The land mass of India has a total area of approximately how many million square kilometres?

Introduction / Context:
The total land area of India is a basic numerical fact in Indian geography. It helps you compare India's size with other countries and understand its share of the world's land area. This question asks for the approximate area of the Indian land mass in million square kilometres, a figure commonly quoted in textbooks and exam guides.

Given Data / Assumptions:

- The area is to be given in million square kilometres.

- Options include 1.28, 2.28, 3.28, 4.28 and 5.28 million square kilometres.

- Standard geography references give India's area as about 3.28 million square kilometres.

- The question expects you to recall this approximate value rather than calculate it.

Concept / Approach:
India is often described as having an area of about 32.8 lakh square kilometres. When converted into million square kilometres, this becomes around 3.28 million square kilometres. This value places India among the larger countries in the world, although it is still smaller than countries like Russia, Canada, China and the United States. The correct approach is to recognise 3.28 as the standard textbook figure and choose it from the options provided.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall the commonly cited figure for India's total area: about 32.8 lakh square kilometres. Step 2: Understand that 1 million square kilometres equals 10 lakh square kilometres, so 32.8 lakh square kilometres is 3.28 million square kilometres. Step 3: Look at the options and identify 3.28 as the value matching this conversion. Step 4: Recognise that 1.28 or 2.28 million square kilometres would be far too small for a country of India's known size. Step 5: Similarly, 4.28 or 5.28 million square kilometres would make India much larger than the standard figure, which is not correct. Step 6: Conclude that 3.28 is the correct approximate value.

Verification / Alternative Check:
You can verify by relating India's area to the world average. Geography books often state that India accounts for about 2.4 percent of the world's land area with its 3.28 million square kilometres. They also compare India's area with other large countries, reinforcing this number. Remembering this combination of facts makes it easy to confirm that 3.28 million square kilometres is the accepted approximate area and that the other numerical options are not used in this context.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
1.28 million square kilometres would be less than half of India's real size and therefore is too small. 2.28 million square kilometres is still significantly lower than the standard 3.28 million figure. 4.28 million square kilometres would make India far larger, closer to the size of larger countries like China or the United States, which is not correct. 5.28 million square kilometres exaggerates India's area even more and does not match any textbook data.

Common Pitfalls:
A common mistake is to confuse the numbers for India's area with those of other countries or with figures such as population in crores. Another error is to misplace the decimal point, treating 32.8 lakh as 0.328 million rather than 3.28 million. To avoid this, practise converting lakh to million square kilometres: 10 lakh equals 1 million, so 32.8 lakh equals 3.28 million. Keeping this conversion in mind will help you answer similar numerical geography questions reliably.

Final Answer:
The land mass of India has a total area of approximately 3.28 million square kilometres.