UPSC GENERAL STUDIES----ASSAM

Ø Assam is surrounded by six of the other Seven Sister States: ArunachalPradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura, and Meghalaya. Geographically Assam and these states are connected to the rest of India via a strip of land in West Bengal called the Siliguri Corridoror "Chicken's Neck".

Ø Assam has wildlife sanctuaries,the most prominent of which are two UNESCO World Heritage sites-theKaziranga National Park, on the bank of the Brahmaputra River, and the  Manas Wildlife Sanctuary, near the border with BhutaN 3.Nameri National Park (on the border of Arunachal andAssam).4.Dibru-Saikhowa National Park.5.Orang (Rajiv Gandhi) National Park. 6.Pabitora Wildlife Sanctuary 7. Bura-Chapori Wildlife Sanctuary      8. Laokhowa Wildlife Sanctuary. 

Ø The Kaziranga National Park A World Heritage Site, the park hosts two-thirds of the world's great one-horned rhinoceroses. The state has the largest population of the wild water buffalo in the world. Kaziranga was declared a Tiger Reserve in 2006 and has the highest density of tigers in the world (one per five km²), with a population of 118,according to the latest census.

Ø About two-thirds of the Assamese are Hindu. Islam is the second-largest religion.

Ø Dimasa is one of the oldest languages spoken in North East India particularly in Assam. Bodo is an ancient language of Assam.Ankia Naat (Onkeeya Naat) is a traditional Vaishnav dance-drama (Bhaona)

Ø Majuli (largest river island of the world) in river bhramaputra

Ø Jorhat and Dibrugarh (major tea producing areas).

Ø Digboi ( one of the world’s oldest oil refinery).

UPSC GENERAL STUDIES---TRIPURA

Ø The third-smallest state in the country 2^ND is goa amd smallest is Sikkim. it covers 10,491 km2 and is bordered by Bangladesh (East Bengal) to the north, south, and west, and the Indian states of Assam and Mizoram to the east.

Ø The physiography is characterised by hill ranges, valleys and plains. The state has five anticlinal ranges of hills running north to south, from Boromura in the west, through Atharamura, Longtharai and Shakhan, to the Jampui Hills in the east.

Ø The Kokborok speaking Tripuri people are the major group among 19 tribes and many subtribes. The Bengali people form the ethno-linguistic majority in Tripura.

Ø Tripura has the highest number of primatespecies found in any Indian state.

Ø The Ujjayanta Palace in Agartala was the former royal abode of the Tripuri kings.

Ø Rudrasagar Lake, also known as Rudijala, The Government of India's Ministry of Environment and Forest has identified Rudrasagar as one of the wetlands of National Importance for conservation and sustainable use based on its bio-diversity and socio economic importance. Secretary General, convention on wetlands, Ramsar site has declared Rudrasagar Lake as wetland of international importance.

GK MAKE EASY-- MEGHALAYA

Ø Meghalaya is bound on north and east by the state of Assam ONLY, and on south and west by Bangladesh.

Ø The three physical division in the state are Garo (Western), Khasi (Central) and Jaintia (Eastern) hill divisions. In the Garo hills. the Nokrek peak is located.

Ø Meghalaya is one of the three states in India that boasts of a Christian majority of approximately 70.3%.

Ø Meghalaya is known for its oranges (Khasi Mandarian)

Ø The rich mineral deposits including mica gypsum and coal are unexploited.

Ø A five day long religious festival, known as Nongrem dance is held annually.

Ø The capital is Shillong, known as the "Scotland of the East"

Ø Meghalaya has historically followed a matrilineal system.

Ø About 70% of the state is forested.  A small portion of the forest area in Meghalaya is under what are known as "sacred groves".

Ø The town of Cherrapunji in the Khasi Hills south of capital Shillong holds the world record for most rain in a calendar month, while the village of Mawsynram, near Cherrapunji, holds the record for the most rain in a year.

Ø The largest group you can find in the state is the Khasis. After the Khasis, the second largest group you can find in the state is the grass. A few of the other groups you can find in Meghalaya include Mikir, Hmar, Boro, Jaintias and Lakhar.

Ø  is a hotspot of biodiversity in Meghalaya.

Ø All important rivers and streams of the Garo Hills region rise from the Nokrek Range, of which the river Simsang, known as Someshwari when it emerges into Bangladesh at Baghmara, is the most prominent.The major rivers of the Garo Hills namely, Simsang, Dareng and Ganol, originate from within the reserve.

Ø Nokrek Biosphere Reserve HAVING Elephant, Indian Bison, Leopard, Sambar, Barking deer, Indian wolf, and Slow Loris ANDHoolock Gibbo. Nokrek has a remnant population of the Red panda that has generated curiosity across the world

Ø Nokrek is also the only place in the world to have preserved the mother plant of oranges.The 47-sq-km Nokrek Biosphere Reserve is home to a rare variety of citrus locally known as ‘memang narang orange of the spirits’, which is considered to be the most primitive and the progenitor of all other varieties of citrus plants in the world, forest.

A biodiversity hotspot is a biogeographic region with a significant reservoir of biodiversity that is under threat from humans. To qualify as a biodiversity hotspot,a region must meet two strict criteria: it must contain at least 0.5% or 1,500 species of vascular plants as endemics, and it has to have lost at least 70% of its primary vegetation.

UPSC GENERAL STUDIES--Arunachal Pradesh

Ø Arunachal Pradesh borders the states of Assam and Nagaland to the south, and shares international borders with Bhutan in the west, Myanmar in the east and China in the north. Itanagar is the capital of the state.

Ø Arunachal Pradesh, which translates to "land of the dawn-lit mountains",is also known as the Orchid State of India or the Paradise of the Botanists. 

Ø In 1913–1914 representatives of China, Tibet and Britain met in India ending with the Simla Accord.  McMahon Line as the border between British India and Outer Tibet during the Simla Conference.

Ø The land is mostly mountainous with the Himalayan range along the northern borders criss-crossed with ranges running north- south. These divide the state into five river valleys: the Kameng, the Subansiri, the Siang, the Lohit and the Tirap. All these are snow fed from the Himalayas and so are countless rivers and rivulets. The mightiest of these rivers is the Siang, called the Tsangpo in Tibet, which becomes the Brahmaputra after the Dibang and the Lohit in the plains of Assam joins it.

Ø The main crop is rice, grown on valley bottoms and on some terraced slopes.

Ø Donyi-Polo (also Donyi-Poloism) is the designation given to the indigenous religions, Hindu (34.6%),Others (mostly Donyi-Polo) (30.7%) and Christian: (18.7%)

Ø Popular tourist attractions include Tawang (a town with a  largest Buddhist monastery) at 3000 m elevation.The other Famous Points are 1.the Namdapha tiger project in Changlang district 2. Sela lake near Bomdila with its bamboo bridges 

UPSC GENERAL STUDIES--- NAGALAND

Ø Nagaland  is a state in Northeast India. It borders the state of Assam to the west, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur to the south and Burma to the east. The state capital is Kohima, and the largest city is Dimapur.

Ø The state is inhabited by 16 major tribes - Ao Naga, Angami Naga, Chang Naga, Konyak people, Lotha Naga, Sumi Naga, Chakhesang Naga,Khiamniungan people, Bodo-Kachari people, Phom Naga, Rengma Naga,Sangtam Naga, Yimchunger, Thadou people, Zeliang and Pochury as well as a number of sub-tribes.

Ø  Mount Saramati is the highest peak with a height of 3,840 metres and its range forms a natural barrier between Nagaland and Burma.

Ø The state is home to a rich variety of flora and fauna; it has been suggested as the "falcon capital of the world".

Ø Mount Saramati is the state's highest peak; this is where the Naga Hills merge with the Patkai Range  which form the boundary with Burma. Rivers such as the Doyang and Diphu to the north, the Barak river in the southwest, dissect the entire state.

Ø Blyth's tragopan, a vulnerable species of pheasant, is the state bird of Nagaland.

Ø Mithun (a semi domesticated gaur) found only in the north-eastern states of India, is the state animal of Nagaland and has been adopted as the official seal of theGovernment of Nagaland.

Ø Nagaland has more language diversity than any other state in India. In 1967, the Nagaland Assembly proclaimed English as the official language of Nagaland and it is the medium for education in Nagaland.

Ø Christianity is the predominant religion of Nagaland.

Ø Hornbill Festival^[57] was launched by the Government of Nagaland in December 2000 to encourage intertribal interaction and to promote cultural heritage of the state.

UPSC General Studies-- SIKKIM

^Ø   Sikkim is a landlocked Indian state located in the Himalayan mountains. The state is bordered by Nepal to the west,  Tibet  to the north and east, and Bhutan to the east. The Indian state of West Bengal lies to the south.

Ø Sikkim is the least populous state in India and the second-smallest state after Goa.

Ø its original inhabitants were the Lepcha.

Ø The Pemayangtse Monastery is a Buddhist monastery,  one of the oldest and premier monasteries of Sikkim.

Ø  Kangchenjunga, as seen from Sikkim. Standing 8,586 metres (28,169 ft) tall, it is the second-highest peak in India and the third-highest on Earth. Numerous snow-fed streams have carved out river valleys in the west and south of the state. These streams combine into the major Teesta River and its tributary, the Rangeet, which flow through the state from north to south.

Ø The opening of the Nathu La pass on 6 July 2006, connecting Lhasa, Tibet, to India, was billed as a boon for Sikkim's economy.  Pakyong Airport, the state's first airport, located at a distance of 30 km (19 mi) from Gangtok, is expected to become operational in March 2016.

Ø Sikkim is India's least populous state.  The sex ratio is 889 females per 1,000. Hinduism has been the state's major religion since the arrival of theNepalis.

UPSC GENERAL STUDIES--MIZORAM

Ø Mizoram is one of the states of Northeast India, with Aizawl as its capital. Mizoram implies "land of the hill people".

Ø state sharing borders with three of the seven sister states, namely Tripura, Assam,  Manipur. The state also shares a 722 kilometer border with the neighbouring countries of Bangladesh and Myanmar.

Ø It is the2nd least populous state in the country AFTER sikkim

Ø The Palak lake is the biggest in Mizoram

Ø The biggest river in Mizoram is Chhimtuipui, also known as Kaladan, Kolodyne or Chimtuipui. It originates in Chin state in Burma and passes through Saiha andLawngtlai districts in the southern tip of Mizoram, goes back to Burma's Rakhine state. 

Ø Mizoram has third highest total forest cover with 1,594,000 hectares (3,940,000 acres), and highest percentage area (90.68%) covered by forests, among the states of India, according to 2011 Forest Survey of India.

Ø Jhum cultivation, or slash-and-burn practice, were a historic tradition in Mizoram and a threat to its forest cover

^Ø   The state has two national parks and six wildlife sanctuaries - Blue Mountain ((The highest peak in Mizoram) Phawngpui National Park, Dampa Tiger Reserve (largest), Lengteng Wildlife Sanctuary, Murlen National Park, Ngengpui Wildlife Sanctuary, Tawi Wildlife Sanctuary, Khawnglung Wildlife Sanctuary, and Thorangtlang Wildlife Sanctuary.

Ø Mizoram is second least populated state of India.

Ø Mizo is the official language. The majority (87%) of Mizos are Christian^. Mizoram population has 8.3% Buddhists making them the largest minority.

Ø The 5 major tribes are- Lushei, Ralte, Hmar, Paihte, Pawi.

Ø the Mautam bamboo blooms and its high-protein seeds lead to an explosion in the black rat population in the jungle, also referred to as the rat flood.