Punjab-Specific Knowledge (History, Culture, Geography, Polity, Economy and Current Developments)
Punjab-specific knowledge covers the state's history, culture, geography, polity, economy and recent development. Questions often ask for a region, a historical event, a crop, an industry or a constitutional fact about Punjab.
History and culture
Key markers include the Sikh Gurus, Maharaja Ranjit Singh's Lahore Darbar, the Anglo-Sikh Wars, Jallianwala Bagh (1919), the freedom movement, Partition (1947) and the Punjabi Suba reorganisation of 1966. Culture includes Bhangra, Giddha, boli, Punjabi language and literature, Sufi traditions and fairs such as Hola Mohalla.
Geography and regions
Indian Punjab lies in the north-west and is divided into Majha, Doaba and Malwa. Majha includes Amritsar, Gurdaspur, Pathankot and Tarn Taran. Doaba lies between the Beas and Sutlej and includes Jalandhar, Hoshiarpur, Kapurthala and Nawanshahr. Malwa lies south of the Sutlej and includes Ludhiana, Patiala, Bathinda and Sangrur. The main rivers in Indian Punjab are the Sutlej, Beas and Ravi; the Ghaggar is seasonal.
Polity and economy
Punjab has a 117-member Legislative Assembly, 13 Lok Sabha seats and 7 Rajya Sabha seats. Chandigarh is the shared capital and a Union Territory, not part of Punjab. Agriculture is dominated by wheat and rice, with concerns about groundwater and crop diversification. Ludhiana is known for hosiery and bicycles, Jalandhar for sports goods, and Amritsar for tourism and trade.
Worked example
Question: Jalandhar belongs to which region? Reasoning: Jalandhar lies in the Doaba tract between the Beas and Sutlej. Amritsar is in Majha; Ludhiana is in Malwa. Answer: Doaba.
Traps
Do not place Chandigarh inside Punjab's territory. Do not treat all of Punjab as a single crop zone. Majha, Doaba and Malwa are frequently swapped in options. Keep 1966 as the Punjabi Suba reorganisation year, not 1947.