India @ glance

India General Knowledge 2020: India, a union of states, is a Sovereign, Secular, and Democratic Republic with a Parliamentary system of Government. The President is the constitutional head of Executive of the Union. In the states, the Governor, as the representative of the President, is the head of Executive. The system of government in states closely resembles that of the Union. There are 28 states and 8 Union territories in the country. Union Territories are administered by the President through an Administrator appointed by him/her. From the largest to the smallest, each State/UT of India has a unique demography, history and culture, dress, festivals, language etc. This section introduces you to the various States/UTs in the Country and urges you to explore their magnificent uniqueness.

UPSC Prelims 2020 Batch 4: Complete Revision

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India General Knowledge 2020: India is one of the oldest civilizations in the world with a kaleidoscopic variety and rich cultural heritage. It has achieved all-round socio-economic progress since Independence. As the 7th largest country in the world, India stands apart from the rest of Asia, marked off as it is by mountains and the sea, which give the country a distinct geographical entity. Bounded by the Great Himalayas in the north, it stretches southwards and at the Tropic of Cancer, tapers off into the Indian Ocean between the Bay of Bengal on the east and the Arabian Sea on the west.

Lying entirely in the northern hemisphere, the mainland extends between latitudes 8° 4′ and 37° 6′ north, longitudes 68° 7′ and 97° 25′ east and measures about 3,214 km from north to south between the extreme latitudes and about 2,933 km from east to west between the extreme longitudes. It has a land frontier of about 15,200 km. The total length of the coastline of the mainland, Lakshadweep Islands and Andaman & Nicobar Islands is 7,516.6 km. India General Knowledge 2020

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Official Name	Bharat (Sanskrit), Republic of India (English)
Capital	New Delhi
Population	1,210,569,573 (2011 Census)
Area	3,287,263 square kilometers
Geographical Location	Between latitudes 8° 4′ and 37° 6′ North and longitudes 68° 7′ and 97° 25′ East
Coastline Length	7,516 km
Major Religions	Hinduism, Islam, Christianity, Sikhism, Buddhism, Jainism, Judaism, Zoroastrianism
Population Density	382 persons per square kilometer
Sex Ratio	943 females per 1,000 males
Literacy	73.00%
President	Pranab Mukherjee
Vice President	Venkaiah Naidu
Prime Minister	Narendra Modi
National Anthem	Jana Gana Mana, written by Rabindranath Tagore
National Song	Vande Mataram, composed in Sanskrit by Bankimchandra Chatterjee
National Emblem	An adaptation of the Lion Capital of Ashoka at Sarnath
National Animal	Royal Bengal Tiger
National Bird	Peacock
National Flower	Lotus
National Tree	Banyan
National Fruit	Mango
National Currency	Indian Rupee
National Sport	Hockey (Unofficial)
Languages	The Republic of India has no national language; however, there are two official languages of the Union Government of India, namely Hindi and English.
National Flag	Horizontal tricolor in equal proportion of deep saffron on the top, white in the middle and dark green at the bottom. In the center of the white band, there is a wheel in navy blue color.

National Flag

The National Flag is a horizontal tricolour of deep saffron (kesaria) at the top, white in the middle and dark green at the bottom in equal proportion. The ratio of width of the flag to its length is two to three. In the centre of the white band is a navy-blue wheel which represents the chakra. India General Knowledge 2020

The top saffron colour indicates the strength and courage of the country. The white middle band indicates peace and truth with Dharma Chakra. The green shows the fertility, growth and auspiciousness of the land.

Its design is that of the wheel which appears on the abacus of the Sarnath Lion Capital of Ashoka. Its diameter approximates to the width of the white band and it has 24 spokes. The design of the National Flag was adopted by the Constituent Assembly of India on 22 July 1947.

It is really amazing to see the various changes that our National Flag went through since its first inception. It was discovered or recognised during our national struggle for freedom. The evolution of the Indian National Flag sailed through many vicissitudes to arrive at what it is today.

