HP Patwari key terms

A former princely state in the Sutlej valley of present-day Mandi and Kullu districts, merged into Himachal Pradesh in 1948. Its capital was Sundernagar, and it is remembered for the Suket Satyagraha of 1948.

A former princely state in the upper Sutlej valley with its capital at Rampur. Also called Bashahr, it was among the largest Shimla Hill states and was fully merged into Himachal Pradesh in 1948.

An ancient hill fort above the Banganga river near Kangra town, held by the Katoch rulers for centuries. It withstood many sieges, including Mahmud of Ghazni's, and was damaged by the 1905 Kangra earthquake.

The ruling family of the erstwhile Kangra state, tracing descent to ancient Trigarta. The Katochs built and defended Kangra Fort and were among the most prominent Rajput houses of the western Himalaya.

An ancient kingdom corresponding roughly to present-day Kangra and Jalandhar, mentioned in Sanskrit epics. Its name refers to three river valleys, and it is often linked with the Katoch rulers of Kangra.

A week-long festival held at Dhalpur ground in Kullu, beginning on Vijayadashami. Village deities are carried there in palanquins, and the international fair attached to it is a major cultural and tourist event.

A week-long fair held in Chamba town in July or August, celebrating the maize crop. Devotees offer minjar, silk tassels of maize, to the river and local deities, and the event features processions and cultural performances.

A traditional folk dance of Himachal Pradesh performed in circles to drum and song, especially at fairs and weddings. The Sirmauri Nati is the best known variety, and a Guinness record was set for mass Nati in 2016.

A woven earthen fire pot carried under the clothes in Himachal Pradesh to provide warmth in winter. Kangri use is common in Kangra and surrounding areas, and the word also gives Kangra its popular name.

The group of princely states in the Shimla hills, including Keonthal, Baghal, Jubbal, and Bashahr, under British paramountcy. Most merged into Himachal Pradesh between 1948 and 1950 after the Praja Mandal agitations.

A popular agitation in the princely hill states demanding civil rights and representative government. Led largely by educated middle-class leaders, it contributed to the merger of these states into Himachal Pradesh after 1947.

The first Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh, in office from 1952 to 1956 and again from 1963 to 1977. Known as the architect of the state, he championed its full statehood, achieved in 1971.

The 1971 enactment by which Himachal Pradesh, previously a Union Territory, became the eighteenth state of India on 25 January 1971. It was the culmination of decades of political demand led by Y.S. Parmar.

A major earthquake on 4 April 1905 that devastated Kangra town and surrounding areas, killing an estimated twenty thousand people. It damaged Kangra Fort and led to the rebuilding of Kangra on a new plan.

A Himalayan range rising steeply north of the Kangra valley and south of the Chamba region. Its peaks exceed four thousand metres, and it forms a dramatic backdrop to Dharamshala and McLeod Ganj.

A Himalayan range running through Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir, separating the Chenab and Ravi drainages. It includes the Rohtang and Sach Passes and forms part of the state's southern mountain barrier.

A high mountain pass on the eastern Pir Panjal range, linking Kullu with Lahaul and Spiti. At about 3,978 metres, it is a major tourist route and remains snowbound for much of the winter.

A major river of Himachal Pradesh rising near Rohtang Pass and flowing through Kullu and Mandi before entering Punjab. It is a tributary of the Sutlej and is central to the state's hydel power and irrigation.

The longest river flowing through Himachal Pradesh, entering near Shipki La and crossing Kinnaur, Shimla, and Bilaspur districts. It supports major hydel projects such as Bhakra and Nathpa Jhakri.

A concrete gravity dam on the Sutlej near Bilaspur, completed in 1963, creating the Gobind Sagar reservoir. It is one of India's tallest dams and supplies irrigation and hydroelectric power to several states.

The generation of electricity from the state's fast-flowing rivers, which makes Himachal a leading hydropower producer in India. Major projects include Nathpa Jhakri, Karcham Wangtoo, and Pandoh.

A high-altitude cold desert district of Himachal Pradesh beyond the Rohtang Pass, bordering Tibet. It is known for sparse rainfall, Buddhist monasteries such as Key, and the annual Ladarcha fair.

The introductory statement of the Indian Constitution declaring the source of authority as the people and listing the objectives of justice, liberty, equality, and fraternity. It has been amended once, in 1976, to add socialist, secular, and integrity.

Guidelines in Part IV of the Indian Constitution directing the state toward social and economic welfare. They are not enforceable in courts but are fundamental in governance, and Article 37 declares this.

