Thursday, June 2, 2011

Highest Sex Ratio (Gender Ratio)

A list of top 10 districts of India by Highest Sex Ratio in India per 1000 males

Rank         District                      State                       Ratio 2011      Ratio 2001         Difference

1                Mahe                         Puducherry            1176                 1147                    29
2                Almora                      Uttarakhand           1142                 1145                    -3
3                Kannur                      Kerala                      1133                 1090                    43
4                Pathanamthitta        Kerala                      1129                 1094                    35
5                Ratnagiri                   Maharashtra           1123                 1136                    -13
6                Rudraprayag            Uttarakhand           1120                 1115                    5
7                Kollam                      Kerala                      1113                 1069                    44
8                Thrissur                    Kerala                      1109                 1092                    17
9                Pauri Garhwal          Uttarakhand           1103                 1106                    -3
10              Alappuzha                Kerala                      1100                 1079                    21

Highest Literate Districts of India


2011 Census
Rank        District                       State                     Average             Male             Female
1              Serchhip              Mizoram          98.76            99.24        98.28
2              Aizawl                  Mizoram          98.5              99.01        98
3              Mahe                   Puducherry      98.35            99.24        97.61
4              Pathanamthitta     Kerala              96.93            97.7          96.26
5              Kottayam             Kerala              96.4              97.17        95.67
6              Alappuzha            Kerala              96.26            97.9          94.8
7              Ernakulam            Kerala              95.68            97.14        94.27
8              Kannur                 Kerala              95.41            97.54        93.57
9              Thrissur                Kerala              95.32            96.98        93.85
10             Kozhikode            Kerala              95.24            97.57        93.16

Lowest Literate Districts of India


2011 Census
Rank        District                       State                        Average             Male             Female
1              Alirajpur               M. P.                37.22            43.58        30.97
2              Bijapur                 Chhattisgarh    41.58            51.42        31.56
3              Dantewada           Chhattisgarh    42.67            52.69        32.88
4              Jhabua                M. P.                 44.45            54.65        34.29
5              Nabarangapur      Orissa              48.2              59.45        37.22
6              Shrawasti             Uttar Pradesh   49.13            59.55        37.07
7              Malkangiri            Orissa              49.49            60.29        38.95
8              Narayanpur          Chhattisgarh    49.59            58.97        40.22
9              Koraput               Orissa               49.87            61.29        38.92
10             Pakur                   Jharkhand       50.17            59.02        41.23

Monday, May 30, 2011

GENERAL AWARENESS MCQs

General Awareness

1. What is the population of India ?
(A) 98 crores
(B) More than 2 billion
(C) More than 1.21 billion
(D) Less than 96 crores
(E) 96 crores

2. Thermostat is an instrument used to_________

(A) measure flow of current
(B) measure intensity of voltage
(C) regulate temperature
(D) regulate velocity of sound
(E) None of these

3. Wimbledon Trophy is associated with________

(A) Football (B) Cricket
(C) Hockey (D) Basketball
(E) Lawn Tennis
4. GNP stands for_________
(A) Gross National Product
(B) Group Net Product
(C) Grand Nuclear Process
(D) Group Networking Process
(E) None of these

5. ‘Acoustics’ is the science of the study of_________

(A) Light (B) Sound
(C) Electricity (D) Magnetism
(E) None of these
6. Noise pollution is measured in the unit called_____
(A) micron
(B) nautical miles
(C) ohms
(D) ampere
(E) decibel
7. ‘Heavy Water’ is used in which of the following types of indus-tries ?
(A) Sugar
(B) Nuclear Power
(C) Textile
(D) Coal
(E) None of these
8. Who amongst the following is the author of the book ‘Indomi-table Spirit’?
(A) Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
(B) Dr. Manmohan Singh
(C) Justice K. G. Balakrishna
(D) Mr. Natwar Singh
(E) None of these
9. Which of the following is not the name of popular IT/Software Company ?
(A) Wipro (B) Mastek
(C) Toyota (D) IBM
(E) Infosys

10. ‘Yen’ is the currency of_________

(A) South Korea
(B) China
(C) Indonesia
(D) Malaysia
(E) None of these
11. Baichung Bhutia whose name was in news is a well known__________
(A) Music Director of Indian films
(B) English author of Indian origin
(C) Journalist
(D) Politician
(E) Sports Personality
12. ‘Richter Scale’ is used to measure which of the following ?
(A) Intensity of Tsunami Waves
(B) Intensity of Earthquake
(C) Density of salt in Sea water
(D) Flow of electric current
(E) None of these

13. Which of the following best explains ‘e-governance’?

(A) Improving the functioning of government
(B) Teaching government emp-loyees the basics of computing
(C) Delivery of public services through internet
(D) Framing of cyber-laws of chatting on internet
(E) Convergence of e-mail and video-conferencing

14. CAS is associated with which of the following ?

(A) Legal System Reforms
(B) Piped gas line
(C) Cable T.V.
(D) Mobile phone regulation
(E) None of these

15. Tata Steel recently acquired the Corus, a steel giant situated in_____

(A) South Africa
(B) Ukraine
(C) Australia
(D) Italy
(E) Britain

16. Which of the following is the abbreviated name of the Organi zation/Agency working in the field of Space Research ?

(A) ISBN
(B) ISRO
(C) INTELSET
(D) INTACH
(E) None of these
17. ‘Handshaking’ in Networking parlance means
(A) connecting computers to a hub
(B) distributed Networks
(C) having same operating system on different computers
(D) sending e-mail
(E) None of these

18. VAT stands for

(A) Value And Tax
(B) Value Added Tax
(C) Virtual Action Tasks
(D) Virtual Assessment Tech-nique
(E) None of these

19. Alzheimer’sdiseaseistheailment of which of the following organs /parts of the human body ?

(A) Kidney
(B) Heart
(C) Liver
(D) Stomach
(E) Brain
20. Global warming is a matter of concern amongst the nations these days. Which of the follo-wing countries is the largest emitter of greenhouse gases in the World ?
(A) U.S.A.
(B) China
(C) India
(D) Britain
(E) None of these
21. Which of the following books has been written by Bill Gates ?
(A) Microsoft Secrets
(B) The Road Ahead
(C) The Elephant Paradigm
(D) e-commerce
(E) None of these
22. Which of the following is the name of the social network service run by the Google on the internet ?
(A) Online Space
(B) Orkut
(C) Net-Space
(D) Wikipedia
(E) None of these
23. Which of the following states is a relatively new addition ?
(A) Goa
(B) Delhi
(C) Uttarakhand
(D) Himachal Pradesh
(E) Bihar

24. DOT stands for___________

(A) Disc Operating Therapy
(B) Department of Telephones
(C) Directorate of Technology
(D) Damage on Time
(E) None of these

