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CGL · CHSL · MTS · GD · CPO · Steno

SSC Static GK — Learn, Hide, Recall

Interactive Lucent-style workbook for CGL, CHSL, MTS, GD, CPO & Steno. Static facts only.

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Chapter 0 · How to use

How to use this workbook

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Hindi names sit in parentheses where you write them in papers: Fundamental Rights (मौलिक अधिकार), Preamble (प्रस्तावना), Ganga (गंगा), Maurya (मौर्य). Current affairs are out of scope. Verify numbers against official sources before the exam.

Pillar 1 · इतिहास

History (इतिहास)

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Indus (सिन्धु घाटी) Vedic Maurya (मौर्य) Gupta (गुप्त) Sultanate Mughal (मुगल) 1857 Freedom struggle

Facts first. Match site → river, ruler → building/book, year → Act/session. High-repeat cells carry PYQ / Must memorise pills.

Ancient India — Indus sites

Site	River	Present region	SSC hook
Harappa	Ravi	Punjab (Pakistan)	First excavated (1921, Daya Ram Sahni). Granary. PYQ frequent
Mohenjo-daro	Indus	Sindh (Pakistan)	Great Bath, Dancing Girl (bronze), Priest-King. Marshall / Banerji.
Lothal	Bhogava (Sabarmati system)	Gujarat	Dockyard. Rice husk. Bead factory. PYQ frequent Must memorise
Dholavira	Seasonal streams (Rann)	Kutch, Gujarat	City in three parts; water harvesting; large stone inscription.
Kalibangan	Ghaggar	Rajasthan	Ploughed field; fire altars; wooden drainage.
Banawali	Ghaggar / Saraswati belt	Haryana	Barley; oval settlement; good terracotta.
Rakhigarhi	Ghaggar–Hakra belt	Haryana	Largest Harappan site in India (often asked).
Chanhudaro	Indus	Sindh	Bead-making; no citadel (often asked).
Surkotada	—	Gujarat	Horse remains (debated).
Alamgirpur	Hindon (Yamuna system)	Uttar Pradesh	Easternmost Harappan site.

Lothal = dockyard is the single most repeated Indus MCQ. Kalibangan = ploughed field. Chanhudaro = no citadel. Do not write ‘Harappa on Indus’ — it is on the Ravi.

Early Vedic vs Later Vedic

Point	Early / Rigvedic	Later Vedic
Time (traditional)	c. 1500–1000 BCE	c. 1000–600 BCE
Region	Sapta Sindhu (NW)	Ganga–Yamuna doab
Economy	Pastoral; cattle = wealth (gavishti)	Agriculture; iron (krishna ayas)
Polity	Jana / tribal rajan; sabha & samiti real	Janapada; king stronger; sabha/samiti weaken
Society	Varna fluid	Varna rigid; gotra; later-vedic rituals
Gods	Indra, Agni, Varuna, Soma	Prajapati, Vishnu, Rudra rise
Texts	Rigveda	Sama, Yajur, Atharva; Brahmanas; Upanishads

Mahajanapadas & Magadha

16 Mahajanapadas (Anguttara Nikaya / Bhagavati Sutra) Magadha rise: iron, Ganga trade, elephants Bimbisara → Ajatashatru → Udayin (Pataliputra) Haryanka → Shishunaga → Nanda → Maurya

Capital pairs: Magadha — Rajagriha then Pataliputra; Kosala — Shravasti; Vatsa — Kaushambi; Avanti — Ujjain; Vajji — Vaishali (gana-sangha).

Maurya (मौर्य)

Ruler	SSC facts
Chandragupta Maurya	Founder (with Chanakya/Kautilya). Defeated Seleucus Nicator. Megasthenes’ Indica. Jain tradition: went south with Bhadrabahu (Shravanabelagola).
Bindusara	Amitraghata. Greek Deimachus at court. Held the empire; Greek sources call him Amitrochates.
Ashoka	Kalinga war 261 BCE. Dhamma; edicts in Brahmi, Kharosthi, Greek, Aramaic. Sarnath Lion Capital = national emblem. 3rd Buddhist council: Pataliputra, Moggaliputta Tissa. PYQ frequent Must memorise

Arthashastra — Kautilya Sarnath lion — 4 lions, abacus animals Major rock edicts 14 Kalinga → dhamma-vijaya

Gupta (गुप्त) — golden age

Item	Fact
Chandragupta I	Started Gupta era (often 319–20 CE); Lichchhavi alliance.
Samudragupta	Prayag/Allahabad pillar prashasti by Harisena. ‘Napoleon of India’ (V.A. Smith). Veena-player coins.
Chandragupta II Vikramaditya	Fa-Hien (Faxian) visited. Ujjain. Nine gems (Navaratna) tradition — Kalidasa.
Kalidasa	Abhijnanasakuntalam, Meghaduta, Raghuvamsha.
Aryabhata	Aryabhatiya — rotation of earth, π, zero/place-value work.
Science / art	Nalanda rise; Ajanta murals (many Gupta/Vakataka); metallurgy (Mehrauli iron pillar — often linked to Chandragupta II).

Buddhism — 4 councils & symbols

Council	Place	Patron	President / outcome
1st	Rajagriha (Saptaparni)	Ajatashatru	Mahakassapa. Vinaya + Sutta compiled.
2nd	Vaishali	Kalasoka	Schism — Sthaviravadins vs Mahasanghikas.
3rd	Pataliputra	Ashoka	Moggaliputta Tissa. Abhidhamma. Missions. PYQ frequent
4th	Kundalvana, Kashmir	Kanishka	Vasumitra (Ashvaghosha associated). Mahayana crystallises. Sanskrit commentaries.

Wheel — Dharmachakra (Sarnath) Lotus — purity Bodhi tree — enlightenment (Uruvela/Bodh Gaya) Stupa — relics Lion — royalty / Sakyasimha

Jainism

24 Tirthankaras Rishabhadeva / Adinatha — 1st Parshvanatha — 23rd Mahavira (वर्धमान) — 24th 5 vows; Anekantavada; Syadvada Dilwara temples — Mt Abu, Vimal Shah / Vastupal-Tejpal

Ashoka’s 3rd council = Pataliputra + Moggaliputta Tissa. Kanishka’s 4th = Kashmir. Do not swap. Mahavira was a contemporary of Buddha (6th/5th c. BCE tradition).

Medieval — Delhi Sultanate (5 dynasties)

Dynasty	Founder	One unforgettable fact
Slave / Mamluk (1206–1290)	Qutb-ud-din Aibak	Lakh Baksh; started Qutb Minar; died playing chaugan. Iltutmish completed Qutb; introduced silver tanka. Razia. Balban — divine kingship, blood and iron.
Khilji (1290–1320)	Jalal-ud-din Khilji	Alauddin: market control, standing army, branded horses (dagh), huliya; Malik Kafur’s south raids; Siri fort.
Tughlaq (1320–1414)	Ghiyas-ud-din Tughlaq	Muhammad bin Tughlaq: token currency, capital Delhi→Daulatabad. Firoz Shah: canals, cities, Diwan-i-Khairat.
Sayyid (1414–1451)	Khizr Khan	Timur’s nominee; weak; last Alam Shah handed Delhi to Bahlul Lodi.
Lodi (1451–1526)	Bahlul Lodi	First Afghan dynasty. Sikandar founded Agra. Ibrahim Lodi lost 1st Panipat 1526 to Babur.

Mughals (मुगल) — Babur → Bahadur Shah II

Ruler	Years	Building / mark	Book / chronicler
Babur	1526–1530	Kabul gardens; Panipat 1526, Khanwa 1527, Ghagra 1529	Tuzuk-i-Baburi / Baburnama (Chagatai; later Persian)
Humayun	1530–40; 1555–56	Dinpanah; tomb in Delhi (started by Hamida Banu / completed under Akbar) — precursor of Taj plan	Gulbadan Begum — Humayun-nama
Akbar	1556–1605	Fatehpur Sikri, Buland Darwaza (Gujarat victory), Agra fort parts, Ibadat Khana	Akbarnama & Ain-i-Akbari — Abul Fazl Must memorise
Jahangir	1605–1627	Itimad-ud-Daulah’s tomb (marble, pietra dura); paintings; Nur Jahan’s influence	Tuzuk-i-Jahangiri
Shah Jahan	1628–1658	Taj Mahal, Red Fort (Delhi), Jama Masjid, Peacock Throne	Padshahnama (court chronicle)
Aurangzeb Alamgir	1658–1707	Bibi ka Maqbara (Aurangabad); max territorial extent; reimposed jizya	Several farmans; court histories (e.g. Khafi Khan later)
Bahadur Shah II Zafar	1837–1857	Last Mughal; 1857 symbol; exiled to Rangoon	Urdu poetry

Bhakti–Sufi (high frequency)

Saint	Region / order	SSC line
Kabir	Nirguna; weaver; Nirguna bhakti	Dohas; criticised caste and ritual; Bijak.
Guru Nanak	Punjab; Sikhism founder	Ik Onkar; rejected caste; later 10 Gurus, Guru Granth Sahib.
Meera Bai	Rajasthan; Krishna	Rajput princess; bhajans to Giridhar.
Chaitanya	Bengal; Gaudiya Vaishnava	Sankirtana; Krishna-Radha.
Tulsidas	Awadh	Ramcharitmanas (Awadhi).
Surdas	Braj	Blind poet; Sursagar; Krishna.
Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti	Ajmer; Chishti	Gharib Nawaz; Ajmer Dargah. PYQ frequent
Nizamuddin Auliya	Delhi; Chishti	Disciple: Amir Khusrau (qawwali, ‘parrot of India’).

