Showing posts with label State of India. Show all posts
Showing posts with label State of India. Show all posts

Sikkim General Knowledge

Sikkim

Particulars Description
Area 7,096 sq. km
Population 540,493
Capital Gangtok
Principal Languages Lepcha, Bhutia, Limbu and Nepali

History and Geography


Tashiding Monastery
The early history of Sikkim starts in the 13th century with the signing of a blood-brotherhood treaty between the Lepcha Chief Thekong Tek and Tibetan prince Khye-Bumsa at Kabi Lungtsok in North Sikkim. This follows the historical visit of three revered Lamas to Yuksam in 1641 in West Sikkim, where they consecrated Phuntsog Namgyal, a sixth generation descendent of Khye-Humsa as the first Chogyal of Sikkim, thus heralding the beginning of the Namgyal dynasty in Sikkim. With the march of history, events in Sikkim saw the state pass through the process of democratisation and became an integral part of the Indian Union in 1975. Guru Padmasambhava blessed Sikkim route to Tibet. Sikkim is a blessed land, where people from all communities live in harmony. Inspite of the fact that Sikkim comprises of different people and multi ethnic society, perhaps it is the most peaceful state of the Indian Union to promote communal harmony and human relations, a feat which is much expected in a plural society like India.
Sikkim is a small hilly state, bounded by vast stretches of Tibetan Plateaux in the North, the Chumbi Valley of Tibet and the Kingdom of Bhutan in the East, the Kingdom of Nepal in the West, and Darjeeling (West Bengal) in the South. The State has a total area of 7,096 sq km, and is stretched over 112 km from North to South, and 64 km from East to West. It lies in the North-Eastern Himalayas between 27 degree 00' 46" to 28 degree 07' 48" North Latitude, and 88 degree 00' 58" to 88 degree 55' 25" East Longitude.
The world's third highest mountain, Kanchenjunga, regarded as the guardian deity of Sikkim, dominates the tiny Himalayan State with its awe-inspiring beauty and majesty. Sikkim is one of the 18 bio diversity hotspots in the world. The Sikkim Himalayas show tremendous biological diversity. More than 5000 species of angiosperms are found in the State, which is nearly one third of the total species of angiosperm found in the country. There are 4,000 species of flowering plants, 300 species of ferns and allies, 450 to 500 species of orchids, 36 species of Rhododendrons, 40 species of oaks, 30 to 40 species of Primulas and bamboos, 144 species of mammals, 500 to 600 species of birds, over 400 species of butterflies and moths, and many species of reptiles in the State. Rare Blue Sheep, Tibetan Mastiff, Yaks and Red Pandas are found here.

Agriculture

The State's economy is basically agrarian. More than 64 per cent of the population depends on agriculture for their livelihood. Agricultural land in Sikkim is estimated to be around 1,09,000 hectares, i.e., 15.36 per cent of the total geographical area. Farmers commonly follow mixed farming. Maize, rice, wheat, potato, large cardamom, ginger and orange are the principal crops. Sikkim has the largest area and highest production of large brown cardamom in India. Ginger, potato, orange and off-season vegetables are other cash crops.

Industry

Though Sikkim has been declared an industrially backward state, the existence of craftsmanship based traditional Sikkimese cottage industries dates back to several centuries. Lepcha's skill in bamboo-craft, woodwork, spinning of yarn and carpet weaving in traditional textures, Bhutia's excellence in ancient Tibetan practice of carpet and rug weaving and Nepali's celebrated craftsmanship of their metalwork, silverware and woodwork are very exclusive.
Sikkim Jewels Limited is one of the sophisticated and precision oriented industries for the manufacture of jewel bearings for electric meters, water meters and other measuring instruments like watches and clocks. Ten ancillary units have been set up to manufacture watch jewels. The SIDICO provides long-term loans for cottage, tiny, small and medium scale industrial units, hotels, hospitals, nursing homes and taxis.

Irrigation and Power

Tenth Five Year Plan targets to irrigate 34,118 hectares of agricultural land. Total installed capacity of power in the State is 36 MW that is hydro based with transformation capacity of 123 MVA. Rangeet hydel project has installed capacity of 560 MW. The total power potential of the State is estimated at 8,000 MW. The Teesta Valley Project now under construction is a run of the river scheme located in the East District and the proposed installed capacity of this project is 510 MW.

Transport

Roads: Gangtok is connected by roads with Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Siliguri, and also with all the district headquarters within Sikkim. The total road length of the state is 2,383 km, including 41 km of National Highway.
Railways and Aviation: The closest railway stations are Siliguri (113) and New Jalpaiguri (125 km) connecting Kolkata, Delhi, Guwahati, Lucknow and other important cities. There is no airport in Sikkim, although there is a helicopter service between Gangtok and Bagdogra, heavily subsidised by the State Government. The State has also initiated construction of a number of helipads to connect the district and sub-divisional headquarters and important tourist places.

Information Technology

A new Information Technology Department has been created in the State, and has prepared extensive projects to give top priority to this department. The newly created department has already launched a number of Web sites on Sikkim, and is now aiming for e-governance through the use of information tools. The official Web site of Sikkim, hosted and maintained by the Department of Information Technology, Government of Sikkim, is www.sikkimgovt.org

Festivals

Sikkim's population comprises the three principal ethnic communities of the Bhutias, Lepchas and the Nepalese. Maghey Sankranti, Durga Puja, Laxmi Puja and Chaite Dassai/Ram Navami, Dassai, Tyohar, Sonam Losoong, Namsoog, Tendong Lho Rum Faat (Worship of Mt. Tendong), Lohsar (Tibetan New Year) are the major festivals. The other festivals include Sakewa (Rai), Sonam Lochar (Gurung), Barahimzong (Magor), etc.

Tourism


Gangtok, Sikkim
Sikkim is famous for its lush green vegetation, forest, scenic valleys and majestic mountains, and a range of rich and magnificent cultural heritage and peace loving people, which provide a safe haven for tourists. The State Government supports eco-friendly and pilgrim tourism and accordingly, has provided facilities to enable visitors to enjoy a first-hand experience of the rich heritage and lifestyle of Sikkim. Recognising the potential of adventure tourism, the State government is setting up a Himalayan Centre for Adventure Tourism at Chemchey Village in South Sikkim.
The premier monastery of Sikkim is Pemayantshe in Pelling. Apart from this, there is Tashiding Monastery in West Sikkim, which is considered the holiest of all the monasteries in Sikkim. The most ancient monastery of Sikkim is in Yuksom, called the Drubdi monastery. It was the personal hermitage of Lhatsun Chenpo (Patron Saint of Sikkim), and was possibly built in 1700 A.D. Some of the other monasteries are Phodong, Phensang, Rumtek, Ngadak, Tolung, Ahlay, Tsuklakhand, Ralong, Lachen, Enchey and others. Of the Hindu temples, the best known is the Thakurbari, in the heart of Gangtok. There is also a holy cave in South district, which has a Shiva Lingam that irradiates the cave where no other light finds its way. There are some important Gurdwaras and Mosques, chief among them being in Gangtok and Ravangla.

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Rajasthan General Knowledge

Rajasthan

Particulars Description
Area 3,42,239 sq. km
Population 5,64,73,122
Capital Jaipur
Principal Languages Hindi and Rajasthani

History and Geography

Rajasthan, the largest State in India area-wise prior to Independence was known as Rajputana. The Rajputs, a martial community ruled over this area for centuries.
The history of Rajasthan dates back to the pre-historic times. Around 3,000 and 1,000 BC, it had a culture akin to that of the Indus Valley civilisation. The Chauhans who dominated Rajput affairs from seventh century and by 12th century they had become an imperial power. After the Chauhans, the Guhilots of Mewar controlled the destiny of the warring tribes. Besides Mewar, the other historically prominent states were Marwar, Jaipur, Bundi, Kota, Bharatpur and Alwar. Other States were only offshoots of these. All these States accepted the British Treaty of Subordinate Alliance in 1818 protecting the interest of the princes. This naturally left the people discontented.
After the revolt of 1857, the people united themselves under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi to contribute to the freedom movement. With the introduction of provincial autonomy in 1935 in British India, an agitation for civil liberties and political rights became stronger in Rajasthan. The process of uniting scattered States commenced from 1948 to 1956 when the States Reorganisation Act was promulgated. First came Matsya Union (1948) consisting of a fraction of states, then, slowly and gradually other states merged with this Union. By 1949, Major States like Bikaner, Jaipur, Jodhpur and Jaisalmer joined this Union making it the United State of Greater Rajasthan. Ultimately in 1958, the present State of Rajasthan formally came into being, with Ajmer state, the Abu Road Taluka and Sunel Tappa joining it.
The entire western flank of the State borders with Pakistan, while Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh bound Rajasthan in north-east, south-east and Gujarat in south-west.

Agriculture

Total cultivable area in the State is 225 lakh hectares (2008-2009). The estimated foodgrain production is 161.80 lakh tonnes (2008-09). Principal crops cultivated in the State are rice, barley, jowar, millet, maize, gram, wheat, oilseeds, pulses, cotton and tobacco. Cultivation of vegetable and citrus fruits such as orange and malta has also picked up over last few years. Other crops are red chillies, mustard, cumin seeds, fenugreek (methi) and asafoetida (hing).

Industry and Minerals

Endowed with a rich culture, Rajasthan is also rich in minerals and is fast emerging on the industrial scenario of the country. Some of the important Central undertakings are Zinc Smelter Plant at Devari (Udaipur), Copper Plant at Khetri Nagar (Jhunjhunu) and Precision Instrument Factory at Kota. Small-scale industrial units numbering 13,16,267 with a capital investment of Rs.8,88,820.70 crore provides employment potential to about 13,16,267 persons in the States as on March 2009. Major industries are textiles and woollens, sugar, cement, glass, sodium plants, oxygen, vegetable dyes, pesticides, zinc, fertilizers, railway wagons, ball bearings, water and electricity metres, sulphuric acid, television sets, synthetic yarn and insulting bricks. Besides, precious and semi-precious stones, caustic soda, calcium carbide, nylon and tyers, etc. are other important industrial units.
Rajasthan has rich deposits of zinc concentrates, emerald, granite, gypsum, silver ore, asbestos, feldspar and mica. Promotional Industrial Park of the country has been established and made operational at Sitapura (Jaipur).

Irrigation and Power

By the end of March 2009 irrigation potential of 36.46 lakh hectares was created in the State through various major, medium and minor irrigation projects and additional irrigation potential of 58,067 hectares (excluding IGNP & CAD) had been created. The installed power capacity in the State has become 7019.59Mw upto December 2009 of which 4375.30 Mw is produced from State-owned projects, 766.00 Mw from collaboration projects and 1879.29 Mw from the allocation from Central power generating stations.

