UPSC Key: Commonwealth Games, Wild buffalo and Tea cultivation in India

Trump halts Iran strikes, subject to a ‘rapid’ deal

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

Main Examination: General Studies II: Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests, Indian diaspora.

What’s the ongoing story: US President Donald Trump has said he called off what he described as the biggest planned attack on Iran since World War II, after Gulf allies Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, along with Iran itself, asked him to hold back.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What did Trump announce, and why?

• Why has Trump halted attacks?

• What is the Iranian response?

• The US-Iran war-how it is taking shape now?

• What is the role of Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Muscat, Qatar, and Pakistan in US-Iran War?

• Why are Gulf states frustrated?

• What is happening diplomatically?

• Where does Saudi Arabia stand?

• Map Work-Gulf countries

• India’s diplomatic position in US-Iran war-know in detail

Key Takeaways:

• Speaking in remarks shared by the White House, Trump said, “I prefer to reach an agreement with Iran. I’m not looking to kill people.”

• He added that Iran and its neighbours had directly asked him not to go ahead with the strike, and that the US would now focus on seeing whether a deal on denuclearisation could be reached instead.

• Trump reversed course on Sunday, telling reporters aboard Air Force One that Gulf leaders’ input, along with a request from unnamed Iranian officials, weighed heavily on his decision to scrap the plan.

• Recounting his call with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Trump said he asked directly, “what would you rather do? Would you rather us do this or not?” He said the crown prince preferred a deal to an attack, since the outcome of strikes is unpredictable.

• Trump added that going ahead would have been disastrous for Gulf states, none of whom wanted it, believing a deal was close. This marked another shift for Trump, who a day earlier had said he was losing faith in talks with Iran and threatened to hit it hard.

• Qatari mediators presented Iran with a fresh proposal on Saturday to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, and Iranian diplomats responded positively, though it is unclear if Iran will accept it.

• A regional official told AP the proposal calls for the US and Iran to resume talks, reopen the strait, and halt regional attacks, including by Iran-backed militias in Iraq. In exchange, the US would end its naval blockade and let Iran resume oil exports. No deal has been finalised yet.

• Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said the strait would not return to its pre-war state, and that talks with Oman on shipping through it were ongoing, though reopening it was not yet on the table. Iran’s defence minister said on X that the country was neither surprised nor passive, and remained alert to US threats. AP reported a struggle appears to be brewing within Iran’s leadership over whether to negotiate or rely on military pressure.

Do You Know:

• Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) has urged US President Donald Trump to avoid launching massive new strikes against Iran, amid growing fears in the Gulf that the conflict could spiral into a broader regional war and put critical energy infrastructure at risk, Axios reported.

• The intervention came as Trump said he would halt planned attacks after mediators reached the broad parameters of a potential agreement to end the five-month-long conflict, though US and regional officials cautioned that no final deal has been reached and negotiations remain ongoing.

• According to Axios, MBS spoke to Trump by phone and raised concerns over Washington’s plans for large-scale strikes on Iranian energy targets, which the US president has been weighing in response to Iran’s missile attack on a US base in Jordan and repeated disruptions to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.

• Citing two US officials and another source familiar with the conversation, Axios reported that the Saudi crown prince sought clarity on Trump’s military plans and urged him to pursue de-escalation instead of a wider offensive.

• According to Axios, Saudi Arabia has played a significant behind-the-scenes role in shaping Trump’s Iran policy
throughout the conflict despite occasional disagreements between Washington and Riyadh.

• Saudi Arabia’s intervention underscores growing concern among Gulf states that another major US strike on Iran could trigger retaliatory attacks against oil infrastructure and shipping routes, threatening global energy supplies and widening a conflict that has already drawn in multiple countries across the Middle East.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍As ceasefire teetered, Tehran plotted wider war via proxies

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:
1) Which of the following is not a member of ‘Gulf Cooperation Council’? (UPSC CSE, 2016)
(a) Iran
(b) Saudi Arabia
(c) Oman
(d) Kuwait

Previous year UPSC Mains Question Covering similar theme:
📍“India’s relations with Israel have, of late, acquired a depth and diversity, which cannot be rolled back.” Discuss. (2018)

String of firsts, line of new stars: Glasgow serves hope, Asiad will give reality check

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

Main Examination: General Studies II: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.

What’s the ongoing story: India travelled to Glasgow with expectations suitably calibrated.

These were, after all, the Commonwealth Games in a scaled-down format. The programme had been trimmed, leaving India with fewer medal prospects.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What are the Commonwealth Games?

• Olympic Games, Asiad and Commonwealth Games-Compare and contrast

• Where the 2026 Commonwealth Games was held?

