🔆 Dal Lake Hosts First-Ever Khelo India Water Games

📍 Why in Focus?
Srinagar’s iconic Dal Lake hosted the first-ever Khelo India Water Sports Festival, aimed at boosting India’s Olympic prospects in water sports like rowing, kayaking, and canoeing.

📍 Key Highlights:
✅ 409 athletes from 36 States & UTs participated, including 202 female athletes.
✅ Events covered 14 kayaking & canoeing and 10 rowing events, all of which are Olympic disciplines.
✅ Madhya Pradesh sent the largest contingent (44), followed by Haryana (37), Odisha (34), and Kerala (33).
✅ The festival marks India’s first consolidated open-age category championship for water sports.
✅ Dal Lake’s water conditions were said to resemble European settings, ideal for nurturing Olympic talent.
✅ Bilquis Mir, India’s first jury member at Olympics 2025, highlighted its international potential.

📍 Relevance to Governance & Sports:
✅ Strengthens Khelo India’s aim of building a sports culture.
✅ Leverages regional ecosystems like J&K to identify grassroots talent.
✅ Supports gender inclusion in sports.

✅ Prelims Question:
Which iconic lake hosted the first-ever Khelo India Water Sports Festival in 2025?
A. Chilika Lake
B. Vembanad Lake
C. Dal Lake
D. Sardar Sarovar
Ans: C

✅ Mains Question:
Discuss the significance of regional sporting initiatives like the Khelo India Water Sports Festival in boosting India’s Olympic performance and promoting inclusive sports development.

✨ #KheloIndia #OlympicDreams #DalLake

🔆 Why Some Rivers Stay Single While Others Split

📍 Key Findings
✅ Study (UC Santa Barbara, 84 rivers, 36 years of satellite data) found:
• Single-thread rivers → equilibrium between bank erosion & deposition; stable.
• Multi-thread rivers → erode faster laterally than they deposit, causing instability and braiding.
✅ Human activities (embankments, mining, agriculture, dams) influence river channel form.
✅ Vegetation bends river flow differently, affecting erosion & meandering.

📍 Significance
✅ Multi-thread rivers (e.g., Ganga, Brahmaputra) increase flood risk, requiring frequent updates in flood rating curves.
✅ Insights help in river management, flood risk reduction, and ecological conservation.
✅ Challenges conventional wisdom → rivers are not always in equilibrium.

🔎 Prelims Q
Q. Which of the following factors determine whether a river stays single-thread or multi-thread?
1. Balance of erosion & deposition
2. Vegetation cover along riverbanks
3. Human interference like embankments & mining
4. River slope and sediment load

Select the correct answer:
a) 1 & 2 only
b) 1, 3 & 4 only
c) 1, 2, 3 & 4
d) 2 & 4 only
➡️ Ans: c) 1, 2, 3 & 4

✍️ Mains Q
“River morphology—whether single or multi-thread—is shaped by natural dynamics and human interventions. Discuss its implications for flood risk management in India.” (10M/150W)

#Geography #UPSC

🔆 Why Earthquakes Occur & Why Afghanistan is So Vulnerable

📍 Recent Quake
✅ A 6.0 magnitude earthquake struck northeast Afghanistan (Nangarhar province, depth 8 km), killing 800+ people and injuring 2000+.
✅ Afghanistan faced 3 major quakes in 2023 (1,300 deaths) & a 5.9 quake in 2022 (1,300 deaths).

📍 Causes of Earthquakes
✅ Occur when two blocks of Earth slip past each other, releasing elastic strain energy as seismic waves.
✅ Earth’s crust: made of tectonic plates, colliding or sliding past one another → creates faults & slips.
✅ Key terms:
• Hypocenter → point inside Earth where quake starts.
• Epicenter → point directly above hypocenter on surface.

