Manipur General Knowledge

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Manipur

Particulars	Description
Area	22,327 sq. km
Population	2,293,896
Capital	Imphal
Principal Languages	Manipuri

History and Geography

Manipur has a long and glorious history from the beginning of the Christian era. The recorded history of kingship started from 33 A.D., which marked the coronation of Pakhangba. After Pakhangba, a series of kings ruled over the kingdom of Manipur. The independence and sovereignty of Manipur remained uninterrupted until the Burmese invaded and occupied it for seven years in the first quarter of the 19^th century (1819-25). Then came British Paramountcy in 1891, and later on it was merged in the Indian Union as part "C" State on 15 October, 1949. This was replaced by a Territorial Council of 30 elected and 2 nominated members. Later in 1963, a Legislative Assembly of 30 elected and 3 nominated members was established under the Union Territories Act, 1962. The status of the administrator was raised from Chief Commissioner to the status of the Lt. Governor with effect from 19 December, 1969. Manipur attained full-fledged statehood on 21 January, 1972. With this, a Legislative Assembly consisting of 60 elected members was established.

Manipur is situated on the eastern frontier of India. It is bounded on the east by Myammar (Burma), on the north by the State of Nagaland, on the west by the State of Assam and on the south by the State of Mizoram and Myanmar. Manipur lies between 23.830 N and 25.680 N latitude and between 93.030 E and 94.780 E longitude. It has an area of 22,327 sq. kms. Physically Manipur comprises of two parts, the hills and the valley. The valley is at the centre surrounded by hills on all sides. The hills cover about 9/10 of the total area of the State. Manipur Valley is about 790 metres above the sea level. The hill ranges are higher on the north and gradually diminish in height as they reach the southern part of Manipur. The valley itself slopes down towards the south.

Agriculture

Agriculture and allied activities is the only mainstay of the State's economy where about 70 percent of the population depends on it. Agriculture in the State is confined to 10.48 percent of the total geographical area. The irrigated area is 30,980 ha. i.e. 13.24 percent of the net agricultural land. The State is marginally deficit in cereals and highly deficit in the production of oilseeds and pulses. In spite of the rapid advancement in the crop productivity, the faster of population growth poses a great problem to agriculture in the State.

The State Agriculture Department now plans to go ahead with diversification and commercialisation during the 11th Plan period with the following aims an objective:

1. To increase the Net Agricultural Area of the State to the tune of 3.86 percent and 18.68 percent Gross Agricultural Area over the 10th Plan achievement,
2. To increase the cropping intensity to from the present level of 132.73 percent to 140.45 percent by the end of 11th,
3. 7.97 Percent Annual growth rate of the over all crop production and targeted 39.85 percent increase in crop production by the end of 11th Plan over the 10th Plan achievement.

To achieve the above aims and objective, thrusts are given to the following areas:

1. Quality Seed Production
2. Assured Irrigation
3. Farm Mechanization,
4. Soil Health Management
5. Organic Farming
6. Multiple Cropping
7. Post Harvest Management
8. Regulation of Markets
9. Research and Development (R&D) in Bio-technology an Agro-processing
10. Application of Information Technology in Agriculture and
11. Transfer of Technology : (a) Establishment of Farmers Field School in each district and (b) Extension management.

Forest

Total area under forest cover is 17,219 sq.km of which 6,536 sq.km falls under dense forest while 10,681 sq.km falls under open forest. The forest cover accounts for 77.12 per cent of the State's geographical area. Siroy hill range in Ukhrul District, Manipur is the abode of Siroy Lily (Lilium macklineae), the flower which is not found elsewhere in the world. The Dzuko valley is also the only habitat of the endemic and the rarest species Dzuko Lily. Manipur is the only spot on earth in which the Brow-Antlered Deer (Cervus eldi eldi) locally known as Sangai is found. This rare deer is surviving in its natural habitat at the Keibul Lamjao.

This habitat was declared as a National Park in the year 1977 covering an area of 40 sq. km. It is unique in its own physical feature as the park lies submerged under water covered entirely on the surface by a floating entangled mass of vegetation like grass, shrubs and earth, called phumdi. The deer survives on top of this phumdi. The conservation measures taken up by the State has led to the rise of Sangai Population from a mere 14 animals in the year 1975 to 180 in the year 2003.

The other area already declared as protected area besides Keibul Lamjao National Park is the Yangoupokpi - Lokchao Wildlife Sanctuary with an area of 184.40 sq. km. It is situated at Chandel District and is located on the Indo-Malayan Zoogeographical Zone. The Malayan Sun Bear is found in this wildlife sanctuary.

The State is very rich in bio-diversity, large areas are still virgin forests. These are the habitats of very rare plants of rich medicinal value like Taxus baccata, ginseng, etc. It is also the home of many rare orchids and ferns.

Irrigation

Major and Medium Irrigation had been introduced in the State from 1980. So far 8 (eight) Major and Medium Irrigation & Multipurpose Projects have been taken up, of which 5 (five) projects had been completed up to the end of Eighth Plan.

Irrigation potential of 28,500 Ha has been created with utilisation of 21,850 Ha. In addition 1,200 Ha and 900 Ha of low lying areas of Loushipat and Poiroupat respectively has been reclaimed by Thoubal Project. Running & Maintenance Schemes are on the pipe line for bridging the gap between potential created and actual utilised. 4 MGD of raw water is supplied to the State Public Health Engineering Department from Singda Multipurpose Project for water supply. 5 MGD of raw water is also being supplied from Khuga Multipurpose Project to state PHED from 2007.

At present, the State Government has given special attention to accelerate the progress of the three ongoing projects and to achieve completion of Khuga Multipurpose Project in 2006, Thoubal Multipurpose Project and Dolaithabi Barrage in 2008. The State Government is continuing investigation works for taking up new projects under State Plan as well as funding by NEC.

Commerce and Industries

Handloom industry is the largest cottage industry providing maximum number of employment after agriculture in the state. This industry has been flourishing since time immemorial. It remains an important source of income especially for womenfolk of the State. The traditional skill of handloom weaving is not only a status symbol for the women-folk but also an indispensable aspect of the socio-economic life. Food Processing is another popular industry in Manipur. In view of the importance of the industry, state Government has established a Food Processing Training Centre and Food Processing Training Hall at Imphal. A Food Park is also being set up at Imphal.

