Arrange the following states in an order from north to south:

Question

Arrange the following states in an order from north to south:

a. Himachal Pradesh

b. Tamil Nadu

c. Telangana

d. Madhya Pradesh

1. A. a, b, c, d
2. B. c, a, b, d
3. C. a, d, c, b (Correct answer)
4. D. a, d, b, c

Correct Answer

Option C — a, d, c, b

Detailed Solution & Explanation

The correct answer is a, d, c, b.

Key Points

• Arrange the states by latitude, from North to South:
• a. Himachal Pradesh — far north, in the Western Himalayas.
• d. Madhya Pradesh — central India, the 'heart' of the country.
• c. Telangana — in the southern Deccan plateau.
• b. Tamil Nadu — the southernmost of the four, at the tip of the peninsula.
• So the correct North-to-South order is a, d, c, b (Himachal Pradesh → Madhya Pradesh → Telangana → Tamil Nadu).
• these ordering questions test a mental map of India.
• Fix a few anchors — Himachal (far north), Madhya Pradesh (centre), Tamil Nadu (far south) — and slot the rest between them.

Exam Tip

• practise placing states on a blank map by zone (North, Central, South, East, West); latitude-ordering questions then become instant.

Additional Information

• Ordering states north to south is quickest by rough latitude: Himachal Pradesh (~32°N), Madhya Pradesh (~23°N), Telangana (~18°N), Tamil Nadu (~11°N).
• The Tropic of Cancer (23½°N) runs through Madhya Pradesh, which makes it a reliable anchor for this kind of question.
• India spans roughly 8°4′N to 37°6′N, with Kanyakumari at the southern tip of the mainland and Indira Point in the Nicobars the southernmost point overall.
• Telangana was carved out of Andhra Pradesh in 2014, becoming India's 29th state.