Assam
Assam is around 2100 km away from our capital and constitutes 2.58% population of India. So we can say, it is a state with geographical significance. So it is quite popular for its resources and culture. It is one of the gateways of the seven sister states of India.
| Topic | Data/Facts |
| 1 History | 1.1 Assam state was formed on 26th January, 1950. 1.2 This state is associated with the Ahom people, originally called Shyam (Shan). |
| 2 Geography | 2.1 Climate: 2.1.1 Assam has tropical monsoon climate. 2.1.2 The climate is characterized by heavy monsoon downpours. 2.1.3 Spring (March–April) and autumn (September–October) are usually pleasant with moderate rainfall and temperature. 2.2 Agriculture: 2.2.1 Assam’s biggest contribution is tea. So it has a lot of varieties like Camellia sinensis var. assamica. 2.2.2 The state produces rice, rapeseed, mustard seed, jute, potato, sweet potato, banana, papaya, areca nut, sugarcane and turmeric. 2.3 Natural Resources: 2.3.1 Coal, cement grade limestone, china clay, iron ore, glass sand, sillimanite, granite etc. are the main economic minerals of Assam. 2.3.2 Out of these, coal & limestone are already being mined in Assam successfully and a few cement plants are already in operation. 2.4 Major rivers: Brahmaputra, Aie, Balsiri, Baralia, Baroi, Champabati, Bhogdoi, Barnadi, Debang, Dhansiri, Dihing, Dikhow, Gaurang, Jatinga, Dudhnoi, Jiri, Jinari, Kameng, Kolong, Kopili, Manas, Nona, Lohit, Sankosh, Shiri, Krishnai, Ranganadi, Subansiri, Tuni and Diju. 2.5 Animals: 2.5.1 The state is rich in fauna. So Kaziranga is a refuge for the Indian one-horned rhinoceros. 2.5.2 Other animals are white-winged wood duck or deohanh, Bengal florican, black-breasted parrotbill, red-headed vulture, white-rumped vulture, greater adjutant, Jerdon’s babbler, rufous-necked hornbill, Bengal tiger, Asian elephant, pygmy hog, gaur, wild water buffalo etc. 2.6 Neighbouring States: (i) Arunachal Pradesh and Bhutan – North (ii) Nagaland and Manipur – East (iii) Meghalaya,Tripura,Mizoram and Bangladesh – South West (iv) Bengal – West 2.7 Capital city: Dispur 2.8 Largest city: Guwahati 2.9 Total Land Area: Total area is 78,438 sq. km. 16th largest state in India. Other Important Facts: Guwahati is the largest city of Assam. |
| 3 Forestry | 3.1 Forest: (i) Forest Cover: 28,326.51 sq. km. (ii) Very Dense Forest: 2,794.86 sq. km. (iii) Moderately Dense Forest: 10,278.91 sq. km. (iv) Open Forest: 15,252.74 sq. km. (Data as per ISFR 2019 assessment) 3.2 National Parks: (i) Dibru-Saikhowa National Park, Dibrugarh and Tinsukia (ii) Dehing Patkai National Park, Dibrugarh and Tinsukia (iii) Raimona National Park, Kokrajhar (iv) Kaziranga National Park, Golaghat, Karbi Anglong and Nagaon (v) Manas National Park, Barpeta (vi) Nameri National Park, Sonitpur (vii) Orang National Park, Darrang and Sonitpur 3.3 Wild Life Sanctuary: (i) Garampani Wildlife Sanctuary, Karbi Anglong (ii) Laokhowa Wildlife Sanctuary, Nagaon (iii) Bura Chapori Wildlife Sanctuary, Sonitpur (iv) Bornadi Wildlife Sanctuary, Baksa (v) Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary, Morigaon (vi) Chakrashila Wildlife