General Knowledge
Scope
General Knowledge tests static facts about Kerala and India, with emphasis on polity, geography, history, culture and institutions. The Kerala segment is usually more scoring than broad international affairs because the facts are bounded and recurrent.
Core rules
- Kerala was formed on 1 November 1956 under the States Reorganisation Act. It initially had five districts and now has fourteen.
- Capital: Thiruvananthapuram. High Court: Kochi. Legislature: 140 MLAs. Lok Sabha seats: 20. Rajya Sabha seats: 9.
- First Chief Minister: E.M.S. Namboodiripad. Kerala Kalamandalam was founded by Vallathol Narayana Menon.
- Major physical features: Western Ghats, backwaters, Periyar and Bharathappuzha rivers, Vembanad lake.
- National institutions: Supreme Court, Election Commission, Finance Commission, NITI Aayog.
Worked example
A question asks how many districts Kerala had at formation. The answer is five-Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Kottayam, Thrissur and Kozhikode. The current figure of fourteen is a distractor. The reasoning is historical: later districts such as Ernakulam, Palakkad, Malappuram, Alappuzha, Kannur, Wayanad, Pathanamthitta and Kasaragod were carved out later.
Traps
Do not confuse the number of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha seats. Do not apply the current district count to 1956. Keep Kerala-specific institutions separate from national bodies.