Contributed By Neeraj Gudwani, Asst.Manager (ATC) Amritsar Airport

facts & files

Position:- India, that is Bharat, lies in South Asia between latitudes 8 degree 4' and 37 degree 5' North and longitudes 68 degree 7' and 97 degree 25' East. It is bound on the South-West by Arabian Sea and on the South-East by the Bay of Bengal. On the North-East & North-West lie Himalayan ranges. The Southern tip, Kanyakumari is washed by the Indian Ocean.

Area:- It covers a total land area of 32,87,782 sq. kms., measuring 3214 kms. from North to South and 2933 kms. from East to West. It has a land frontier of 15200 kms and a coast line of about 6100 kms. excluding Lakshdeep, Andaman & Nicobar islands.

Total number of States:- 29
Total number of U.T's:- 7

The Constitution :- The Constitution was adopted by the Constituent assembly on 26th Nov, 1949 and came into being on 26th January, 1950.

facts & tips:-

The first President of Constituent assembly was Dr. Rajindra Prasad.
The Chairman of the Constituent assembly was Dr. B.R.Ambedekar.
The draft constitution contained 315 articles & 8 schedules.
The final constitution came with 395 articles & 8 schedules.

PREAMBLE of the constitution reads as :- WE THE PEOPLE OF INDIA, having resolved to contitute India into a SOVEREIGN SOCIALIST SECULAR DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC and to secure to all its citizens
JUSTICE social, political and economical;
LIBERTY of thought, expression, faith, belief and worship;
EQUALITY of status & of opportunity; and
to promote among them all FRATERNITY assuring the dignity of the individual and the unity and integrity of nation.

Population:- One Hundred Crore (approx. +50 per second)
Density :- 267 per sq. kms
Literacy Rate:- Males:- 63.86%, Females:- 90.5%
Its highest in Kerala and lowest in Bihar
Among women, lowest literacy rate is 20.84% in Rajasthan.
Sex Ratio:- 929 fair sex/1000 males
Most Populous State:- U.P. having 16.44% of total population.

National Flag:-
The flag is a horizontal tricolour in equal proportion of deep saffron on the top, white in the middle and dark green at the bottom. The ratio of the width to the length of the flag is two is to three. In the centre of the white band, there is a wheel in navy blue to indicate the Dharma Chakra, the wheel of law in the Sarnath Lion Capital. Its diameter approximates the width of the white band and it has 24 spokes. The saffron stands for courage, sacrifice and the spirit of renunciation; the white, for purity and truth; the green for faith and fertility. The national flag was adopted by the constitutent assembly on 22nd July 1947.


National Song:-The song ' Vande Matram' composed by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee is the national song of India. It was first sung at the session of the Indian National Congress in 1896.

National Anthem:-The song 'Jana-gana-mana' composed by Rabinder Nath Tagore was adopted as National anthem of India on 24th, January 1950.

Jana-gana-mana-adhinayaka, jaya he

Bharata-bhagya-vidhata

Punjab-sindhu-gujarata-maratha-

Dravida-utkala-banga

Vindhya-himachala-yamuna-ganga

Ucchhala-jaladhi taranga

Tava subha name jaage

Tava subha ashisha maange

Gaahe tava jaya gaatha.

Jana-gana-mangala dayaka, jaya he

Bharata-bhagya-vidhaata,

Jaya he, Jaya he, Jaya he,

Jaya Jaya Jaya, Jaya he.

National Emblem:-
The National Emblem of India is a replica of the Lion of Sarnath, near Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh.Three standing Lions on a base having Dharma Chakra at the center, a bull on the right and a horse on the left. The words 'Satyamevajatha' are inscribed at the bottom. The Lion Capital was erected in the third century BC by Emperor Ashoka to mark the spot where Buddha first proclaimed his gospel of peace and emancipation to the four quarters of the universe. The National Emblem is thus symbolic of contemporary India's reaffirmation of its ancient commitment to world peace and goodwill.


National Animal:- Tiger
There are very few tigers left in the world today. A decade ago the tiger population in India had dwindled to a few hundreds. The Government of India, under its Project Tiger programme, started a massive effort to preserve the tiger population. Today, thanks to Project Tiger, India's population of tigers has considerably increased.

National Bird:- Peacock
Male bird of species P. cristatus, is a native of India, with striking plumage and upper tail converts marked with iridescent ocelli, able to expand its tail erect like fan as ostentatious display. Peacocks are related to pheasants.





National Flower:-Lotus
The Lotus or waterlily is an aquatic plant of Nymphaea with broad floating leaves and bright fragrant flowers that grow only in shallow waters. The leaves and flowers float and have long stems that contain air spaces. The big attractive flowers have many petals overlapping in a symmetrical pattern. The root functions are carried out by rhizomes that fan out horizontally through the mud below the water. Lotuses, prized for their serene beauty, are delightful to behold as their blossoms open on the surface of a pond. In India the sacred lotus is legendary and much folklore and religious mythology is woven around it.

National Fruit:- Mango
A fleshy fruit, eaten ripe or used green for pickles etc., of the tree Mangifera indica, the mango is one of the most important and widely cultivated fruits of the tropical world. Its juicy fruit is a rich source of Vitamins A, C and D. In India there are over100 varieties of mangoes, in different sizes, shapes and colours. Mangoes, have been cultivated in India from time immemorial. The poet Kalidasa sang its praises. Alexander savoured its taste, as did the Chinese pilgrim Hieun Tsang. Akbar planted 100,000 mango trees in Darbhanga, known as Lakhi Bagh.



Some Important Days:-



National Youth Day Jan'ry 12

Army Day Jan'ry 15

Republic Day Jan'ry 26

Martyr's Day Jan'ry 30

National Maritime Day April 5

Labour Day May 1

Quit India Day Aug'st 9

Independence Day Aug'st 15

Teachers Day Sep'er 5

Gandhi Jayanti Oct'er 2

National Integration Day Oct'er 4

Air Force Day Oct'er 8

Post Office Day Oct'er 9

National Rededication Day Oct'er 31

Children's Day Nov'er 14

Navy Day Dec'er 4

Flag Day Dec'er 7

Kisan's Day Dec'er 23

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY!!!