India and its Neighbourhood — Practice Questions
UPSC Prelims-pattern practice questions on India's neighbourhood with full explanations — border states, Land Boundary Agreement, Indus rivers, operations and Panchsheel.
Questions
These are original UPSC-pattern practice questions. Attempt each one before revealing the answer.
Which one of the following Indian States shares an international border with both Nepal and Bhutan?
Solution
Sikkim borders Nepal to the west, Bhutan to the east and China to the north. Assam and Arunachal Pradesh border Bhutan but not Nepal; Uttarakhand borders Nepal but not Bhutan. (West Bengal also borders both, but it is not among the options.)
Answer: A
With reference to the India–Bangladesh Land Boundary Agreement, consider the following statements:
- The agreement was originally signed in 1974.
- It was implemented through the 100th Constitutional Amendment Act.
- Under its implementation, India received more enclaves than it transferred.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Solution
Statements 1 and 2 are correct — the LBA was signed by Indira Gandhi and Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in 1974 and given effect through the 2011 Protocol and the 100th Constitutional Amendment Act, 2015. Statement 3 is wrong — India transferred 111 enclaves to Bangladesh and received 51.
Answer: C
Under the Indus Waters Treaty, 1960, how many of the following rivers are allocated to Pakistan as “western rivers”?
- Jhelum
- Beas
- Chenab
- Sutlej
Solution
The western rivers are the Indus, Jhelum and Chenab (to Pakistan, with limited permitted uses for India). The Ravi, Beas and Sutlej are the eastern rivers, allocated to India. Only Jhelum and Chenab from the list are western rivers.
Answer: B
Consider the following pairs:
| Operation | Country |
|---|---|
| 1. Operation Cactus | Maldives |
| 2. Operation Neer | Maldives |
| 3. Indian Peace Keeping Force | Sri Lanka |
How many of the pairs given above are correctly matched?
Solution
All three are correct. Operation Cactus (1988) reversed a coup attempt against President Gayoom; Operation Neer (2014) flew drinking water to Male after a desalination plant fire; the IPKF served in Sri Lanka from 1987 to 1990 under the Indo-Sri Lanka Accord.
Answer: D
The five principles of Panchsheel were first formally set out in which of the following?
Solution
Panchsheel appeared in the preamble of the April 1954 India–China agreement on trade and intercourse between the Tibet region of China and India. The Bandung conference (1955) adopted ten principles that drew on Panchsheel; the Belgrade summit (1961) launched the Non-Aligned Movement; the UN Charter predates all of them.
Answer: A
Shared rivers are both a bond and a source of friction in India’s relations with its neighbours. Discuss.
Solution
Introduction: Most of South Asia’s major rivers — the Indus, Ganga and Brahmaputra systems — cross India’s borders, making water a permanent item on India’s neighbourhood agenda.
Body:
- Bond: the Indus Waters Treaty (1960) survived three wars; the Ganga Waters Treaty (1996) with Bangladesh; the Mahakali Treaty (1996) with Nepal; hydropower partnership with Bhutan; flood-data sharing.
- Friction: Pakistan’s objections to Indian run-of-the-river projects; India holding the IWT in abeyance (April 2025) over cross-border terrorism; the unsigned Teesta agreement with Bangladesh; delays in the Pancheshwar project; China’s dams on the Yarlung Tsangpo.
- India’s dual role: upper riparian for Pakistan and Bangladesh, lower riparian for China on the Brahmaputra — its positions must be consistent.
- Way forward: basin-level cooperation, data sharing, joint flood forecasting, power trade, and dispute resolution through existing commissions.
Conclusion: Water can anchor interdependence if India treats it as a regional public good while protecting its security interests.