25. Which of the following States/ parts of India is completely land locked having no contact with sea ?

(A) Karnataka
(B) Orissa
(C) Maharashtra
(D) North-East
(E) None of these
26. TRAI regulates the functioning of which of the following servi-ces ?
(A) Telecom (B) Trade
(C) Port (D) Transport
(E) None of these

27. At present for the ATMs in India, the most commonly used net-work communication mode is__________

(A) Very Small Aperture Termi-nal (VSAT)
(B) General Packet Radio Ser-vice (GPRS)
(C) Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA)
(D) Dial-in Connection
(E) None of these
28. Which of the following is not a foreign bank operating in India ?
(A) DBS Bank Ltd.
(B) Sonali Bank
(C) J. P. Morgan Chase Bank
(D) Shinhan Bank
(E) All are Foreign Banks
29. Who is the author of the book ‘Future Shock’ ?
(A) Alvin Toffler
(B) Tom Peters
(C) Napoleon Hill
(D) Kenneth Blanchard
(E) None of these
30. Apex fares are________
(A) more than the normal fare
(B) less than the normal fare
(C) offered only to corporate clients
(D) applicable to late night flights only
(E) applicable to international flights only
31. Who amongst the following is the Director of the film ‘Water’ which was in news ?
(A) Vidhu Vinod Chopra
(B) Mrinal Sen
(C) Gulzar
(D) Mahesh Bhatt
(E) None of these

32. The 10th plan period is upto_______

(A) 2007 (B) 2008
(C) 2009 (D) 2010
(E) None of these
33. OPEC is a group of countries which are_______
(A) exporting oil
(B) producting cotton
(C) rich and developed
(D) developing and poor
(E) nuclear powers
34. Intel Company mainly pro-duces______
(A) Hard disks
(B) VCDs
(C) Monitors
(D) Software
(E) None of these

34. Intel Company mainly pro-duces_____

(A) Hard disks
(B) VCDs
(C) Monitors
(D) Software
(E) None of these

35. Who amongst the following is the M.D./Chairman of one of the major Steel Companies ?

(A) Shri L. N. Mittal
(B) Shri K. K. Birla
(C) Shri Vijaypat Singhania
(D) Shri Mukesh Ambani
(E) Shri Anil Agarwal
36. Who is the President of Nass-com?
(A) Kiran Karnik
(B) Narayana Murthy
(C) Pramod Desai
(D) Devang Mehta
(E) None of these
37. Which of the following awards is not given for excellence in the field of literature ?
(A) Booker Prize
(B) Nobel Prize
(C) Pulitzer Price
(D) Arjun Award
(E) Bharatiya Gnanpith Award

38. ‘Singur’ which was in news is a place in_____________

(A) Orissa
(B) West Bengal
(C) Jharkhand
(D) Bihar
(E) Maharashtra
39. Who amongst the following is the author of the book series named as ‘Harry Potter’ ?
(A) J. K. Rowling
(B) Lindsay Lohan
(C) Julia Roberts
(D) Sandra Bullock
(E) None of these
40. Which of the following Satellites recentlydedicatedtonation helps Direct to Home Television Ser-vice in India ?
(A) Matsat
(B) Edusat
(C) Insat–4b
(D) Insat–IB
(E) None of these

41. Many a times we read some news items about the ‘West Bank’. ‘West Bank’ is situated at the western side of the river__________

(A) Mississippi
(B) Amazon
(C) Nile
(D) Jordan
(E) None of these
42. Which of the following pheno-menon is considered responsible for ‘Global Warming’ ?
(A) Greenhouse Gas Effect
(B) Fox Fire
(C) Dry Farming
(D) Radioactivity
(E) None of these
43. Which of the following instru-ments is not issued by a bank ?
(A) Demand Draft
(B) Pay Order
(C) Debit Card
(D) Credit Card
(E) National Saving Certificate
44. Name of Jyoti Randhawa is asso-ciated with which of thecfollo-wing games ?
(A) Golf
(B) Badminton
(C) Hockey
(D) Chess
(E) None of these
45. Which of the following Software Companies recently launched its education portal ‘Unlimited Potential’ in India ?
(A) Microsoft (B) Infosys
(C) Wipro (D) TCS
(E) None of these
46. Polly Umrigar who died was a well known___________
(A) Cricketer
(B) Tennis Player
(C) Golfer
(D) Chess Player
(E) Hockey Player
47. In India Census is done after a gap of every____________
(A) Five years
(B) Seven years
(C) Eight years
(D) Ten years
(E) Fifteen years
48. Prof. Muhammad Yunus the recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize 2006 is the exponent of which of the following concepts in the field of banking ?
(A) Core Banking
(B) Micro Credit
(C) Retail Banking
(D) Real Time Gross Settlement
(E) Internet Banking
49. Who amongst the following was India’s official candidate for the post of UNO’s Secretary Gene- ral ?
(A) Mr. Shyam Saran
(B) Dr. C. Rangarajan
(C) Mr. Shashi Tharoor
(D) Mr. Vijay Nambiar
(E) None of these
50. Mr. Gordon Brown has taken over as the Prime Minister of_______
(A) Italy
(B) Canada
(C) France
(D) South Africa
(E) Britain

ANSWERS:

1. (C) 2. (C) 3. (E) 4. (A) 5. (B) 6. (E) 7. (B) 8. (A) 9. (C) 10. (E) 11. (E) 12. (B) 13. (C) 14. (C) 15. (E) 16. (B) 17. (A) 18. (B) 19. (E) 20. (B) 21. (B) 22. (B) 23. (C) 24. (E) 25. (D) 26. (A) 27. (A) 28. (E) 29. (A) . 30. (B) 31. (E) 32. (A) 33. (A) 34. (E) 35. (A) 36. (A) 37. (D) 38. (b) 39. (a) 40. (c) 41. (d) 42. (a) 43. (e) 44. (a) 45. (a) 46. (a) 47. (D) 48. (b) 49. (C) 50. (E)

S.S.C. Combined Graduate Level [(Tier-I) Second Shift] Exam. 2010 Solved Paper

General Awareness  
(Exam Held on 16-5-2010) 

1. India attained ‘Dominion Status’ on—
(A) 15th January, 1947
(B) 15th August, 1947
(C) 15th August, 1950
(D) 15th October, 1947
Ans : (B)

2. Despotism is possible in a—
(A) One party state
(B) Two party state
(C) Multi party state
(D) Two and multi party state
Ans : (A)

3. Marx belonged to—
(A) Germany
(B) Holland
(C) France
(D) Britain
Ans : (A)

4. Which one of the following is the guardian of Fundamental Rights ?
(A) Legislature
(B) Executive
(C) Political parties
(D) Judiciary
Ans : (D)

5. Sarkaria Commission was concerned with—
(A) Administrative Reforms
(B) Electoral Reforms
(C) Financial Reforms
(D) Centre-State relations
Ans : (D)