📍 Depth & Magnitude
✅ Shallow quakes (<70 km) more dangerous as energy reaches surface quickly.
✅ Magnitude vs Strength: Magnitude = size of seismic waves; Strength = energy carried.
✅ Magnitude 6 quake = 10x amplitude & 32x energy of magnitude 5.

📍 Afghanistan’s Vulnerability
✅ Lies at collision zone of Indian & Eurasian plates → highly active seismic region.
✅ India moving towards Eurasia at 45 mm/year → releases ~15% of global seismic energy annually.
✅ Hindu Kush: recorded 12 quakes >7 magnitude since 1900.

🔎 Prelims Q
Q. The Hindu Kush region is highly earthquake-prone because it lies at the junction of which tectonic plates?
a) Indian & African
b) Indian & Eurasian
c) Eurasian & Pacific
d) Arabian & African
➡️ Ans: b) Indian & Eurasian



✍️ Mains Q
Explain why Afghanistan is among the most earthquake-prone regions of the world. How does tectonic plate movement make it vulnerable? (10M/150W)

#Geography #UPSC

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🔆 Mini-Cloudbursts on the Rise: IMD Chief

📍 Why in Focus?
The IMD has reported an increase in mini-cloudbursts and uneven monsoon rainfall trends across regions in 2025.

📍 Key Highlights:
✅ Mini-cloudbursts (20 cm+ rainfall in a day) have increased, though large cloudbursts remain rare and hard to forecast.
✅ Monsoon (June–Aug) recorded 6% above-normal rainfall; Northwest India got 26% more rain.
✅ Eastern & Northeastern India saw 17% less rain than normal.
✅ Extreme rainfall in Himachal, J&K, and Uttarakhand was due to a mix of western disturbances and Bay of Bengal storms.
✅ Since 1980, September rainfall has shown an increasing trend.

📍 Implications:
✅ Flash floods & landslides → higher vulnerability in Himalayan states.
✅ Uneven rainfall impacts agriculture, water security, and infrastructure.
✅ Calls for stronger early warning systems & climate adaptation.

✅ Prelims Question:
Which of the following causes mini-cloudbursts in North India?
A. Western disturbances only
B. Bay of Bengal cyclones only
C. Confluence of western disturbances & Bay of Bengal storms
D. Monsoon trough shifts alone
Ans: C

✅ Mains Question:
“Uneven monsoon patterns and the rise of mini-cloudbursts highlight India’s increasing climate risks. Discuss their causes and implications for disaster management.” (250 words)

✨ #Disaster_Management #IndianMonsoon

Evia Island:
✅Evia, or Euboea, is the second largest island in Greece, second only to Crete, and third in Europe (second only to Cyprus).
✅The area of the island is a little more than 3500 sq.km.
✅It is located in Central Greece, in the Aegean Sea.
✅The island is separated from the Greek mainland by the Euboean strait.
It is often referred to as a “mainland island” due to its close proximity to Athens, with many points of connection between the two.
✅Evia’s dramatic geography includes alpine mountains, lush forests, coastal wetlands, hidden canyons, and sun-soaked beaches.
✅The main city on Evia is Halkida.
✅It acts as the administrative and commercial heart of the island and is famously known for the unique phenomenon of the tidal currents in the narrow strait of Euripus, which changes direction multiple times a day.
✅Evia's highest mountains are Dyrfi, Kandili, and Ohi.
✅The climate of Evia is Mediterranean. Winters are mild but rainy, and summers are hot with plenty of sunshine.