Indo-Myanmar Border Trade through Lan Custom Station, Moreh was opened on 12th April, 1995. The opening of Border Trade has been providing large scale employment to many families in the State. The Department of Commerce and Industries of the State Government has been acting as a liaisoning agent for promotion and development of the Border Trade. To promote Border Trade, the Ware house, Conventional Hall and Stay Facility Centre have been set up a border town Moreh

Power

The installed capacity of the State is over 42,750 and more than 2,000 villages have been electrified. Power supply position showed a marked improvement with the availability of power from the Central Sector Generating Stations, i.e., Loktak HE Project (NHPC), Kopili HE Project, Khandong HE Project, Doyang HE Project, Rangnadi HE Project and AGBPP, Kathalguri and AGTPP, Ramchandranagar (all NEEPCO).

Commerce and Industry

The State Government continues to exert all its efforts as a facilitator for industrialisation of the State with due emphasis on the prospective and potential areas. Handloom is the most popular traditional industry providing maximum employment in the State.

With the introduction of Border Trade between India and Myanmar in 1995, the Department of Commerce and Industries of the State Government has been acting as a liaisoning agent for promotion and development of Border Trade.

Transport

Roads: 3 National Highways - i) NH - 39, ii) NH - 53 an iii) NH - 150 criss-cross the State connecting all districts. Imphal, the capital of Manipur is joined by NH-39 with Nagaland on the North and Myanmar on the east, on the west with Assam by NH-53 and Mizoram on the south by NH-150.

Aviation: Imphal Airport is the second largest airport in the North Eastern Region Imphal is connected to Aizwal, Guwahati, Kolkata, Silchar and New Delhi by Indian Airlines, Jet Airways, Indigo and Air Deccan and Alliance Air. New flights from carrier like Spicejet and Kingfisher are likely to operate very soon.

Railways: The State is included in the railway map of India with opening of a rail head at Jiribam in May, 1990. It is 225 km from Imphal, Dimapur (Nagaland), 215 kms from Imphal is the nearest rail-head.

The Jiribam: Tupul Railway line has been declared as a National Project. The final location survey of 52 kms has been completed. Lan acquisition in first 10 kms is in advance stage. During feasibility study, it has been found feasible to extend the line from Tupul to Imphal.

Festivals

A year in Manipur represents a cycle of festivities. Hardly a month passes by without a festival. Important festivals of the State are: Dol-jatra, Lai Haraoba, Rasa Leela, Cheiraoba, Ningol Chakouba, Rath-Jatra, Id-ul-Fitr, Imoinu Iratpa, Gaan-Ngai, Lui-Ngai-ni, Id-ul-Zuha, Yaoshang (Holi), Durga Puja, Mera Houchongba, Diwali, Kut and Christmas, etc.

Tourist Centres

Blessed with a salubrious climate and landscapes languishing in natural beauty and scenic splendour, the state extends to the tourists a warm welcome to visit again and again. Some important tourist centres in Manipur are: Shree Govindajee temple, Khwairamband Bazar (Ima Keithel), War cemeteries, Shaheed Minar, Nupi Lan (Women's War) Memorial Complex, Khonghampat Orchidarium, INA Memorial (Moirang), Loktak Lake, Keibul Lamjao National Park, Bishnu Temple at Bishnupur, Sendra, Moreh, Siroy Village, Siroy Hills, Dzuko Valley, State Museum, Kaina Tourist Home, Khongjom War Memorial Complex, etc.

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Madhya Pradesh General Knowledge

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Madhya Pradesh

Particulars	Description
Area	3,08,000 sq. km
Population	6,03,85,118
Capital	Bhopal
Principal Languages	Hindi

History and Geography

Madhya Pradesh is the second largest Indian Sate in size with an area of 3,08,000 sq.km. Geographically it occupies a pivotal position in the country.

King Ashoka first among all, ruled over Ujjain. A sizeable portion of Central India was part of the Gupta empire (300-500 A.D.). The Muslims came into Central India in the beginning of 11^th century. First of all, Mahmud of Ghazni came over here and then Mohammad Gouri, who incorporated some parts of Central India into his ruling territory of Delhi. Central India was also part of the Mughal empire. During the period between the beginning of the influence of Marathas and the death of Madhoji Scindia in 1794, Marathas were on the ascendant in Central India but later on the small states started coming into existence. These small states became the cause of perpetuation of British power in the country.

Queen Ahilyabai Holkar of Indore, the Gond Maharani Kamalapti and Queen Durgawati, etc., were women rulers whose names have left an indelible imprint on Indian history for their outstanding rule. Madhya Pradesh came into being on 1 November 1956. It was reorganised on 1 November 2000 to create a new Chhattisgarh state. The successive state, now, is bound in north by Uttar Pradesh, east by Chhattisgarh, south by Maharashtra and west by Gujarat and Rajasthan.

Agriculture

Agriculture is the mainstay of State's economy as 74.73 per cent of the people are rural. As much as 49 per cent of the land area is cultivable.

The net sown area during 2007 was estimated at about 14.83 m. ha. The food grain production was 14.45m. metric tonnes. The productivity of major crops like wheat, rice, pulses has also been good. The National Horticulture Mission has been implemented in 31 districts.

Industry and Minerals

Madhya Pradesh has entered the era of high-tech industries such as electronics, telecommunications, automobiles, Information Technology, etc. The State produces optical fibre for telecommunication needs. A large number of automobile industries have been established at Pithampur near Indore. Prominent industries in the public sector in the state are Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd. at Bhopal, Secruity paper mill at Hoshangabad, Bank Note Press at Dewas, newsprint factory at Nepanagar and alkaloid factory at Neemuch.

The cement production touched 12.49 million metric tonnes during the period. An air cargo complex is coming up at Pithampur. The Government of India has set up a Special Economic Zone at Indore. Foreign Direct Investment is being promoted by implementing the comprehensive Economic Development Policy. The State Government has announced an Industries Promotion Policy offering attractive incentives for investment in the State. The docks have been cleared for the long pending Rs.10,300 crore Oman Bina Refinery Project at Bina in Sagar district. The Government of India has also sanctioned a National Auto Testing and Research and Development Infrastructure Project to be set up at Pithampur in Dhar district.

Madhya Pradesh is a mineral rich State. The state produced minerals worth Rs.90.20 in 2007. It produces 21 types of minerals. The output of minerals in 2007 was -dolomite -164 thousand metric tonnes, diamond - 586 thousand carats, limestone-25640 thousand metric tonnes, bauxite-475 thousand million metric tonnes and copper ore - 2191 thousand million metric tonnes. The coal production was 25640 thousand metric tonnes. The State is famous for its traditional handicrafts and handloom cloth manufactured in Chanderi and Maheshwar.