Vijayanagara & Bahmani

Harihara & Bukka — Sangama, 1336, on Tungabhadra Krishnadevaraya — Tuluva; Amuktamalyada; Ashtadiggajas Hampi — UNESCO; Vitthala, stone chariot, Hazara Rama Bahmani — 1347, Ala-ud-din Hasan Bahman Shah; later 5 Deccan Sultanates

Battle of Talikota / Rakshasa-Tangadi 1565 weakened Vijayanagara. Krishnadevaraya’s period is the cultural peak SSC asks.

Modern — constitutional Acts (one-liners)

Act	One-liner
Regulating Act 1773	First step to control Company; Governor-General of Bengal (Warren Hastings); Supreme Court at Calcutta 1774.
Pitt’s India Act 1784	Board of Control (British govt) + Court of Directors (Company) — dual control.
Charter 1813	Ended Company’s trade monopoly (except tea & China); allowed Christian missionaries; ₹1 lakh for education.
Charter 1833	GG of Bengal → GG of India (William Bentinck); ended remaining trade monopoly; law member (Macaulay).
Charter 1853	Open competition for ICS; separated Legislative & Executive Councils; Company lost patronage.
GOI Act 1858	Company rule ends after 1857; Crown; Secretary of State + India Council; Viceroy.
Indian Councils 1861	Portfolio system; Indians nominated to councils; laid modern legislative seed.
Indian Councils 1892	Indirect election begins; discuss budget (limited).
1909 Morley–Minto	Separate electorates for Muslims. Must memorise
1919 Montagu–Chelmsford	Dyarchy in provinces; bicameral centre; introduced ‘responsible’ provincial subjects.
GOI Act 1935	Provincial autonomy; proposed All-India Federation (never fully); RBI 1935; Federal Court 1937; residuary with GG. Longest Act. PYQ frequent

1857 — centres & leaders

Centre	Leader
Delhi	Bahadur Shah II (symbol); real: Bakht Khan
Kanpur	Nana Saheb; Tantia Tope
Lucknow	Begum Hazrat Mahal
Jhansi / Gwalior	Rani Lakshmibai
Bareilly	Khan Bahadur Khan
Bihar (Jagdishpur)	Kunwar Singh
Faizabad	Maulvi Ahmadullah Shah

INC sessions (must-match)

Year	Place	President / hook
1885	Bombay	Womesh Chunder Bonnerjee; A.O. Hume organiser. Must memorise
1906	Calcutta	Dadabhai Naoroji; word Swaraj.
1907	Surat	Split — Moderates vs Extremists (Rash Behari Ghosh vs Tilak).
1916	Lucknow	Congress–League Pact; Extremists re-admitted.
1920	Nagpur	Non-Cooperation constitution; new Congress structure (Gandhian).
1929	Lahore	Jawaharlal Nehru; Poorna Swaraj; 26 Jan 1930 Independence Day. PYQ frequent
1940	Ramgarh	Abul Kalam Azad (often asked as longest-serving president in that era).
1942	Bombay	Quit India resolution (Wardha working committee + Bombay AICC 8 Aug).

Movements — spine

Event	Year / fact
Partition of Bengal	1905 (Curzon); annulled 1911. Sparked Swadeshi & Boycott.
Home Rule	1916 — Tilak (Pune) & Annie Besant (Adyar).
Jallianwala Bagh	13 April 1919, Amritsar; Dyer; Hunter Committee; Tagore knighthood returned.
Non-Cooperation	1920–22; Khilafat alliance; withdrawn after Chauri Chaura 1922.
Civil Disobedience / Dandi	Salt March started 12 Mar 1930 from Sabarmati; Dandi 6 Apr. PYQ frequent
Quit India	8 August 1942, Bombay; ‘Do or Die’. Must memorise
INA	Mohan Singh; revived by Subhas Chandra Bose; Azad Hind; INA trials Red Fort.
Independence	15 August 1947
Republic	26 January 1950 (Constitution enforced; date honours 1930 Poorna Swaraj day)

Hover ticks: Harappa → Magadha → Maurya → Gupta → Sultanate → Akbar → 1857 → 1947.

Flip deck — year / event / building

Lothal is famous for?

Dockyard (and bead factory) — Gujarat Harappan site

Harappa stands on which river?

Ravi

Kalinga war — year?

261 BCE (Ashoka)

3rd Buddhist council — place & president?

Pataliputra — Moggaliputta Tissa (Ashoka)

Sarnath Lion Capital was built under?

Ashoka (national emblem source)

Allahabad pillar prashasti of Samudragupta — author?

Harisena

Fa-Hien visited India during?

Chandragupta II Vikramaditya

Founder of Slave dynasty?

Qutb-ud-din Aibak

Token currency & Daulatabad shift?

Muhammad bin Tughlaq

1st Battle of Panipat?

1526 — Babur vs Ibrahim Lodi

Akbarnama author?

Abul Fazl

Taj Mahal built by?

Shah Jahan (memory of Mumtaz Mahal)

Tuzuk-i-Baburi is?

Babur’s autobiography (Baburnama)

Padshahnama is associated with?

Shah Jahan’s court chronicle

Krishnadevaraya’s Telugu work?

Amuktamalyada

Regulating Act year?

1773

Separate electorates for Muslims?

Morley–Minto Reforms 1909

Dyarchy in provinces?

GOI Act 1919 (Montagu–Chelmsford)

Poorna Swaraj session?

Lahore 1929 — Jawaharlal Nehru

Quit India date?

8 August 1942

Dandi March started from?

Sabarmati Ashram, 12 March 1930

1857 leader at Kanpur?

Nana Saheb (Tantia Tope in the field)

First INC president?

W.C. Bonnerjee, Bombay 1885

Republic Day why 26 Jan?

Constitution in force 1950; honours 26 Jan 1930 Poorna Swaraj day

Pillar 2 · राजव्यवस्था

Polity (राजव्यवस्था)

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Preamble (प्रस्तावना) Fundamental Rights (मौलिक अधिकार) DPSP Articles Schedules Parliament Judiciary Emergency

Learn Article → meaning and Schedule → content as pairs. Hide the right column and recite.

Preamble (प्रस्तावना)

Sovereign Socialist Secular Democratic Republic Justice Liberty Equality Fraternity

42nd Amendment 1976 added Socialist, Secular and Integrity (unity and integrity of the nation). Preamble is part of the Constitution (Kesavananda / LIC). Objectives Resolution — Nehru, 1946.

Sources of the Constitution

Country	What we borrowed
United Kingdom	Parliamentary government, rule of law, single citizenship, Cabinet, Speaker, law-making procedure, bicameralism.
United States	Fundamental Rights, judicial review, independence of judiciary, impeachment of President, removal of judges, Preamble’s spirit, Vice-President as RS Chair analogue.
Ireland	Directive Principles of State Policy (DPSP); method of electing the President; nomination to Rajya Sabha (arts/science/social).
Canada	Federation with a strong Centre; residuary powers with Centre; advisory jurisdiction of SC.
Australia	Concurrent List; joint sitting of Parliament; freedom of trade and commerce.
USSR / Soviet Union	Fundamental Duties (42nd Amendment); ideal of justice in Preamble.
France	Republic; ideals of Liberty, Equality, Fraternity.
South Africa	Procedure for constitutional amendment; election of members of Rajya Sabha (aspects).
Japan	Procedure established by law (Art. 21 language influence).
Germany (Weimar)	Suspension of Fundamental Rights during Emergency.

Schedules 1–12

Sch.	Content
1	Names of States and Union Territories; territorial extent.
2	Emoluments / salaries — President, Governors, Speakers, judges, CAG, etc.
3	Forms of Oaths and Affirmations.
4	Allocation of seats in the Rajya Sabha.
5	Administration and control of Scheduled Areas and Scheduled Tribes (except the four 6th-Sch. states).
6	Tribal areas in Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, Mizoram (autonomous districts/councils). Must memorise
7	Union / State / Concurrent Lists (Art. 246).
8	Official languages — 22 (originally 14). PYQ frequent
9	Land reform / certain Acts protected from judicial review (1st Amendment 1951; later diluted by courts).
10	Anti-defection (52nd Amendment 1985).
11	Panchayats — 29 subjects (73rd Amendment).
12	Municipalities — 18 subjects (74th Amendment).

