Background
The Rose Garden on Jan Marg in Sector 16, Chandigarh, was set up in 1967.
It is named after India's former President, Zakir Hussain.
Chandigarh Tourism says it is home to 1600 varieties of flowers; Incredible India describes it as Asia's largest rose garden, with 50,000 rose bushes.
Besides roses, it has trees of medicinal value such as bel, bahera, harar and camphor.
A new section with a bonsai garden was added in 2003.
The garden is the venue of the annual Festival of Gardens, a major cultural event held in February or March.
Set up:
1967
Named after:
Zakir Hussain, former President
Location:
Jan Marg, Sector 16
Rose bushes (Incredible India):
50,000
Why it matters for exams: Named gardens and the persons they honour are a common general-knowledge question, and this one ties Chandigarh to a former President.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
Zakir Hussain Dr. Zakir Hussain — Former President of India after whom the Chandigarh rose garden is named.
Bonsai Bonsai — The art of growing miniature trees in containers.
Background
Panjab University, earlier named the University of the Punjab, was founded in 1882 at Lahore.
It was the fourth teaching and affiliating university on the Indian subcontinent under British rule.
After Partition and initial dislocation, the University shifted to Chandigarh in 1956.
Its red stone campus was designed by Pierre Jeanneret under the guidance of Le Corbusier.
The campus is spread over 500 acres in Sectors 14 and 25; Sector 14 holds the main academic and administrative building.
Its Central Library is named after Professor A. C. Joshi.
Founded:
1882, Lahore
Shifted to Chandigarh:
1956
Campus:
500 acres, Sectors 14 and 25
Why it matters for exams: Panjab University's Lahore origin and its move to Chandigarh link Partition history with the planned city, a frequent linking question.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
Affiliating university Teaching and affiliating university — A university that teaches on its own campus and also grants degrees to students of colleges attached to it.
Pierre Jeanneret Pierre Jeanneret — Swiss-French architect, Le Corbusier's cousin and partner, who designed many Chandigarh buildings.
INFLIBNET Information and Library Network Centre — A UGC inter-university centre at Gandhinagar that runs library networks for Indian universities.
Background
The Rock Garden of Chandigarh was created by Nek Chand, a former road inspector, who began it in 1957.
He gathered discarded material from the city's streets and worked on a barren forest area near Sukhna Lake, building interlinked courtyards over 12 acres.
The work stayed secret for 18 years, until the authorities learnt of it in 1975; public support saved it from demolition.
Nek Chand was then given a team of 50 artisans, and the garden opened to the public in 1976.
It spreads over 40 acres in three phases, with over 5,000 statues made from terracotta pots, tiles, mirrors, broken bangles and even broken toilet pots.
Nek Chand was born on December 15, 1924, and died on June 12, 2015.
Begun:
1957
Opened to the public:
1976
Area:
40 acres
Statues:
over 5,000
Why it matters for exams: The Rock Garden and its creator are a staple of art-and-culture and 'best out of waste' questions on Chandigarh.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
Nek Chand Nek Chand (1924-2015) — Road inspector turned self-taught artist who built the Rock Garden from urban waste.
Sukhna Lake Sukhna Lake — The lake in Chandigarh beside which the Rock Garden was built.
Background
From 1952 to 1966 Chandigarh was the capital of Punjab, and a Chief Commissioner headed its local administration.
When Punjab was divided, the Centre made Chandigarh a Union Territory under Section 4 of the Punjab Re-Organisation Act, 1966, with effect from November 1, 1966.
Its administration has since functioned directly under the Central Government.
Administrators designated "Chief Commissioner" were appointed up to May 31, 1984.
On June 1, 1984, the Governor of Punjab took over direct administration of the Union Territory as its Administrator, and the Chief Commissioner was redesignated "Adviser to the Administrator".
In January 2025 the Union Home Ministry redesignated the post of Adviser to the Administrator as "Chief Secretary".
The Governor's official residence, Lok Bhavan Punjab, is in Sector 6, Chandigarh.