Irrigation and Power

The net area under irrigation was 6,347 thousand-hectare in the year 2008. There is a target to increase the irrigation facilities from 39 per cent to 50 per cent. A Rs.1919 crore Water Sector Restructuring Project has been taken up to restore irrigation facility in five lakh hectares by renovating the existing irrigation system in 30 districts.

Madhya Pradesh is rich in low-grade coal suitable for power generation and also has immense potential of hydro-energy. Total installed power generation capacity in year 2007 was 9658.45 M.W. There are eight hydro-electric power stations with 902.5 MW installed capacity. A total of 50,475 out of 51,806 villages had been electrified.

Development Initiatives

Madhya Pradesh Rural Employment Scheme has been implemented in all 50 districts. M.P. has topped in the country in its implementation. National Horticulture Mission has been launched to boost horticulture production and productivity in the State.

Transport

Roads: The total length of roads in the State is 73311 kms. The length of national highway in the State is 4280 km while State highway extends to 8729 km. The State government has taken up the construction and upgradation of roads in a big way and about 60 thousand km of roads will be constructed and upgraded.

Railways: The main rail route linking northern India with southern India passes through Madhya Pradesh. Main junctions in the state are Bhopal, Bina, Gwalior, Indore, Itarsi, Jabalpur, Katni, Ratlam and Ujjain. The divisional railways headquarters are at Bhopal, Ratlam and Jabalpur.

Festivals

A number of festivals are celebrated in Madhya Pradesh. An important tribal festival is Bhagoriya marked by traditional gaiety and enthusiasm. Shivratri is celebrated in Khajuraho, Bhojpur, Pachmarhi and Ujjain and has its own local flavour while Ramnavami festival at Chitrakoot and Orchha has a unique sense of devotion imbued with tradition. Festivals of Orchha, Malwa, Pachmarhi bring to the fore, repertoire of culture and art of the people. Tansen Music Festival, Gwalior, Ustad Allauddin Khan Music Festival of Maihar, Kalidas Samaroh, Ujjain and Festival of Dances at Khajuraho are some of the well known art festivals of Madhya Pradesh. An annual Narmada Festival has been started from this year at Bedhaghat in Jabalpur, famous for its marble rocks. A Shivpuri Festival has been started from this year at Shivpuri.

Tourism Centres

Madhya Pradesh Folk Dance

Perfectly preserved medieval cities, refreshing and enchanting wildlife sanctuaries and some of the holiest and most revered pilgrim centres offer to the tourist the most fulfilling experience. Tranquil beauty of Pachmarhi, glittering splendour of Marble Rocks and roaring sound of Dhuandhar Fall at Bedaghat, Kanha National Park, with its unique Barasingha and Bandhavgarh National Park with its prehistoric caves and wildlife are some of the major attractions of the State.

Gwalior, Mandu, Datia, Chanderi, Jabalpur, Orchha, Raisen, Sanchi, Vidisha, Udaygiri, Bhimbetika, Indore and Bhopal are the places well-known for their historical monuments. Maheshwar, Omkareshwar, Ujjain, Chitrakoot and Amarkantak are major centres of pilgrimage. Unique temples of Khajuraho are famous all over the world. The temples of Orchha, Bhojpur and Udaypur attract large number of tourists as well as pilgrims. Archaeological treasures are preserved in the museums at Satna, Sanchi, Vidisha, Gwalior, Indore, Mandsaur, Ujjain, Rajgarh, Bhopal, Jabalpur, Rewa and many other places. Omkareshwar, Maheshwar and Amarkantak have been declared as holy cities for their integrated development in accordance with their religious significance. Burhanpur is being developed as a new tourist destination.

Source: India 2010

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Kerala

Particulars	Description
Area	38,863 sq. km
Population	31,841,374
Capital	Thiruvananthapuram
Principal Languages	Malayalam

Kerala: At a Glance

Hedged in between the Western Ghats with its highest peaks of Anamudi and Agasthyarkoodam on the east and the Arabian Sea on the west and blessed by North-East (October - November) and South-West (June - August) monsoon seasons this evergreen land of Kerala on the South-Western part of the Indian peninsula, with mountains, hills valleys and lakes, deserves to be praised with the epithet 'God's own Country' which the famous English Poet Dylan Thomas used to eulogise the Wales Countryside. The geographical data of Kerala is North Latitude between 8018' and 12048' East longitude between 74052' and 77022'.

A Living Heritage

The long interconnected lakes having rich wealth of estuarine fishes, mussels and clams and with coconut groves and occasional paddy fields on either side constitute National Water way III of India stretching from Thiruvananthapuram in the south to the northern most districts. This ancient conduit to take merchandise by heavy boats to the ports of Muziris (Present Kodungalloor) Aleppo (Present Alappuzha) Ayi (Present Vizhinjam) Kollam and Beypore thronged first by Romans and afterwards by Chinese, Syrians, Arabs and in recent centuries by Europeans for trade is now the golden Pathway of tourists and luxury boats. A few of the interconnected lagoons witness some of the most spirited boat races in the world such as the Nehru Trophy, Uthruttathi and Aranmula boat races. The total length of the waterways is 1687 Kms. The famous beaches of Kovalam Varkala, Cherayi, Muzhuppilangadu and Bekal brace up nearer the National Waterway III though, otherwise well-connected with the international airports of Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi and Kozhikode and also the newly coming up Kannur airport. N.H.47 traverses the state from the south end to Palakkad for Bangalore and N.H.17 from Kochi to Mangalore for Mumbai. Besides them there are state highways such as the M.C. Road, Kochi-Madurai, Thiruvananthapuram - Thenkasi, Kozhikode-Mysore, Vadakara - Virajpettah - Bangalore roads. With 1, 54, 679 Kms road length Kerala occupies top-notch position in road connectivity.

Contribution to Bharat Varsha

Viewing from the historical angle one would find that Kerala's contribution to Indian nationhood was outstanding. 'Bharat Varsha' has always been a concept of the Intellectual and emotional unity of life in the Indian sub continent even when it was under the tutelage of opposing rulers. When the peninsula was plunged into intellectual vacuum and darkness with the eclipse of Jainism and Buddhism Sree Sankaracharya emerged from the village of Kalady near Kochi from Kerala and established intellectual centres or mutts at the far corners of Bharat Varsha and brought about that intellectual unity. The serious confrontations with foreign forces on the shores of Kerala resulted in deeper interactions producing tolerance of the neighbour's faith. At the dawn of the twentieth century Sree Narayana Guru reinforced this secular ethos of Kerala by reinterpreting the true spirit and authority of the Hindu scriptures. The biggest singular contribution of Kerala to Bharat Varsha is this secular ethos.

