First in India and World

Aircraft Carrier Indian Ship	I.N.S. Vikrant
American president to visit India	Dwight David Eisenhower
Asian Games organized in India	Delhi (in 1951)
atomic Submarine of India	I.N.S. Chakra
British Prime Minister to visit India	Harold Mc Millon
British to visit India	Hawkins
Chief justice of India	Justice Hiralal J. Kania
Chief of Air Staff of India	Air Marshal Sir Thomas Elmhirst
Chief of Army Staff of India	General M.Rajendra Singh
Chief of Naval Staff of India	Vice- Admiral R.D Katari
Chinese pilgrim to visit India	Fa-hien
Commander-in-chief of free India	General K.M. Cariappa
Commander-in-chief of Free India	General Roy Bucher
Dalit Speaker of the Lok Sabha	G.M.C. Balyogi
Deputy prime Minister of India	Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel
E-business news paper of India	Financial Express
Education Minister of Independent India	Maulana Abdul Kalam Azad
Election Commissioner of India	Sukumar Sen
Emperor of Moghul Dynasty in India	Babar
field Marshal of India	General S.F.J. Manekshaw
Foreign recipient of Bharat Ratna	Khan Abdul Gaffar Khan
Governor General of Bengal	Warren Hastings (1774-85)
Governor General of Ind. India	Lord Mountbattten
Governor General of India	Lord William Bentic (1833-35)
Governor of Bengal	Lord Clive (1757-60)
Home Minister of Independent India	Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel
Indian air Chief of India	Air Marshal S. Mukherjee
Indian author to get Anderson Award	Ruskin Bond
Indian Cosmonaut (to go into space )	Sqn. Ldr. Rakesh Sharma
Cricketer to make double centuries 5 times	Rahul Dravid
WOman to win in a Wimbledon tourament	Sania Mirza
Governor general of Independent India	C.Rajgopalachari (21 June,1948
I.C.S. Officer	Satyaendra Nath Tagore
Woman to win a medal in World Athletics	Anju Bobby George
Missile	Prithvi
Woman to win the Miss Great Britain Title	Preeti Desai
Pilot	J.R.D. Tata (1929)
Prime Minister to loose an election	Indira Ghandi
Prime Minister to resign from office	Morarji Desai
Recipient of Nobel Prize in Economics	Dr. Amartya Sen
Scientist to get Nobel Prize	C.V. Raman (Physics)
Submarine	I.N.S. Cauveri
United Nations Civilian Police Advisor	Ms. Kiran bedi
To climb Mount Averest	Tenzing Norgay
To fly the U.S. space shuttle	Dr. Kalpana Chawla
To get Bhart Ratna Award	Dr. S. Radhakrishnan
To get Jnanpeeth Award	G. Shankar Kurup
To get Paramvir Chakra	Major Somnath Sharma
To make printing press popular in India	James Hicky
To pass ICS	Surendra Nath Benerjee
To reach Antarctica	Lt. Ram Charan (1960)
To reach the south Pole	Col. I.K.Bajaj
To ski to the north pole	Ajeet Bajaj
To Swim Across English Channel in India	Mihir Sen
To win Magsaysay Award	Acharya Vinoba Bhave (1958)
To win Stalin Award	Saiffudin Kichlu
To win world Billiards Trophy	Wilson Jones
Weightlifter to win bronze medal in Olympics	Karnam Malleshwari
Woman Airline Pilot	Durga Banerjee
Woman Air-vice-Marshal	P. Bandopadhyaya
Woman Chairman and Managing Director of NABARD	Mrs. Ranjana Kumar
Woman cricketer to score adouble century	Mithali Raj
Woman I.P.S. Officer	Kiran Bedi
Woman Merchant Navy Officer	Sonali Banerjee
Woman president of Indian National Congress	Sarojini Naidu (1925)
Woman Speaker of State Assembly in India	Mrs. Shanno Devi
Woman to become Miss Universe	Sushmita Sen
Woman to become Miss World	Miss Reita Faria
Woman to get Ashok Chakra	Nirja Mishra
Woman to get Bharat Ratna	Smt. Indira Gandhi
Woman to get Jnanpith Award	Ashapurna Devi
Woman to get the Nobel Prize	Mother Teresa (1979)
Woman to go into space	Kalpana Chawla
Woman Lt. General in the Indian Army	Puneeta Arora
Woman to swim across the English Channel	Miss Arati Saha (now Mrs. Arati Gupta)
Woman to win a Gold Medal in Asian Games	Kamaljeet Sandhu
Woman to win the Booker Prize	Arundhati Roy
woman to win WTA Title	Sania Mirza
Woman yo cross seven important seas by swimming	Bula Chaudhury
World Chess Champion	Vishwanathan Anand
Large-scale Atomic Reactor of India	Apsara (1956)
Medium range Missile of India	Agni
Minister to resign form Union Cabinet of India	Shyama Prasad Mukherjee (1950)
Muslim President of Indian National Congress	Badruddin Tayab Ji
Muslim President of Indian Republic	Dr. Zakir Hussain
Nuclear Centre of India	Tarapur
Paperless Newspaper of India	The News Today
President of Constituent Assembly of India	Dr. Rajendra Prasad
President of India to die in office	Dr. Zakir Hussain
President of Indian National Congress	W.C. Banerjee
to win Nobel prize in Physics	Subrahmanium Chandrasekhar
Sikh Prime Minister of India	Dr. Manmohan Singh
Speaker of lok Sabha	G.V. Mavlankar (1952-57)
To win an individual Olympic gold for India.	Abhinav Binra
Talkie Film in India	Alam Ara
Test Tube Baby of India	Indira (Baby Harsha)
University of India	Nalanda University
Vice-President of India to die in harness	Krishna Kant
Woman Chief Justice of a High Court in India	Smt. Leela Seth
Woman Judge in Supreme Court in India	Mrs. Meera Sahib Fatima Biwi

Women Chief Ministers of Various States

Name	State	Party	Term
Sushma Swaraj	Delhi	BJP	13 Oct to 3 December 1998
Uma Bharti	MP	BJP	2003-2004
Vasundhara Raje	Rajasthan	BJP	2003-2008
Mamata Banerjee	W.Bengal	Trinamool Congress	2011 – present
Sheila Dikshit	Delhi	Congress	1998-present
Rabri Devi	Bihar	RJD	1997—1999, 1999—2000, 2000—2005
Rajinder Kaur Bhattal	Punjab	Congress	April 1996 to February 1997
Mayawati	Uttar Pradesh	BSP	13 June 1995 – 18 October 1995, 21 March 1997 – 21 September 1997, 2002–2003, 2007–2012
J Jayalalithaa	Tamilnadu	AIADMK	1991–1996, 14 May 2001 – 16 September 2001, 2002–2006, 2011 – present
Janaki Ramachandran	Tamilnadu	AIADMK	7 to 30 January 1988
Syeda Anwara Taimur	Assam	Congress	December 1980 to June 1981
Shashikala Kakodkar	GOA	Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party	12 August 1973 to 27 April 1979
Nandini Satpathy	Orissa	Congress	June 1972 to December 1976 & August 1973 to April 1979
Sucheta Kriplani	Uttar Pradesh	Congress	October 1963 to May 1967

