Which of the following is an example of an eastern coast port?

Correct — D. Chennai Port stands on the Bay of Bengal, on the Coromandel Coast of Tamil Nadu, so it is an east coast port.

The three ports offered against it all face the Arabian Sea on the western seaboard: Mumbai in Maharashtra, Mormugao in Goa, New Mangalore in Karnataka.

One fact decides the item — which sea the port opens on to. Chennai opens on the Bay of Bengal, so option (d).

Why the others are wrong

• (a)
  Mumbai Port — Mumbai Port is a natural harbour on the Arabian Sea in Maharashtra, which places it on the west coast.
• (b)
  Mormugao Port — Mormugao Port lies at the mouth of the Zuari estuary in Goa, on the west coast, and is long associated with iron ore exports.
• (c)
  New Mangalore Port — New Mangalore Port is in Karnataka on the Arabian Sea, the only major port of that State and again a western one.

India's mainland coast carries major ports on both seaboards, and SSC's usual test is simply which side a named port sits on.

East coast, Bay of Bengal: Kolkata with Haldia, Paradip, Visakhapatnam, Kamarajar (Ennore), Chennai, V.O. Chidambaranar (Tuticorin).

West coast, Arabian Sea: Deendayal (Kandla), Mumbai, Jawaharlal Nehru, Mormugao, New Mangalore, Cochin.

Learn the two groups as groups and the question answers itself whichever port is named.

Key facts

• Chennai Port is on the Bay of Bengal in Tamil Nadu and is an artificial harbour.
• Mumbai, Mormugao and New Mangalore are all Arabian Sea ports on the west coast.
• New Mangalore is the only major port of Karnataka.
• Kamarajar Port was earlier called Ennore and V.O. Chidambaranar Port was earlier Tuticorin.

Common traps

• Placing Mormugao on the east coast because Goa is unfamiliar as a port State.
• Guessing New Mangalore because the name gives no coast away.

No directly related past PYQ was found.