• What is the Commonwealth of nations?

• Is India still a Commonwealth country?

• India’s Position in the 2026 Commonwealth Games-know in detail

• Many experts argue that the Asian Games will be a more accurate indicator of India’s Olympic readiness and not Commonwealth games-why?

• How sports helps in strengthening India’s soft power and international image?

• How government initiatives such as Khelo India and TOPS helped in improving India’s international sporting performance?

• What are the challenges in India’s sports governance and suggest reforms?

Key Takeaways:

• Six of the 12 sports in which India won a medal at the 2022 edition, accounting for 30 of its 61 medals, had been axed. For many athletes, the competition was never meant to be the peak of the season. With the Asian Games looming next month, Glasgow was seen more as a checkpoint than a destination.

• Yet, by the time the curtains came down on Sunday, India’s campaign had become one of its most memorable in recent CWG history — not merely because of the medal tally, with India surpassing expectations to finish fourth overall with 39 medals, including 13 gold, 17 silver and nine bronze, but because of the number of barriers broken. It was a Games of firsts.

• Seven boxing gold medals, India’s best-ever return at the Commonwealth Games; Mirabai Chanu becoming the first weightlifter to win three consecutive CWG gold medals; a maiden decathlon medal through Tejaswin Shankar; Gulveer Singh becoming the first Indian to win medals in the men’s 5,000m and 10,000m, and the first track and field athlete from the country to win two medals at the same Games; ten track and field medals, led by the para-athletes, who won three golds.

• This marked India’s best athletics haul outside a home Commonwealth Games. Judo, too, produced golden moments that suggested the sport may finally be ready to move beyond sporadic success.

India’s medal splits at CWG 2026 in Glasgow.

Do You Know:

• The Commonwealth Games is a quadrennial international multi-sport event that brings together athletes from across the Commonwealth of Nations, a political association comprising the majority of former territories of the British Empire. First held as the British Empire Games in 1930, the event has evolved through several name changes, reflecting the changing geopolitical landscape and gradual decolonisation of the Empire.

• India made its debut at the second Commonwealth Games in 1934. It has since competed in all the except four editions of the Commonwealth Games. India hosted the 2010 Commonwealth Games at Delhi, and will host the 2030 Commonwealth Games in Ahmedabad.
After the 2026 Commonwealth Games, India had won 602 medals (215 gold, 207 silver, 180 bronze) and is ranked fourth at the All-time Commonwealth Games medal table. The most successful event for India is shooting, in which it has won 135 medals including 63 gold medals.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍India’s Commonwealth Games Legacy: 602 medals, 4th in all-time standings, weightlifting most successful sport

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:
2) Consider the following statements in respect of the 32nd Summer Olympics: (UPSC CSE, 2021)
1. The official motto for this Olympics is ‘A New World’.
2. Sport Climbing, Surfing, Skateboarding, Karate and Baseball are included in this Olympics.
Which of the above statements is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Nation

Translocate, keep in enclosures: Chhattisgarh bid to save its wild buffaloes from extinction

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

Main Examination: General Studies III: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment.

What’s the ongoing story: Translocation from Assam. That’s what the Chhattisgarh Forest Department hopes will save the state wild buffalo — its state animal and the last surviving population in Central India.

Key Points to Ponder:

• Where are the wild buffalo found in India?

• What is the status of wild buffalo under IUCN?

• Is Asiatic buffalo an endemic species?

• In which state you will find Pamed Wildlife Sanctuary, the Udanti Sitanadi Tiger Reserve and the Indravati Tiger Reserve (ITR)?

• What are the major threats faced by the Asiatic Wild Buffalo in India?

• What is the role of protected areas in conserving endangered species?

• Suggest measures for improving long-term wildlife conservation in India.

• Know the importance of in-situ and ex-situ conservation in preventing species extinction.

Key Takeaways:

• With the wild buffalo population plummeting over the last few decades, the Chhattisgarh Forest Department is planning to translocate wild buffaloes from Assam and keep them in enclosures at the Pamed Wildlife Sanctuary, the Udanti Sitanadi Tiger Reserve and the Indravati Tiger Reserve (ITR). Officials hope this will help boost their population naturally.

• A proposal will soon be sent to the Centre, Chhattisgarh Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) Arun Kumar Pandey said.

• Officials said the latest plan involves bringing wild buffaloes from Assam and keeping them in enclosures at Pamed Wildlife Sanctuary, USTR and Indravati. This experiment has already been attempted successfully.” Over the past few years, six wild buffaloes were brought from Assam to Barnawapara Wildlife Sanctuary: a male and a female in 2020, and four females in 2023, taking the population there to 11.

