Know Your State Chhattisgarh – Chhattisgarh General Knowledge Notes 2021 (Part 2)

In the preceding blog, we had talked about the Culture, Geography and Polity of Chhattisgarh. If you haven’t read that already, click here – Know your State ‘Chhattisgarh’ – Part 1. Now, this blog will buckle down to the other chief aspects of Chhattisgarh namely History, Environment and Economy.

Which state’s ancient name was Dakshin-Kausal? Do you know what the GDP rank of Chhattisgarh is? Where is the World’s Second longest cave?

Let’s begin with the topmost aspect of Chhattisgarh i.e. bygone days of Chhattisgarh.

HISTORY Chhattisgarh GK Notes:

Chhattisgarh was carved out of Madhya Pradesh. It came into being on 1 November 2000 as the 26^th State of the Union. It fulfilled the long-cherished demand of the people. The region was known as Dakshin-Kausal in ancient times. The region of Chhattisgarh is mentioned in Ramayana and Mahabharata.

• The former times of Chhattisgarh existed before the 4^th century CE, formerly titled as Southern Kosala.
• The name Chhattisgarh, meaning “thirty-six forts”, was previously claimed to be the territory of the Haihaya dynasty.
• In-between the 6^th to 20^th century Sarabhpurias, Panduavanshi, Somvanshi, Kalchuri and Nagvanshi rulers controlled this region. Out of these, Kulchuris ruled for the most duration from 980 to 1791 AD in medieval times.
• During pre-modern times, Chhattisgarh was also under the control of the Marathas (Bhonsale clan of Nagpur).
• The control was passed on to Britishers from 1845- 1947. Under British rule, Chhattisgarh comprised of 14 feudatory princely kingdoms under the Eastern States Agency.
• At that time, Raipur was the headquarters of this division.
• Till November 2000, Chhattisgarh was a part of Madhya Pradesh. Although protests for Chhattisgarh statehood started in the early 1970s.
• Chandulal Chandrakar of Chhattisgarh Rajya Nirman Manch played the leading role in the late 90s for the creation of this separate state.

For further information on the history of Chhattisgarh, view Madhya Pradesh’s History

Now, let’s shift to another aspect of Chhattisgarh i.e. environment.

ENVIRONMENT Chhattisgarh GK Notes:

The green state of Chhattisgarh has the densest forests in India. Chhattisgarh offers breathtaking natural beauty blended with astonishing waterfall, natural caves and dramatic mountain ranges. Chhattisgarh is the treasure house of natural, untouched beauty. There are plenty of wildlife sanctuaries which are home to rich wildlife. Other attractions of Chhattisgarh include dams, museums and waterfalls.

Major Dams:

• Chhattisgarh has a limited irrigation system with dams, barrage, reservoirs and canals. There are 51 medium and major projects that have been completed or are under construction.
• Gangrel Dam or Sagar Dam built across the Mahanadi River in Dhamtari district, Chhattisgarh is the longest Dam in the state with a total length of 1,830m and height of 30.5m.
• Murrum  Silli Dam on Sillari River is the first dam in Asia to have Siphon Spillways with a height- 34.15m, built for the purpose of irrigation.
• Khudia Dam in Bilaspur is the major water sports destination in the state.

Major Rivers:

The Mahanadi is the lifeline of Chhattisgarh. Except for the rivers of Bastar, other major rivers like the Shivnath, Arpa, Hasdo, Sondur and Jonk become a part of the Mahanadi River. The Mahanadi and its tributaries hold 50.48% of the state’s water.

Major national parks and wildlife sanctuary:

Chhattisgarh has 3 National Parks and 11 Wildlife Sanctuaries making it one of the most important contributors to the flora and fauna map of India. The state is the homeland to different leopards, tigers, birds which pass through the state during winter months.

