Glacial Lake Outburst FloodSouth Lhonak LakeHimalayan GlaciersDisaster ManagementRemote Sensing
- 389 dead, 910 missing in Nepal's Rasuwa district flash flood; a fresh flood alert was issued after satellite imagery showed a new lake had formed upstream of the Bhotekoshi river due to a blockage, raising fears of a second burst.
- 19 bridges and 40 km of roads damaged; Nepal PM Balendra Shah reached Bidur, the last motorable point in the disaster zone.
- The Hindu editorial: satellite data (including from ISRO) points to a glacier collapse/ice-rock avalanche in Tibet followed by a river blockage and sudden failure - not an earthquake, as initially suspected.
- Draws a direct parallel to the October 2023 South Lhonak Lake GLOF in Sikkim, which destroyed the State's largest hydropower project and, on later analysis, had been "years in the making."
- GLOF (Glacial Lake Outburst Flood): the sudden burst of a lake dammed by unstable ice or moraine, releasing catastrophic volumes of water and debris downstream.
- India has nearly 7,500 glacial lakes and about 15,000 glaciers; on-site assessment is feasible only July-September, making collapse forecasting very difficult even with remote sensing.
- For the exam: the editorial calls for stricter construction codes, discouraging settlements in vulnerable zones, and better glacier-health tracking; separately, Sikkim's SIBLAC has urged a halt to new Himalayan hydropower projects citing this disaster.
Practice Questions
A Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF), cited in the context of both the 2026 Nepal disaster and the October 2023 Sikkim disaster, refers to:
A A flood caused purely by unusually heavy monsoon rainfall in glaciated regions
B The sudden release of water and debris when a glacial lake, often dammed by unstable ice or moraine, bursts
C Seasonal meltwater discharge that occurs predictably every summer in the Himalayas
D A flood caused by the controlled release of water from a hydropower reservoir
According to the passage, assessing the condition of India's Himalayan glacial lakes remains difficult primarily because:
A India lacks any satellite remote-sensing capability for glacier monitoring
B Full assessment requires site visits to inhospitable terrain, feasible only during a narrow July-to-September window
C Glacial lakes are located exclusively outside Indian territory
D The Survey of India prohibits mapping of border-adjacent glacial regions
DelimitationArticle 8242nd AmendmentWomen's ReservationFederalism
- Monsoon session adjourned August 13, 2026 but not yet prorogued - sparking speculation of a special session to revisit the delimitation + women's reservation Bill, defeated in the Lok Sabha on April 17, 2026.
- Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge wrote to PM Modi demanding: (1) freeze the Lok Sabha at 543 seats for 25 years, (2) retain existing State-wise seat allocation, (3) implement one-third women's reservation from 2029.
- Article 81: representation broadly proportional to population 'so far as practicable'; Article 82: readjustment of seats after every Census.
- 42nd Amendment (1976) froze inter-State seat allocation on the 1971 Census so States that succeeded in family planning would not lose political weight; the 84th Amendment extended this freeze until the first Census after 2026.
- Editorial critique of the government's reported 50% pro-rata seat hike: proportions stay the same, but the absolute MP gap between States widens (e.g. the UP-Tamil Nadu gap rises from 41 to about 61 MPs).
- Delimitation is not the same as enlargement: the 2002 delimitation redrew constituencies within States without changing inter-State allocation; comparators include the U.S. House frozen at 435 members for a century and Switzerland's National Council at 200 since 1963.
- For the exam: the alternative floated is to retain 543 seats, implement women's reservation within that structure, and instead expand State Assemblies to absorb rising representational pressure.
Practice Questions
The 42nd Constitutional Amendment Act, 1976, froze the inter-State allocation of Lok Sabha seats on the basis of which Census, and for what stated reason?
A The 1981 Census, to account for post-Emergency population growth
B The 1971 Census, so that States successful in family planning would not be politically penalised for reducing population growth
C The 1961 Census, to standardise seat allocation before the Green Revolution
D The 2001 Census, to reward States with higher literacy rates
Which article of the Constitution provides for the readjustment of Lok Sabha seat allocation after every Census, while Article 81 requires representation to broadly correspond to population 'so far as practicable'?
A Article 79
B Article 80
C Article 82
D Article 170
Shanghai Cooperation OrganisationCentral AsiaIndia-Central Asia DialogueUzbekistanEurasian Connectivity
- PM Modi to undertake a state visit to Uzbekistan, followed by the SCO Heads of State Summit in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.
- Central Asia lies landlocked between Russia and China; India and Tajikistan are separated only by Afghanistan's narrow Wakhan Corridor.
- 2015: Modi's visit to all five Central Asian states ended India's earlier policy of deferring to Russia in the region.