• The 2016 IUCN Red List for threatened species has placed wild buffaloes in “endangered” category. Once found in Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, MP, Odisha, Jharkhand and Telangana in central India, it is today confined to small herds in Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra. In India, the wild buffalo enjoys the highest protection under Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.

Do You Know:

• The Asiatic wild buffalo is the largest wild bovine in the world, weighing twice as much as its less muscular cousin. India is home to more than 90% of the global wild water buffalo population (3,500-3,700 individuals), with most found in Assam (3,000-3,500) and smaller populations in Meghalaya, Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra’s Kolamarka forests. The 2016 IUCN Red List for threatened species — a critical indicator of the health of the world’s biodiversity — places it in the “endangered” category.

• Once found in Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Jharkhand and Telangana in central India, it is today confined to small herds in Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra. In India, the wild buffalo enjoys the highest protection under Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. A 2005 report from the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) showed there were 39-47 wild buffaloes across USTR, Indravati Tiger Reserve (ITR) and Pamed in Bijapur district, with officials estimating that their numbers have declined further to 12-16 individuals.

• For its part, the forest department has taken several measures to push up the population. In 2015, the Forest Department pinned its hopes on a cloned female wild buffalo, “Deepasha”. The effort has since been abandoned.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Chhattisgarh’s state animal close to extinction: Only female wild buffalo in govt conservation centre dies

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:
3) Consider the following pairs (UPSC CSE, 2019)
Wildlife : Naturally found in
1. Blue-finned Mahseer : Cauvery River
2. Irrawaddy Dolphin : Chambal River
3. Rusty-spotted Cat : Eastern Ghats
Which of the pairs given above are correctly matched?
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3

Economy

RBI policy panel likely to keep interest rates unchanged on August 5

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Economic and Social Development-Sustainable Development, Poverty, Inclusion, Demographics, Social Sector Initiatives, etc.

Mains Examination: General Studies III: Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization, of resources, growth, development and employment.

What’s the ongoing story: The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is widely expected to leave the key policy repo rate unchanged at its forthcoming meeting on August 5, amid the continuing conflict in West Asia and elevated global crude oil prices, experts said.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What is Monetary Policy Committee?

• The committee comprises of how many members?

• The setting up of a committee to decide on monetary policy was first proposed by which committee?

• What is the meaning of withdrawal of accommodation in RBI?

• What are the instruments of monetary policy?

• Will RBI change repo rate in the upcoming policy?

• What happens to lending rates if repo rate is left steady?

• What happens when repo rate is increased?

• Repo rate is the rate at which central bank of a country (in our case Reserve Bank of India) lends money to whom?

• In reverse repo rate is the rate at which the central bank of a country (Reserve Bank of India in case of India) borrows money from whom?

• ‘Repo rate at 5.25 per cent’-What do you understand by this?

• If Repo Rate is increased or say decreased then it impacts common people?

• Who decides the repo rate and reverse repo rate?

• How repo rate and reverse repo rate are decided?

• What is the difference between repo rate and interest rate?

Key Takeaways:

• Although the resulting inflationary pressures and uncertainties have heightened risks, they remain manageable for now, with the domestic economy continuing to display resilience.

• However, inflation continues to face upside risks from elevated global oil prices, a weak monsoon and lower water reservoir levels. “We expect MPC members will remain watchful of the progress of the monsoon and its impact on food inflation. We expect RBI to remain on hold for now and also keep the stance unchanged,” said Sonal Badhan, Economist, Bank of Baroda (BoB).

• According to a Care Edge report, the central bank is expected to keep rates unchanged in August, with any potential rate hikes later in FY27 contingent on a material rise in inflation or renewed geopolitical risks, although the base-case scenario remains for no further hikes this fiscal year.

• On June 5, MPC had kept the interest rates unchanged at 5.25% despite mounting inflationary pressures from rising crude oil prices and supply-side pressures triggered by the West Asia conflict.

• However, the RBI policy panel re-reassessed both its growth and inflation projections, with risks emanating from elevated oil prices, uncertainty in global trade, adverse weather conditions and geopolitical tensions clouding the economic outlook.

• It lowered the growth projection from 6.9% to 6.6% and hiked the inflation forecast from 4.6% to 5.1% in the June policy review.

Do You Know:

• A six-member statutory body led by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor that fixes the benchmark repo rate to target inflation while supporting growth. Established in 2016, it includes three RBI officials and three government-appointed external members.

• Monetary policy essentially deals with the supply and cost (interest rates) of money in an economy. The RBI’s MPC meets every two months to assess the state of monetary activities, and may tweak the repo rate — the interest rate at which the RBI lends to commercial banks — in a manner that reduces price fluctuations in the economy while keeping the inflation rate (the rate at which the general price level in the economy grows) at a reasonable level. According to RBI, there are several direct and indirect instruments that are used for implementing monetary policy:
—Repo Rate: The interest rate at which the Reserve Bank provides liquidity under the liquidity adjustment facility (LAF) to all LAF participants against the collateral of government and other approved securities.
—Standing Deposit Facility (SDF) Rate: The rate at which the Reserve Bank accepts uncollateralised deposits, on an overnight basis, from all LAF participants. The SDF is also a financial stability tool in addition to its role in liquidity management. The SDF rate is placed at 25 basis points below the policy repo rate. With introduction of SDF in April 2022, the SDF rate replaced the fixed reverse repo rate as the floor of the LAF corridor.
—Marginal Standing Facility (MSF) Rate: The penal rate at which banks can borrow, on an overnight basis, from the Reserve Bank by dipping into their Statutory Liquidity Ratio (SLR) portfolio up to a predefined limit (2 per cent). This provides a safety valve against unanticipated liquidity shocks to the banking system. The MSF rate is placed at 25 basis points above the policy repo rate.
—Liquidity Adjustment Facility (LAF): The LAF refers to the Reserve Bank’s operations through which it injects/absorbs liquidity into/from the banking system. It consists of overnight as well as term repo/reverse repos (fixed as well as variable rates), SDF and MSF. Apart from LAF, instruments of liquidity management include outright open market operations (OMOs), forex swaps and market stabilisation scheme (MSS).
—Reverse Repo Rate: The interest rate at which the Reserve Bank absorbs liquidity from banks against the collateral of eligible government securities under the LAF. Following the introduction of SDF, the fixed rate reverse repo operations will be at the discretion of the RBI for purposes specified from time to time.
—Bank Rate: The rate at which the Reserve Bank is ready to buy or rediscount bills of exchange or other commercial papers. The Bank Rate acts as the penal rate charged on banks for shortfalls in meeting their reserve requirements (cash reserve ratio and statutory liquidity ratio). The Bank Rate is published under Section 49 of the RBI Act, 1934. This rate has been aligned with the MSF rate and, changes automatically as and when the MSF rate changes alongside policy repo rate changes.
—Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR): The average daily balance that a bank is required to maintain with the Reserve Bank as a per cent of its net demand and time liabilities (NDTL) as on the last Friday of the second preceding fortnight that the Reserve Bank may notify from time to time in the Official Gazette.
—Statutory Liquidity Ratio (SLR): Every bank shall maintain in India assets, the value of which shall not be less than such percentage of the total of its demand and time liabilities in India as on the last Friday of the second preceding fortnight, as the Reserve Bank may, by notification in the Official Gazette, specify from time to time and such assets shall be maintained as may be specified in such notification (typically in unencumbered government securities, cash and gold).
—Open Market Operations (OMOs): These include outright purchase/sale of government securities by the Reserve Bank for injection/absorption of durable liquidity in the banking system.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Knowledge nugget of the day: RBI’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC)

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:
4) With reference to Indian economy, consider the following: (UPSC CSE, 2015)
1. Bank rate
2. Open market operations
3. Public debt
4. Public revenue
Which of the above is/are component/ components of Monetary Policy?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2, 3 and 4
(c) 1 and 2
(d) 1, 3 and 4

5) Which of the following statements is/are correct regarding the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC)? (UPSC CSE, 2017)
1. It decides the RBI’s benchmark interest rates.
2. It is a 12-member body including the Governor of RBI and is reconstituted every year.
3. It functions under the chairmanship of the Union Finance Minister.
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
(a) 1 only
(b) 1 and 2 only
(c) 3 only
(d) 2 and 3 only

Why India’s tea majors are facing rising competition from cheaper alternatives

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

Main Examination: General Studies III: Major crops-cropping patterns in various parts of the country

What’s the ongoing story: Tea may continue to be one of the most popular beverages for Indians, but a surge in cheap imports and lower prices are prompting many to switch to lower sub-brands or purchase from the unorganised sector.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What are the plantation crops?

• What is the difference between cash crop and plantation crop?

• Tea is a plantation crop-True or false?

• What kind of climatic conditions favour tea cultivation?

• What are the geographical factors responsible for tea cultivation in India?

• Know the distribution of tea-growing regions in India and the challenges posed by climate change.

• Map Work-tea cultivation zone in India

• What are the contribution of women workers to India’s tea economy?

• Who are the tea garden workers in Assam?