Parts of the Constitution (chips)

I Union & territory II Citizenship III Fundamental Rights IV DPSP IVA Fundamental Duties V The Union VI The States VIII UTs IX Panchayats IXA Municipalities IXB Cooperatives X Scheduled areas XI Centre–State relations XII Finance XIV Services XV Elections XVIII Emergency XX Amendment (368) XXII Short title / commencement

Must-memorise Articles

Article	Meaning
12	Definition of State (for Part III).
14	Equality before law & equal protection.
15	No discrimination on religion, race, caste, sex, place of birth.
16	Equality of opportunity in public employment.
17	Abolition of untouchability. PYQ frequent
18	Abolition of titles (except military/academic).
19	Six freedoms: speech, assembly, association, movement, residence, profession. Must memorise
21	Life and personal liberty — widest article after Maneka Gandhi.
21A	Right to education (6–14 years) — 86th Amendment.
32	Constitutional remedies — ‘heart and soul’ (Ambedkar). Writs. Must memorise
40	Organisation of village panchayats (DPSP).
44	Uniform Civil Code (DPSP).
51A	Fundamental Duties (42nd; 11th duty by 86th — education of child).
72	President’s pardoning power (mercy).
74	Council of Ministers to aid and advise the President.
76	Attorney-General of India.
110	Money Bill — Speaker of LS decides. PYQ frequent
112	Annual Financial Statement (Budget).
123	President’s ordinance-making power.
148	Comptroller and Auditor-General (CAG).
280	Finance Commission (quinquennial).
312	All-India Services (IAS, IPS, IFS).
315	UPSC and State PSCs.
324	Election Commission — superintendence of elections.
352	National (proclamation of) Emergency — war, external aggression, armed rebellion.
356	President’s Rule (state emergency / failure of constitutional machinery).
360	Financial Emergency.
368	Power and procedure to amend the Constitution.
370	Special status of J&K — abrogated 6 August 2019 (constitutional order + Reorganisation Act). Now a static fact.

Union executive & Parliament

President — Electoral College of elected MPs + elected MLAs (not nominated, not MLCs) System: proportional representation by single transferable vote VP — elected by both Houses; Chairperson of RS LS 543 elected; Anglo-Indian nomination abolished by 104th Amendment RS 245 (238 states/UTs + 12 nominated)

Hover each box: introduction → three readings → other House → President. Money Bill is LS-only (Art. 110).

President at the apex as head of State; PM is head of government.

Federalism — 7th Schedule

Union, State, Concurrent. Residuary with the Centre (Art. 248) — Canadian model.

Emergencies

Article	Type	Ground / effect
352	National Emergency	War, external aggression, armed rebellion (44th: ‘internal disturbance’ replaced). FR under 19 automatically suspend. LS term can extend 1 year at a time.
356	President’s Rule	Failure of constitutional machinery in a State. Governor’s report typical. Assembly may be suspended/dissolved.
360	Financial Emergency	Financial stability or credit of India threatened. Never imposed. Salary cuts of Union/State servants including judges can be directed.

Judiciary & five writs

SC judges are appointed by the President on the advice of the Collegium (CJIs + senior SC judges) after the Three Judges Cases; NJAC was struck down (2015). High Courts: Art. 214/217.

Hover an icon for the Hindi name and one-line meaning. Art. 32 (SC) is itself a Fundamental Right; Art. 226 (HC) is wider.

Writ	Literal / use
Habeas Corpus (बंदी प्रत्यक्षीकरण)	Produce the body — against illegal detention.
Mandamus (परमादेश)	We command — public official to perform a duty.
Prohibition (प्रतिषेध)	To forbid — stop a lower court that is exceeding jurisdiction (preventive).
Certiorari (उत्प्रेषण)	To be certified — quash an already passed order (corrective).
Quo Warranto (अधिकार पृच्छा)	By what warrant — usurpation of a public office.

Bodies — constitutional vs others

Body	Status
Election Commission (324)	Constitutional. CEC + ECs; 73rd/conduct of elections to Parliament, Legislatures, President, VP.
CAG (148)	Constitutional. Audits Union & States; reports to President/Governor → laid in House.
UPSC (315–323)	Constitutional. Recruits All-India & Central services.
Finance Commission (280)	Constitutional. Tax sharing; grants-in-aid. Constituted every 5 years.
NITI Aayog	Executive / Cabinet resolution 1 Jan 2015. Not constitutional. Replaced Planning Commission. PM is Chairperson.
NHRC	Statutory (Protection of Human Rights Act 1993).
CBI	Not a statutory body in origin — set up by a 1963 Home Ministry resolution; functions under DSPE Act 1946. Often described as executive / extra-constitutional in exam keys — do not call it constitutional.
CVC	Statutory (CVC Act 2003); earlier executive (K. Santhanam).
Lokpal	Statutory (Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act 2013).
Attorney General (76)	Constitutional office; not a full-time ‘body’.

Constitutional bodies to rattle off: EC, CAG, UPSC, FC, NCSC, NCST, NCBC (102nd), CVC is not constitutional, NITI is not constitutional. Art. 32 = heart & soul (Ambedkar); Art. 368 = amendment; basic structure = Kesavananda Bharati 1973.

Flip deck — Article → meaning

Article 12

Definition of ‘State’ for Fundamental Rights

Article 14

Equality before law

Article 17

Abolition of untouchability

Article 18

Abolition of titles

Article 19

Six freedoms

Article 21

Life and personal liberty

Article 21A

Right to education (6–14)

Article 32

Constitutional remedies — heart & soul

Article 40

Village panchayats (DPSP)

Article 44

Uniform Civil Code (DPSP)

Article 51A

Fundamental Duties

Article 72

President’s pardon

Article 74

CoM aid and advise President

Article 76

Attorney-General

Article 108

Joint sitting of Parliament

Article 110

Money Bill

Article 112

Annual Financial Statement (Budget)

Article 123

Ordinance by President

Article 148

CAG

Article 155

Appointment of Governor

Article 226

High Court writs (wider than 32)

Article 280

Finance Commission

Article 312

All-India Services

Article 315

UPSC / SPSC

Article 324

Election Commission

Article 352

National Emergency

Article 356

President’s Rule

Article 360

Financial Emergency

Article 368

Constitutional amendment

Article 370

J&K special status — abrogated 6 Aug 2019

Pillar 3 · भूगोल

Geography (भूगोल)

Mark as revised

Lat/Long Tropic of Cancer Himalaya Rivers Dams Soils Monsoon Parks Minerals

Lat ~8°4′ N to 37°6′ N; long ~68°7′ E to 97°25′ E. Southernmost: Indira Point (Great Nicobar). Northern: Indira Col. Eastern: Kibithu / Kibithoo (Arunachal). Western: Guhar Moti (Gujarat).

Tropic of Cancer — 8 states

Gujarat Rajasthan Madhya Pradesh Chhattisgarh Jharkhand West Bengal Tripura Mizoram

Exactly eight states. Not Maharashtra, not UP, not Bihar. Tripura and Mizoram are the NE pair — a favourite trap.

Physiography

Himalaya (young fold) Northern plains (alluvium) Peninsular plateau (old, stable) Western Ghats / Sahyadri Eastern Ghats (discontinuous) Coastal plains Andaman (Bay) & Lakshadweep (Arabian Sea, coral)

Hover a river, mountain band or the Tropic. Labels sit in the margins — schematic, not a survey map.

Major rivers

River	Origin	Key tributaries	Mouth / flow
Indus (सिन्धु)	Tibet (near Mansarovar belt)	Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Beas, Sutlej (Panjnad)	Arabian Sea (Pakistan). West.
Ganga (गंगा)	Gangotri — Gaumukh (Bhagirathi); Devprayag + Alaknanda	Yamuna, Ghaghara, Gandak, Kosi, Son	Bay of Bengal (Sundarbans). East. Must memorise
Yamuna (यमुना)	Yamunotri	Chambal, Sind, Betwa, Ken, Tons	Joins Ganga at Prayagraj (Triveni with mythical Saraswati).
Brahmaputra	Tibet (Yarlung Tsangpo; Angsi / Chemayungdung region)	Subansiri, Lohit, Dibang, Teesta (in Bangladesh system)	Bay of Bengal. India: Arunachal (Siang) → Assam.
Godavari	Trimbakeshwar, Nashik (MH)	Pravara, Purna, Manjra, Indravati, Sabari	Bay of Bengal (Andhra). Longest peninsular. PYQ frequent
Krishna	Mahabaleshwar (MH)	Tungabhadra, Bhima, Musi, Ghataprabha	Bay of Bengal (AP).
Kaveri / Cauvery	Talakaveri, Kodagu (KA)	Hemavati, Arkavati, Kabini, Bhavani, Amravati	Bay of Bengal (TN).
Narmada	Amarkantak (MP)	Tawa, Hiran, Dudhi	Gulf of Khambhat — west, rift. PYQ frequent
Tapi / Tapti	Satpura (Betul / Multai)	Purna, Girna	Gulf of Khambhat near Surat — west, rift.
Mahanadi	Sihawa / Dandakaranya (Chhattisgarh)	Seonath, Hasdeo, Mand, Ib	Bay of Bengal (Odisha) — Hirakud.