Sanctuary, Kokrajhar and Dhubri (vii) Pani Dihing Wildlife Sanctuary, Sivasagar (viii) Hoollongapar Gibbon Sanctuary, Jorhat (ix) Sonai Rupai Wildlife Sanctuary, Tezpur (x) East Karbi-Anglong Wildlife Sanctuary, Karbi Anglong (xi) Nambor Wildlife Sanctuary, Karbi Anglong (xii) Nambor-Doigrung Wildlife Sanctuary, Golaghat (xiii) Amchang Wildlife Sanctuary, Guwahati (xiv) Borail Wildlife Sanctuary, Cachar and Dima Hasao (xv) Bherjan-Borajan-Padumoni Wildlife Sanctuary, Tinsukia 3.4 Birds Sanctuary: Deepor Beel Bird Sanctuary, Guwahati 3.5 Elephant Reserves: (i) Sonitpur Elephant Reserve, Sonitpur (ii) Kaziranga-Karbi Anglong Elephant Reserve, Kaziranga (iii) Dhansiri-Lungding Elephant Reserve, Kaziranga (iv) Chirang-Ripu Elephant Reserve, Greater Manas |
| 4 Economy | 4.1 Major Economic Data: (i) GDP Growth: 8.5% (2019-20 EST.) (ii) GDP: ₹4.09 lakh crore (US$57 billion) (2020–21) (iii) GDP Rank: 17th (iv) Per Capita Income: ₹119,155 (US$1,700) (2019–20) 4.2 Industries: 4.2.1 Assam has its major industry in Handlooming and handicraft. 4.2.2 Moreover, there are other industries such as (i) Jute mill, (ii) Textile and yarn mills, and (iii) Assam silk and silk mills. 4.2.3 Other than these, the major industries are: Petroleum and natural gas-based industries, Industries based on locally available minerals, Processing of plantation crops, Food processing industries, Agri-Horticulture products, Herbal products, Biotech products, Pharmaceuticals, Chemical and plastic-based industries, Export oriented industries, Electronic and IT base industries including services sector, Paper making industries, Textiles and sericulture, Engineering industries, Cane and bamboo-based industries. |
| 5 Transportation | 5.1 Air, Rail and Road are the major transportation means of Assam. So there are some prominent railway stations and airports. So people rely on that. 5.2 Major Railway Stations (i) Guwahati, (ii) New Bongaigaon Junction, (iii) Rangiya Junction, (iv) Kamakhya Junction, (v) Mariani Junction, (vi) New Tinsukia Junction, (vii) Dibrugarh, (viii) Kokrajhar, (ix) Lumding Junction, (x) Barpeta Road, (xi) Silchar, (xii) Hojai, (xiii) Chaparmukh Junction, (xiv) Diphu, (xv)Goalpara Town, (xvi) Jagi Road, (xvii)Lanka, (xviii)Simaluguri Junction and (xix) Furkating Junction. 5.3 Major Air Ports: International Airports: Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport, Guwahati Domestic Airports: (i) Dibrugarh Airport (ii) Jorhat Airport (iii) Lilabari Airport, North Lakhimpur (iv) Silchar Airport (v) Tezpur Airport Indian Air Force Stations: (i) Chabua Air Force Station (ii) Dinjan Airfield (iii) Sookerating Air Force Station, Doom Dooma (iv) Ledo Airfield |
| 6 Infrastructures | 6.1 Power installed Capacity: (i) Total Power: 1777.80 MW (ii) Thermal: 1192.92 MW (iii) Nuclear: 0 (iv) Hydro: 505.78 MW (v) Renewable Energy Source: 79.10 MW |