Kerala Model of Development

Kerala has been hailed as a model of development for having achieved a status fulfilling all the parameters of social well-being comparable to those of the developed countries of the world. The state achieved total literacy almost two decades back. It has the lowest infant mortality rate and life expectancy is 71 years for both male and female, which is the highest in the country. Maternal mortality rate is also the lowest. The state has also the lowest birth rate. This spectacular achievement in spite of having only a moderate per capita income has led economists to look upon Kerala as an economic miracle. Behind these achievements several factors are discernible such as the spread of education among all sections of the population as Dr. Amarthya Sen so forcefully emphasised, a large non-resident population and their remittances back home, successful cultivation of commercial crops especially rubber and spices, spread of cooperative movement, the services of social organisations in education and healthcare and fairly high wages for labourers. Kerala has been the first state to achieve democratic revolution, and no wonder, she heralded the phenomenon of bringing a communist government to power through ballot in world history.

Kudumbasree

Kerala has also been the first state in the country to implement land reforms. The State is giving impetus to the decentralised system of development carried out through assemblages of families in every locale, called Kudumbasree under the Grama Panchayat. Kerala's system of decentralised development has been looked upon as a model by other states and many foreign countries. Incidentally Kerala is the only state with hospital facility in every village Kerala also enjoys the highest communication infrastructure in the country.

Economy Looks Forward

Focusing on economic development in the state one would find that the tertiary or the service sector has performed exceptionally and consistently well over the years of the state. Development on the industrial sector has been very little satisfactory owing to a variety of reasons but chiefly the unavailability of land at affordable prices for the purpose. The state government is making all out efforts to make rapid strides in IT industry in the state, the results of which are visible in the increased revenue from export of IT products. But Kerala's forte is in tourism industry which has been growing at a fast rate. Hill stations life Vagamon, Munnar, Thekkady and Wayanad are attracting more and more tourists besides the beaches and backwaters. Incidentally, Kerala has the highest thorium deposit in the world. Once the country achieves the technology of laser isotope separation of thorium, this mineral will fetch for the country an economic bonanza equal to that of oil in the gulf countries or even bigger than that production.

Increased Food Crop Production

On the agricultural front, Kerala's food crop is not sufficient for her needs. Paddy cultivation has been steadily losing in extent and yield. The production has come down from 13 lakh tonnes to 6.29 lakh tonnes over the years. The state is making concerted efforts to increase the extent by farming paddy on fallow lands and promoting better agricultural practices. The results are extremely encouraging. Kerala is the largest producer of natural rubber in the country and it is also the biggest producer of spices like pepper, cardamom, nutmeg, cinnamon etc.

Future with Sea-borne Commerce

The long coastline of Kerala with an array of minor ports have promoted the development of fishery sector as an important component of Kerala's economy and source of employment. Kochi Port and Cochin shipyard have made Kochi the hub of commercial activity. The transshipment terminal being built at Vallarpadom Under the Central Government will further increase commerce in the southern region in a few years. If and when the deep sea mother port at Vizhinjam proposed by the State Government becomes a reality Kerala is poised to become the commercial hub of entire South Asia.

Source: IT Department, Government of Kerala

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Karnataka

Particulars	Description
Area	1,91,791 sq. km
Population	5,28,50,562
Capital	Bangalore
Principal Languages	Kannada

History and Geography

Karnataka has a recorded history of more than 2,000 years. Apart from its subjection to the rule of Nandas, Mauryas and the Satavahanas, Karnataka came to have indigenous dynasties like the Kadambas of Banavasi and the Gangas from the middle of the 4th century AD. The world renowned Gomateshwara monolith at Sharavanabelagola was installed by a Ganga minister Chavundaraya. The colossal rock cut image of Sri Gomateshwara is the most magnificent among all Jain works of art. Numerous visitors arrive at Shravanbelagola to gaze at this and other monuments. The Chalukyas of Badami (500-735 AD) reigned over a wider area, from the Narmada to the Kaveri from the days of Pulikeshi II (609-642 AD) who even defeated the mighty Harshavardhana of Kanauj. This dynasty created fine, everlasting and the most beautiful monuments at Badami, Aihole and Pattadakal, both structural and rock-cut. Aihole has been one of the cradles of temple architecture in the country. The Rashtrakutas (753-973 AD) of Malkhed who succeeded them heaped tributes on the rulers of Kanauj successively in the so-called 'Age of Imperial Kanauj'. Kannada literature developed during this period. Outstanding Jain scholars of India lived in their court. The Chalukyas of Kalyana (973 AD to 1189 AD) and their feudatories, the Hoysalas of Halebidu built exquisite temples, encouraged literature and various fine arts. Noted jurist Vijnaneshwara (work: Mitakshara) lived at Kalyana. The great religious leader Basaveshwara was a minister at Kalyana. Vijayanagar empire (1336-1646) patronised and fostered indigenous traditions and encouraged arts, religion and literature in Sanskrit, Kannada, Telugu and Tamil. Overseas trade flourished. The Bahamani Sultans (Capital: Gulbarga, later Bidar) and the Bijapur Adilshahis raised fine Indo-Saracenic buildings and encouraged Urdu and Persian literature. Advent of the Portuguese resulted in the introduction of new crops (Tobacco, Maize, Chillies, Groundnut, potato, etc). After the fall of the Peshwa (1818) and Tipu (1799), Karnataka came under British rule. Christian missionaries introduced English education and printing during the 19th century. Revolution in transport, communication and industries was ushered in. The urban middle-class emerged. Mysore dynasty initiated and helped industrialisation and cultural growth.

Freedom Movement was followed by the movement for the unification of Karnataka. After Independence, the Mysore State was created in 1953, wherein all the Kannada dominant areas under different dispensations were unified and the enlarged Mysore state carved in 1956 and was renamed Karnataka in 1973.

Karnataka State is situated between 11o31' and 18o14' north latitudes and 74o12' and 78o10'

Forestry and Wildlife

The Forest department manages about 20.15% of the geographical area of the State. Forests have been classified as reserved forests, protected forests, unclassified forests, Villages forests, and private forests. There are 5 National Parks and 23 Wildlife sanctuaries. To overcome shortage of fuel wood, fodder and timber, degraded forests and waste lands are being developed. Emphasis is also being laid on the conservation, protection and development of the fragile eco-system of the Western Ghats. Several Wildlife protection schemes such as Project Tiger and Project Elephant are being implemented with the Central assistance. The concept of Joint Forest Planning and Management applied to the 2 externally aided projects viz., Western Ghats Forestry & Environment Project (DFID) and Forestry and Environment Project for Eastern Plains (JBIS) has resulted in village forest planning and management through establishment of Village Forest Committees. Japan Bank for International Cooperation has approved a new scheme called Karnataka Sustainable Forest Management and Bio-diversity project and it is being implemented from 2005-06 to 2012-13 throughout Karnataka.