#Places_in_news

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🔆 Réunion Island – Key Facts

📍 Location & Political Status
✅ Remote Indian Ocean island between Madagascar & Mauritius
✅ An overseas region of France

📍 Capital & Population
✅ Capital: Saint-Denis (1/5th of the population lives here)
✅ Population: Mixed African, European & South Asian descent

📍 Geography & Climate
✅ Volcanic & mountainous terrain; tropical climate
✅ Home to Piton de la Fournaise, one of the world’s most active volcanoes (UNESCO World Heritage Site)
✅ Major rivers: Marsouins & Galet
✅ Part of the Mascarene Archipelago (with Mauritius & Rodrigues)

📍 Strategic Importance
✅ Hosts French naval bases → enhances Indo-Pacific maritime security, aligns with India’s regional interests
✅ Rich biodiversity → 850+ endemic species, global conservation value

📍 Culture
✅ Creole culture with African, Indian & French influences
✅ Famous for maloya music & spicy fusion cuisine


#Geography #IndoPacific

Carlsberg Ridge:
✅It is a mid-oceanic ridge (a divergent plate boundary) located in the Indian Ocean.
✅The ridge extends from the triple junction of the African, Indian, and Australian tectonic plates (where it connects to the Mid-Indian Ridge) northwest to the Gulf of Aden.
✅The ridge separates the Arabian Sea to the northeast from the Somali Basin to the southwest.
✅It marks the boundary between the Somali Plate and the Indian Plate.
✅The mean depth of the Carlsberg Ridge is between some 6,000 and 12,000 feet (1,800 and 3,600 meters) below the sea surface, and it rises to a mean elevation of about 7,000 feet (2,100 meters) above the seafloor.
✅The ridge turns westward around the island of Socotra and eventually connects with the East African Rift System by way of the Gulf of Aden.
✅It is the most prominent mid-ocean ridge segment of the western Indian Ocean, which contains a number of earthquake epicenters.

#Places_in_news
#geography

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🔆 Machu Picchu: Inca Marvel in News

📍 Why in Focus?
✅ Nearly 1,000 tourists stranded after protests suspended train services to Machu Picchu, Peru.
✅ Protests linked to a new bus company contract.

📍 About Machu Picchu
✅ 15th-century Inca citadel, built by Pachacuti Inca Yupanqui as royal retreat.
✅ Located 80 km NW of Cusco, Andes Mountains, Peru; altitude 2,350 m.
✅ Rediscovered in 1911 by Hiram Bingham; UNESCO World Heritage Site (1983); one of New Seven Wonders of the World.
✅ Features: Temple of the Sun, Temple of Three Windows, Intihuatana Stone, terraces, aqueducts, palaces, tombs.
✅ Attracts 4,500 visitors daily, Peru’s most important tourist site.

📍 About the Inca Civilization
✅ Timeline: c. 1400–1533 CE; largest empire in the Americas.
✅ Achievements: Stone masonry, terraced farming, aqueducts.
✅ Religion: Worshipped Sun, Moon, nature; mix of animism & fetishism.
✅ Society: Highly stratified with emperor-led aristocracy.

✅ Prelims Question:
Machu Picchu, recently in news, was built by:
A. Mayans
B. Incas
C. Aztecs
D. Olmecs
Ans: B

✅ Mains Question:
“Machu Picchu reflects the architectural brilliance and socio-religious worldview of the Inca civilization. Discuss its historical and cultural significance.” (150 words)

✨ #WorldHeritage #art_and_culture

Consider the following countries:
1. Norway
2. Russia
3. Sweden
4. Denmark

Around 20000 Questions will be updated on This Telegram channel for free UPPSC prelims

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Quick revise notes👆

🔆 Indian Monsoon Mechanism – Jet Stream Theory

📍 About Jet Stream Theory
✅ Most accepted modern theory for monsoon origin.
✅ Focus on Sub-Tropical Jet Stream (STJ) in the upper troposphere.
✅ Burst & withdrawal of monsoon = linked to north-south migration of STJ.

📍 How Jet Streams Affect Weather
✅ Ridges (high pressure) → anticyclonic, clear weather.
✅ Troughs (low pressure) → cyclonic, rainfall/depressions.
✅ Jet streaks create divergence/convergence in upper air → triggers surface lows & highs.
✅ Coriolis effect → converts these surface lows/highs into cyclonic/anticyclonic systems.

