Part XIII — Static GK Capsules

Chapter 13: High-Yield Facts for Rapid Revision

This chapter consolidates the highest-yield, most frequently repeated facts from every preceding chapter into a rapid-revision format, ideal for the final days before an examination.

13.1 Firsts of Bihar

Bihar's first Chief Minister: Sri Krishna Sinha. Bihar's first Deputy Chief Minister: Anugrah Narayan Sinha. Bihar's first separate province status (from Bengal Presidency): 1912. India's first President (a Bihar-linked statesman): Dr. Rajendra Prasad. Bihar's first IIT: IIT Patna (established 2008). Bihar's first AIIMS: AIIMS Patna (one of the first six new AIIMS institutions sanctioned under the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana). Bihar's first university: Patna University, established 1917, one of India's oldest. Bihar's first (and only) tiger reserve: Valmiki Tiger Reserve, West Champaran.

13.2 Key Dates Timeline

c. 322–185 BCE — Mauryan Empire, capital Pataliputra. c. 320–550 CE — Gupta Empire, "Golden Age." 8th–12th century CE — Pala dynasty rules Bihar and Bengal. 1540–1545 — Sher Shah Suri's reign following his defeat of Humayun. 1764 — Battle of Buxar. 1765 — East India Company acquires Diwani of Bengal, Bihar, and Orissa. 1793 — Permanent Settlement. 1 April 1912 — Bihar (and Orissa) separated from the Bengal Presidency to form a new province. 1917 — Champaran Satyagraha, Gandhi's first civil disobedience movement in India. 1935 — Bihar and Orissa separated into distinct provinces under the Government of India Act, 1935. 1942 — Quit India Movement; Patna Secretariat firing incident. 1947 — Indian independence; Bihar becomes a state of the Indian Union. 1950 — Bihar Land Reforms Act. 1974 — Jayaprakash Narayan's Bihar Movement ("Sampoorna Kranti"/Total Revolution) begins. 1990s onward — Rise of Karpoori Thakur's successors, Lalu Prasad Yadav and later Nitish Kumar, in Bihar's social-justice politics. 15 November 2000 — Bihar bifurcated to create Jharkhand (alongside Chhattisgarh and Uttarakhand's creation the same year). 2016 — Nalanda's ruins inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site; Bihar implements complete alcohol prohibition. 2023 — Bihar's comprehensive Caste Survey conducted. 2024 — Karpoori Thakur awarded the Bharat Ratna posthumously. 2026 — Change of Chief Minister (Nitish Kumar to Samrat Choudhary) and Governor (to Lt Gen Syed Ata Hasnain, Retd.).

13.3 Geography Rapid Facts

Bihar's area: 94,163 sq km (12th largest state). Population (2011): 10.41 crore (3rd most populous). Districts: 38. Divisions: 9. Main river: Ganga. "Sorrow of Bihar": Kosi river. Largest south-bank Ganga tributary: Son river. Only tiger reserve: Valmiki Tiger Reserve (West Champaran). International border: Nepal (~601 km). Oldest surviving temple (octagonal): Mundeshwari Temple (Kaimur).

13.4 GI-Tagged Products of Bihar

Shahi litchi (Muzaffarpur), Zardalu mango (Bhagalpur), Katarni rice (Bhagalpur/Munger region), Magahi paan (betel leaf, Magadh region), Mithila Makhana (fox nut, Darbhanga/Madhubani region), Madhubani painting, Sikki grass craft (Mithila region), Bhagalpuri silk (Tussar).

13.5 UNESCO World Heritage Sites Linked to Bihar

Mahabodhi Temple Complex (Bodh Gaya) — inscribed 2002. Nalanda (Archaeological Site of Nalanda Mahavihara) — inscribed 2016.

13.6 Honorifics and Titles Quick Table

Personality	Honorific/Title
Jayaprakash Narayan	Loknayak
Sri Krishna Sinha	Bihar Kesari
Anugrah Narayan Sinha	Bihar Vibhuti
Ramdhari Singh Dinkar	Rashtrakavi

13.7 Bharat Ratna Recipients Linked to Bihar

Dr. Rajendra Prasad (1962, among the earliest recipients). Jayaprakash Narayan (1999, posthumous). Karpoori Thakur (2024, posthumous) — the most recent and frequently tested addition.

13.8 Key Rivers and Their Character

River	Character
Ganga	Main river, divides state north-south
Kosi	"Sorrow of Bihar," extreme flood/course-shift history
Gandak	North Bihar, Nepal-origin, flood-prone
Son	Largest south-bank tributary, regulated by Indrapuri Barrage
Falgu	Seasonal, flows underground at Gaya, linked to Pind Daan rites
Bagmati	Flows through Mithila region, flood-prone

13.9 Practice Set — Static GK Capsules (25 MCQs)

1. Bihar's first Chief Minister was:
   (a) Anugrah Narayan Sinha (b) Sri Krishna Sinha (c) Karpoori Thakur (d) Nitish Kumar
2. Bihar's first university, established in 1917, was:
   (a) Nalanda University (b) Patna University (c) Magadh University (d) Bihar University
3. Bihar's first IIT is located at:
   (a) Patna (b) Gaya (c) Muzaffarpur (d) Bhagalpur
4. The Mahabodhi Temple Complex was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in:
   (a) 1990 (b) 2002 (c) 2010 (d) 2016
5. Nalanda's archaeological ruins were inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in:
   (a) 2002 (b) 2010 (c) 2016 (d) 2020
6. Which GI-tagged product is associated with the Magadh region specifically?
   (a) Shahi litchi (b) Magahi paan (c) Zardalu mango (d) Katarni rice
7. Katarni rice, a GI-tagged product, is associated with which region?
   (a) Bhagalpur/Munger region (b) Mithila region (c) Magadh region (d) Saran region
8. Which Bharat Ratna recipient linked to Bihar received the award in 1962, among the earliest recipients?
   (a) Jayaprakash Narayan (b) Karpoori Thakur (c) Dr. Rajendra Prasad (d) Ramdhari Singh Dinkar
9. Bihar's Bihar Land Reforms Act was passed in:
   (a) 1947 (b) 1950 (c) 1974 (d) 2000
10. The Government of India Act, 1935, is significant for Bihar because it:
    (a) Created Bihar as a province for the first time (b) Separated Bihar and Orissa into distinct provinces (c) Created Jharkhand (d) Abolished zamindari
11. Bihar's total area of 94,163 sq km ranks it as India's:
    (a) 10th largest state (b) 12th largest state (c) 15th largest state (d) 8th largest state
12. The Indrapuri Barrage regulates which river, Bihar's largest south-bank Ganga tributary?
    (a) Kosi (b) Son (c) Gandak (d) Bagmati
13. Which river is associated with Pind Daan ancestral rites at Gaya, flowing partly underground?
    (a) Ganga (b) Falgu (c) Kosi (d) Punpun
14. Sikki grass craft, a GI-tagged product, originates from which region?
    (a) Magadh region (b) Mithila region (c) Anga region (d) Saran region
15. Bhagalpuri silk (Tussar), a GI-tagged textile product, is associated with which district?
    (a) Bhagalpur (b) Darbhanga (c) Muzaffarpur (d) Patna
16. Bihar's 2023 Caste Survey is significant because it:
    (a) Was among the first comprehensive caste enumeration exercises by an Indian state in recent decades (b) Was the first census ever conducted in India (c) Led to Jharkhand's creation (d) Abolished the zamindari system
17. Which honorific is correctly matched: "Rashtrakavi"?
    (a) Jayaprakash Narayan (b) Sri Krishna Sinha (c) Ramdhari Singh Dinkar (d) Anugrah Narayan Sinha
18. Bihar's international border, approximately 601 km, is shared with:
    (a) Bangladesh (b) Nepal (c) Bhutan (d) China
19. AIIMS Patna was among the first new AIIMS institutions sanctioned under which scheme?
    (a) Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (b) Ayushman Bharat (c) Saat Nischay (d) PMGSY
20. Which of the following pairs (year — event) is INCORRECT?
    (a) 1764 — Battle of Buxar (b) 1917 — Champaran Satyagraha (c) 2000 — Jharkhand's creation (d) 1990 — Karpoori Thakur's Bharat Ratna
21. Bihar's sex ratio, as per the 2011 Census, is:
    (a) 900 (b) 918 (c) 940 (d) 960
22. Bihar's number of administrative divisions (Pramandal) is:
    (a) 7 (b) 8 (c) 9 (d) 10
23. Which Chief Minister preceded Samrat Choudhary, stepping down after election to the Rajya Sabha in 2026?
    (a) Lalu Prasad Yadav (b) Nitish Kumar (c) Karpoori Thakur (d) Jayaprakash Narayan
24. Mithila Makhana (fox nut), a GI-tagged product, is associated primarily with:
    (a) Darbhanga/Madhubani region (b) Magadh region (c) Anga region (d) Saran region
25. As per the 2011 Census, Bihar's literacy rate is approximately:
    (a) 55.8% (b) 61.8% (c) 68.8% (d) 74.8%

Answer Key

1.(b)

2.(b)

3.(a)

4.(b)

5.(c)

6.(b)

7.(a)

8.(c)

9.(b)

10.(b)

11.(b)

12.(b)

13.(b)

14.(b)

15.(a)

16.(a)

17.(c)

18.(b)

19.(a)

20.(d)

21.(b)

22.(c)

23.(b)

24.(a) 25.(b)