Background
Zunheboto district was formed on 19th December 1973 and is home to the Sumi Nagas.
It lies in the heart of Nagaland, bordered by Mokokchung and Tuensang districts to the north, Phek to the south, Kiphire to the east, and Wokha and Kohima to the west.
The official district profile gives the town altitude as 1,874m above sea level and lists 167 recognised villages.
The major rivers are the Tizu, Tsutha and Tapu (Doyang), and the important festivals are Tuluni and Ahuna.
The district is known as the Land of Warriors and has the Ghosü Wildlife Bird Sanctuary at Ghukiye Village.
Formed:
19th December 1973
Town altitude:
1,874m above sea level
Recognised villages:
167
Festivals:
Tuluni and Ahuna
Why it matters for exams: Tests Nagaland district formation dates, tribes, rivers and festivals.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
Background
Mon district was carved out of the Tuensang district on 21st December 1973.
It covers 1,786 sq km, which is 10.77% of Nagaland's total area, and ranks as the 3rd largest district in the state.
Its primary inhabitants are the Konyak people, divided into Thendu and Thentho groups, with eight Chief Anghs ruling major villages.
The Census 2011 recorded 250,260 persons, a density of 140 persons per sq km and a literacy rate of 56.99%.
The district has 131 villages and two statutory towns, Mon Town and Naginimora Town, and includes the Singphan Wildlife Sanctuary of 23.57 sq km.
Formed:
21st December 1973
Area:
1,786 sq km
Population (Census 2011):
250,260
Literacy (Census 2011):
56.99%
Why it matters for exams: Tests district formation dates, tribes and Census figures for Nagaland.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
29 September 2026
Culture Minister P. C. Vishnunadh said on 25 September 2026 that the government is considering a special scheme to encourage young documentary filmmakers. He was inaugurating the 18th International Documentary and Short Film Festival of Kerala at the Kairali Theatre in Thiruvananthapuram. The scheme would bring together the Kerala State Chalachitra Academy, film societies, universities and media institutions. The minister said 31 films selected for the festival had not received screening permission and the government is pursuing legal efforts to screen them. Adoor Gopalakrishnan was chief guest.
Festival edition:
18th
Films without screening permission:
31
Why it matters for exams: Kerala's cultural institutions, festivals and film policy are recurring Kerala PSC topics.
Kerala PSC
Background
Nagaland's Hornbill Festival is held at the Naga Heritage Village, Kisama, near the state capital, Kohima. It is known as the 'Festival of Festivals'. The festival is declared open by sounding the Inauguration Gong. The Naga Heritage Village at Kisama houses an Art Gallery and Morungs, the traditional Naga community houses. The Vice President of India inaugurated the 23rd edition of the festival at Kisama on 1 December 2022, alongside the Governor and the Chief Minister of Nagaland, and released a postage stamp to commemorate the festival. Guests at the opening ceremony are felicitated with Tsiiphie, the traditional Naga headgear, and Amula kaxa, a Naga shawl.
Venue:
Naga Heritage Village, Kisama
Known as:
Festival of Festivals
Opening ritual:
Sounding the Inauguration Gong
Why it matters for exams: The venue Kisama, the 'Festival of Festivals' epithet and the Morungs of the Naga Heritage Village are standard art-and-culture questions on Nagaland.
Kerala PSCUPSC
Background
Tuensang is located in the eastern part of Nagaland, bounded by Mon and Longleng Districts in the north and north east, Mokokchung in the northwest, Zunheboto in the southwest, Kiphire in the south, and Myanmar in the east. The whole area of the district is 1,728 sq.km. In the early seventies, at the instance of the Geographical Survey of India in collaboration with the Myanmar Government, 9(nine) RCC pillars touching Tuensang were erected all along the International Border demarcating India and Myanmar. Tuensang town has an average elevation of 1371 metres and is 269 Kms from Kohima via Mokokchung district. It is connected by National Highway 202. The district is inhabited by four major tribes, the Changs, the Yimchungers, the Khiamniungans and the Sangtams, and a sub-tribe, Tikhirs, under the nomenclature of Yimchunger. The most common practice of agriculture is Jhum-Shifting cultivation, and the annual rainfall is 2000mm.
Area:
1,728 sq.km
Boundary pillars:
9(nine) RCC pillars
Elevation of Tuensang town:
1371 metres
Major tribes:
Changs, Yimchungers, Khiamniungans, Sangtams
Why it matters for exams: Tuensang's Myanmar border, the nine RCC boundary pillars and its four major tribes are frequently asked in Northeast geography and tribal-mapping questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
Background
Kiphire district is located in the eastern most part of Nagaland, bordering Myanmar, and is 254 km away from the Capital city Kohima. It is wedged between Saramati, the highest mountain in the state, and the Jingkhu mountains, and is located at an elevation of 896.42 meters above the mean sea level. The district officially recognises three tribes, the Sangtam, Yimchungrü and Sümi, besides several sub-tribes speaking various languages. Its important festivals are Mongmong, observed by the Sangtam during September, Metümnio, observed in the month of August by the Yimchungrü, and Tuluni, observed in July by the Sümi. Fakim Wild Life Sanctuary in the district shelters Blyth’s Tragopan (Tragopan blythii), hornbill and hill peacocks. Apples are grown in abundance in the foothills of Saramati Mountain, and an Apple Festival has become an annual fixture at Thanamir, a frontier village bordering Myanmar.
Distance from Kohima:
254 km
Elevation:
896.42 meters above mean sea level
Highest mountain in the state:
Saramati
Wildlife sanctuary:
Fakim Wild Life Sanctuary
Why it matters for exams: Mount Saramati as Nagaland's highest peak, Fakim Wild Life Sanctuary and the tribe-festival pairings of Mongmong, Metümnio and Tuluni are all standard exam facts.
Kerala PSCUPSC
Background
The Ministry of Culture has informed Parliament that there are 44 World Heritage Properties in the country.
The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) undertakes conservation and maintenance of 3,686 monuments, including 27 World Heritage properties, along with the provision of amenities for tourists such as drinking water, toilet blocks, pathways and landscaping for protected monuments and sites under the ASI's jurisdiction.
The Government has sent two proposals to the World Heritage Centre for consideration for inclusion in the World Heritage List: Ancient Buddhist Site, Sarnath (2025-26) and JingkiengJri / Lyu Charai Cultural Landscape (2026-27).
Conservation and maintenance of these monuments and sites is a continuous process, carried out based on the needs of the monuments and the availability of resources.
World Heritage Properties in India:
44 World Heritage Properties
Monuments maintained by ASI:
3,686 monuments
World Heritage properties under ASI:
27 World Heritage properties
Pending proposals:
Ancient Buddhist Site, Sarnath (2025-26); JingkiengJri / Lyu Charai Cultural Landscape (2026-27)
Why it matters for exams: The current count of India's World Heritage Properties and the ASI's monument numbers are directly asked in culture and governance sections.
Kerala PSCUPSC
Background
The World Heritage Convention is an international agreement created by UNESCO in 1972 and adopted by its member countries to protect important cultural and natural sites.
India became part of this Convention in November 1977.
As of October 2024, there are 1,223 World Heritage Sites across 196 countries, comprising 952 cultural, 231 natural and 40 mixed sites.
India's journey on the List began in 1983 with the listing of Agra Fort, followed by the Taj Mahal, Ajanta Caves and Ellora Caves.
In July 2024, 'Moidams: The Mound-Burial System of the Ahom Dynasty' from Assam was inscribed as a cultural property, and the Ministry of Culture recorded 43 World Heritage Sites for India at that point with 62 more on UNESCO's Tentative List.
The Archaeological Survey of India, Ministry of Culture, hosted the 46th Session of the World Heritage Committee in Delhi from 21st to 31st July 2024, attended by nearly 2900 international and national delegates from more than 140 countries.
Convention created:
by UNESCO in 1972
India joined:
November 1977
Sites worldwide:
1,223 sites across 196 countries (952 cultural, 231 natural, 40 mixed)
India's first inscriptions:
Agra Fort in 1983, then Taj Mahal, Ajanta Caves and Ellora Caves
46th World Heritage Committee:
Delhi, 21st to 31st July 2024
Why it matters for exams: The 1972 Convention year, India's November 1977 accession and the 1983 first inscriptions are staple culture-section facts.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
Background
The Kottayam district administration records that Kottayam Town is the first town in India to have achieved 100% literacy, a feat achieved as early as in 1989.
English education in South India started at the Old Seminary at Kottayam in 1813.
The first printing press in Kerala, the CMS Press, was established there in 1821 by Rev. Benjamin Baily, and the first college in the state, CMS College, was started at Kottayam in 1840.
The maiden printed Malayalam-English and English-Malayalam dictionaries were published from Kottayam in 1846 and 1847 respectively.
The first and only cooperative society of writers, authors and publishers (SPCS) was set up there in 1945, and the district is known as “Akshara Nagari”, the city of letters.
Most of India's natural rubber originates from Kottayam's plantations, and the district is home to the Rubber Board; it was also the first town in India selected by the Ministry of Environment and Forests to be transformed as an Eco City. Former President K. R. Narayanan hailed from Kottayam district.
100% literacy achieved:
1989
CMS Press established:
1821, by Rev. Benjamin Baily
CMS College started:
1840
Dictionaries published:
1846 and 1847
SPCS set up:
1945
Why it matters for exams: Kerala's printing, publishing and education firsts cluster around Kottayam and are asked year after year.
Kerala PSCUPSC
Background
The Kerala Forest Department records that the World Heritage Committee, an independent body of 21 States Parties to the 1972 World Heritage Convention of UNESCO, considered the inscription of forest areas of the Western Ghats on the World Heritage List at its meeting held from 24 June to 6 July in Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation.
The Kerala areas included in the World Heritage Site fall under five sub-clusters. The Agasthyamalai sub-cluster covers Shendurney, Neyyar and Peppara wildlife sanctuaries and the Kulathupuzha and Palode ranges.
The Periyar sub-cluster covers Periyar Tiger Reserve and the Ranni, Konni and Achencovil divisions.
The Anamalai sub-cluster covers Eravikulam National Park, Mankulam Division, Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary, Mannavan Shola and Karianshola; the Nilgiri sub-cluster covers Silent Valley National Park, New Amarambalam Reserve Forests, Kalikavu Range and Attappady Reserve Forests.
The Thalakkavery sub-cluster covers Aralam Wildlife Sanctuary. The department notes that the Western Ghats is recognised as one of the world's eight “hottest hotspots” of biological diversity and is home to at least 325 globally threatened species.
Committee members:
21 States Parties to the 1972 World Heritage Convention
Globally threatened species:
at least 325
Thalakkavery sub-cluster in Kerala:
Aralam Wildlife Sanctuary
Why it matters for exams: Which Kerala protected area sits in which Western Ghats sub-cluster is a recurring matching question.
Kerala PSCUPSC
Background
West Garo Hills district's official history page states that the undivided Garo Hills district was split into West Garo Hills and East Garo Hills districts in October 1976. The erstwhile West Garo Hills district was further divided to create the South Garo Hills district in June 1992. Tura, the district headquarters, is described as the second largest town in Meghalaya after Shillong. The page also records that Nokrek Peak, at 1,412 metres the highest point of the Tura Range, lies about 13 km south-east of Tura.
District headquarters:
Tura
Height of Nokrek Peak:
1,412 m
Split from Garo Hills:
October 1976
Why it matters for exams: The administrative reorganisation of the North-Eastern states' districts, and their headquarters and peaks, are regular fixtures in Kerala PSC and UPSC general studies.
