Background
The former princely state of Tripura was ruled by Maharajas of Manikya dynasty, and the Unakoti district administration's record traces the State from that rule to the district boundaries it has today. It was an independent administrative unit under the Maharaja even during the British rule in India, though this independence was qualified, being subject to the recognition of the British, as the paramount power of each successive ruler. As per Rajmala, the royal chronology of Tripura, a total of 184 kings ruled over the state before it merged with the Indian Union on October 15 1949. On January 26, 1950 Tripura was accorded the status of a ‘C’ category state and on November 1, 1956, it was recognized as a Union Territory. It gained full statehood on January 21, 1972, as per the North-East Reorganisation Act, 1971. Initially a one district state, it was trifurcated into three Districts w.e.f. 01.09.1970. North Tripura District has since been bifurcated and a new District namely “Dhalai District” was inaugurated on 14.04.1995 with district head quarter at Ambassa; on 21.01.2012 the decision to further bifurcate North Tripura District was accepted and the district “UNAKOTI DISTRICT” was created with its headquarter at Kailashahar.
Kings before the merger, as per Rajmala:
184
Ruling dynasty:
Manikya dynasty
Act under which full statehood came:
North-East Reorganisation Act, 1971
Headquarter of Unakoti District:
Kailashahar
Why it matters for exams: The merger date, the C-category status, the Union Territory stage and the Act under which Tripura became a full State are all examined.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSCBank
In plain words
Rajmala — The royal chronology of Tripura, which the district administration cites for the count of kings.
Princely state — A state ruled by its own hereditary ruler under British paramountcy before it joined the Indian Union.
Background
West Tripura is an administrative district in the state of Tripura in India, and it is the district that holds the State's seat of government. The district headquarters are located at Agartala, which is also the capital of the State. As of 2012 it is the most populous district of Tripura (out of 8). The West Tripura District is bounded by Bangladesh in the north and west, by Khowai district in the east and by Sepahijala district in the south. Total area of the district contracted to 983.63 sq.km after creation of four more new districts in the state of Tripura.
District headquarters:
Agartala
Total area:
983.63 sq.km
District to the east:
Khowai district
District to the south:
Sepahijala district
Why it matters for exams: The capital district of a State, its neighbours and its area after reorganisation are standard State Focus questions.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSCBank
In plain words
District headquarters — The town from which a district's administration works, here the same town as the State capital.
Background
Dhalai is the Tripura district named after the Dhalai river which originates in the District, and it is the only District of Tripura which receives grants from the Union Government under the Backward Regions Grant Fund (BRGF). Dhalai District was created in the year of 1995 by bifurcating North Tripura District and including part of Amarpur Sub-Division of the South Tripura District, keeping in view the administrative exigency of providing development and good governance to the largely Tribal and inaccessible areas. Located in the North-eastern part of Tripura, the District covers an area of about 2312.29 sq km and is mainly located between two hills namely ‘Atharamura range’ and ‘Sakhan Range’. More than 70% area is hilly and forest covered. Major rivers originating from Dhalai are Dhalai, Khowai, Gomati and Manu, and major hills are Atharamura, Longtharai, Kalajhari and part of Sakhan. The District headquarter at Ambassa is located at a distance of about 85 km from the State capital Agartala, is connected through National Highway (NH-44), and a Meter Gauge Railway link has already been established at Ambassa. The District is surrounded by Bangladesh on the Northern and Southern sides. In 2006 the Ministry of Panchayati Raj named Dhalai one of the country's 250 most backward districts (out of a total of 640). An overwhelming 76% of the workers are dependent on agriculture for their livelihood, the practice of Jhum cultivation still continues in many parts of the District, and 25% of the households in the District are classified as Below Poverty Line (BPL).
District area:
About 2312.29 sq km
Hill ranges it lies between:
Atharamura range and Sakhan Range
Distance of Ambassa from Agartala:
About 85 km
Workers dependent on agriculture:
76%
Why it matters for exams: Rivers that originate in a district, its hill ranges and its highway link are standard geography questions on the North East.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSCBank
In plain words
Jhum cultivation — Shifting cultivation, which the district administration says still continues in many parts of Dhalai.
BRGF Backward Regions Grant Fund — The Union Government fund under which Dhalai alone among Tripura's districts receives grants.