Transport

Roads: The total length of roads was 1,86,806 km as on March 2009.
Railways: Jodhpur, Jaipur, Bikaner, Kota, Sawai Madhopur and Bharatpur are main rail junctions of State.
Aviation: : Regular air services connect Jaipur, Jodhpur and Udaipur with Delhi and Mumbai.

Festivals

Rajasthan is a land of festivals and fairs, besides the national festivals of Holi, Deepawali, Vijayadashmi, Christmas, etc., birth anniversaries of gods and goddesses, saintly figures, folk heroes and heroines are celebrated. Important fairs are Teej, Gangaur (Jaipur), annual Urs of Ajmer Sharif and Galiakot, tribal Kumbh of Beneshwar (Dungarpur), Mahaveer fair at Shrimahavirji in Sawai Madhopur, Ramdeora (Jaisalmer), Janbheslwari fair(Mukam-Bikaner), Kartik Poornima and Cattle Fair (Pushkar-Ajmer) and Shyamji Fair(Sikar), etc.

Tourist Centres


Hawa Mahal, Jaipur

Deserts of Jaisalmer
Jaipur, Jodhpur,Udaipur, Bikaner, Mount Abu, Sariska Tiger Sanctuary in Alwar, Keoladeo National Park at Bharatpur, Ajmer, Jaisalmer, Pali and Chittorgarh are important places of tourist interest in the State.

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Punjab General Knowledge

Punjab

Particulars Description
Area 50,362 sq. km
Population 2,43,58,999
Capital Chandigarh
Principal Languages Punjabi

History and Geography

Ancient Punjab formed part of the vast Indo-Iranian region. In later years it saw the rise and fall of the Mauryas, Bactrians, Greeks, Sakas, Kushans and Guptas. Medieval Punjab saw supremacy of the Muslims. Ghaznavi was followed by the Ghoris, the slaves, the Khiljis, the Tughlaks, the Lodhis and the Mughals. Fifteenth and sixteenth centuries marked a period of watershed in the history of Punjab. Through teachings of Guru Nanak, Bhakti movement received a great impetus. Sikhism began as a socio-religious movement, which was more interested in fighting evils in religion and society. It was Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Guru, who transformed the Sikhs into the Khalsa. They rose to challenge tyranny and after centuries of servitude, established a humane Punjabi Raj based on secularism and patriotism. Maharaja Ranjit Singh, in the works of a Persian writer, changed Punjab from Madam Kada to Bagh-Bahist (from the abode of sorrow to the garden of paradise). But soon after his death the entire edifice collapsed due to internal intrigues and British machinations. After two abortive Anglo-Sikh wars, Punjab was finally annexed to the British Empire in 1849.
The fight against the British rule had begun long before Mahatma Gandhi's arrival on the scene. The revolt found expression through the movement of a revivalist or reformist character. First, it was the Namdhari sect, which believed in self-discipline and self-rule. Later, it was Lala Lajpat Rai who played a leading role in the Freedom Movement. Punjab was in the vanguard of India's freedom struggle on all fronts in India and abroad. Punjab's hardships did not end with Independence. It had to face the misery of Partition with large-scale bloodshed and migration. Besides their rehabilitation, there was the task of reorganization of the State.
Eight princely states of East Punjab were grouped together to form a single State called PEPSU (Patiala and the East Punjab States Union) with Patiala as its capital. PEPSU state was merged with Punjab in 1956. Later in 1966, Haryana was carved out of Punjab and during the same year the erstwhile capital of Punjab was shifted from Shimla to Chandigarh.
Situated in the north-western corner of the country, Punjab is bound on the west by Pakistan, on the north by Jammu and Kashmir, on the north-east by Himachal Pradesh and on the south by Haryana and Rajasthan. There are 13 Members of Parliament from Punjab and 117 Members of Legislature are elected to form the State Government.

Agriculture

The State has 84% of its total geographical area (50.33 lakh hectares) under cultivation. The cropping intensity is around 189% with over 97% of the cultivable area being under assured irrigation. The State produces 20% of the country's wheat, 11% rice, 13% cotton and contributes significantly to the Central Pool with about 50% wheat and 40% rice. The paddy and wheat productivity in the State is 4022 kg/ha and 4450 kg/ha against the national average of 2173 kg/ha and 2868 kg/ha respectively. Fertilizer consumption at 225 kg/ha is almost two times higher than the national average of 113 kg/ha. The State's farm economy is highly mechanized owing 18% of the country's tractors. During 2008-09 the production of Paddy was 167 lakh mt against which 132.18 lakh mt was procured and production of wheat was 157 lakh mt against which a record 109.84 lakh mt was procured.

