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Haryana

Particulars	Description
Area	44,212 sq. km
Population	2,11,44,564
Capital	Chandigarh
Principal Languages	Hindi

History and Geography

Haryana has a proud history going back to the Vedic Age. The State was the home of the legendary Bharata dynasty, which has given the name Bharat to India. Haryana finds mention in the great epic of Mahabharata. Kurukshetra, the place of the epic battle between the Kauravas and the Pandavas, is situated in Haryana. The State continued to play a leading part in the history of India till the advent of the Muslims and the rise of Delhi as the imperial capital of India. Thereafter, Haryana functioned as an adjunct to Delhi and practically remained anonymous till the First War of India's Independence in 1857. When the rebellion was crushed and the British administration was re-established, the Nawabs of Jhajjar and Bahadurgarh, Raja of Ballabgarh and Rao Tula Ram of Rewari of the Haryana region were deprived of their territories. Their territories were either merged with the British territories or handed over to the rulers of Patiala, Nabha and Jind. Haryana thus became a part of the Punjab province. With the reorganisation of Punjab on 1 November 1966, Haryana was made into a full-fledged State.

The State is bound by Uttar Pradesh in the east, Punjab in the west, Himachal Pradesh in the north and Rajasthan in the south. The National Capital Territory of Delhi juts into Haryana.

Agriculture

Agriculture is the mainstay of more than 65 per cent population in Haryana with contribution of 26.4 per cent in GDP of the State. The quantum of food grain production, which was nearly 25.92 lakh tonnes at the time of inception of the State, was likely to touch 155.08 lakh tonnes in 2008-09 due to crop intensification and increase in production of principal crops. Rice, wheat, jowar, bajra, maize, barley and pulses, sugarcane, cotton, oilseeds and potato are the major crops of the State. Under the diversification of crops, more and more area is being brought under cash crops like sugarcane, cotton and oilseeds, vegetable and fruits. Sustainable agriculture is being promoted through the propagation of resource conserving technologies and organic farming. Dhaincha and Moong have also been encouraged to maintain soil fertility.

Information Technology

In view of the importance of Information Technology in the globalisation process throughout the world, the State Government has formulated an IT Policy which provides several incentives for IT and ITES/BPO Industry. The Government has also recently announced a policy for Technology Parks, which gives considerable flexibility for setting up Technology Parks and IT Corridors. The objective of this policy is also to promote convergence of Information Technology with frontier technologies like Nano Technology, Bio Technology, Mobile Computing and Robotics, etc.

IT Park and Nano city are being set up in Panchkula district to create an environment and an eco system that fosters intellectual creativity in areas of frontier technologies, which in turn would create jobs and bring economic prosperity to the regions. The State Government is issuing licenses for setting up of Technology Parks, Cyber cities and IT corridors. From February 2006 to April 2008, 72 such projects have been approved in principle, which would provide employment opportunities for nearly 30000 professionals.

Further, Gurgaon has been developed as a preferred investment destination for both IT and ITES/BPO companies. Now, Gurgaon has become the home of the corporate world in India. The State Government is planning to set up Hi-Tech Habitat Centre in the Electronic City in Gurgaon for IT/ITES/BPO companies, which would provide world-class facilities. Besides Gurgaon, the State also intends to develop other areas in NCR region, especially those alongside the Kundli-Manesar-Palwal Express Highway and Faridabad, as satellites of Gurgaon-Manesar Mega IT Hub. The software exports from Haryana during 2007-08 were Rs.17,500 (approximately) crore.

Haryana is the first State to have implemented its State Wide Area Network (ADHAAR) for voice, data and video transmission. The SWAN vertical connectivity at State Network Management Centre, District Network Management Centre (DNMC) Block Network Management Centre (BNMC) has been completed and made operational. Horizontal connectivity at phase-I offices has been established and at phase-II offices, it is being established.

The State has formulated its e-governance road map and capacity building road-map. The Government is in the process of setting up 1159 Rural and 104 Urban ICT based Common Service Centres under the State brand name e-Disha Ekal Sewa Kendra in the State and work of CSC implementation has already been started. The rollout in rural areas has been achieved 100%, while in urban/showcase CSCs it is 67%. At present Business to Citizens (B2C) services like computer training, e-ticketing, mobile recharges and insurance (general, motor and health), job placement services, internet services, financial services etc. are being provided through these centres and pilot projects are being run in all districts to start Government to Citizens (G2C) services like bus passes, electricity bill collection, issuing of nakal (land record), issuing of certificates like SC/BC/Income/Domicile, birth/death and issuing of new Ration Cards, Passports, Laadli scheme, Indira Gandhi Vivah Shagun Yojna etc. through these centres.

The State has established District e-Disha centres, IT Training Labs at District Headquarters. A suit of office automation software packages for district & revenue administration has been developed and being implemented on district LANs. The State now wants to computerize all activities of district level offices for which a pilot project proposal costing Rs.331.65 lakh for e-District project at Rohtak has been approved by the Government of India and work has been started on this project.

The State Government is implementing an IT Literacy Plan for Government employees to achieve 100% IT literacy in the State. Under IT Literacy Programme, IT Training Labs at Headquarter and District Headquarters have been set up. More than 24000 Government employees have been trained so far in the State. Besides this, to strengthen this program, IT Department, Government of India has approved a proposal worth Rs.44.36 lakh for imparting ICT training for women and SC/STs in the rural/urban area of the State. 800 girls/women have been trained in 10 districts under this programme.

Industry

Haryana has a large industrial base having more than 1,347 large and medium and 80,000 small scale units in the State. Haryana is the largest producer of passenger cars, tractors, motorcycles, bicycles, refrigerators, scientific instruments, etc. Haryana is the largest exporter of Basmati rice to the overseas market. Panipat handlooms and carpets are known all over the world besides, the famous Pachranga Achaar.

Since July 1991, 3914 Industrial Entrepreneur Memorandum (IEMs) were filed and up to May 2008, of these 2274 IEMs were implemented with Capital Investment of Rs.24,034 crore and generating employment for 4,02,129 persons. As a result of the new Industrial Policy, the State has received about 100 proposals for setting up of SEZs in the State which is envisaging an investment of Rs.2.00 lakh crore in the industrial infrastructure. These projects on implementation would create several thousand crore investment in the industrial sector besides, generating huge employment. The State is developing industrial model townships at Kharkhoda, Faridabad, Rohtak and Jagadhari besides expansion of IMT Manesar in Gurgaon. Petrochemical Hub is coming up with investment of Rs.33,000 crore at Panipat. Kundli-Manesar-Palwal Expressway is being developed with an investment of Rs.2000 crore. This will create a large number of economic hubs all along the expressway generating new investment opportunities in the industrial and service sector.

