How many Indian states have a sea shore, that is, share a coastline with the sea or ocean, excluding union territories?

Introduction / Context:
India has a long coastline along the Arabian Sea, the Bay of Bengal, and the Indian Ocean. Both states and union territories share this coastline. Many questions in Indian geography ask how many states, as opposed to union territories, have a sea shore. Knowing this helps in visualising the political map and understanding which regions are involved in maritime trade, fisheries, and coastal ecosystems. This question focuses on the count of coastal states only.

Given Data / Assumptions:

We are asked to count Indian states that have a sea shore, not union territories.
The options are 7, 8, 9, and 10.
We assume the current list of Indian states that border the sea or ocean.
Union territories such as Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Puducherry, and others are to be excluded from the count.

Concept / Approach:
To solve this, we list the coastal states one by one. On the west coast, the states are Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, and Kerala. On the east coast, the states are Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, and West Bengal. Counting these gives a total of nine coastal states. Union territories like Daman and Diu, Puducherry, Lakshadweep, and Andaman and Nicobar Islands are not counted in this question because it specifically asks about states. Therefore, the correct number is nine.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: List the states on the western coastline along the Arabian Sea: Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, and Kerala. This gives five states. Step 2: List the states on the eastern coastline along the Bay of Bengal: Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, and West Bengal. This gives four more states. Step 3: Add the counts: 5 states on the west coast plus 4 states on the east coast equals 9 coastal states. Step 4: Confirm that no other Indian state outside this list touches the sea or ocean. Step 5: Conclude that the total number of coastal states is 9, which matches option 9.

Verification / Alternative check:
As a check, visualise the political map of India starting from the northwest near Gujarat and moving clockwise. Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, and Kerala line the Arabian Sea. Turning around Sri Lanka and moving up the east coast, we encounter Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, and West Bengal. States like Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and others are inland and do not have coastlines. This visual sweep confirms that there are exactly nine coastal states.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Seven is wrong because it would leave out two legitimate coastal states. Eight is wrong because even if one mistakenly counts only the longer coastlines, there are still nine states which touch the sea. Ten is wrong because it would require adding at least one inland state incorrectly or double counting a union territory as a state. Only the number nine corresponds exactly to the list of coastal states without including union territories.

Common Pitfalls:
A frequent error is to confuse states with union territories and either undercount or overcount. For example, some learners mistakenly include territories like Puducherry or Andaman and Nicobar Islands in the state count or forget smaller states such as Goa. Another pitfall is to rush through the list and miss a state like West Bengal on the east coast. The best way to avoid mistakes is to slowly trace the coastline on a map and consciously note each state that touches the sea.

Final Answer:
The number of Indian states that have a sea shore is 9.