Facts about female chief ministers of Indian States

• Sucheta Kriplani is the first woman to be chief minister of any state in India.
• Syeda Anwara Taimur is the first muslim female who became the chief minister.
• J. Jayalalithaa is a film actress who became CM.
• Mayawait is the first dalit CM of any Indian state.
• Mamata Banerjee became CM after uprooting 34 year old Left front rule in the state.
• Vasundhara Raje belongs to royal Maratha Scindia family.
• Sheila Dikshit is the only woman chief minister to lead a government for a third consecutive term.
• Rajinder Kaur Bhattal is the first and only Female CM of Punjab till date.
• Janaki Ramachandran was CM only for 23 days.
• Shashikala Kakodkar is the first female CM of GOA.

Republic day is celebrated every year on January 26. This day is decreed as National holiday since January 26, 1950. Indian became free on August 15, 1945 as was declared as Sovereign, Democratic and Republic State with the adoption of constitution of India in 1950. 

India is celebrating its 64th Republic Day in the year 2013. Chief guest of Republic day 2013 is Sultan of Oman, Qaboos bin Said Al Said. AS every year, this year too Republic day will be celebrated in a grand way all around the country. On Republic Day, flag hoisting ceremonies accompanied by armed forces is held in all parts of the Country. The Republic Day Parade in Delhi is presided over by the President of India. The Prime Minister of India, lays a wreath at Amar Jawan Jyoti at India Gate every year. By this, the Nation pays respect to all the members of the Armed Forces who sacrificed their lives for the country. This is followed by 21 gun salute and thereafter the National flag is unfurled. 

Republic day is celebrated every year on January 26. This day is decreed as National holiday since January 26, 1950. Indian became free on August 15, 1945 and was declared as Sovereign, Democratic and Republic State with the adoption of constitution of India in 1950. 

India is celebrating its 64th Republic Day in the year 2013. Chief guest of Republic day 2013 is Sultan of Oman, Qaboos bin Said Al Said. As every year, this year too Republic day will be celebrated in a grand way all around the country.

On Republic Day, flag hoisting ceremonies accompanied by armed forces is held in all parts of the Country. The Republic Day Parade in Delhi is presided over by the President of India.

The Prime Minister of India, lays a wreath at Amar Jawan Jyoti at India Gate every year.By this, the Nation pays respect to all the members of the Armed Forces who sacrificed their lives for the country. This is followed by 21 gun salute and thereafter the National flag is unfurled.

Republic Day Chief Guests:

Year	Guest Name	Country
1950	President Sukarno	Indonesia
1951	–
1952	–
1953	–
1954	King Jigme Dorji Wangchuck	Bhutan
1955	Governor General Malik Ghulam Muhammad	Pakistan
1956	–
1957	–
1958
1959	–
1960	President Kliment Voroshilov	USSR
1961	Queen Elizabeth II	United Kingdom
1962	–
1963	King Norodom Sihanouk	Cambodia
1964	–
1965	Food and Agriculture Minister Rana Abdul Hamid	Pakistan
1966	–
1967	–
1968	Prime Minister Alexei Kosygin	USSR
	President Josip Broz Tito	SFR Yugoslavia
1969	Prime Minister of Bulgaria Todor Zhivkov	Bulgaria
1970	–
1971	President Julius Nyerere	Tanzania
1972	Prime Minister Seewoosagur Ramgoolam	Mauritius
1973	President Mobutu Sese Seko	Zaire
1974	President Josip Broz Tito	SFR Yugoslavia
	Prime Minister Sirimavo Ratwatte Dias Bandaranaike	Sri Lanka
1975	President Kenneth Kaunda	Zambia
1976	Prime Minister Jacques Chirac	France
1977	First Secretary Edward Gierek	Poland
1978	President Patrick Hillery	Ireland
1979	Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser	Australia
1980	President Valéry Giscard d'Estaing	France
1981	President José López Portillo	Mexico
1982	King Juan Carlos I	Spain
1983	President Shehu Shagari	Nigeria
1984	King Jigme Singye Wangchuck	Bhutan
1985	President Raúl Alfonsín	Argentina
1986	Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou	Greece
1987	President Alan García	Peru
1988	President Junius Jayewardene	Sri Lanka
1989	General Secretary Nguyen Van Linh	Viet Nam
1990	Prime Minister Anerood Jugnauth	Mauritius
1991	President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom	Maldives
1992	President Mário Soares	Portugal
1993	Prime Minister John Major	United Kingdom
1994	Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong	Singapore
1995	President Nelson Mandela	South Africa
1996	President Dr. Fernando Henrique Cardoso	Brazil
1997	Prime Minister Basdeo Panday	Trinidad and Tobago
1998	President Jacques Chirac	France
1999	King Birendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev	Nepal
2000	President Olusegun Obasanjo	Nigeria
2001	President Abdelaziz Bouteflika	Algeria
2002	President Cassam Uteem	Mauritius
2003	President Mohammed Khatami	Iran
2004	President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva	Brazil
2005	King Jigme Singye Wangchuck	Bhutan
2006	King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz al-Saud[	Saudi Arabia
2007	President Vladimir Putin	Russia
2008	President Nicolas Sarkozy	France
2009	President Nursultan Nazarbayev	Kazakhstan
2010	President Lee Myung Bak	Republic of Korea
2011	President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono	Indonesia
2012	Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra	Thailand
2013	King of Bhutan Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck	Bhutan

 

Most Densely Populated States In India

S.No.	States	Population Density per sqaure km
1	Bihar	1,102.4
2	West Bengal	1,029.2
3	Kerala	859.1
4	Uttar Pradesh	689
5	Haryana	573.4
6	Tamil Nadu	554.7
7	Punjab	550.1
8	Jharkhand	441.5
9	Assam	396.8
10	Goa	393.8

Largest States of India in Terms of Area

S. No.	States	Area
1	Rajasthan	342,269 km2
2	Madhya Pradesh	308,252 km2
3	Maharashtra	307,713 km2
4	Andhra Pradesh	275,045 km2
5	Uttar Pradesh	243286 km2
6	Jammu & Kashmir	222,236 km2
7	Gujarat	196,024 km2
8	Karnataka	191,791 km2
9	Orrissa	155,820 km2
10	Chhattisgarh	135,194 km2