Union Territory with effect from:
November 1, 1966
Legal basis:
Section 4, Punjab Re-Organisation Act, 1966
Governor of Punjab as Administrator since:
June 1, 1984
Capital of Punjab:
1952 to 1966
Adviser to the Administrator redesignated Chief Secretary:
January 2025
Why it matters for exams: The legal basis of Chandigarh's UT status and the Governor of Punjab's dual role as its Administrator are standard polity questions on Union Territories.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
Union Territory Union Territory (UT) — A territory governed directly by the Centre through an Administrator appointed by the President.
Punjab Re-Organisation Act, 1966 Punjab Re-Organisation Act, 1966 — The Parliament law that divided Punjab and made Chandigarh a Union Territory under its Section 4.
Adviser to the Administrator Adviser to the Administrator, UT Chandigarh — The title given in 1984 to the post earlier called Chief Commissioner; in January 2025 the post was redesignated Chief Secretary.
Lok Bhavan Punjab Lok Bhavan Punjab — Official residence of the Governor of Punjab and Administrator of Chandigarh, in Sector 6.
Background
The Archaeological Sites of Bat, Al-Khutm and Al-Ayn were inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1988. The group of settlements and necropolises dates from the 3rd millennium BCE. The property lies in Al-Dhahira Governorate in north-western Oman, and the core site is in the village of Bat, about 24 km east of Ibri. It is one of Oman's five World Heritage properties and, like the rest, is classed as cultural.
Inscribed:
1988
Period:
3rd millennium BCE
Governorate:
Al-Dhahira
Nearest town:
Ibri, about 24 km west of Bat
Why it matters for exams: Bronze Age sites in the Gulf are asked alongside the Indus Valley trade network, which reached this coast.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Necropolis Necropolis — A large ancient burial ground, usually set apart from the settlement it served.
Background
Bahla Fort, with the oasis settlement around it, was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1987 under criterion (iv), making it the first Omani property on the List. Bahla was the capital of the Banu Nebhan, who dominated the area from the 12th century to the end of the 15th century. The fort and the town wall are built of unbaked mud brick on stone foundations, and the outer wall combines stone with mud brick. The property was placed on the List of World Heritage in Danger in 1988 and removed from that list in 2004 after conservation work.
Inscribed:
1987, criterion (iv)
Tribe:
Banu Nebhan
On the Danger List:
1988 to 2004
Material:
Unbaked mud brick on stone foundations
Why it matters for exams: A property that entered and then left the Danger List is a favourite way to test the two UNESCO lists.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
Danger List List of World Heritage in Danger — A separate UNESCO list for inscribed properties whose values face serious threats.
Background
The Land of Frankincense was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2000 under criteria (iii) and (iv). The serial property brings together the frankincense trees of Wadi Dawkah, the caravan oasis of Shisr or Wubar, and the ports of Khor Rori and Al-Baleed. Frankincense is the resin of the Boswellia sacra tree, and the UNESCO World Heritage Centre calls it one of the most important luxury goods of the ancient world. Khor Rori is a fortified port about 40 km east of Salalah that was in use from the 4th century BC to the 5th century AD. Al-Baleed is a coastal port on the Indian Ocean that was in use from the 8th to the 16th century AD. Caravans carried the resin from the wadis through oases such as Shisr to these ports, from where it was shipped to Mesopotamia, India and China.
Inscribed:
2000, criteria (iii) and (iv)
Tree:
Boswellia sacra
Ports in the property:
Khor Rori and Al-Baleed
Why it matters for exams: The frankincense trade links Oman to the Indian Ocean trade routes that general studies papers cover.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Frankincense Frankincense — An aromatic resin tapped from Boswellia trees and burned as incense.
Background
The Aflaj Irrigation Systems of Oman were inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2006 under criterion (v). The property has five components: Falaj Al Jeela, Falaj Muyasser, Falaj Daris, Falaj Malki and Falaj Khatmein. They represent more than 3,000 aflaj still in use in Oman, and the UNESCO World Heritage Centre says the aflaj still provide 30 to 50 per cent of the country's water use. Water is drawn from groundwater, springs or surface sources and moved by gravity alone through underground and surface channels, with aqueducts and siphons to cross wadi beds. The systems are classified by water source into the Daoudi, Ghaili and Aini types. Shares of water are allotted on a time basis and measured by a sundial, and the flow is directed through sluices.
Inscribed:
2006, criterion (v)
Components:
5 aflaj
Aflaj still in use:
more than 3,000
Share of water use:
30-50%
Why it matters for exams: Traditional water-harvesting systems and their UNESCO recognition are a recurring environment and culture question.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Falaj Falaj (plural aflaj) — An Omani gravity-fed channel that carries water from a source to fields and houses.
Wadi Wadi — A valley or stream bed that carries water only after rain.
Background
Oman accepted the World Heritage Convention on 6 October 1981. The UNESCO World Heritage Centre lists five Omani properties and classes every one of them as cultural, so Oman has no natural and no mixed property on the List. They are Bahla Fort, inscribed in 1987; the Archaeological Sites of Bat, Al-Khutm and Al-Ayn, inscribed in 1988; the Land of Frankincense, inscribed in 2000; the Aflaj Irrigation Systems of Oman, inscribed in 2006; and the Ancient City of Qalhat, inscribed in 2018.
Properties:
5, all cultural
Convention accepted:
6 October 1981
Most recent inscription:
Ancient City of Qalhat, 2018
Why it matters for exams: Country-wise World Heritage counts and the cultural-natural-mixed split are asked in almost every general awareness paper.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
World Heritage Convention Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage — The 1972 UNESCO treaty under which states nominate sites for the World Heritage List.
Background
The Architectural Work of Le Corbusier, an Outstanding Contribution to the Modern Movement is a transnational serial World Heritage property of seventeen sites.
It was inscribed in 2016 under criteria one, two and six.
The sites lie in seven countries: Argentina, Belgium, France, Germany, India, Japan and Switzerland.
The Capitol Complex at Chandigarh is the Indian component of the property.
UNESCO records that it had considerable influence across the Indian subcontinent, where it symbolised India's accession to modernity.
The Complex is the focal point of the plan for the city of Chandigarh and is described as the most complete contribution to the principles of the Athens Charter.
Its exterior spaces use the Modulor, a proportion system based on human scale, and the buildings carry sunscreens, double-skinned roofs and reflecting pools for natural cooling and rainwater collection.
Number of sites:
17
Countries:
Argentina, Belgium, France, Germany, India, Japan, Switzerland
Indian component:
Capitol Complex, Chandigarh
Criteria:
(i), (ii) and (vi)
Why it matters for exams: Candidates are asked which Indian site belongs to the transnational Le Corbusier property and in which year it was inscribed.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
Serial property Multi-site World Heritage listing — A single World Heritage listing made up of several separate component sites.
Modulor Le Corbusier's proportion system — A scale of proportions that Le Corbusier derived from the dimensions of the human body.
Athens Charter Modernist town planning charter — A set of town planning principles adopted by modern architects in the twentieth century.
Background
Kerala's redrawn eco-sensitive map has fully excluded the residential areas of Kuttampuzha in this district, a village of 519.28 square kilometres of which 476.19 square kilometres falls inside the published boundaries.
Ernakulam District came into being on 1 April 1958 by incorporating the Kanayannoor, Kochi, Kunnathunadu, Aluva and Paroor taluks.
A long deliberation at the Kerala Fine Arts Hall, attended by political, social and media figures, was instrumental in the district's formation.
In 1405 AD the provincial king of Perumbadappu shifted his capital from Mahodayapuram to Kochi and came to be recognised as the King of Kochi.
With Dutch support the king succeeded in driving the Portuguese out of Kochi in 1663, and by 1800 the British had taken over the administration.
Sakthan Thampuran, who ruled from 1790 to 1805, was the mightiest of the kings of Kochi, and the Paliathachans of Chennamangalam were chief ministers to those kings for almost 150 years.
The district administration's history page puts the district's mangrove forests at around 465 square kilometres; Thattekkad and Mangalavanam are its two bird sanctuaries, and Ernakulam is Kerala's biggest pineapple producing district.
Formed:
1 April 1958
Taluks incorporated:
Kanayannoor, Kochi, Kunnathunadu, Aluva and Paroor
Portuguese driven out of Kochi:
1663, with Dutch support
Mangrove forests:
Around 465 square kilometres, as the district history page records
Bird sanctuaries:
Thattekkad and Mangalavanam
Why it matters for exams: Kochi's colonial sequence and Ernakulam's formation details are asked in both the history and the Kerala geography sections.
Kerala PSCSSC
In plain words
Paliathachan Hereditary chief minister of Kochi — The title of the Paliath family of Chennamangalam, chief ministers to the kings of Kochi.
Background
Kerala has redrawn its ecologically sensitive area map for the Ghats, cutting the proposed extent to 8,590.69 square kilometres and largely excluding 33 of 123 villages, so the property those hills form is worth knowing.
UNESCO inscribed the Western Ghats on the World Heritage List in 2012 as a natural property.
It is inscribed under criteria (ix) and (x), the criteria for ecological processes and for biodiversity.
It is a serial property of 39 component parts grouped into 7 sub-clusters.
UNESCO records that the Ghats traverse the States of Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Goa, Maharashtra and Gujarat, while the 39 components of the inscribed property itself are spread across four States.
Kerala submitted its revised documents to the Centre on 24 September, following the Union Environment Ministry's seventh draft notification, and the map is on the State Environment Department's website.
Year of inscription:
2012
Criteria:
(ix)(x)
Component parts:
39, in 7 sub-clusters
States the Ghats traverse:
Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Goa, Maharashtra and Gujarat
Kerala's proposed ESA extent:
8,590.69 square kilometres
Why it matters for exams: Serial World Heritage properties, their criteria and the States they cover are a repeated UPSC environment question, and the Ghats are Kerala's own.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
ESA Ecologically Sensitive Area — An area notified for restrictions on polluting and land-altering activity.
Serial property A World Heritage site made of several separate parts — One inscription covering many physically separate component sites.
Background
The Assembly has just sent a new Bill to one of its subject committees, and the committee habit itself is older than the State.
Dewan T. Rama Rao proposed a Legislative Council to the Maharaja in January 1888, and a regulation creating it was passed on 30 March 1888.
The Council had a three-year tenure and 8 members, of whom 6 were officials and 2 non-officials nominated by the Maharaja, with the Dewan presiding.
Its inaugural meeting was held at noon on 23 August 1888 in the Dewan's room, and the First Council of 1888-1891 had 32 sittings and passed 9 recommendatory Bills.
The Select Committee constituted to study and report on Bills marked the origin of the committee system, and the Malayali Memorial was signed in 1891 seeking wider representation.
The Sri Mulam Popular Assembly of Travancore was formed on 1 October 1904 as a body of representatives of landholders and merchants, meeting first on 22 October 1904 at the Victoria Jubilee Town Hall in Trivandrum.
A regulation of 1 May 1905 gave the people the privilege of electing members: of 100 members, 77 were to be elected and 23 nominated, for a tenure of one year.
The franchise was tied to property - annual land revenue of not less than Rs. 50 or a net income of not less than Rs. 2000 - and to graduates of a recognised university of not less than ten years standing.
Regulation creating the Legislative Council:
30 March 1888
Inaugural meeting of the Council:
23 August 1888, in the Dewan's room
Sri Mulam Popular Assembly formed:
1 October 1904
First meeting of the Popular Assembly:
22 October 1904, Victoria Jubilee Town Hall, Trivandrum
Composition after the elective regulation:
100 members - 77 elected, 23 nominated
Why it matters for exams: Kerala PSC repeatedly asks which body came first, who presided over it and when the elective principle entered Travancore's legislature.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Dewan Chief minister of a princely state — In Travancore the Dewan headed the administration under the Maharaja and presided over the early Legislative Council.
