Andaman and Nicobar Islands

Why in news?

• India's first-ever undersea optical fibre cable has been introduced as part of a new project inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

About the islands:

• The Andaman and Nicobar Islands, a Union territory of India comprising 572 islands of which 37 are inhabited, are a group of islands at the juncture of the Bay of Bengal and the Andaman Sea.
• The territory is about 150 km (93 mi) north of Aceh in Indonesia and separated from Thailand and Myanmar by the Andaman Sea.
• It comprises two island groups, the Andaman Islands (partly) and the Nicobar Islands, separated by the 150 km wide Ten Degree Channel (on the 10°N parallel)
• The Andaman Sea lies to the east and the Bay of Bengal to the west.
• The territory's capital is the city of Port Blair.
• The islands host the Andaman and Nicobar Command, the only tri-service geographical command of the Indian Armed Forces.
• The only volcano in India, Barren Island, is located in Andaman and Nicobar.

PRELIMS QUESTION

Which of the following places is home to the only tri-service geographical command of the Indian Armed Forces?
(a)Chennai
(b)Gandhi Nagar
(c)Lakshadweep
(d)Andaman and Nicobar islands

Answer to prelims question