| 7 Census and Demography | 7.1 Demographic Data: (i) Population: 31,205,576 (3.12 Crores) (ii) Male: 15,939,443 (iii) Female: 15,266,133 (iv) Gender Ratio: 958 females per 1000 males (v) Population Growth: 17.07% (vi) Percentage of total population of the country: 2.58% (vii) Density: 398/sq. km. (viii) Rural Population: 26,807,034 (85.90%) (ix) Urban Population: 4,398,542 (14.10%) (x) 15th most populous state in India (Based on 2011 census) 7.2 Major Religion followers: (i) Hinduism: 19,180,759 (61.47%) (ii) Christianity: 1,165,867 (3.74%) (iii) Islam: 10,679,345 (34.22%) (iv) Jainism: 25,949 (0.08%) (v) Buddhism: 54,993 (0.18%) (vi) Sikhism: 20,672 (0.07%) (Based on 2011 census) |
| 8 Culture | 8.1 Literature: Literary work is majorly found under categories: (i) Assamese (ii) Bodo and Dimasa 8.2 Major Poets & Authors: The state is very rich in culture. So the literary work is also quite strong. As per the history, Assamese and other literature was modernised by authors including Lakshminath Bezbaroa, Birinchi Kumar Barua, Hem Barua, Dr. Mamoni Raisom Goswami, Bhabendra Nath Saikia, Birendra Kumar Bhattacharya, Hiren Bhattacharyya, Homen Borgohain, Bhabananda Deka, Rebati Mohan Dutta Choudhury, Mahim Bora, Lil Bahadur Chettri, Syed Abdul Malik, Surendranath Medhi, Hiren Gohain etc. 8.3 Major Festivals: (i) Ali Ai Ligang, (ii) Bathow, (iii) Bihu, (iv) Brahmaputra Beach Festival, (v) Bwisagu, (vi) Beshoma, (vii) Dehing Patkai Festival, (viii) Garja, (ix) Hacha-kekan, (x) Hapsa Hatarnai, (xi) Kaziranga Elephant Festival, (xii) Kherai, (xiii) Magh Bihu, (xiv) Majuli Festival, (xv) Me-Dam-Me-Phi, (xvi) Porag, Rongker, (xvii) Sokk-erroi, (xviii) Tea Festival, (xix) Ambubachi Mela, (xx) Jonbeel Mela and (xxi) Rongali Utsav. 8.4 Folk Dance: (i) Bihu, (ii) Bagurumba, (iii) Bhortal dance, (iv) Goalini, (v) Jhumur and (vi) Gumrag. 8.5 Major Religious Places: (i) Kamakhya Temple (ii) Nabagraha Temple (iii) Umananda Temple (iv) Mahabhairab Temple (v) Sukreswar Temple (vi) Rudreswar Temple (vii) Madan Kamdev (viii) Satra (ix) Poa-Mecca (x) Lankeshwar Temple (xi) Nauka Mandir (xii) Digheswari Temple (xiii) Jaysagar Tank and Temples (xiv) Gaurisagar Tank and Temples (xv) Ugra Tara Temple (xvi) Lankeshwar Temple (xvii) Hajo |
| 9 Education | 9.1 State Literacy Data: (i) Total: 19,177,977 (72.19%) (ii) Male: 10,568,639 (77.85%) (iii) Female: 8,609,338 (66.27%) 9.2 Major Universities: (i) Gauhati University, Guwahati (ii) Tezpur University, Tezpur (iii) Dibrugarh University, Dibrugarh (iv) Assam Agricultural University, Jorhat (v) Assam University, Silchar (vi) Assam Don Bosco University, Guwahati (vii) Assam Science and Technology University, Guwahati (viii) Cotton University, Guwahati (ix) Assam Down Town University, Guwahati (x) Bodoland University, Kokrajhar (xi) National Law University and Judicial Academy, Guwahati (xii) Kaziranga University, Jorhat (xiii) Srimanta Sankaradeva University of Health Sciences, Guwahati (xiv) Assam Rajiv Gandhi University of Cooperative Management, Sivasagar (xv) Mahapurusha Srimanta Sankaradeva Viswavidyalaya, Nagaon (xvi) Assam Women’s University, Jorhat (xvii) Kumar Bhaskar Varma Sanskrit and Ancient Studies University, Nalbari 9.3 Major Institutions: (i) IIT Guwahati (ii) NIT Silchar (iii) IIIT Guwahati (iv) National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Guwahati |
