TLDR;
Alright, students! This is a marathon session focusing on static GK, covering national parks, cultural festivals, historical facts, sports, and current affairs. Key points include:
- Exploring India's diverse national parks and wildlife sanctuaries.
- Understanding important cultural festivals and their significance.
- Reviewing historical facts and figures.
- Covering sports-related awards, championships, and personalities.
- Discussing government schemes, economic concepts, and geographical facts.
Intro and App Overview [0:22]
Good morning, students! Today's session is a marathon on static GK. If you haven't downloaded the Testbook app, do it now. Also, subscribe to the channel and join the Telegram group for updates. When you enroll in Testbook's Super Pass Live, you get an onboarding kit with short tricks, concept ebooks, infographics, and PYQs with explanations. Use the coupon code "RIYA" to avail discount while enrolling in Super Pass Live.
Periyar National Park and Simlipal Wildlife Sanctuary [3:16]
Periyar National Park is located in Kerala and is famous for elephants. The Silent Valley National Park is also in Kerala. Simlipal Wildlife Sanctuary, along with Bhitarkanika, is in Odisha. In Jharkhand, you'll find Betla National Park, while Telangana is home to Mrigavani National Park. Valmiki National Park is located in Bihar.
Trans-Siberian Railway and Losar Festival [5:56]
The Trans-Siberian Railway, the world's longest railway line, is located in Russia, covering a distance of 9289 km. The cultural festival of Losar is celebrated in Arunachal Pradesh. While Ladakh would be the best answer if it was an option, it is also celebrated in Arunachal and Himachal. Losung is the New year in Sikkim.
Aadhar Mascot and Brihadeshwara Temple [9:07]
The Aadhar mascot launched by UIDAI to simplify public understanding of Aadhar services is named Uday. The Brihadeshwara Temple, located in Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu, was built by Raja Raja Chola I and is also known as Rajarajeshwara Temple. The Sun Temple in Odisha is called the Black Pagoda.
Black Soil and Wildlife Sanctuaries [11:15]
Black soil, found in the Deccan region, is best suited for cotton cultivation, as well as groundnuts, wheat, tobacco, and millets. A designated area for wildlife with unmanaged access to the ecosystem and natural resources is called a National Park. Currently, India has 108 National Parks, with the newest one being Sikhna Jwalaho National Park in Assam.
Hot Springs and Hindu Temples [13:09]
Gaurikund, located on the banks of the Mandakini River, is famous for its hot springs and is the starting point for the Kedarnath Yatra. The innermost sanctum of a Hindu and Jain temple, where the main deity's idol is placed, is called the Garbhagriha.
Economic Development and Hindu Philosophy [16:37]
The Second Five-Year Plan emphasized that the benefits of economic development should reach the less privileged sections of society, focusing on rapid industrialization. According to early Hindu philosophy, there are four stages of life: Brahmacharya, Grihastha, Vanaprastha, and Sanyasa.
Sultanpur National Park and Dhyan Chand Award [19:07]
Sultanpur National Park and Kalesar National Park are both located in Haryana. The Dhyan Chand Award was established by the Indian government in 2002 and is now known as the Arjun Lifetime Achievement Award.
Women's Health and Krishnadevaraya [20:47]
Maharashtra has launched India's first dedicated menopause clinic to support women's health. Krishnadevaraya belonged to the Tuluva dynasty and ruled from 1509 to 1529.
Asian Youth Games and Shad Nongkrem Festival [23:01]
The 2025 Asian Youth Games, where India won 48 medals, were held in Manama, Bahrain. India won 13 gold, 18 silver and 17 bronze medals. The five-day Shad Nongkrem religious festival is celebrated in Meghalaya, specifically in the Khasi Hills.
Sports Personalities and Asian Marathon Championship [24:50]
Jelena Ostapenko is associated with lawn tennis and represents Latvia. Gopi Thonakal is the first Indian to win the Asian Marathon Championship.
Kumbh Mela and Nuakhai Festival [26:06]
The Kumbh Mela is famously held in Prayagraj (Uttar Pradesh) on the banks of Ganga, Yamuna, and Saraswati rivers, Ujjain (Madhya Pradesh) on the banks of Shipra river, Nashik (Maharashtra) on the banks of Godavari river, and Haridwar (Uttarakhand) on the banks of Ganga river. Nuakhai is a social festival in Odisha, where Dhanu Yatra and Bali Yatra are also important festivals.
Bharat Ratna and Kalbelia Dance [27:56]
In 2015, Madan Mohan Malaviya was posthumously awarded the Bharat Ratna for promoting modern education. Kalbelia is a popular dance form in Rajasthan, along with Terah Taali.
Ethiopia's Highest Honor and Habeas Corpus [29:10]
The highest civilian honor of Ethiopia, the Grand Honor of the Order of the निशान of Ethiopia, was conferred on Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit. Addis Ababa is the capital of Ethiopia. According to the Indian Constitution, both the Supreme Court (Article 32) and High Courts (Article 226) have the authority to issue a writ of habeas corpus.
Mary Kom and Thimpu [33:33]
MC Mary Kom belongs to Manipur and has been awarded the Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan, and Padma Vibhushan, but not the Bharat Ratna. Thimpu is the capital of Bhutan. Kathmandu is the capital of Nepal, Dhaka is the capital of Bangladesh and Naypyidaw is the capital of Myanmar.
Jasvir Singh and Bhasha Bharati Samman [35:28]
Jasvir Singh is associated with Kabaddi and received the Arjuna Award in 2017. The Central Institute of Indian Languages, established in 1969 in Mysore, presents the Bhasha Bharati Samman award.
Satellite Internet and Rural Employment Scheme [38:05]
Maharashtra is partnering with Elon Musk's Starlink to deploy satellite-based internet services. The rural employment scheme that was renamed Pujya Bapu Gramin Rozgar Yojana, increasing guaranteed workdays to 125, is the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS).
Special Address and Kandariya Mahadeva Temple [39:47]
Article 87 of the Indian Constitution deals with the President's special address to the Parliament. The Kandariya Mahadeva Temple is located in Khajuraho and is an example of temples built in the Panchayatana style.
Teachings of Muhammad and Solar Energy ATM [41:39]
The teachings and daily practices of Prophet Muhammad, compiled by his followers after his death, are called Hadith. Tripura Gramin Bank is the first rural bank in India to launch a solar-powered ATM van.
Mohiniyattam and Granth Kutir [42:42]
Mohiniyattam is a popular dance form in Kerala, along with Kathakali. President Droupadi Murmu inaugurated the Granth Kutir, which houses approximately 50 manuscripts and 2300 books in 11 Indian classical languages.
Handa Award and Solung Festival [44:47]
The 46th Handa Award, held on November 17, 2022, was given to Dr. Yanichi Iga. The Solung festival is associated with Arunachal Pradesh.
Price Elasticity and Orange City [45:41]
The percentage change in the quantity demanded of a commodity divided by the percentage change in its price is called price elasticity of demand. Nagpur is famous for its oranges.
Appalachian Folk Game and Vishwanathan Anand [46:37]
A folk game from rural Appalachia is hillbilly music. Vishwanathan Anand, the first Grandmaster from India, was awarded the Padma Vibhushan in 2007.
Language in Upanishads and Wild Ass Sanctuary [47:54]
The language used in the Upanishads is Sanskrit. The Wild Ass Sanctuary (Ghudkhur) is located in Gujarat.
World Athlete of the Year and Football Durga [48:59]
Armand Duplantis won the World Athlete of the Year award at the 2025 World Athletics Awards. Bombem Devi is associated with football and is known as the Durga of Indian football.
Padmasambhava Festival and Testbook Superpass [51:08]
The Hemis festival is celebrated in honor of Lord Padmasambhava in Ladakh. You can enroll in Testbook Super Pass Live for ₹1 and use the coupon code RIYA.
Emmy Awards and Dronacharya Award [52:18]
The Emmy Awards are given in the television industry. Coaches who win medals in prestigious international sports competitions are honored with the Dronacharya Award, which was started in 1985. The prize money for the Lifetime category is ₹15 lakh, and for the Regular category, it is ₹10 lakh.
International Cheetah Day and MNREGA Full Form [55:00]
International Cheetah Day is celebrated on December 4. The full form of MNREGA is Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act.
Yerrarigan Award and Bandodkar Gold Trophy [56:25]
The first person to be honored with the Yerrarigan Award is MS Swaminathan, known as the father of the Green Revolution. The Bandodkar Gold Trophy is associated with football and was established in 1970.
Legal Rights for Insects and National Emergency [58:15]
The insects that have been granted legal rights are the Amazon stingless bees. The political party that came to power after the national emergency of 1975 was the Janata Party. June 25 is observed as Constitution Murder Day.
UNESCO City and First Female Grandmaster [1:00:30]
Lucknow has been recognized by UNESCO as a creative city of gastronomy in 2025 for its rich culinary heritage and Awadhi cuisine. Subbaraman Vijayalakshmi is the first female Indian Grandmaster in chess, achieving the title in 2001.
National Parks and Tiger Reserve [1:02:14]
Vasandha National Park is located in Gujarat, along with Gir, Blackbuck, and Marine National Parks. There are six national parks in Uttarakhand: Jim Corbett, Nanda Devi, Rajaji, Valley of Flowers, Govind Pashu Vihar, and Gangotri. Sundarban Tiger Reserve is located in West Bengal, along with Buxa, Gorumara and Singhalila.
Sarkaria Commission and Gnanpith Award [1:03:19]
The Sarkaria Commission, related to center-state relations, was established by the Indian government in 1983. The Gnanpith Award is associated with literature.
Cotton and Wrestler [1:04:29]
Separating cotton from seeds using a comb is called ginning or otai. Satyawart Kadian is associated with wrestling.
Power Index and Language [1:05:23]
In the Asia Power Index 2025, India ranked third. Sinhala is a major language in Sri Lanka.
Book and Cancer [1:17:48]
The author of "Ace Against Odds" is Sania Mirza. The term "Oncomark" was in the news and is associated with an AI-based structure to predict cancer cell behavior.
Tennis and Deep Tech [1:18:31]
Novak Djokovic recently became the first player in tennis history to achieve 400 career Grand Slam singles wins. The government has announced an exemption from the mandatory 3-year existence requirement for deep tech startups under the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research recognition framework.
Soil and Sports [1:19:27]
Laterite soil in the hilly regions of South India makes the region suitable for tea and coffee cultivation. Priyanka Nutakki is associated with chess.
Cricket and Homework [1:19:59]
Smriti Mandhana, Jemimah Rodrigues, and Deepti Sharma were named in the tournament team for the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup 2025. Homework: Tell what is part 4 of the Indian constitution is about.
