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World geography, history, science, polity, economics, current affairs, and important dates.
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Adopted | 26 November 1949 |
| Enforced | 26 January 1950 (Republic Day) |
| Drafting Committee Chairman | Dr. B.R. Ambedkar |
| Constituent Assembly Chairman | Dr. Rajendra Prasad |
| Total Articles (Originally) | 395 Articles, 8 Schedules, 22 Parts |
| Total Articles (Current) | 470+ Articles, 12 Schedules, 25 Parts |
| Total Amendments | 105+ (as of 2024) |
| Fundamental Rights | Part III, Articles 12-35 |
| Directive Principles | Part IV, Articles 36-51 |
| Fundamental Duties | Part IV-A, Article 51A (added by 42nd Amendment) |
| Preamble | India = Sovereign, Socialist, Secular, Democratic, Republic |
| Official Language | Hindi (Devanagari script) + English (Article 343) |
| National Anthem | Jana Gana Mana (Rabindranath Tagore, adopted 1952) |
| National Song | Vande Mataram (Bankim Chandra Chatterjee) |
| National Flower | Lotus |
| National Animal | Bengal Tiger |
| National Bird | Indian Peacock |
| National Tree | Banyan Tree |
| National Fruit | Mango |
| National River | Ganga (declared 2008) |
| National Emblem | Lion Capital of Ashoka at Sarnath |
| Amendment | Year | Key Provisions |
|---|---|---|
| 1st Amendment | 1951 | Added restrictions to Freedom of Speech (Article 19); land reform laws in 9th Schedule |
| 7th Amendment | 1956 | Reorganisation of states on linguistic basis; abolished Class A, B, C, D states |
| 10th Amendment | 1961 | Incorporated Dadra & Nagar Haveli as Union Territory |
| 12th Amendment | 1962 | Incorporated Goa, Daman & Diu |
| 24th Amendment | 1971 | Parliament can amend any part of Constitution including Fundamental Rights |
| 25th Amendment | 1971 | Curtailed Right to Property (made it a legal right, not fundamental) |
| 42nd Amendment | 1976 | Known as "Mini Constitution"; added Socialist, Secular, Integrity to Preamble; Fundamental Duties; Emergency provisions strengthened |
| 44th Amendment | 1978 | Removed Right to Property as Fundamental Right; reversed many 42nd Amendment provisions; restored some judicial review powers |
| 52nd Amendment | 1985 | Anti-Defection Law (10th Schedule — disqualification on party switching) |
| 61st Amendment | 1989 | Reduced voting age from 21 to 18 years |
| 73rd Amendment | 1992 | Panchayati Raj institutions — 3-tier local self-governance in rural areas |
| 74th Amendment | 1992 | Municipalities — local self-governance in urban areas (Nagar Palikas) |
| 86th Amendment | 2002 | Made education a Fundamental Right (Article 21-A); added 86th C (child labour ban) |
| 91st Amendment | 2003 | Limited Council of Ministers size to 15% of Lok Sabha strength |
| 100th Amendment | 2015 | India-Bangladesh Land Boundary Agreement; exchanged enclaves |
| 101st Amendment | 2016 | GST (Goods and Services Tax) — Article 246A; GST Council |
| 103rd Amendment | 2019 | 10% EWS reservation in education and government jobs |
| 104th Amendment | 2020 | Extended SC/ST reservation in Lok Sabha and Assemblies for 10 more years; removed reserved seats for Anglo-Indians |
| Right | Article | Description | Key Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Equality before Law | Article 14 | State shall not deny equality before law or equal protection of laws | Applies to all persons (citizens + non-citizens) |
| Prohibition of Discrimination | Article 15 | No discrimination on grounds of religion, race, caste, sex, place of birth | State can make special provisions for women, children, SC/ST, OBC |
| Equality of Opportunity | Article 16 | Equal opportunity in public employment | Reservations for SC/ST/OBC permitted; residence preference allowed |
| Abolition of Untouchability | Article 17 | Untouchability is abolished; its practice is an offence | Protection of Civil Rights Act, 1955 |
| Abolition of Titles | Article 18 | No title (except military/academic) shall be conferred by State | Bharat Ratna, Padma awards are NOT titles under Article 18(1) |
| Right to Freedom | Articles 19-22 | Speech, Assembly, Association, Movement, Residence, Profession, Life & Liberty | Reasonable restrictions under Articles 19(2)-(6) |
| Right against Exploitation | Articles 23-24 | Prohibition of traffic in humans, forced labour; child labour ban | Bonded Labour System Abolition Act, 1976 |
| Right to Freedom of Religion | Articles 25-28 | Freedom of conscience, free profession, practice and propagation | State can regulate economic/financial/political activities |
| Cultural & Educational Rights | Articles 29-30 | Protection of minorities interests; right to establish & administer institutions | Applies to religious AND linguistic minorities |
| Right to Constitutional Remedies | Article 32 | Right to move Supreme Court for enforcement of Fundamental Rights | Dr. Ambedkar called it "heart and soul" of Constitution |
| Article | Subject | Key Points |
|---|---|---|
| Article 1 | Name & Territory of India | India shall be a Union of States (not Federation) |
| Article 5-11 | Citizenship | Citizenship at commencement; rights of certain migrants |
| Article 12 | Definition of State | Includes Government, Parliament, State Legislatures, local authorities, statutory bodies |
| Article 21 | Right to Life & Personal Liberty | Expanded to include Right to Dignity, Privacy, Livelihood, Clean Environment, Education |
| Article 21-A | Right to Education | Free and compulsory education for children aged 6-14 (86th Amendment) |
| Article 32 | Right to Constitutional Remedies | Supreme Court can issue writs: Habeas Corpus, Mandamus, Prohibition, Certiorari, Quo Warranto |
| Article 368 | Power to Amend Constitution | Special majority (2/3 present + voting + majority of total membership); some need State ratification |
| Article 370 | Special Status of J&K | Abrogated on 5 August 2019; J&K reorganised into 2 UTs |
| Article 51A | Fundamental Duties | 11 duties added by 42nd Amendment; not enforceable by courts |
| Article 110 | Money Bills | Only introduced in Lok Sabha; Rajya Sabha can only recommend (not amend); Speaker certifies |