Background
Gomati is the Tripura district built around Udaipur, the town that was the capital of Tripura till 1760 A.D. and is popularly known as the city of lakes. The Gomati District with its headquarter at Udaipur was created in the year 2012. As part of the administrative reorganisation the Gomati district comprising Udaipur, Amarpur and newly created Karbook subdivisions was created as a truncated version of the erstwhile South Tripura district. The city is famous for its Mata Tripura Sundari Temple which is situated about 3 km away from Udaipur at Matabari, and the temple is one of the 51 Mahapithasthans of India. The Gomati figures prominently in Tripura's indigenous folklore, culture, religious rites and ritual, so much so that tribal people perform posthumous rites dedicated to their departed near and dear ones on the bank of the river Gomati. Topographically the Gomati district is marked by lush green and fertile Gomati valleys and a towering hill range which straddles the Udaipur and Amarpur subdivisions of the district with its exquisite sculptural works carved on panels of the hills.
District headquarter:
Udaipur
Subdivisions:
Udaipur, Amarpur and Karbook
Temple near Udaipur:
Mata Tripura Sundari Temple at Matabari, about 3 km away
Mahapithasthans of India:
51
Why it matters for exams: A former capital, a Mahapithasthan temple and the subdivisions of a new district are typical State Focus facts.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSCBank
In plain words
Mahapithasthan — One of the 51 seats of the goddess recognised across India, of which the district page counts the Mata Tripura Sundari Temple as one.
Subdivision — An administrative unit within a district in Tripura, below the district and above the block.
Background
South Tripura is the border district of Tripura that carries the State's oldest Border Haat, and its own administration sets out how the district took its present shape. With an objective of administrative decentralization to bring government services close to people, the erstwhile South Tripura District was bifurcated in the year 2011 into the present South Tripura District having its headquarter at Belonia and Gomati District having its headquarter at Udaipur. Total geographical area of the District is 1514.322 Square Kilometers, and as per Data of Census 2011, total population of the District is 4,30,499. The District consists of 3(three) Sub-Divisions, 8(Eight) Rural Development Blocks, 2(two) Municipal Councils and 1(one) Nagar Panchayat. The District has 204.487 KM International Boundary with Bangladesh. Bengali, Kok-Borok and various other native tribal languages are spoken by the people, and farming is the main occupation. The District is connected to the State Capital through National Highway NH – 08, and railway connectivity has been extended to all three Sub-Divisions. Among the places of tourist attraction the administration lists are the Trishna Wildlife Sanctuary, Eden of Bison, Butterfly Park, Bardosh Eco-Park, Bharat – Bangla Maitri Uddyan, Kalapania Nature Park and Island Park. The Border Haat at Srinagar is the oldest Border Haat established in Tripura, initiatives have been taken to set up a Special Economic Zone (SEZ) at Jalefa, Sabroom, and the construction of Feni Bridge at Sabroom is noted as likely to improve trans-border communication with Bangladesh.
District headquarter:
Belonia
Geographical area:
1514.322 Square Kilometers
Population (Census 2011):
4,30,499
International boundary with Bangladesh:
204.487 KM
Oldest Border Haat in Tripura:
Srinagar
Why it matters for exams: The length of a district's international boundary, its administrative units and its border trade facilities are examined in State Focus and economy sections.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSCBank
In plain words
Border Haat — A market on an international border where people of both sides trade, of which the district page calls the one at Srinagar the oldest in Tripura.
Kok-Borok — One of the languages the district page names as spoken by the people of South Tripura.
Background
Sepahijala is the Tripura district where a large number of people have taken rubber plantation as a source of livelihood, and its Collectorate is located by the side of NH-8 and in the vicinity of Bishramganj market and motor stand. The District consists of 3 (three) Sub-Divisions, 7(seven) Blocks, 2(two) Municipal Council and 1(one) Nagar Panchayat. The area of District is 1043.04 sq. km and the population is 5,42,731. The main source of the livelihood of local people is agriculture. Among the important tourist places the district administration names are the Sepahijala Wildlife Sanctuary & Zoo, Neermahal, Buddha Stupa and Kashbeswari Kalibari.
District area:
1043.04 sq. km
Population:
5,42,731
Blocks:
7(seven)
Highway beside the Collectorate:
NH-8
Why it matters for exams: Rubber in Tripura, and the district that holds Neermahal and the Sepahijala sanctuary, are commonly asked State Focus facts.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSCBank
In plain words
Nagar Panchayat — A small urban local body, below a Municipal Council in the Tripura local-government ladder.
Collectorate — The office of the District Collector, from which the district administration works.
Background
The Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region describes Agartala as a strategic gateway connecting businesses to the ASEAN region of over 670 million people. It names the India-Myanmar-Thailand Trilateral Highway, the Kaladan Multimodal Transit Transport Project, the Special Economic Zone at Sabroom, the Maitri Setu bridge and the Integrated Check Post as the initiatives positioning Tripura as a springboard for exports to Southeast Asia. The Ministry frames the State's shift from a landlocked territory to a gateway to the Bay of Bengal as part of the wider change in the Northeast.