Agriculture

The State has 66% rural population and 55.60 per cent of workers are agricultural labourers. The State has 60% (114 lakh ha) cultivable land and 72% of the cultivable area is rainfed; only 28% is under irrigation. The State has 10 Agro climatic Zones. The Red soil constitutes major soil type, followed by Black soil. The net sown area of the State constituted 51.7% of the total land. During 2007-08, food grain production is anticipated to be 117.35 lakh metric tons against the target of 119.70 lakh metric tonnes.

Dairy

Karnataka is one of the major milk producers and the Karnataka Milk Federation has 21 dairy processing plants with a capacity of 26.45 lakh litres a day and 42 chilling centres having 14.60 lakh litres of chilling capacity.

Horticulture

Horticulture crops are grown in an area of 16.80 lakhs hectares and the produces amount to 101 lakh tonnes. The Union Government has earmarked Rs.171.29 crore for Karnataka under National Horticulture Mission.

Major and Medium Irrigation

28% of the cultivable land in the State is under irrigation. During 2006-07, 23.21 hectares of land was covered by major and medium irrigation and 9.93 lakh hectares was covered by minor irrigation, constituting a total of 33.14 lakh hectares of irrigated area.

Power Generation

Karnataka was the pioneer in establishing hydroelectric projects in the country. Today, Karnataka has 7222.91 Power Generation Installed capacity and 31229 million units of electricity was generated in 2007-08.

Information Technology

Karnataka continues its unassailable lead in the IT sector, recording software exports of Rs.48,700 crore, during 2006-07. For 2007-08 upto November-07 the export was Rs.24450 crore. It is expected to grow by 25% over previous year's achievements. The recent report by Nasscom has recognised Manglore and Mysore among the fastest growing IT cities in the country.

Biotechnology

Karnataka and Bengaluru in particular have become the largest bio-clusters in the country. During 2006-07 three projects were cleared through SLSWA with an investment of Rs.535.50 crore. The value of biotech exports was 215 million US$.

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Jharkhand

Particulars	Description
Area	79,714 sq. km
Population	2,69,09,428
Capital	Ranchi
Principal Languages	Hindi

History and Geography

Jharkhand which came into being on 15 November 2000 as the 28^th State of the Union is the homeland of the tribals who had dreamed of a separate state for a long time. According to legend, Raja Jai Singh Deo of Orissa had declared himself the ruler of Jharkhand in the 13^th century. It largely comprises forest tracks of Chhotanagpur plateau and Santhal Pargana and has distinct cultural traditions. In post-independence era, the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha started a regular agitation which impelled the government to establish the Jharkhand Area Autonomous Council in 1995 and finally a full-fledged State.

Jharkhand is bound by West Bengal in the east, Uttar Pradesh and Chhattisgarh in the west, Bihar in the north and Orissa in the south.

Agriculture

The State has an area of 79,714 sq km of which 18,423 sq km is forest land. Agriculture and allied activities are the major source of Jharkhand's economy. The total cultivable land is only 38 lakh hectares.

Irrigation and Power

Damodar, Maurakshi, Barakar, North Koyel, South Koyel, Sankh, Subarnarekha, Kharkai, and Ajay are major water resources in the State. The net sown area is 1.8 million hectares of which 8 per cent is irrigated.

The installed capacity of power in Jharkhand is 2,590 MW. This includes 420 MW (Tenughat Thermal Power Station), 840 MW (Patratu Thermal Power Station), 130 MW (Sikkidiri Hydel Project) and 1,200 MW (Damodar Valley Corporation Thermal/Hydel Project). The prospect of capacity addition in both the thermal and hydel sectors of various power stations is 4,736 MW. This includes 686 MW hydel generation.

Industry and Minerals

Some of Jharkhand's major industries are: Bokaro Steel Plant in the public sector, Tata Iron and Steel Company (TISCO) in Jamshedpur in the private sector. Other important industries are Tata Engineering and Locomotive Company (TELCO), Timken India Limited (Jamshedpur), Bharat Coking Limited (Dhanbad), Khilari Cement Factory (Palamu), Indian Aluminum (Muri). ACC cement (Chaibsa), Central Coalfields Limited (Ranchi), Usha Martin, Usha Beltron, Uranium Corporation (I) Limited (Jadugora), Hindustan Copper Limited (Mussabani), Tin Plate Company of India Limited (Jamshedpur), Indian Explosive Limited (Gomia), and Hindalco Bauxite (Lohardaga), etc.

The State is rich in mineral resources. The important available minerals are coal, iron ore, lime stone, copper ore, bauxite, pyrite, china clay, kyanite, fine clay, dolomite, graphite, bentonite, soap stone, quartz sand and silica sand. The nascent State of Jharkhand has the enormous potential for exploitation of coal, mica and other minerals particularly in Singhbhum, Bokaro, Hazaribagh, Ranchi, Koderma and Dhanbad.

Transport

Roads: The total length of roads in the State is 4,311 km. This inlcudes 1,500 km national highways and 2,711 km state highways.

Railways: The State has a well-developed railway system. Ranchi, Bokaro, Dhanbad, Jamshedpur are some of the major railway stations.

Aviation: Ranchi is connected with Delhi, Patna and Mumbai. Jamshedpur, Bokaro, Giridih, Deoghar, Hazaribagh, Daltonganj and Noamundi have air strips.

Tourist Centres

There are many scenic attractions in the State, namely, Ichagarh Bird Sanctuary, Udhava Bird Sanctuary-Sahibganj (Pathara Lake), Chachro Crocodile Breeding Centre-Koderma (Tilaya Dam), Chandrapura Bird Sanctuary, Jawaharlal Nehru Zoological Garden (Bokaro), Tenughat Bird Sanctuary, Dalma Wild Life Sanctuary (Jamshedpur), Tata Steel Zoological Park (Jamshedpur), Palkote Wild Life Sanctuary (Gumla), Bhagwan Birsa Zoological Gardens (Ranchi), Birsa Deer Sanctuary (Kalmati Ranchi), Betla National Park (Palamau), Ranchi Aquarium (Ranchi) and Hazaribagh National Park, Tatoloi hot water stream (Dumka) and Saranda Forest.