6. The Speaker of the Lok Sabha has to address his/her letter of resignation to—
(A) Prime Minister of India
(B) President of India
(C) Deputy Speaker of Lok Sabha
(D) Minister of Parliamentary Affairs
Ans : (C)

7. A want becomes a demand only when it is backed by the—
(A) Ability to purchase
(B) Necessity to buy
(C) Desire to buy
(D) Utility of the product
Ans : (D)

8. The terms ‘Micro Economics’ and ‘Macro Economics’ were coined by—
(A) Alfred Marshall
(B) Ragner Nurkse
(C) Ragner Frisch
(D) J.M. Keynes
Ans : (C)

9. During period of inflation, tax rates should—
(A) Increase
(B) Decrease
(C) Remain constant
(D) Fluctuate
Ans : (A)

10. Which is the biggest tax paying sector in India ?
(A) Agriculture sector
(B) Industrial sector
(C) Transport sector
(D) Banking sector
Ans : (D)

11. “Economics is what it ought to be.”—This statement refers to—
(A) Normative economics
(B) Positive economics
(C) Monetary economics
(D) Fiscal economics
Ans : (A)

12. The excess of price a person is to pay rather than forego the consumption of the commodity is called—
(A) Price
(B) Profit
(C) Producers’ surplus
(D) Consumers’ surplus
Ans : (C)

13. Silver halides are used in photographic plates because they are—
(A) Oxidised in air
(B) Soluble in hyposolution
(C) Reduced by light
(D) Totally colourless
Ans : (B)

14. Tetra Ethyl Lead (TEL) is—
(A) A catalyst in burning fossil fuel
(B) An antioxidant
(C) A reductant
(D) An antiknock compound
Ans : (D)

15. Curie point is the temperature at which—
(A) Matter becomes radioactive
(B) A metal loses magnetic properties
(C) A metal loses conductivity
(D) Transmutation of metal occurs
Ans : (D)

16. The isotope used for the production of atomic energy is—
(A) U-235
(B) U-238
(C) U-234
(D) U-236
Ans : (A)

17. The acceleration due to gravity at the equator—
(A) Is less than that at the poles
(B) Is greater than that at the poles
(C) Is equal to that at the poles
(D) Does not depend on the earth’s centripetal acceleration
Ans : (A)

18. Which of the following is not a nucleon ?
(A) Proton
(B) Neutron
(C) Electron
(D) Positron
Ans : (C)

19. The material used in the manufacture of lead pencil is—
(A) Graphite
(B) Lead
(C) Carbon
(D) Mica
Ans : (A)

20. Angle of friction and angle of repose are—
(A) Equal to each other
(B) Not equal to each other
(C) Proportional to each other
(D) None of the above
Ans : (A)

21. Processor’s speed of a computer is measured in—
(A) BPS
(B) MIPS
(C) Baud
(D) Hertz
Ans : (D)

22. ‘C’ language is a—
(A) Low level language
(B) High level language
(C) Machine level language
(D) Assembly level language
Ans : (B)

23. What happens to a person who receives the wrong type of blood ?
(A) All the arteries constrict
(B) All the arteries dialates
(C) The RBCs agglutinate
(D) The spleen and lymphnodes deteriorate
Ans : (C)

24. NIS stands for—
(A) National Infectious diseases Seminar
(B) National Irrigation Schedule
(C) National Immunisation Schedule
(D) National Information Sector
Ans : (C)

25. If all bullets could not be removed from gun shot injury of a man, it may cause poisoning by—
(A) Mercury
(B) Lead
(C) Iron
(D) Arsenic
Ans : (B)

26. Ringworm is a ……… disease.
(A) Bacterial
(B) Protozoan
(C) Viral
(D) Fungal
Ans : (D)

27. Pituitary gland is situated in—
(A) The base of the heart
(B) The base of the brain
(C) The neck
(D) The abdomen
Ans : (B)

28. Who discovered cement ?
(A) Agassit
(B) Albertus Magnus
(C) Joseph Aspdin
(D) Janseen
Ans : (C)

29. According to RBI’s Report on the trend and progress of banking, the Non-performing Assets (NPA’s) in India for 2008-09 for Indian Banks in 2008 have stood at—
(A) 2•3 per cent
(B) 2•6 per cent
(C) 3•5 per cent
(D) 5•2 per cent
Ans : (B)

30. Windows 7, the latest operating system from Microsoft Corporation has ……… Indian languages fonts.
(A) 14
(B) 26
(C) 37
(D) 49
Ans : (B)

31. TRIPS and TRIMS are the terms associated with—
(A) IMF
(B) WTO
(C) IBRD
(D) IDA
Ans : (B)

32. A Presidential Ordinance can remain in force—
(A) For three months
(B) For six months
(C) For nine months
(D) Indefinitely
Ans : (B)

33. Which of the following Indonesian regions was a victim of massive earthquake in 2004 ?
(A) Irian Jaya
(B) Sumatra
(C) Kalibangan
(D) Java
Ans : (B)

34. The first nonstop airconditioned ‘DURANTO’ train was flagged off between—
(A) Sealdah—New Delhi
(B) Mumbai—Howrah
(C) Bangalore—Howrah
(D) Chennai—New Delhi
Ans : (A)

35. Which among the following agencies released the report, Economic Outlook for 2009-10 ?
(A) Planning Commission
(B) PM’s Economic Advisory Council
(C) Finance Commission
(D) Reserve Bank of India
Ans : (B)

36. India and U.S. have decided to finalize agreements related to which of the following ?
(A) Trade and Investment
(B) Intellectual Property
(C) Traditional Knowledge
(D) All of the above
Ans : (D)

37. Which one of the following states does not form part of Narmada River basin ?
(A) Madhya Pradesh
(B) Rajasthan
(C) Gujarat
(D) Maharashtra
Ans : (B)

38. Which of the following countries has recently become the third largest market for Twitter ?
(A) China
(B) India
(C) Brazil
(D) Indonesia
Ans : (A)

39. The exchange of commodities between two countries is referred as—
(A) Balance of trade
(B) Bilateral trade
(C) Volume of trade
(D) Multilateral trade
Ans : (B)

40. Soil erosion on hill slopes can be checked by—
(A) Afforestation
(B) Terrace cultivation
(C) Strip cropping
(D) Contour ploughing
Ans : (A)

41. Who coined the word ‘Geography’ ?
(A) Ptolemy
(B) Eratosthenese
(C) Hecataus
(D) Herodatus
Ans : (B)

42. Which of the following is called the ‘ecological hot spot of India’ ?
(A) Western Ghats
(B) Eastern Ghats
(C) Western Himalayas
(D) Eastern Himalayas
Ans : (A)

43. The art and science of map making is called—
(A) Remote Sensing
(B) Cartography
(C) Photogrammetry
(D) Mapping
Ans : (B)

44. The age of the Earth can be determined by—
(A) Geological Time Scale
(B) Radio-Metric Dating
(C) Gravity method
(D) Fossilization method
Ans : (B)