Himalayan rivers: perennial, antecedent, long courses, huge alluvium Peninsular: rain-fed, superimposed/discordant, east-flowing deltas except Narmada–Tapi rifts

Dams (learn-table)

Dam	River	State / note
Bhakra–Nangal	Sutlej	HP / Punjab. Gobind Sagar. PYQ frequent
Tehri	Bhagirathi	Uttarakhand. Highest dam in India (rock-fill).
Sardar Sarovar	Narmada	Gujarat (Narmada project; MP/MH/Rajasthan partners).
Hirakud	Mahanadi	Odisha. Longest earthen dam. Must memorise
Nagarjuna Sagar	Krishna	Telangana / Andhra Pradesh.
Idukki	Periyar	Kerala (arch dam).
Damodar Valley (multi)	Damodar	Jharkhand–WB. ‘Sorrow of Bengal’ controlled. TVAs of India.
Rihand (Govind Ballabh Pant Sagar)	Rihand (Son system)	Uttar Pradesh (Sonbhadra). Large reservoir.
Tungabhadra	Tungabhadra	Karnataka (near Hospet).
Krishnaraja Sagar (KRS)	Cauvery	Karnataka (Mandya/Mysuru). Visvesvaraya.
Baglihar / Salal / Dulhasti	Chenab	J&K (often asked as Chenab projects).
Indira Sagar	Narmada	Madhya Pradesh.

Soils — crop link

Soil	Where / crop
Alluvial	Northern plains, deltas. Wheat, rice, sugarcane, pulses. Most extensive.
Black / Regur	Deccan trap (MH, MP, SAURASHTRA, N. KA). Cotton. Clayey, moisture-retentive. PYQ frequent
Red	Crystalline rocks; east & south. Millets, groundnut. Red from iron oxides.
Laterite	High rainfall wash (W. Ghats, Odisha, Meghalaya). Cashew, tea, coffee, rubber. Brick-like when dry.
Arid / desert	W. Rajasthan. Bajra, pulses (irrigation). Calcium & phosphate.
Forest / mountain	Himalaya & hills. Tea, spices, orchards. Thin, acidic in heavy rain.

Monsoon

Left: SW monsoon onshore arrows (Arabian Sea + Bay). Right: NE retreating monsoon; TN coast rain.

Gangotri, Yamunotri, Indus and Tsangpo origins. Hover the red dots.

Minerals & nuclear plants

Resource	SSC locations
Coal	Raniganj (WB), Jharia (Jharkhand — prime coking), Bokaro (Jh), Talcher (Odisha), Singareni (Telangana).
Iron ore	Singhbhum (Jh), Bellary–Hospet (KA), Bailadila / Dantewada (CG), Keonjhar / Mayurbhanj (Odisha).
Mica	Koderma–Hazaribagh (Jh) — mica belt. Nellore (AP).
Petroleum	Digboi (Assam — oldest), Mumbai High (offshore), KG Basin, Barmer (Rajasthan), Cambay.
Nuclear (operating, exam set)	Tarapur (MH — first), Rawatbhata (Rajasthan), Kalpakkam (TN), Narora (UP), Kakrapar (Gujarat), Kaiga (KA), Kudankulam (TN). Must memorise

National parks — exam-priority

Park	State	Flagship / hook
Kaziranga	Assam	One-horned rhinoceros; UNESCO; NH-37. PYQ frequent
Gir	Gujarat	Asiatic lion (only wild population).
Jim Corbett	Uttarakhand	First NP (1936 as Hailey NP). Tiger. Must memorise
Keoladeo (Bharatpur)	Rajasthan	Birds; UNESCO; former duck-hunting reserve.
Sundarbans	West Bengal	Royal Bengal tiger; mangrove; UNESCO.
Ranthambore	Rajasthan	Tiger; former hunting ground of Jaipur.
Kanha	Madhya Pradesh	Tiger; hard-ground barasingha.
Bandipur	Karnataka	Tiger; Nilgiri Biosphere; Project Tiger.
Periyar	Kerala	Elephant, tiger; lake from Mullaperiyar.
Manas	Assam	Tiger, pygmy hog; UNESCO; on Bhutan border.
Hemis	Ladakh	Snow leopard; largest NP (area) often quoted.
Desert NP	Rajasthan	Great Indian Bustard (critically endangered).
Valley of Flowers	Uttarakhand	Alpine flora; UNESCO with Nanda Devi.
Namdapha	Arunachal Pradesh	Tiger; four big cats possible; Far Eastern.
Silent Valley	Kerala	Lion-tailed macaque; tropical rainforest saved by movement.
Bandhavgarh	Madhya Pradesh	Tiger; high density; white tiger lineage historically.
Dudhwa	Uttar Pradesh	Tiger, swamp deer; Terai.
Mudumalai	Tamil Nadu	Elephant, tiger; Nilgiri Biosphere.
Pench	MP / Maharashtra	Tiger; Kipling country association.
Sariska	Rajasthan	Tiger (reintroduction after local extinction).
Panna	Madhya Pradesh	Tiger; diamond mines nearby; Ken river.
Khangchendzonga	Sikkim	UNESCO mixed; third highest peak.
Great Himalayan NP	Himachal Pradesh	UNESCO natural.
Dachigam	J&K	Hangul (Kashmir stag).
Nanda Devi	Uttarakhand	UNESCO; sanctuary + NP.
Simlipal	Odisha	Tiger; orchid; biosphere.
Bhitarkanika	Odisha	Saltwater crocodile; mangroves.
Gulf of Kachchh Marine	Gujarat	Coral, dugong (also Gulf of Mannar).
Kuno	Madhya Pradesh	Asiatic cheetah project site (static: project launched).
Orang / Rajiv Gandhi	Assam	Rhino, tiger on Brahmaputra north bank.

More parks (~20) — extra recall

Park	State / note
Nagarhole (Rajiv Gandhi)	Karnataka — tiger, elephant
Tadoba-Andhari	Maharashtra — tiger
Satpura	MP
Valmiki	Bihar — only tiger reserve of Bihar
Pakke / Pakhui	Arunachal — hornbill
Keibul Lamjao	Manipur — floating phumdi; Sangai deer; on Loktak
Sirohi / Mount Abu WS	Rajasthan (WS more than NP)
Mathikettan Shola / Eravikulam	Kerala — Nilgiri tahr (Eravikulam)
Gangotri / Govind	Uttarakhand
Intanki	Nagaland
Balphakram	Meghalaya
Mouling	Arunachal
Indravati	Chhattisgarh — tiger; wild buffalo
Kanger Valley	Chhattisgarh — underground caves, Bastar
Guru Ghasidas	CG
Campbell Bay / Galathea	Great Nicobar
Van Vihar	Bhopal (urban NP)
Fossil NP	MP — Dindori / Mandla fossils
Sultanpur	Haryana — birds
Madhav NP	MP — Shivpuri

Tiger reserves, biospheres, Ramsar

Project Tiger 1973 (Corbett first reserve) Nilgiri — first biosphere reserve (1986) Nanda Devi Sunderban Gulf of Mannar Great Rann of Kutch Pachmarhi Achanakmar–Amarkantak Simlipal Panna Khangchendzonga

Ramsar (sample)	State / type
Chilika	Odisha — lagoon; Irrawaddy dolphin; largest lagoon often asked
Keoladeo	Rajasthan — bird
Loktak	Manipur — phumdis; Sangai
Wular	J&K — largest freshwater lake (typical key)
Sambhar	Rajasthan — saline
Pulicat	AP–TN — lagoon
Harike	Punjab — Beas–Sutlej
Deepor Beel	Assam

World static — neighbours, straits, tropics

Neighbour	Capital
Pakistan	Islamabad
China	Beijing
Nepal	Kathmandu
Bhutan	Thimphu
Bangladesh	Dhaka
Myanmar	Naypyidaw
Afghanistan	Kabul
Sri Lanka	Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte (admin) / Colombo (commercial)
Maldives	Malé

Strait	Links / note
Malacca	Andaman Sea / Indian Ocean ↔ South China Sea. Choke point.
Hormuz	Persian Gulf ↔ Gulf of Oman. Oil.
Gibraltar	Atlantic ↔ Mediterranean. UK territory on north.
Palk	India ↔ Sri Lanka. Adam’s Bridge / Ram Setu.
Bering	Russia ↔ USA (Alaska). Asia–America.
Bosporus	Black Sea ↔ Sea of Marmara (Istanbul).
Bab-el-Mandeb	Red Sea ↔ Gulf of Aden.
Sunda / Lombok	Indonesia; alternative to Malacca.

Equator: Ecuador, Colombia, Brazil, Gabon, Congo, DRC, Uganda, Kenya, Somalia, Maldives, Indonesia Tropic of Cancer: Mexico, Bahamas, Western Sahara, Mauritania, Mali, Algeria, Niger, Libya, Egypt, Saudi, UAE, Oman, India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, China, Taiwan Skip memorising every country if time is short — India + Palk + Hormuz + Malacca are the SSC core.

Flip deck — park / dam

Kaziranga — animal?

One-horned rhinoceros (Assam)

Gir — animal?

Asiatic lion (Gujarat)

First National Park of India?

Jim Corbett (Hailey NP, 1936) — Uttarakhand

Keoladeo is famous for?

Birds (Bharatpur, Rajasthan)

Sundarbans — unique vegetation?

Mangrove + Royal Bengal tiger

Hemis — flagship?

Snow leopard (Ladakh)

Hangul is protected at?

Dachigam (J&K)

Sangai / dancing deer?

Keibul Lamjao, Loktak, Manipur

Great Indian Bustard — park?

Desert National Park, Rajasthan

Bhakra–Nangal on?

Sutlej

Hirakud on?

Mahanadi (Odisha) — longest major dam

Tehri on?

Bhagirathi (Uttarakhand) — highest

Sardar Sarovar on?

Narmada (Gujarat)

Nagarjuna Sagar on?

Krishna

Idukki on?

Periyar (Kerala)

KRS (Krishnaraja Sagar) on?

Cauvery / Kaveri

Godavari originates at?

Trimbakeshwar, Nashik

Narmada originates at?

Amarkantak (MP) — west flowing

Longest peninsular river?

Godavari

Tropic of Cancer — how many states?

Eight

Southernmost point of India?

Indira Point, Great Nicobar

First biosphere reserve?

Nilgiri (1986)

Chilika is a?

Lagoon / Ramsar — Odisha

Wular is?

Largest freshwater lake (J&K) — typical SSC key

Bailadila is known for?

Iron ore (Chhattisgarh)

Jharia is known for?

Coal (coking) — Jharkhand

Digboi is known for?

Oldest oil well / refinery belt — Assam

Tarapur is?

India’s first nuclear power station (Maharashtra)

Pillar 4 · अर्थव्यवस्था

Economy (अर्थव्यवस्था)

Mark as revised

Mixed economy Plans NITI Budget terms GST RBI Census 2011 Indices

India is a mixed economy. Planning Commission 1950 → NITI Aayog 1 Jan 2015 (Chairperson: Prime Minister; Vice-Chair appointed). Last Five-Year Plan was the 12th (2012–17).

Five-Year Plans — one-liners

Plan	Hook
1st (1951–56)	Agriculture, irrigation, price stability. Harrod–Domar model. PYQ frequent
2nd (1956–61)	Rapid industrialisation. P.C. Mahalanobis / Soviet-style. Heavy industries. Must memorise
3rd (1961–66)	Self-reliant growth; Gadgil Yojana. Wars + drought → failure; ‘Plan Holiday’ 1966–69 (annual plans).
4th (1969–74)	Growth with stability; nationalisation of banks 1969 sits in this era.
5th (1974–79)	Poverty removal (Garibi Hatao) + self-reliance. Terminated 1978; rolling plan interval.
6th (1980–85)	Poverty, employment; beginning of modernisation.
7th (1985–90)	Food, work, productivity.
8th (1992–97)	Liberalisation era (Rao–Manmohan). Indicative planning. PYQ frequent
9th–11th	Social justice; inclusive growth (11th slogan often ‘faster and more inclusive’).
12th (2012–17)	Last Five-Year Plan. ‘Faster, more inclusive and sustainable’. Then NITI + 15-year vision.

Match: 1st–Harrod Domar–agriculture; 2nd–Mahalanobis–industry; Plan Holiday 1966–69; 8th–reforms; 12th–last. NITI Aayog is not a constitutional body.

Budget terms

Term	Meaning
Fiscal deficit	Total expenditure − (revenue receipts + non-debt capital receipts). Shows borrowing need.
Revenue deficit	Revenue expenditure − revenue receipts. Dissaving on current account.
Primary deficit	Fiscal deficit − interest payments. Deficit excluding past-debt cost.
Effective revenue deficit	Revenue deficit − grants for creation of capital assets (post-2011–12 concept).
Finance Bill / Appropriation	Finance Bill: tax proposals. Appropriation Bill: authority to spend from Consolidated Fund.

GST — 101st Amendment, 2017

GST subsumed many indirect taxes. Destination-based. GST Council (Art. 279A) — Union FM chairs. Compensation to states was a transition feature.

0%
exempt / essential

5%
merit

12%
standard-low

18%
standard

28%
sin / luxury

101st Constitutional Amendment Rolled out 1 July 2017 Four slabs 5-12-18-28 + 0 Compensation cess on some 28% items

RBI & banks

Fact	Detail
RBI established	1935 (Hilton Young / Royal Commission). Nationalised 1949. HQ Mumbai. Must memorise
Functions	Banker to government; bankers’ bank; currency issuer (except ₹1 note/coin — GoI); monetary policy; custodian of foreign exchange; supervisor of banks.
Bank nationalisation	1969: 14 banks. 1980: 6 more. PYQ frequent
SBI	Imperial Bank of India → SBI 1955 (earlier than the 1969 wave).
NABARD	1982 — agriculture & rural development (B. Sivaraman committee).
SIDBI / EXIM / NHB	Development finance — industry / trade / housing (exam: match the acronym).

Poverty & unemployment types

Absolute poverty — below a minimum calorie/income line Relative poverty — compared with society’s average Frictional — between jobs Structural — skill/industry mismatch Cyclical — downturn Disguised — extra workers, zero marginal product (farms) Seasonal — agriculture / construction

Disguised unemployment in Indian agriculture is a Class-10/SSC evergreen. Seasonal = harvest cycle. Do not confuse cyclical (economy-wide) with frictional (job-search).

Census 2011 (only well-known figures)

Indicator (2011)	Figure / definition
Literacy	74.04% overall (male higher than female). Literate = person 7+ who can read and write with understanding. PYQ frequent
Population density	382 per sq km.
Sex ratio	943 females per 1000 males.
Child sex ratio (0–6)	918 (often asked as decline).
Highest literacy (state)	Kerala (typical key).
Highest density (state)	Bihar (among states).
First Census (modern)	1872 (incomplete); first synchronous 1881.

Indices — who publishes?

Index	Publisher
HDI (Human Development Index)	UNDP
CPI (Consumer Price Index)	MOSPI / NSO (CSO legacy)
WPI (Wholesale Price Index)	DPIIT (Ministry of Commerce & Industry)
IIP (Index of Industrial Production)	MOSPI / NSO
CPI-IW (industrial workers)	Labour Bureau
CPI-AL / RL (agricultural / rural labour)	Labour Bureau
World Competitiveness / Ease of doing	Skip exact current rank — body names only if asked (World Bank EODB was discontinued).

Flip deck — term → meaning

NITI Aayog started?

1 January 2015; PM is Chairperson

Last Five-Year Plan?

12th, 2012–17

1st Plan model?

Harrod–Domar; agriculture

2nd Plan architect?

P.C. Mahalanobis; industry

Plan Holiday?

1966–69 (three annual plans)

GST Constitutional Amendment?

101st; rolled out 1 July 2017

Fiscal deficit?

Total expenditure − (revenue + non-debt capital receipts)

Primary deficit?

Fiscal deficit − interest payments

RBI year (est. / nationalisation)?

1935 / 1949

Bank nationalisation years?

1969 (14 banks) and 1980 (6)

HDI is published by?

UNDP

WPI is published by?

DPIIT

CPI-IW is published by?

Labour Bureau

Disguised unemployment?

More workers than needed; marginal productivity ≈ 0

Census 2011 literacy?

74.04%

Census 2011 sex ratio?

943

Pillar 5 · कला एवं संस्कृति

Art & Culture (कला एवं संस्कृति)

Mark as revised

8 classical dances Folk Music Paintings UNESCO Temples Festivals

Eight classical dances

Dance	State	Hook / exponent (if standard)
Bharatanatyam	Tamil Nadu	Oldest among the eight in exam keys; Rukmini Devi Arundale (revival). PYQ frequent
Kathak	Uttar Pradesh	Story-telling; Lucknow / Jaipur / Banaras gharanas. Birju Maharaj.
Kathakali	Kerala	Dance-drama; elaborate makeup; male traditionally.
Kuchipudi	Andhra Pradesh	Bhama Kalapam; Yamini Krishnamurthy associated (also Bharatanatyam).
Odissi	Odisha	Tribhanga; Kelucharan Mohapatra.
Manipuri	Manipur	Vaishnava; Raslila; gentle footwork.
Mohiniyattam	Kerala	‘Dance of the enchantress’; lasya; white-gold costume.
Sattriya	Assam	Sankaradeva; sattras (monasteries). Given classical status 2000. Must memorise

Two classical dances from Kerala: Kathakali and Mohiniyattam. Sattriya = Assam. Do not write ‘8 including Chhau’ — Chhau is a classical-folk grey area; SSC still keys the Sangeet Natak Akademi eight.

Folk dances (high-frequency)

Folk	State
Ghoomar	Rajasthan
Garba / Dandiya	Gujarat
Bhangra / Giddha	Punjab (Giddha — women’s)
Lavani	Maharashtra
Tamasha	Maharashtra
Bihu	Assam
Chhau	Odisha / Jharkhand / West Bengal
Rouf / Rouff	Jammu & Kashmir
Yakshagana	Karnataka
Theyyam	Kerala
Jhumar	Punjab / Haryana / Jharkhand belt (regionally named)
Wangala	Meghalaya (Garo — 100 drums)
Thang Ta	Manipur (martial)
Kalbelia	Rajasthan (UNESCO ICH)
Nati	Himachal Pradesh
Gaur Maria	Chhattisgarh
Dalkhai	Odisha

Music — Hindustani vs Carnatic; instruments

Hindustani — North; raga + tala; Dhrupad, Khayal, Thumri Carnatic — South; kriti; Trinity: Tyagaraja, Muthuswami Dikshitar, Syama Sastri

Artist	Instrument / form
Ustad Bismillah Khan	Shehnai PYQ frequent
Pandit Ravi Shankar	Sitar
Ustad Ali Akbar Khan / Allauddin Khan	Sarod (Maihar gharana)
Pandit Bhimsen Joshi	Hindustani vocal (Kirana)
M.S. Subbulakshmi	Carnatic vocal
Ustad Zakir Hussain	Tabla
Hariprasad Chaurasia	Flute (bansuri)
T.H. Vinayakram / Allah Rakha	Ghatam / Tabla (Allah Rakha — tabla, Zakir’s father)
Lata Mangeshkar / Manna Dey	Playback (general awareness, not ‘classical’ key)

Paintings

Style	Region / hook
Madhubani / Mithila	Bihar — geometric, gods, no empty space.
Warli	Maharashtra (tribal) — white on mud; circles/triangles.
Pattachitra	Odisha (also Bengal) — cloth; Jagannath.
Kalamkari	Andhra (Srikalahasti, Machilipatnam) — pen / block; natural dyes.
Tanjore (Thanjavur)	Tamil Nadu — gold foil, gems, Hindu deities.
Kangra / Pahari	Himachal — Radha-Krishna; lyrical.
Bhimbetka	MP — prehistoric rock shelters; UNESCO. Not a ‘school’ but always asked.
Kishangarh	Rajasthan — Bani Thani (often compared to Mona Lisa in textbooks).
Kalighat	Kolkata — scroll/bazaar painting.

UNESCO World Heritage — exam-priority

Site	Type / state
Taj Mahal	Cultural — Agra, UP
Agra Fort	Cultural — UP
Fatehpur Sikri	Cultural — UP
Red Fort	Cultural — Delhi
Qutb Minar complex	Cultural — Delhi
Humayun’s Tomb	Cultural — Delhi
Hampi	Cultural — Karnataka (Vijayanagara)
Khajuraho temples	Cultural — MP
Sun Temple, Konark	Cultural — Odisha
Ajanta Caves	Cultural — Maharashtra
Ellora Caves	Cultural — Maharashtra (Kailasa)
Elephanta Caves	Cultural — Maharashtra
Mahabalipuram / Mammallapuram	Cultural — TN
Great Living Chola Temples	Cultural — TN (Brihadeeswara etc.)
Jaipur City	Cultural — Rajasthan
Ahmedabad (historic city)	Cultural — Gujarat
Kaziranga	Natural — Assam
Keoladeo	Natural — Rajasthan
Sundarbans	Natural — WB
Nanda Devi & Valley of Flowers	Natural — Uttarakhand
Great Himalayan NP	Natural — HP
Western Ghats	Natural — serial, 6 states
Khangchendzonga NP	Mixed — Sikkim
Rani ki Vav	Cultural — Gujarat (Patan, Solanki)
Jantar Mantar Jaipur	Cultural — Rajasthan

More UNESCO India (extra)

Churches & convents of Goa Champaner-Pavagadh Mountain railways (Darjeeling, Nilgiri, Kalka–Shimla) Sanchi Bodh Gaya Mahabodhi Nalanda Hill forts of Rajasthan Rani-ki-Vav already listed Dholavira Santiniketan Hoysala temples (Sacred Ensembles) Ramappa / Kakatiya (Telangana) Victorian Gothic & Art Deco Mumbai

Temple styles

Nagara = beehive shikhara (Khajuraho). Dravida = gopuram/vimana (Brihadeeswara). Vesara = Deccan hybrid (Hoysala).

Festivals — state table

Festival	State / note
Kumbh Mela	Four-city rotation: Prayagraj, Haridwar, Ujjain, Nashik. UNESCO ICH. Must memorise
Pushkar Fair	Rajasthan — Kartik; camel fair + Brahma temple.
Hornbill	Nagaland (Kisama).
Bihu	Assam — Bohag, Kati, Magh.
Onam	Kerala — King Mahabali; pookalam, vallam kali.
Pongal	Tamil Nadu — harvest; Thai month.
Baisakhi	Punjab — harvest; Khalsa 1699.
Losar	Ladakh / Tibetan New Year (also Sikkim, HP belt).
Wangala	Meghalaya (Garo).
Hemis	Ladakh — monastery festival.
Thrissur Pooram	Kerala — Vadakkunnathan; elephants & percussion.
Navratri / Durga Puja / Dussehra	Pan-India with regional forms (Garba, Mysuru Dasara, Kullu).
Chhath	Bihar / Purvanchal — Sun god, river banks.
Ganesh Chaturthi	Maharashtra (public form: Tilak).

Flip deck — dance → state

Bharatanatyam

Tamil Nadu

Kathak

Uttar Pradesh

Kathakali

Kerala

Mohiniyattam

Kerala

Kuchipudi

Andhra Pradesh

Odissi

Odisha

Manipuri

Manipur

Sattriya

Assam

Ghoomar

Rajasthan

Garba

Gujarat

Bhangra

Punjab

Giddha

Punjab

Lavani

Maharashtra

Bihu

Assam

Chhau

Odisha / Jharkhand / West Bengal

Yakshagana

Karnataka

Theyyam

Kerala

Rouf

Jammu & Kashmir

Wangala

Meghalaya

Kalbelia

Rajasthan

Nati

Himachal Pradesh

Tamasha

Maharashtra

Thang Ta

Manipur

Bismillah Khan’s instrument?

Shehnai

Pillar 6 · विविध

Misc GK (विविध)

Mark as revised

National symbols Colours Sports Awards Defence UN Firsts Days Books

National symbols

Symbol	Identity
Flag	Tiranga 2:3. Saffron courage, white truth/peace, green faith/fertility. Ashoka Chakra navy blue, 24 spokes. Must memorise
Emblem	Sarnath Lion Capital — 4 lions (3 visible); abacus: elephant, horse, bull, lion + Dharma Chakra. Motto Satyameva Jayate (Mundaka Upanishad).
Anthem	Jana Gana Mana — Tagore. First stanza adopted; playing time ~52 seconds. PYQ frequent
Song	Vande Mataram — Bankim Chandra Chatterjee, novel Anandamath.
Calendar	Saka calendar (with Gregorian). Chaitra 1 = 22 March usually (21 in leap).
Currency symbol	₹ — 2010; D. Udaya Kumar.
Animal	Tiger (Panthera tigris).
Bird	Indian peacock.
Flower	Lotus.
Fruit	Mango.
Tree	Banyan (Ficus benghalensis).
River	Ganga.
Aquatic animal	Ganges river dolphin (Susu).
Heritage animal	Elephant.
Microbe (listed in many GK keys)	Lactobacillus.
Reptile (some compilations)	King cobra — skip if your book omits.

Correct 2:3. Hover a band or the Chakra. Colours are true exam swatches — they do not invert in dark mode.

Colours you must know

National flag — exact hex (do not invert).

Saffron / Kesari#FF9933Courage and sacrifice

White#FFFFFFTruth and peace

India green#138808Faith, fertility, the land

Navy blue (Chakra)#000080Ashoka Chakra — 24 spokes = 24 hours / dharma

Pierre de Coubertin scheme: blue Europe, yellow Asia, black Africa, green Oceania, red Americas.

Ring	Hex (approx official)	Continent
Blue	#0081C8	Europe
Yellow	#FCB131	Asia
Black	#000000	Africa
Green	#00A651	Australia / Oceania
Red	#EE334E	Americas

Traffic lights

RedstopDo not proceed

Amber / yellowcautionClear the stop line / get ready

GreengoProceed if safe

VIBGYOR

Band	Hex (teaching swatch)	Mnemonic
Violet	#6B2D8B	V
Indigo	#3F00FF	I
Blue	#0000FF	B
Green	#008000	G
Yellow	#FFFF00	Y
Orange	#FFA500	O
Red	#FF0000	R — rainbow / Newton’s spectrum

Teaching swatches for recall — not a spectrometer certificate. Newton’s seven colours are the exam key.

School atlas colour conventions

Colour on atlas	Usually means
Blue	Water — rivers, lakes, seas
Green	Low plains / vegetation / low elevation
Yellow / brown	Hills and plateaus (darker brown = higher)
White / pale	Snow / very high peaks on some physical maps
Black	Railways; names; boundaries (styles vary)
Red / red dashed	Roads; sometimes international boundaries

Election ink: the ECI applies indelible ink on the left forefinger (index fingernail). Chemical often cited: silver nitrate with dye (Naphthol Blue Black in many textbook lines). Static fact — do not quote a live vendor.

Gallantry ribbon hex shades vary by issue of the medal; rather than invent a hex, remember order only: Param Vir Chakra (highest wartime) > Maha Vir Chakra > Vir Chakra. Peacetime: Ashoka Chakra > Kirti Chakra > Shaurya Chakra. PVC is associated with a purple/wine-toned ribbon in standard GK books.

Sports cups & player counts

Trophy / cup	Sport
Davis Cup	Tennis (men’s nations)
Billie Jean King / Fed Cup (legacy name)	Tennis (women’s nations)
Thomas Cup	Badminton (men)
Uber Cup	Badminton (women)
Ryder Cup	Golf (Europe vs USA)
Walker Cup	Golf (amateur)
FIFA World Cup	Football
Ranji Trophy	Indian domestic cricket (first-class)
Duleep Trophy	Indian cricket (zonal / domestic)
Irani Cup	Rest of India vs Ranji champion
Deodhar Trophy	List-A domestic cricket
Santosh Trophy	Football (states)
Durand Cup	Football — oldest football tournament in India / among oldest in Asia
Subroto Cup	School football
Agha Khan Cup	Hockey
Beighton Cup	Hockey (Kolkata)
Derby (e.g. Epsom / Indian Derby)	Horse racing
Webb Ellis Cup	Rugby World Cup
Stanley Cup	Ice hockey (NHL)
America’s Cup	Sailing

Game	Players a side (standard)
Basketball	5
Hockey (field)	11
Football	11
Cricket	11
Kabaddi	7
Kho-kho	9 + 1 (chasing/running sides — 9 + extra as per rules; chasing 9)
Volleyball	6
Polo	4
Water polo	7
Rugby union	15
Baseball	9

Term	Sport / meaning
Maiden over	Cricket — over with no runs
LBW	Cricket — leg before wicket
Duck	Cricket — out for 0
Yorker	Cricket — ball at the blockhole
Googly	Cricket — wrist-spin that turns the ‘other’ way
Hat-trick	Three consecutive (cricket wickets / football goals)
Love	Tennis — zero
Deuce	Tennis — 40–40
Birdie / Eagle	Golf — 1 under / 2 under par
Bunker	Golf — sand trap
Knockout	Boxing (and elimination draws)
Pugilist	Boxer
Chinaman	Cricket — left-arm wrist spin (term now often avoided in commentary; still in old keys)

Eden Gardens — Kolkata Wankhede — Mumbai M. Chinnaswamy — Bengaluru Arun Jaitley / Kotla — Delhi HPCA Dharamshala — HP Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium — Delhi (athletics / football)

Awards

Award	Fact
Bharat Ratna	Highest civilian. First 1954: C. Rajagopalachari, S. Radhakrishnan, C.V. Raman. PYQ frequent
Padma Vibhushan / Bhushan / Shri	Descending civilian order after Bharat Ratna.
Nobel — Indians / origin often asked	Tagore 1913 (Lit); C.V. Raman 1930 (Physics); Mother Teresa 1979 (Peace); Amartya Sen 1998 (Economics); Venkatraman Ramakrishnan 2009 (Chem, Indian-origin); Kailash Satyarthi 2014 (Peace).
Jnanpith	Highest literary (Indian languages). First: G. Sankara Kurup (Malayalam).
Dadasaheb Phalke	Highest cinema. First: Devika Rani (1969).
Arjuna	Sporting excellence.
Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna	Highest sporting honour (renamed from Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna).
Dronacharya	Coaches.
Wartime gallantry	PVC > MVC > VrC. First PVC: Major Somnath Sharma (1947, Kashmir).
Peacetime	Ashoka Chakra > Kirti > Shaurya.

Defence

Army Command	HQ (standard list)
Northern	Udhampur
Western	Chandimandir
Central	Lucknow
Southern	Pune
Eastern	Kolkata
South-Western	Jaipur
Training Command (ARTRAC)	Shimla

Navy: Western — Mumbai; Eastern — Visakhapatnam; Southern — Kochi IAF: Western, Eastern, Central, Southern, South-Western, Training, Maintenance (seven)

Missile	Type
Agni	Ballistic (strategic). Family Agni-I …
Prithvi	Short-range ballistic (surface).
Akash	Surface-to-air (SAM).
Nag	Anti-tank guided (ATGM).
BrahMos	Supersonic cruise — India–Russia. PYQ frequent
Trishul	SAM (short-range; older IGMDP).
Astra	Air-to-air (beyond visual range).

First women fighter pilots (IAF): Avani Chaturvedi, Bhawana Kanth, Mohana Singh (often asked as the first trio) Priya Jhingan — among first women in Indian Army officer cadre (1990s) Women in NDA: first course joined 2022 (notification path 2021–22). Static one-liner.

United Nations & groupings

Six principal organs. Only ICJ sits at The Hague; Trusteeship Council is inactive.

Organisation	HQ · head title (office, not a living name)
IMF	Washington D.C. · Managing Director
World Bank	Washington D.C. · President
WTO	Geneva · Director-General
UNESCO	Paris · Director-General
WHO	Geneva · Director-General
ILO	Geneva · Director-General
UNICEF	New York · Executive Director
UNHRC	Geneva (Council)
ICJ	The Hague
FAO	Rome
UNEP	Nairobi
IAEA	Vienna

SAARC 8 members — HQ Kathmandu (Afghanistan joined 2007) BRICS: original 5 = Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa. Expansion from 2024 added more partners — do not freeze a contested final roster; remember the original five. QUAD: USA, Japan, India, Australia SCO: Shanghai Cooperation Organisation — India & Pakistan joined 2017 G20: major economies; India hosted 2023 (static).

Firsts / superlatives (India)

Superlaive	Answer
Longest river in India	Ganga (in Indian territory; Brahmaputra/Indus longer overall but not ‘in India’ in the usual key).
Highest peak in India	Kangchenjunga (on Sikkim–Nepal; K2 is in PoK — keys usually Kangchenjunga for ‘in India’).
Largest freshwater lake	Wular (J&K) — typical SSC key
Largest lagoon / brackish	Chilika (Odisha)
Longest dam	Hirakud (Mahanadi, Odisha)
Highest dam	Tehri (Bhagirathi, Uttarakhand)
Tallest statue	Statue of Unity — Sardar Patel, Kevadia, Narmada, Gujarat
Southernmost point	Indira Point, Great Nicobar
Highest waterfall (often keyed)	Jog / Gerosoppa (Sharavathi, Karnataka) is the popular GK key; some books cite Kunchikal — if both options appear, read the question’s adjective carefully.
First satellite	Aryabhata (1975)
ISRO HQ	Bengaluru

ISRO HQ — Bengaluru SHAR / SDSC — Sriharikota VSSC — Thiruvananthapuram SAC — Ahmedabad ISTRAC — Bengaluru Nuclear plants — see Geography minerals table

Neighbours — capital, currency (compact)

Country	Capital	Currency
Pakistan	Islamabad	Rupee
China	Beijing	Renminbi / Yuan
Nepal	Kathmandu	Rupee
Bhutan	Thimphu	Ngultrum (pegged to INR)
Bangladesh	Dhaka	Taka
Myanmar	Naypyidaw	Kyat
Afghanistan	Kabul	Afghani
Sri Lanka	Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte	Rupee
Maldives	Malé	Rufiyaa

Fixed national / UN days (non-shifting)

Date	Day
26 January	Republic Day
15 August	Independence Day
2 October	Gandhi Jayanti / International Day of Non-Violence
26 November	Constitution Day (Samvidhan Divas) — adoption 1949
5 June	World Environment Day
21 June	International Day of Yoga
14 November	Children’s Day (Nehru) / World Diabetes Day also falls here — exam usually wants Nehru
1 December	World AIDS Day
8 March	International Women’s Day
21 May	Anti-Terrorism Day (Rajiv Gandhi) in India
16 December	Vijay Diwas (1971)
23 March	Shaheed Diwas (Bhagat Singh, Rajguru, Sukhdev) — also World Meteorological Day
7 December	Armed Forces Flag Day
25 December	Good Governance Day (A.B. Vajpayee) in India + Christmas

Books — author pairs

Book	Author
My Experiments with Truth	M.K. Gandhi
Discovery of India / Glimpses of World History	Jawaharlal Nehru
Annihilation of Caste	B.R. Ambedkar
Godan / Gaban	Munshi Premchand
Gitanjali	Rabindranath Tagore (Nobel 1913)
Arthashastra	Kautilya / Chanakya
Ashtadhyayi	Panini
Abhijnanasakuntalam / Meghaduta	Kalidasa
Malgudi Days	R.K. Narayan
Wings of Fire	A.P.J. Abdul Kalam (with Arun Tiwari)
Harshacharita / Kadambari	Banabhatta
Ain-i-Akbari / Akbarnama	Abul Fazl
The Prince	Machiavelli
Das Kapital	Karl Marx
Wealth of Nations	Adam Smith
Origin of Species	Charles Darwin
Republic	Plato
Utopia	Thomas More
Anand Math	Bankim Chandra Chatterjee
Satyarth Prakash	Swami Dayanand Saraswati

Flip deck — book / trophy

National anthem author & duration?

Tagore; ~52 seconds (first stanza)

Vande Mataram — author, book?

Bankim Chandra — Anandamath

₹ symbol designer?

D. Udaya Kumar (2010)

Ashoka Chakra spokes?

24

Davis Cup?

Tennis

Thomas Cup?

Badminton (men)

Uber Cup?

Badminton (women)

Ryder Cup?

Golf

Ranji Trophy?

Cricket (India first-class)

Santosh Trophy?

Football (India)

Durand Cup?

Football (oldest in India)

Agha Khan Cup?

Hockey

Kabaddi players a side?

7

Hockey players a side?

11

Polo players a side?

4

Gitanjali

Rabindranath Tagore

Arthashastra

Kautilya / Chanakya

Discovery of India

Jawaharlal Nehru

Wings of Fire

A.P.J. Abdul Kalam

The Prince

Machiavelli

Wealth of Nations

Adam Smith

IMF HQ?

Washington D.C. (MD)

UNESCO HQ?

Paris

WHO HQ?

Geneva

SAARC HQ?

Kathmandu

ISRO HQ?

Bengaluru

Statue of Unity stands on?

Narmada, Kevadia, Gujarat

Highest dam in India?

Tehri (Bhagirathi)

Longest dam in India?

Hirakud (Mahanadi)

Bharat Ratna first year?

1954 (Rajaji, Radhakrishnan, C.V. Raman)

BrahMos is?

Supersonic cruise missile (India–Russia)

Northern Command HQ?

Udhampur

Pillar 7 · विज्ञान (GA level)

Science (विज्ञान) — GA, not full Class 10

Mark as revised

SI units Mirrors Daily chemistry Vitamins Diseases Inventions

Physics — SI units

Quantity	SI unit
Force	Newton (N) = kg·m/s²
Work / energy	Joule (J) = N·m
Power	Watt (W) = J/s
Pressure	Pascal (Pa) = N/m²
Charge	Coulomb (C)
Resistance	Ohm (Ω)
Frequency	Hertz (Hz)
Potential difference	Volt (V)
Current	Ampere (A)
Temperature (SI)	Kelvin (K)

Concave mirror — converging; used in headlights, shaving/makeup (close face), dentist Convex mirror — diverging; wide field; vehicle rear-view Convex lens — converging; hypermetropia; magnifying glass Concave lens — diverging; myopia Ohm’s law: V = IR Household energy unit: kWh (1 unit)

Discovery / law	Scientist
Universal gravitation; laws of motion	Isaac Newton
Photoelectric effect (Nobel 1921)	Albert Einstein
Electromagnetic induction	Michael Faraday
Radio / EM waves demonstrated	Heinrich Hertz
Inverse-square electrostatic force	Charles Coulomb
Current–force on wire (unit of current)	André-Marie Ampère
Voltaic pile (battery)	Alessandro Volta
X-rays	W.C. Röntgen
Electron (discovery)	J.J. Thomson
Nucleus (gold-foil)	Rutherford

Chemistry — daily acids, bases, air, pH

Substance	Acid / note
Lemon	Citric acid
Vinegar	Acetic acid
Curd / sour milk	Lactic acid
Apple	Malic acid
Tea / oak gall	Tannic acid
Tamarind	Tartaric acid
Netting of ants / sting (simplified key)	Formic acid
Gastric juice	Hydrochloric acid
Soap / detergent	Base (alkaline salts)
Milk of magnesia	Magnesium hydroxide — antacid
Baking soda	Sodium bicarbonate (mild base)
Washing soda	Sodium carbonate

Allotropes of C: diamond, graphite, fullerene (also graphene in modern keys) Phosphorus: white (reactive, stored in water) and red (safer, matches) Air ≈ 78% N₂, 21% O₂, ~0.03–0.04% CO₂ + noble gases / argon

Sample	Approx pH (GA)
Lemon juice	~2
Vinegar	~3
Milk	~6.5
Pure water	7 (neutral)
Human blood	~7.4
Soap solution	~9–10
Bleach / oven cleaner	strongly basic (higher than soap)
Gastric juice	~1.5–3

Do not invent extra decimals. Blood is slightly basic (~7.4) — a favourite trap vs ‘neutral’. Acids turn blue litmus red; bases turn red litmus blue.

Biology — vitamins

Vitamin	Deficiency disease / note
A (retinol)	Night blindness; xerophthalmia. Sources: carrot, liver, green veg. PYQ frequent
B1 (thiamine)	Beriberi.
B3 (niacin)	Pellagra (4 Ds: dermatitis, diarrhoea, dementia, death).
B12 (cobalamin)	Pernicious anaemia. Animal foods; intrinsic factor.
C (ascorbic acid)	Scurvy (bleeding gums). Citrus. Water-soluble. Must memorise
D (calciferol)	Rickets (children), osteomalacia (adults). Sunlight.
E (tocopherol)	Antioxidant; fertility-related notes in old keys.
K	Blood clotting (needed for prothrombin). Green leafy veg.

Diseases, vectors, vaccines

Disease	Cause / vector
Malaria	Plasmodium; vector female Anopheles. PYQ frequent
Dengue / Chikungunya / Zika	Viruses; Aedes aegypti (day-biting).
Sleeping sickness	Trypanosoma; tsetse fly (Africa).
Kala-azar (leishmaniasis)	Leishmania; sandfly.
Filaria / elephantiasis	Wuchereria; Culex mosquito.
Typhoid	Salmonella typhi; contaminated food/water.
Tuberculosis	Mycobacterium tuberculosis; BCG vaccine.
COVID-19	SARS-CoV-2 (coronavirus) — keep as static name-level fact.
Cholera	Vibrio cholerae; water.
Hepatitis B	Virus; blood/body fluids; vaccine exists.

Vaccine	Against
BCG	Tuberculosis
DPT	Diphtheria, Pertussis (whooping cough), Tetanus
OPV / IPV	Polio
Measles / MMR	Measles (MMR adds mumps, rubella)
Hepatitis B	Hep B
TT / Td	Tetanus

Blood groups: A, B, AB, O + Rh ± Universal donor: O− Universal recipient: AB+ Insulin — pancreas Thyroxine — thyroid Adrenaline — adrenal medulla Growth hormone — pituitary Estrogen / testosterone — gonads

Inventions / discoveries table

Invention / work	Person
Aeroplane (powered flight)	Wright brothers
Telephone	Alexander Graham Bell
Incandescent bulb (popular key)	Thomas Alva Edison (history is more complex; SSC still keys Edison)
Printing press (movable type, Europe)	Johannes Gutenberg
Smallpox vaccine	Edward Jenner
Pasteurisation; germ work	Louis Pasteur
Atomic theory (modern Dalton)	John Dalton
Periodic table (periodic law)	Dmitri Mendeleev
Television (mechanical scan often keyed)	John Logie Baird
Radio (long-distance wireless)	Guglielmo Marconi
Steam engine (improved)	James Watt
Penicillin	Alexander Fleming
DNA structure	Watson, Crick (Franklin’s images)
Zero / place-value (India)	Ancient Indian mathematics — Aryabhata associated in GA keys

Flip deck — vitamin / scientist

Vitamin A deficiency?

Night blindness / xerophthalmia

Vitamin B1 deficiency?

Beriberi

Vitamin B3 deficiency?

Pellagra

Vitamin B12 deficiency?

Pernicious anaemia

Vitamin C deficiency?

Scurvy

Vitamin D deficiency?

Rickets / osteomalacia

Vitamin K function?

Blood clotting

Malaria vector?

Female Anopheles (Plasmodium)

Dengue vector?

Aedes aegypti

Universal blood donor?

O negative

SI unit of power?

Watt

SI unit of pressure?

Pascal

Rear-view mirror type?

Convex (diverging, wide field)

Lemon contains which acid?

Citric

Vinegar contains which acid?

Acetic

pH of pure water?

7

Air is mostly?

~78% nitrogen

BCG vaccine is for?

Tuberculosis

Telephone inventor (SSC key)?

Alexander Graham Bell

Smallpox vaccine?

Edward Jenner

Periodic table?

Mendeleev

Penicillin?

Alexander Fleming

Photoelectric Nobel 1921?

Einstein

Insulin is secreted by?

Pancreas

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