Malayali Memorial Petition of 1891 for wider representation — A popular petition seeking greater representation for Travancore's own people in the administration.
Background
The Niyamasabha is in session this week, taking an adjournment motion and fresh Bills, which makes the House's own beginnings worth revisiting.
An integrated State of Kerala emerged from a fusion on linguistic grounds, and the first general elections were held in February-March 1957.
The First Kerala Legislative Assembly commenced on 1 March 1957 with a strength of 127, including the lone nominated member.
Sankaranarayanan Thampi was its Speaker and K. O. Aysha Bai its Deputy Speaker.
On 5 April 1957 the first Communist Ministry, with E. M. Sankaran Namboodirippad as Chief Minister, assumed office.
That Ministry was dismissed on 31 July 1959 and the Assembly was dissolved the same day, after 7 sessions and 175 sittings in which 88 Bills were passed.
The Kerala University Bill, the Kerala Education Bill and the Kerala Agrarian Relations Bill were among them, and the Business Advisory Committee was formed in the same year.
From the Fifth Assembly onward the strength of the House continued to be 141, including one nominated member.
Strength of the First Assembly:
127, including the lone nominated member
Commenced:
1 March 1957
First Ministry assumed office:
5 April 1957
Sittings and Bills passed:
175 sittings, 88 Bills
Strength from the Fifth Assembly:
141, including one nominated member
Why it matters for exams: The first Assembly, its presiding officers and the first Ministry are among the most frequently asked facts in Kerala PSC general knowledge.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Niyamasabha Kerala Legislative Assembly — The Malayalam name of the State's law-making House.
Background
The uniqueness of Puducherry town lies in its skilful town planning and Franco-Tamil architecture. The town is built on the model of a bastide, a fortified French coastal town of the late 18th century. The French flavour survives in grand colonial mansions, boulevards, promenades, the spellings on signboards and buildings and the names of roads and public places. Puducherry is referred to by names such as the Quintessence of French Culture, India's Little France and the French Riviera of the East. The French Consulate is located there, along with cultural organisations of which the French Institute, the Alliance Francais and the Ecole Francais d'Extreme Orient are noteworthy.
Town plan model:
Bastide, a fortified French coastal town of the late 18th century
Architectural style:
Franco-Tamil
Epithets:
India's Little France, The French Riviera of the East
Cultural organisations:
French Institute, Alliance Francais, Ecole Francais d'Extreme Orient
Why it matters for exams: Franco-Tamil architecture, the bastide town plan and the French Institute are standard art and culture questions on Puducherry.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Bastide Fortified planned town in France — A planned, often grid-laid fortified town; Puducherry's street grid follows this model.
Background
Mahe, known in Malayalam as Mayyazhi, is a region of the Union Territory of Puducherry situated on the estuary of the Mayyazhi river and the Arabian Sea. The regional administration describes it as a land titled the Eyebrow of the Arabian Sea, very small in extent, and as a tiny point on the geographical map of Kerala. Mahe lies 630 km away from Puducherry, from which it is governed. It is a former small French territory, and its institutions include an Ayurveda Medical College, the Indira Gandhi Polytechnic College, a Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya, a Kendriya Vidyalaya and the Mahatma Gandhi Government Arts and Science College.
Local name:
Mayyazhi
Distance from Puducherry:
630 km
Location:
Estuary of the Mayyazhi river and the Arabian Sea
Epithet used by the administration:
Eyebrow of the Arabian Sea
Why it matters for exams: Mahe's position inside Kerala, its Malayalam name Mayyazhi and its distance from Puducherry are frequently asked Kerala PSC facts.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Estuary Mouth where a river meets the sea — A partly enclosed coastal water body where river water mixes with seawater.