| 10 Tourism | 10.1 This state is the gateway to the Seven Sister States. So we can say that Assam comprises three geographical areas which are (i) Brahmaputra Valley, (ii) Barak Valley and Karbi Plateau and (iii) North Cachar Hills. According to study, these places attract most number of tourists in this state. 10.2 Major Tourist Spots: (i) Kaziranga National Park, Golaghat, Karbi Anglong and Nagaon (ii) Manas National Park, Manas (iii) Kamakhya Temple, Guwahati (iv) Assam State Zoo, Guwahati (v) Chandubi Lake, Kamrup (vi) Majuli (vii) Jatinga, Dima Hasao (viii) Digboi Refinery, Tinsukia |
| 11 Sports | 11.1 State Game: Dhopkhel is the State Game here. Assamese people are very enthusiastic about traditional games and sports. Assam is also known for its adventure sports. As per the data, people come here quite often to avail those sports opportunity. 11.2 Major Stadium: (i) Dr. Bhupen Hazarika Cricket Stadium, Guwahati (ii) Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium, Guwahati (iii) Satindra Mohan Dev Stadium, Silchar (iv) Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Guwahati 11.3 International Players from the state: Boxing: (i) Lovlina Borgohain (ii) Jamuna Boro (iii) Shiva Thapa Cricket: (i) Abu Nechim (ii) Gokul Sharma (iii) Riyan Parag Badminton: (i) Dipankar Bhattacharjee (ii) Ashmita Chaliha Athlete: (i) Hima Das (ii) Tayabun Nisha (iii) Bhogeswar Baruah |
| 12 Governance & Administrative Divisions | 12.1 Administrative divisions: (i) Number of Districts: 35 (05 Divisions) (ii) Number of Tehsils: 155 (iii) Number of Police Stations: 346 (iv) Number of Urban Towns: 189 (v) Number of Villages: 26,247 12.2 Official Languages: (i) Assamese (ii) Bengali in Barak Valley and Bodo in Bodoland Territorial Region (Additional Official Language) (Based on census-2011) 12.3 Constituent Facts: (i) Number of Assembly seats: 126 (ii) Number of Parliament seats: 14 (iii) Rajya sabha seats : 07 (iv) Number of Gram Panchayats: 2201 (v) Legislature: Unicameral 12.4 Chief Minister: Himanta Biswa Sarma (15th Chief Minister of Assam) (From 10 May, 2021) 1st Chief Minister :Gopinath Bordoloi (26/01/1950 to 06/08/1950) 2.5 Governor: Lakshman Prashad Acharya (From 27 July, 2024) 1st Governor Sir Muhammad Saleh Akbar Hydari (15 August, 1947 to 28 December, 1948) 12.6 Judiciary: Gauhati High Court was formed on 5th April, 1948. It was known as the High Court of Assam and Nagaland, but renamed as Gauhati High Court in 1971. (i) Number of Judges: 24 (ii) (Permanent: 18 Addl: 6) (iii) Judge Retirement Age: 62 12.7 Official website: https://assam.gov.in |
| 13 Other Important facts | 13.1 UNESCO World Heritage Sites: (i) Kaziranga National Park (ii) Manas Wildlife Sanctuary (iii) Moidams – the Mound-Burial system of the Ahom Dynasty (Proposed) (iv) River Island of Majuli in midstream of Brahmaputra River in Assam (Proposed) 13.2 GI Tags: (i) Muga Silk (ii) Assam Emblem (iii) Assam Karbi Anglong Ginger (iv) Tezpur Litchi (v) Joha Rice of Assam (vi) Boka Chaul (vii) Chokuwa Rice of Assam (viii) Kaji Nemu 13.3 : State Symbols: (i) Animal: One horned Rhino (Rhinoceros unicornis) (ii) Bird : White-winged Wood Duck ( Cairana Scutulata) (iii) Trees : Hollong (iv) Flowers : Foxtail Orchids (v) Fruit: Kaji Nemu |
