Which of the following neighbouring countries of India is not landlocked, that is, it has a coastline on the sea?

Introduction / Context:
This question is about political and physical geography of South Asia and surrounding regions. It asks you to identify which country, among the neighbours of India listed, is not landlocked. A landlocked country has no coastline on the sea or ocean and is surrounded by land. Knowing which neighbours of India have access to the sea and which do not is a basic but important map based skill.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The options include Nepal, Myanmar, Bhutan, Afghanistan, and Laos.
• Among these, Nepal, Bhutan, and Afghanistan are well known landlocked countries.
• Myanmar is a neighbour of India with a coastline on the Bay of Bengal and the Andaman Sea.
• Laos is landlocked in Southeast Asia and not a direct neighbour of India, but it is included as a distractor.

Concept / Approach:
To solve the question, you need to recall the location of each country and determine whether it touches the sea. Nepal lies north of India in the Himalayas and has no coastline. Bhutan is also a Himalayan kingdom without a sea border. Afghanistan is a landlocked country in Central Asia that touches India indirectly through a narrow corridor region, though exact borders can be politically complex. Myanmar, however, lies to the east of India, shares a land border with states like Manipur and Mizoram, and clearly has a long coastline along the Bay of Bengal. Laos, although landlocked, does not border India at all. Therefore, the only neighbour of India in the list that is not landlocked is Myanmar.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Visualise the map of India and its neighbours in South Asia and Southeast Asia. Step 2: Identify Nepal and Bhutan in the Himalayas and recall that neither has a coastline. Step 3: Recognise Afghanistan as a Central Asian country without direct access to the sea. Step 4: Recall that Myanmar lies to the east of India and extends down to the Bay of Bengal, where it has important ports and coastal cities. Step 5: Conclude that Myanmar is not landlocked and choose it as the correct answer.

Verification / Alternative check:
You can confirm this by looking at any political map of Asia. Myanmar coastline can be clearly seen along the eastern side of the Bay of Bengal, including regions such as Rakhine and Tanintharyi. Nepal and Bhutan appear as small nations nestled in the Himalayas with no contact with the sea. Afghanistan is landlocked and located to the northwest of India. Laos, visible between Thailand and Vietnam, is also landlocked and is not adjacent to India, reinforcing that Myanmar is the only non landlocked neighbour in the list.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Nepal is entirely surrounded by land, bordered by India and China, with no sea access. Bhutan is similarly surrounded by land, sharing borders with India and China only. Afghanistan does not have a coastline and is bordered by countries such as Pakistan, Iran, and Turkmenistan. Laos is landlocked in Southeast Asia and does not even share a boundary with India, so it clearly cannot be the correct answer to a question about non landlocked neighbours of India.

Common Pitfalls:
One common mistake is confusing Myanmar with smaller Himalayan states, especially if students have not studied the eastern border of India carefully. Another pitfall is not distinguishing between direct neighbours and regional countries, which can cause confusion with Laos. To avoid such errors, it is helpful to practice drawing rough outline maps of India and marking each neighbouring country along with noting whether it touches the sea or not.

Final Answer:
Myanmar