CHAPTER 2: INDIA AND HER NEIGHBOURS
1. What is the traditional understanding of a neighbouring country?
A. A country that shares a land boundary
B. A country on another continent
C. A country with the same climate
D. A country that speaks the same language
Answer: A. A country that shares a land boundary
2. What is a maritime neighbour?
A. A country that shares a mountain range
B. A country connected to another by a shared sea or ocean
C. A country that shares the same currency
D. A country that has no coastline
Answer: B. A country connected to another by a shared sea or ocean
3. Approximately how long is India’s total land boundary, according to the chapter?
A. 5,100 km
B. 10,000 km
C. 15,100 km
D. 25,000 km
Answer: C. 15,100 km
4. Which two countries are India’s immediate neighbours across the waters?
A. Nepal and Bhutan
B. Sri Lanka and the Maldives
C. China and Pakistan
D. Bangladesh and Myanmar
Answer: B. Sri Lanka and the Maldives
5. Which of the following countries is mentioned as part of India’s wider maritime neighbourhood?
A. Oman
B. Brazil
C. Canada
D. Argentina
Answer: A. Oman
6. Which is the third-largest ocean in the world?
A. Atlantic Ocean
B. Arctic Ocean
C. Indian Ocean
D. Southern Ocean
Answer: C. Indian Ocean
7. Approximately how long is India’s coastline according to the chapter?
A. 2,100 km
B. 5,500 km
C. 11,100 km
D. 15,100 km
Answer: C. 11,100 km
8. What is regionalism, as discussed in the chapter?
A. Countries working together for the benefit of a region
B. Countries ending all trade with neighbours
C. Countries avoiding cultural exchanges
D. Countries closing their borders permanently
Answer: A. Countries working together for the benefit of a region
9. Which mountain range separates India and China across much of their border?
A. Aravalli Range
B. Western Ghats
C. Himalayas
D. Vindhya Range
Answer: C. Himalayas
10. Which of the following Indian regions shares a border with China, according to the chapter?
A. Gujarat
B. Ladakh
C. Kerala
D. Odisha
Answer: B. Ladakh
11. Around which century CE did Buddhism reach China from India?
A. 1st century CE
B. 5th century CE
C. 10th century CE
D. 15th century CE
Answer: A. 1st century CE
12. Which Chinese monks travelled to Indian centres of learning?
A. Faxian and Xuanzang
B. Bodhidharma and Surapala
C. Mahendra and Sanghamitra
D. Kautilya and Chanakya
Answer: A. Faxian and Xuanzang
13. Which Indian monks carried Buddhist teachings to China, as mentioned in the chapter?
A. Faxian and Xuanzang
B. Bodhidharma, Dharmakṣhema and Kumārajīva
C. Mahendra and Sanghamitra
D. Guru Padmasambhava and Xuanzang
Answer: B. Bodhidharma, Dharmakṣhema and Kumārajīva
14. In which Chinese port city did Hindu merchants build temples in the 13th century?
A. Beijing
B. Shanghai
C. Quanzhou
D. Guangzhou
Answer: C. Quanzhou
15. Which temple in Quanzhou contains pillars with carvings depicting Hindu deities and stories from Indian texts?
A. Kaiyuan Temple
B. Pashupatinatha Temple
C. Ananda Temple
D. Shwedagon Pagoda
Answer: A. Kaiyuan Temple
16. Which of the following was among India’s chief exports to China in 2024–2025, according to the chapter?
A. Iron ore
B. Tea only
C. Crude oil only
D. Timber only
Answer: A. Iron ore
17. According to the chapter, China’s exports to India were worth approximately how many times India’s exports to China?
A. Twice
B. Four times
C. Eight times
D. Ten times
Answer: C. Eight times
18. In which year did the Partition of India take place?
A. 1935
B. 1942
C. 1947
D. 1950
Answer: C. 1947
19. Which of the following wars between India and Pakistan took place in 1999?
A. Kargil War
B. First World War
C. Sino-Indian War
D. Bangladesh Liberation War
Answer: A. Kargil War
20. Which Indian states and Union Territories are mentioned as sharing the border with Pakistan?
A. Gujarat, Rajasthan, Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh
B. Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Goa
C. Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, and Mizoram
D. Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, and West Bengal
Answer: A. Gujarat, Rajasthan, Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh
21. What is the Kartarpur Corridor?
A. A railway line connecting India and Nepal
B. A visa-free border crossing that allows Indian pilgrims to visit Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Pakistan
C. A sea route between India and Sri Lanka
D. A highway connecting India and China
Answer: B. A visa-free border crossing that allows Indian pilgrims to visit Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Pakistan
22. In which year was the Kartarpur Corridor officially opened?
A. 1990
B. 2001
C. 2019
D. 2024
Answer: C. 2019
23. Guru Nanak Dev spent the last 18 years of his life at which place, according to the chapter?
A. Bodh Gaya
B. Kartarpur
C. Kathmandu
D. Quanzhou
Answer: B. Kartarpur
24. In which year was Bangladesh born as an outcome of a war between India and Pakistan?
A. 1947
B. 1950
C. 1965
D. 1971
Answer: D. 1971
25. Which Indian state shares the border with Bangladesh along with Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram?