| Article 124 | Supreme Court | Collegium system for appointment of judges (CJI + 4 senior-most SC judges) |
| Article 315 | UPSC | Union Public Service Commission — recruitment to All India Services and Central Services |
| Article 324 | Election Commission | Chief Election Commissioner + 2 Election Commissioners; conducts elections to Parliament, State Legislatures, President, VP |
| Article 343 | Official Language | Hindi in Devanagari script as official language of Union; English for 15 years (extended indefinitely) |
| Period | Time Range | Key Features & Events |
|---|---|---|
| Indus Valley Civilization | 3300-1300 BCE (Mature: 2600-1900 BCE) | Harappa, Mohenjo-daro, Lothal, Dholavira; urban planning, grid system, drainage; Great Bath; no iron; seals with animals; trade with Mesopotamia |
| Vedic Period | 1500-600 BCE | Rigveda (oldest, 1500 BCE); four Vedas (Rig, Sama, Yajur, Atharva); caste system emerged; Sanskrit language; horse sacrifice (Ashvamedha) |
| Mahajanapadas | 600-300 BCE | 16 Mahajanapadas; Magadha (most powerful — Bimbisara, Ajatashatru); Haryanka, Shishunaga, Nanda dynasties |
| Maurya Empire | 322-185 BCE | Chandragupta Maurya (founder, advised by Chanakya/Kautilya); Ashoka the Great — Kalinga War (261 BCE), Dhamma policy, edicts, Buddhism; Arthashastra written |
| Gupta Empire | 320-550 CE | Chandragupta I, Samudragupta, Chandragupta II; "Golden Age of India"; Aryabhata (zero, astronomy), Kalidasa (poet), Nalanda University |
| Harsha Empire | 606-647 CE | Harshavardhana; Hiuen Tsang visited India; Nalanda University flourished; Banabhatta wrote Harshacharita |
| Dynasty/Empire | Period | Key Rulers & Events |
|---|---|---|
| Delhi Sultanate | 1206-1526 | 5 dynasties: Slave (Qutbuddin Aibak — Qutub Minar), Khilji (Alauddin Khilji — market reforms), Tughlaq (Muhammad bin Tughlaq), Sayyid, Lodi (Ibrahim Lodi — defeated by Babur) |
| Mughal Empire | 1526-1857 | Babur (First Battle of Panipat, 1526); Humayun; Akbar (religious tolerance, Mansabdari, Din-i-Ilahi); Shah Jahan (Taj Mahal, Red Fort); Aurangzeb (expansion but decline started) |
| Vijayanagara Empire | 1336-1646 | Harihara & Bukka (founders); Krishnadevaraya (greatest ruler); Battle of Talikota (1565); Hampi capital |
| Maratha Empire | 1674-1818 | Shivaji Maharaj (founder, coronation 1674); Ashtapradhan; guerrilla warfare; Peshwa era; Third Battle of Panipat (1761) |
| Bhakti Movement | 8th-17th century | Ramanuja, Kabir, Guru Nanak (Sikhism), Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Mirabai, Tulsidas, Surdas; emphasis on devotion over ritual |
| Sufi Movement | 10th-16th century | Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti (Ajmer), Nizamuddin Auliya (Delhi); Chishti, Suhrawardi, Naqshbandi orders; emphasis on love and devotion |
| Event / Movement | Year | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Battle of Plassey | 1757 | Robert Clive defeated Siraj-ud-Daulah; British established political control in India |
| Battle of Buxar | 1764 | British defeated combined forces of Mir Qasim, Shuja-ud-Daulah, Shah Alam II; got Diwani rights of Bengal, Bihar, Odisha |
| Regulating Act | 1773 | First step by British Parliament to regulate affairs of East India Company; Governor of Bengal became Governor-General |
| Permanent Settlement | 1793 | Lord Cornwallis; fixed land revenue; zamindars as owners; affected Bengal, Bihar, Odisha |
| Doctrine of Lapse | 1848 | Lord Dalhousie; annexed princely states with no male heir (Jhansi, Satara, Nagpur, Sambalpur) |
| Revolt of 1857 | 1857 | First War of Independence; Mangal Pandey, Rani Lakshmibai, Tantia Tope, Bahadur Shah Zafar; immediate cause: greased cartridges |
| Formation of INC | 1885 | Indian National Congress founded by A.O. Hume; first session in Bombay (Mumbai); W.C. Bonnerjee as first president |
| Partition of Bengal | 1905 | Lord Curzon; divided Bengal on communal lines; led to Swadeshi Movement and boycott of British goods |
| Swadeshi Movement | 1905-1908 | Boycott of British goods; promotion of indigenous products; Indian National Anthem composed by Tagore (1905) |
| Lucknow Pact | 1916 | INC and Muslim League agreed on separate electorates; Congress-League joint session |
| Jallianwala Bagh Massacre | 1919 | General Dyer opened fire on peaceful gathering in Amritsar; 379+ killed; Rabindranath Tagore renounced knighthood |
| Non-Cooperation Movement | 1920-1922 | Gandhiji launched; boycott of schools, courts, councils; Chauri Chaura incident (1922) led to withdrawal |
| Civil Disobedience Movement | 1930-1934 | Dandi March (Salt March); Gandhiji walked 385 km from Sabarmati to Dandi; broke salt law |
| Quit India Movement | 1942 | "Do or Die" call by Gandhiji; "August Kranti"; launched during WWII; mass arrests; parallel governments formed |
| Indian Independence | 1947 | 15 August 1947; Mountbatten Plan; India and Pakistan created; Lord Mountbatten as first Governor-General |
| Indian Republic | 1950 | 26 January 1950; Constitution came into force; Dr. Rajendra Prasad became first President |
| Personality | Known For | Key Contribution |
|---|---|---|
| Chandragupta Maurya | Founder of Maurya Empire | United most of India under one rule (322 BCE); advised by Chanakya |
| Ashoka the Great | Greatest Maurya ruler | Kalinga War transformed him to Buddhism; rock and pillar edicts; welfare state |
| Chanakya (Kautilya) | Political strategist | Wrote Arthashastra (treatise on statecraft, economics, military strategy) |
| Mahatma Gandhi | Father of the Nation | Non-violence (Ahimsa), Satyagraha; led major movements; instrumental in independence |
| Subhas Chandra Bose | Netaji | Indian National Army (INA); "Give me blood, I shall give you freedom"; Azad Hind Fauj |
| Bhagat Singh | Revolutionary | Central Assembly bombing (1929); hanged at age 23 (1931); symbol of youth revolution |
| Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel | Iron Man of India | Integration of 562 princely states; first Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister |
| Dr. B.R. Ambedkar | Chief Architect of Constitution | Drafted Indian Constitution; champion of social justice; Buddhist movement |
