Social Science Contemporary India Class 9 Chapter 1 Questions and Answers - Free PDF Download
NCERT Solutions For Class 9 Social Science Contemporary India Chapter 1 India Size and Location - 2025-26
FAQs on NCERT Solutions For Class 9 Social Science Contemporary India Chapter 1 India Size and Location - 2025-26
1. What is the correct solution for identifying India's island groups as per NCERT Class 9 Chapter 1?
As per the NCERT textbook, India has two main island groups. To answer correctly, you should identify them based on their location:
Andaman and Nicobar Islands: These are located to the southeast of the Indian mainland, in the Bay of Bengal.
Lakshadweep Islands: These are located to the southwest of the Indian mainland, in the Arabian Sea.
This distinction is a fundamental concept in the chapter 'India – Size and Location'.
2. According to the NCERT solutions, which countries are larger in area than India?
The correct answer, as provided in the NCERT solutions, lists the six countries larger than India in terms of total area. India is the seventh-largest country. The list is as follows:
Russia
Canada
U.S.A.
China
Brazil
Australia
3. What are the key figures for India's size and location according to NCERT Class 9 Social Science Chapter 1?
To solve questions on India's size and location, you need to know these key figures from the NCERT textbook:
Location: India lies entirely in the Northern Hemisphere. The mainland extends between latitudes 8°4'N and 37°6'N and longitudes 68°7'E and 97°25'E.
Total Area: India's landmass is approximately 3.28 million square kilometres, which is 2.4% of the world's total geographical area.
Land Boundary: About 15,200 km.
Coastline: Including the Andaman and Nicobar and Lakshadweep islands, the total length is 7,516.6 km.
4. How many states and union territories does India have as per the latest 2025-26 syllabus?
As per the latest updates reflected in the CBSE 2025-26 syllabus, India is comprised of 28 states and 8 Union Territories. It is important to provide this updated information in your answers, as the number of Union Territories has changed in recent years. The eight Union Territories are: Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Chandigarh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Lakshadweep, and Puducherry.
5. Explain the step-by-step reasoning for why watches show the same time in Arunachal Pradesh and Gujarat, despite a two-hour sunrise difference.
This is a common conceptual question. The correct method to explain this is:
State the longitudinal extent: India's longitudinal extent from Gujarat (west) to Arunachal Pradesh (east) is about 30 degrees (approx. 68°E to 97°E).
Explain the time lag: The Earth takes 4 minutes to rotate 1 degree of longitude. Therefore, for 30 degrees, the time difference is 30 x 4 = 120 minutes, or 2 hours.
Introduce the Standard Meridian: To avoid confusion and have a uniform time for the entire country, India has adopted a standard time. This time is based on the Standard Meridian of India (82°30'E), which passes through Mirzapur in Uttar Pradesh.
Conclude: The time along this meridian is taken as the Indian Standard Time (IST) for the whole country. This is why all watches show the same time, regardless of the local sunrise and sunset times.
6. Why is India's location at the head of the Indian Ocean considered significant?
India's position at the head of the Indian Ocean is of great strategic significance. The correct answer should highlight these points:
Central Location: It provides a central location between East and West Asia, allowing for easy trade and cultural exchange via trans-oceanic routes.
Deccan Peninsula: The Deccan Peninsula protrudes into the Indian Ocean, helping India establish close contact with West Asia, Africa, and Europe from the western coast, and with Southeast and East Asia from the eastern coast.
Longest Coastline: No other country has as long a coastline on the Indian Ocean as India has, which justifies the naming of an ocean after it.
7. How does the latitudinal extent of India influence the duration of day and night?
The influence of India's latitudinal extent on the duration of day and night is a key concept. The difference is felt more as one moves from south to north. The correct explanation is that places located closer to the equator experience less difference between the duration of day and night. Kanyakumari, being closer to the equator (at about 8°N latitude), has a day-night difference of hardly 45 minutes. However, as one moves further north towards Kashmir (around 37°N latitude), which is farther from the equator, the difference in the duration of day and night can be as much as 5 hours.
8. What is the correct method for identifying India's neighbouring countries as per the NCERT chapter?
To correctly identify India's neighbours, you should categorise them by the boundaries they share:
Land Neighbours: India shares its land boundaries with Pakistan and Afghanistan in the northwest; China (Tibet), Nepal, and Bhutan in the north; and Myanmar and Bangladesh in the east.
Sea Neighbours: Across the sea, our southern neighbours consist of two island countries. They are Sri Lanka, which is separated by the Palk Strait and the Gulf of Mannar, and the Maldives, which are situated to the south of the Lakshadweep Islands.
9. Why was the longitude 82°30'E specifically chosen as the Standard Meridian of India?
The selection of 82°30'E as the Standard Meridian is based on a logical method to standardise time. The key reasons are:
Central Position: This longitude passes almost through the middle of India, balancing the easternmost and westernmost points of the country.
Divisible by 7°30': Globally, standard time zones are generally chosen from longitudes that are multiples of 7°30'. This ensures a time difference of 30 minutes between consecutive time zones. 82°30'E fits this convention perfectly.
Reduces Confusion: It helps avoid the two-hour time difference between Gujarat and Arunachal Pradesh, ensuring a uniform time for railways, flights, and official communications nationwide.
10. How does the Tropic of Cancer divide India, and what is its significance in the NCERT solutions?
The Tropic of Cancer (23°30'N) has a significant geographical importance for India. In NCERT solutions, its role is explained as follows:
Division of the Country: It runs through the middle of the country, dividing India into two almost equal parts. The southern part lies in the tropical zone, while the northern part lies in the sub-tropical zone.
Climatic Impact: This division is a major reason for India's diverse climate, with the south experiencing more uniform high temperatures and the north experiencing more extreme climatic variations (hot summers and cold winters).
States it passes through: For map-based questions, it's useful to know it passes through eight states: Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Tripura, and Mizoram.











