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
State Wise Yearbook 2020: Latest Current Affairs
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 | 15th August 1947 (From the British Colonial Rule) |
Constitution | The Constitution of India came into force on 26th 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 | 26th January (Republic Day)
15th August (Independence Day) 2nd 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
Some Other Useful Links:
UPSC Prelims 2020 Test 1-40: IAS Test Series – Study Portal
General Awareness/Current Affairs Yearbook 2020 – Study Portal
General Awareness/Current Affairs Yearbook 2020 – Study Portal
UPSC Civil Services Preliminary Exam 2020 Complete Study Material GS Paper-1
Important Topics for UPSC IAS Prelims and Mains Exam 2020 Part-2
State Wise Current Affairs General Knowledge Yearbook 2020
State Wise GK Current Affairs Yearbook 2020
UPSC PSC Prelims Test Series 2020
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India General Knowledge
Know all about Indian History, Polity, Geography, Governance, Art, Culture etc. it will not only useful for competitive exams but also for general awareness.
- National Flag
- National Bird
- National Flower
- National Tree
- National Anthem
- State Emblem
- National Calendar
- National Animal
- National Song
- Geographical information – India
- Indian Government
- Demographic Background
- Physical Background
- Geological Structure
- Climate
- Rivers
- Flora
- Fauna
- The Union and its Territory
- Citizenship
- Fundamental Rights
- Fundamental Duties
- Directive Principle of State Policy
- The Union
- Public Services
- Official Language
- Comptroller & Auditor General
- Administrative Reforms & Public Grievances
- System of government in states
- Union Territories
- Local Government
- Election Commission
- Presidents of India
- Vice-Presidents of India
- Prime Ministers of India
- Chief Justices of India
- Chief Election Commissioners of India
- Chairmen of UPSC
- Bharat Ratna Award
- The Indus Valley Civilization
- Vedic Civilization
- The Buddhist Era
- Alexander’s Invasion
- The Mauryan Empire
- The Gupta Dynasty
- Harshavardhana
- The Chalukyas of Badami
- The Pallavas of Kanchi
- The Palas
- The Senas
- The Pratihara
- The Rashtrakutas
- The Chola Empire of the South
- The Rise of Islam in South-Asia
- Muslim Invasion in India
- The Delhi Sultanate
- The Slave Dynasty
- The Khilji Dynasty
- The Tughlaq Dynasty
- Timur’s Invasion
- Sayyid Dynasty
- Lodhi Dynasty
- Vijayanagar Empire
- Bahmani Kingdom
- Bhakti Movement
- Sufism
- The Mughal Empire
- Rise of the Sikh Power
- Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj
- The Decline of Mughal Empire
- Freedom Struggle
- The Indian Mutiny of 1857
- End of the East India Company
- Raja Rammohan Roy (1772-1833)
- Swami Vivekananda (1863-1902)
- Indian National Congress (INC)
- Jallianwala Bagh Massacre
- The Non-Cooperation Movement
- Simon Commission
- Civil Disobedience Movement
- Quit India Movement
- Partition of India and Pakistan
- Indian Monuments Part -1
- Indian Monuments Part-2
- Indian Monuments Part-3
- Indian Monuments Part-4
- People & Lifestyle
- Culture
- Science
- Ethnicity of India
- Festivals
- Performing Arts
- Visual Arts & Literature
- Mass Media
- Indian Towns & Places
- Tallest; Biggest; Highest
- History – Battles & Wars