A. West Bengal
B. Gujarat
C. Rajasthan
D. Himachal Pradesh
Answer: A. West Bengal
26. Which two major river systems are shared by India and Bangladesh?
A. Narmada and Tapi
B. Ganga and Brahmaputra
C. Godavari and Krishna
D. Indus and Jhelum
Answer: B. Ganga and Brahmaputra
27. Which UNESCO World Heritage Site is shared by India and Bangladesh?
A. Sundarban National Park
B. Kaziranga National Park
C. Gir National Park
D. Jim Corbett National Park
Answer: A. Sundarban National Park
28. Approximately what proportion of the Sundarban forest lies in Bangladesh?
A. One-third
B. One-half
C. Two-thirds
D. The entire forest
Answer: C. Two-thirds
29. Which Indian states share a border with Nepal, according to the chapter?
A. Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal and Sikkim
B. Gujarat, Rajasthan, Punjab and Haryana
C. Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh
D. Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram
Answer: A. Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal and Sikkim
30. Which treaty is associated with India and Nepal’s close political relations?
A. Treaty of Versailles
B. Treaty of Peace and Friendship of 1950
C. Treaty of Tordesillas
D. Treaty of Lahore of 1846
Answer: B. Treaty of Peace and Friendship of 1950
31. What is an open border, as explained in the chapter?
A. A border that people can cross without a visa or passport
B. A border that is permanently closed
C. A border used only by cargo ships
D. A border that can be crossed only by government officials
Answer: A. A border that people can cross without a visa or passport
32. What is Bhutan also called by its inhabitants?
A. Land of the Rising Sun
B. Land of the Thunder Dragon
C. Land of the Golden Island
D. Land of Five Rivers
Answer: B. Land of the Thunder Dragon
33. Which Indian states share a border with Bhutan?
A. Sikkim, West Bengal, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh
B. Gujarat, Rajasthan, Punjab and Haryana
C. Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Goa
D. Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha and Chhattisgarh
Answer: A. Sikkim, West Bengal, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh
34. Which form of cooperation is particularly important in India-Bhutan relations because rivers flow from Bhutan into India?
A. Hydroelectric power generation
B. Desert farming
C. Deep-sea fishing
D. Petroleum refining
Answer: A. Hydroelectric power generation
35. Which Buddhist teacher introduced the Vajrayana school of Buddhism to Bhutan in the 8th century CE?
A. Guru Padmasambhava
B. Faxian
C. Xuanzang
D. Mahendra
Answer: A. Guru Padmasambhava
36. What does Bhutan’s Gross National Happiness Index aim to measure?
A. Only the country’s total exports
B. A broader measure of national progress, including sustainability, governance and culture
C. Only the number of industries
D. Only the country’s population growth
Answer: B. A broader measure of national progress, including sustainability, governance and culture
37. Myanmar was earlier known by which name?
A. Burma
B. Siam
C. Ceylon
D. Persia
Answer: A. Burma
38. Which Indian northeastern states share a border with Myanmar?
A. Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur and Mizoram
B. Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and Gujarat
C. Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Goa
D. Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand and Odisha
Answer: A. Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur and Mizoram
39. What was one purpose of the 2018 Land Border Crossing Agreement between India and Myanmar?
A. To ease cross-border movement and boost trade and connectivity
B. To stop all cultural exchanges
C. To eliminate all transport links
D. To prevent border-area residents from interacting
Answer: A. To ease cross-border movement and boost trade and connectivity
40. Which temple in Bagan did India help restore after earthquake damage?
A. Kaiyuan Temple
B. Ananda Temple
C. Pashupatinatha Temple
D. Katas Raj Temple
Answer: B. Ananda Temple
41. Which historic trade route linked the Ganga plains to Central Asia via Afghanistan?
A. Uttarāpatha
B. Silk Road only through Europe
C. Grand Trunk Road only
D. Spice Route through the Atlantic
Answer: A. Uttarāpatha
42. What happened to the gigantic Buddhas of Bamiyan in Afghanistan in 2001?
A. They were moved to India
B. They were destroyed
C. They were rebuilt in Nepal
D. They were converted into temples
Answer: B. They were destroyed
43. In which year was SAARC formed?
A. 1947
B. 1965
C. 1985
D. 2001
Answer: C. 1985
44. Which of the following countries is a member of SAARC?
A. Thailand
B. Indonesia
C. Sri Lanka
D. Malaysia
Answer: C. Sri Lanka
45. Which narrow stretch of sea separates India and Sri Lanka?
A. Palk Strait
B. Bering Strait
C. Strait of Gibraltar
D. Malacca Strait
Answer: A. Palk Strait
46. According to the chapter, approximately how far apart are India and Sri Lanka at their nearest point?
A. 12 km
B. 32 km
C. 130 km
D. 500 km
Answer: B. 32 km
47. Who introduced Buddhism to Sri Lanka in the 3rd century BCE, according to the chapter?
A. Mahendra and Sanghamitra
B. Faxian and Xuanzang
C. Bodhidharma and Kumārajīva
D. Guru Padmasambhava and Surapala
Answer: A. Mahendra and Sanghamitra
48. Approximately how many islets make up the Maldives?
A. Over 100
B. Over 500
C. Over 1,100
D. Over 5,000
Answer: C. Over 1,100
49. Which Indian island is approximately 130 km from the Maldives?
A. Minicoy
B. Diu
C. Majuli
D. Sriharikota
Answer: A. Minicoy
50. Which Indian initiative focused on sharing research and technology related to solar energy includes the Maldives as a member?
A. SAARC
B. International Solar Alliance
C. Kartarpur Corridor
D. Land Border Crossing Agreement
Answer: B. International Solar Alliance
