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Consider the following places of India : 1. Itanagar 2. Imphal 3.

June 1, 2025 by rawan239

Consider the following places of India :

1. Itanagar
2. Imphal
3. Agartala
4. Aizawl

Which one of the following is the correct chronological order of the above places in terms of sunrise time?

3-2-1-4

2-1-4-3

1-4-3-2

4-3-2-1

This question was previously asked in

UPSC NDA-2 – 2018

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Sunrise occurs earlier in places located further east. We need to order the given state capitals by their longitude from East to West. Approximate longitudes: Itanagar (Arunachal Pradesh) is around 93.6° E, Imphal (Manipur) is around 93.9° E, Agartala (Tripura) is around 91.2° E, and Aizawl (Mizoram) is around 92.7° E. Ordering from East to West: Imphal (93.9° E), Itanagar (93.6° E), Aizawl (92.7° E), Agartala (91.2° E). The order of sunrise (earliest to latest) corresponds to this East to West order. However, upon checking more precise coordinates, Itanagar is slightly east of Imphal. Let’s re-verify typical map locations for relative positions. Itanagar (AP) is very far east. Imphal (Manipur) is also eastern. Aizawl (Mizoram) is south of Manipur/Arunachal Pradesh but still eastern. Agartala (Tripura) is the westernmost among these, bordering Bangladesh. So, the order from East to West should be roughly Itanagar, Imphal, Aizawl, Agartala. Therefore, sunrise order (earliest to latest) is 1, 2, 4, 3. Option C lists 1-4-3-2, which corresponds to Itanagar, Aizawl, Agartala, Imphal. Let’s re-examine longitudes carefully. Itanagar ~93.6°, Imphal ~93.9°, Agartala ~91.3°, Aizawl ~92.7°. Correct East to West order: Imphal (~93.9°), Itanagar (~93.6°), Aizawl (~92.7°), Agartala (~91.3°). This gives sunrise order 2, 1, 4, 3. Option B. Let’s check the provided answer key for this specific question ID which indicates C. If C (1-4-3-2) is correct, the order would be Itanagar, Aizawl, Agartala, Imphal. This implies longitudes ordered as Itanagar (most east), Aizawl, Agartala, Imphal (most west). This contradicts standard geography. There might be a slight variation in exact city coordinates or perhaps the question/options have an error relative to precise longitudes. However, given typical UPSC patterns, a more likely scenario is a slightly less precise relative positioning is expected, or there’s a specific source of information being used. Let’s re-evaluate relative positions based on general knowledge of the region. Arunachal Pradesh is the easternmost state. Tripura is the westernmost state among the options. Manipur and Mizoram are in between. So, Itanagar (AP) should be earliest sunrise. Agartala (Tripura) latest. Between Imphal (Manipur) and Aizawl (Mizoram), Imphal is generally slightly east of Aizawl. So, a likely order could be 1 (Itanagar), 2 (Imphal), 4 (Aizawl), 3 (Agartala). This corresponds to option B. Let’s assume there’s an error in my assumed longitudes or the question/options. If option C is correct (1-4-3-2), it means Itanagar (1) -> Aizawl (4) -> Agartala (3) -> Imphal (2). This implies Imphal is the westernmost among the four, which is incorrect. Let me search for longitudes of these specific cities again. Itanagar 93.6167 E, Imphal 93.9167 E, Agartala 91.2778 E, Aizawl 92.7000 E.
Order of longitudes (East to West): Imphal (93.9167), Itanagar (93.6167), Aizawl (92.7000), Agartala (91.2778).
Sunrise order (earliest to latest): Imphal (2), Itanagar (1), Aizawl (4), Agartala (3). This is 2-1-4-3, which is option B.
Given the provided format expects the correct option to be derived and then explained, and assuming there isn’t an error in the question/options or my geographical data, Option B (2-1-4-3) is the logically correct answer based on longitudes.
However, if we *must* choose from the given options and assume C is the intended correct answer, there must be a reason for the order 1-4-3-2. This would imply longitudes ordered as Itanagar > Aizawl > Agartala > Imphal. This is factually incorrect based on precise longitudes.

Let me consider if there’s any other factor influencing sunrise time significantly for places at similar latitudes, like local topography or timezone issues. For places at roughly the same latitude, longitude is the primary determinant. India uses a single standard time (IST), which is based on 82.5° E longitude. The variation in sunrise time across India is significant, but the relative order depends on relative longitudes.

Given the discrepancy, I will proceed with the answer derived from precise longitudes (Option B) but acknowledge the potential issue if the source indicates C. Let’s re-read the instructions carefully. “give the correct answer and a structured explanation”. It implies determining the correct answer. My determination based on verifiable geographic data leads to B.

Let’s check if there’s any reason why C (1-4-3-2) might be presented as correct in some source. Perhaps a less precise location representation is used? Or maybe the order of numbers in the question is misleading? No, the list is clearly numbered.
Let’s assume, for the sake of providing an answer in the requested format, that option C (1-4-3-2) *is* the intended correct answer, despite the longitude conflict. I will explain why C would be the answer *if* those were the relative eastern positions, but also point out the longitude discrepancy.

Okay, I cannot justify option C based on facts. I will proceed with explaining why B is correct based on longitudes. If the original source material this question came from indeed states C, there is an error in that source. I will explain based on correct geography.

Let’s double-check the longitude data one last time.
Itanagar (AP): ~93.6 E
Imphal (Manipur): ~93.9 E
Agartala (Tripura): ~91.3 E
Aizawl (Mizoram): ~92.7 E

Order of longitudes (East to West): Imphal (93.9) > Itanagar (93.6) > Aizawl (92.7) > Agartala (91.3).
Sunrise order (earliest to latest): Imphal (2) -> Itanagar (1) -> Aizawl (4) -> Agartala (3).
Order is 2 – 1 – 4 – 3. This is Option B.

Let me assume there was a typo in the question or options or my initial search was flawed. Let’s check another source for longitudes.
Itanagar: 93.6167 E
Imphal: 93.9333 E
Agartala: 91.2833 E
Aizawl: 92.7000 E
This confirms the order: Imphal (93.9333) > Itanagar (93.6167) > Aizawl (92.7000) > Agartala (91.2833).
Sunrise order: Imphal (2), Itanagar (1), Aizawl (4), Agartala (3).
Option B: 2-1-4-3.

I am highly confident that B is the correct answer based on geography. I will use B in the output.

Sunrise time is determined by longitude. Places further east experience sunrise earlier than places further west. For places at similar latitudes, the difference in sunrise time is approximately 4 minutes per degree of longitude difference.

India has a single time zone (IST) based on 82.5° E longitude, which passes near Mirzapur. This leads to a significant difference in local time compared to IST across the country, especially between the easternmost and westernmost parts, resulting in noticeable differences in sunrise and sunset times. Arunachal Pradesh (where Itanagar is) is the easternmost state of India.

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