Apart from the above, Jharkhand has some famous temples like, Jharkhand Dham, Lagnta Baba Temple/Majar, Bindhvashini Temple, Masanjore Dam, etc.

Source: India 2010

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Jammu Kashmir GK

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Jammu & Kashmir

Particulars	Description
Area	2,22,236 sq. km
Population	10,069,987
Capital	Srinagar (Summer), Jammu (Winter)
Principal Languages	Urdu, Dogri, Kashmiri, Pahari, Punjabi, Ladakhi, Balti, Gojri and Dadri

History and Geography

According to the most popular legend that is also recorded in Rajtarangani and Nilmat Purana, two most authoritative books, Kashmir was once a large lake and it was Kashyap Rishi who drained it off the water, making it a beautiful abode. But geologists have their own theory, which says that geographical changes made way for the outflow of water by subsidence of the mountain at Khadianayar, Baramulla and thus emerged the Valley of Kashmir, the paradise on earth. Ashoka introduced Buddhism to Kashmir in the 3rd century B.C., which was later strengthened by Kanishka. Huns got the control of the valley in the early 6^th century.

The Valley regained freedom in 530 A.D. but soon came under the rule of the Ujjain Empire. After the decline of the Vikramaditya dynasty, the valley had its own rulers. There was a synthesis of Hindu and Buddhist cultures. Lalitaditya (697-738 A.D.) extended his rule up to Bengal in the east, Konkan in the south, Turkistan in the northwest and Tibet in the northeast. Considered as the most famous Hindu ruler, Lalitaditya was known for constructing beautiful buildings. Islam came to Kashmir during 13^th and 14^th century A.D. Zain-ul-Abedin (1420-70) was the most famous Muslim ruler, who came to Kashmir when the Hindu king Sinha Dev fled before the Tatar invasion. Later Chaks overran Haider Shah, son of Zain-ul-Abedin. They continued to rule till 1586 when Akbar conquered Kashmir. In 1752, Kashmir passed on from the feeble control of the Mughal emperor of the time to Ahmed Shah Abdali of Afghanistan. The Valley was ruled by the Pathans for 67 years.

The name of Jammu figures in the Mahabharata. Recent findings of Harappan remains and artifacts of Mauryan, Kushan and Gupta periods at Akhnoor have added new dimensions to its ancient character. The land of Jammu was divided into 22 hill principalities. Raja Maldev, one of the Dogra rulers, conquered many territories to consolidate his kingdom. Raja Ranjit Dev ruled over Jammu from 1733 to 1782. His successors were weak, and thus Maharaja Ranjit Singh annexed the territory to Punjab. He later handed over Jammu to Raja Gulab Singh, a scion of the old Dogra ruling family, who had grown powerful among Ranjit Singh's governors and had annexed almost the whole Jammu region. The State was governed by Dogra rulers till 1947, when the Maharaja Hari Singh signed the Instrument of Accession in favour of the Indian Union on 26 October, 1947.

Jammu and Kashmir is situated between 32° -15' and 37° -05' north latitude and 72° -35' and 83° -20' longitude East. Geographically, the State can be divided into four zones. First, the mountainous and semi mountainous plain commonly known as Kandi belt, the second, hills including Shivalik ranges, the third mountains of Kashmir Valley and Pir Panchal range and the fourth is Tibetan tract of Ladakh and Kargil. Geographically and culturally, the state has three district regions - Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh.

Industry

Handicrafts, being the traditional industry of the State, has been receiving priority attention of the Government in view of its large employment base and expert potential, paper-machie, wood carving, carpets, shawl-making, embroidery, etc., are among Kashmir's exquisite handicrafts. This industry, particularly the carpets earn substantial foreign exchange. The handicrafts sector provides employment to about 3.40 lakh artisans. The number of industrial units has gone up. The Rs.19 crore Export Promotion Industrial Park has been established at Kartholi, Jammu. A similar Park is being set up at Ompora, Budgam. Jammu has Urban Haats while a similar Haat is being commissioned in Srinagar. Software Technology park involving Rs.6.50 crore has been commissioned at Ragreth Srinagar.

Agriculture

About 80 per cent population of the State depends on agriculture. Paddy, wheat and maize are the major crops. Barley, bajra and jowar are cultivated in some parts. Gram is grown in Ladakh. The area under orchards is 242 lakh hectares. The State produces fruit worth Rs.2,000 crore annually including export of walnuts worth Rs.120 crore. Jammu and Kashmir State has been declared as Agri Export Zone for apple and walnuts. Market Intervention Scheme has also been launched for improving quality fruit for export by ensuing proper grading.

The horticulture sector generates employment for 25 lakh people directly or indirectly.

Power

Top priority has been accorded to power sector with great thrust to tap State's vast hydroelectric potential estimated at 20,000 MW.

New policy announced to promote private investment in small hydroelectric projects up to 25 MW. Seven hydel projects with generating capacity of 2798 MW have been given to NHPC for execution. The State's total requirement met by purchasing power from national grid.

Education

The State's literacy rate is 54.46 per cent as per 2001 census, with rural literacy of 48.22 per cent and urban 72.17 per cent. Male literacy is estimated at 67.75 per cent and female at 41.82 per cent. There are five Universities and 41 Colleges, including 8 in private sector.

Transport

Roads: The road length maintained by PWD in the State has reached to 15,012 km.

Railways: Because of the difficult terrain Railway network has not developed as in other parts of the Country. At present Jammu is the Rail head of the State and the line has been extended upto District Udhampur only (90 kms). The work on Udhampur-Qazigund rail line is under progress and intra rail link between Quzigund to Bramulla is complete. However the railway traffic has been thrown open from Baramulla to Anantnag.

Aviation: Srinagar, Jammu and Leh are the major airports connecting Jammu and Kashmir with the rest of the country. The Srinagar airport has been upgraded to international level.

Festivals

On the tenth day of the bright fortnight Assuj is celebrated as the day of victory of Rama over Rawana. Shivratri festival is also celebrated in Jammu and Kashmir. Four Muslim festivals celebrated in the State are Id-ul-Fitr, Idul-Zuha, Id-Milad-un-Nabi and Meraj Alam. Muharram is also observed. The Hemis Gumpa festival of Ladakh takes place in the month of June. A special feature of the Hemis festival is its mask dance. In Spituk monastery in Leh, enormous statues of Goddess Kali are exhibited once in the year on the occasion of the annual festival which falls in January. Other festivals celebrated are Lohri marking a climax of winter. Sinh Sankranti observed in Ramban and adjoining villages. Mela Pat observed in Bhadarwah in the month of August.

