General Knowledge
General knowledge in this exam checks static awareness with a Punjab and India focus: geography, polity, science and institutions. The safest marks come from facts that do not change, not from uncertain current claims.
Core rules
- Punjab state: capital Chandigarh (shared with Haryana); area about 50,362 km²; major rivers Sutlej, Beas and Ravi; Ghaggar is seasonal. It borders Pakistan and the states of Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Rajasthan.
- Institutions: Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana; Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Ludhiana; National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal (Haryana).
- Indian polity: fundamental duties in Article 51A; Directive Principles in Part IV; President is constitutional head; Prime Minister heads the Council of Ministers.
- Science basics: SI unit of force is newton; pH below 7 is acidic; photosynthesis converts light energy to chemical energy.
- Current affairs should be revised from a reliable monthly compilation; do not rely on unverified social media.
Worked example
A question asks which river does not originate in the Himalayas and flows through Punjab only seasonally. Reasoning: the Sutlej, Beas and Ravi are Himalayan-fed; the Ghaggar is seasonal and often identified with the ancient Saraswati. Choosing Ghaggar follows the origin-and-flow clue, not memorised river length.
Traps
Do not confuse Chandigarh as a union territory with a Punjab district. Do not mix PAU with GADVASU. Do not answer current-affairs questions from a single unverified post. Do not assume all Punjab rivers are perennial.