Eleven obligations of citizens listed in Article 51A of the Indian Constitution, added by the 42nd Amendment in 1976. They include respecting the Constitution, protecting the environment, and developing scientific temper.

A constitutional provision that gave Jammu and Kashmir special autonomous status, abrogated in August 2019. It had restricted Parliament's legislative power over the state and allowed its own constitution.

A 1992 amendment that gave constitutional status to Panchayati Raj institutions by adding Part IX and the Eleventh Schedule. It mandated three-tier panchayats, reservations, and a State Election Commission.

The system of local self-government at village, block, and district levels in India. It is governed by Part IX of the Constitution and is important in Himachal Pradesh, where panchayats manage many rural services.

A 1919 law allowing detention without trial for suspected sedition, which sparked nationwide protests. Gandhi called for a hartal, and the unrest led to the Jallianwala Bagh massacre in Amritsar.

The killing of hundreds of unarmed Indians at Amritsar on 13 April 1919, when troops fired on a gathering protesting the Rowlatt Act. It galvanized the freedom movement and discredited British rule.

A mass movement launched by Gandhi in 1920 calling for boycott of British institutions, courts, schools, and goods. It was withdrawn in 1922 after the Chauri Chaura violence and marked the entry of masses into politics.

Gandhi's 1930 march to Dandi to break the British salt law, launching civil disobedience. It drew wide participation, including from hill regions, and led to the Gandhi-Irwin Pact.

The 1942 movement demanding immediate British withdrawal from India, launched after Gandhi's Bombay resolution. The British arrested leaders en masse, and it became the last major mass campaign of the freedom struggle.

The gap between a government's total expenditure and its total receipts, excluding borrowings. It measures how much the government must borrow and is a key indicator watched in Union and state budgets.

The interest rate at which the Reserve Bank of India lends short-term funds to commercial banks against securities. Changes in it influence borrowing costs, inflation, and liquidity in the economy.

The Goods and Services Tax, a destination-based indirect tax on supply of goods and services, introduced in India in July 2017. It replaced many central and state taxes and is administered by the GST Council.

The process by which green plants use sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide to make glucose and release oxygen. It occurs in chloroplasts and is the basis of most food chains on Earth.

The green pigment in plants that absorbs light energy for photosynthesis. It is found in chloroplasts and reflects green light, which is why leaves appear green.

The process by which living cells release energy from glucose, using oxygen in aerobic respiration and producing carbon dioxide and water. It is the reverse of photosynthesis in terms of gas exchange.

A way of expressing a number as a fraction of one hundred, denoted by the percent sign. It is used in aptitude problems involving profit, loss, interest, and data interpretation.

A ratio compares two quantities of the same kind, while a proportion states that two ratios are equal. These concepts are fundamental to solving mixture, partnership, and scaling problems.

Interest calculated only on the original principal for the whole period, using the formula principal times rate times time divided by one hundred. It differs from compound interest, which also earns interest on interest.

A form of logical reasoning in which a conclusion is drawn from two or more given premises. Candidates test validity using Venn diagrams and rules such as all, some, and no.

Reasoning questions that present family relationships, often through coded statements, and ask how two people are related. A family tree diagram is the standard solving method.

A reasoning task in which a sequence of numbers, letters, or figures follows a pattern and the candidate must find the missing or next item. Identifying the rule is the key step.

A word that has the same or nearly the same meaning as another word in a given context. Synonym questions test vocabulary breadth and sensitivity to shades of meaning.

A word whose meaning is opposite to that of another word. Antonym questions in competitive exams check vocabulary and the ability to distinguish precise meanings.

A fixed expression whose meaning cannot be deduced from its individual words, such as 'to let the cat out of the bag'. Idiom questions test familiarity with conventional English usage.

दो वर्णों या शब्दों के मेल से होने वाले परिवर्तन को संधि कहते हैं, जैसे विद्या + आलय = विद्यालय। हिंदी व्याकरण में स्वर संधि, व्यंजन संधि और विसर्ग संधि के भेद बताए जाते हैं।

दो या अधिक शब्दों के मेल से बने संक्षिप्त पद को समास कहते हैं, जैसे राजपुत्र = राजा का पुत्र। हिंदी में तत्पुरुष, कर्मधारय, द्विगु, द्वंद्व, बहुव्रीहि और अव्ययीभाव समास प्रमुख हैं।

शब्द के आरंभ में जुड़कर उसके अर्थ में परिवर्तन या विशेषता लाने वाले शब्दांश को उपसर्ग कहते हैं, जैसे प्र + हार = प्रहार। हिंदी में संस्कृत, हिंदी और उर्दू के उपसर्ग प्रचलित हैं।