General Knowledge and Current Affairs with Emphasis on Punjab
This section checks broad awareness with a clear Punjab focus: geography, rivers, districts, economy, institutions, sports, awards, schemes and recent state developments. Static facts are predictable; current affairs change, so verify appointments, budget figures and scheme names from official Punjab sources rather than relying on memory.
Core facts
- Punjab currently has 23 districts; Malerkotla was carved out of Sangrur and became the 23rd district in 2021.
- Chandigarh is the capital of Punjab but is a Union Territory and is also the capital of Haryana.
- The name Punjab means “land of five rivers”, but Indian Punjab is drained mainly by the Sutlej, Beas and Ravi. Bhakra dam is on the Sutlej, Pong on the Beas and Ranjit Sagar (Thein) on the Ravi.
- Punjab’s economy is strongly agricultural-wheat, rice and mandi procurement-with industry concentrated in Ludhiana (hosiery, bicycles), Amritsar (tourism, trade) and Mohali (IT and services).
- Key institutions include the Punjab Vidhan Sabha with 117 seats, the Punjab and Haryana High Court at Chandigarh, PPSC for state civil services and PSSSB for subordinate recruitment.
Worked example
A question asks which Punjab district was created most recently. Recall the district list, then the 2021 reorganisation: Malerkotla was notified as a new district, taking the total from 22 to 23. The reasoning is not “largest” or “oldest” but the latest notified administrative change.
Traps that cost marks
- Confusing Chandigarh’s status as a UT with its role as Punjab’s capital.
- Listing Chenab and Jhelum as rivers of Indian Punjab; they belong to the wider historical Punjab.
- Using an outdated district count.
- Treating stale current-affairs material as current; check the date of the source.