How many Indian states have a sea shore, that is, a coastline on either the Arabian Sea or the Bay of Bengal?

Introduction / Context:
India has a long coastline along two main water bodies: the Arabian Sea on the west and the Bay of Bengal on the east. Several states have direct access to the sea, which affects their climate, economy and trade. This question asks you to count how many Indian states, not union territories, have a sea shore. It is a classic geography question that requires you to list coastal states and then count them accurately.

Given Data / Assumptions:

- The term sea shore refers to having a coastline along the sea, not just rivers or lakes.

- Only states are to be counted, not union territories like Puducherry, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Daman and Diu or Lakshadweep.

- Options propose 7, 8, 9, 6 and 10 as possible counts.

- You are expected to know the list of coastal states on both eastern and western sides of India.

Concept / Approach:
To answer correctly, first list all coastal states. On the west coast along the Arabian Sea, the states are Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka and Kerala. On the east coast along the Bay of Bengal, the coastal states are Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and West Bengal. Counting these gives a total of nine coastal states. Union territories with coasts are not included in this count. Therefore, the number of Indian states that have a sea shore is nine.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: List west coast states with a sea shore on the Arabian Sea: Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka and Kerala. This gives five states. Step 2: List east coast states on the Bay of Bengal: Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and West Bengal. This adds four more states. Step 3: Add the two groups. Five west coast states plus four east coast states equal nine coastal states in total. Step 4: Double check that you have not accidentally included union territories. Andaman and Nicobar, Puducherry, Lakshadweep and the coastal parts of Daman and Diu are all union territories and are not to be counted here. Step 5: Confirm there are no other states with sea shores apart from the nine already listed. Step 6: Select 9 as the correct count.

Verification / Alternative Check:
Another way to verify is to visualise the outline of India and mentally travel along the coast. Starting from Gujarat at the westernmost point, move south along Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka and Kerala. Then turn around the southern tip at Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu and travel north along Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and West Bengal. If you speak the names aloud, you will arrive at exactly nine state names. Repeating this mental journey a few times makes it easy to recall the correct count in the exam.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Seven and eight are too low; you can already count five on the west and four on the east, which exceeds these numbers. Six would leave out several clearly coastal states, so it is clearly incorrect. Ten is too high and would require incorrectly adding at least one union territory or a non coastal state.

Common Pitfalls:
A common mistake is to forget one or more east coast states, especially West Bengal or Odisha. Another pitfall is to wrongly include union territories like Puducherry, which do have coastlines but are not states. To avoid errors, remember the west coast list as a set of five and the east coast list as a set of four, and practise writing them in sequence. This structured approach prevents you from double counting or missing a state under exam pressure.

Final Answer:
There are nine Indian states that have a sea shore or coastline on the Arabian Sea or the Bay of Bengal.