There is a great demand from industries for allotment of industrial land in the industrial estates developed by the HSIDC and HUDA. During this period of the present Government, 98 new industrial units in the large and medium sectors and 7683 new small-scale industrial units with investment of Rs.2744 crore have been set up generating direct employment for more than 1,25,747 persons. Besides, a large number of industrial units have undergone expansion and as a result of it, fresh investment of more than Rs.35,000 crore has been created. Recently, Indian Oil Corporation has set up Paraxylene/PTA project at Panipat with an investment of about Rs.5000 crore. Maruti Udyog Hero Honda and many other automobile ancillaries are undergoing expansion programme with investment of about Rs.10,000 crore. At present, investment proposals of about Rs.70,000 crore are under implementation in the Industrial Sector.

Irrigation

THaryana is a beneficiary of the multi-purpose project in Sutlej and Beas sharing benefits with Punjab and Rajasthan. Major irrigation projects are western Yamuna Canal System, Bhakra Canal System and Gurgaon Canal System. Haryana has raised water from lower levels to higher and drier slopes through JLN canal project. It is a new endeavour that gave practical shape to lift irrigation for the first time in India.

The Jui, Siwani, Loharu and Jawahar Lal Nehru lift irrigation schemes have helped to carry irrigation water against gravity flow to arid areas. Sprinkler and drip irrigation have been introduced in the highly undulating and sandy tracks of Haryana.

Construction work of Hathni Kund barrage at a cost of Rs.192 crore has been completed. Haryana and Uttar Pradesh would get additional water for irrigation purposes from the barrage and Delhi is also getting additional water for drinking.

To ensure equitable distribution of water for irrigation and drinking purpose through out the State, the Government has been constructing a canal namely Bhakra Main Line-Hansi Branch-Buttana Branch Multipurpose link Channel of 109 kilometer length to the tune of Rs.354 crore.

To utilise surplus water of river Yamuna during monsoon season the construction work of Dadupur-Shahbad Nalvi Canal project has been taken up at an estimated cost of Rs.267 crore. 590 cusecs surplus flood water will be used for irrigation and ground water recharging facilities to an area of 92,532 hectares falling in districts Yamuna Nagar, Ambala and Kurukshetra.

The Government has sanctioned four projects of low height dams namely Kaushalaya dam, Dangrana dam, Dewanwala dam and Chhamla dam at an estimated cost of Rs.180 crore, Rs.63.69 crore, Rs.132.70 crore and Rs.20.41 crore respectively on river Ghaggar and its tributaries to prevent wasteful flow of water and loss to property by flood during the Monsoon season. The work on Kaushalya dam has been started with effect from March 18, 2008 and is likely to be completed by March 2010.

Power

Haryana became the first State in the country to achieve 100 per cent rural electrification in 1970. Starting with 20,000 tubewells in 1966 there were 4.51 lakh tubewells in March 2008. The average power availability during 2008-09 was 743.45 lakh units a day. The number of consumers in 2007-08 was 42.70 lakh. The installed generation capacity as on 31 March 2009 was 4636.23 MW.

Transport

Roads: In Haryana all villages stand connected with metalled roads. The length of roads in the State is more than 34,772 kms.

Railways: : Kalka, Ambala, Kurukshetra, Rohtak, Jind, Hissar,Ambala, Panipat and Jakhal are important railway stations. There is a railway workshop at Jagadhari.

Aviation:There are civil aerodromes at Pinjore, Karnal, Hisar, Bhiwani and Narnaul.

Tourist Centres

Haryana-Surajkund-Fair

The Government of Haryana has set up a network of 44 Tourist Complexes in all over the State. The availability of accommodation with Haryana tourism is now 832 rooms and 62.00 lakh tourists visit these tourist complexes every year. Haryana has adopted a multi-pronged strategy for tourism promotion. Tourist complexes have been set at strategic points along the highway passing through the State. Further, tourist complexes have been developed around Delhi through promotion of leisure tourism and conference tourism. Tourist facilities at the district headquarter and important towns have been promoted to cater to the needs of the tourists and local people.

Some of the important tourist complexes are: Surajkund and Damdama in Gurgaon and fascinating pocket of pines at Morni Hills are other attractions of tourist interest. The other important resorts are Ethnic India Rai, Blue Jay (Samalkha), Skylark (Panipat), Karna Lake and Oasis (Uchana), Parakeet (Pipli), Kingfisher (Ambala), Magpie (Faridabad), Dabchick (Hodal), Shama (Gurgaon), Jungle Babbler (Dharuhera), Gauriyya (Bahadurgarh). Myna (Rohtak), Blue Bird (Hisar), Red Bishop (Panchkula) and Pinjore Gardens, (Pinjore).

To promote the art and culture the famous Surajkund Crafts Mela is held every year in the month of February. Similarly, to promote the ancient heritage of Pinjore, the Pinjore Heritage Festival is celebrated every year.

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Gujarat General Knowledge

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Gujarat

Particulars	Description
Area	1,96,024 sq. km
Population	50,671,017
Capital	Gandhinagar
Principal Languages	Gujarati

History and Geography

The history of Gujarat goes back to 2000 B.C. It is believed that Lord Krishna left Mathura to settle on the west coast of Saurashtra, which later came to be known as Dwarka, the gateway. Later, it saw various kingdoms: Mauryas, Guptas, Pratiharas and others. It was with Chalukya (Solankis) that Gujarat witnessed progress and prosperity. In spite of the plundering of Mahmud Ghazni, the Chalukya kings were able to maintain general prosperity and well-being of the State. After this glorious respite, Gujarat faced troubled times under the Muslims, Marathas and the British rule. Before Independence, the present territories of Gujarat used to be in two parts, the British and the Princely territories. With the re-organisation of the States, the Union of the States of Saurashtra and the Union Territory of Kachchh along with the former British, Gujarat became a part of the biggest bilingual State of Bombay. The present State of Gujarat came into being on May, 1960. It is situated on the west coast of India. The state is bounded by the Arabian Sea on the west, Pakistan and Rajasthan in the north and north-east respectively, Madhya Pradesh in the south-east and Maharashtra in the south.

Agriculture

Gujarat is the main producer of tobacco, cotton and groundnut in the country and provides inputs for important industries like textiles, oil and soap. Other important cash crops are isabgol, paddy, wheat and bajra. Forest species available in Gujarat are teak, khair, sadad, haldariyo and manual bamboos.

Industry

The industrial structure in the State has been gradually diversifying with the development of industries like chemicals, petrochemicals, fertilizers, engineering, electronics, etc. The number of registered working factories in the State were 21,536 (Provisional) at the end of 2004 with the average daily employment to 9.27 lakh. The number of Small-Scale industrial units in the State was 2.99 lakh at the end of March 2005. GIDC has been assigned the role of developing industrial estates with infrastructure facilities. At the end of December 2005 GIDC had set up 237 industrial estates.