Kerala PSCUPSC
Background
Solapur district's official history page records that the region was ruled successively by the Andhrabhratyas, Chalukyas, Rashtrakutas, Yadavas and Bahamanis. The name 'Solapur' is popularly believed to derive from 'Sola' (sixteen) and 'Pur' (village), from a tradition that the present city grew out of sixteen villages. The page notes that inscriptions from different periods referred to the town variously as 'Sonnalage', 'Sonnalagi', 'Sonalipur' and 'Sandalpur', and that British rulers pronounced it 'Sholapur'. It further records that the present Solapur district was earlier part of the Ahmednagar, Pune and Satara districts, becoming a sub-district of Ahmednagar in 1838.
Name origin (popular belief):
'Sola' (sixteen) + 'Pur' (village)
Became sub-district of Ahmednagar:
1838
Earlier part of districts:
Ahmednagar, Pune, Satara
Why it matters for exams: District etymology and the sequence of historical dynasties that ruled a region are standard recall material in Kerala PSC and UPSC general studies papers.
Kerala PSCUPSC
Background
Nashik district's official history page states that the city was known as Panchavati before the Ramayana period and is situated on the banks of the Godavari River, making it one of the holiest places for Hindus. According to the mythology recorded there, Lord Rama made Nashik his abode during his fourteen years of exile, and Lord Lakshman cut off the nose of Shurpanakha at the same place, which is how the city came to be named Nashik. The page also notes that classical Sanskrit poets such as Valmiki, Kalidasa and Bhavabhuti praised the place, and that the Kumbh Mela is held at Nashik once every twelve years, one of only four places in India where it is held.
River on which Nashik is situated:
Godavari
Ancient name:
Panchavati
Kumbh Mela frequency:
Once every 12 years
Why it matters for exams: The mythological and historical background of pilgrimage towns like Nashik, and facts about the Kumbh Mela, are frequently tested in general knowledge sections of Kerala PSC and UPSC exams.
Kerala PSCUPSC
Background
Kumarakom, in Kerala's backwaters, originated as a cluster of small islands formed by Vembanad Lake, described by the Ministry of Tourism as one of the largest freshwater lakes in India. The Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary, spread over about 14 acres of mangrove and marshy wetland, hosts resident and migratory birds including herons, egrets, kingfishers and Siberian cranes. The Nehru Trophy Boat Race, featuring traditional snake boats called chundan vallams, is held annually in August on Vembanad Lake. Houseboats known locally as kettuvallams, originally cargo vessels, are now used as tourist accommodation on the backwaters.
Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary area:
About 14 acres
Nehru Trophy Boat Race held:
Annually in August
Why it matters for exams: Vembanad Lake, Kumarakom sanctuary and the Nehru Trophy Boat Race are recurring Kerala geography and culture facts in PSC exams.
Kerala PSCUPSC
Background
Guruvayoor Temple, dedicated to Lord Krishna, is described by the Ministry of Tourism's Incredible India portal as the third largest temple in India. Sabarimala, the hill shrine of Lord Ayyappa located in Kerala, receives more than 30 million pilgrims annually, making it one of the most visited pilgrim centres in the country. Kerala is also home to the Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple in Thiruvananthapuram. The state is additionally noted for its religious diversity, being home to India's first-ever church, mosque and synagogue.
Annual pilgrims at Sabarimala:
Over 30 million
Guruvayoor Temple rank:
Third largest temple in India
Why it matters for exams: Sabarimala's pilgrim numbers and Guruvayoor's national ranking among temples are frequently asked static facts in Kerala PSC exams.
Kerala PSCUPSC
Background
The living root bridges of Meghalaya, found mainly in the East Khasi Hills around Cherrapunjee and Nongriat, are grown by the indigenous Khasi people by training the aerial roots of Ficus (rubber) trees across streams over generations. The well-known double-decker root bridge near Cherrapunjee began over 180 years ago, when Khasi elders placed rubber tree roots into hollowed Areca nut palm canes until the roots intertwined across the stream; it was later made two-tiered after a rise in the river covered the original single bridge. India's official tentative list submission for World Heritage status, 'Jingkieng jri: Living Root Bridge Cultural Landscapes', records these structures spread across more than 75 villages of Meghalaya and notes that early 19th century published accounts already described this bridge-building tradition near Cherrapunjee.