GK India: Festivals

1. The Jewish festival of lights is
   (a) Nikkahanu
   (b) Hanuhakk
   (c) Hakukkah
   (d) Hanukkah
   Answer: Hanukkah
2. The Festival of Shivratri comes in
   (a) Dec-Jan
   (b) Jul-Aug
   (c) Feb-Mar
   (d) Apr-May
   Answer: Feb-Mar
3. The Festival of Baisakhi comes in
   (a) Apr
   (b) Feb
   (c) Mar
   (d) Jan
   Answer: Apr
4. The Festival of Naag Panchami comes in
   (a) May - Jun
   (b) Sep - Oct
   (c) Jan -Feb
   (d) Jul - Aug
   Answer: Jul - Aug
5. The Festival of Onam comes in
   (a) Aug-Sep
   (b) Jun-Jul
   (c) Oct-Nov
   (d) Jan-Feb
   Answer: Aug-Sep
6. The Festival of Janmashtami comes in
   (a) Jan-Feb
   (b) Jun-Jul
   (c) Aug-Sep
   (d) Oct-Nov
   Answer: Aug-Sep
7. The Festival of Ganesh Chathurti comes in
   (a) Nov
   (b) Jul
   (c) May
   (d) Aug- Sep
   Answer: Aug- Sep
8. The Festival of Dusshehra comes in
   (a) Jul - Aug
   (b) Sep - Oct
   (c) Nov - Dec
   (d) May - Jun
   Answer: Sep - Oct
9. The Festival of Ramzan comes in
   (a) Jan - Dec
   (b) Jun - Jul
   (c) Oct - Nov
   (d) Aug - Sep
   Answer: Oct - Nov
10. Which of the following combination of the states and the festivals mainly celebrated there is not correct?
    (a) Rajasthan - Gangaur Teej
    (b) Uttar Pradesh - Krishna Janmashtami
    (c) Maharashtra - Ganesh Chaturthi
    (d) Gujarat - Durga Puja
    Answer: Gujarat - Durga Puja
11. The Festival of Ganesh Chaturthi comes in
    (a) Aug- Sep
    (b) Jul
    (c) Nov
    (d) May
    Answer: Aug- Sep
12. The Festival of Ramzan-Id comes in
    (a) Aug - Sep
    (b) Jun - Jul
    (c) Jan - Dec
    (d) Oct - Nov
    Answer: Oct - Nov
13. In which of the following festivals are boat races a special feature?
    (a) Ranali Bihu
    (b) Navratri
    (c) Onam
    (d) Pongal
    Answer: Onam
14. The fourth Asian Film Festival was held in
    (a) Munmbai
    (b) Goa
    (c) Nagpur
    (d) Pune
    Answer: Pune
15.  What is the name of the festival that ends the fasting month of Ramzan?
    (a) Eid-Ul-Fitr
    (b) Idd-ul-Zuha
    (c) IId
    (d) Bakri ID
    Answer: Eid-Ul-Fitr
16.  Hornbill festival is celebrated in which State of India?
    (a) Nagaland
    (b) Sikim
    (c) Mizoram
    (d) Manipur
    Answer: Nagaland
17. Who among the following introduced the famous Persian festival of Nauroj in India ?
    (a) Firuz Tughlaq
    (b) Ala-ud-din Khilji
    (c) Iltutmish
    (d) Balban
    Answer: Balban
18. At Puhar or Kaveripumpattinam, a great festival described vividly by the Sandam Epics, was held in honour of Lord
    (a) Indra
    (b) Svamimalai
    (c) Venkateshwara
    (d) Murugan
    Answer: Indra
19. In 1893 he started using the traditional religious Ganapati festival to stimulate nationalism among young Maharashtrains?. This passage refers to
    (a) Gopal Krishna Gokhale
    (b) Bal Gangadhar Tilak
    (c) Vishnu Shastri Chiplunkar
    (d) V.D. Savarkar
    Answer: Bal Gangadhar Tilak
20. Which one of the following countries celebrates Christmas festival in summer season ?
    (a) Mexico
    (b) Italy
    (c) Australia
    (d) Canada
    Answer: Bal Gangadhar Tilak