Irrigation and Power

The total irrigation potential through surface water as well as ground water has been assessed at 64.88 lakh hectares including 17.92 lakh hectares through Sardar Sarovar (Narmada) Project. The total irrigation potential created up to June 2007 is worked out to 42.26 lakh hectares. The maximum utilisation has been estimated at 37.33 lakh hectares up to June 2007.

Transport

Roads: The total length of roads (except Non-plan, Community, Urban and Project roads) was 74,038 km by the end of 2005-06.

Aviation: The main airport of Gujarat at Ahmedabad is connected with Mumbai, Delhi and other cities by daily services. Ahmedabad airport has now got the status of an International Airport. Other airports are Vadodara, Bhavnagar, Bhuj, Surat, Jamnagar, Kandla, Keshod, Porbandar and Rajkot.

Ports: Gujarat has 40 ports of which Kandla is a major port. The intermediate and minor ports of Gujarat handled a total cargo of 971.28 lakh tonnes whereas Kandla port handled cargo of 415.51 lakh tonnes during 2004-05.

Festivals

Tarnetar fair is held at village Tarnetar in the honour of Lord Shiva on the 4^th, 5^th and 6^th days of the bright half of the month of Bhadrapada (August/September). Madhavrai fair at Madhavpur near Porbandar is, held to celebrate the marriage by elopement of Lord Krishna and Rukmani, on the ninth day of the bright half of the month of Chaitra (March/April). Ambaji fair dedicated to Amba, mother goddess is held in Banaskantha district. The biggest annual fair, Janmashtami the birthday of Lord Krishna is celebrated at Dwarka and Dakor with great enthusiasm. Other festivals are Makar-Sankranti, Navratri, Dangi darbar, Shamlaji fair, Bhavnath fair, etc.

Tourist Centres

Lion Sanctuary of Gir Forest

Somnath Temple

Religious spots like Dwarka, Somnath, Palitana, Pavagadh, Ambaji, Bhadreshwar, Shamlaji, Taranga and Girnar; Porbandar, birth place of Mahatma Gandhi, places of memorable monuments of architectural and, archaeological surprises like Patan, Siddhpur Ghurnli, Dabhoi, Vadnagar, Modhera, Lothal and Ahmedabad; beautiful beaches like Ahmadpur-Mandvi, Chorwad, Ubharat and Tithal; the hill station Saputara; lion sanctuary of Gir Forest and wild ass sanctuary in Kachchh area are major tourist attractions in the State.

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Goa General Knowledge

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Goa

Particulars	Description
Area	3,702 sq. km
Population	13,47,668
Capital	Panaji
Principal Languages	Konkani and Marathi

History and Geography

Goa, known in the bygone days as Gomanchala, Gopakapattam, Gopakapuri, Govapuri, Gomantak, etc., abounds in a rich historical heritage. Early history of Goa is obscure. In the first century of the Christian era, Goa was a part of the Satavahana empire, followed by the Kadamba, the Rashtrakutas of Malkhed, the Chalukyas and the Silharas. The empire of the Yadavas by the end of the 14th century was displaced by the Khiljis of Delhi and thus Muslim rule came to Goa. After the discovery of the sea route to India by Vasco-da-Gama in 1498, many Portuguese expeditions came to India. In 1510, Alfonso de Albuquerque with the help of the emperor of Vijayanagar attacked and captured Goa. With the arrival of the Jesuit priest Francis Xavier in 1542 proselytisation began in Goa. However, the Portuguese continued to rule over the territory except for an interlude during the latter half of the 17th century when Shivaji conquered a few areas in and around Goa. Even after India's independence, Goa continued to be in the hands of the Portuguese. However, they could not fulfil the aspirations of the Goan people and ultimately on 19 December 1961, Goa was liberated and made a composite union territory with Daman and Diu. On 30 May 1987 Goa was conferred statehood and Daman and Diu was made a separate union territory.

Goa is situated on the western coast of the Indian Peninsula. On its north runs the Terekhol River which separates Goa from Maharashtra and on the south lies North Canara district of Karnataka. On the east lie the Western Ghats and on the west the Arabian Sea. Panaji, Margao, Vasco, Mapusa and Ponda are the main towns of Goa.

Agriculture

Rice is the main food crop. Pulses, ragi and other food crops are also grown. Main cash crops are coconut, cashewnut, arecanut, sugarcane and fruits like pineapple, mango and banana.

Irrigation and Power

With the commissioning of dams like Selaulim and Anjunem and other minor irrigation projects, the area under irrigation is rising steadily. The total irrigation potential created by these projects is 43,000 hectares. All villages have been electrified leading to cent per cent coverage.

Tillari Irrigation which is a inter-state joint venture of the Government of Maharashtra and Goa is aimed at creating an ultimate irrigation potential of 24618 ha for Goa State, besides providing 57.43 mm3 of water for domestic industrial and other non-agricultural purposes.

Industry and Minerals

The State has 7110 small-scale industrial units and 20 industrial estates. Mineral products are ferro-manganese, bauxite and iron ore contributing substantially to the economy of the State through exports.

Fishery

Fish assumes special significance for the State as 90% of the population of Goa is fish dietarian. The fishery is an important industry in the State providing employment and livelihood to around 1.00 lakh people. 3220 fishermen have been covered under the State Insurance scheme. 718 fishermen are covered under saving cum relief fund.

Art and Culture

The State has the distinction to have achieved the ISO 9001-2000 certification through the Directorate of Art and Culture. State Cultural Policy has been framed. Tiatr Academy of Goa has been set up. Various schemes such as Kala Sanman, Kalakar Kritadnyata Nidhi are being implemented to assist artists and promote cultural activities.

Transport

As on 31/12/2008 the total number of driving licenses issued in Goa is 4,40,152 and the total number of vehicles registered in Goa is 6,59,012.

Roads:Of the motorable roads, national highway constitutes 224 kms, state highways 232 kms and district roads 815 kms.

Railways: Goa is linked with Mumbai, Mangalore and Thiruvananthapuram through the Konkan Railway, which has introduced several fast trains on these lines. Vasco da Gama is connected with Bengaluru and Belgaum on the South Central Railway, presently for goods traffic only.

Aviation: : Mumbai, Delhi, Thiruvananthapuram, Cochin, Chennai, Agati and Bengaluru are linked with Dabolim through regular Airlines services.

Ports: Mormugao is the major port in the State. Mormugao handles cargo vessels. Minor ports are located at Panaji, Tiracol, Chapora Betul and Talpona, out of which Panaji is the main operative port. One off-shore berth at Panaji has also been commissioned.

Health

The health care services in the state are made available to the people at their door steps. It is one of the best performing states in India in the matter of health and medical care. Under Mediclaim scheme financial assistance has been enhanced to Rs.8 lakh. Mobile health care vans and the unique 108 ambulance services have been introduced to cater to the health care needs of the people advanced emergency paramedics rooms have been established at Government run primary health centres to stabilise patients inflicted with major diseases.