| Jawaharlal Nehru | First Prime Minister | Modern India builder; Five Year Plans; Non-Aligned Movement; "Tryst with Destiny" speech |
| Rabindranath Tagore | Poet, Nobel Laureate | First non-European Nobel Prize (Literature, 1913); Gitanjali; Jana Gana Mana; Visva-Bharati University |
| Rani Lakshmibai | Queen of Jhansi | Fought in 1857 revolt; "Khoob ladi mardani woh to Jhansi wali rani thi" |
| Bal Gangadhar Tilak | Lokmanya | "Swaraj is my birthright"; Ganapati festival; Kesari newspaper; extremist leader |
| Feature | Value |
|---|---|
| Total Area | 3.287 million sq km (7th largest country in world) |
| Latitude | 8°4'N to 37°6'N |
| Longitude | 68°7'E to 97°25'E |
| Total Coastline | 7,516.6 km |
| Total Land Border | 15,106.7 km |
| Longest River | Ganga (2,525 km) |
| Largest State (Area) | Rajasthan (342,239 sq km) |
| Smallest State (Area) | Goa (3,702 sq km) |
| Most Populous State | Uttar Pradesh (230+ million) |
| Least Populous State | Sikkim (610,000+) |
| Largest Union Territory | Jammu & Kashmir (renamed, reorganized 2019) |
| Highest Peak | Kangchenjunga (8,586 m) — in India; K2 (8,611 m) in PoK |
| Largest Lake (Freshwater) | Wular Lake (J&K) |
| Largest Lake (Saline) | Chilika Lake (Odisha) |
| Longest Dam | Hirakud Dam (Odisha, 25.8 km) |
| Highest Dam | Tehri Dam (Uttarakhand, 260.5 m) |
| Tropic of Cancer passes through | 8 states: Gujarat, Rajasthan, MP, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, WB, Tripura, Mizoram |
| Standard Meridian | 82°30'E (passes through Mirzapur, UP) — Indian Standard Time (IST) |
| Total States | 28 |
| Total Union Territories | 8 (including Delhi, J&K, Ladakh, Puducherry, Chandigarh, etc.) |
| River | Origin | Length | Flows Through | Mouth / Meets |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ganga | Gangotri Glacier (Uttarakhand) | 2,525 km | Uttarakhand, UP, Bihar, WB | Bay of Bengal (forms Sundarbans delta with Brahmaputra) |
| Yamuna | Yamunotri (Uttarakhand) | 1,376 km | Uttarakhand, Haryana, Delhi, UP | Merges with Ganga at Prayagraj (Allahabad) |
| Brahmaputra | Angsi Glacier (Tibet, China) | 2,900 km (total) | Tibet, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bangladesh | Bay of Bengal (Meghna in Bangladesh) |
| Godavari | Trimbakeshwar (Maharashtra) | 1,465 km | Maharashtra, Telangana, AP, Chhattisgarh | Bay of Bengal (longest peninsular river) |
| Krishna | Mahabaleshwar (Maharashtra) | 1,400 km | Maharashtra, Karnataka, Telangana, AP | Bay of Bengal |
| Kaveri (Cauvery) | Talakaveri (Karnataka) | 805 km | Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala | Bay of Bengal |
| Narmada | Amarkantak (MP) | 1,312 km | MP, Maharashtra, Gujarat | Arabian Sea (flows westward between Vindhya and Satpura) |
| Tapi (Tapti) | Betul (MP) | 724 km | MP, Maharashtra, Gujarat | Arabian Sea (flows westward) |
| Mahanadi | Chhattisgarh | 858 km | Chhattisgarh, Odisha | Bay of Bengal (Hirakud Dam on this river) |
| Indus | Lake Manasarovar (Tibet) | 3,180 km (total) | Tibet, Ladakh (India), Pakistan | Arabian Sea (mostly flows through Pakistan) |
| Sutlej | Rakshastal (Tibet) | 1,500 km (total) | Tibet, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Pakistan | Merges with Chenab in Pakistan |
| Country | Bordering States/UTs | Border Length (approx) | Key Facts |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pakistan | J&K, Ladakh, Punjab, Rajasthan, Gujarat | 3,323 km | Radcliffe Line (India-Pak border); LOC in J&K; Wagah-Attari border crossing |
| China | Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh | 3,488 km | McMahon Line; LAC (Line of Actual Control); Aksai Chin dispute |
| Nepal | Uttarakhand, UP, Bihar, Sikkim | 1,751 km | Open border; Indo-Nepal Friendship Treaty 1950; Kailash Mansarovar route |
| Bhutan | Sikkim, West Bengal, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh | 699 km | Friendly relations; India-Bhutan Friendship Treaty 1949 |
| Bangladesh | West Bengal, Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, Mizoram | 4,096 km | Longest land border; Radcliffe Line; enclaves exchanged (2015) |
| Myanmar | Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram | 1,643 km | India-Myanmar Border Road; Moreh border crossing |
| Sri Lanka | Separated by Palk Strait | Maritime border (no land border) | Adam's Bridge (Ram Setu); shortest distance: Dhanushkodi to Talaimannar (~30 km) |
| Afghanistan | Ladakh (PoK region) | 106 km (via PoK) | No direct India-Afghanistan border; Durand Line is Pak-Afghan border |
| Organization | Headquarters | Year Founded | Key Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| United Nations (UN) | New York, USA | 1945 | 193 member states; Secretary-General; main organs: GA, SC, ECOSOC, ICJ, Secretariat |
| UNESCO | Paris, France | 1945 | United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization |
| WHO | Geneva, Switzerland | 1948 | World Health Organization; directs international health; declared COVID-19 pandemic (2020) |
| UNICEF | New York, USA | 1946 | United Nations Children's Fund; child welfare, education, vaccination |
| World Bank | Washington D.C., USA | 1944 | International Bank for Reconstruction and Development; provides loans to countries |
| IMF | Washington D.C., USA | 1944 | International Monetary Fund; ensures monetary cooperation; SDR (Special Drawing Rights) |
| WTO | Geneva, Switzerland | 1995 | World Trade Organization (replaced GATT); handles global trade rules; 164 members |
| NATO | Brussels, Belgium | 1949 | North Atlantic Treaty Organization; 32 members (military alliance); Sweden joined 2024 |
| ASEAN | Jakarta, Indonesia | 1967 | Association of Southeast Asian Nations; 10 members; promotes economic integration |
| SAARC | Kathmandu, Nepal | 1985 | South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation; 8 members (India, Pak, BD, SL, Nepal, Bhutan, Maldives, Afghanistan) |
| BRICS | Shanghai, China (New Dev Bank) | 2009/2010 | Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa; expanded 2024 with Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, UAE, Saudi Arabia |
| G20 | Rotating (Indonesia 2022, India 2023, Brazil 2024) | 1999 | Group of 20 major economies; 60% world population, 80% world GDP, 75% global trade |
