MPPSC 2019 Prelims Q19: Which State does not touch the boundary of Madhya Pradesh

Q: What is the answer to MPPSC 2019 Prelims Q19?

C. Correct — C, Jharkhand. Madhya Pradesh shares its boundary with five states — Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra and Gujarat. Jharkhand is not one of them: Chhattisgarh lies between Madhya Pradesh and Jharkhand, so the two states do not touch.

MPPSC 2019 Prelims Paper-I · Question 19 of 99

Verified against the official question paper. Answer as per the official MPPSC answer key.

Which State does not touch the boundary of Madhya Pradesh ?

(a)Rajasthan
(b)Gujrat
(c)Jharkhand
(d)Maharashtra

Answer

Why

Correct — C, Jharkhand. Madhya Pradesh shares its boundary with five states — Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra and Gujarat. Jharkhand is not one of them: Chhattisgarh lies between Madhya Pradesh and Jharkhand, so the two states do not touch.

Why the others are wrong

(a)Rajasthan — Wrong — Rajasthan runs along MP's north-western boundary; the two share a long border.
(b)Gujrat — Wrong — Gujarat (the booklet spells it 'Gujrat') adjoins MP on the west; they share a boundary.
(d)Maharashtra — Wrong — Maharashtra lies along MP's southern boundary; the two share a border.

Concept

Madhya Pradesh is a landlocked, centrally located state that borders five states. Going roughly clockwise: Uttar Pradesh (north-east), Chhattisgarh (east/south-east), Maharashtra (south), Gujarat (west) and Rajasthan (north-west). It does not touch Jharkhand, which lies further east, beyond Chhattisgarh.

Because Jharkhand and MP are both large central/eastern states, students may assume they meet. The key fact is that Chhattisgarh — carved out of MP in 2000 — sits between them.

Key facts

MP borders 5 states: Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra and Gujarat
Chhattisgarh was carved out of Madhya Pradesh in 2000 and lies between MP and Jharkhand
MP is landlocked (no coastline) and sits at the centre of India
Jharkhand does not share a boundary with Madhya Pradesh

Does the State border Madhya Pradesh?

Rajasthan→Borders MP (north-west)

Gujarat→Borders MP (west)

Maharashtra→Borders MP (south)

Jharkhand→Does NOT border MP — Chhattisgarh lies between

MP touches 5 states — Rajasthan, UP, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra and Gujarat; Jharkhand is not one of them.

Study next

States bordering Madhya Pradesh and their shared boundariesReorganisation of MP and the creation of Chhattisgarh (2000)Landlocked states of IndiaIndia's internal state boundaries — map-based practiceMP's central 'heart of India' location and its significance

Common traps

Assuming Jharkhand borders MP because both are central/eastern states
Forgetting that Chhattisgarh separates MP from Jharkhand and Odisha

MPPSC often asks 'which state does / does not border MP' or 'how many states border MP'; UPSC poses similar adjacency questions for other states.

Related PYQs

No directly related past PYQ was found.

Practice

practice — not a real PYQ
How many States share a boundary with Madhya Pradesh?
- (a)Four
- (b)Five
- (c)Six
- (d)Seven
Answer(b) Five — Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra and Gujarat.
practice — not a real PYQ
Which state was carved out of Madhya Pradesh in the year 2000?
- (a)Jharkhand
- (b)Uttarakhand
- (c)Chhattisgarh
- (d)Telangana
Answer(c) Chhattisgarh.