Industry

There are 1.54 lakh small-scale and 375 large and medium units in the state of Punjab as on 31/3/2009. These units produce bicycle parts, sewing machines, hand tools, machine tools, auto parts, electric good items, sports goods, surgical instruments, leather goods, hosiery, knitwear, nuts and bolts, textile goods, textile, sugar, vegetable oil, etc., giving employment to about 11.69 lakh persons. S.A.S Nagar, (Mohali) in the vicinity of Chandigarh has emerged as an attractive destination for IT and IT enabled industries. Under the Industrial Infrastructure Upgradation Scheme (IIUS), Government of India has approved Machine Tools Cluster at Batala. Government of India is yet to approve the proposals for setting up of Hand Tool Cluster at Jalandhar and Common Facility Centre for Knitwear and Apparel Exporters Organization, at Ludhiana. State Government proposes to set up three more clusters namely steel Rolling Mills Cluster, Mandi Gobindgarh, Information Technology Park and Development of Spinning Industry, for these project reports are being prepared. Besides, above mentioned clusters, 22 clusters of Micro, Small & Medium industries have been identified for development in the state and have been sent to Micro Small& Medium Enterprises, Government of India, New Delhi. Out of these, 13 proposals have been approved by Government of India for conducting Diagnostic Study Report.
Development of Industry has been adversely affected in the State as a result of withdrawal of Freight Equalization on coal and Iron & Steel by Government of India. This has been further compounded with grant of tax exemption to the neighbouring States of Himachal Pradesh & Jammu & Kashmir. As a result a large number of Industrial Units from Punjab have expanded their capacities by making investments in the State of Himachal Pradesh & Jammu & Kashmir.

Irrigation

The total Geographical area of the State is 50.36 lakh hectares, out of which about 41.74 lakh hectares area is under cultivation. After partition of the country in 1947, Indus water treaty of 1960 between India and Pakistan restricted India's right to usage to only three eastern rivers Satluj, Beas and Ravi. The State has three dams namely Bhakra Dam with storage capacity of 5.60 MAF constructed on River Satluj, Pong Dam with storage capacity 1.90 MAF constructed on River Ravi. At present the area under irrigation is 40.77 lakh hectares, which is 97.68% of the area under cultivation. The canal surface water distribution System consists of 14500 km of Canals/ Distributaries covering six major systems in the state namely: Sirhind Canal system, Bhakra Main Line, Bist Doab Canal, Upper Bari Doab Canal, Sirhind feeder and Eastern canal. 27% area is irrigated by canal surface water and 73% area by 12.82 lakh tubewells. The total length of watercourses is 1,20,000 km in the State, out of which 41,294 km watercourses has been lined so far. The canal water and electricity is being provided free of cost to the farmers in the State.
Project for remodeling of UBDC System to utilise additional water available on completion of Ranjit Sagar Dam has been completed under AIBP at a cost of Rs.177.80 crore and benefited the 118 thousand hectares area of Amritsar and Gurdaspur district. The problem of adequate water discharge in Kasur Branch Lower and Sabraon Branch Canal System has been removed by undertaking the remodeling of their parent channel i.e., Kasur Branch Upper, thereby restoring adequate canal water supplies to the vast agricultural area of UBDC System.
It is proposed to convert Banur Canal System from non-perennial to perennial under the Project costing Rs.58.15 crore. A consolidated Project costing Rs.299.22 crore for increasing capacity of various channels of BML Canal System, Sirhind Feeder System, Bist Doab Canal System and Eastern Canal System has been proposed for funding by NABARD under which an additional irrigation potential of 33,000 hectares will be created.
The backward Kandi Area in Punjab has been developed by constructing 12 Low Dams with estimate cost of Rs.420.00 crore which will further provide irrigation facilities to 12000 hectares. Similarly with the completion of Kandi canal from Talwara to Balachaur an additional area of 29640 hectares will be brought under irrigation. Besides, 1800 deep tubewells are being energized in the Kandi area for irrigation purposes.
84800 hectare area is affected by water logging out of total area of 263929 Ha of three districts Ferozepur, Mukatsar and Faridkot. The impact of high water table in the southern part of state has been reduced with the construction of new drains and the maintenance of existing 8000 km of drains. Besides 1800 km of flood protection embankments and about 3800 river training works have also been completed. Installation of shallow tubewell along Sirhind Feeder in the most critical area also helped arresting the seepage from the canal. In order to arrest the menace of water logging in Ferozepur, Faridkot and Mukatsar districts by relining of Rajasthan Canal and Sirhind Feeder with an approximate cost of Rs.1440 crore under AIBP. The central Punjab faces water depletion in 112 blocks (70%) out of 141 blocks declared dark in thee central Punjab.

Power

The present generation capacity of Punjab is 6841 MW, whereas peak unrestricted demand is about 9000 MW. There is a shortfall of 30% of peak demand. The construction of Bhakra Nangal Complex including Bhakra Dam, Bhakra Main line, Nangal Hydel Channel, Ganguwal and Kotla Power House, Harike Barrage, Sirhind Feeder, remodelling of Madhopur Headwork into barrage, etc., and Beas Dam at Pong have been some of the major Irrigation and Hydroelectric Projects which have played a significant role in enhancing the irrigation and power potential of the State. Madhopur Beas Link was constructed to transfer surplus water of Ravi to Beas. A similar Beas-Satluj Link Project envisages the utilisation of the Beas water for the production of electricity at slapper and then transferring this water to Gobind Sagar lake. The Mukerian and Anandpur Sahib Hydroelectric projects are two important irrigation and power projects.
All the four units of Ranjit Sagar Dam (4 x 150 MW) have been commissioned successfully. Annual generation from this project shall be 2,100 MUs' out of which 4.6 per cent of energy generated shall be supplied to Himachal Pradesh and 20 per cent energy generated shall be supplied to J&K at genuine cost. By the completion of this dam, water of all three rivers allocated to Punjab under Indus Water Treaty will be harnessed. About Rs.500 crore per annum has started accruing. Moreover this project is likely to cover its own cost by the next four or five years. Four new thermal Power Plant are being setup in the State namely Talwandi Sabho (1980 MW) in Bathinda district, Rajpura (1320 MW) in Patiala district, Gidderbaha (2640 MW) in Mukatsar district and Goindwal Sahib (540 MW) in Tarn Taran district.