- 2017: India admitted as an SCO full member (sponsored by Russia), the same year as Pakistan (sponsored by China).
- 2022: Central Asian leaders invited as Republic Day chief guests (event held virtually) - leading to the India-Central Asia Dialogue mechanism.
- SCO origin: the 'Shanghai Five' (1996) - now 10 members, 15 dialogue partners, 2 observers; India's approach is geography-driven, navigating a China-Pakistan dyad within the grouping.
- For the exam: Uzbekistan is chosen for its counter-terrorism record and pragmatic approach to the Taliban - relevant to India's INSTC/Chabahar connectivity ambitions that bypass Pakistan.
Practice Questions
The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), of which India has been a full member since 2017, originated from a grouping formed in 1996 known as:
A The Shanghai Five
B The Central Asian Union
C The Eurasian Economic Community
D The Almaty Group
India was admitted as a full member of the SCO in 2017 sponsored by Russia; which other country was admitted as a full member in the same year, sponsored by China?
A Iran
B Pakistan
C Afghanistan
D Turkey
Strategic Petroleum ReserveEnergy SecurityLNG StorageLPG CavernsPNGRB
- Government reportedly weighing a decade-long, ~$42-billion strategic fuel programme: 28 MT crude + 9 MT LNG + 4 MT LPG storage - a proposed target, not yet confirmed.
- Aim: about two months of crude/LNG demand cover and roughly six weeks of LPG cover.
- Current crude SPR: 5.33 MT (Phase I) at Visakhapatnam, Mangaluru and Padur (63-64% utilised); a further 6.5 MT (Phase II) approved at Chandikhol and Padur, though execution is delayed.
- LPG underground capacity is just 0.14 MT - the proposed 4 MT reserve would be a 30-fold increase; India currently has zero operational underground natural-gas storage.
- LNG is stored cryogenically at -162°C; underground gas storage instead uses depleted reservoirs (74% of global working gas volume) or salt caverns.
- Potential Indian sites: Krishna-Godavari, Cambay, Mumbai Offshore and Rajasthan basins; the government has denied any plan to levy a cess to fund the programme.
- For the exam: recall the three pillars of energy security - availability, affordability, diversification - and note this is a direct policy follow-up to Strait of Hormuz-related vulnerabilities.
Practice Questions
India's Phase I Strategic Petroleum Reserve for crude oil currently provides underground storage capacity across which three locations?
A Visakhapatnam, Mangaluru and Padur
B Kochi, Paradip and Haldia
C Jamnagar, Barmer and Numaligarh
D Chennai, Vizag and Kandla
Underground natural-gas storage, as distinguished from LNG import and regasification terminals, primarily relies on which two types of geological structures?
A Coastal mangrove basins and river deltas
B Depleted oil and gas reservoirs and salt caverns
C Active volcanic calderas and limestone karsts
D Glacial moraines and permafrost layers
Subsea CablesDigital InfrastructureData CentresVisakhapatnamCable Landing Stations
- Google (America-India Connect) and a Microsoft-Lightstorm-Singtel consortium (I-2SEA, 3,600 km) will land new subsea cables at Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh.
- Vizag is set to become India's third digital subsea gateway, after Mumbai and Chennai.
- Drivers: existing east-coast cables are 8-15 years old and capacity-constrained; the West Asia conflict is pushing geopolitical de-risking of cable routes.
- I-2SEA is targeted to be service-ready in Q4 2029; it connects India to Singapore and Malaysia, and onward to Australia, the Middle East and Europe.
- Requires major inland fibre buildout, including Machilipatnam-Mumbai/Hyderabad and Chennai-Hyderabad/Mumbai corridors; a global fibre shortage was flagged as a constraint.
- Google's Vizag facility will focus on AI inference (not training), prioritising renewable energy and air-cooling for water-use minimisation.
- For the exam: subsea cables carry the overwhelming majority of intercontinental data traffic - diversifying landing points cuts single-point-of-failure risk.
Practice Questions
With new subsea cable systems from Google and Microsoft-backed consortia set to land on its coast, Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh is poised to become India's third international digital subsea gateway after which two existing cities?
A Kolkata and Kochi
B Mumbai and Chennai
C Surat and Vizag itself
D Goa and Mangaluru
The India-Southeast Asia (I-2SEA) Submarine Cable System, being developed by a consortium including Microsoft, Lightstorm and Singtel, primarily connects India's east coast to:
A Sub-Saharan Africa
B Southeast Asia, particularly Singapore and Malaysia
C The Arctic Circle nations
D South America via the Pacific
AYUSHMedical EducationAyurvedaHomoeopathyHealth Governance
- AYUSH colleges: 789 (2021) -> 971 (2024), a ~23% rise; permitted seats up ~43% (50,711 -> 72,490).