GK India: Largest, Tallest, Biggest, Smallest

1. According to area India is __ largest country in the World.
   (a) 6th
   (b) 3rd
   (c) 2nd
   (d) 7th
   Answer: 7th
2.  Which country is the second largest producer of rice?
   (a) India
   (b) USA
   (c) China
   (d) Canada
   Answer: India
3.  Which state of India has the largest area under forest?
   (a) Rajasthan
   (b) Uttar Pradesh
   (c) Assam
   (d) Madhya Pradesh
   Answer: Madhya Pradesh
4. Which is the largest state in India?
   (a) Uttar Pradesh
   (b) Rajasthan
   (c) Andhra Pradesh
   (d) Madhya Pradesh
   Answer: Rajasthan
5. Located in India it is largest residential university in Asia. Name it.
   (a) Banaras Hindu University
   (b) Anna University
   (c) The Utkal University
   (d) Jawaharlal Nehru University
   Answer; Banaras Hindu University
6. Name the largest freshwater lake in India?
   (a) Chilka Lake
   (b) Powai Lake
   (c) Wular Lake
   (d) Dal Lake
   Answer; Wular Lake
7. Name the largest freshwater lake in India?
   (a) Dal Lake
   (b) Powai Lake
   (c) Wular Lake
   (d) Chilka Lake
   Answer: Wular Lake
8. Which is the smallest state in India?
   (a) Goa
   (b) Nagaland
   (c) Orissa
   (d) Kerala
   Answer: Goa
9.  Largest nandi in India is found at
   (a) Sun Temple
   (b) Lakshmi Venkatesha Temple Manel
   (c) Leepakshi Temple
   (d) Chamundeshwari Temple
   Answer: Leepakshi Temple
10.  Largest buddhist monastery in India is at
    (a) Dharmashala
    (b) Tawang
    (c) Sarnath
    (d) Darjeling
    Answer: Tawang
11. Which company is India's largest transporter and marketer of petroleum gas?
    (a) Reliance
    (b) Gail
    (c) ONGC
    (d) HPCL
    Answer: ONGC
12. Smallest state of India is
    (a) Sikkim
    (b) Nagaland
    (c) Meghalaya
    (d) Goa
    Answer: Goa
13. 2nd largest state of India by area is
    (a) Karnatka
    (b) Madhya Pradesh
    (c) Rajasthan
    (d) andhrapradesh
    Answer: Madhya Pradesh
14. Which is India's largest Private Sector Bank?
    (a) ICICI
    (b) IDBI
    (c) HDFC
    (d) UTI
    Answer: ICICI
15. Where is the biggest ship building yard in India ?
    (a) Vishakapatnam
    (b) Tuticorin
    (c) Mumbai
    (d) Chennai
    Answer: Vishakapatnam
16. The largest cantilever bridge of India is
    (a) Chambal Bridge
    (b) None of them
    (c) Mahatma Gandhi Setu
    (d) Howrah Bridge
    Answer: Howrah Bridge
17. The largest city of India is
    (a) Chennai
    (b) Kolkata
    (c) New Delhi
    (d) Mumbai
    Answer: Kolkata
18. The largest lake in India is
    (a) Wular lake
    (b) None of them
    (c) Luni lake
    (d) Sambhar lake
    Answer: Wular lake
19. The smallest state of India is
    (a) Rajasthan
    (b) Himachal Pradesh
    (c) Sikkim
    (d) Goa
    Answer: Goa
20.  Which is the India's largest and the oldest museum?
    (a) Indian Museum, Kolkata
    (b) Salar Jung Museum, Hyderabad
    (c) National Museum, New Delhi
    (d) Allahabad Museum
    Answer: Indian Museum, Kolkata
21. Which is the oldest paramilitary force in India?
    (a) Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP)
    (b) Border Security Force (BSF)
    (c) Coast Guard
    (d) Assam Rifles
    Answer: Assam Rifles
22. Which is the state with largest urban population?
    (a) Kerala
    (b) Goa
    (c) Maharashtra
    (d) West Bengal
    Answer: Maharashtra
23. Which state covers the largest area in India?
    (a) Uttar Pradesh
    (b) West Bengal
    (c) Goa
    (d) Rajasthan
    Answer: Rajasthan
24. Largest Mosque in India is
    (a) Moti Masjid
    (b) Jama Masjid
    (c) Tajjul-Masajid
    (d) Mecca Masjid
    Answer: Jama Masjid
25. The largest state of India is
    (a) Utter Pradesh
    (b) Maharastra
    (c) Rajasthan
    (d) Madhay Pradesh
    Answer: Rajasthan
26. The largest share of India's national income originates in the
    (a) None of these
    (b) Primary Sector
    (c) Secondary Sector
    (d) Teritary Sector
    Answer: Primary Sector
27. The largest revenue in India is obtained from
    (a) Direct Taxes
    (b) None of these
    (c) Excise Duties
    (d) Sales Tax
    Answer: Excise Duties
28. The largest Public Sector Bank in India is
    (a) Indian Overseas Bank
    (b) State Bank of India
    (c) Central Bank
    (d) Punjab National Bank
    Answer: State Bank of India
29. Name the Indian Bank which is having the largest number of branches abroad :
    (a) Bank of India
    (b) Central Bank of India
    (c) Indian Overseas Bank
    (d) State Bank of India
    Answer: State Bank of India
30. Which one of the following is the largest mutual fund organisation in India ?
    (a) Unit Trust of India
    (b) Ind Bank Mutual Fund
    (c) SBI Mutual Fund
    (d) GIC Mutual Fund
    Answer: Unit Trust of India
31. Which of following factors is responsible for the biggest problem faced by India's cotton textile industry ?
    (a) Rising cost of Production
    (b) Competition from handloom sector
    (c) Obsolete machinery
    (d) Falling demand
    Answer: Rising cost of Production
32.  Which of the following is the largest (in terms of profit) Public Sector organisation in India ?
    (a) Bharat Heavy Electricals
    (b) Steel Authority of India
    (c) Bharat Petroleum
    (d) Oil and Natural Gas Commisssion
    Answer: Oil and Natural Gas Commisssion
33. The largest irrigation canal in India is called the
    (a) Upper Bari Doab Canal
    (b) Indira Gandhi Canal
    (c) Yamuna Canal
    (d) Sirhand Canal
    Answer: Indira Gandhi Canal
34.  The largest land holding in India is
    (a) Basic holding
    (b) Co-operative holding
    (c) Economic holding
    (d) Family holding
    Answer: Family holding
35.  Which of the following agricultural holdings have the largest percentage in India ?
    (a) Small holdings
    (b) Medium holdings
    (c) Marginal holdings
    (d) Large holdings
    Answer: Marginal holdings
36.  The largest nationalized bank of India is the
    (a) Reserve Bank of India
    (b) Central Bank of India
    (c) Bank of India
    (d) State Bank of India
    Answer: State Bank of India
37. Which one of the following is the largest mutual fund organisation in India ?
    (a) GIC Mutual Fund
    (b) Ind Bank Mutual Fund
    (c) Unit Trust of India
    (d) SBI Mutual Fund
    Answer: Unit Trust of India
38. The singloe largest donor to India has been
