Which of the following pairs of States of India indicates the easternmost and Westernmost State?

Arunachal Pradesh is India's easternmost state and Gujarat its westernmost, so D is correct. The easternmost point lies in Arunachal Pradesh's Anjaw district near Kibithoo, at roughly 97°25' E. The westernmost point lies in Gujarat's Kutch region, at about 68°10' E, and it is further west than anything in Rajasthan.

• A: Assam is east of the core, but Arunachal lies further east. Rajasthan is not the westernmost state.
• B: Arunachal is correct for the east, but Rajasthan's western border is east of Kutch, so it fails on the west.
• C: Gujarat is correct for the west, but Assam is not the easternmost state.

The core concept is the extreme points of India and how longitude defines a state's position. This links to the Mains theme of the Indian Standard Time debate at 82°30' E, and to the way a long east-west spread creates regional disparities in time, climate and development.

Trap: Aspirants often pick Rajasthan as westernmost because it has the longest border with Pakistan. Length of border is not the same as extreme longitude.