Community:
Khasi people
Location:
East Khasi Hills, near Cherrapunjee/Nongriat
Tree used:
Ficus (rubber) tree
Double-decker bridge age:
Over 180 years
Villages with living root bridges:
More than 75 villages
Why it matters for exams: Meghalaya's living root bridges are a recurring art-and-culture/environment question linking indigenous engineering with UNESCO's tentative World Heritage list.
Kerala PSCUPSC
Background
Meghalaya's living root bridges, known locally as Jingkieng jri, were added to UNESCO's World Heritage Tentative List on 17 February 2022 under the title 'Jingkieng jri: Living Root Bridge Cultural Landscapes'. The bridges are grown by indigenous Khasi communities by training the aerial roots of Ficus trees across streams over generations until they can bear weight. The nomination lists 72 villages and village groups across Meghalaya associated with these structures. The site was nominated under UNESCO criteria (i), (iii) and (vi). The bridges are located in one of the wettest regions on Earth and are built to withstand extreme monsoon rainfall.
Date added to Tentative List:
17 February 2022
Villages listed:
72
Why it matters for exams: A recurring UPSC/Kerala PSC topic on India's UNESCO tentative list sites and indigenous engineering heritage.
Kerala PSCUPSC
27 September 2026
The Lalit Kala Akademi has announced 20 Lalit Kala Akademi Awards at the 65th National Exhibition of Art.
The First-Tier Jury selected 270 artworks for presentation at the exhibition.
6,175 artworks were submitted by 2,495 artists representing 27 States and Union Territories.
The Lalit Kala Akademi is the national academy of art under the Ministry of Culture.
Awards announced:
20
Artworks selected:
270
Artworks submitted:
6,175
Artists:
2,495 from 27 States and Union Territories
Why it matters for exams: The three national academies and the awards they give are recurring questions on India's cultural institutions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
27 September 2026
On 27 September 2026 the Ministry of Culture highlighted 37 mementos representing Rajasthan's cultural heritage in the eighth edition of the PM Mementos e-Auction 2026.
The auction began on 17 September 2026 and bids are placed on the portal pmmementos.gov.in.
The Rajasthan items include handcrafted wooden elephants with ceremonial accessories, silver mementos of folk deities, Pichwai paintings from Nathdwara and traditional textiles with decorative borders.
The Ministry of Culture said the collection showcases the state's folk deities, traditional paintings, textiles, architectural heritage and sporting achievements.
Edition:
eighth
Rajasthan items featured:
37
Auction portal:
pmmementos.gov.in
Auction began:
17 September 2026
Why it matters for exams: Art and culture questions ask both the edition of the e-auction and the region a named art form such as Pichwai belongs to.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
26 September 2026
The Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting on Saturday, 26 September 2026, granted permission to 23 of the 31 films initially denied clearance for the 18th International Documentary and Short Film Festival of Kerala (IDSFFK).
The 31 short films and documentaries had not received exemption from Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) clearance.
Screenings of the cleared films begin on Sunday, 27 September, at Kairali, Sree and Nila theatres in Thiruvananthapuram.
Organisers said it was the first time since the festival began in 2008 that so many selected films were dropped over clearance issues.
The News Minute reported that eight films still awaited approval.
At the 2025 International Film Festival of Kerala, 19 films were denied and 13 were later allowed after the Kerala government wrote to the Union Government.
Films initially denied:
31
Films cleared:
23
Ministry:
Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting
Festival began:
2008
Why it matters for exams: Film certification, the CBFC and the Union-State interface on festivals link polity with Kerala's cultural institutions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
CBFC Central Board of Film Certification — The statutory body under the I&B Ministry that certifies films for public exhibition.
Censor exemption — Permission to screen an uncertified film at a festival without CBFC certification.