    (a) the World bank
    (b) Kuwait
    (c) the USA
    (d) the USSR
    Answer: the USSR
39. Which of the following states, according to 2001 census, has the largest concentration of scheduled tribes population ?
    (a) Madhya Pradesh
    (b) West Bengal
    (c) Andhra Pradesh
    (d) Bihar
    Answer: Madhya Pradesh
40.  Which of the following states, according to 2001 census, has the largest concentration of scheduled castes population ?
    (a) Uttar Pradesh
    (b) west Bengal
    (c) Madhya Pradesh
    (d) tamil Naidu
    Answer: Uttar Pradesh
41. Which of the following ports was the biggest port during the Mughal Period ?
    (a) Chittagong
    (b) Balasore
    (c) Surart
    (d) Hooghly
    Answer: Surart
42. The country having a largest area under tea cultivation is
    (a) Bangladesh
    (b) U.S.S.R
    (c) Brazil
    (d) India
    Answer: India
43. Which of the following states has the largest representation in the Lok Sabha ?
    (a) Uttar Pradesh
    (b) Madhya Pradesh
    (c) Bihar
    (d) Maharashtra
    Answer: Uttar Pradesh
44. Which of the following states has the largest percentage of reserved parliamentary seats ?
    (a) Madhya Pradesh
    (b) Uttar Pradesh
    (c) Orissa
    (d) Bihar
    Answer: Uttar Pradesh
45. The largest contribution to the total combined annual tax revenue of the Centre, States and Union Territories in India is made by
    (a) Custom duties
    (b) Union Excise duties
    (c) Sales Tax
    (d) Income and Corporation Tax
    Answer: Union Excise duties
46. Next to Hindi, language spoken by the largest number of people in the Indian subcontinent is
    (a) Tamil
    (b) Marathi
    (c) Telugu
    (d) Bengali
    Answer: Bengali
47. The state having the largest population of scheduled castes is
    (a) Uttar Pradesh
    (b) Bihar
    (c) Rajasthan
    (d) Tamil Nadu
    Answer: Bihar
48. Which of the following is the second largest spoken language in India ?
    (a) Telugu
    (b) Punjabi
    (c) Bengali
    (d) Marathi
    Answer: Telugu
49. Largest percentage of revenue is earned by the Government of India from
    (a) Income tax
    (b) Wealth tax
    (c) Excise duty
    (d) Customs duty
    Answer: Excise duty
50. Which of the following states has the largest percentage of reserved parliamentary seats ?
    (a) Orissa
    (b) Madhya Pradesh
    (c) Bihar
    (d) Uttar Pradesh
    Answer: Uttar Pradesh
51. The largest contribution to the total combined annual tax revenue of the Centre, States and Union Territories in India is made by
    (a) Union Excise duties
    (b) Custom duties
    (c) Sales Tax
    (d) Income and Corporation Tax
    Answer: Union Excise duties
52. Which of the following provinces had the largest number of members in the constituent Assembly ?
    (a) Madras
    (b) United Provinces
    (c) Bihar
    (d) Bombay
    Answer: United Provinces
53. The state having largest area of forest cover in India is
    (a) Madhya Pradesh
    (b) Assam
    (c) Arunachal Pradesh
    (d) Haryana
    Answer: Madhya Pradesh
54. Which of the following groups of states has the largest deposits of iron ore ?
    (a) Bihar and Orissa
    (b) West Bengal and Assam
    (c) Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka
    (d) Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra
    Answer: Bihar and Orissa
55. Which of the following foodgrain crops occupies the largest part of the cropped area in India ?
    (a) Rice
    (b) Wheat
    (c) Barley and maize
    (d) Jowar and bajra
    Answer: Rice
56.  Which of the following agricultural products is the largest earner of foreign exchange for India ?
    (a) Tea
    (b) Tobacco
    (c) Sugarcan
    (d) Jute
    Answer: Tea
57. The largest river delta of India is of
    (a) Kaveri
    (b) Ganga
    (c) Mahanadi
    (d) Godavari
    Answer: Ganga
58. The biggest lake in India is
    (a) Sambhar lake
    (b) Wular Lake
    (c) Dal Lake
    (d) Chilka lake
    Answer: Wular Lake
59. Which States has a the largest coastline in India ?
    (a) Karnataka
    (b) Andhra Pradesh
    (c) Gujarat
    (d) Tamil Nadu
    Answer: Andhra Pradesh
60. Which of the following states has the largest nimber of salt lakes in India ?
    (a) West Bengal
    (b) Maharashtra
    (c) Rajasthan
    (d) Gujarat
    Answer: Gujarat
61. The biggest agregation of coral island in India is
    (a) None of these
    (b) Lakshadweep
    (c) Andamans
    (d) Nicobar
    Answer: Lakshadweep
62.  Which of the following is the highest Aravalli Peak ?
    (a) None of these
    (b) Guru Shikhar
    (c) Mt. K2
    (d) Taragarh
    Answer: Guru Shikhar
63. The second largest river basin in India is of the river
    (a) Godavari
    (b) Krishna
    (c) Brahmaputra
    (d) Narmada
    Answer: Godavari
64.  Which of the following is the longest river in India ?
    (a) Godavari
    (b) Ganga
    (c) Narmada
    (d) Brahmaputra
    Answer: Ganga
65. The second largest basin in Peninsular India is
    (a) Krishna Basin
    (b) Godavari Basin
    (c) Cauvery Basin
    (d) Narmada Basin
    Answer: Krishna Basin
66. The largest southernmost single island in India is
    (a) Rameswaram island
    (b) Great Nicobar island
    (c) Car Nicobar island
    (d) Minicoy island
    Answer: Minicoy island
67. Which of the following states in India has the largest area under forests ?
    (a) Kerela
    (b) Madhya Pradesh
    (c) Himachal Pradesh
    (d) Assam
    Answer: Madhya Pradesh
68.  Which state is the largest producer of natural rubber ?
    (a) Tamil Nadu
    (b) Karnataka
    (c) Kerela
    (d) Assam
    Answer: Kerela
69. The largest Zoo in India is at
    (a) Bombay
    (b) Madras
    (c) Kolkata
    (d) Delhi
    Answer: Kolkata
70. Which of the following states in India is the largest producer of teak wood ?
    (a) Madhya Pradesh
    (b) Assam
    (c) Rajasthan
    (d) Maharashtra
    Answer: Madhya Pradesh
71. Which of the following states has the largest average size of agriculture holding ?
    (a) Maharashtra
    (b) Rajasthan
    (c) Punjab
    (d) Tamil Naidu
    Answer: Rajasthan
72. Which Indian state is the largest producer of pepper ?
    (a) Tamil Naidu
    (b) Karnataka
    (c) Andhra Pradesh
    (d) Kerela
    Answer: Kerela
73. The largest coffee growing state in India is
    (a) Tamil Naidu
    (b) Maharashtra
    (c) Kerela
