📘 PART–1 : ANCIENT & MEDIEVAL HISTORY (India)

🏛️ MAURYAN PERIOD

🔹 Ashokan Edicts

• Language: Prakrit
• Script: Mostly Brahmi (Kharoshthi in NW India)
• Name “Asoka” is explicitly mentioned in the First Minor Rock Edict

🔹 Buddhist Missionaries of Ashoka

• Rakshit – Spread Buddhism
• Mahadeva – Southern India
• Dharmarakshit – Important missionary

🔹 Bindusara & Foreign Relations

• Greek ambassador Dionysus was sent by Ptolemy II Philadelphus (Egypt)
  (Mentioned by Pliny the Elder)

☸️ BUDDHISM

🔹 Fourth Buddhist Council

• Year: 72 AD
• Place: Kundalavana (near Srinagar, Kashmir)
• Patron: Kushan king Kanishka
• President: Vasumitra
• Deputy: Asvaghosa
• Purpose:
  • Resolve dispute between Gandhara and Sarvastivada monks
• Outcome:
  • Division into Mahayana and Hinayana

🔹 Chinese Traveller

• Fa-Hien
  • Chinese Buddhist monk
  • Visited India during Chandragupta II (Vikramaditya)

🏺 HARAPPAN CIVILIZATION

• Harappan script:
  • Unique & undeciphered
  • Not copied from Egyptian or Mesopotamian scripts
• Pottery:
  • Mostly wheel-made
  • Harappans knew the fast potter’s wheel
• Administration:
  • Uniform weights & measures across sites

🛕 GUPTA PERIOD

🔹 Administration & Society

• Prathama-Kulika: Head artisan of a guild

🔹 Art & Architecture

• Mahabodhi Temple, Bodh Gaya:
  • Built by Ashoka
  • Made of brick and stone
  • 3rd century BC

🛕 SANGAM & SOUTH INDIA

• Vanji (Vanchi) – Capital of Chera dynasty
• Kodumanal
  • Important industrial & trading center
  • Famous for gem and jewellery work

🔹 Pallavas

• Pallavas laid the foundation of Dravidian architecture
• Singhvishnu
  • Reign described in ‘Avantisundari Katha’ by Dandin

🕌 DELHI SULTANATE

🔹 Iltutmish

• Appointed Malik Alauddin Jani as Governor of Bihar
• Returned to Delhi after accepting the offer

🕌 SUR PERIOD

🔹 Sher Shah Suri

• Defeated Humayun in Battle of Chausa
• Captured Gaur
• Died:
  • 22 May 1545
  • During siege of Kalinjar Fort
  • Against Rajputs of Mahoba

🕌 MUGHAL PERIOD

🔹 Jahangir

• Sir Thomas Roe arrived in 1615

🏛️ SHUNGA DYNASTY

🔹 Bhagabhadra

• Shunga ruler
• Greek Ambassador:
  • Heliodorus
  • Ambassador of Antialcidus
  • Built Garuda Pillar (Khambaba) at Vidisha
• Dedicated to Vasudeva (Vishnu)

🧠 ANCIENT INDIAN POLITICAL THOUGHT

🔹 Kautilya – Arthashastra

Saptanga Theory (7 Elements of State):

1. Swami – King
2. Amatya – Ministers
3. Janapada – Territory & people
4. Durga – Fort
5. Kosha – Treasury
6. Danda – Military force
7. Mitra – Ally

• Danda ensures law, order & authority

📘 PART–2 : MODERN INDIAN HISTORY (Freedom Struggle + Bihar Focus)

🇮🇳 EARLY NATIONAL MOVEMENT

🔹 Indian National Congress (INC)

• Founded in 1885
• Founder: A.O. Hume
• First Session:
  • Bombay
  • President: W.C. Bonnerjee

🔥 REVOLUTIONARY MOVEMENT

🔹 Hindustan Socialist Republican Association (HSRA)

• Originally founded as Hindustan Republican Association (HRA) in 1924
• Renamed HSRA in 1928
• Key members:
  • Bhagat Singh
  • Chandrasekhar Azad
  • Sukhdev
  • Rajguru

🧵 GANDHIAN ERA

🔹 Champaran Satyagraha (1917) – Bihar

• First successful civil disobedience movement led by Mahatma Gandhi
• Issue:
  • Tinkathia system (forced indigo cultivation)
• Key Leaders:
  • Rajkumar Shukla – invited Gandhi to Champaran
  • Rajendra Prasad
  • Brajkishore Prasad
  • J.B. Kripalani
  • Anugrah Narayan Sinha
  • Mazhar-ul-Haq
  • Ramnavmi Prasad
• Outcome:
  • Formation of Champaran Agrarian Committee
  • Abolition of Tinkathia system

🔹 Ahmedabad Mill Strike (1918)

• Related to plague bonus
• Gandhi used:
  • Hunger strike
• Result:
  • Workers got 35% wage hike

🔹 Kheda Satyagraha (1918)

• Issue:
  • Crop failure
  • Demand for tax remission
• Leaders:
  • Mahatma Gandhi
  • Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel

🛑 NON-COOPERATION MOVEMENT (1920–22)

• Trigger:
  • Jallianwala Bagh massacre (1919)
  • Rowlatt Act (1919)
• Methods:
  • Boycott of:
    • Government schools
    • Courts
    • Foreign goods
• Withdrawal:
  • After Chauri Chaura incident (1922)

⚔️ CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE MOVEMENT

🔹 Dandi March (1930)

• Started: 12 March 1930
• From: Sabarmati Ashram
• To: Dandi
• Distance: ~240 miles
• Purpose:
  • Violation of Salt Law

🔹 Gandhi–Irwin Pact (1931)

• Congress agreed to:
  • Suspend Civil Disobedience
• Government agreed to:
  • Release political prisoners (except violent offenders)
• Gandhi attended:
  • Second Round Table Conference

🧾 ACTS & CONSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENTS

🔹 Government of India Act, 1919

• Introduced Dyarchy in provinces
• Subjects divided into:
  • Transferred
  • Reserved

🔹 Government of India Act, 1935

• Provided:
  • Federal structure
  • Provincial autonomy
• Basis of:
  • Present Indian Constitution

🇮🇳 QUIT INDIA MOVEMENT (1942)

• Launched on: 8 August 1942
• Resolution passed at:
  • Bombay (Gowalia Tank)
• Slogan:
  • “Do or Die”
• Leaders arrested:
  • Gandhi
  • Nehru
  • Patel

🔹 Bihar’s Role in Quit India

• Strong underground movement
• Key leader:
  • Dr. Rajendra Prasad
• Parallel governments emerged in parts of Bihar

🕊️ TOWARDS INDEPENDENCE

🔹 Cabinet Mission Plan (1946)

• Aim:
  • Transfer of power
• Proposed:
  • Federal structure
  • Grouping of provinces

🔹 Mountbatten Plan (1947)

• Accepted partition of India
• Led to:
  • Indian Independence Act, 1947

🇮🇳 INDIAN INDEPENDENCE ACT, 1947

• Ended British rule
• Created:
  • India & Pakistan
• Governor-General of India:
  • Lord Mountbatten

📘 PART–3 : INDIAN POLITY & CONSTITUTION

(Highly important for UPSC / BPSC / State PCS / SSC)

📜 INDIAN CONSTITUTION – BASICS

• Adopted on: 26 November 1949
• Enforced on: 26 January 1950
• Drafted by:
  • Constituent Assembly
• Chairman of Drafting Committee:
  • Dr. B.R. Ambedkar
• Originally:
  • 22 Parts
  • 395 Articles
  • 8 Schedules

🧾 SOURCES OF INDIAN CONSTITUTION

• UK:
  • Parliamentary system
  • Rule of Law
• USA:
  • Fundamental Rights
  • Judicial Review
• Ireland:
  • Directive Principles of State Policy
• Canada:
  • Federation with strong Centre
• Australia:
  • Concurrent List
  • Joint sitting of Parliament

🧑‍⚖️ FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS (PART III)

🔹 Article 12

• Defines “State”

🔹 Article 13

• Laws inconsistent with Fundamental Rights are void

🔹 Right to Equality (Articles 14–18)

• Article 14:
  • Equality before law
  • Equal protection of laws
• Article 17:
  • Abolition of untouchability

🔹 Right to Freedom (Articles 19–22)

• Article 19:
  • Six freedoms (speech, assembly, association, movement, residence, profession)
• Article 21:
  • Protection of life & personal liberty
  • Expanded via judicial interpretation

🔹 Right against Exploitation

• Article 23:
  • Prohibits human trafficking & forced labour
• Article 24:
  • Prohibits child labour in hazardous jobs

⚖️ WRITS (ARTICLE 32)

• Dr. Ambedkar:
  • Called Article 32 the “heart and soul of the Constitution”

🏛️ DIRECTIVE PRINCIPLES (PART IV)

• Borrowed from Ireland
• Non-justiciable
• Aim:
  • Establish welfare state

🔹 Important Articles

• Article 39:
  • Equal pay for equal work
• Article 40:
  • Organisation of Panchayats
• Article 44:
  • Uniform Civil Code
• Article 48:
  • Cow protection

🗳️ PRESIDENT OF INDIA

• Head of State
• Elected by:
  • Electoral College (MPs + MLAs)
• Term:
  • 5 years

🔹 Powers

• Executive
• Legislative
• Judicial
• Emergency

👨‍⚖️ PRIME MINISTER & COUNCIL OF MINISTERS

• Real executive authority
• Appointed by:
  • President
• Council of Ministers:
  • Collectively responsible to Lok Sabha

🏛️ PARLIAMENT OF INDIA

• Consists of:
  • President
  • Lok Sabha
  • Rajya Sabha

🔹 Lok Sabha

• Max strength:
  • 552
• Term:
  • 5 years

🔹 Rajya Sabha

• Permanent House
• Max strength:
  • 250
• Members retire every 2 years

⚠️ EMERGENCY PROVISIONS (PART XVIII)

🔹 National Emergency

• Article 352
• Grounds:
  • War
  • External aggression
  • Armed rebellion

🔹 President’s Rule

• Article 356

🔹 Financial Emergency

• Article 360

🏛️ PANCHAYATI RAJ

🔹 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act, 1992

• Added:
  • Part IX
  • 11th Schedule
• Three-tier system:
  • Gram Panchayat
  • Panchayat Samiti
  • Zila Parishad

🏛️ MUNICIPALITIES

🔹 74th Constitutional Amendment Act, 1992

• Added:
  • Part IX-A
  • 12th Schedule

🗂️ SCHEDULES (IMPORTANT)

📘 PART–4 : GEOGRAPHY (INDIA + BIHAR SPECIAL)

(Static + factual points useful for UPSC / BPSC / State PCS / SSC)

🌍 PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY OF INDIA

🔹 Himalayan Ranges (North → South)

1. Greater Himalaya (Himadri)
2. Lesser Himalaya (Himachal)
3. Shiwalik Range

• Highest peak in India:
  • K2 (in PoK – politically sensitive in exams)
• Highest peak entirely in India:
  • Kangchenjunga

🌋 PLATEAU & PLAINS

🔹 Peninsular Plateau

• Oldest landmass
• Rich in:
  • Coal
  • Iron ore
  • Manganese

🔹 Northern Plains

• Formed by:
  • Indus–Ganga–Brahmaputra system
• Soil:
  • Alluvial
• Most fertile region

🌊 RIVERS OF INDIA

🔹 Himalayan Rivers

• Perennial
• Long course
• Meandering

🔹 Peninsular Rivers

• Seasonal
• Shorter course
• Example:
  • Godavari
  • Krishna
  • Kaveri

🌧️ INDIAN MONSOON

🔹 South-West Monsoon

• Onset:
  • June
• Causes:
  • Differential heating
  • ITCZ shift
  • Coriolis force

🔹 Retreating Monsoon

• October–November
• Affects:
  • Tamil Nadu coast

🧱 SOILS OF INDIA

🌾 AGRICULTURE

• Kharif crops:
  • Rice
  • Maize
  • Cotton
• Rabi crops:
  • Wheat
  • Mustard
• Zaid crops:
  • Cucumber
  • Watermelon

📍 BIHAR GEOGRAPHY (VERY IMPORTANT FOR BPSC)

🌊 RIVERS OF BIHAR

• Ganga:
  • Flows west → east
• Major tributaries:
  • Gandak
  • Kosi (called Sorrow of Bihar)
  • Son
  • Bagmati

🌱 SOIL OF BIHAR

• Predominantly:
  • Alluvial soil
• Highly fertile
• Suitable for:
  • Rice
  • Wheat
  • Sugarcane

🌦️ CLIMATE OF BIHAR

• Type:
  • Sub-tropical monsoon
• Rainfall:
  • Mostly from SW monsoon

🏞️ NATURAL FEATURES

• Valmiki National Park
  • Only tiger reserve in Bihar
• Rajgir hills
• Kaimur plateau (southern Bihar)

🪨 MINERALS IN BIHAR

• Limestone
• Pyrites
• Minor coal deposits (limited)

📘 PART–5 : ECONOMY (INDIAN + BIHAR ECONOMY)

(Highly scoring for UPSC / BPSC / State PCS / SSC)

📊 BASIC ECONOMIC CONCEPTS

🔹 GDP, GNP & NNP

• GDP:
  • Value of final goods & services produced within a country
• GNP:
  • GDP + Net factor income from abroad
• NNP:
  • GNP – Depreciation

🔹 Inflation

• Sustained rise in general price level
• Measured by:
  • CPI (retail inflation)
  • WPI (wholesale inflation)

🏦 MONETARY POLICY

🔹 Reserve Bank of India (RBI)

• Established:
  • 1935
• Nationalised:
  • 1949

🔹 RBI Tools

• Repo Rate
• Reverse Repo Rate
• CRR
• SLR
• Open Market Operations

💰 FISCAL POLICY

• Controlled by:
  • Government
• Instruments:
  • Taxation
  • Government expenditure
  • Borrowing

🧾 UNION BUDGET

• Presented under:
  • Article 112
• Presented by:
  • Finance Minister
• Components:
  • Revenue Budget
  • Capital Budget

🏭 SECTORS OF ECONOMY

🌾 AGRICULTURE & ALLIED

• Green Revolution:
  • Focus on wheat & rice
• Major crops:
  • Rice
  • Wheat
  • Pulses

🏦 BANKING

🔹 Types of Banks

• Commercial Banks
• Regional Rural Banks
• Cooperative Banks
• Payments Banks

🔹 NABARD

• Established:
  • 1982
• Role:
  • Rural credit

📈 ECONOMIC INDICES

• Human Development Index (HDI):
  • Released by UNDP
• Ease of Doing Business:
  • World Bank (discontinued after 2021)

📍 BIHAR ECONOMY (BPSC FOCUS)

🌾 AGRICULTURE

• Backbone of Bihar economy
• Major crops:
  • Rice
  • Wheat
  • Maize
  • Sugarcane

🏭 INDUSTRY

• Agro-based industries dominant
• Sugar mills significant

🚧 INFRASTRUCTURE

• Roads & bridges expansion
• Focus on:
  • Rural connectivity

📉 CHALLENGES

• Floods (Kosi basin)
• Migration
• Low industrialisation

📘 PART–6 : SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

(Prelims-oriented facts for UPSC / BPSC / SSC)

🧬 BIOLOGY

🔹 Cell Basics

• Smallest unit of life:
  • Cell
• Discovered by:
  • Robert Hooke

🔹 Human Blood

• RBC:
  • Carry oxygen (via haemoglobin)
• WBC:
  • Fight infections
• Platelets:
  • Blood clotting

🔹 Diseases & Pathogens

🌱 PLANT SCIENCE

• Photosynthesis:
  • Occurs in chloroplast
• Stomata:
  • Gas exchange

⚛️ PHYSICS

🔹 Motion

• Speed:
  • Distance / Time
• Acceleration:
  • Rate of change of velocity

🔹 Light

• Laws of reflection:
  • Angle of incidence = Angle of reflection
• Speed of light:
  • ~3 × 10⁸ m/s

🧪 CHEMISTRY

🔹 Elements & Compounds

• Atomic number:
  • Number of protons
• pH scale:
  • Measures acidity/alkalinity
  • Range:
    • 0–14

🔹 Acids & Bases

• Acid:
  • Releases H⁺
• Base:
  • Releases OH⁻

🚀 SPACE & DEFENCE

🔹 ISRO

• Established:
  • 1969
• Headquarters:
  • Bengaluru

🔹 Important Missions

• Chandrayaan-3:
  • Successful soft landing near lunar south pole
• Aditya-L1:
  • Solar mission

🛰️ SATELLITES

• INSAT:
  • Communication
• NAVIC:
  • Indian navigation system

🧠 INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

• Artificial Intelligence (AI):
  • Machines mimicking human intelligence
• Machine Learning:
  • Subset of AI
• Blockchain:
  • Decentralised digital ledger

⚡ ENERGY

🔹 Renewable Energy

• Solar
• Wind
• Hydropower

🔹 Non-renewable

• Coal
• Petroleum
• Natural Gas

🧫 BIOTECHNOLOGY

• DNA:
  • Deoxyribonucleic Acid
• Genetic engineering:
  • Modification of genes

📘 PART–7 : ENVIRONMENT & ECOLOGY

(Very high-weightage for UPSC / BPSC / State PCS)

🌍 BASIC CONCEPTS

🔹 Ecology

• Study of:
  • Interaction between organisms & environment

🔹 Ecosystem Components

• Biotic:
  • Plants, animals, microbes
• Abiotic:
  • Air, water, soil, sunlight