Tourist Centres

Anjuna beach Goa

Basilica of Bom Jesus

Important tourist centres are Colva, Calangute, Vagator, Baga, Harmal, Anjuna and Miramar beaches; Basilica of Bom Jesus and Se Cathedral churches at Old Goa; Kavlem, Mardol, Mangeshi, Bandora temples; Aguada, Terekhol, Chapora and Cabo de Rama Forts; Dudhsagar and Harvalem waterfalls and Mayem lake resort. The state has rich wildlife sanctuaries, viz., Bondla, Cotigao, Molem and Dr Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary at Chorao covering an area of 354 sq km.

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Chhattisgarh General Knowledge

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Chhattisgarh

Particulars	Description
Area	1,36,034 sq. km
Population	2,07,95,956
Capital	Raipur
Principal Languages	Hindi

History and Geography

Chhattisgarh, carved out of Madhya Pradesh came into being on 1 November 2000 as the 26^th State of the Union. It fulfills the long-cherished demand of the people. In ancient times the region was known as Dakshin-Kausal. This finds mention in Ramayana and Mahabharata also. Between the sixth and twelfth centuries Sarabhpurias, Panduavanshi, Somvanshi, Kalchuri and Nagvanshi rulers dominated this region. Kalchuris ruled in Chhattisgarh from 980 to 1791 AD. With the advent of the British in 1845, Raipur gained prominence instead of capital Ratanpur. In 1904 Sambalpur was transferred to Orissa and estates of Sarguja were transferred from Bengal to Chhattisgarh.

Chhattisgarh is bounded by southern Jharkhand and Orissa in the east, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra in the west, Uttar Pradesh and western Jharkhand in the north and Andhra Pradesh in the south. Areawise Chhattisgarh is the ninth largest State and population-wise it is seventeenth State of the nation.

Agriculture

Agriculture and allied activities account for nearly 80 per cent of the work force in the State. Out of the geographical area 13,790 thousand hectares, gross cropped area is about 35 per cent of the total geographical area. Kharif is the main cropping season. Rice is the predominant crop of the state. Other important crops are maize, wheat, niger, groundnut and pulses. The State has one of the biggest collections of rice germplasm. Horticulture crops are grown in an area of about 303.57 thousand hectares.

Irrigation and Power

When the State came into being, the total irrigation capacity was 13.28 lakh hectares, which has now increased to 16.81 lakh hectares. Major completed projects are Tandula, Kodar and Pairy.

The total capacity of the State Electricity Board is 1,681.05 MW, out of this the thermal power share is 1,260 MW and the rest is hydel power. The electricity board is investing in modernisation, strengthening transmission and distribution networks and creating more generating capacities. The Board itself is adding 500 MW installed generating capacity area 2 X 250 MW unit in Korba. The private sector has been encouraged to setup generating capacities and to make third party sales outside the state. Around 93 per cent of 19,720 inhabited villages of Chhattisgarh have been electrified.

Mineral Resources

Chhattisgarh hosts a wide variety of minerals found in igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic terrains. Large deposits of coal, iron ore, limestone, bauxite, dolomite and tin ore are located in several parts of the State. Lately diamondiferous kimberlites identified in Raipur district are likely to yield substantial quantity of diamonds. There are also present medium to small deposits of gold and base metals. Satite furn corundum, graphite of workable size, is likely to graduate to the category of large deposits after prospecting. Twenty per cent of the country's steel and cement is produced in the State. It is the only tin ore producing State in the country. The mineral resources have immense potential for large investments in mining, setting of mineral based industries and generating employment. Chhattisgarh nestles atop the world's largest kimberlite area. Eight blocks have been demarcated for diamond exploration.

Apart from diamond, four blocks of gold exploration and five blocks for base metal investigations have also been demarcated.

Industry

Chhattisgarh is generously bestowed with natural resources like forests, minerals and surface water. The State has undergone a radical change and is thriving with industrial activities now. Chhattisgarh produces 15 per cent of the steel made in the country. Many Government of India Undertakings like Bhilai Steel Plant, National Mineral Development Corporation, south-eastern Coal Field Limited, NTPC and a number of large cement plants by groups like ACC, Gujarat Ambuja, Grasim, CCI and La-farge of France and 53 steel projects (sponge iron/pig iron route) in private sector are also under different stages of implementation. There are approximately 133 steel re-rolling mills and a number of mini steel plants. The State also boasts of 11 ferro-alloy units, steel/cast iron casting units, engineering and fabrication units apart from large number of agro-based and food processing, chemical, plastic, construction material and forest produce based units.

Due to its conducive industrial environment, Chhattisgarh is now fetching huge amount of industrial investment. Approximately 80 MOUs worth Rs.85000 core were signed for establishing new industries and expansion of existing units. Chhattisgarh stood first in Industrial Entrepreneurship Memorandum (IEM) report released by Ministry of Industries, Government of India with the proposed investment of Rs.1,07,899 crore during the period Jan-Dec 2006

Strategically located in central India, Chhattisgarh is able to supply power to units for all the time. About 17 per cent of the countries coal reserves in the State, offering cheap pithead power generation opportunities with the potential to produce up to 50,000 MW of power. NTPC is now installing a new power generation unit, the largest ever, by it in Bilaspur district. NTPC has started construction on its 2,640 MW Super Thermal plant in Sipat and another 600 MW plant in Korba. Several other States are also interested in installing plants here. Private sector MoUs for more than 25,000 MW and more projects are in the pipeline. Chhattisgarh State Industrial Development Corp. Ltd. is managing approximately an area of 3,500 hectares of industrial land. More than 925 industries with investments of more than Rs.18,000 million providing direct employment to 80,000 persons have already been setup on the land developed by this corporation.

Information Technology

E-Governance in Chhattisgarh is oriented towards ensuring people access to government. This makes the government even more responsive and transparent. Chips (Chhattisgarh Infotech and Biotech Promotion Society) was setup with a high powered governing council under the Chief Ministers chairpersonship, to act as a prime mover for IT and Biotechnology in the State. All citizen services of e-governance are under one umbrella project called CHOICE (Chhattisgarh On-line Information for Citizens Empowerment). Chhattisgarh got the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Award 2007 for its Human Development Report, using Information technology for the betterment of citizens.

Transport

Roads: The total length of the roads in the State in 34,930 kms. The length of the national highways is 2,225 kms, State highways 3,213.50 kms, district roads 4,814 kms and rural roads is 27,001 kms. Two north-south and four east-west road corridors are being constructed in the state for better connectivity having a total length of 3106.75 kms.

Railways: Raipur, Bilaspur, Durg, Rajnandgaon, Raigarh and Korba are important railway stations.