Peda

Punjab Energy Development Agency (PEDA) has installed about 200, 2HP Solar Photovoltaic Water Pump Sets for irrigation purposes in the state. 16 Mini Hydel (15.85 MW) and 28 Micro Hydel (35 MW) Projects have been commissioned on BOO basis. PEDA has also commissioned Rs.4.5 crore, 200 kwp Solar Photovoltaic Grid Interactive Power Plant at village Khatkar, Kalan, Distt. Shahid Bhagat Singh Nagar 218.65 MW Biomass/Baggasse based cogeneration power projects have been commissioned in the State.
Punjab Energy Development Agency being the State designated agency for implementation of Energy Conservation Act 2001 in the state of Punjab, has initiated activities such as publicity and awareness of Energy Conservation/energy efficiency through print/electronic media, energy audit of building and industries, demo projects of energy efficiency in Municipal street lighting and water pumping, mandatory measure announcements, promotion of CFL/energy efficient lighting in domestic sector.

Transport

Roads: Public Works Department (Building and Roads) has been responsible for roads, bridges and buildings. The total road network length is 63833 kms., consisting of 1739 kms National Highways. 1462 kms State Highways, 5968 kms Major and other District Roads, 45000 kms Rural Link Roads, 8130 kms Urban Roads, 1534 kms Project Roads. Out of total 3400.02 kms rural roads, new construction of 815.16 kms and upgradation of 2584.86 kms under PMGSY has been completed.
Aviation: : There are three Civil Aviation Clubs at Ludhiana, Patiala and Amritsar. There is a domestic Airport at Chandigarh an International Airport at Rajasansi (Amritsar and two Aerodromes at Patiala and Ludhiana (Sahnewal). Two Aviation Clubs are coming up at Faridkot and Talwandi Sabo.

Fairs and Festivals

Besides festivals of Dussehra, Diwali, Holi, other important festivals/fairs/melas are Maghi Mela at Mukatsar, Rural Sports at Kila Raipur, Basant at Patiala, Holla Mohalla at Anandpur Sahib, Baisakhi at Talwandi Saboo, Urs at Rauza Sharif at Sirhind, Chappar Mela at Chappar, Skeikh Farid Agam Purb at Faridkot, Ram Tirath at Village Ram Tirath, Shaheedi Jor Mela at Sirhind, Harballah Sangeet Sammelan Baba Sodal at Jalandhar. In addition to above Fairs and Festivals three heritage festivals at Amritsar, Patiala, Kapurthala are also celebrated every year and are very popular among the tourists.

Tourism


Bhangra - Folk Dance, Punjab

Golden Temple, Amritsar
The State has a large number of places of tourist interest some of which include Golden Temple, Durgiana Mandir, Jallianwala Bagh and the Wagah Border in Amritsar, Takht Sri Kesgarh Sahib and Khalsa Heritage Complex at Anandpur Sahib, Bhakra Dam, Qila Androon, Moti Bagh Palace and Chattbir Zoo at Patiala, Wetland at Harike Pattan, Sanghol (district Fatehgarh Sahib) and Rupnagar archeological Musem at Rupnagar, Shaheed Bhagat Singh Memorial at Village Khatkar Kalan, SBS Nagar for archeological importance, Mughal Complex at Aam Khas Bagh, Rauza Sharif of Sheikh Ahmed at Graves of Afghan Rulers at Sirhind and Sodal Temple at Jalandhar, commemorative of Maharishi Balmiki Heritage.
To meet the requirement of trained manpower in tourism Industry and enhancement of employment generation the State Government has introduced the Hospitality courses in Schools, Colleges. LT.Is and Polytechnics.
In Rural areas, the scheme of Farm Tourism has been launched to provide better opportunities of employment with the assistance of District Administration. Until now 23 farm houses have been registered under Diamond/Gold/Silver category. Besides this, to explore the resources of the State, the project of Heritage Village is being set up at Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar with an estimated cost of Rs.22.00 crore. Quila Gobind Garh Fort, Amritsar which has been handed over to the State Government by the Army, is being renovated and conserved to be opened for general public. The Department of Tourism, Punjab has got prepared Tourism Master Plan from the UNWTO.

Pensions

Punjab Government is paying monthly pension of Rs.250/- to 12.30 lakh old persons (60 and above for women and 65 and above for men), 84,568 destitute children, 1,10,967 disabled persons and 2.14 lakh widows Rs.468.00 crore has been allocated for 2009-10 for payment of pensions to these 16.40 lakh persons.
Under "Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension" scheme, Rs.200 p.m. over and above the pension paid by the State Government is given to disabled, issueless persons, widows and destitute old persons of 65 years and above belonging to below poverty line families. 100% ACA is provided for this purpose by GOI under National Social Assistance Programme. 1,59,292 beneficiaries are covered in Punjab under this scheme.