| SCO | Beijing, China | 2001 | Shanghai Cooperation Organisation; India and Pakistan joined 2017 |
| ICC | The Hague, Netherlands | 2002 | International Criminal Court; prosecutes genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity |
| INTERPOL | Lyon, France | 1923 | International Criminal Police Organization; 195 member countries |
| Commonwealth | London, UK | 1949 | 56 member nations; voluntary association of former British colonies; King Charles III is head |
| Award / Prize | Field | Instituted By | Indian Recipients (Notable) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nobel Prize | Peace, Literature, Science, Economics | Alfred Nobel (1895) | Rabindranath Tagore (Literature, 1913), C.V. Raman (Physics, 1930), Mother Teresa (Peace, 1979), Amartya Sen (Economics, 1998), Kailash Satyarthi (Peace, 2014) |
| Pulitzer Prize | Journalism, Literature, Music | Columbia University (1917) | Jhumpa Lahiri (2000), Geeta Anand (2003) |
| Oscar (Academy Award) | Film | Academy of Motion Pictures (1929) | Bhanu Athaiya (Costume, Gandhi, 1982), A.R. Rahman (Music, Slumdog Millionaire, 2009), M.M. Keeravani (Music, RRR, 2023) |
| Grammy Award | Music | Recording Academy (1959) | Ravi Shankar, A.R. Rahman, Zakir Hussain, Ricky Kej |
| Booker Prize | Fiction Literature | Booker McConnell (1968) | Arundhati Roy (God of Small Things, 1997), Salman Rushdie, Kiran Desai, Geetanjali Shree (2022) |
| Fields Medal | Mathematics | IMU (1936) | No Indian recipient (Manjul Bhargava is Canadian-American of Indian origin, 2014) |
| Pritzker Prize | Architecture | Hyatt Foundation (1979) | Balkrishna Doshi (2018) |
| Ramón Magsaysay Award | Public Service, Journalism, Peace | Ramon Magsaysay Foundation (1957) | Known as "Asia's Nobel Prize"; Mother Teresa, Vinoba Bhave, T.N. Seshan, Kiran Bedi, Arvind Kejriwal |
| Bharat Ratna | Various fields (highest civilian award in India) | Government of India (1954) | Nelson Mandela, Abul Kalam Azad, C. Rajagopalachari, C.V. Raman, S. Radhakrishnan, and many others |
| Date | Day / Occasion | Significance |
|---|---|---|
| January 30 | Martyrs' Day (Shaheed Diwas) | Death anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi (1948) |
| February 28 | National Science Day | C.V. Raman discovered Raman Effect (1928) |
| March 8 | International Women's Day | Women's rights and gender equality |
| March 21 | World Forestry Day | Importance of forests and trees |
| March 22 | World Water Day | Freshwater awareness |
| April 7 | World Health Day | WHO founding anniversary (1948) |
| April 22 | Earth Day | Environmental protection |
| May 1 | International Labour Day | Workers' rights and labour movement |
| May 11 | National Technology Day | Pokhran-II nuclear tests (1998) |
| June 5 | World Environment Day | Environmental protection and awareness |
| June 21 | International Yoga Day | UN declared in 2014; first celebrated 2015 |
| July 11 | World Population Day | Population issues awareness |
| August 15 | Independence Day | India's Independence from British rule (1947) |
| September 5 | Teachers' Day | Birth anniversary of Dr. S. Radhakrishnan |
| October 2 | Gandhi Jayanti | Birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi; International Day of Non-Violence |
| October 24 | United Nations Day | UN Charter came into force (1945) |
| November 14 | Children's Day | Birth anniversary of Jawaharlal Nehru |
| November 26 | Constitution Day | Constitution adopted by Constituent Assembly (1949) |
| December 1 | World AIDS Day | HIV/AIDS awareness |
| December 10 | Human Rights Day | Universal Declaration of Human Rights adopted (1948) |
| Concept / Law | Scientist | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Law of Gravitation | Isaac Newton | Every object attracts every other object with force proportional to product of masses and inversely proportional to square of distance (F = Gm1m2/r²) |
| Laws of Motion | Isaac Newton | 1st: Inertia; 2nd: F=ma; 3rd: Every action has equal and opposite reaction |
| Theory of Relativity | Albert Einstein | E=mc²; Special Relativity (1905) — time/space; General Relativity (1915) — gravity bends spacetime |
| Law of Conservation of Energy | Multiple scientists | Energy cannot be created or destroyed, only transformed from one form to another |
| Ohm's Law | Georg Ohm | V = IR (Voltage = Current x Resistance) |
| Archimedes' Principle | Archimedes | Buoyant force on submerged object = weight of fluid displaced; ships float due to this principle |
| Pascal's Law | Blaise Pascal | Pressure applied to enclosed fluid is transmitted equally in all directions; hydraulic brakes, lifts work on this |
| Laws of Thermodynamics | Multiple | 0th: Thermal equilibrium; 1st: Energy conservation; 2nd: Entropy always increases; 3rd: Absolute zero is unattainable |
| Concept | Details | Example / Application |
|---|---|---|
| pH Scale | 0-14 scale; 7 = neutral; below 7 = acidic; above 7 = basic/alkaline | Lemon juice (pH 2-3), Water (pH 7), Soap (pH 9-10), Bleach (pH 12.5) |
| Acids vs Bases | Acids: release H⁺ ions; Bases: release OH⁻ ions | HCl (acid), NaOH (base); neutralization produces salt + water |
| Oxidation & Reduction | Oxidation = loss of electrons; Reduction = gain of electrons | Rusting of iron = oxidation; respiration = reduction-oxidation (redox) |
| Periodic Table | 118 elements; 7 periods, 18 groups; arranged by atomic number | Dmitri Mendeleev (father of periodic table); Hydrogen (1st), Oganesson (118th) |
| Chemical Bonding | Ionic (transfer electrons), Covalent (share electrons), Metallic | NaCl (ionic), H₂O (covalent), Iron (metallic) |
| Carbon Chemistry | Carbon forms 4 bonds; basis of organic chemistry | Hydrocarbons: Methane (CH₄), Ethane (C₂H₆); polymers: plastics, rubber |
| Catalyst | Speeds up chemical reaction without being consumed | Enzymes in body, platinum in catalytic converters, nickel in hydrogenation of oils |
| Concept | Details | Key Points |
|---|---|---|
| Cell | Basic unit of life; prokaryotic (no nucleus) vs eukaryotic (nucleus) | Plant cells have cell wall + chloroplasts; Animal cells do not |
| DNA | Deoxyribonucleic acid; double helix; carries genetic information | Discovered by Watson & Crick (1953); 4 bases: A, T, G, C; A pairs with T, G pairs with C |