Tourist Centres

Chitrakote Falls

Chhattisgarh situated in the heart of India, is endowed with a rich cultural heritage and attractive natural diversity. The State is full of ancient monuments, rare wildlife species, carved temples, Buddhist sites, palaces, water-falls, caves, rock paintings and hill plateaus. Bastar, with its unique cultural and ecological identity; Chitrakote Falls, a spot where the river Indravati has an abrupt fall of 96 ft; Tirathgarh Falls, the picturesque waterfall of Kanger river from a height of 100 ft in the form of steps; Keshkal valley; Kangerghati National Park; Kailash caves; Sita Bongara and Kutumbsar caves are rich in natural beauty.

Mahamaya Temple, Ratanpur

Other important places of tourist interest are: Mahamaya temple at Ratanpur, Bambleshwari Devi temple at Dongargarh, Danteshwari Devi temple at Dantewada, Sirpur an important centre of Buddhism from 6-10^th century, Champaran, the birth place of Mahaprabhu Vallabhacharya, Khutaghat waterfall, Dindneswari Devi temple of Malhar and the Achanakmar sanctuary, Udanti sanctuary near Raipur, Pali and Kendai waterfall of Korba district

The Sabari temple of Kharod Janjgir-Champa; Nar Narayan temple of Sheorinarayan; Vishnu Temple of Janjgir are important religious places. The State has set up a State Tourism Promoting Board as the nodal agency for the sustained development of interrelated sectors in tourism.

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Bihar

Particulars	Description
Area	94,163 sq. km
Population	82,878,796
Capital	Patna
Principal Languages	Hindi

History and Geography

Bihar finds mention in the Vedas, Puranas, epics, etc., and was the main scene of activities of Buddha, and 24 Jain Tirthankars. Great rulers of the State before the Christian era were Bimbisar, Udayin, who founded the city of Pataliputra. Chandragupta Maurya and Emperor Ashoka and Maurya dynasty, the Sungs and the Kanvas. Then came the Kushan rulers followed by Chandragupta Vikramaditya of the Gupta dynasty. Muslim rulers made in-roads into the territory during medieval period. The first conqueror of Bihar was Mohammed- bin-Bakhtiar Khalji. The Tughluqs and then the Mughals followed the Khaljis.

One of the major states of the Indian Union, Bihar is bounded on the north by Nepal, on the east by West Bengal, on west by Uttar Pradesh and on the south by Jharkhand. Bihar has a number of rivers, the most important of which is the Ganga. The other rivers are the Sone, Poonpoon, Falgu, Karmanasa, Durgawati, Kosi, Gandak, Ghaghara, etc.

Agriculture

Bihar has a total geographical area of about 93.60 lakh hectare, out of which only 56.03 lakh hectare is the net cultivated area and gross cultivated area being 79.46 lakh hectare. About 33.51 lakh hectare net area and 43.86 lakh hectare gross area receive irrigation from different sources. Principal food crops are paddy, wheat, maize and pulses. Main cash crops are sugarcane, potato, tobacco, oilseeds, onion, chillies, jute and roselle. Bihar has notified forest area of 6,764.14 sq. km, which is 7.1 per cent of its geographical area.

Industries

Major Industries are: Railway Wagon Plants of Bharat Wagon Limited at Muzaffarpur and Mokamah; Oil Refinery of Indian Oil Corporation at Barauni; Fertilizer Manufacturing Plant of HPCL at Barauni and PPCL at Amjhor; Cotton Spinning Mills at Siwan, Pandaul, Bhagalpur, Mokamah and Gaya; 13 sugar mills in private sector and 15 in the public sector located in south and north Bihar with a total crushing capacity of 45,000 TPD. In addition, distilleries at Gopalganj, West Champaran, Bhagalpur and Riga (in Sitamarhi district); Finished Leather Industry in West Champaran, Muzaffarpur and Barauni; Jute Mills at Katihar and Samastipur; Medicine Manufacturing Unit at Hajipur; Food Processing Units as also Vanaspati Manufacturing Units at Aurangabad and Patna; besides Kalyanpur Cement Limited at Banjari, are notable in the industrial map of Bihar.

Irrigation

Bihar has an irrigation potential of 28.63 lakh hectares. It is created through major and medium irrigation schemes and 48.97 lakh hectares through minor irrigation schemes.

Transport

Roads: Up to March 2008, Bihar had 45721.059 km of pucca roads including 3734.38 km of national highways and 3766.029 km of state highways, 7992.65 km of major District Roads, 2828.00 km. of other District Roads and 27400 km. of Rural Roads.

Railways: Bihar has a fairly good railway network. There is a railway bridge at Mokamaha in north Bihar. A few railway routes connecting important places like Muzaffarpur-Samastipur-Barauni-Katihar and Muzaffarpur-Chapra-Siwan have been converted into broad gauge. The main rail junctions are at Patna, Gaya, Muzaffarpur, Katihar and Samastipur, etc.

Aviation: There is an international airport at Patna, besides landing grounds in all major districts of the State.

Tourist Centres

Ruins of Nalanda

Important places of tourist interest are Rajgir, Nalanda, Vaishali, Pawapuri (where Lord Mahavira breathed his last and attained Nirvana), Bodh Gaya, Vikramshila (ruins of Buddhist University of higher learning), Gaya, Patna (ancient city of Patliputra), Sasaram (tomb of Shershah Suri) and Madhubani (known for its famous Madhubani Paintings).

Mundeshwari Mandir (Kaimur), Rohtras Garh Fort (Rohtas), Jain Pilgrim Place, Kundalpur (Nalanda), Bihar School of Yoga (Munger), Manersharif Patna, Rural Tourist Place Nepura (Nalanda), Kesaria Stupa (East Champaran), Barabar Hills (Jehanabad) and Lauria Nandangarh are also important tourist places.

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Assam General Knowledge

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Assam

Particulars	Description
Area	78,438 sq. km
Population	26,638,407
Capital	Dispur
Principal Languages	Assamese

History and Geography

The word 'Assam' as interpreted by some scholars is derived from the Sanskrit word Asoma meaning peerless or unparalleled. But the widely accepted opinion of the academic circles today is that the term has come from the original name of the Ahoms, who ruled the land for about six hundred years prior to its annexation by the British. The races like Austric, Mongolian, Dravidian and Aryan that came to this land long-long ago have contributed to its composite culture. Thus, Assam has a rich legacy of culture and civilization.

Kaziranga National Park

Assam was known as Pragjyotisha or the place of eastern astronomy during the epic period and later named as Kamrupa. The earliest epigraphic reference to the kingdom of Kamrupa is found in the Allahabad pillar inscription of king Samudragupta. Kamrupa is mentioned as a Pratyanta or frontier state outside the Gupta empire but with friendly and subordinate relation to it Hiuen Sang, the Chinese scholar pilgrim who visited Kamrupa in about 743 A.D. on an invitation of its monarch, Kumar Bhaskar Varman, left a record of the kingdom he called Kamolupa. Kamrupa also figured in the writings of the Arabian historian Alberuni in the eleventh century. Thus, from the epic period down to the twelfth century A.D., the eastern frontier kingdom was known as Pragjyotisha and Kamrupa and kings called themselves 'Lords of Pragjyotisha'.

