Q. Out of the four southern States: Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu, which shares boundaries with the maximum number of Indian States? (UPSC Prelims 2007)
Answer: Each of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka
Notes: Andhra Pradesh shares land borders with Odisha, Telangana, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Chhattisgarh, totaling 5 states. Karnataka borders Maharashtra, Goa, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala, also 5 states. Tamil Nadu borders Kerala and Andhra Pradesh, only 2. Kerala borders Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, effectively 2 states. Thus, both Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka share boundaries with the maximum number (5 Indian states each).