Which one of the following pairs of islands is separated from each other by the ‘Ten Degree Channel’?

The correct answer is A) Andaman and Nicobar. The Ten Degree Channel runs roughly along 10 degrees North latitude and separates the Andaman group from the Nicobar group. It is one of the key sea passages in the Andaman and Nicobar archipelago, and it matters for India's maritime security and shipping routes through the Malacca Strait.

Why the others are wrong:

• B) Nicobar and Sumatra: Sumatra is separated from the Nicobar islands by the Great Channel and the open Andaman Sea, not by the Ten Degree Channel.
• C) Maldives and Lakshadweep: These are separated by the Eight Degree Channel, which lies to the south of Minicoy.
• D) Sumatra and Java: These are separated by the Sunda Strait, which lies between Indonesia's two western islands.

This is a Geography question on island chains and channels. In Mains, it links to strategic islands, Indian Ocean security and the Look East and Act East policy.

Trap: Aspirants mix up the Ten Degree, Eight Degree and Great Channels because all three are named after latitude or position. Fix the channel-to-island pairs as a set.