Out of the four southern States: Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu, which shares boundaries with the maximum number of Indian States?

The correct answer is C because both Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh share boundaries with a high number of neighboring states.

Karnataka shares its borders with six states: Goa, Maharashtra, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala.

Andhra Pradesh, at the time this question was originally framed by the UPSC, shared boundaries with many states. However, it is important to note that after the creation of Telangana in 2014, the geographical mapping changed. Currently, Karnataka shares boundaries with six states, while Andhra Pradesh shares boundaries with five: Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Telangana, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu.

Tamil Nadu and Kerala share fewer boundaries. Tamil Nadu borders three states, and Kerala borders only two. Therefore, based on the comparative number of neighboring states, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh represent the maximum count among the options provided.