CAPF AC 2022 Q99: Geography – Indian Political Geography & Borders
- (a) Agartala
- (b) Kohima
- (c) Imphal
- (d) Itanagar
Answer: (a) Agartala
Explanation
Rail link from the north-east to Bangladesh
How to think: look for the capital that sits right on the Bangladesh border.
Agartala, the capital of Tripura, is only a few kilometres from Akhaura in Bangladesh.
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Project | Agartala-Akhaura rail link |
| Length | About 12 to 15 km |
| Joins | Agartala (Tripura) with Akhaura (Bangladesh) |
| Benefit | Cuts the Agartala-Kolkata journey from about 1,600 km to roughly 500 km via Dhaka |
| Opened | Inaugurated by the two Prime Ministers in November 2023 |
Why the others do not fit: Kohima and Imphal are near Myanmar.
Itanagar is near China and Bhutan.
Other links with Bangladesh: the Maitri Setu bridge over the Feni river at Sabroom and the Haldibari-Chilahati rail line.
Answer: (a) Agartala.
Why each option is right or wrong
- (a) CORRECT. Agartala is being linked by rail to Akhaura in Bangladesh.
- (b) Incorrect. Kohima (Nagaland) lies towards the Myanmar side.
- (c) Incorrect. Imphal (Manipur) is the gateway to Myanmar through Moreh.
- (d) Incorrect. Itanagar (Arunachal Pradesh) is far from Bangladesh.
Key point
Act East Policy (2014, from Look East 1991). Agartala-Akhaura rail link with Bangladesh; Maitri Setu on the Feni (Sabroom-Ramgarh); Kaladan multi-modal project and the India-Myanmar-Thailand trilateral highway via Moreh (Manipur).
Remember
Agartala-Akhaura: Tripura's rail link to Bangladesh.
Common mistakes
- Marking Imphal, which is linked with the Myanmar highway, not Bangladesh.
- Not knowing that Tripura is surrounded by Bangladesh on three sides.
- Mixing up the Agartala rail link with the Kaladan project of Mizoram.
Exam tip
Educated guess: on the map, Tripura juts into Bangladesh, and Agartala stands almost on the border. A rail line to Bangladesh starts most easily from there.
Sources
- Ministry of External Affairs — India-Bangladesh joint statements on connectivity (Agartala-Akhaura rail link)
- Press Information Bureau — Prime Ministers of India and Bangladesh inaugurate the Akhaura-Agartala cross-border rail link (1 November 2023)