2026 GS Paper I, all questions

UPSC Prelims 2026 · GS Paper I

Question 26: Geography

Which of the following with reference to Indian States is/are not correct ?

  1. 1.Uttar Pradesh shares its boundary with the highest number of other Indian States.
  2. 2.Rajasthan shares the longest international border among all Indian States.
  3. 3.Sikkim is the only State that shares its boundary with just one other Indian State.

Select the answer using the code given below :

a1 only
b1 and 2
c2 and 3
d3 only

AnswerUPSC’s answer is (c).

Uttar Pradesh borders eight other states (Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Bihar), more than any other state, so statement 1 is correct. West Bengal, not Rajasthan, has the longest international border (with Bangladesh, over 2,000 km), so statement 2 is wrong. Sikkim is not the only state bordering just one other state: Meghalaya also borders only Assam, so 3 is wrong. The question asks for the incorrect statements: 2 and 3.

  • 1. Uttar Pradesh borders eight states, the most of any state.
  • 2. West Bengal has the longest international border, with Bangladesh.
  • 3. Meghalaya too borders only one state, Assam.

How you could have got this

  1. If you were sure statement 2 is not correct, (a) and (d) go: each of them leaves 2 out.

    What you needed to know: West Bengal has the longest international border, with Bangladesh.

    The red flag in statement 2 is “all”. In UPSC’s papers, statements with “all” were true 41% of the time (76 statements). A hint, not a rule.

  2. Then, if you were sure statement 3 is not correct, (b) goes: it leaves 3 out.

    What you needed to know: Meghalaya too borders only one state, Assam.

    The red flag in statement 3 is “only”. In UPSC’s papers, statements with “only” were true 27% of the time (82 statements). A hint, not a rule.

Only (c) is left. You didn’t need statement 1.

This follows UPSC’s provisional key; the final key could change it.

Which options go is worked out from UPSC’s key and the options, not by a model.

Why each option is right or wrong
  • (a) Wrong: statement 1 is correct, so it is not among the incorrect ones.
  • (b) Wrong: statement 1 is correct.
  • (c) Right: statements 2 and 3 are incorrect.
  • (d) Incomplete: statement 2 is also incorrect.

Only the provisional key (27 May 2026) was found; the final key replaces it when found.

Answer: UPSC’s key. Explanation: written by UPSC Grade, not by UPSC.

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Source: UPSC, Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination 2026, General Studies Paper I, Series A. The paper on upsc.gov.in.