extend farther). Aspirants should learn to note qualifiers like 'mainland' or 'territorial limits' to avoid incorrect answers. Study NCERT phrasing and practice noting qualifiers in statements.
- INDIA PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT, Geography Class XI (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 1: India — Location > INDIA – LOCATION > p. 2
- Geography of India ,Majid Husain, (McGrawHill 9th ed.) > Chapter 16: India–Political Aspects > INTERNATIONAL BOUNDARIES OF INDIA > p. 28
The **N-S vs E-W Paradox**: Both extents are roughly 30°, yet the North-South distance (3,214 km) is significantly larger than the East-West distance (2,933 km). *Reason*: Longitudes converge towards the poles, shrinking the linear distance per degree, while latitude distance remains constant.
**The 'Protrusion' Logic**: Visualize the map. Gujarat has a 'jaw' (Kutch) that sticks out into the Arabian Sea, clearly further west than the landlocked desert border of Rajasthan. Similarly, Arunachal wraps *around* the north-east of Assam, naturally extending further east.
**Internal Security & Geopolitics**: The easternmost point (Kibithu) is central to the **McMahon Line/China dispute**, while the westernmost point (Sir Creek/Kutch) is a flashpoint for **Pakistan border disputes**. Geography dictates our defense deployment (ITBP vs BSF).