🔆 Indian Monsoon Mechanism – Role of STJ

📍 Winter STJ (Hindrance Phase)
✅ STJ flows south of Himalayas → creates ridge (high pressure) over N-W India.
✅ Steers Western Disturbances into India → winter rainfall in Punjab, Haryana, snowfall in Himalayas.
✅ No South-West monsoon because:
1. ITCZ shifts south.
2. Strong divergence due to ridge over N-W India.
3. Tibet = high pressure zone.

📍 Summer STJ (Onset Phase)
✅ From March → STJ weakens & shifts northwards.
✅ By June → STJ moves north of Himalayas → removes ridge over N-W India.
✅ Low pressure over N-W India + cross-equatorial winds → sudden burst of monsoon.
✅ Easterly Jet emerges over Peninsular India → strengthens South-West monsoon.

🔆 Why No South-West Monsoon Before June?

📍 March–May Summer Period
✅ Strong heating creates low pressure in N-W India.
✅ But STJ ridge still south of Himalayas → upper divergence blocks surface convergence.
✅ Descending dry air = hot winds (loo), dry & rainless despite high temps.

📍 Key Dynamics
✅ Onset → STJ shifts north of Tibet → monsoon enters.
✅ Withdrawal → STJ shifts back south of Himalayas → monsoon retreats.

Essence:
The Sub-Tropical Jet Stream is the switch that controls India’s monsoon → its northward migration triggers onset, while southward shift causes withdrawal.

✨ #IndianMonsoon #JetStreamTheory #geography

🔆 Tirah Valley
Its strategic location & history of resistance make Tirah Valley significant in regional security & geopolitics.

✅ Mountainous tribal stronghold, historically known for resistance to external control.
✅ Fertile valleys, terraced agriculture, and recent militant activity.
✅ Lies in Khyber District & Orakzai District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, Pakistan.
✅ Positioned between Khyber Pass and Khanki Valley.

📍 Neighbouring Nations
✅ Close to the Afghanistan–Pakistan border → strategic importance.
✅ Acts as a corridor between South Asia & Central Asia.
✅ Historically contested by Mughals, British, and modern Pakistan.

📍 Geographical Features
✅ Five main valleys: Maidan, Rajgul, Waran, Bara, Mastura.
✅ High passes: Sampagha, Tseri Kandao, Saran Sar.
✅ Fertile alluvial soil; rich in walnut & mulberry trees.
✅ Seasonal agriculture & grazing supported by summer pastures.

📍 Population
✅ Predominantly Pashtun tribes: Afridis & Orakzais.
✅ Minorities: Sikh traders & Hamsaya communities (dependent groups)

#Places_in_news
#geography

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🔆 Super Typhoon Ragasa: Why It Was So Intense?

📍 Why in Focus?
✅ Super Typhoon Ragasa battered Hong Kong and southern China with wind speeds up to 280 kmph, forcing 2 million people to evacuate and causing storm surges of over 3 metres.

📍 Key Highlights:
✅ Classified as a Category 5 tropical cyclone, one of the most intense in 2025.
✅ Impact worsened due to its location on the ‘dirty side’ (right-front quadrant), combining storm rotation and forward motion.
✅ Tropical cyclones form over warm ocean waters; rising sea surface temperatures due to climate change are intensifying storms.
✅ Category 3+ cyclones are considered “major” and capable of inflicting severe damage.

📍 Challenges / Implications:
✅ Climate change is shifting cyclone tracks closer to coastlines, making them more frequent and longer-lasting.
✅ Warmer oceans (rise of 1.5°C in past century) create conditions for super cyclones.
✅ Coastal megacities face higher risks of storm surges, flooding, and infrastructure collapse.

✅ Mains Question:
“Rising global temperatures are intensifying the frequency and severity of tropical cyclones. Discuss the implications for coastal infrastructure and disaster management in South Asia.”

✨ #ClimateChange #DisasterManagement #CyclonePreparedness