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Orissa General Knowledge

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Orissa

Particulars Description
Area 1,55,707 sq. km
Population 36,804,660
Capital Bhubaneshwar
Principal Languages Oriya

Orissa: At a Glance

The name Orissa is derived from Sanskrit word "Odra Vishaya" or "Odra Desa". The ancient province of "Odra desa" or "Or-desa" was limited to the valley of the Mahanadi and to the lower course of the Subarnarekha River. It comprised the whole of the present districts of Cuttack and Sambalpur and a portion of Midnapore. It was bounded on the West by Gondwana, on the North by the wild hill states of Jashpur and Singhbhum, on the East by the sea and on the South by Ganjam.
The Orissa state, which was once a land of Kings and Kingdoms, now boasts of being rich source of natural resources. Its people, temple architecture, classical dance, religions, fairs and festivals, unique handlooms and handicrafts, green woodlands, rock caves, charming blue hills have always attracted historians, tourists and travellers from all over the world. Its rich history, revolutionary freedom movement, fascinatingly sculptured temples and monuments, tribal life characterized by dance, music, rituals, hunting, gaiety and wild ways have become important topics of research for great historians and scholars.
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Nagaland General Knowledge


Nagaland

Particulars Description
Area 16,579 sq. km
Population 1,988,636
Capital Kohima
Principal Languages Angami, Ao, Chang, Konyak, Lotha, Sangtam, Sema and Chakhesang

History and Geography

Nagaland, the 16th state of the Indian Union, was established on 1 December 1963. It is bounded by Myanmar on the East, Arunachal Pradesh on the North, Assam on the West, and Manipur on the South. It lies between the parallels of 98 degree and 96 degree East longitude, and 26.6 degree and 27.4 degree latitude North of the Equator.
The state of Nagaland has an area of 16.579 sq km with a population of 19,88,636 as per the 2001 census. The state is mostly mountainous except those areas bordering Assam valley. Mount Saramati is the highest peak in Nagaland with a height of 3,840 metres, and its range forms a natural barrier between Nagaland and Myanmar.
The Naga people belong to the Indo-Mongoloid group of people living in the contiguous areas of the North Eastern hills of India and the upper portion of Western Myanmar. The major-recognised tribes of Nagaland are Angami, Ao, Chakhesang, Chang, Khiamniungan, Kuki, Konyak, Lotha, Phom, Pochury, Rengma, Sangtam, Sumi, Yimchungru and Zeliang. The Naga languages differ from tribe to tribe, and sometimes even from one village to another. They are, however, under the Tibeto-Burma family.
In the 12th and 13th Centuries, gradual contacts with the Ahoms of present day Assam was established, but this did not have any significant impact on the traditional Naga way of life. However, in the 19th Century, the British appeared on the scene and ultimately the area was brought under British administration. After independence, this territory was made a centrally administered area in 1957 administered by the Governor of Assam. It was known as the Naga Hills Tuensang Area. This failed to quell popular aspirations and unrest began. Hence, in 1961, this was renamed as Nagaland and given the status of State of the Indian Union, which was formally inaugurated on 1 December 1963.

Agriculture

Nagaland is basically a land of agriculture. About 70 per cent of the population depends on agriculture. The contribution of agricultural sector in the state is very significant. Rice is the staple food. It occupies about 70 per cent of the total area under cultivation and constitutes about 75 per cent of the total food production in the state.
The major land use pattern is slash and burn cultivation locally known as Jhum. Area under jhum cultivation is about 1,01,400 hectare and under terraced cultivation. The total food production during the year was 3,86,300 MT.
Out of the total land area of 16,57,587 hectares, forest area occupy approximately 8,35,436. There are wild life sanctuaries and national park, namely, Intanki and Puliebadze in Kohima District, Fakim in Tuensang and Rangapahar in Dimapur.

Power

According to the 1981 census, Nagaland achieved cent per cent electrification in the rural areas. Nagaland has so far achieved 100 per cent village electrification reaching even the remotest village of the state.

Irrigation

There is no major or medium irrigation project so far constructed in the State. The irrigation works are mostly meant to divert small hill streamlets to irrigate valleys used for rice cultivation. The total area under irrigation covers 93,231.43 hectares.

Transport

Roads: The total length of roads in Nagaland is 9,860 km, which includes national highways, state highways, district and village roads. More than 900 villages in the State are linked by roads.
Railways & Aviation: Dimapur is the only place in the State from where air and train services are available. There is a tri-weekly Indian Airlines service connecting Dimapur with Kolkata.

Festivals

Music and dances are an intrinsic part of Naga life. Folk songs and ballads eulogising bravery, beauty, love, generosity, etc., are transmitted from generation to generation. Likewise, dancing is an integral part of every festive occasion. Feasting, singing, dancing and merrymaking invariably accompany festivals. Some of the important festivals are Sekrenyi, Moatsu, Tokhu Emong and Tuluni.

Industries

The process of industrialisation in the state is in its infancy, but the need to have more industries has been well recognised. Nagaland Mechanised Bricks Co. Ltd., in Dimapur with one lakh capacity of bricks per day has been commissioned. Handloom and handicrafts are important cottage capacity industries, which are mainly being managed by cooperative societies. The Nagaland Handloom and Handicrafts Development Cooperation Ltd., in Dimapur is the state owned Corporation, which is responsible for promotion and marketing of handloom and handicraft products in the state.
The Nagaland Industrial Development Corporation is the premier promotional organisation in providing guidance and capital assistance to entrepreneurs. The 50 TPD Mini Cement Plant at Wazeho in Phek district has commenced production. The fruits and vegetables processing and cold storage plant at Dimapur has an installed capacity of processing 5 MT of fruits and vegetables per day and 300 MT cold storage facility.

Tourism


Naga People
With the opening of the state to the international tourist by relaxation of Restricted Area Permit (RAP), a good number of foreign tourists, as well as domestic tourists visit Nagaland every year.
The HORNBILL festival conceived by the Tourism Department and held in the first week of December, is an annual event where all tribes of Nagaland come together to celebrate, exhibit and sell their traditional wares, foodstuffs and crafts. Three traditional festivals, namely, Sekrenyi at Touphema in Kohima district (February 26-27), Monyu at Pongo in Longleng Sub-division (April 1-3) and Moatsu at Chuchuyimlang in Mokokchung district (May 1-3) have been identified as festival destinations.
There are wild life sanctuaries and national parks, namely, Intanki and Puliebadze in Kohima District, Fakim in Tuensang and Rangapahar in Dimapur.
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Mizoram General Knowledge

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Mizoram

Particulars Description
Area 21,081 sq. km
Population 8,91,058
Capital Aizawl
Principal Languages Mizo and English

History and Geography

Mizoram is a mountainous region which became the 23rd state of the Indian Union in February 1987. It was one of the districts of Assam till 1972 when it became a Union Territory. After being annexed by the British in 1891, for the first few years, Lushai Hills in the north remained under Assam while the southern half remained under Bengal. Both these parts were amalgamated in 1898 into one district called Lushai Hills District under the Chief Commissioner of Assam. With the implementation of the North-Eastern Reorganisation Act in 1972, Mizoram became a Union Territory and as a sequel to the signing of the historic memorandum of settlement between the Government of India and the Mizo National Front in 1986, it was granted statehood on 20 February 1987. Sandwiched between Myanmar in the east and the south and Bangladesh in the west, Mizoram occupies an area of great strategic importance in the north-eastern corner of India. Mizoram has great natural beauty and an endless variety of landscape. It is rich in fauna and flora.
The origin of the word 'Mizo' is not known. The Mizos came under the influence of the British Missionaries in the 19th Century. Now most of the Mizos are Christians. Mizo language has no script of its own. The missionaries introduced the Roman script for the Mizo language and formal education. Literacy in the state has grown rapidly, and Mizoram literacy at 88.8 per cent today, is the second highest in the country. The State government is striving hard to attain the top position in the near future.
About 80 per cent of the people of Mizoram are engaged in agricultural pursuits. The main pattern of agriculture followed is Jhum or Shifting cultivation. Of the total 21 lakh ha. of land estimated, 6.30 lakh hectares of land is available for cultivation of horticulture crops. The existing area under different horticulture crops account for about 4127.6 hectares, which is only 6.55 per cent of the estimated potential area. This indicates the vast scope for horticulture crops to flourish in Mizoram. The main horticulture crops are Mandarin Orange, Banana, Passion Fruit, Grapes, Hatkora, Pineapple, Papaya, etc., and flowers like Anthurium, Bird of Paradise, Orchid, Chrysanthemum, Rose and other subsidiary seasonal flowers. Spices like Ginger, Turmeric, Black Pepper and Bird's eye Chillies are also grown. People have also started extensive cultivation of oil palm, medicinal and aromatic plants.

Irrigation

The ultimate surface irrigation potential is estimated at 70,000 hectares of which 45,000 hectares is under flow and 25,000 hectares by construction and 70 pucca minor irrigation projects and six lift irrigation projects for raising double and triple crops in a year are nearing completion.

Industry

The entire Mizoram is a Notified Backward Area and was categorised under 'No Industry District' in mid seventies. With the announcement of State Industrial Policy 1989, few modern small-scale industries have come up during the past decade. To further accelerate growth of industries, a New Industrial Policy of Mizoram was announced in the year 2000. The Policy identified thrust areas like Electronics and Information Technology, Bamboo and Timber based products, Food and Fruit Processing, Textiles, Handloom and Handicrafts, etc.
In order to attract investment from outside the State, the Policy permits joint venture for all large, medium and small scale industries with local partners. Infrastructural development like Industrial Growth Centre (IGC) at Luangmual, Aizawl, Export Promotion Industrial Park (EPIP) at Lengte, Integrated Infrastructural Development Centre (IIDC) at Pukpui, Lunglei and Food Park at Chhingchhip are nearing completion, apart from upgradation of the existing industrial estates.
Scientific cultivation of tea has also been taken up. Establishment of Apparel Training and Design Centre, Gems cutting and polishing are in the pipeline to encourage setting up of Export Oriented Units (EOUs). Of the cottage industries, Handloom and Handicrafts are given high priority and the two sectors are flourishing to meet consumers demand in the State and in the neighbouring states of Meghalaya, Nagaland, etc. to meet consumers demand in the state and in the neighbouring states of Meghalaya, Nagaland, etc.
With the opening up of border trade with Myanmar and Bangladesh, and the 'Look East Policy' of the Government of India coupled by peaceful condition of the State, Mizoram will no more be a remote corner State of the country, and as a result of which industrialisation will substantially gain momentum in the near future.

Agriculture

About 80 per cent of the people of Mizoram are engaged in agricultural pursuits. The main pattern of agriculture followed is Jhum or Shifting cultivation. Of the total 21 lakh ha. of land estimated, 6.30 lakh hectares of land is available for cultivation of horticulture crops. The existing area under different horticulture crops account for about 4127.6 hectares, which is only 6.55 per cent of the estimated potential area. This indicates the vast scope for horticulture crops to flourish in Mizoram. The main horticulture crops are fruit crops viz. Mandarin Orange, Banana, Passion Fruit, Grapes, Hatkora, Pineapple, Papaya, etc., and flowers like Anthurium, Bird of Paradise, Orchid, Chrysanthemum, Rose and other subsidiary seasonal flowers. Spices like Ginger, Turmeric, Black Pepper and Bird's eye Chillies are also grown. People have also started extensive cultivation of oil, palm, medicinal and aromatic plants.

Power

Construction of Tuirial HEP (60 MW) is in progress. Survey and investigation works of Kolodyne HEP (500 MW) has been completed by CWC. This project provides inland water transport facilities for the region besides generating 500 MW of power and the Government of Mizoram has given paramount importance to it. 3 MW capacity Tuipanglui and Kau-Tlabung SHPs were commissioned recently thus enhancing the state's hydro generation by 15 MW capacity. Works on Maicham-II (3MW), Serlui 'B' (12MW) and Lamsial (0.5 MW) SHPs are in progress and expected to be commissioned during 2007.
A Total of 695 villages have been electrified and 709 km of 132 kv line completed.

Transport

Total road length in the State is 5,982.25 km (BRO & State PWD). Rail link in the state has been established at Bairabi. Aizawl is connected by air. In order to have a better connectivity, the Government has undertaken the Mizoram State Roads Projects with a total cost of Rs.350 crore under funds provided by the World Bank. Connectivity under PMGSY covering a total length of 2,421 km connecting 384 villages of Mizoram is making steady progress.

Festivals

Mizos are basically agriculture oriented. All their activities centre around jhum cultivation and their festivals are linked with such agricultural operations. Kut is the Mizo term for festival. Among the various cultural festivals, only three viz. Chapchar Kut, Mim Kut & Thalfavang Kut are observed today.

Tourist Centres


Cloudy day taken on 2004
Aizawl, located at nearly 4,000 ft. above sea level, is a religious and cultural centre of Mizoram. Champhai is a beautiful resort on the Myanmar border. Tam Dil, a natural lake with virgin forests, is 80 km from Aizawl and 10 km from Tourist Resort of Saitual. Vantawng Falls, 5 km from the town of Thenzawl, is the highest and most beautiful waterfall in Mizoram. The department of Tourism has opened Tourist Lodges in all the bigger towns all over the State, and Highway Restaurants and Travellers' Inns in other townships. There is also a Recreational Centre at Beraw Tlang, Aizawl and Alpine Picnic Hu
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Meghalaya General Knowledge

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Meghalaya

Particulars Description
Area 22,429 sq. km
Population 2,318,822
Capital Shillong
Principal Languages Khasi, Garo and English

History and Geography


Cheerapunji
Meghalaya was created as an autonomous state within the state of Assam on 2 April, 1970. The full-fledged State of Meghalaya came into existence on 21 January, 1972. It is bound on the north and east by Assam, and on the south and west by Bangladesh. Meghalaya, literally meaning the abode of clouds, is essentially a hilly state. It is predominantly inhabited by the Khasis, the Jaintias, and the Garo tribal communities. The Khasi Hills and Jaintia Hills, which form the central and eastern part of Meghalaya, is an imposing plateau with rolling grasslands, hills and river valleys. The southern face of the plateau is marked by deep gorges and abrupt slopes, at the foot of which, a narrow strip of plain land runs along the international border with Bangladesh.

Agriculture and Irrigation

Meghalaya is basically an agrarian state, in which about 80 per cent of the population depend primarily on agriculture for their livelihood. The State has a vast potential for developing horticulture due to agro-climatic variations, which offer much scope for cultivation of temperate, sub-tropical and tropical fruits and vegetables.
Besides the major food crop of rice and maize, Meghalaya is renowned for its oranges (Khasi Mandarian), pineapple, banana, jackfruits, temperate fruits like plum, pears and peaches, etc. Cash crops, popularly and traditionally cultivated include potato, turmeric, ginger, black pepper, arecanut, betelvine, tapioca, short staple cotton, jute and roselle, mustard and rapeseed. Special emphasis is presently laid on the non-traditional crops, like oilseeds (groundnut, soyabean and sunflower), cashewnut, tea and coffee mushroom, medicinal plants, orchids and commercial flowers.

Industries

The Meghalaya Industrial Development Corporation Limited, as the Industrial and Financial Institution of the State, has been rendering financial assistance to the local entrepreneurs. District Industries Centres have been working in the field for the promotion and development of small-scale, village, tiny and cottage industries. A number of industrial projects have been set up for the manufacture of iron and steel materials, cement and other industrial products.

Festivals


Wanggala Festival, Meghalaya
A five-day long religious festival of the Khasis, Ka Pamblang Nongkrem, popularly known as Nongkrem dance is held annually at village Smit, 11 km from Shillong Shad Suk Mynsiem another important festival of the Khasis, is held at Shillong, during the second week of April. Behdeinkhlam, the most important and colourful festival of the Jaintias is celebrated annually at Jowai in Jaintia Hills in July. Wangala festival is observed for a week to honour Saljong (Sun God) of the Garos during October-November.

Transport

Roads: Six national highways pass through Meghalaya. The State has 7,977.98 km of both surfaced and unsurfaced roads.
Aviation: The only airport in the State at Umroi, is 35 km from Shillong.

Tourist Centres

Meghalaya is dotted with a number of lovely tourist spots, where nature unveils herself in all her glory. Shillong, the capital city, has a number of beautiful spots. They are Ward's Lake, Lady Hydari Park, Bishop Beadon Falls, Elephant Falls, Umiam Lake, Mini Zoo and Shillong Peak overlooking the city and the Shillong Golf Course, which is one of the best in the country.

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