| Photosynthesis | Plants convert CO₂ + H₂O + Sunlight → Glucose + O₂ | Occurs in chloroplasts; chlorophyll is green pigment; 6CO₂ + 6H₂O → C₆H₁₂O₆ + 6O₂ |
| Human Body Systems | Digestive, Respiratory, Circulatory, Nervous, Excretory, Reproductive, Skeletal, Muscular | Heart = 4 chambers; Lungs = 2; Kidneys = 2; Liver = largest internal organ |
| Blood Groups | A, B, AB, O; Rh factor (positive/negative) | Universal donor: O-; Universal recipient: AB+; Discovered by Karl Landsteiner |
| Vitamins | A, B complex, C, D, E, K — essential for body functions | Fat-soluble: A, D, E, K; Water-soluble: B, C; Scurvy = Vitamin C deficiency; Night blindness = Vitamin A deficiency |
| Diseases | Communicable (infectious) vs Non-communicable (lifestyle/genetic) | TB (Mycobacterium), Malaria (Plasmodium/Anopheles), Dengue (Aedes mosquito), COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) |
| Instrument | Used to Measure / Detect |
|---|---|
| Thermometer | Temperature |
| Barometer | Atmospheric pressure |
| Hygrometer | Humidity in air |
| Lactometer | Purity of milk |
| Seismograph | Earthquake intensity / seismic waves |
| Ammeter | Electric current |
| Voltmeter | Electric potential (voltage) |
| Anemometer | Wind speed |
| Rain Gauge | Rainfall |
| Altimeter | Altitude (height above sea level) |
| Speedometer | Speed of vehicles |
| Odometer | Distance travelled by vehicle |
| Hydrometer | Specific gravity / density of liquids |
| Galvanometer | Small electric currents |
| Sphygmomanometer | Blood pressure |
| Ophthalmoscope | Examine interior of eye |
| Stethoscope | Heartbeat and lung sounds |
| Periscope | See objects above/behind obstacles (submarines) |
| Microscope | Very small objects (microscopic) |
| Telescope | Distant objects in space |
| Trophy / Cup | Sport | Awarded For | Current/Occasional Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cricket World Cup (ICC) | Cricket | ODI World Champions | Australia (6 titles), India (2: 1983, 2011), West Indies (2), England (1), Pakistan (1), Sri Lanka (1) |
| T20 World Cup (ICC) | Cricket | T20 World Champions | India (2007, 2024), England (2010, 2022), West Indies (2012, 2016), Australia (2021), Pakistan (2009), Sri Lanka (2014) |
| Ranji Trophy | Cricket | Domestic (Ranji) Champions (India) | Mumbai (41 titles, most); current format: knock-out + league |
| Vijay Hazare Trophy | Cricket | Domestic One-Day Champions (India) | Tamil Nadu, Karnataka among frequent winners |
| FIFA World Cup | Football | Football World Champions | Brazil (5), Germany (4), Italy (4), Argentina (3), France (2), Uruguay (2), England (1), Spain (1) |
| Thomas Cup | Badminton | Men's World Team Championship | Indonesia (14 titles, most); India won in 2022 (historic first) |
| Uber Cup | Badminton | Women's World Team Championship | China (15 titles, most); Japan, Indonesia frequent winners |
| Sudirman Cup | Badminton | Mixed Team World Championship | China (12 titles, most) |
| Uber Cup | Badminton | Women's World Team Championship | China (15 titles) |
| Ryder Cup | Golf | USA vs Europe biennial competition | USA vs Team Europe; one of biggest events in golf |
| Davis Cup | Tennis | Men's International Team Championship | USA (32 titles, most); Russia, Spain, Australia among top winners |
| Fed Cup (Billie Jean King Cup) | Tennis | Women's International Team Championship | USA (18 titles, most); Czech Republic, Russia frequent winners |
| Durand Cup | Football | Oldest football tournament in India (1888) | Army teams historically; now includes ISL clubs |
| Santosh Trophy | Football | National Football Championship (India) | West Bengal (32 titles, most); Kerala (22 titles) |
| Duleep Trophy | Cricket | Domestic first-class (India zones) | North Zone, South Zone among top winners |
| Achievement | Athlete / Team | Year | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Olympic Gold (Individual) | Abhinav Bindra | 2008 Beijing | 10m Air Rifle Shooting; India's first individual Olympic gold |
| Cricket World Cup | Indian Cricket Team | 1983 & 2011 | 1983: Kapil Dev beat WI at Lord's; 2011: MS Dhoni beat Sri Lanka at Wankhede, Mumbai |
| Olympic Gold (Hockey) | Indian Hockey Team | 1928-1980 | 8 Olympic gold medals; record 6 consecutive (1928-1956); Major Dhyan Chand legend |
| Olympic Bronze (Wrestling) | Sushil Kumar | 2008 Beijing | 66 kg freestyle wrestling; also won Silver in 2012 London |
| Olympic Bronze (Badminton) | P.V. Sindhu | 2016 Rio | First Indian woman to win Olympic silver (2016), bronze (2020) |
| Olympic Gold (Javelin) | Neeraj Chopra | 2020 Tokyo | Javelin throw gold; first Indian track and field Olympic gold |
| World Chess Champion | Viswanathan Anand | 2000-2013 | 5-time World Champion; undisputed champion; first Asian to win |
| T20 World Cup | Indian Cricket Team | 2007 & 2024 | 2007: MS Dhoni led; 2024: Rohit Sharma led in West Indies/USA |
| ICC Champions Trophy | Indian Cricket Team | 2002, 2013 | 2002: Shared with Sri Lanka; 2013: Beat England at Edgbaston |
| Thomas Cup | Indian Badminton Team | 2022 | Historic first Thomas Cup title; beat Indonesia in final |
| Olympic Medals (Total) | Multiple athletes | — | India has won 10 gold, 9 silver, 16 bronze (41 total as of Paris 2024) |
| Paralympic Golds | Multiple athletes | — | India won record 29 medals at Tokyo 2020 Paralympics; Avani Lekhara (shooting), Devendra Jhajharia (javelin) |
| Award | Instituted | Description | Notable Recipients |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bharat Ratna | 1954 | Highest civilian award; exceptional service of highest order | Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, C.V. Raman, Jawaharlal Nehru, Nelson Mandela (2002), APJ Abdul Kalam, Lata Mangeshkar, Sachin Tendulkar |
| Padma Vibhushan | 1954 | Second highest; exceptional and distinguished service | Ratan Tata, E. Sreedharan, Zakir Hussain, M.S. Subbulakshmi |
| Padma Bhushan | 1954 | Third highest; distinguished service of high order | Sundar Pichai, Satya Nadella, Anand Mahindra, Virat Kohli |
| Padma Shri | 1954 | Fourth highest; distinguished service | Rohit Sharma, Ajay Devgn, Mary Kom, Deepika Padukone, and thousands of others |