45. The monk who influenced Ashoka to embrace Buddhism was—
(A) Vishnu Gupta
(B) Upa Gupta
(C) Brahma Gupta
(D) Brihadratha
Ans : (B)

46. The declaration that Democracy is a Government ‘of the people, by the people; for the people’ was made by—
(A) George Washington
(B) Winston Churchill
(C) Abraham Lincoln
(D) Theodore Roosevelt
Ans : (C)

47. The Lodi dynasty was founded by—
(A) Ibrahim Lodi
(B) Sikandar Lodi
(C) Bahlol Lodi
(D) Khizr Khan
Ans : (C)

48. Harshavardhana was defeated by—
(A) Prabhakaravardhana
(B) Pulakesin II
(C) Narasimhavarma Pallava
(D) Sasanka
Ans : (B)

49. Who among the following was an illiterate ?
(A) Jahangir
(B) Shah Jahan
(C) Akbar
(D) Aurangazeb
Ans : (C)

50. Which Governor General is associated with Doctrine of Lapse ?
(A) Lord Ripon
(B) Lord Dalhousie
(C) Lord Bentinck
(D) Lord Curzon
Ans : (B)

Forests of India

The 'jungles' of India are ancient in nature and composition. They are rich in variety and shelter a wide range of avifauna and mammals and insects. The fact that they have existed for very long time is proved from the ancient texts all of which have some mention of the forests. The people revered forests and a large number of religious ceremonies centred on trees and plants. Even today in parts of India the sacred groves exist and are worshipped.

When Chandra Gupta Maurya came to power around 300 BC, he realized the importance of the forests and appointed a high officer to look after the forests. He launched the concept of afforestation on a large scale. These rules continued even during the Gupta period.

During the Muslim invasions a large number of people had to flee from the attacks and take refuge in the forests. This was the beginning of a phase of migration to the forest. They cleared vast areas of forests to make way for settlements.

The Muslim invaders were all keen hunters and therefore had to have patches of forests where they could go hunting. This ensured that the trees in these areas were not felled, and the forest ecology was not tampered with.

During the early part of the British rule, trees were used for timber and forests were cut for paper. Large numbers of trees such as the sal, teak, and sandalwood were cut for export also. The history of modern Indian forestry was a process by which the British gradually appropriated forest resources for revenue generation. Trees could not be felled without prior permission and knowledge of the authority. This step was taken to ensure that they were the sole users of the forest trees.

But after some time, the British began to regulate and conserve. In 1800, a commissioner was appointed to look into the availability of teak in the Malabar forests. In 1806, the Madras government appointed Capt. Watson as the commissioner of forests for organizing the production of teak and other timber suitable for the building of ships.

In 1855, Lord Dalhousie framed regulations for conservation of forest in the entire country. Teak plantations were raised in the Malabar hills and acacia and eucalyptus in the Niligiri Hills.

In Bombay, the conservator of forest, Gibson, tried to introduce rules prohibiting shifting cultivation and plantation of teak forests. From 1865 to 1894, forest reserves were established to secure material for imperial needs. From the 18th century, scientific forest management systems were employed to regenerate and harvest the forest to make it sustainable. Between 1926 and 1947 afforestation was carried out on a large scale in the Punjab and Uttar Pradesh. In the early 1930s, people began showing interest in the conservation of wild life.

Around the same time the Indian rulers of the States also started conservation of habitats to help conserve the birds and mammals. Though all of them were hunters and between them and the British they cleaned at least 5000 tigers if not more. But still these areas of conservation helped save the species from extinction and formed most of the modern National Parks.

The new Forest Policy of 1952 recognized the protective functions of the forest and aimed at maintaining one-third of India's land area under forest. Certain activities were banned and grazing restricted. Much of the original British policy was kept in place, such as the classification of forest land into two broad types.

The next 50 years saw development and change in people's thinking regarding the forest. A constructive attitude was brought about through a number of five-year plans. Until 1976, the forest resource was seen as a source of earning money for the state and therefore little was spent in protecting it or looking after it.

Today India's forests are protected in National Parks like Corbett and Nagarhole or in Sanctuaries like Pakhui and Little Rann of Katch. The modern way of thinking has resulted in Biosphere Reserves and Biodiversity Hotspots and extensive research on them have resulted in rediscovery of new species of mammals like the Leaf Deer in Arunachal Pradesh or the Hook Nosed Frog in Western Ghats.

Supporting more than 14 percent of the wild fauna and a higher percentage of the wild flora of the world the forests of India is an intricate web of life with many surprises to explore. As we proceed to an era of advanced wildlife management and as the pressure on the forests all over the world increase the need of the hour is to realize the potential resource that the forests have both economically and from the natural point of view.

A brief description of the wildlife zones of India is given below :

The Trans-Himalaya

Stretching from Ladakh to the Lahul-Spiti the Trans-Himalaya covers an estimated land area of 186,200 sq. km. Trans-Himalaya, means beyond the Himalaya. Outside the Indian region, the Trans-Himalaya is very extensive, covering a total of nearly 2.6 million sq. km. comprising the Tibetan plateau.

Nursery to the Indus, Brahmaputra and Sutlej; decorated by the Zanskar, Ladakh and the Karakoram, the Trans-Himalaya is home to some of best biological grandeur which survive this cold desert conditions through their ability to economise resources.

Some rare fauna like the Black Necked Crane breed in the brackish lakes like Tso Morari, Hanle and Chushul. Some parts of the Trans-Himalaya are above the snowline, including the Siachen, a 1,180 sq. km. glacier said to be the largest outside the polar regions!

Though the landscape is characterised by a distinct lack of natural forests, along the river banks and valleys, some greenery does exist with willows, poplars, wild roses and many herbaceous plants and shrubs which is home to at least eight distinct species and/or sub-species of wild sheep including the nayan or great Tibetan sheep (Ovis ammon hodgsoni), the urial or shapu (Ovis orientalis), the bharal or blue sheep (Pseudois nayaur) and the ibex (Capra ibex).

On the plateau of the Trans-Himalaya, The Tibetan antelope (Pantholops hodgsoni) or the chiru, and the Tibetan gazelle (Procapra picticaudata) are occasionally sighted. Smaller animals of the region include pikas, marmots and Tibetan hares. The mountains are shared by predators like the snow-leopard or ounce. The Pallas cat, Indian wolf and the lynx can also be seen with extreme luck.

The Himalaya

The Himalaya - the world's youngest, loftiest and most breathtaking mountain chains are home to several tropical life forms, Extending some 236,300 sq. km. in the Indian region, the Himalaya accounts for nearly seven per cent of the country's total surface area. The Himalaya has extreme habitat types, ranging from arid Mediterranean and temperate in the western parts, to warm, moist, evergreen jungles in the east. Currently there are 56 protected areas in this zone and this cover roughly five per cent of the total surface area. 10 of these protected areas are National Parks where one can expect to see the amazing diversity of the flora and fauna that this region supports. In the luxuriant eastern parts where the tree-line is higher, animals like the red panda, binturong and several lesser cats can be seen with some effort. Of the existing 56 protected areas in the Himalaya, at least 41 lie in the temperate sector either completely, or partly (the higher reaches of some of these protected areas merge into the third major habitat type, the high-altitude sub-alpine).

The sub-alpine habitat type, above the middle level temperate sector (higher than 3,500 metres) consists of birch, rhododendrons, junipers, dwarf bamboo and a mixture of open meadows and scrub-dotted grasslands. As habitat types change, a noticeable transformation takes place in the faunal community as well. The higher reaches house several threatened species such as the ibex, shapu, wolf and snow-leopard. Nearly half the 56 protected areas in the Himalaya extend partially or extensively into the high-altitude sub-alpine.

This area is supported with protection programmes like Project Hangul, the Himalayan Musk Deer Ecology and Conservation Project, the Snow Leopard Project and several Pheasant Projects.

The Himalayas offers fantastic trekking and overland journey options to enjoy the fascinating wealth that is nurtures in its icy folds.

The Indian Desert

Spread through the majestic states of Gujarat and Rajasthan the Indian Desert is an amazing place to look for truly fantastic wild flora and fauna. Animals that never drink and plant seeds that can stay alive for years without water are typical of the miracles of this most fragile zone. In the Indian subcontinent, deserts, with an area of about 225,000 sq. km. account for just under seven percent of the total land area.

Divided into two distinct sub-divisions- Thar desert region covering 180,000 sq. kms. in the state of Rajasthan and the Rann of Kutchh, covering some 45,000 sq. kms. of western Gujarat it is a land of grand mirage and miracles. The desert system is characterised not so much by the variety and numbers of animal species but by the adaptations exhibited to tackle the rigours of desert life. The Thar shows a good extent of endemism in its faunal structure. The desert cat, desert fox, the winter-visiting houbara bustard and several sandgrouse species, as also a few reptiles are found only in the Thar. Blackbuck, chinkara, the Indian wolf, caracal, great Indian bustard can also be seen here.

In contrast to the sandy Thar, the Little and the Great Ranns, with very similar vegetation communities, have a high variety of faunal and floral composition. Though the Ranns are predominantly flatlands, they are interspersed with raised mounds or islands, locally called bets. Both the Ranns have unique faunal communities. The Great Rann is best known for its huge breeding colony of lesser flamingoes. The Little Rann is the only home of the wild ass in the Indian peninsula, besides playing host to a fair number of houbara bustards, sandgrouse and other avifauna.

The Semi-Arid Zone

Between the Indian desert and the Gangetic Plain, the Semi-arid Zone encompasses a total area of 508,000 sq. km. Covering nearly 15 per cent of India's area, with vast grasslands and some fascinating forests home to the Leopard, Tiger and the Asiatic Lion this is a truly wild belt of India. Most of this zone houses the flat, alluvial deposits of the Indus river drainage system. The region comprises predominantly cultivated flatlands, interspersed with a network of wetlands -- marshes and rivers.

Consisting of the Punjab Plains in the North home to the Keoladeo Ghana Bird Sanctuary, Harike and Sultanpur and parts of Madhya Pradesh, and Gujarat in the South the Semi-arid Zone is a vast land-mass. The Aravalli and the Vindhya mountain ranges dominate the central portions of this zone. An interesting feature of the zone is the heavy rainfall region of Mount Abu in the southern Aravallis. Here several plant and animal species bear close affinity to the Western Ghats. Plants such as those of the genus Acacia, Anogeissus, Balanites, Capparis, Grewia and several others clearly have African affinities. What is however, very interesting is the high density of wildlife (mainly ungulates) in the protected areas here, where livestock grazing and other adverse impacts have been controlled. The herbivores in this area include nilgai, blackbuck, chowsingha or four horned antelope, chinkara or Indian gazelle, sambar and spotted deer, the last two being more or less restricted to the forested mountain ranges and valleys.

The Semi-arid Zone boasts of a good population and variety of predators including the wolf, caracal and the jackal, all of which have close relatives in Africa. Two of the finest tiger reserves - Ranthambore and Sariska -- are located in the Aravallis. Amongst the richest of Indian wildlife areas, these two wilderness areas are true showpieces of Indian wildlife. On the whole, it can be stated that while the Semi-arid Zone does not exhibit any great endemism, it nevertheless holds viable populations of several species of conservation criticality today. Besides those mentioned above, others include the sloth bear, Lesser Florican, the Great Indian Bustard, mugger, gharial, several turtles and also waterfowl, both resident and migratory.

The Western Ghats

Along the west coast of India -- beginning from the Surat Dangs at the western extremity of the Satpuras in south Gujarat, for over 1,500 km. to the southern tip of India in Kerala -- stretch the Western Ghats, a mountain range second only to the Himalaya in magnificence. The Ghats are the second largest tropical evergreen and semi-evergreen forest belt of the sub-continent. There is a high degree of biological endemism; species desperately in need of preservation.

The natural forests and protected areas of Western Ghats still house a biological wealth matched only by the North-east. The famous forests of Silent Valley form a part of this vital forested swatch. A wide climatic (rainfall and temperature) and geographical (altitude and associated mountain spurs) gradient exists in this zone. This is manifested in a tremendous diversity of vegetal communities and animal associations. From the coastal plains along the western flanks, the zone rises up to a maximum altitude of 2,735 metres in the south, while falling gradually (sharply in a few places) along the eastern side, towards the dry Deccan Peninsula.

The Western Ghats Zone covers barely five per cent of India's area, but its biological richness can be best understood when one realises that 27 per cent of all the species of higher plants recorded in the Indian region are found here (about 4,000 of 15,000 species). Further, almost 1,800 species are endemic to the region. The Nilgiri-Travancore-Anamalai-Palni-Cardamom hill areas in the southern parts of the zone exhibit the highest degree of endemism. Further, several interesting plant associations are observed in the evergreen forests of the Zone. There are montane 'shola' forests, riverine or swamp forests and nearly half a dozen other evergreen-species associations, mostly observed in the southern half of the Zone, where numerous ancillary mountain ranges converge to produce a region of exceptional diversity. Because of the heavy rainfall and healthy soil conditions that much of the Zone's southern half enjoys, cash crops like coffee, cocoa, cardamom, rubber, tea and pepper are extensively grown, setting in their wake additional man-induced habitats.

The Western Ghats Zone is also characterised by a series of forest gaps or breaks, that are actually valleys that break the continuity of the mountain ranges and accordingly of the biological components as well. Some of the major ones are the Palghat Gap, the Moyar Gorge or Gap and the Shencottah Gap. These series of gaps have resulted in preventing the spread of certain species and have hence, facilitated local speciation and endemism. The associated mountain ranges such as the Anamalais, the Nilgiris and the Agastyamalais are all separated by clear-cut barriers and besides the interesting floral speciation, a distinct faunal endemism and/or local speciation, is also found. Areas such as this are in urgent need of study and documentation.