The advent of the Ahoms across the eastern hills in 1228 A.D. was the turning point in Assam history. They ruled Assam nearly for six centuries. The Burmese entered through the eastern borders and overran the territory at a time when court intrigues and dissensions were sapping the vitality of the Ahom royalty. It became a British protectorate in 1826 when the Burmese ceded Assam to the British under the provision of the Treaty of Yandabo.

Assam is the sentinel of north-east India and gateway to the North-Eastern States. The State is close to India's international borders with Bangladesh and Bhutan. Assam is surrounded by Bhutan and Arunachal Pradesh on the north, Manipur, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh on the east and Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram on the south.

Agriculture

Assam is an agricultural State. Agriculture occupies an important place in the economy of the State. The principal food crop is rice. The cash crops are jute, tea, cotton, oilseeds, sugarcane, potato, etc. Noteworthy horticulture items are orange, banana, pineapple, arecanut, coconut, guava, mango, jackfruit and citrus fruits. The State has an estimated 39.44 lakh hectares gross cropped area, of which net area sown is about 27.01 lakh hectares.

Forests

Assam is known for her rich forest wealth which constituted 22.21 per cent of the total forest area.

Wildlife

The State has five National Parks and eleven wildlife sanctuaries. The Kaziranga National Park and the Manas Tiger Project (National Park) are internationally famous for one horned Rhino and Royal Bengal Tiger respectively.

Industry

Of agriculture-based industries, tea occupies an important place. There are six industrial growth Centres in the State. A CIPET has been established at Amingaon near Guwahati. Assam has always enjoyed the highest reputation for her arts and crafts associated with her cottage industries. Cottage industries include handloom, sericulture, cane and bamboo articles, carpentry, brass and bell-metal crafts. Assam produces varieties of silk, Endi, Muga, Tassar, etc. Muga silk is produced only in Assam in the world.

Irrigation and Power

The major power stations are Chandrapur Thermal Project, Namrup Thermal Project and a few Mobile Gas Turbine Units along with a mini hydro-electric project. Revitalising the Thermal Power Station of Bongaigaon and completing the Karbi-Langpi Project will boost the power supply in the State. Approval has been received for Tipaimukh Dam Project.

Transport

Roads: The total length of roads in the State was 37,515 km which includes 2,754 kms of National Highways. The construction of 160 km of barbed wire fencing and 27 kms of the border road along the Indo-Bangladesh International have been completed.

Railways: The length of railway tract in Assam is 2,284.28 kms comprising 1,227.16 kms under broad-gauge and 1,057.12 km under meter-gauge lines.

Aviation: The regular civil air services operate from Lokopriya Gopinath Bordoloi Airport (Guwahati), Salonibari (Tezpur), Mohanbari (Dibrugarh), Kumbhirgram (Silchar), Rawriah (Jorhat) and Silonibari (North Lakhimpur).

FESTIVALS

Assam has an exclusive range of colourful festivals. Bihu is the chief festival celebrated on the three occasions. Rongali Bihu or Bohag Bihu marks the advent of the cropping season and it also ushers in the Assamese New Year. Bhogali Bihu or Magh Bihu is the harvest festival and Kati Bihu or Kongali Bihu coming in autumn is a simple affair.

Religion accounts for a large variety of festivals. Vaishnavites observe birth and death anniversaries of prominent Vaishnava saints through day-long singing of hymns and staging of Bhaonas (theatrical performances in traditional style). Ambubachi in Kamakhya shrine, Sivaratri Mela at Umananda and other places near Siva temples, Durga Puja, Diwali, Dol-Jatra, Id, Christmas, Ashokastami Mela, Rash Mela, Parasuram Mela are other religious festivals.

TOURISM

Important places of tourism in and around Guwahati are Kamakhya temple, Umananda (Peacock Island), Navagraha (temple of nine planets), Basistha Ashram, Dolgobinda, Gandhi Mandap, State Zoo, State Museum, Sukreswar temple, Gita Mandir, Madan Kamdev temple, a magnificent archaeological place of interest, and Saraighat bridge.

Other places of tourist interest in the State are: Kaziranga National Park (famous for one horned rhino), Manas Tiger Project, Pobi-tora and Orang (wildlife sanctuaries), Sibsagar (Shiv Temple-Rangghar-Karengghar), Tezpur (Bhairavi temple and scenic beauty), Bhalukpung (Angling), Haflong (health resort with Jatinga hills), Majuli (largest river island in the world), Chandubi lake (picnic spot), Hajo (meeting point of Buddhism, Hinduism and Islam), Batadrava (birth place of great Vaishnava saint Sankaradeva) and Sualkuchi (famous for silk industry).

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Arunachal Pradesh General Knowledge

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 Arunachal Pradesh

Particulars	Description
Area	83,743 sq. km
Population	1,097,968
Capital	Itanagar
Principal Languages	Monpa, Miji, Aka, Sherdukpen, Nyishi, Apatani, Tagin, Hill Miri, Adi, Digaru-Mismi, Idu-Mishmi, Khamti, Miju-Mishmi, Nocte, Tangsa and Wancho.

History and Geography

Arunachal Pradesh, the erstwhile North-East Frontier Agency shares international boundaries with Bhutan, Tibet, China and Myanmar to the west, north-east, north and east respectively, and the state boundaries with Assam and Nagaland. The terrain consists of submontane and mountainous ranges, sloping down to the plains of Assam, divided into valleys by the rivers Kameng, Subansiri, Siang, Lohit and Tirap.

There are practically no records relating to the history of this area, except some oral literature and a number of historical ruins found mainly in the foothills. Subsequent explorations and excavations have identified the ruins as dating approximately from the early Christian era. The historical evidence indicates that not only was the area well known, but the people living here had close relations with the rest of the country too.

Modern history of Arunachal Pradesh begins with the inception of British rule in Assam after the treaty of Yandaboo, concluded on 24 February 1826.

Before 1962, the area was popularly known as the NEFA, and was constitutionally a part of Assam. Because of its strategic importance, however, it was administered by the Ministry of External Affairs until 1965, and subsequently by the Ministry of Home Affairs, through the Governor of Assam. In 1972, it was constituted as a Union Territory and renamed Arunachal Pradesh. On 20 February 1987, it became the 24^th state of the Indian Union.

Festivals

Folk Dance of Arunachal Pradesh

Some of the important festivals of the State are: Mopin and Solung of the Adis, Lossar of the Monpas and Boori-boot of the Hill Miris, Sherdukpens, Dree of the Apatanis, Si-Donyi of the Tagins, Reh of the ldu-Mishmis, Nyokum of the Nishs, etc. Animal sacrifice is a common ritual in most festivals.

Agriculture and Horticulture

Agriculture is the mainstay of the people of Arunachal Pradesh, and had mainly depended on jhum cultivation. Encouragement is being given to the cultivation of cash crops like potatoes and horticulture crops like apples, oranges and pineapples.

Industries and Minerals

For conservation and explorations of vast minerals, the APMDTCL were set up in 1991. Namchik-Namphuk coal fields are taken up by APMDTCL. To provide training to craftsmen in different trades, there are five Government Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) functioning in the state at Roing, Tabarijo, Dirang, Yupia & Miao. ITI Yupia, located at Papum Pare District it is the only ITI exclusive to Women in Arunachal Pradesh.

Irrigation and Power

An area of more than 87,500 hectares has been irrigated in Arunachal Pradesh. The installed capacity of the State is about 30,735 MW. Around 2,600 villages have been electrified out of 3,649 villages in the State.

Transport

Roads: Arunachal Pradesh has 330 km of national highway.

Tourist Centres

Sela Lake

Places of tourist interest are: Tawang, Dirang, Bomdila, Tipi, Itanagar Malinithan, Likabali, Pasighat, Along, Tezu, Miao, Roing, Daporijo Namdapha, Bhismaknagar, Parashurarn Kund and Khonsa.

Panchayati Raj

The Arunachal Pradesh State Election Commission in support of State Govt. has successfully conducted and completed Panchayati Raj Elections in the State in the month of May 2008 for speedy development in the village and grass root level.

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Andhra Pradesh General Knowledge

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Andhra Pradesh

Particulars	Description
Area	2,75,069 sq. km
Population	8.32 crore
Capital	Hyderabad
Principal Languages	Telugu and Urdu

History and Geography

The earliest mention of the Andhras is said to be in Aitereya Brahmana (2000 BC). It indicates that the Andhras, originally an Aryan race living in north India migrated to south of the Vindhyas and later mixed with non-Aryans. Regular history of Andhra Desa, according to historians, begins with 236 BC, the year of Ashoka's death. During the following centuries, Satavahanas, Sakas, Ikshvakus, Eastern Chalukyas, Kakatiyas ruled the Telugu country. Other dynasties that ruled over the area in succession were the kingdoms of Vijayanagar and Qutub Shahi followed by Mir Qumruddin and his successors, known as the Nizams. Gradually, from the 17th century onwards, the British annexed territories of the Nizam and constituted the single province of Madras. After Independence, Telugu-speaking areas were separated from the composite Madras Presidency and a new Andhra State came into being on 1 October 1953. With the passing of the States Reorganisation Act, 1956, there was a merger of Hyderabad State and Andhra State, and consequently Andhra Pradesh came into being on 1 November 1956.

Andhra Pradesh is historically called the Rice Bowl of India. The State has a large river system which supplements the rainfall in the State. It is one of the few States in the country blessed with riverine geography.

Andhra Pradesh is bound on the north by Orissa and Chhattisgarh, on the west by Maharashtra and Karnataka, on the south by Tamil Nadu and on the east by the Bay of Bengal with a coastline of 974 km.

Agriculture

Agriculture is the main occupation of about 62 per cent of the people in Andhra Pradesh. Rice is a major food crop and staple food of the State contributing about 77 per cent of the food grain production. Other important crops are jowar, bajra, maize, ragi, small millets, pulses, castor, tobacco, cotton and sugarcane. Forests cover 23 per cent of the State's area. Important forest products are teak, eucalyptus, cashew, casuarina, bamboo, softwood, etc. The production of food grains in the state for the first time since formation of the State is recorded at 204.04 lakh tonne in 2008-09 as against 198.17 lakh tonne in 2007-08.

The Government is working with a mission of "Sustainable Agriculture Production with minimum cost of cultivation, eventually enhancing the return on income to the farmer". In the process of making the mission a reality, the Government is implementing schemes for the welfare of farmers like 9 hours free power supply, subsidized seed, subsidized interest rate on crop loans, subsidized and quality agricultural inputs etc., Andhra Pradesh occupies the first position in respect of agricultural loans from commercial and cooperative banks.

The debt waiver scheme of Central Government and the incentive scheme of the State Government have helped about one crore farmers in the state to the tune of Rs.16,000 crore. The Government of Andhra Pradesh is also keen on introducing cooperative farming to set up farm yields.

Irrigation

A total of 86 projects (44 Major+30 Medium+4 Flood Banks+8 Modernisation) have been taken up under Jalayagnam programme, with the aim of completing the ongoing and new projects in a record time to provide immediate irrigation to water starved areas on top priority by mobilizing funds from all possible sources. Till now, 12 projects were completed and water released for 19 more projects creating partial irrigation potential and the remaining projects are programmed to be completed in a time bound and planned manner, Andhra Pradesh Government has been making huge budgetary allocations for the execution of irrigation projects and it is the first state to involve the farmers in the management of irrigation sources.

Power

Important power projects in the State are: the Nagarjunasagar and Neelam Sanjiva Reddy Sagar (Srisailam Hydel Project), Upper Sileru, Lower Sileru, Tungabhadra Hydel projects and Nellore, Ramagundam, Kothagudem, Vijayawada and Muddanur thermal power projects. The Srisailam Hydro Electric project (Right Bank) with an installed capacity of 770 MW and the Srisailam Left Bank HES capacity of 900 MW and the Nagarjunasagar complex with 960 MW are the principal sources of hydel generation. Vijayawada Thermal Power station with an installed capacity of 1,260 MW and Kothagudem Thermal Power station with an installed capacity of 1,220 MW are the main sources of thermal power generation. The 1,000 MW coal-based Simhadri Thermal Power station aims at supplying the entire energy generated to the State.

Installed capacity of the State as on June, 2009 is 13,472.33 MW. The annual revenue from sale of power is Rs.13,945 crore (including non-tariff income). Government is particularly committed to the welfare of farmers by way of enhancing free power from seven hours to nine hours to all agriculture consumers. Govt. also waived the power consumption arrears amounting to Rs.1,259 crore relating to agricultural consumers. During the year 2008-09, 81,036 new agricultural connections were released. 21 new projects are programmed by APGENCO, out of which, 2 projects Rayalaseema TPP State II and Dr. Narla Tata Rao TPS State II (VTPS Stage IV) are already functioning.

Industries

The Government of AP is extending various incentives for SSI& Tiny Sector and Large & Medium Scale Industries. The State Government has been promoting the manufacturing sector in a big way by providing concessions in power tariff, allotting land and relaxing labour laws in special Economic Zones (SEZs). AP has promoted 102 Special Economic Zones (SEZs) of which 64 have been notified by the Government of India. The state has recommended to Government of India for setting up of 59 IT/ ITES SEZs, with active private sector participation. As of now, 12 IT SEZs with 22 units are functioning and operational creating an employment of 15,000 of IT professionals.