- As of April 2024: 541 Ayurveda, 58 Unani, 17 Siddha, 71 Yoga & Naturopathy, 277 Homoeopathy and 7 Sowa-Rigpa colleges.
- Non-government share: Ayurveda ~86% (467/541), Homoeopathy ~85% (236/277); only 16/58 Unani and 3/17 Siddha colleges are government-run.
- AYUSH = Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, Homoeopathy - under the Ministry of AYUSH (established 2014); Sowa-Rigpa is the related Tibetan/Himalayan system also regulated in this framework.
- For the exam: private capacity is outpacing public investment, raising questions on regulatory oversight via the National Commission for Indian System of Medicine and National Commission for Homoeopathy (both 2020), even as Ayushman Bharat integration assumes a quality-assured AYUSH workforce.
Practice Questions
AYUSH, the umbrella term for India's traditional and alternative systems of medicine administered by the Ministry of AYUSH, stands for Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and:
A Sowa-Rigpa
B Homoeopathy
C Allopathy
D Reiki
According to government data on India's AYUSH medical colleges (as of April 2024), non-government institutions account for approximately what share of the country's Ayurveda colleges?
A About 40%
B About 60%
C About 86%
D Nearly 100%
Insolvency and Bankruptcy CodePersonal GuarantorNCLTCommittee of CreditorsHaircut
- NCLT approved a Repayment Plan: Zee founder Subhash Chandra to pay just Rs.6.5 crore against Rs.22,006.57 crore in dues - a haircut of over 99%.
- Plan approved by 80.81% of the Committee of Creditors (CoC); dissenting banks (Axis, RBL, IndusInd, IDBI Trusteeship/Franklin Templeton, LIC Housing, Union Bank - about 19.2% vote share) contested it, alleging related-party voting.
- Case involves Mr. Chandra as personal guarantor for Essel Group loans from Indiabulls Housing Finance.
- IBC's personal guarantor framework was operationalised in December 2019 - a separate resolution track from corporate insolvency.
- Dissenters cited 2017-18 net-worth certificates valuing Mr. Chandra at Rs.40,562-45,888 crore, questioning his now sharply diminished repayment capacity.
- For the exam: 'haircut' = the % reduction in creditors' admitted claims under an approved plan; the case tests the 'commercial wisdom' doctrine - NCLT/NCLAT's traditional restraint in second-guessing CoC-approved decisions.
Practice Questions
Provisions under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016, enabling the insolvency resolution of personal guarantors to corporate debtors (distinct from the corporate debtor's own resolution process) were operationalised in:
A 2016, alongside the Code's original enactment
B December 2019
C 2021, following the Essar Steel judgment
D 2023, as part of pre-packaged insolvency reforms
In the context of insolvency resolution under the IBC, the term 'haircut' refers to:
A The mandatory removal of a defaulting promoter from company management
B The percentage by which creditors' admitted claims are reduced under an approved resolution or repayment plan
C A penalty interest rate charged on delayed loan repayments
D The fee charged by the Resolution Professional for administering the process
AMCAFifth-Generation FighterAeronautical Development AgencyAtmanirbhar BharatDefence Manufacturing
- AMCA (Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft) bid deadline extended by two months, from August 27 to October 30, 2026; bids to open October 31.
- Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) issued the corrigendum after prospective bidders sought more preparation time.
- AMCA is India's first indigenous fifth-generation stealth fighter; it aims to induct private-sector defence majors alongside HAL, a departure from the traditional HAL-only model.
- Same day: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh laid the foundation for a Rs.472-crore tank-overhaul facility at Vehicle Factory Jabalpur (80 tanks/year, versus Avadi's 150/year, against the Army's need of ~230/year).
- India's defence production: Rs.46,000 crore (2014) -> Rs.1.80 lakh crore (2025-26); defence exports: under Rs.1,000 crore -> ~Rs.39,000 crore.
- For the exam: fifth-generation fighters combine stealth, sensor fusion, supercruise and network-centric warfare - distinguishing AMCA from India's current fourth-generation-plus fleet, and marking a key Atmanirbhar Bharat defence milestone.
Practice Questions
The Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) programme, whose bid deadline was extended to October 30, 2026, refers to India's indigenous development of:
A A fourth-generation multirole fighter to replace the MiG-21
B India's first indigenous fifth-generation stealth fighter aircraft
C An unmanned combat aerial vehicle for border surveillance
D A naval variant of the Tejas Light Combat Aircraft
The nodal agency responsible for developing the AMCA under the Ministry of Defence, which issued the corrigendum extending the bid submission deadline, is the:
A Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO)
B Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA)
C Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL)
D Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL)