SSC
Which state was declared India's first 'smoke-free state' in 2013?
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Answer: Option B — Himachal Pradesh
Detailed Solution
Himachal Pradesh was declared India's first "smoke-free state" in 2013, because of its strict enforcement of the ban on smoking in public places.
About the smoke-free declaration:
- Indian law, the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA), 2003, bans smoking in public places, such as offices, hospitals, schools, cinemas, restaurants, railway stations and public transport.
- Himachal Pradesh enforced this law strictly, with fines for violators and awareness campaigns.
Himachal Pradesh has also been praised for other environmental and public health measures:
- It banned plastic bags early (2009), one of the first states to do so.
- It was declared "Open Defecation Free" in 2016.
- Under its "Grihini Suvidha Yojana", it also provided LPG connections to nearly all households, freeing kitchens from smoke.
Tobacco control in India:
- COTPA, 2003 also bans tobacco advertising, bans the sale of tobacco to people under 18, bans sale near educational institutions and requires health warnings on packets.
- India signed the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) in 2004, the first global health treaty.
- The Prohibition of Electronic Cigarettes Act, 2019 bans e-cigarettes in India.
- World No Tobacco Day is observed on 31 May.
- The National Tobacco Control Programme (NTCP) was launched in 2007-08.
Other state "firsts":
- Sikkim: first fully organic state (2016).
- Kerala: first state with 100 per cent primary education and the first digital state.
- Goa: one of the first states to ban plastic bags.
Why not the other options?
- ✗Kerala has many "firsts" in literacy and health, but HP was the first smoke-free state.
- ✗Sikkim was the first fully organic state.
- ✗Goa was not the first smoke-free state.
Quick tip
Remember: first smoke-free state = Himachal Pradesh (2013; COTPA 2003 enforced); World No Tobacco Day = 31 May; first organic state = Sikkim.
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Firsts in India & World — Preparation
This question tests your understanding of Firsts in India & World, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.
This topic covers the first persons and events in India and the world: the first Indian to win a Nobel Prize, the first woman to hold major offices, the first to climb Everest or reach space, and India's first institutions, newspapers, railways and satellites. It also covers the largest, longest, highest and smallest records in India and the world. These are pure memory questions, so revise them as short lists by theme: first women, first in sports, first in science and space, and first in governance. Be careful with the exact wording, such as 'first Indian' versus 'first person of Indian origin', or 'first woman President' versus 'first woman Prime Minister', since options are often designed to exploit this. Practise the firsts in India and the world questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.