Mines and Geology

Andhra Pradesh is well known globally for variety of rocks and minerals and is called Ratna Grabha. Andhra Pradesh has the largest deposits of quality chrysolite asbestos in the country. Other important minerals found in the state are copper ore, manganese, mica, coal and limestone. The Singareni Coal Mines supply coal to the entire South India. The mineral consumption is increasing due to promotion of various industries and manufacture of mineral based products. The state produces about 100 to 110 million tonnes of industrial minerals and 200 million cubic meters of stone and building material. AP stands first in Barytes and Limestone production in the country. The state stands first in value of minor mineral production and second in total value of mineral production in the country contributing about 9 to 10% to the country's mineral value production. The mineral revenue is Rs.1,660.79 crore during 2008-09. The state stands first in Mineral Revenue among the important Mineral Producing states of the country.

Civil Supplies

Rs.2/-a kg rice scheme: To extend help to the poor and low-income groups the State Government has been implementing the Rs.2/- a Kg Rice supply scheme since April 7, 2008. Depending on the size of the family, each white cardholder gets 16 kg to 20 kg every month. This benefits 1.82 crore white cardholders. The Government is keen on implementing the scheme without any scope for irregularities.

Housing

The Government has introduced an innovative, unique, self financed housing scheme "Rajiv Swagruha" for the moderate income group in the state with an objective that every person with moderate income group in the state having no house of his/her own must have a house at affordable cost in the urban/municipal areas in the state. The houses/flats have to be made available to them at prices 25% less than the existing market rates on similar specifications. The construction of housing programme under Rajiv Swagruha is under progress. Schemes were prepared for construction of 85,961 houses/flats and bids were received for 61,793 units and bids were awarded for construction of 52,340 houses/flats.

Under Weaker Section Housing Program till the end of 31st March, 2009, 87,70,082 houses have been completed comprising 80,64,383 in rural areas and 7,05,699 in urban areas.

Health

'Rajiv Arogyasri' is a unique health insurance scheme being implemented in Andhra Pradesh. The scheme enables the poor, suffering from chronic diseases, to undergo treatment costing upto Rs.2 lakh. All white cardholders can undergo treatment for about 942 diseases. Medical and surgical treatment is provided in 344 corporate, private and Govt hospitals free of cost to patients Aarogyasri scheme is unique in its applicability, since no other state/government agency has provided universal health coverage to the poor for major ailments. The choice of hospital for treatment is with the patient. The entire process from the time of conduct of health camps to the screening, testing, treatment, follow up and claim payment is made transparent through online web based processing to prevent any misuse and fraud. This system is motivating more and more Government hospitals to participate in the scheme and utilize the revenue earned to improve facilities to provide quality 1110 India 2010 medical care and thus bring reforms in tertiary medical care. Official from several status have visited the state and appreciated the scheme. Since inception of the scheme i.e., 1st April 2007 and as on 31st March 2009, 344 hospitals from Government and private sector have joined the network and organized 8785 health camps in rural areas wherein 15,99,520 patients have been screened and 2,43,529 surgeries/treatment conducted at a cost of Rs.781.35 crore. In addition, 3,65,763 patients were given medical consultation as outpatients free of cost.

Information Technology

Andhra Pradesh has been forging ahead in the sphere of Information Technology. It is ahead of other states in exploiting the opportunities to the hilt. The State Government has introduced many schemes to utilize the maximum number of skilled human resources in the I.T. Sector. During 2008-09, I.T. sector recorded an export growth rate of over 20% with exports turnover of Rs.31,800 crore. AP ranks 4th at National level in IT performance.

The Government is making efforts to spread IT to Tier II cities like Warangal, Tirupathi, Kakinada, Vishakhapatnam, Vijayawada, Guntur and Kadapa. As a result, job opportunities in the IT sector in Tier II cities have improved. The IIT, Hyderabad is part of the history making which started functioning from August 20, 2008. The Government of Andhra Pradesh established Rajiv Gandhi University of Knowledge Technology (RGUKT) in 2008 to cater to the educational needs of the meritorious rural youth of Andhra Pradesh, Three IIITs are established in Basara (Adilbad), Nuzividu (Krishna) and Rajiv Knowledge Valley (Kadapa) under RGUKT. A total of 6000 students will be admitted in 2009 academic year.

Transport

Roads: The total R&B road network in the State is 69,051 km as on 31.3.2009, of which, the National Highways passing through Andhra Pradesh constitute 4,648 km., the state Highways constitute 10,519 kms and Major District Roads constitute 32,170 km and rural roads 21,714 kms. The density with reference to R&B road network in the state is 0.23 kms per one sq. km. and 0.86 kms per 1000 persons.

Railways:Of the railways route covering 5,107 km in Andhra Pradesh, 4,633 km is broad-gauge, 437 km is metre-gauge and 37 km is narrow gauge.

Aviation: Important airports in the State are located at Shamshabad, Tirupathi and Visakhapatnam. International flights are operated from Shamshabad.

Ports: There is one major Port at Visakhapatnam under Government of India and 13 Non-Major Ports under State Government. Ports offer tremendous potential for development and for the growth of a wide spectrum of maritime activities such as international shipping, coastal shipping, ship repairs, fishing, captive ports for specific industries, all weather ports tourism and sports, etc. Minor Ports of Andhra Pradesh handled 26.88 million tones of cargo during 2009-10 and AP is the 2nd highest cargo handling state in India.

Tourist Centres

Hussain Sagar Lake, Hyderabad

Andhra Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation continues to strive for promotion of new tourism products such as Eco-tourism, Beach-Tourism and Cruise-Tourism.

The Corporation currently runs a chain of 52 hotels with 1043 rooms and 2222 beds in prime locations fostering homely ambience. An impressive elect of 144 buses cater to varied tour packages connecting to important tourism locations within and outside the state. The Corporation runs Sound & Light shows, owns and operates water fleet of 120 boats making River and Lake Cruise tourism at an affordable reality. 73.79 lakh tourists visited the state and the revenue is Rs.109.00 crore during 2008-09.

Charminar, Hyderabad

Charminar, Salarjung Museum, Golconda Fort in Hyderabad, Thousand Pillar Temple and Fort in Warangal, Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Temple at Yadagirigutta, Buddha Stupa at Nagarjunakonda, Nagarjuna Sagar, Sri Venkateswara Temple at Tirumala-Tirupathi, Sri Mallikarjunaswamy Temple at Srisailam, Kanaka Durga Temple at Vijayawada, Sri Satyanarayana Swamy Temple at Annavaram, Sri Varaha Narasimha Swamy Temple at Simhachalam, Sri Sita Rama Temple at Bhadrachalam, Araku Valley, Horsley Hills, Nelapattu, etc., are the major tourist attractions in Andhra Pradesh.

Source: India 2010 - A Reference Annual

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