    (d) Karnataka
    Answer: Karnataka
74. Which state is the largest producer of Groundnut ?
    (a) Gujarat
    (b) Maharashtra
    (c) Madhya Pradesh
    (d) Uttar Pradesh
    Answer: Gujarat
75. The largest food crop of India is
    (a) Gram
    (b) Rice
    (c) Wheat
    (d) Maize
    Answer: Rice
76. The largest no. of cattel are found in
    (a) Bihar
    (b) Rajasthan
    (c) Madhya Pradesh
    (d) Uttar Pradesh
    Answer: Uttar Pradesh
77. The maximum edible oil in India is produced from
    (a) Groundnut
    (b) Sunflower
    (c) Rapeseed and Mustard
    (d) Til
    Answer: Groundnut
78. Among the largest milk producing countries in the world, India stand
    (a) Second
    (b) Fourth
    (c) First
    (d) Third
    Answer: Second
79. The largest producer of arecanut is
    (a) Andhra Pradesh
    (b) Kerela
    (c) Maharashtra
    (d) Tamil Nadu
    Answer: Kerela
80. The largest producer of fresh water fish in India is
    (a) Tamil Nadu
    (b) Kerela
    (c) West Bengal
    (d) Maharashtra
    Answer: West Bengal
81. Which state is the biggest producer of cashewnut ?
    (a) Tamil Nadu
    (b) Karnataka
    (c) Kerela
    (d) Andhra Pradesh
    Answer: Tamil Nadu
82. The largest producer of sesamum in India is
    (a) Madhya Pradesh
    (b) Kerela
    (c) Tamil Nadu
    (d) Andhra Pradesh
    Answer: Tamil Nadu
83. Which of the following is the largest livestock in India ?
    (a) Sheep
    (b) Horses and Ponies
    (c) Bafaloes
    (d) Goats
    Answer: Goats
84.  The largest tea producing state in India is
    (a) Karnataka
    (b) West Bengal
    (c) Assam
    (d) Kerela
    Answer: Assam
85. The largest coal deposit in India is in
    (a) Satpura valley
    (b) Damodar valley
    (c) Godavari valley
    (d) Brahmani valley
    Answer: Damodar valley
86. The largest coal producing state in India is
    (a) Bihar
    (b) Madhya Pradesh
    (c) West Bengal
    (d) Orissa
    Answer: Bihar
87. The largest bauxite producer in India is
    (a) Rajasthan
    (b) Orissa
    (c) Madhya Pradesh
    (d) Bihar
    Answer: Bihar
88. Which of the following state is the largest producer of gypsum in India ?
    (a) Bihar
    (b) Rajasthan
    (c) Madhya Pradesh
    (d) Orissa
    Answer: Rajasthan
89. Which state is the leading producer of mica in India ?
    (a) Bihar
    (b) Orissa
    (c) Rajasthan
    (d) Andhra Pradesh
    Answer: Bihar
90. Which state in India is the largest producer of maganese ?
    (a) Madhya Pradesh
    (b) West Bengal
    (c) Orissa
    (d) Bihar
    Answer: Orissa
91. At present, India largest mineral resource is
    (a) Copper
    (b) None of these
    (c) Iron-ore
    (d) Col
    Answer: Col
92.  The biggest oil refinery in India is at
    (a) Digboi
    (b) Koyali
    (c) Barauni
    (d) Mathura
    Answer: Koyali
93. Which is the biggest hinterland port in India ?
    (a) Bombay
    (b) Madras
    (c) Vishakhapatnam
    (d) Kandla
    Answer: Bombay
94. Which of the following major sea ports handles the largest volume of our foreign trade ?
    (a) Calcutta
    (b) Vishakhapatnam
    (c) Marmugao
    (d) Bombay
    Answer: Bombay
95.  Which of the following sea ports is the largest exporter of iron ore from India ?
    (a) Calcutta
    (b) Kandla
    (c) Bombay
    (d) Vishakhapatnam
    Answer: Vishakhapatnam
96. India's largest run off river is
    (a) Godavari
    (b) Ganga
    (c) Narmada
    (d) Mahanadi
    Answer: Ganga
97. The largest quantity of iron ore is exported from India through the ports of
    (a) Calcutta and Bombay
    (b) Vishakhapatnam and Mormugao
    (c) Bombay and Mormugao
    (d) Madras and Vishakhapatnam
    Answer: Vishakhapatnam and Mormugao
98. Which state has the largest length of roads ?
    (a) Uttar Pradesh
    (b) Bihar
    (c) Andhra Pradesh
    (d) Maharashtra
    Answer: Maharashtra
99. Which one of the following is the industry in which the largest number of women are employed in India ?
    (a) Tea
    (b) Coal
    (c) Textiles
    (d) Jute
    Answer: Tea
100. India is a leading producer of
     (a) Meat
     (b) Cheese
     (c) butter
     (d) Milk
     Answer: Cheese
101. The largest industry in India is
     (a) Textiles
     (b) Sugar
     (c) Aircraft
     (d) Ship - building
     Answer: Textiles
102. Which of the following states accounts for the largest share of industrial production and capital investment ?
     (a) Maharashtra
     (b) Gujarat
     (c) West Bengal
     (d) Karnataka
     Answer: Maharashtra
103. Which of the following states in India is the largest in area ?
     (a) Maharashtra
     (b) West Bengal
     (c) Uttar Pradesh
     (d) Madhya Pradesh
     Answer: Madhya Pradesh
104. Which is the largest states in India with regard to population ?
     (a) Rajasthan
     (b) Uttar Pradesh
     (c) Tamil Nadu
     (d) Madhya Pradesh
     Answer: Uttar Pradesh
105. In terms of Area which of the following is the smallest state in India ?
     (a) Sikkim
     (b) Tripura
     (c) Nagaland
     (d) Goa
     Answer: Goa
106. The largest city situated on river Gomti is
     (a) Agra
     (b) Meerut
     (c) Lucknow
     (d) Kanpur
     Answer; Lucknow
107. Which of the following is the second largest spoken language in India /
     (a) Marathi
     (b) Bengali
     (c) Telgu
     (d) Punjabi
     Answer: Telgu
108. The biggest public sector undertaking in the country is
     (a) Iron and Steel plants
     (b) Airways
     (c) Roadways
     (d) Railways
     Answer: Railways
109. Which city in India is the largest according to 1991 census ?
     (a) New Delhi
     (b) Madras
     (c) Kolkata
     (d) Mumbai
     Answer: Mumbai
110. Which state has propotionately the largest area covered by forests ?
     (a) Arunachal Pradesh
     (b) Nagaland
     (c) Madhya Pradesh
     (d) Bihar
     Answer: Arunachal Pradesh
111. Which states account for the largest softwood resources in India ?
     (a) Assam
     (b) Himachal Pradesh
     (c) Tamil Nadu
     (d) Jammu and Kashmir
     Answer: Himachal Pradesh
112. Which of the following is the largest district of Rajasthan ?
     (a) Jaipur
     (b) Jodhpur
     (c) Bikaner
     (d) Jaisalmer
     Answer: Jaisalmer
113. The largest coconut producing state in India is
     (a) Karnataka
     (b) Tamil Nadu
     (c) Andhra Pradesh
     (d) Kerela
     Answer: Kerela

Interesting Facts about India

• India never invaded any country in her last 100000 years of history.
• When many cultures were only nomadic forest dwellers over 5000 years ago, Indians established Harappan culture in Sindhu Valley (Indus Valley Civilization)
• The name 'India' is derived from the River Indus, the valleys around which were the home of the early settlers. The Aryan worshippers referred to the river Indus as the Sindhu.
• The Persian invaders converted it into Hindu. The name 'Hindustan' combines Sindhu and Hindu and thus refers to the land of the Hindus.
• Chess was invented in India.
• Algebra, Trigonometry and Calculus are studies, which originated in India.
• The 'Place Value System' and the 'Decimal System' were developed in India in 100 B.C.
• The World's First Granite Temple is the Brihadeswara Temple at Tanjavur, Tamil Nadu. The shikhara of the temple is made from a single 80-tonne piece of granite. This magnificent temple was built in just five years, (between 1004 AD and 1009 AD) during the reign of Rajaraja Chola.
• India is the largest democracy in the world, the 6th largest Country in the world, and one of the most ancient civilizations.
• The game of Snakes & Ladders was created by the 13th century poet saint Gyandev. It was originally called 'Mokshapat'. The ladders in the game represented virtues and the snakes indicated vices. The game was played with cowrie shells and dices. In time, the game underwent several modifications, but its meaning remained the same, i.e. good deeds take people to heaven and evil to a cycle of re-births.
• The world's highest cricket ground is in Chail, Himachal Pradesh. Built in 1893 after leveling a hilltop, this cricket pitch is 2444 meters above sea level.
• India has the largest number of Post Offices in the world.
• The largest employer in the world is the Indian Railways, employing over a million people.
• The world's first university was established in Takshila in 700 BC. More than 10,500 students from all over the world studied more than 60 subjects. The University of Nalanda built in the 4th century was one of the greatest achievements of ancient India in the field of education.
• Ayurveda is the earliest school of medicine known to mankind. The Father of Medicine, Charaka, consolidated Ayurveda 2500 years ago.
• India was one of the richest countries till the time of British rule in the early 17th Century. Christopher Columbus, attracted by India's wealth, had come looking for a sea route to India when he discovered America by mistake.
• The Art of Navigation & Navigating was born in the river Sindh over 6000 years ago. The very word Navigation is derived from the Sanskrit word 'NAVGATIH'. The word navy is also derived from the Sanskrit word 'Nou'.
• Bhaskaracharya rightly calculated the time taken by the earth to orbit the Sun hundreds of years before the astronomer Smart. According to his calculation, the time taken by the Earth to orbit the Sun was 365.258756484 days.
• The value of "pi" was first calculated by the Indian Mathematician Budhayana, and he explained the concept of what is known as the Pythagorean Theorem. He discovered this in the 6th century, long before the European mathematicians.
• Algebra, Trigonometry and Calculus also originated in India.Quadratic Equations were used by Sridharacharya in the 11th century. The largest numbers the Greeks and the Romans used were 106 whereas Hindus used numbers as big as 10*53 (i.e. 10 to the power of 53) with specific names as early as 5000 B.C.during the Vedic period.Even today, the largest used number is Terra: 10*12(10 to the power of 12).
• Until 1896, India was the only source of diamonds in the world
  (Source: Gemological Institute of America).
• The Baily Bridge is the highest bridge in the world. It is located in the Ladakh valley between the Dras and Suru rivers in the Himalayan mountains. It was built by the Indian Army in August 1982.
• Sushruta is regarded as the Father of Surgery. Over2600 years ago Sushrata & his team conducted complicated surgeries like cataract, artificial limbs, cesareans, fractures, urinary stones, plastic surgery and brain surgeries.
• Usage of anaesthesia was well known in ancient Indian medicine. Detailed knowledge of anatomy, embryology, digestion, metabolism,physiology, etiology, genetics and immunity is also found in many ancient Indian texts.
• India exports software to 90 countries.
• The four religions born in India - Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism, are followed by 25% of the world's population.
• Jainism and Buddhism were founded in India in 600 B.C. and 500 B.C. respectively.
• Islam is India's and the world's second largest religion.
• There are 300,000 active mosques in India, more than in any other country, including the Muslim world.
• The oldest European church and synagogue in India are in the city of Cochin. They were built in 1503 and 1568 respectively.
• Jews and Christians have lived continuously in India since 200 B.C. and 52 A.D. respectively
• The largest religious building in the world is Angkor Wat, a Hindu Temple in Cambodia built at the end of the 11th century.
• The Vishnu Temple in the city of Tirupathi built in the 10th century, is the world's largest religious pilgrimage destination. Larger than either Rome or Mecca, an average of 30,000 visitors donate $6 million (US) to the temple everyday.
• Sikhism originated in the Holy city of Amritsar in Punjab. Famous for housing the Golden Temple, the city was founded in 1577.
• Varanasi, also known as Benaras, was called "the Ancient City" when Lord Buddha visited it in 500 B.C., and is the oldest, continuously inhabited city in the world today.
• India provides safety for more than 300,000 refugees originally from Sri Lanka, Tibet, Bhutan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh, who escaped to flee religious and political persecution.
• His Holiness, the Dalai Lama, the exiled spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhists, runs his government in exile from Dharmashala in northern India.
• Martial Arts were first created in India, and later spread to Asia by Buddhist missionaries.
• Yoga has its origins in India and has existed for over 5,000 years.

Rank of Indian States in terms of Area

Rank	State	Area (in Sq Km)
1	Rajasthan	342269
2	Madhya Pradesh	308252
3	Maharashtra	307713
4	Andhra Pradesh	275045
5	Uttar Pradesh	243286
6	Jammu and Kashmir	222236
7	Gujarat	196024
8	Karnataka	191791
9	Orissa	155820
10	Chhattisgarh	135194
11	Tamil Nadu	130058
12	Bihar	99200
13	West Bengal	88752
14	Arunachal Pradesh	83743
15	Assam	78550
16	Jharkhand	74677
17	Himachal Pradesh	55673
18	Uttarakhand	53566
19	Punjab	50362
20	Haryana	44212
21	Kerala	38863
22	Meghalaya	22720
23	Manipur	22347
24	Mizoram	21081
25	Nagaland	16579
26	Tripura	10491.69
27	Sikkim	7096
28	Goa	3702

Highest, Biggest, Longest, Largest, Deepest in the World

Airliner, Largest: Boeing 747
Animal, Tallest: Giraffe
Animal, Fastest: The Peregerine Falcon
Archipelago, Largest: Indonesia
Bird, Fastest: Swift
Bird, Largest: Ostrich
Bird, Smallest: Humming Bird   
Bridge, Longest Railway: Huey P. Long Bridge (U.S.A.)
Building, Tallest in Asia: The Connaught Centre in Hong Kong (195 metres tall; has 46 floors)
Building, Highest in the world: Sears Tower in Chicago (440-metre high. It is a 110-storey tower which is nearly 60 metres taller than the Empire State building in New York)
Canal, Longest, small ship: Beloye (White Sea) Baltic Canal (CIS) 226 km long
Canal, Longest, big ship: Suez Canal (U.A.R.) (161 km)
Canalised System, Longest: Volga-Baltic Canal (2960 km)
Capital, Highest: Lhasa (Before domination of Tibet by China) 3684 metres above sea-level
City, Highest: Wenchuan (China) 5,100 metres above sea-level La Paz (capital of Bolivia) stands at an altitude of 3632 metres above sea-level
City, Largest in population: Shanghai  followed by: Tokyo, New York, Beijing, London and Moscow
Conference Hall, World’s Highest: At Nathu-La Pass on Indo-China border in Sikkim
Continent, Largest: Asia
Continent, Smallest: Australia
Coral Formation, Largest: The Great Barrier Reef (North-east coast of Australia)
Country, Largest in Population: China  followed by India
Country, Largest (in area): Russia
Country (with largest electorate): India.
Creature, Largest: Blue Whale is the largest creature in the world today. It can grow up to a weight of 150 tonnes.
Dam, Highest: The Grande (Switzerland)
Day, Longest: June 21 (in Northern Hemisphere)
Day, Shortest: Dec 22 (in Northern Hemisphere)
Delta, Largest: The world’s largest delta is that created by the Ganges and Brahmaputra in  Bangladesh and West Bengal, India.
Desert, Largest  (in the world): Sahara (Africa)
Desert, Largest (in Asia): Gobi (Mongolia)
Diamond, Largest: The Cullinan (over 1½  lb.)
Dome, Largest: “Astrodome” in Housten, Texas (U.S.A.); outside dia: 216 metres and inside 196 metres. (The largest dome in India is Gol Gumbaz (Bijapur) 44 metres in Dia.)
Employer, Largest of India: Indian Railways
Epic, Longest: Mahabharata
Forest, Largest: Coniferous forest of Northern Russia
Gulf, Largest: Gulf of Mexico
Highest Motorable Road: Khardungla-Leh-Manali sector 5682 Mt
Highest Non-military Airport: Leh 3256 Mt
Island, Largest: Greenland
Islands, Largest (Group of): Malaya Archipelago
Lake, Largest Artificial: Lake Mead (Boulder Dam)
Lake, Deepest: Baikal (Siberia); average depth 701 metres
Lake, Highest: Titicaca (Bolivia) 3854 metres above sea level
Lake, Largest Fresh Water: Superior (50,200 sq km)
Lake, Largest Salt Water: Caspian Sea (26 metres below sea-level)
Largest Crater of India: The Lonar in Vidharba region of Maharashtra
Largest Inland Waterway of India: Kerala
Largest Barrage of India: Farakka 224 mt
Largest Stadium of India: Salt Lake Stadium Kolkata, 1,20,00 capacity
Largest Tribe of India: Gond
Largest Library of India: National Library Kolkata
Largest Exhibition Ground  of India: Pragati Maidan, New Delhi 150 Acres
Largest Ocean Island of India: Middle Andaman
Largest River Basin of India: Ganga Basin
Largest Estuary: at the mouth of the river Hooghly
Library, Largest: United States Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. (more than 59,000,000 items).
Longest Ropeway in India: connecting Joshimath in Uttranchal 4.15 km long
Longest Train in India: Prayag Express running between Delhi and Allahabad (24 bogies)
Longest Road Tunnel in India: Chiplin—Koya Nagar, Maharashtra 1 km long
Longest National Highway of India: NH-7, 2369 km
Longest Cave of India: Krem um Kwan Jaintia Hills, Meghalaya
Mountain Peak, Highest in the world: Everest (Nepal)
Mountain Peak, Highest in India: Godwin Austen (8,611 m)
Mountain Peak, Highest in Africa: Kilimanjaro (5,888 m)
Mountain Peak, Highest in Europe: Elbruz (5,633 m )
Mountain Range, Highest: Himalayas
Mountain Range, Longest: Andes (S. America), 8,800 km in length
Museum, Largest: American Museum of Natural History, New York city. It comprises 19 inter-connected buildings with 23 acres of floor space.
Nuclear Reactor, Biggest: France
Ocean, Deepest and Biggest: The Pacific
Palace, Biggest: Vatican
Park, Largest: Wood Buffalo National Park in Alberta Canada. Area : 28260 sq km.
Peninsula, Largest: Arabia
Pilot, Youngest of India: Capt Nivedita Bhasin, at age 26 in 1990 became youngest pilot to command a jet aircraft
Place, Coldest: Verkhoyansk (Russia); Temperature 85° below zero
Place, Dryest: Death Valley (California); rainfall 1.5 inch
Place, Hottest: Azizia (Libya, Africa 58°C (136°F)
Place, Rainiest: Cheerapunji (Meghalaya, India)
Planet, Biggest: Jupiter
Planet, Brightest: Venus
Planet, Farthest (from the sun): Pluto
Planet, Nearest (to the sun): Mercury
Planet, Smallest: Mercury
Planetarium, biggest: Tsukuba, Japan
Plateau, Highest: Pamir (Tibet)
Platform, Longest: Kharagpur platform in West Bengal (India)
Railway, Longest: Trans-Siberian Railway (9,600 km long)
Railway Station, Largest: Grand Central Terminal, New York City, covers 48 acres. On an average more than 550 trains and 180,000 people per day use it.
River, Longest: Nile (6,679 km)
Sea-bird, Largest: Albatross
Sea, Largest: South China Sea
Star, Brightest: Sirius (also called Dog Star)
Statue, Tallest : “Motherland” an enormous female figure on Mamayev Hill, outside Volgagrad (Russia).
Swimming Course, Longest recognised: English Channel
Tallest TV Tower of India: Rameshwaram, T.N. 1000 feet
Telescope, Largest Radio: The world’s largest and most sensitive radio telescope, Y-shaped with each arm 21 km long with 27 mobile antennae on rails, built in New Mexico (USA).
Telescope, Largest Solar: Kit Peak National Observatory, Arizona USA
Telescope, Largest Reflector: Mount Semirodriki, in the Caucasus  (CIS)
Telescope, Largest Refractor: Yerkes Observatory, Wisconsin (USA)
Tunnel, Longest Railway: Secken Tunnel (Japan)
Tunnel, Longest Road: St Gothard tunnel in Switzerland (16.32 km)
Village, Highest: Andean (Chile) 5334 metres above sea-level
Volcano, Highest: Cotopaxi (Andes, Ecuador)
Volcano, Largest: Mauna Lea (Hawaii); crater
Wall, Longest: Great Wall of China (2400 km)
Water Falls, Greatest in the world: Victoria Falls on river Zambesi (Zambia) 1700 metres wide
Waterfall, Highest: Angel (Venezuela)
Water, Lowest body of: Dead Sea

Seven Wonders of the Ancient World
(1) The Pyramids of Egypt; (2) the Hanging Gardens of Babylon; (3) the temple of Artemis at Ephesus; (4) the statue of Zeus at Olympia; (5) the mausoleum at Halicarnassus; (6) the Colossus of Rhodes; (7) The Pharos (Lighthouse) at Alexandria.

Seven Wonders of the Mediaeval World
The Colosseum of Rome; (2) the Great Wall of China; (3) the Procelain Tower of Nanking; (4) the Mosque at St Sophia (Constantinople); (5) the Stonehenge of England; (6) the Catacombs of Alexandria; (7) the Leaning Tower of Pisa.

SOME POPULAR PLACES IN INDIA

• Agra – The Taj Mahal, Fatehpur Sikri, Agra Fort
• Delhi - Qutub Minar, Red Fort, Jama Maszid, Lotus Temple, Rail Museum, Doll Museum
• Jammu & Kashmir – Patnitop, Vaishno Devi Temple, Shalimar and Nishant Bagh, Dal lake
• Chandigarh – Rock Garden, Rose Garden, Pinjore Garden, Sukhna Lake
• Himachal Pradesh – Shimla, Dalhousie, Kullu & Manali
• Gangtok – Kanchenjunga National Park, Tsomgo lake, monastries
• Uttaranchal – Dehradun, Massourie, Nanital
• Jaipur – Hawa Mahal, Palace Museum, Sheeshmahal, Jantar Mantar, Chokhi Dhani, other forts and palaces
• Konark – Sun Temple
• Kolkata – Hoogley river, Hawrah Bridge, Eden Gardens, Victoria Memorial Hall, National Library, Rabindra Sarovar, Indian Museum
• Mumbai – Marine Drive, Gateway of India, Prince of Wales Museum, Essel World, Juhu & Chowpatty beaches
• Goa – Beaches, St. Cathedral Church, Mahalakshmi Temple
• Hyderabad – Golconda Fort, Charminar
• Chennai – Marina Beach, St. George Fort, St. Mary Church,  
• Andaman & Nicobar Islands
• Lakshdweep Islands