Though this zone has healthy populations of much of the animal species characteristic of peninsular India (tiger, elephant, gaur, dhole, sloth bear, panther and several species of deer), it also exhibits a fairly good degree of endemism among primates, ungulates, carnivores, rodents, squirrels and several birds. Amongst amphibia, most of the species and nearly half the genera are endemic, while a good degree of endemism is visible also amongst reptiles, fish and insects, most faunal endemism and restriction being only in the central and and southern parts of the zone. Several of the zone's faunal components are of great interest (and importance) in that they have helped provide justification for what is called The Hora Hypothesis. This explains the spread of several species from the Himalaya and North-east along a once continuous central Indian mountain range into the Western Ghats, giving rise to several interesting biological linkages between the Western Ghats, the Himalaya and North-East! More natural history field research would reveal vital clues to the management of such areas.

Conservation status

Presently, of all the Bio-geographic Zones, The Western Ghats with 44 Sanctuaries and National Parks, covering some 15,935 sq. km. has the highest percentage of protected areas. However, the two sub-divisions of this Zone (viz., the coastal plains and the main Western Ghats) do not enjoy the same extent of protection. The coastal plains, from north to south, cover 60,000 sq. km. (37.5 per cent) of the zone. This is one of the most highly developed and populated areas of the country. It is also the area with the least number of protected areas. Only four sites (three Sanctuaries and one National Park) totalling a mere 240 sq. km. (less than 0.5 per cent) exist in this section of the Western Ghats. Taking the tremendous pressures on this region into consideration, even by the most conservative estimate the total protected area percentage in this region can barely be extended beyond one per cent. Bombay's Sanjay Gandhi National Park is the only National Park in this sub-division!

In marked contrast to the coastal plains region, the 100,000 sq. km. main Western Ghats region has the largest extent of protected areas in India. 41 sites (six national parks and 35 sanctuaries) cover 15,695 sq. km. or 15.8 per cent of the total area. On paper this might seem to be a considerable area, but taking the exceptional biodiversity of this Zone into consideration, not only is this inadequate, but it is not uniformly distributed and some of the vital eco-zones, such as the Coorg, Palnis and the Upper Nilgiris have either been totally overlooked or are barely represented through tiny reserves.

To successfully conserve the rich biological wealth reveal vital clues to the management of such areas. of evergreen tropical forest regions, it is imperative that there be large-sized, unbroken protected areas that have a minimum disturbance. The forests in the northern half of the Western Ghats are highly fragmented, as a result of which considering areas for protection is not possible. Hence the emphasis here is on smaller units, with a well spread network to incorporate as much of the diversity as possible. Less than 25 per cent of the protected areas network of the Western Ghats lies in the northern half -- Gujarat, Maharashtra and Goa. Currently the largest, contiguous stretch of wilderness exists in the Nagarahole-Bandipur--Mudumalai belt of Karnataka and TamilNadu, and the adjoining Wynaad region of North Kerala. This forms a more or less unbroken protected area conservation unit of over 2,000 sq. km. The significance can be gauged from the fact that the forests hold an estimated 1,500 elephants -- India's largest protected population of pachyderms. Additionally, this area is home to several other threatened species. The other well-protected portion of the Western Ghats extends over 1,500 sq. km. in the Anamalai Hills region of Kerala and Tamil Nadu. The highest point in mainland India, south of the Himalaya, is to be found here as can some of the finest examples of lowland Dipterocarp forests, which rise up into the sholas. The presence of extensive moist deciduous forests adds up to the fact that this is undoubtedly peninsular India's richest bio-zone. Unfortunately, extensive plantations and related human disturbances threaten much of this region, which is fast losing most of its viable evergreen forest units. The Periyar-Cardamom Hills belt in Kerala and Tamil Nadu is a major elephant conservation area. The grizzled squirrel too is found here, perhaps nowhere else in India. The total protected area unit in this region extends some 1,227 sq. km., much of it under great pressure from all sides.

Located more or less at the southernmost end of the Western Ghats Zone are the Agastyamalai Hills in Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Separated from the northern Kerala forests by the Shencottah Gap, the Agastyamalais have an interesting biological commonness with the forests of Sri Lanka. There is great endemism observed here in the floral and lesser faunal (amphibians, insects etc.) communities. Mundanthurai and Kalakad Wildlife Sanctuaries form the southernmost range of the tiger in the sub-continent. The entire protected area unit of this belt works out to just over 1,000 sq. km.

It is believed that under the existing conservation programmes in this Zone, much of the endemic floral community appears relatively secure. However, the habitat of some of the faunal elements of principal concern, though well-protected in pockets, is under threat from plantation encroachments. Rodgers and Panwar recommend a substantial increase the size of the main conservation units in this zone, particularly in the main Western Ghats region.

Almost two dozen more protected areas have been recommended, to offer adequate protection to species in additional areas. However, inspite of this increase in the number of protected areas, the actual network will be reduced by nearly 500 sq. km. This is because much of the over 5,000 sq. km. Dandeli Wildlife Sanctuary in Karnataka, being a much disturbed and interfered area, is proposed to be degazetted, for it is realised that it is far more advantageous to have healthy, undisturbed reasonably good-sized areas than a huge, highly disturbed region where much of the conservation and management programmes cannot even be implemented. Implementation, in fact, is a key factor in the success of all wildlife plans which have invariably sounded good on paper, yet failed in practice.

Saturday, May 28, 2011

SMALLEST NATIONS AREA WISE & POPULATION WISE

Smallest Nations (Area-Wise)Smallest Nations (Population-Wise)
Vatican CityVatican City
MonacoTuvalu
NauruNauru
TuvaluPalau
San MarinoSan Marino
LiechtensteinMonaco
Marshall IslandsLiechtenstein
Saint Kitts and NevisSaint Kitts and Nevis
MaldivesAntigua and Barbados
MaltaDominica

Important Straits of the World

StraitsWater Bodies joinedArea
Bab-al-MandebRed Sea & Arabian SeaArabia & Africa
BeringArctic Ocean & Bering SeaAlaska & Asia
BosphorusBlack Sea & Marmara SeaTurkey
DoverNorth Sea & Atlantic OceanEngland & Europe
FloridaGulf of Mexico & Atlantic OceanFlorida & Bahamas Islands

Country Associated Industry


AfghanistanCarpets, wool and dry fruits
AustraliaWheat, wool, meat
AustriaMachinery, Textiles
BelgiumGlass, Textiles
BrazilCoffee
CanadaWheat, Newsprint
ChileCopper
ChinaRice, Wheat, Silk
CubaSugar, Tobacco
DenmarkDairy Products
EnglandTextiles, Machinery
FinlandTextiles
FranceTextiles, Wine
GermanyMachinery
IndiaMica, Tea, Jute, Textiles
IndonesiaRubber, Cinchona
IranPetroleum, Carpets
IraqPetroleum, Dates
JapanElectronics, Automobiles
ItalyMercury, Textile
KuwaitPetroleum
MalaysiaTin, Rubber
MexicoSilver
NetherlandsElectrical goods
RussiaHeavy Machinery, Petroleum
Saudi ArabiaOil and Dates
SpainLead
SwedenMatches
SwitzerlandWatches
TaiwanCamphor
South AfricaGold and Diamond Mining
U.S.AAutomobiles, Machinery

World's Geographical Surnames



SurnameName
Bengal's SorrowDamodar River
Blue MountainsNilgiri Hills
City of Sky-scrapersNew York
City of Seven HillsRome
City of Dreaming SpiresOxford
City of PalacesKolkata
City of Golden GateSan Francisco
Gity of Magnificent BuildingsWashington D.C
City of Eternal SpringsQuito (S. America)
China's SorrowHwang Ho
Emerald IsleIreland
Eternal CityRome
Empire CityNew York
Forbidden CityLhasa (Tibet)
Garden CityChicago
Gate of TearsStrait of Bab-el-Mandeb
Gateway of IndiaMumbai
Gift of the NileEgypt
Granite CityAberdeen (Scotland)
Hermit KingdomKorea
Herring PondAtlantic Ocean
Holy LandJerusalem
Island ContinentAustralia
Island of ClovesZanzibar
Isle of PearlsBahrein (Persian Gulf)
Key to the MediterraneanGibralter
Land of CakesScotland
Land of Golden FleeceAustralia
Land of Maple LeafCanada
Land of Morning CalmKorea
Land of Midnight SunNorway
Land of the Thousand LakesFinland
Land of the ThunderboltBhutan
Land of White ElephantThailand
Land of Five RiversPunjab
Land of Thousand ElephantsLaos
Land of Rising SunJapan
Loneliest IslandTristan De Gunha (Mid-Atlantic)
Manchester of JapanOsaka
Pillars of HerculesStrait of Gibraltar
Pearl of the AntillesCuba
Playground of EuropeSwitzerland
Quaker CityPhiladelphia
Queen of the AdriaticVenice
Roof of the WorldThe Pamirs, Central Asia
Rose Pink City Jaipur
Sugar bowl of the worldCuba
Venice of the NorthStockholm
Windty CityChicago
Whiteman's graveGuinea Coast of Africa
Yellow RiverHuang Ho (China)

Famous Tribes of the World



AbhorsPeople of Mongolian blood living between Assam and Eastern tribes
AfridisTribes residing in the North-west Frontier (Pakistan)
BantusNegroes living in the Central and South Africa
BoersThe Dutch settlers of South Africa
CossacksPeople living in the southern and eastern frontiers of Russia
EskimosInhabitants of Greenland and of Arctic regions
FlemingsA term used for the people of Belgium
HamitesInhabitants of North-West Africa
KhirgizPeople Living in Central Asia
KurdsTribes living in Kurdistan (Iraq)
MagyarsInhabitants of Hungary
MaorisInhabitants of New Zealand
NegroesMostly found in Africa
PygmiesShort sized people found in Congo basin in Africa
Red IndiansOriginal inhabitants of North America
SemitesCaucasian people of ancient times
ZulusPeople of South Africa living in certain part of Natal

Famous Sites in the World



SiteLocation
Bastille PrisonParis
Brandenburg GateBerlin
Big BenLondon
BroadwayNew York
Buckingham PalaceLondon
ColosseumRome
Downing StreetLondon
Eiffel TowerParis
Empire State BuildingNew York
Fleet StreetLondon
Grand CanyonArizona (U.S.A)
Harley StreetLondon
Hyde ParkLondon
India HouseLondon
Jodrell BankManchester (U.K)
KaabaMecca (Saudi Arabia)
KremlinMoscow (Russia)
Leaning TowerPisa (Italy)
LouvreParis
Merdeca PalaceDjakarta
OvalLondon
PentagonWashington D.C
Porcelain TowerNanking
PotalaLhasa
Red SquareMoscow
PyramidsEgypt
Scotland YardLondon
Shiwe Dragon PagodaYangoon
SphinxEgypt
Statue of LibertyNew York
Vatican CityRome
Wall StreetNew York
Wailing WallJerusalem
WambleyLondon
White HallLondon
White HouseWashington D.C

Biggest, Highest, Largest, Longest in the World



Tallest Animal in the World Giraffe
Largest Archipelago in the WorldIndonesia
Fastest Bird in the WorldSwift
Largest Bird in the WorldOstrich
Smallest Bird in the World Humming Bird
Longest Railway Bridge in the World Huey P. Long Bridge, Louisiana (U.S.A)
Tallest Building in the worldBurj Dubai, UAE
Canal, Longest IrrigationalThe Kalakumsky Canal
Longest Canal in the WorldSuez Canal
Highest Capital in the World La Paz (Bolivia)
Biggest City in Area in the WorldMount Isa (Australia)
Largest City in Population in the WorldTokyo
Costliest City in the WorldTokyo
Highest City in the WorldVan Chuan (China)
Largest Continent in the WorldAsia
Smallest Continent in the WorldAustralia
Biggest Country in the World by AreaRussia
Largest Country in the World by PopulationChina
Largest Country in the World by ElectorateIndia
Largest Creature in the WorldBlue whale
Largest Delta in the WorldSunderban (Bangladesh & India)
Largest Desert in the WorldSahara (Africa)
Largest Desert in AsiaGobi
Largest Dam in the WorldGrand Coulee Dam (U.S.A)
Dam Highest in the WorldHoover Dam (U.S.A)
Diamond Largest in the WorldThe Cullinan
Largest Dome in the WorldAstrodome, in Housten (U.S.A)
Largest Epic in the WorldMahabharat
Largest Irrigation Scheme in the WorldLloyd Barrage, Sukkhur (Pakistan)
Largest Island in the WorldGreenland
Largest Sea in the WorldMediterranean Sea
Deepest Lake in the WorldBaikal (Siberia)
Largest Lake (Artificial) in the WorldLake Mead (Boulder Dam)
Highest Lake in the WorldTiticaca (Bolivia)
Largest Lake (Fresh water) in the WorldSuperior
Largest Lake (Salt water) in the WorldCaspian
Largest Library in the WorldUnited States Library of Congress, Washington D.C
Highest Mountain Peak in the WorldEverest (Nepal)
Longest Mountain Range in the WorldAndes (S. America)
Largest Museum in the WorldBritish Museum, London
Largest Ocean in the WorldPacific
Biggest Palace in the WorldVatican (Italy)
Largest Park in the WorldYellow Stone National Park (U.S.A)
Largest Peninsula in the WorldArabia
Coldest Place (Habitated) in the WorldVerkhoyansk (Siberia)
Dryest Place in the WorldIqique (in Atacama Desert, Chile)
Hottest Place in the WorldAzizia (Libya, Africa)
Rainiest Place in the WorldMausinram (Meghalaya, India)
Biggest Planet in the WorldJupiter
Brightest Planet in the WorldVenus
Smallest Planet in the WorldMercury
Highest Plateau in the WorldPamir (Tibet)
Longest Platform in the WorldKharagpur (India)
Longest Railway in the WorldTrans-Siberian railway
Largest Railway Station in the WorldGrand Central Terminal, Chicago (U.S.A)
Longest River in the WorldNile (Africa)
Largest River in the WorldAmazon (S. America)
Largest Sea-bird in the WorldAlbatross
Brightest Star in the WorldSirius
Tallest Statue in the WorldStatue of Motherland, Volgograd (Russia)
Largest Telescope Radio in the WorldNew Mexico (U.S.A)
World's Tramway first in the WorldNew York
Longest Tunnel (Railway) in the WorldTanna (Japan)
Longest Tunnel (road) in the WorldMont Blanc Tunnel between France and Italy
Highest Volcano Ojos del Salado (Andes, Ecuador)
Most Volcano Active in the WorldMaunaloa (Hawaii - U.S.A)
Longest Wall in the WorldGreat Wall of China
Highest Waterfall in the WorldAngel (Venezuela)
Lowest Water body in the WorldDead Sea
Largest Zoo in the WorldKruger National Park, South Africa