Special Economic Zone:
Sabroom
Bridge named:
Maitri Setu
ASEAN population cited:
over 670 million
Why it matters for exams: The Maitri Setu, the Sabroom SEZ and the Kaladan project are named projects that recur in UPSC questions on Act East connectivity.
Kerala PSCUPSC
Background
The Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region and the Chief Minister of Tripura launched Mission Queen Pineapple, a Rs 236 crore convergence-led initiative for pineapple cultivation and value chain development in the State. The Mission is designed as a three-year implementation roadmap and is anchored by the Ministry, in convergence with the Ministries of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Food Processing Industries, Commerce and MSME, along with APEDA, DPIIT, ICAR, CSIR, TRIFED, NERAMAC and the Government of Tripura. A hub and spoke post-harvest ecosystem is to be built, with one central hub near Agartala airport and eight spoke collection centres across pineapple-growing clusters of West Tripura, Khowai and Sepahijala districts, including grading facilities, cold storage, reefer logistics and digital traceability.
Mission outlay:
Rs 236 crore
Spoke collection centres:
8
Districts covered by the clusters:
West Tripura, Khowai and Sepahijala
Why it matters for exams: GI-tagged produce, the convergence model and the hub and spoke design are all asked in agriculture and scheme questions.
Kerala PSCUPSCBank
Background
Under Mission Queen Pineapple, the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region states that nearly 60 per cent of the pineapple plant, at present discarded as waste, would be converted into value-added products through Bromelain extraction, Pineapple Leaf Fibre processing and GI-branded confectionery units. The Mission also provides for the revival of the Nalkata Pineapple Processing Unit through a Viability Gap Funding model, to be implemented by NERAMAC with private partners for commercial-scale processing. The Ministry notes that the Tripura Queen Pineapple has a unique aromatic profile, low-fibre texture and GI-backed distinctiveness, but that farmers continue to receive commodity prices because of weak market integration.
Share of the plant now discarded as waste:
nearly 60 per cent
Processing unit to be revived:
Nalkata Pineapple Processing Unit
Implementing agency for the revival:
NERAMAC
Why it matters for exams: Bromelain and pineapple leaf fibre are specific, nameable products of agro value addition that examiners like.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
NERAMAC North Eastern Regional Agricultural Marketing Corporation — A central public sector body that markets farm produce of the Northeast.
VGF Viability Gap Funding — Government support that makes an otherwise unviable project financially workable.
Background
The Press Information Bureau records that Tripura has more than 1.3 lakh households involved in handloom work, and that the traditional Risa and the Tripura Pachra-Rignai have earned Geographical Indication tag status. The Tripura Risa Textile is rooted in the traditions of the Tripuri tribal communities and is woven on loin or backstrap looms, with weaving led particularly by the Killa Mahila Cluster Level Federation in Gomati district. The Risa is a customary handwoven cloth used as headgear, stole or upper garment for women and is offered as a token of respect to distinguished guests. The Tripura Pachra-Rignai Textile is woven across the tribal belts of Gomati, Unakoti, North, West, South, Sepahijala, Khowai and Dhalai districts.
Handloom households:
more than 1.3 lakh
GI-tagged textiles named:
Risa and Tripura Pachra-Rignai
Federation leading Risa weaving:
Killa Mahila Cluster Level Federation, Gomati district
Why it matters for exams: GI-tagged textiles and the districts they come from are standard art and culture questions in State Focus sections.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
Background
The Press Information Bureau records that Tripura's tea industry comprises 54 estates and 2,755 small growers, and that its sericulture sector supports 15,550 farmers. The same record notes that the Goods and Services Tax on packaged and instant tea was reduced from 18 per cent to 5 per cent, and on silk handicrafts from 12 per cent to 5 per cent. For food processing, the tax on juices including those made from the Queen Pineapple was lowered from 12 per cent to 5 per cent, supporting about 2,848 processing units.
Tea estates:
54
Small tea growers:
2,755
Sericulture farmers:
15,550
Food processing units supported:
about 2,848
Why it matters for exams: Exact counts of estates, growers and farmers make clean figure-based questions for State Focus.
Kerala PSCUPSCBank
Background
The Press Information Bureau records that Tripura, in northeast India, has about 60 per cent of its area under forest cover and about 24 per cent under cultivation. It notes that the State is often called the Daughter of Mother Nature and that its economy relies heavily on agriculture and allied activities. The agro-ecological conditions are described as suited to horticultural crops such as pineapple and jackfruit and other tropical fruits, with the State also a notable producer of tea and strong potential in sericulture.
Share under forest cover:
about 60 per cent
Share under cultivation:
about 24 per cent
Epithet recorded:
Daughter of Mother Nature
Why it matters for exams: Forest cover percentages by state are among the most asked single figures in geography and environment papers.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC