PRELIMS DATA & FACTS

What is Doomsday Glacier

Overview: Unveiling new details about Antarctica's "Doomsday Glacier", scientists have revealed that the Thwaites Glacier has been losing ice since the 1940s. About Doomsday Glacier: Thwaites Glacier, also known as the “Doomsday Glacier,” is located in the remote Amundsen Sea in West Antarctica. It’s a wide and fast-flowing glacier, roughly the size of F

Kinmen Island

Context: Presidential elections are scheduled in Taiwan on 13th January in which Kinmen residents are preparing to vote. About: Governance: Kinmen, also known as Quemoy, comprises a cluster of islands under the jurisdiction of Taiwan. Location in Relation to China: Geographical Position: Positioned on the southeastern coast of the People’s Republic of China

Zanskar River

The Zanskar River is a tributary of the Indus River. It originates from the Doda and Lungnak rivers, and flows entirely within Ladakh. The Zanskar River's headwaters are known as the Tsarap Chu, and originate from the snows of the Himalayas. The river's entire catchment area is formed by glaciers.

Harni lake

Harni Motnath Lake is a green lake in Vadodara, Gujarat, India.

Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD)

Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, also known as Non-Resident Indian (NRI) Day, flagship event of the Ministry of External Affairs is celebrated on January 9 every year. Aim - To mark the contribution and achievements of the overseas Indian community to the development of India. It’s a day to acknowledge the achievements of Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) and Persons of

Polar Bear Dies of Avian Flu in the Arctic

Context: The Arctic region has reported the first case of death of a polar bear due to the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI). News: The Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation reported the discovery of a deceased bear in the vicinity of Utqiagvik, Alaska's northernmost community. The first detection of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) in the Arctic regio

Vellayani Lake

Vellayani Lake of Punchakkari wetland is the largest freshwater lake in Trivandrum, Kerala. The Vellayani Devi Temple, dedicated to Goddess Bhadrakali, is located on the eastern banks of the lake.

Krizna Jama Cave

Krizna Jama, also known as Cross Cave or Cold Cave under Cross Mountain, is a cave in Slovenia. It's located in the Loz Valley, between the Loz Karst Field, Cerknica Karst Field, and Bloke Plateau. Krizna Jama is the 4th biggest known underground ecosystem in the world in terms of biodiversity.

Indrayani river

Context: The reappearance of toxic foam in the Indrayani River has revived concerns about pollution in the region. About Indrayani River : Geographical Setting: The Indrayani River serves as a tributary of the Bhima River, a significant contributor to the Krishna River. Originating near Lonavla in Kurvande village amidst the Sahyadri mountains of Maharashtra, the river depends on rainfa

GI-Tagged Products from Odisha

Context: Seven products from Odisha, including traditional foods and handicrafts, have received the Geographical Indication (GI) tag. About Geographical Indication (GI) Tag: A Geographical Indication (GI) is a label affixed to products originating from a specific geographical location, possessing unique qualities or a reputation attributable to that origin. Nodal Agency and Legal Framewor

Krishnarajasagar (KRS) dam

Context: Karnataka HC bans mining activity near KRS reservoir. High Court says ban will apply even on existing mining licences, adding, it will be in force till the completion of a study by experts and decision taken by the State committee on dam safety. About Krishnaraja Sagar (KRS) Dam: Krishnaraja Sagar (KRS) Dam is a gravity dam. Situated below the confluence of the Kaveri River wit

Alvaro

Alvaro, the 1st cyclone of 2024, made landfall near Morombe in Madagascar recently. Mozambique named the cyclone Alvaro. Resilience and Preparedness to tropical cyclones across Southern Africa (REPRESA) is an international initiative that aims to improve community preparedness for tropical cyclones in Southern Africa.

Czech Republic

The Czech Republic, also known as Czechia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe with its capital Prague. It borders Poland, Germany, Austria, and Slovakia. With a lack of natural lakes, reservoirs are important in the Czech Republic.

Perihelion

The Earth reached its perihelion, or the closest point in its orbit around the Sun recently. Perihelion occurs in early January, about 2 weeks after the Winter Solstice.

Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki

Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki is a mountain in Indonesia. It is part of the Lewotobi twin volcano, which is located in the southeastern part of Flores Island. The Lewotobi twin volcano is made up of the Lewotobi Laki-Laki (male) and Lewotobi Perempuan (female) stratovolcanoes, with summit craters less than 2 km apart. Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki in Indonesia has erupted several times

REGIONAL RAPID TRANSIT SYSTEM (RRTS)

RRTS is India’s first mass rapid system dedicated to regional connectivity. It is capable of running at speeds up to 180 km/hour with semi high-speed rail connectivity at its core. The integrated, mass transit network aims to ensure “balanced and sustainable urban development” through better connectivity and access across the NCR. The RRTS also known as Namo Bharat has b

COAL PRODUCTION IN INDIA

Coal production in India is a significant part of the country's energy and industrial sectors. India has one of the world's largest coal reserves, and coal remains a crucial source of energy for power generation, as well as a key raw material for various industries, including steel and cement production. Coal production in India is mainly overseen by Coal India Limited (CIL), a state-ow

RAFAH CROSSING

The Rafah crossing is the only passage in and out of the Gaza Strip to Eygpt, that is not controlled by Israel. It has been recognized by the 1979 Egypt–Israel peace treaty. As part of that treaty, a 100-meter-wide strip of land known as the Philadelphi Route was established as a buffer zone between Gaza and Egyp Gaza has been under a joint Israeli-Egyp

SOLAR ECLIPSE

SOLAR ECLIPSE   A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun. An annular solar eclipse occurs when the Moon's apparent diameter is smaller than the Sun's, blocking most of the Sun's light and causing the Sun to look like an annulus (ring). An annular solar eclipse occurred on October 14, 2023. Solar

CHERIYAPANI

CHERIYAPANI     Cheriyapani is a high-speed craft will ply from Nagapattinam in T.N. to Kankesanthurai in the northern province of Sri Lanka. It shall involve a 4-hour journey between India and Sri Lanka. The vessel can accommodate 150 passengers on board and the one-way ticket for travel will cost around ₹7,670. The Nagapattinam port It

Sikkim flash floods - Chungthang dam

Why in News There is a popular folk tale in Sikkim about two rivers, the male Rangeet and female Rungnyu (Teesta), and how the Rangeet turned back angrily after losing a race. In 2021, a protest song gave a modern twist to this tale, referring to the Teesta's rage at hydropower projects. On October 4, 2022, the South Lhonak glacial lake in northwest Sikkim breached its embankment

Gaza Strip

  Gaza strip is a narrow piece of land located on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea It is bordered by Israel to the east and north, and Egypt to the southwest.  It is ranked as the third most densely populated in the world with a population of 2 million in just 365 square kilometers of land area. It is one of the two Palesti

Mundra Port

Mundra Port     It is India's first private port and largest container port in India. It is located on the northern shores of the Gulf of Kutch near Mundra, Kutch district of Gujarat. Incorporated in 2003, it became India's first multi-product port-based special economic zone.  Formerly operated by Mundra Port and Speci

Vizhinjam port

Vizhinjam port     It is located in Vizhinjam, Kerala and has a natural depth of 18 metres. It is a deep-sea water port developed as India’s first Mega deepwater Transshipment Container Terminal. It is the only container transshipment hub in the Indian subcontinent closest to the international shipping routes, and is centrally located on the Indian coastline

WACE pattern-Cyclones

WACE pattern-Cyclones     Cyclogenesis is an indicator that denotes the chance of a cyclone forming. It depends on parameters such as   Sea surface temperature The ocean heat content Change in winds from the surface into the upper atmosphere (or the vertical shear) Rotation of winds near the surface. A rapid increase in the cyclogenesis p

Bekal Fort

Bekal Fort     Bekal Fort is a medieval fort built by Shivappa Nayaka of Keladi in 1650 AD, at Bekal.  It is the largest fort in Kerala. The fort appears to emerge from the sea and about three-quarters of its exterior lies in contact with water. The fort does not include any palaces or mansions as it was not an administrative centre. The

Green Drought

Green Drought     Green drought is when the vegetation may appear green on the top, but there is stunted growth and soil moisture stress for more than a month impacting yield drastically. This phenomenon is particularly problematic because it can be challenging to detect and monitor. Karnataka has urged to conduct an assessment on the ‘green drought’ p

Karman Line

Karman Line Kármán Line is a boundary located at 100 km above sea level. It is an imaginary line that demarcates the earth’s atmosphere from space. A record-keeping body called Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI) established this boundary in the 1960s. Any individual who crosses this line qualifies to be an astronaut. The

Kosi River

Kosi River   It is a transboundary river which flows through China, Nepal and India.  It drains the northern slopes of the Himalayas in Tibet and the southern slopes in Nepal. The Kosi River is also known as Saptakoshi for its seven upper tributaries which includes: Tamur river Arun river Sun Kosi The trib

India Smart Cities Award Contest (ISAC), 2022:

India Smart Cities Award Contest (ISAC), 2022:     It was launched to reward the cities, projects and innovative ideas promoting smart development in cities as an outcome of Smart Cities Mission, which was launched in 2015 to transform 100 cities into sustainable and livable urban centres. The awards are announced by The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.

Chabahar port

Chabahar port     India and Iran have agreed that disputes at Chabahar will not go for commercial arbitration in foreign courts but take investment arbitration or any other mode of dispute settlement. The arbitration will be pursued under rules framed by the UN Commission on International Trade Law This shall enable long-term agreement and boost investor confidenc

Kerala to Keralam

Kerala to Keralam The Kerala’s Legislative Assembly has unanimously passed a resolution to rename the state as Keralam by adding a suffix ‘m’ to its existing name in the Constitution and official records. The rationale behind the move is that it seeks convergence with its Malayalam name ‘Keralam’, as states were formed on the basis of the language in the S

Crawford Lake

Crawford Lake Location- Ontario in Canada The lake's bottom sediments has provided evidence for beginning of Anthropocene epoch ( present geological time scale during which earth's ecosystem has degraded due to human activities especially after Industrial revolution) The lake bottom sediments contained burned fossil fuels, exploded nuclear weapons, plastic and fertilizers dumped

Waorani community

Waorani community     The Huaorani, Waorani, or Waodani, also known as the Waos, are an Indigenous people from the Amazonian Region of Ecuador. They comprise almost 4,000 inhabitants and speak the Huaorani language. Their language is distinct and unrelated to any other known tongue, including Quechua, which is commonly spoken in