Chief Justices of India

Name                     Tenure
Harilal J. Kania     26 January 1950 - 6 November 1951
M. Patanjali Sastri     7 November 1951 - 3 January 1954
Mehar Chand Mahajan     4 January 1954 - 22 December 1954
B.K. Mukherjea     23 December 1954 - 31 January 1956
S.R. Das     01 February 1956 - 30 September 1959
Bhuvaneshwar Prasad Sinha     1 October 1959 - 31 January 1964
P.B. Gajendragadkar     1 February 1964 - 15 March 1966
A.K. Sarkar     16 March 1966 - 29 June 1966
K. Subba Rao     30 June 1966 - 11 April 1967
K.N. Wanchoo     12 April 1967 - 24 February 1968
M. Hidayatullah     25 February 1968 - 16 December 1970
I.C. Shah     17 December 1970 - 21 January 1971
S.M. Sikri     22 January 1971 - 25 April 1973
A.N. Ray     26 April 1973 - 27 January 1977
M.H. Beg     28 January 1977 - 21 February 1978
Y.V. Chandrachud     22 February 1978 - 11 July 1985
P.N. Bhagwati     12 July 1985 - 20 December 1986
R.S. Pathak     21 December 1986 - 18 June 1989
E.S. Venkataramaiah     19 June 1989 - 17 December 1989
S. Mukherjee     18 December 1989 - 25 September 1990
Ranganath Mishra     26 September 1990 - 24 November 1991
K.N. Singh     25 November 1991 - 12 December 1991
M.H. Kania     13 December 1991 - 17 November 1992
I.M. Sharma     18 November 1992 - 11 February 1993
M.N. Venkatachalaiah     12 February 1993 - 24 October 1994
A.M. Ahmadi     25 October 1994 - 24 March 1997
J.S. Verma     25 March 1997 - 17 January 1998
M.M. Punchhi     18 January 1998 - 9 October 1998
A.S. Anand     10 October 1998 - 31 October 2001
S.P. Bharucha     01 November 2001 - 5 May 2002
B.N. Kirpal     6 May 2002 - 7 November 2002
G.B. Pattanaiak     8 November 2002 - 18 December 2002
V.N. Khare     19 December 2002 - 1 May 2004
S. Rajendra Babu     02 May 2004 - 31 May 2004
R.C. Lahoti     01 June 2004 - 31 October 2005
Y.K. Sabharwal     01 November 2005 - 14 January 2007
K.G.Balakrishnan     14 January 2007 - 12 May 2010
S.H.Kapadia     12 May 2010 - Incumbent

Prime Ministers of India

Name                                                                    Tenure
Jawaharlal Nehru (1889-1964)     15 August 1947-27 May 1964
Gulzari Lal Nanda (1898-1997) (Acting)     27 May 1964-9 June 1964
Lal Bahadur Shastri (1904-1966)     09 June 1964-11 January 1966
Gulzari Lal Nanda (1898-1997) (Acting)     11 January 1966-24 January 1966
Indira Gandhi (1917-1984)     24 January1966-24 March 1977
Morarji Desai (1896-1995)     24 March 1977-28 July 1979
Charan Singh (1902-1987)     28 July 1979-14 January 1980
Indira Gandhi (1917-1984)     14 January 1980-31 October 1984
Rajiv Gandhi (1944-1991)     31 October 1984-1 December 1989
Vishwanath Pratap Singh (B-1931)     02 December 1989-10 November 1990
Chandra Shekhar (b-1927)     10 November 1990-21 June 1991
P.V. Narasimha Rao (1921-2004)     21 June 1991-16 May 1996
Atal Bihari Vajpayee (b-1926)     16 May 1996-01 June 1996
H.D. Deve Gowda (B-1933)     01 June 1996-21 April 1997
I.K. Gujral (b-1933)     21 April 1997-18 March 1998
Atal Bihari Vajpayee (B-1926)     19 March 1998 -13 October 1999
Atal Bihari Vajpayee (B-1926)     13 October 1999 - 22 May 2004
Dr. Manmohan Singh     22 May 2004 – Incumbent

Presidents of India

Name                         Tenure
Dr Rajendra Prasad (1884-1963)     26 January 1950-13 May 1962
Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan (1888-1975)     13 May 1962-13 May 1967
Dr Zakir Hussain (1897-1969)     13 May 1967-3 May 1969
Varahagiri Venkatagiri (1884-1980) (Acting)     3 May 1969-20 July 1969
Justice Mohammad Hidayatullah (1905-1992) (Acting)     20 July 1969-24 August 1969
Varahagiri Venkatagiri (1884-1980)     24 August 1969-24 August 1974
Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed (1905-1977)     24 August 1974-11 February 1977
B.D. Jatti (1913-2002) (Acting)     11 February 1977-25 July 1977
Neelam Sanjiva Reddy (1913-1996)     25 July 1977-25 July 1982
Giani Zail Singh (1916-1994)     25 July 1982-25 July 1987
R. Venkataraman (B-1910)     25 July 1987-25 July 1992
Dr Shankar Dayal Sharma (1918-1999)     25 July 1992-25 July 1997
K.R. Narayanan (1920-2005)     25 July 1997-25 July 2002
Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam (Birth-1931)     25 July 2002-25 July 2007
Smt. Pratibha Devisingh Patil (B - 1934)     25 July 2007 - Incumbent