2000 General Studies, all questions
UPSC Prelims 2000 · General Studies
Question 6: Geography
Along which one of the following meridians did India experience the first light of the sunrise of the new millennium?
a2° 30′ W
b82° 30′ E
c92° 30′ W
d92° 30′ E
AnswerThe answer is (d).
The sun rises earlier at places farther east, so the meridian farthest east among the options gets the first light. 82°30′E is the Indian Standard Time meridian, and 92°30′E lies ten degrees east of it, in the longitude of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, so it sees sunrise first. The meridians marked W lie west of Greenwich, far from India.
Why each option is right or wrong
- (a) 2°30′ W lies just west of Greenwich, far from India.
- (b) 82°30′E is the Indian Standard Time meridian, ten degrees west of 92°30′E, so the sun reaches it later.
- (c) 92°30′ W is in the Americas, where it was still the evening of 31 December.
- (d) Right: it is the easternmost Indian meridian on offer and runs through the Andaman and Nicobar longitude.
Explanation: written by UPSC Grade, not by UPSC.
Source: UPSC, Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination 2000, General Studies. UPSC's own paper isn't online; the words are from a published compilation. The paper on upsc.gov.in.