Tourism

Kashmir-Flower-Seller in Dal Lake

Kashmir Valley is described as the paradise on earth. Chashmashahi springs, Shalimar Bagh, Dal Lake, Dachigam, Gulmarg, Pahalgam, Sonamarg and Amarnath shrine in the Valley, Vaishnodevi shrine and Patnitop near Jammu and Buddhist monasteries in Ladakh are important tourist destinations. Ladakh festival on 15 September and Sindhu Darshan in June are popular events.

Source: India 2010

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Himachal Pradesh General Knowledge

State of India, Himachal Pradesh current GK, Himachal Pradesh GK, Himachal Pradesh History, Himachal Pradesh Geography, Himachal Pradesh Tourist, About Himachal Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh General Knowledge, Himachal Pradesh , Himachal Pradesh Current Affairs,Current GK, current general knowledge, currentgk, online Current GK , General Knowledges, CurrentAffairs, Current Affairs 2011, Current GK, GK Quiz,india current gk,Latest GK,Parliament of India, General Knowledge Current, Current GK, current general knowledge, currentgk, General Knowledge Today ,Current Affairs, GENERAL KNOWLEDGE QUIZ, Latest GK, Latest General Knowledge, Current GK online

Himachal Pradesh

Particulars	Description
Area	55,673 sq. km
Population	60,77,900
Capital	Shimla
Principal Languages	Hindi & Pahari

History and Geography

Himachal situated in the heart of the western Himalaya, identified as "Dev Bhumi"and is believed to be the abode of Gods and Goddesses. The entire State is punctuated with stone as well as wood temples. The rich culture and traditions have made Himachal unique in itself. The shadowy valleys, rugged crags, glaciers and gigantic pines and roaring rivers and exquisite flora and fauna compose the symphony that is for ever Himachal.

Himachal Pradesh came into being as a Union Territory in April 1948 as a result of integration of 30 princely States spread over 27,000 sq.km. In 1954, when another C"class state of Bilaspur merged in Himachal Pradesh, its area increased to 28,241 sq.km. The position remained unchanged till 1966. On re-organisation of the State, the hilly areas of Punjab were merged with the State, increasing its size to 55,673 sq.km. Himachal Pradesh today is quoted as a successful model of not only hill area development but also for having realised development in education, health and social services.

Agriculture

Agriculture being the main occupation of the people of Himachal Pradesh has an important role in the economy of the State. It provides direct employment to about 69 per cent of the main working population. Income from agriculture and allied sectors accounts for nearly 22.1 per cent of the total State Domestic Product. Out of the total geographical area of 55.673 sq. km., area of operational holding is about 9.79 lakh hectares owned by 9.14 lakh farmers. The marginal and small farmers possess 86.4 per cent of the total land holdings. The cultivated area in the state is only 10.4 percent. About 80 per cent of the area is rain fed and farmers depend on weather gods for rains. The food grain production in 2006-2007 has been 16 lakh metric tonnes.

Horticulture

Nature has endowed Himachal Pradesh with a wide range of agro-climatic conditions, which have helped the farmers to cultivate large varieties of fruits ranging from temperate to sub-tropical. The main fruits under cultivation are apple, pear, peach, plum, apricot nut and citrus fruits like mango, litchi, guava and strawberry. The total area under fruits, which was only 792 hectares in 1950, has increased to 2.23 lakh hectares now. Similarly, the fruit production has also increased from 1200 MT in 1950 to 6.95 lakh tonnes in 2007 seven lakh tonnes is the new target fixed for fruit production for year 2006-07. Horticulture generates gross domestic income of about Rs.2200 crore annually.

The Horticulture Technology Mission for the integrated development of horticulture is being implemented with a total outlay of Rs.80 crore during the tenth five-year plan period. This Mission is based on the end to end approach"taking into account the entire gamut of horticulture development with all backward and forward linkages in a holistic manner. Under this scheme, four centres of excellence are being created in different Agro-Climatic Zones with common facilities like water harvesting, vermicompost, greenhouses, organic farming and farm mechanisation.

Roads

Roads are the lifelines and major means of communication in the predominantly hill State of Himachal Pradesh. Out of its 55,673 sq. km area, 36,700 km is inhabited out which 16,807 inhabited villages are scattered over slopes of numerous hill ranges and valleys. Realising the importance of construction of roads for connecting production areas with market centres, Himachal Pradesh Government has decided to connect every panchayat with roads in the next two years. When the Pradesh came into existence in 1948 there were 288 km. of roads. This number had gone up to 30,264 km by 15 August 2007.

Hydro-power Generation

Himachal Pradesh has immense hydro-potential in its five river basins. Chenab, Rabi, Beas, Satluj and Yamuna which emanates from the western Himalayas pass through the State. The strategy of development in the power sector comprises expeditious actualisation of the Hydro Electric Potential and introduction of power sector reforms to bring efficiency in the sector and provide high quality power to the consumers at reasonable rates besides availability of abundant power to industrial and tourism sectors. The total identified potential in the State stands at 21000 M.W which is one fourth of Indias total hydro-power potential. Presently out of this 6,067 M.W has already been harnessed by various agencies. Projects aggregating to 7,602 M.W are under execution. It is on the cards that State will have about 11,000 M.W actualised potential by the end of 11th Plan.

There is no denying this fact in view of the way the Government has embarked upon an accelerated Power Development Programme. The State is speedily moving towards becoming a "Power State"of the Country. All the census villages in the State have been electrified and now left out hamlets are being covered.

Industrial Growth

Industrial development has been given big boost in the State. Pollution free environment, abundant availability of power and rapidly developing infrastructure, peaceful atmosphere, and responsive and transparent administration are some of the added attractions and advantages that the entrepreneurs get in Himachal Pradesh. 349 large and medium and about 33,284 small-scale industrial units with an investment of about Rs.4822.54 crore have been set up in the State generating employment for 2 lakh persons. The sector is contributing 17 per cent to the State Domestic Product and the annual turnover on this account is about Rs.6000 crore.

The State has formulated a new Industrial Policy and Incentive Rules- 2004, which provides attractive packages to the entrepreneurs for setting up Industrial Units in the State. 42 industrial areas and 15 Industrial Estates with all basic amenities have been developed in the State.