| Award | Category | Description | Notable Recipient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Param Vir Chakra (PVC) | Wartime Gallantry | Highest military decoration; awarded for conspicuous bravery | Capt. Vikram Batra (Kargil 1999), Lt. Manoj Kumar Pandey (Kargil), Subedar Yogendra Singh Yadav (Kargil), PVC also awarded posthumously to many heroes |
| Ashoka Chakra | Peacetime Gallantry | Highest peacetime military decoration | Lance Naik Albert Ekka (1971), Neerja Bhanot (posthumous, civilian), Major D. Sreeram Kumar |
| Maha Vir Chakra (MVC) | Wartime Gallantry | Second highest wartime gallantry award | Several Kargil heroes, 1971 war heroes |
| Kirti Chakra | Peacetime Gallantry | Second highest peacetime gallantry award | Awarded for exceptional courage in peacetime operations |
| Vir Chakra | Wartime Gallantry | Third highest wartime gallantry award | Many soldiers from various wars and operations |
| Shaurya Chakra | Peacetime Gallantry | Third highest peacetime gallantry award | Awarded for courage during counter-terrorism, rescue operations |
| Term | Full Form / Meaning | Description |
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Central Processing Unit | Brain of the computer; processes instructions; ALU + CU + Registers |
| RAM | Random Access Memory | Volatile (temporary) memory; faster access; data lost when power off |
| ROM | Read Only Memory | Non-volatile; stores boot instructions; data persists without power |
| GPU | Graphics Processing Unit | Handles rendering images, video; essential for gaming, AI/ML, video editing |
| SSD | Solid State Drive | Storage using flash memory; faster than HDD; no moving parts |
| HDD | Hard Disk Drive | Magnetic storage; slower but cheaper per GB; uses spinning disks |
| URL | Uniform Resource Locator | Web address (e.g., https://www.google.com) |
| HTML | HyperText Markup Language | Standard language for creating web pages |
| HTTP/HTTPS | HyperText Transfer Protocol (Secure) | Protocol for web communication; HTTPS encrypts data (SSL/TLS) |
| IP Address | Internet Protocol Address | Unique address for each device on network; IPv4 (e.g., 192.168.1.1), IPv6 |
| DNS | Domain Name System | Translates domain names (google.com) to IP addresses |
| ISP | Internet Service Provider | Company providing internet access (Jio, Airtel, BSNL, ACT) |
| IoT | Internet of Things | Network of connected devices (smart home, wearables, sensors) |
| AI | Artificial Intelligence | Machines that can perform tasks requiring human intelligence |
| Cloud Computing | — | On-demand computing services over internet (AWS, Azure, Google Cloud) |
| Invention / Discovery | Inventor / Discoverer | Year | Country |
|---|---|---|---|
| Telephone | Alexander Graham Bell | 1876 | USA/Scotland |
| Electric Bulb | Thomas Alva Edison | 1879 | USA |
| Airplane | Wright Brothers (Orville & Wilbur) | 1903 | USA |
| Penicillin | Alexander Fleming | 1928 | UK |
| Radio | Guglielmo Marconi | 1895 | Italy |
| Television | John Logie Baird | 1926 | UK |
| Computer (ENIAC) | J. Presper Eckert & John Mauchly | 1946 | USA |
| World Wide Web | Tim Berners-Lee | 1989 | Switzerland (CERN) |
| Google (Search Engine) | Larry Page & Sergey Brin | 1998 | USA |
| iPhone (Smartphone) | Steve Jobs (Apple) | 2007 | USA |
| Theory of Evolution | Charles Darwin | 1859 | UK |
| Gravity | Isaac Newton | 1687 | UK |
| X-Rays | Wilhelm Roentgen | 1895 | Germany |
| Radioactivity | Henri Becquerel | 1896 | France |
| Radium & Polonium | Marie & Pierre Curie | 1898 | France |
| Dynamite | Alfred Nobel | 1867 | Sweden |
| Dynamics (Calculus) | Isaac Newton & Gottfried Leibniz | 1680s | UK / Germany |
| Vaccination | Edward Jenner | 1796 | UK |
| DNA Structure | Watson & Crick | 1953 | UK |
| Zero & Decimal System | Ancient Indian Mathematicians | ~500 CE | India (Aryabhata, Brahmagupta) |
| Mission / Project | Year | Details | Significance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aryabhata | 1975 | India's first satellite | Launched by Soviet rocket; named after ancient mathematician |
| INSAT-1B | 1983 | First indigenously built communication satellite | Communication and meteorology |
| PSLV (Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle) | 1993 (first flight) | Workhorse of ISRO; 4-stage rocket | Successfully launched 100+ satellites including Chandrayaan, Mars Orbiter |
| Chandrayaan-1 | 2008 | India's first lunar mission | Discovered water molecules on Moon's surface; impacted MIP probe near south pole |
| Mars Orbiter Mission (Mangalyaan) | 2013-2014 | India's first interplanetary mission | First nation to succeed on Mars mission in first attempt; cost less than Hollywood movie Gravity |
| GSAT Series | Ongoing | Communication satellites | GSAT-29, GSAT-17 etc. provide TV, internet, telecom services |
| Chandrayaan-2 | 2019 | Second lunar mission | Vikram lander lost contact during landing; orbiter still operational; Pragyan rover mission |
| Chandrayaan-3 | 2023 | Third lunar mission | Successful soft landing on Moon's south pole (23 August 2023); India became 4th country to land on Moon and 1st to land near south pole |
| Aditya-L1 | 2023 | India's first solar mission | Observes Sun from Lagrange point L1; studies solar atmosphere and solar wind |
| Gaganyaan | 2025 (planned) | India's first crewed space mission | Will send Indian astronauts (Gaganauts) to low Earth orbit; 3-day mission |
| Indicator | Current Value (Approx, 2024) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| GDP (Nominal) | 5th largest (approx $3.7 trillion) | USA 1st, China 2nd, Germany 3rd, Japan 4th, India 5th |
| GDP Growth Rate | 6.5-7.5% (fastest major economy) | Targeted 7%+ in Union Budget |
| Population | 1.44 billion (largest in world, 2023) | Surpassed China in 2023 according to UN |
| Per Capita Income | Approx $2,500-2,700 (nominal) | PPP: approx $7,000-8,000 |
| Inflation Rate (CPI) | 4-5% (target: 4% +/- 2%) | Food inflation often higher |
| Fiscal Deficit | Target: 4.5% of GDP by FY 2025-26 | Currently around 5.1% of GDP |
| Current Account Deficit | 1.5-2% of GDP | Managed with FDI, FII inflows |