🔄 FOOD CHAIN & FOOD WEB

• Producers:
  • Green plants
• Consumers:
  • Herbivores, carnivores
• Decomposers:
  • Bacteria, fungi

🌳 BIOMES

🌲 FORESTS OF INDIA

🔹 Forest Types (Champion & Seth Classification)

• Tropical evergreen
• Tropical deciduous
• Thorn forest
• Montane forest
• Mangrove forest

🐅 PROTECTED AREAS

🔹 National Parks

• Highest protection level
• No human activity allowed

🔹 Wildlife Sanctuaries

• Limited human activity allowed

🔹 Biosphere Reserves

• Conservation + sustainable use

🐘 IMPORTANT PARKS

• Jim Corbett – Uttarakhand
• Kaziranga – Assam
• Gir – Gujarat
• Valmiki Tiger Reserve – Bihar

🌊 WETLANDS

• Ramsar Convention:
  • 1971
  • Iran
• India:
  • Signatory
• Wetlands act as:
  • Carbon sinks

🌡️ CLIMATE CHANGE

🔹 Greenhouse Gases

• CO₂
• Methane
• Nitrous oxide

🔹 Global Warming

• Rise in Earth’s average temperature

🌿 INTERNATIONAL CONVENTIONS

♻️ POLLUTION

🔹 Air Pollution

• PM2.5 & PM10

🔹 Water Pollution

• Sewage
• Industrial waste

🌱 SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

• Development without harming future needs
• Linked to:
  • SDGs (2030 Agenda)

📘 PART–8 : CURRENT AFFAIRS (National + International + Bihar Focus)

(Prelims-ready facts only)

🇮🇳 NATIONAL CURRENT AFFAIRS

🔹 Sports

• Indian Men’s Hockey Team
  • Won major international title
  • Qualified for FIH World Cup 2026
  • Host nations:
    • Belgium & Netherlands
• Bihar CMannounced:
  • ₹10 lakh award for each player of the Indian men’s hockey squad

🏛️ GOVERNMENT INITIATIVES

🔹 Digital India

• Launched:
  • 2015
• Aim:
  • Digital empowerment

🔹 Make in India

• Manufacturing boost
• Employment generation

📚 CULTURE & AWARDS

🔹 Sahitya Akademi Awards 2024

• Total awardees:
  • 23
• Notable winners:
  • Gagan Gill
  • Easterine Kire
• Recognises:
  • Indian literature (novels, poetry, essays, plays)

🌍 INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

🔹 United Nations

• Founded:
  • 1945
• Headquarters:
  • New York
• India:
  • Founding member

💰 ECONOMIC & FINANCIAL

• RBI:
  • Controls monetary policy
• Inflation:
  • Measured via CPI

📍 BIHAR CURRENT AFFAIRS

🔹 Sports Incentives

• State government promoting sports excellence
• Cash awards to national & international players

🧪 SCIENCE & TECH (CURRENT)

• AI & Machine Learning
  • Increased use in governance
• Space Sector
  • ISRO missions strengthen India’s global position

📘 PART–9 : SPORTS, AWARDS, CULTURE & MISCELLANEOUS (PRELIMS ONE-LINERS)

(High-return, low-effort facts for UPSC / BPSC / SSC)

🏅 SPORTS

• Hockey
  • National game (de facto): Hockey
• FIH World Cup 2026
  • Host nations:
    • Belgium & Netherlands
• Olympics
  • Held every 4 years
  • Symbol:
    • Five rings (five continents)

🏆 IMPORTANT AWARDS

🔹 Bharat Ratna

• Highest civilian award
• Instituted:
  • 1954

🔹 Padma Awards

• Padma Vibhushan
• Padma Bhushan
• Padma Shri

🎭 INDIAN CULTURE

🔹 Classical Dances

🔹 Classical Music

• Hindustani
• Carnatic

🏛️ IMPORTANT DAYS

🧾 MISCELLANEOUS FACTS

• Census of India
  • Conducted every 10 years
• Planning Commission
  • Replaced by NITI Aayog (2015)
• NITI Aayog
  • Chairperson:
    • Prime Minister

🗺️ SUPERLATIVES (INDIA)

• Largest state (area):
  • Rajasthan
• Largest population:
  • Uttar Pradesh
• Longest river:
  • Ganga
• Highest dam:
  • Tehri

📍 BIHAR CULTURE & FACTS

• Capital:
  • Patna
• Famous festivals:
  • Chhath Puja
• Ancient universities:
  • Nalanda
  • Vikramshila