Background
The culture of Puducherry combines religious, cultural and spiritual fairs and festivals. Among the popular festivals with religious significance are Kinni Radhothsavam at the Kamatchiamman Temple, Masi Magam, Brahmothsavam at the Manakula Vinayagar Temple, Bastille Day on 14 July, the Fire Walking Festival, the annual festival at the Muthumariamman Temple and a 22-day festival at the Drowpathiamman Temple. The International Yoga Festival in January and the Veerampattinam Car Festival are the two famous festivals. In and around Puducherry there are more than 350 temples. As a former French colony, the territory shows French influence in architecture, cuisine and lifestyle, alongside the influence of Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Kerala. Local handicrafts include leather, woodcraft, pottery and metal craft.
Bastille Day:
14 July
International Yoga Festival:
January
Temples in and around Puducherry:
More than 350
Drowpathiamman Temple festival:
22 days
Why it matters for exams: Festivals peculiar to Puducherry, especially Bastille Day and the Veerampattinam Car Festival, are typical art and culture questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Bastille Day French national day, 14 July — Marked in Puducherry because of its French colonial past.
Background
All the regions of Puducherry were under French rule for 138 years. On 1 November 1954 the French possessions in India were de facto transferred to the Indian Union and became a Union Territory. Only in 1963 did Puducherry become officially an integral part of India. Puducherry still has a large number of Tamil residents holding French passports, whose ancestors were in French government service and who chose to remain French at the time of Independence. Apart from monuments of the French period, the territory has a French Consulate and institutions such as the French Institute, the Alliance Francais and the Ecole Francais d'Extreme Orient, along with the Foyer du Soldat for war veterans of the French Army.
Duration of French rule:
138 years
De facto transfer:
1 November 1954
Officially an integral part of India:
1963
French cultural institutions:
French Institute, Alliance Francais, Ecole Francais d'Extreme Orient
Why it matters for exams: The 1954 de facto transfer, the 1963 completion of integration and the French institutions of Puducherry are repeatedly asked in modern history and polity.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
De facto transfer Transfer in practice before legal completion — Administration passed to India in 1954 while the formal legal transfer was completed later.
Background
Puducherry, the Union Territory whose administration is in the news, has a documented history reaching back to the beginning of the common era. Excavations at Arikamedu, about 7 km to the south of the town, show that Romans came there to trade in the 1st Century AD, and the trade included dyed textiles. The territory saw a succession of European powers: the Portuguese, the Dutch, the Danes, the English and the French have all been present. The French first set foot there in 1670, and their undisturbed rule finished in 1954. The name 'Puducherry' is the French interpretation of the original name 'Puducheri', meaning 'new settlement'. By the 18th century the fishing village had grown into a grand port city, and its symmetrically aligned streets and monuments still carry that inheritance.
Distance of Arikamedu from the town:
About 7 km to the south
Roman trade at Arikamedu:
1st Century AD
French arrival:
1670
End of undisturbed French rule:
1954
Meaning of the name:
New settlement
Why it matters for exams: Arikamedu as evidence of Indo-Roman trade and the sequence of European powers in Puducherry are standard ancient history and modern history questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Arikamedu Archaeological site near Puducherry — A coastal site where excavations found evidence of Roman trade contact with South India.
Background
The United Nations lists Egypt's date of admission as 24 October 1945, the same date recorded for the other original members that completed ratification of the Charter, so Egypt is among the founding members of the organisation. UNESCO records Egypt as a member since 1946 and places it in the Arab States region and in Africa Group Vb. UNESCO's country profile for Egypt counts 7 World Heritage Sites, 11 cultural practices and expressions inscribed as intangible heritage, 6 entries in the Memory of the World International Register, 2 biosphere reserves and 8 UNESCO Chairs and UNITWIN networks.
UN date of admission:
24 October 1945
UNESCO member since:
1946
World Heritage Sites:
7
Biosphere reserves:
2
Why it matters for exams: Founding membership of the United Nations and counts of World Heritage Sites are among the most commonly asked country-profile facts.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
UNITWIN University Twinning and Networking Programme — UNESCO's programme of university cooperation, under which UNESCO Chairs are set up.