| Foreign Exchange Reserves | $600-650 billion | RBI maintains; 4th largest globally |
| Tax Revenue (Direct + Indirect) | Direct Tax: ~55% of tax revenue | Income Tax + Corporate Tax = Direct Tax; GST + Customs + Excise = Indirect Tax |
| National Income | GNI approx $3.8 trillion (nominal) | GDP includes domestic production; GNI adds net income from abroad |
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Established | 1 April 1935 (under RBI Act, 1934) |
| Nationalized | 1 January 1949 (fully owned by Government of India) |
| Headquarters | Mumbai (Maharashtra) |
| Governor | Appointed by Government of India (typically 3-year term) |
| Current Functions | Monetary policy, currency management, banker to government, banker to banks, foreign exchange management, financial regulation |
| Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) | 6 members (3 RBI + 3 external); decides repo rate; chaired by RBI Governor |
| Key Policy Rates | Repo Rate (currently ~6.5%), Reverse Repo Rate, MSF, SLR, CRR, Bank Rate |
| Currency Issued | RBI issues all banknotes and coins (₹1 note issued by Finance Ministry) |
| Digital Currency | e-Rupee (CBDC) — Central Bank Digital Currency launched in 2022 |
| Financial Inclusion | PM Jan Dhan Yojana: 50+ crore bank accounts opened since 2014 |
| Term | Definition | Example / Context |
|---|---|---|
| GDP | Gross Domestic Product — total value of goods & services produced in a country in a year | India GDP ~$3.7 trillion (2024) |
| GNP | Gross National Product — GDP + Net income from abroad | Includes remittances, profits of Indian companies abroad |
| Inflation | General increase in prices; decrease in purchasing power of money | CPI (Consumer Price Index) is main measure in India |
| Deflation | General decrease in prices; opposite of inflation | Rare; Japan experienced "Lost Decades" of deflation (1990s-2010s) |
| Fiscal Policy | Government's use of taxation and spending to influence economy | Union Budget is main fiscal policy instrument |
| Monetary Policy | Central Bank's control of money supply and interest rates | RBI uses repo rate, CRR, SLR to control inflation/growth |
| FDI | Foreign Direct Investment — investment by foreign entity in Indian business | Automatic route vs approval route (FIPB) |
| FII / FPI | Foreign Institutional / Portfolio Investment — investment in stock markets | SEBI registered; flows in and out quickly |
| Budget | Annual financial statement of government receipts and expenditure | Presented on 1 February; Rail Budget merged since 2017 |
| Subsidy | Financial aid by government to reduce price of essential goods | Food subsidy (PDS), fertilizer subsidy, LPG subsidy (Ujjwala) |
| Book | Author | Subject / Genre | Key Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arthashastra | Kautilya (Chanakya) | Politics, Statecraft, Economics | Treatise on governance; comparable to Machiavelli's The Prince |
| Discovery of India | Jawaharlal Nehru | Indian History | Written during imprisonment (1942-46); comprehensive history of India |
| Wings of Fire | A.P.J. Abdul Kalam | Autobiography | Story of India's Missile Man; inspiration for millions |
| My Experiments with Truth | Mahatma Gandhi | Autobiography | Gandhiji's life journey and philosophy of non-violence |
| Gitanjali | Rabindranath Tagore | Poetry | Nobel Prize for Literature (1913); "Song Offerings" |
| God of Small Things | Arundhati Roy | Fiction | Booker Prize winner (1997); set in Kerala; themes of caste, love, loss |
| The Argumentative Indian | Amartya Sen | Essays / Economics | About India's tradition of public debate and intellectual pluralism |
| India After Gandhi | Ramachandra Guha | History | Post-independence history of India; comprehensive and acclaimed |
| Sapiens | Yuval Noah Harari | History / Anthropology | Brief history of humankind; from Stone Age to present |
| Das Kapital | Karl Marx | Economics / Political Theory | Critique of capitalism; foundation of socialist thought |
| The Prince | Niccolo Machiavelli | Political Philosophy | Practical advice on statecraft; "ends justify the means" |
| Origin of Species | Charles Darwin | Biology / Science | Theory of evolution by natural selection |
| A Brief History of Time | Stephen Hawking | Physics / Cosmology | Big Bang, black holes, time; made complex science accessible |
| Waste Land | T.S. Eliot | Poetry | Modernist masterpiece (1922); "April is the cruellest month" |
| Ignited Minds | A.P.J. Abdul Kalam | Motivational | Vision for developing India; addressed to youth |
| The Alchemist | Paulo Coelho | Fiction | Bestseller about following one's dreams; philosophical fiction |
| Title | Person | Field |
|---|---|---|
| Father of the Nation | Mahatma Gandhi | Indian Independence Movement |
| Father of the Indian Constitution | Dr. B.R. Ambedkar | Constitutional Law |
| Father of the Indian Space Program | Vikram Sarabhai | Space Science (ISRO) |
| Father of the Indian Nuclear Program | Homi J. Bhabha | Nuclear Physics (BARC) |
| Father of the Green Revolution in India | M.S. Swaminathan | Agricultural Science |
| Father of the Indian IT Industry | F.C. Kohli | Information Technology (TCS) |
| Father of the Indian Army | Major Stringer Lawrence | Indian Army (British era) |
| Father of Indian Cinema | Dadasaheb Phalke | Film Industry (Raja Harishchandra, 1913) |
| Father of Indian Railways | Lord Dalhousie | Railway Network (first train: 1853) |
| Father of Indian Surgery | Sushruta | Ancient Medicine (Sushruta Samhita) |
| Father of Indian Chemistry | Prafulla Chandra Ray | Chemistry (Bengal Chemical) |
| Father of Indian Nationalism | Surendranath Banerjee | Political Nationalism |
| Father of Modern Astronomy | Nicolaus Copernicus | Heliocentric model (worldwide) |
| Father of Computer Science | Alan Turing | Computing (Turing Machine) |
| Father of the Internet | Vint Cerf & Bob Kahn | TCP/IP Protocol (worldwide) |
| State | Capital | Language(s) | Key Fact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Andhra Pradesh | Amaravati | Telugu | First state formed on linguistic basis (1953) |
| Arunachal Pradesh | Itanagar | English, Hindi | Known as "Land of the Rising Sun" (gets first sunlight in India) |
| Assam | Dispur | Assamese | Largest tea-producing state; Kaziranga National Park (one-horned rhino) |
| Bihar | Patna | Hindi | Ancient seat of learning (Nalanda, Vikramshila); IAS toppers hub |
| Chhattisgarh | Naya Raipur | Hindi | Rich in mineral resources (iron, coal, bauxite) |
| Goa | Panaji | Konkani | Smallest state; liberated from Portuguese in 1961 |
| Gujarat | Gandhinagar | Gujarati | Largest coastline; Statue of Unity (182 m, world's tallest) |
| Haryana | Chandigarh | Hindi | Sports powerhouse; shares Chandigarh as capital with Punjab |
| Himachal Pradesh | Shimla (Summer), Dharamshala (Winter) | Hindi, Pahari | Apple capital of India; cleanest state |
| Jharkhand | Ranchi | Hindi | Rich in minerals; 40% of India's mineral resources |
| Karnataka | Bengaluru | Kannada | IT Capital of India (Bengaluru); Silicon Valley of India |
| Kerala | Thiruvananthapuram | Malayalam | Highest literacy rate; highest sex ratio; Ayurveda hub |
| Madhya Pradesh | Bhopal | Hindi | Largest state by area before 2000; Tiger State of India (most tigers) |
| Maharashtra | Mumbai | Marathi | Largest state economy; financial capital (Mumbai); Bollywood hub |
| Manipur | Imphal | Meiteilon (Manipuri) | Polo originated here; Kangla Fort |
| Meghalaya | Shillong | English, Khasi, Garo | Abode of clouds; Cherrapunji/Mawsynram (wettest places) |
| Mizoram | Aizawl | Mizo | Highest literacy among states; Bamboo and orchid state |
| Nagaland | Kohima | English | Hornbill Festival; WWII Battle of Kohima |
| Odisha | Bhubaneswar | Odia | Konark Sun Temple; Jagannath Temple (Puri); Chilika Lake |
| Punjab | Chandigarh | Punjabi | Granary of India; Green Revolution success state |
| Rajasthan | Jaipur | Hindi, Rajasthani | Largest state by area; Thar Desert; Mehrangarh Fort; Hawa Mahal |
| Sikkim | Gangtok | Nepali, English, Sikkimese | First fully organic state; Kanchenjunga; smallest by population (after Goa) |
| Tamil Nadu | Chennai | Tamil | Ancient Dravidian civilization; temple architecture; auto hub |
| Telangana | Hyderabad | Telugu, Urdu | Newest state (formed 2014 from AP); IT hub (Hyderabad) |
| Tripura | Agartala | Bengali, Kokborok | Neermahal (only water palace in eastern India) |
| Uttar Pradesh | Lucknow | Hindi | Most populous state; Taj Mahal (Agra); most Lok Sabha seats (80) |
| Uttarakhand | Dehradun (Winter), Gairsain (Summer) | Hindi | Devbhoomi (Land of Gods); Char Dham; Jim Corbett National Park |
| West Bengal | Kolkata | Bengali | Cultural capital; Sundarbans; Howrah Bridge; Victoria Memorial |
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Who is the current President of India? | Droupadi Murmu (15th President, since 25 July 2022) |
| Who is the current Prime Minister of India? | Narendra Modi (since 26 May 2014) |
| Who is the current Chief Justice of India? | Sanjiv Khanna (50th CJI, since November 2024) |
| What is the national currency of India? | Indian Rupee (INR); symbol: ₹; regulated by RBI |
| How many states and UTs in India? | 28 states and 8 Union Territories |
| Which is the longest river in India? | Ganga (2,525 km) |
| Which is the largest state in India (by area)? | Rajasthan (342,239 sq km) |
| Which is the smallest state in India (by area)? | Goa (3,702 sq km) |
| What is the name of India's Parliament? | Sansad Bhavan (New Delhi); two houses: Lok Sabha (Lower) and Rajya Sabha (Upper) |
| How many members in Lok Sabha? | 543 elected + 2 nominated (Anglo-Indian seats removed by 104th Amendment) |
| How many members in Rajya Sabha? | 245 (233 elected + 12 nominated by President) |
| What is the GSTIN format? | 15-digit alphanumeric: State code (2) + PAN (10) + Entity number (1) + Z (1) + Check digit (1) |
| Who wrote the Indian National Anthem? | Jana Gana Mana by Rabindranath Tagore; adopted 24 January 1950 |
| Which planet is known as the Red Planet? | Mars (fourth planet from Sun) |
| What is the speed of light? | Approximately 3 x 10^8 m/s or 300,000 km/s (in vacuum) |
─── Daily GK Preparation Routine ───
1. Read newspaper daily (The Hindu, Indian Express, or Times of India)
- Focus on: national news, international events, economy, science, sports
2. Note down 10-15 new GK facts daily
3. Revise weekly: consolidate 70-100 facts per week
4. Practice MCQs daily (at least 20-30 questions)
─── Key Sources ───
- Newspapers: The Hindu, Indian Express
- Monthly magazines: Pratiyogita Darpan, Competition Success Review
- Government websites: pib.gov.in, india.gov.in
- Apps: Adda247, Testbook, Gradeup
- YouTube: Study IQ, Vision IAS, Drishti IAS
─── Topic Priority for Exams ───
1. Indian Polity & Constitution (highest weightage)
2. Current Affairs (last 6-12 months)
3. Indian History (Modern > Medieval > Ancient)
4. Geography (Indian > World)
5. General Science (Biology > Physics > Chemistry)
6. Economy & Banking
7. Sports & Awards
8. Computer Awareness
─── Memory Techniques ───
- Mnemonics: Create short sentences (e.g., "My Very Educated Mother..." for planets)
- Acronyms: Group related items (e.g., BRICS, SAARC, NATO)
- Flash Cards: For dates, names, facts
- Mind Maps: Connect related concepts visually
- Revision: Spaced repetition (revise after 1 day, 3 days, 7 days, 15 days)| Category | Topics to Follow | Relevance |
|---|---|---|
| National | New laws (Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita replacing IPC), Parliament sessions, new schemes, appointments | Very High (Polity questions) |
| International | India's foreign policy (G20, SCO, BRICS), UN events, major summits | High (International Relations) |
| Economy | Union Budget, RBI policy decisions, GDP data, inflation, GST changes | High (Economy section) |
| Science & Tech | ISRO missions, AI developments, new inventions, Nobel Prize winners | Medium-High (Science GK) |
| Sports | Olympics, Cricket, IPL, major tournaments | Medium (Sports section) |
| Environment | Climate change (COP meetings), pollution, endangered species, renewable energy | Medium (Environment GK) |
| Awards | Nobel Prizes, Bharat Ratna, Padma Awards, sports awards | Medium (Awards section) |
| Defence | New military technology, exercises with other countries, border developments | Medium (Defence GK) |