National Bird

The Indian peacock, Pavo cristatus, the national bird of India, is a colourful, swan-sized bird, with a fan-shaped crest of feathers, a white patch under the eye and a long, slender neck. The male of the species is more colourful than the female, with a glistening blue breast and neck and a spectacular bronze-green tail of around 200 elongated feathers. The female is brownish, slightly smaller than the male and lacks the tail. The elaborate courtship dance of the male, fanning out the tail and preening its feathers is a gorgeous sight. India General Knowledge 2020

National Flower

Lotus (Nelumbo Nucifera Gaertn) is the National Flower of India. It is a sacred flower and occupies a unique position in the art and mythology of ancient India and has been an auspicious symbol of Indian culture since time immemorial.

India is rich in flora. Currently available data place India in the tenth position in the world and fourth in Asia in plant diversity. From about 70 per cent geographical area surveyed so far, 47,000 species of plants have been described by the Botanical Survey of India (BSI).

National Tree

Indian fig tree, Ficus bengalensis, whose branches root themselves like new trees over a large area, The roots then give rise to more trunks and branches. Because of this characteristic and its longevity, this tree is considered immortal and is an integral part of the myths and legends of India. Even today, the banyan tree is the focal point of village life and the village council meets under the shade of this tree. India General Knowledge 2020

National Anthem

The “National Anthem of India” is played or song on various occasions. Instructions have been issued from time to time about the correct versions of the Anthem, the occasions on which these are to be played or sung, and about the need for paying respect to the anthem by observance of proper decorum on such occasions. The substance of these instructions has been embodied in this information sheet for general information and guidance.

The composition consisting of the words and music of the first stanza of the late poet Rabindra Nath Tagore’s song known as “Jana Gana Mana” is the National Anthem of India.

Jana-gana-mana-adhinayaka jaya he

Bharata-bhagya-vidhata

Punjaba-Sindhu-Gujarata-Maratha

Dravida-Utkala-Banga

Vindhya-Himachala-Yamuna-Ganga

Uchchala-jaladhi-taranga

Tava shubha name jage, tava shubha asisa mage,

Gahe tava jaya-gatha

Jana-gana-mangala-dayaka jaya he

Bharata-bhagya-vidhata

Jaya he, Jaya he, Jaya he,

Jaya jaya jaya, jaya he

A short version consisting of the first and last lines of the National Anthem is also played on certain occasions. It reads as follows:

Jana-gana-mana-adhinayaka jaya he

Bharata-bhagya-vidhata

Jaya he, Jaya he, Jaya he,

Jaya jaya jaya, jaya he

State Emblem

The state emblem is an adaptation from the Sarnath Lion Capital of Ashoka. In the original, there are four lions, standing back to back, mounted on an abacus with a frieze carrying sculptures in high relief of an elephant, a galloping horse, a bull and a lion separated by intervening wheels over a bell-shaped lotus. Carved out of a single block of polished sandstone, the Capital is crowned by the Wheel of the Law (Dharma Chakra)

In the state emblem, adopted by the Government of India on 26 January 1950, only three lions are visible, the fourth being hidden from view. The wheel appears in relief in the centre of the abacus with a bull on right and a horse on left and the outlines of other wheels on extreme right and left. The bell-shaped lotus has been omitted. The words Satyameva Jayate from Mundaka Upanishad, meaning ‘Truth Alone Triumphs‘, are inscribed below the abacus in Devanagari script.

National Calendar

The national calendar based on the Saka Era, with Chaitra as its first month and a normal year of 365 days was adopted from 22 March 1957 along with the Gregorian calendar for the following official purposes: India General Knowledge 2020

Gazette of India.
News broadcast by All India Radio.
Calendars issued by the Government of India.
Government communications addressed to the members of the public.

Dates of the national calendar have a permanent correspondence with dates of the Gregorian calendar, 1 Chaitra falling on 22 March normally and on 21 March in leap year.