With a view to provide umbrella support to existing and new ventures, the State Government has set up a State Level Single Window Clearance and Monitoring Authority ( SLSWCMA) in Himachal Pradesh under the Chairmanship of Chief Minister to give permission to the entrepreneurs to set up industrial units in the State. This also solves all industry related and inter-departmental issues, monitors and reviews the progress of units already approved and proposed to be set up. This Authority is also focusing its attention on the development of quality infrastructure. Presently 7040 industrial units with an investment of about Rs.27,380.99 crore envisaging employment to about 3 lakh persons have been approved. A proposal is also underway for setting up Special Economic Zone in Kangra,Una and other districts with an estimated cost of Rs.7580 crore.

The Central Government has also given attractive package for setting up of Industrial Units. The State Government is also giving several attractive incentives including exemptions in excise duty.

Information Technology

The Government of Himachal Pradesh has developed an IT Vision-2010 in collaboration with NASSCOM to make Himachal Pradesh an IT destination. Under the IT policy, it has been decided to accord the status of industry to all IT projects including IT related services and educational institutions. As such, all the incentives available for industrial units are also being given to all IT units, and IT related services.

The use of IT in governance is aimed at having SMART (Simple, Moral, Accountable, Responsive and Transparent) government. The State Government official website at http://himachal.nic.in is a web portal providing citizen centric services to the citizens and it has got interfaces for getting inputs from the grassroots level. The first phase of the H.P. State wide Area Network (HIM SWAN) which has been completed has been connected to internet. In the PhaseI of HIMSWAN, H.P. Secretariat Local Area Network has been established with a provision to provide LAN connectivity to every third person. In the Phase-II of HIMSWAN all the districts headquarters will be connected with state headquarter. Software Technology Park and High Speed Data Connectivity Facility in Shimla has started its activities. All IT units in the State have been given Income Tax holiday up to year 2007. Information Technology Park is proposed to be set up in the State in Solan district.

Bio-Technology

Keeping in view the importance of bio-technology, special emphasis is being laid on exploiting the vast bio-technology potential available in the State. A separate Department of Bio-technology has been set up in the State. States own bio-technology policy has been formulated. All bio-technological units are entitled for incentives which have been allowed for industrial units. The State Government proposes to set up Bio-technology Park in Solan District.

Irrigation and Water Supply

Net sown area in the State was 5.83 lakh hectares till 2007.Villages have been provided with the facility of drinking water. Over 14,611 hand pumps have been installed in the State so far. For better reform in water supply and irrigation sector, the State Government has taken up a WASH project with the total cost of Rs.339 crore for irrigation as well as for drinking water supply schemes with Gesellschaft for Technische Zuoammeuorbeit (GTZ).

Forestry

The total geographical area of the state is 55,673 sq km. As per record, the total forest area is 37,033 sq. km. Out of this, 16,376 sq. km. area is not fit for tree growth comprising alpine pastures, area under permanent snow, etc. The cultivable recorded forest area is only 20,657 sq. km.

Efforts are being taken to bring maximum area under green cover by implementing States own projects, Government of Indias projects and also through external aided projects. The World Bank has also sanctioned a Rs.365 crore Integrated Watershed Development Project for the Mid Himalayas. 545 panchayats of 42 developmental blocks in 10 districts would be covered during the next six years. There are 2 National Parks and 32 wild life sanctuaries in the State. Total area under wild life sanctuaries is 5562 km area under National Parks is 1440 Km and total area of Protected Area Network is 7002 km.

Education

Himachal Pradesh has emerged as the third best State in terms of over-all development and performance. Himachal Pradesh has been adjudged number one State in Primary Education and teacher-student ratio. Himachal Pradesh has witnessed literacy revolution as we are second only to Kerala in literacy. The State has about 15,000 educational institutes, including three Universities, two Medical Colleges, one Engineering College in the Government Sector and a number of technical, professional and other educational institutions. The literacy percentage of the State according to 2001 Census is 77.13, which is much higher than the national average of 65.38. The State Governments emphasis now is to ensure qualitative improvement in the education besides need based expansion. Sarva Siksha Abhiyan an ambitious project worth Rs.532 crore is being evolved with the main objective of achieving universalisation of elementary education with the sole aim to spread the light of knowledge to every nook and corner of the State.

Tourism

Tourism Industry in Himachal Pradesh has been given very high priority and the Government has developed an appropriate infrastructure for its development which includes provision of public utility services, roads, communication network, airports, transport facilities, water supply and civic amenities, etc. The State Government is poised to transform the State into "A Destination for All Seasons and All Reasons".

Shimla

The State Tourism Development Corporation contributes 10 per cent to the State exchequer. The corporation contributes more than Rs.2.00 crore per annum by way of Sales tax, luxury tax and passenger tax. In the year-2007, tourist arrivals in the State were 8.3 million of which 2008 lakh were foreigners.

The State has a rich treasure of places of pilgrimage and of anthropological value. The State has also the pride of being the home to rishis like Vyas, Parashar,Vashist, Markandey and Lamas, etc. Hot water springs, historic forts, natural and man-made lakes, shepherds grazing their flock are sources of immense pleasure and joy to the tourist.

The State Government is aiming at promoting sustainable tourism, encouraging private sector to develop tourism related infrastructure in the State without disturbing the existing ecology and environment. The main thrust is on employment generation and promoting new concepts of tourism in the State. In order to increase the duration of the stay of the visitors/tourists, a special emphasis is being laid on the development of activities-based on tourism.

For the promotion and development of the State from the tourism point of view, the Government is focusing on the following areas:

• History related tourism
• Identification of new areas/tourist destinations and promotion of village tourism
• Improvement of infrastructure,
• Pilgrimage tourism
• Tribal tourism
• Ecotourism
• Health tourism
• Promotion of adventure tourism
• Wildlife tourism
• Cultural tourism.

For the year 2006-07, there is an allotment of Rs.6276.38 lakh for the development of tourism in the State. A sum of Rs.8 crore for the development of Kullu-Manali-Lahaul and Spiti and Leh Monastic circuit, Rs.21.00 crore for Kangra, Shimla and Sirmaur circuit, Rs.16.00 crore for Bilaspur-Mandi and Chamba circuit and Rs.30.00 lakh for construction of tourism information centre at Manali has been sanctioned by the Government of India. Rs.6757 crore central financial assistance has been received for 1545 projects in respect of festivals and other major events.

Source: India 2010

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Haryana General Knowledge

About Haryana, Haryana, Haryana Current Affairs, Haryana current GK, Haryana General Knowledge, Haryana Geography, Haryana GK, Haryana History, Haryana Tourist, State of India

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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