AMAZON TRIBE TALKING TO INDIANS ABOUT BLOOD GOLD
Focus: GS-I Geography Introduction From the remote rainforests of Brazil, a little-known tribe has made an emotional appeal to Indians – to stop the import of gold by the government and companies saying that “gold which has come from Yanomami territory is Blood Gold, gold at the cost of indigenous blood”. The Yanomami peoples The […]
LANDSLIDE SUSCEPTIBILITY MAPPING IN UTTARAKHAND
Focus: GS-I Geography, GS-III Disaster Management Introduction Like most hill townships, Mussoorie, the popular hill station in Uttarakhand, has witnessed several landslides, probably resulting from an increased spate of developmental activities. The increased disaster hazard has led scientists to map the landslide susceptibility of Mussoorie and surrounding areas, showing that 15 percent of the region […]
STRATEGIC IMPORTANCE OF ATAL TUNNEL AT ROHTANG
Focus: GS-I Geography Introduction The Atal Tunnel at Rohtang, near Manali, is almost complete in all respects and the approx. 9-km-long tunnel under the Pir Panjal range, named after former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, will be the world’s longest highway tunnel above the altitude of 10,000 feet (3000 metres). What were the problems faced […]
1ST ALL-WEATHER ROUTE TO LADAKH
Focus: Prelims, GS-I Geography, GS-III International Relations Why in news? India’s national security planners are pushing hard to complete an all-weather strategic route to Ladakh that will link Darcha in Himachal Pradesh to Nimu via Padum in Kargil’s Zanskar valley. Details Senior military commanders said the third route to connect Ladakh by road is urgently […]
INDIAN BID FOR SYLHET AIRPORT TOO HIGH: DHAKA
Focus: GS-I Geography, GS-II International relations Why in news? Bangladesh Foreign Minister said the contract for building an airport terminal at Sylhet was not awarded to an Indian firm because of a high bid and therefore, went to a Chinese firm. Details The construction of a new terminal at MAG Osmani International Airport at Sylhet […]
HURRICANE HANNA
Focus: GS-I Geography Introduction Texas is facing another hardship apart from being one of the largest hotspots for Covid-19 in the U.S., as Hurricane Hanna has made landfall. Details As per the latest update issued by the National Hurricane Centre (NHC), the centre of Hanna has moved into north-eastern Mexico and the storm surge warning […]
FAULTS AT THE FOOT OF THE HIMALAYA DISCOVERED
Focus: GS-I Geography, Prelims Why in news? Data from an oil and gas exploration company has now helped geologists discover a series of faults at the foot of the Himalaya. This fault system in the southeastern region of Nepal has the potential to cause earthquakes in the densely populated country. How were the fault lines […]
Why annual floods are essential for the survival of Kaziranga ?
Why in news? As a fresh wave of floods ravages Assam, killing 73 and affecting nearly 40 lakh people across the state, 85 per cent of the Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve (KNPTR) remains submerged. What is the role of floods in Kaziranga’s ecosystem? Assam is traditionally flood prone, and the 1,055 sq km […]
Population trends for 2017-2100
Why in news? Recent Lancet’s report said that, forecasts for China and India peaked before 2050 and both countries thereafter had steep declining trajectories. World to see the peak A new analysis published in The Lancet has projected that the world population will peak much earlier than previously estimated. It projects the peak at 9.73 […]
Mizoram quake zone
Why in news? Mizoram experienced at least eight moderate earthquakes between June 21 and July 9. The tremors ranged from 4.2 to 5.5 on the Richter scale The epicentre of most of these quakes was beneath Champhai district bordering Myanmar, Mizoram’s zone of “scary” earthquakes is caught between two subterranean faults, a geologist assigned to […]