National Animal

The magnificent tiger, Panthera Tigris is a striped animal. It has a thick yellow coat of fur with dark stripes. The combination of grace, strength, agility and enormous power has earned the tiger its pride of place as the national animal of India. Out of eight races of the species known, the Indian race, the Royal Bengal Tiger, is found throughout the country except in the north-western region and also in the neighbouring countries, Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh. To check the dwindling population of tigers in India, ‘Project Tiger’ was launched in April 1973. So far, 27 tiger reserves have been established in the country under this project, covering an area of 37,761 sq km.

National Song

The song Vande Mataram, composed in Sanskrit by Bankimchandra Chatterjee, was a source of inspiration to the people in their struggle for freedom. It has an equal status with Jana-gana-mana. The first political occasion when it was sung was the 1896 session of the Indian National Congress.

Vande Mataram!

Sujalam, suphalam, malayaja shitalam,

Shasyashyamalam, Mataram!

Vande Mataram!

Shubhrajyotsna pulakitayaminim,

Phullakusumita drumadala shobhinim,

Suhasinim sumadhura bhashinim,

Sukhadam varadam, Mataram!

Vande Mataram, Vande Mataram!

Geographical information about India

Particulars	Description
Location	The Indian peninsula is separated from mainland Asia by the Himalayas. The Country is surrounded by the Bay of Bengal in the east, the Arabian Sea in the west, and the Indian Ocean to the south.
Geographic Coordinates	Lying entirely in the Northern Hemisphere, the Country extends between 8° 4′ and 37° 6′ latitudes north of the Equator, and 68° 7′ and 97° 25′ longitudes east of it.
Indian Standard Time	GMT + 05:30
Area	3.3 Million sq. km
Telephone Country Code	+91
Border Countries	Afghanistan and Pakistan to the north-west; China, Bhutan and Nepal to the north; Myanmar to the east; and Bangladesh to the east of West Bengal. Sri Lanka is separated from India by a narrow channel of sea, formed by Palk Strait and the Gulf of Mannar.
Coastline	7,516.6 km encompassing the mainland, Lakshadweep Islands, and the Andaman & Nicobar Islands.
Climate	The climate of India can broadly be classified as a tropical monsoon one. But, in spite of much of the northern part of India lying beyond the tropical zone, the entire country has a tropical climate marked by relatively high temperatures and dry winters. There are four seasons:i. winter (December-February)ii. summer (March-June)iii. south-west monsoon season (June-September)iv. post monsoon season (October-November)
Terrain	The mainland comprises of four regions, namely the great mountain zone, plains of the Ganga and the Indus, the desert region, and the southern peninsula.
Natural Resources	Coal, iron ore, manganese ore, mica, bauxite, petroleum, titanium ore, Chromite, natural gas, magnesite, limestone, arable land, dolomite, barytes, kaolin, gypsum, apatite, phosphorite, steatite, fluorite, etc.
Natural Hazards	Monsoon floods, flash floods, earthquakes, droughts, and landslides.
Environment – Current Issues	Air pollution control, energy conservation, solid waste management, oil and gas conservation, forest conservation, etc.
Environment – International Agreements	Rio Declaration on environment and development, Cartagena Protocol on biosafety, Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on climatic change, World Trade Agreement, Helsinki Protocol to LRTAP on the reduction of sulphur emissions of nitrogen oxides or their transboundary fluxes (Nox Protocol), and Geneva Protocol to LRTAP concerning the control of emissions of volatile organic compounds or their transboundary fluxes (VOCs Protocol).
Geography – Note	India occupies a major portion of the south Asian subcontinent.

Information about Indian Government

Particulars	Description
Country Name	Republic of India; Bharat Ganrajya
Government Type	Sovereign Socialist Democratic Republic with a Parliamentary system of Government.
Capital	New Delhi
Administrative Divisions	28 States and 9 Union Territories.
Independence	15^th August 1947 (From the British Colonial Rule)
Constitution	The Constitution of India came into force on 26^th January 1950.
Legal System	The Constitution of India is the fountain source of the legal system in the Country.
Executive Branch	The President of India is the Head of the State, while the Prime Minister is the Head of the Government, and runs office with the support of the Council of Ministers who forms the Cabinet Ministry.
Legislative Branch	The Indian Legislature comprises of the Lok Sabha (House of the People) and the Rajya Sabha (Council of States) forming both the Houses of the Parliament.
Judicial Branch	The Supreme Court of India is the apex body of the Indian legal system, followed by other High Courts and subordinate Courts.
Flag Description	The National Flag is a horizontal tricolour of deep saffron (kesaria) at the top, white in the middle, and dark green at the bottom in equal proportion. At the centre of the white band is a navy blue wheel, which is a representation of the Ashoka Chakra at Sarnath.
National Days	26^th January (Republic Day) 15^th August (Independence Day) 2^nd October (Gandhi Jayanti; Mahatma Gandhi’s Birthday)

First in India

Men
Field	Person
President of Indian Republic	Dr. Rajendra Prasad
Prime Minister of free India	Pt. Jawahar Lai Nehru
Indian to win Nobel Prize	Rabindranath Tagore
President of Indian National Congress	W. C. Banerjee
Muslim President of Indian National Congress	Badruddin Tayyabji
Muslim President of India	Dr. Zakir Hussain
British Governor General of India	Lord William Bentinck
British Viceroy of India	Lord Canning
Governor General of free India	Lord Mountbatten
Indian to be Governor General of free India	C. Rajagopalachari
Man who introduced printing press in India	James Hicky
Indian to join the I.C.S.	Satyendra Nath Tagore
Man in space	Rakesh Sharma
Prime Minister of India who resigned without completing the full term	Morarji Desai
Indian Commander – in – Chief of India	General Cariappa
Chief of the Army Staff	Gen. Maharaj Rajendra Singhji
Indian member of the Viceroy’s executive council	S. P. Sinha
President of India who died while in office	Dr. Zakir Hussain
Prime Minister of India who did not face the Parliament	Charan Singh
Field Marshal of India	S.H.F. Manekshaw
Indian to get Nobel prize in Physics	C.V. Raman
Indian to receive Bharat Ratna award	Dr. Radhakrishnan
Indian to cross English channel	Mihir Sen
person to receive Jnanpith award	Sri Shankar Kurup
Speaker of the Lok Sabha	Ganesh Vasudeva Mavalankar
Vice – President of India	Dr. Radhakrishnan
Education Minister	Abul Kalam Azad
Home Minister of India	Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel
Indian Air Chief Marshal	S. Mukherjee
Indian Naval Chief	Vice Admiral R. D. Katari
judge of International Court of Justice	Dr. Nagendra Singh
Person to receive Paramveer Chakra	Major Somnath Sharma
Person to reach Mt. Everest without oxygen	Sherpa Anga Dorjee
Chief Election Commissioner	Sukumar Sen
Person to receive Magsaysay Award	Acharya Vinoba Bhave
Person of Indian origin to receive Nobel Prize in Medicine	Hargovind Khurana
Chinese traveller to visit India	Fahein
Person to receive Stalin Prize	Saifuddin Kitchlu
Person to resign from the central cabinet	Shyama Prasad Mukherjee
Foreigner to receive Bharat Ratna	Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan
Person to receive Nobel Prize in Economics	Amartya Sen
Chief Justice of Supreme Court	Justice Hiralal J. Kania
Women
Field	Person
The first lady to become “Miss World”	Rita Faria
The first woman judge in Supreme Court	Mrs. Meera Sahib Fatima Bibi
The first woman Ambassador	Miss C.B. Muthamma
The first woman Governor of a State in free India	Mrs. Sarojini Naidu
The first woman Prime Minister	Mrs. Indira Gandhi
The first woman to climb Mount Everest	Bachhendri Pal
The first woman to climb Mount Everest twice	Santosh Yadav
The first woman President of the Indian National Congress	Mrs. Annie Besant
The first woman chief justice of a High Court	Mrs. Leela Seth
The first woman pilot in Indian Air Force	Harita Kaur Dayal
The first woman President of the UN General Assembly	Mrs. Vijaya Laxmi Pandit
The first woman Chief Minister of an Indian State	Mrs. Sucheta Kripalani
The first woman chairman of UPSC	Roze Millian Bethew
The first woman Director General of Police (DGP)	Kanchan Chaudhary Bhattacharya
The first woman Lieutenant General	Puneeta Arora
The first woman Air Vice Marshal	P. Bandopadhyaya
The first woman chairperson of Indian Airlines	Sushma Chawla
The first woman I.P.S. Officer	Mrs. Kiran Bedi
The first and the last Muslim woman ruler of Delhi	Razia Sultan
The first woman to receive Ashoka Chakra	Nirja Bhanot
The first woman to cross English Channel	Aarti Saha
The first woman to receive Nobel Prize	Mother Teresa
The first woman to receive Bharat Ratna	Mrs. Indira Gandhi
The first woman to receive Jnanpith Award	Ashapurna Devi

Important Sites in India

Place	City / State
Ajanta	Aurangabad ( Maharashtra )
Akbar’s Tomb	Sikandara (Uttar Pradesh )
Ambernath Cave	Kashmir ( Jammu & Kashmir )
Amber Palace	Jaipur (Rajasthan )
Anand Bhavan	Allahabad ( Uttar Pradesh )
Bhakra Dam	Punjab ( Punjab )
Birla Planetarium	Kolkata ( West Bengal )
Black Pagoda	Konark (Orissa )
Bodhisattva (Ajanta Caves )	Aurangabad ( Maharashtra )
Brihadeeswara Temple	Tanjore (Tamil Nadu )
Brindavan Gardens	Mysore ( Karnataka )
Buland Darwaza	Fatepur Sikri ( Uttar Pradesh )
Charminar	Hyderabad ( Andhra Pradesh )
Chenna Kesava Temple	Belur (West Bengal )
Chilka Lame	Near Bhubaneswar ( Orissa )
Dal Lake	Srinagar ( Jammu & Kashmir )
Dilwara Temples	Mt. Abu ( Rajasthan )
Elephanta Caves	Mumbai ( Maharashtra )
Golden Temple	Amirtsar (Punjab )
Gol Gumbaz	Bijapur (Karnataka )
Hanging Gardens	Mumbai ( Maharashtra )
Hawa Mahal ( Palace of Winds)	Jaipur (Rajasthan )
Mahakaleeswar Temple	Ujjain ( Madhya Pradesh )
Mahesuramurthi ( Trimurti )	Elephanta Caves ( Maharashtra )
Howrah Bridge	Kolkata ( West Bengal )
Island Palace	Udaipur ( Rajasthan )
Itmad – ud – Daulah’s Tomb	Agra ( Uttar Pradesh )
Jagannath Temple	Puri (Orissa )
Jama Masjid	Delhi ( Delhi )
Jantar Mantar	New Delhi ( Delhi )
Jog ( Geresoppa ) Falls	Mysore ( Karnataka )
Kailasanath Temples	Ellora (Maharashtra )
Kanyakumari Temples	Kanyakumari (Tamil Nadu )
Khajuraho Temples	Bhopal ( Madhya Pradesh )
Konark Temple	Puri (Orissa )
Lal Bagh Gardens	Bangalore ( Karnataka )
Malabar Hills	Mumbai ( Maharashtra )
Manmandir Palace	Gwalior Fort ( Madhya Pradesh )
Marble Rocks	Jabalpur ( Madhya Pradesh )
Marina Beach	Chennai ( Tamil Nadu )
Meenakshi Temple	Madurai ( Tamil Nadu )
Padmanabha Temple	Trivandrum ( Kerala )
Panch Mahal	Fatepur Sikri ( Uttar Pradesh )
Tower of Fame	Chittorgarh (Rajasthan )
Thiruvalluvar Statue	Kanyakumari (Tamil Nadu )
Vivekananda Memorial	Kanyakumari (Tamil Nadu )

Foreign Invader Visitors to India

The first European Invader on Indian soil	Alexander, the Great
The first European to visit India	Marco Polo
The first Chinese Pilgrim who came to India	Fahien
The first British Prime Minister to visit India	Harold Macmillan
The First U.S. President to visit India	D. Eisenhower
The first Soviet Prime Minister to visit India	V. Bulganin

Geographical Epithets

Epithets	City
Golden City	Amritsar
Manchester of India	Ahmedabad
City of Seven islands	Mumbai
Queen of Arabian Sea	Cochin
Space City	Bangalore
Garden City of India	Bangalore
Silicon Valley of India	Bangalore
Electronic city of India	Bangalore
Pink City	Jaipur
Gateway of India	Mumbai
Twin City	Hyderabad –Sikandrabad
City of festivals	Madurai
Deccan Queen	Pune
City of Buildings	Kolkata
Dakshin Ganga	Godavari
Old Ganga	Godavari
Egg bowls of Asia	Andhra Pradesh
Soya region	Madhya Pradesh
Manchester of the South	Coimbatore
City of Nawabs	Lucknow
Venice of the east	Cochin
Sorrow of Bengal	Damodar River
Sorrow of Bihar	Kosi River
Blue Mountains	Nilgiri
Queen of the Mountains	Mussoorie (Uttaranchal)
Sacred river	Ganga
Hollywood of India	Mumbai
City of Castles	Kolkata
State of five rivers	Punjab

Indian States & Their Symbols
NAME	BIRD	ANIMAL	FLOWER	TREE
Andhra Pradesh	Indian Roller	Black Buck	Water lily	Neem
Arunachal Pradesh	Great Hornbill	Mithun	Foxtail Orchids	Hollong
Assam	White-winged Wood Duck	One Horned Rhinoceros	Foxtail Orchids	Hollong
Bihar	House Sparrow	Gaur	Kanchnar	Peepal
Chattisgarh	Hill Myna	Wild buffalo		Sal
Goa	Black-crested Bulbul	Gaur		Asan
Gujarat	Greater Flamingo	Asiatic Lion
Haryana	Black Francolin	Nilgai	Lotus	Peepal
Himachal Pradesh	Western Tragopan	Snow Leopard	Pink Rhododendron	Deodar
Jharkhand	Koel	Elephant	Palash	Sal
Karnataka	Indian Roller	Elephant	Lotus	Sandal
Kerala	Great Hornbill	Elephant	Kanikonna	Coconut
Madhya Pradesh	Paradise flycatcher	Swamp Deer
Maharashtra	Green Imperial Pigeon	Giant Squirrel	Jarul	Mango
Manipur	Mrs. Hume’s Pheasant	Sangai	Shiroy lily	Toon
Meghalaya	Hill Myna	Clouded Leopard	Lady Slipper Orchid	Gamari
Mizoram	Mrs. Hume’s Pheasant	Hillock Gibbon	Red Vanada	Iron Wood
Nagaland	Blyth’s Tragopan	Mithun	Rhododendron	Alder
Orissa	Peacock	Elephant	Lotus	Banyan
Punjab	Northern Goshawk	Blackbuck		Sheesham
Rajasthan	Indian Bustard	Camel	Rohira	Khejri
Sikkim	Blood Pheasant	Red Panda	Nobile Orchid	Rhododendron
Tamil Nadu	Emerald Dove	Nilgiri Tahr	Glory_lily	Palm Tree
Tripura	Green Imperial Pigeon	Phayre’s Langur	Nageshwar	Agar
Uttranchal	Himalayan Monal	Musk Deer	Brahm Kamal	Burans
Uttar Pradesh	Sarus Crane	Swamp Deer	Brahm Kamal	Ashok
West Bengal	White Throated Kingfisher	Fishing cat	Shephali	Chatian

India is located on the geographical coordinates of 20° 00′ North and 77° 00′ east.
It is the seventh largest country in the world. The total area covered by India is 32, 87,263 sq km, out of which the land covers 29, 73,190 sq km.
It is four times the size of Pakistan, 13 times the size of UK and nine times the size of Japan. India General Knowledge 2020
The mainland of India stretches from longitudes 68° 7′ and 97° 25′ East and latitudes 8° 4′ and 37° 6′ north. India General Knowledge 2020
The highest point is Mount Kanchenjunga and the lowest point is Indian Ocean.
India has got a long coastline of 7,516.6 km.
India shares its borders with Pakistan, China, Afghanistan, Myanmar, Bhutan, Nepal and Bangladesh.
India lies entirely in the northern and eastern hemispheres.
India witnesses tropical monsoon type climatic conditions.
In case of plant diversity, India holds the tenth position in the world and the fourth in Asia.
With the GDP worth 1,996 billion US dollars, India is the 10th largest economy in the world.
The Bombay stock exchange is one of the biggest in the world. It includes more than 5000 companies.
The pharmaceutical industry in India is the third largest in the world in terms of volume of production.
India is the largest producer of milk in the world.
India is among the top five producers of tea, silk, spices, sugar, cotton, rubber, coffee and fish in the world. India General Knowledge 2020
The Agriculture sector in India accounts for 13.7 per cent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
Almost 50 per cent of the total population of the country is dependent on agriculture.
India is the largest producer of banana in the world.
India happens to be the largest exporter, producer, processor and consumer of cashew nuts in the world.
India is responsible for 10 per cent of the total fruit production in the world.
Coal is a major source of energy in India; it caters to almost 67 per cent of the country’s commercial requirement.
RBI is the only authority in India that can issue currency notes.
Odisha is one of the major producers of graphite in India.
The first Special Economic Zone (SEZ) was established in Kandla in Gujarat in the year 1965.
India is among the few countries in the world that manufacture supercomputers.
India happens to be one of the few satellite launching countries in the world.
India is the first country in the world to enter the Martian orbit in its very first attempt.
The natural resources of India include coal, manganese, bauxite, limestone, natural gas, iron ore, etc. India General Knowledge 2020
Indian Railways is the world’s eighth largest employer, employing over 1.4 million people.
India is home to the second largest pool of engineers, software developers and scientists in the world.
India happens to be the second largest English speaking country in the world.
India is home to 187 minor ports and 12 major ports.
The most number of post offices in the world are found in India. There are more than 1.5 lakh post offices in the country.
India is the birthplace of four major religions of the world, Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism. Islam is the second largest religion of both India and the world. Interestingly, there are over 3, 00,000 active mosques in India, which is the highest in comparison to any other country.
The Bailey bridge, in the Ladakh valley in Jammu & Kashmir, is located at the highest altitude in the world. The 300 m long bridge is located at a height of 5,600 m, between the rivers Suru and Dras, which flow down from the high Himalayas. The Indian Army constructed this bridge in 1982.
The highest cricket ground in the world is located in Chail, Himachal Pradesh. This ground was laid out in 1893 after a hilltop was leveled. It is located at a height of 2,444 meters above the sea level.
The ancient city of Varanasi, visited by Lord Buddha in 500 BC, is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world today.
More than 40% of mangoes in the world are grown in India.
The country’s largest news agency is Press Trust of India (PTI).
There are more than a million Indians who are millionaires, yet a large section of the Indian population live on less than two dollars a day. According to the UN reports, about 30% of people in India lived below the poverty line in 2010.
Last, but not the least, just to get a better idea about the population situation of India – the number of births that take place in India every year is higher than the total population of Australia.
India’s variety of fauna crosses almost 91,000 species. Ganga is the longest river in India.
Wular Lake is the largest fresh water lake in India. India General Knowledge 2020