Current Affair Category: Geography

Why  in the news? The news discusses the India Meteorological Department’s (IMD) forecast for the upcoming southwest monsoon season in India, specifically its ruling out the possibility of an El Nino. This is significant because El Nino conditions are typically associated with reduced monsoon rainfall in India, which can have serious implications for agriculture and […]

The article on the Sagaing Fault and the massive earthquake in Myanmar . UPSC Prelims Focus Areas Tectonic movements and earthquake-prone zones (India and Myanmar). Key Fault Lines: Sagaing Fault vs. Himalayan Fault. Disaster Management Act 2005 and NDMA guidelines. Seismic Zones of India. UPSC Mains Relevance GS Paper 1 (Geography): Plate Tectonics and Earthquake […]

Why in News ?  Parliament has  passed the Disaster Management (Amendment) Bill 2024, with Rajya Sabha approving the legislation by a voice vote, despite strong opposition criticism over alleged political bias in disaster relief efforts. The bill, which aims to enhance the efficiency of national and state disaster management authorities, was earlier passed by the […]

Why in News ?  A glacier avalanche struck a BRO project site in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district, trapping 22 workers under ice. What is a Glacier Avalanche? A glacier avalanche occurs when a large mass of ice, snow, and debris breaks off from a glacier and hurtles down a slope. These avalanches are highly destructive and […]

Why in News? The NAKSHA Scheme (National Geospatial Knowledge-based Land Survey of Urban Habitations) has gained attention as the Central government launched its pilot phase across 152 urban local bodies in 26 states. The scheme aims to modernize urban land records, providing comprehensive geospatial data for effective governance and urban planning. What is NAKSHA? A […]

Why in news ? Between 1981 and 2010, Arctic sea ice extent in September — when it reaches its minimum extent — shrunk at a rate of 12.2% per decade, according to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).  What is Sea Ice : Sea Ice refers to frozen seawater that forms, grows, and melts […]

Recent Temperature Anomaly: Event: February 2, 2025, temperatures at the North Pole soared 20°C above average, surpassing the melting threshold for ice. Extreme Observation: On February 1, temperatures in Svalbard, Norway, were 18°C above the 1991–2020 average, rising further by the next day. Expert Commentary: Mika Rantanen, Finnish Meteorological Institute, termed it an extreme winter […]

Why in News?  Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, while presenting the Union Budget, announced a five-year mission to “facilitate significant improvements in productivity and sustainability of cotton farming, and promote extra-long staple (ELS) cotton varieties.” What is Extra-long Staple Cotton? Cotton is categorized based on fibre length into short, medium, and long staple. In India, […]

Approval of National Critical Minerals Mission (NCMM):  The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved the mission with a budget of ₹16,300 crore. Purpose of NCMM: To promote exploration, mining, beneficiation, processing, and recovery of critical minerals, both domestically and at offshore locations. Goal: Reduce dependence on critical mineral imports and ensure self-reliance in critical mineral supply. Comprehensive Value Chain: The […]

What is the status of the Smart Cities Mission? Why did the implementation of smart cities bypass local government and depend on Special Purpose Vehicles? What has happened to the mission in Shimla? Almost a decade has passed since the Indian government announced the concept of “smart cities” as the new lighthouses of urbanisation. The […]