• Udanti Wild Buffalo Wildlife Sanctuary is in the Raipur District. It has been created for the protection of its herbivorous population of barking deer, gaur, 4- horned antelopes, chital, chinkara, wild buffalo, etc.
• Sanjay national park, also known as Ghasi Das National Park was set in 1982. This national park is frequented by tigers, chital, jackals, cobras, pythons and special birds like wagtails, blue kingfishers, munias etc.
• Indravati National Park in Bijapur, Chhattisgarh derives its name from Indravati River is home to one of the last populations of rare wild buffalo. This National Park is the finest and most famous wildlife park of Chhattisgarh.

Let’s switch to the next aspect of Chhatisgarh i.e. economy.

ECONOMY Chhattisgarh GK Notes:

The economy of Chhattisgarh is based on mining, agriculture, energy production, and manufacturing. It is the most backward region of the country and the economy is mainly driven by the mineral resources of the state. The state has major deposits of coal, iron ore, dolomite, and other minerals.

• Chhattisgarh state is ranked as the 17^th-largest tea producing state in India. The districts of Jashpur and Surguja are favourable tea production areas.
• Agriculture is counted as the chief economic occupation of the state. About 80% of the population is rural and the main livelihood of the villagers is agriculture and agricultural-based small industry.
• Chhattisgarh is called RICE BOWL OF INDIA as its main crop; Rice is grown on about 77% of the net sown area. Due to the limited availability of irrigated areas, the productivity of rice and other crops is low. Hence, agriculture does not contribute much to the economy of the state.
• Chhattisgarh is rich in minerals. 50% of the country’s total cement is produced in this state. It has the highest output of coal in the country with the second-highest reserves. It is third in Iron ore production and first in tin production.

GDP of Chhattisgarh: ₹3.62 LAKH CRORE

Rank (as per GDP): 17th

Growth of GDP: 5.3% (2019-20)

Per Capita GDP: ₹98,281

Sector-wise GDP: Agriculture- 17%, Industry- 46%, Services- 37% (2019- 20)

Revenues: ₹84,131 CRORE

EDUCATION Chhattisgarh GK Notes:

The Education scenario in Chhattisgarh is not very remarkable as it lacks proper educational infrastructure. Nevertheless, the state government has launched several programs for enhancing academics.

• According to 2001 census, literacy rate of the state is 65.18%.

• Raipur, the state capital is the main center of higher education in Chhattisgarh.
• Most of the colleges and institutions in the state are affiliated to the government recognized universities. The colleges in Chhattisgarh offer various courses in biotechnology, dental science, law, hotel management, medical, physiotherapy, mass communication, nursing, veterinary science and management, architecture, engineering etc.

SPORTS:

The state of Chhattisgarh has a robust culture of sports. The sports of Chhattisgarh comprise of football, hockey, cricket, basketball, kabbadi, volleyball, badminton and almost all other sports activities practiced all over India.

Here are some more interesting facts about Chhattisgarh:

• Habib Tanvir, a famous Urdu and Hindi poet and writer was born in Raipur.
• Chhattisgarh is situated on the oldest rocks on the Indian Subcontinent and is the 10^th largest state of India andis also an important electricity and steel producing state of India.
• Sirpur is a perfect of the assortment, Heritage and History, was the capital city of the ancient Dakshin Kaushal i.e. Chhattisgarh.
• At Khairagarh India’s first University dedicated only to Music and Dance, “The Indira Kala Sangeet Vishwavidyalaya” issituated.
• Kailash and Kotusmar Cave is a unique cave of limestone but is also the second-longest natural cave in the whole world.
• The highest peak of the state isthe Bailadila range in Dantewada district, Chhattisgarh with an altitude of 1,276 m.
• Chhattisgarh accounts for 15 % of the total steel production of the country.
• Chhattisgarh is that it accounts for 70% of Tendu leaves production. ‘Bidis’ are made out of these leaves.
• The High Sex Ratio of the state is 991/1000 – put it at 5^th rank among Indian states.

Therefore, this was all the needed important knowledge about Chhattisgarh that will make your preparation for competitive exams like SSC CGL, CDS, Civil Services and NDA,etc. In the next blog, we would be discussing some interesting facts and trivia about the state of Goa. Click here for Know your State – ‘Goa’.

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