• What is the Jhumur dance?

• How tea got incorporated into Indian culture?

• What are the challenges faced by India’s tea industry?

• What policy measures have been taken by the GOI for reviving India’s organised tea sector?

Key Takeaways:

• The tea business remained weak for listed players in the April-June quarter, with modest volume growth and lower revenues. Tata Consumer Products Ltd, which owns brands such as Tata Tea and Tetley, reported just 2% volume growth in its tea and coffee segment during the quarter, while revenue declined 4%.

• While the company does not disclose the individual contribution of tea and coffee within the segment, tea operations weighed heavily on the overall performance, even as coffee grew 24%. The company attributed the decline in segment revenue to passing on lower tea costs to consumers.

• Hindustan Unilever Ltd (HUL), which has brands such as Lipton and Brooke Bond, reported a low single-digit underlying volume growth in its premium tea segment.

• Goodricke, a Kolkata-based tea producer with plantations across Darjeeling and Assam, has not yet disclosed its Q1 earnings. However, the company’s revenues dropped by nearly 14% in 2025-26 due to higher operating costs and the downturn in the overall tea market.

• The overall tea market has been in a deflationary phase over the past four to five quarters, driven by a combination of factors, including adverse weather and a rise in cheaper imports.

• The adverse weather refers to the summer heatwaves flagged by industry bodies. The prolonged dry spell led to higher pest infestations in tea plantations, affecting the quality of the crop, while extreme heat also dampened consumer demand for tea.

• Further, rainfall has also been erratic over the past couple of monsoons, leading to both shortages as well as landslides in the hilly areas where tea is grown. This lowered the yield of high-quality tea, reducing its cost in auction houses where major companies such as HUL and Tata Consumer source the leaf.

• With tea essentially being a commodity business, where brand loyalty is relatively low compared to other businesses, falling prices have fuelled growth in the unorganised sector. This has forced larger companies to cut prices to remain competitive, resulting in lower realisations.

• Tea retailers also faced a temporary setback from a shortage of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) linked to the West Asia conflict. Fuel shortages in households led many consumers to avoid tea purchases, Tata Consumer’s management said during its post-Q1 earnings conference call.

Do You Know:

• Both the terms for tea – “the” and “cha” – originate from Chinese. Tea has been brewed in China for over 2,000 years––its brewing was first documented in a Chinese book dating back to 220-265 AD––and tea leaves were likely consumed initially as a green vegetable. Li Yu’s seventh-century AD work, “The Classic of Tea,” is a testament to China’s deep historical connection with tea culture.

• In 1689, English priest John Ovington, who chronicled his journey to Surat in “A Voyage to Surat,” noted that tea was consumed by the banias in Surat without sugar, sometimes mixed with conserved lemons, and used as a remedy for headaches and gripes.

• During the Opium Wars in 1830, the collapse of Chinese tea trade with England pushed the British to consider commercial tea cultivation in India. Tea plantations were established in Assam, the Himalayas, and the hills of South India, yielding exceptional harvests. To confirm the quality of the tea leaf, an opinion poll was conducted in England in 1838. Subsequently, in 1841, two parcels of tea—one from the Luckimpore plantation and another from Assam—were auctioned at remarkably high prices in London. Where there is demand, there will always be supply.

• In 1864 and 1875, tea auctions at London’s Mincing Lane fetched £3 million and £26 million, respectively, solidifying it as the world’s foremost tea-trading hub. By the mid-19th century, monthly auctions quickly escalated to weekly events due to tea’s soaring value. Tea sourced from then-Ceylon, China, East Africa, and India was regularly auctioned, with specific days earmarked for each origin country’s auctions. By the 1950s, London auctions accounted for a third of the world’s traded tea.

• The Assam Company was established in 1840, and by 1853, tea plantations had sprouted in Assam, Darjeeling, and Kangra Valley, marking the British discovery of “liquid gold.” Additionally, Christie and Crew pioneered the Ketti Experimental farm near Ooty, while Mann cultivated tea near Coonoor. Sri Lanka, devastated by a fungal outbreak that obliterated its coffee plantations in 1887, found salvation through the substitution of tea for coffee, preventing economic collapse.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍A journey through India’s most historic tea plantations

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:
6) With reference to the “Tea Board” in India, consider the following statements: (UPSC CSE, 2022)
1. The Tea Board is a statutory body.
2. It is a regulatory body attached to the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.
3. The Tea Board’s Head Office is situated in Bengaluru.
4. The Board has overseas offices at Dubai and Moscow.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
(a) 1 and 3
(b) 2 and 4
(c) 3 and 4
(d) 1 and 4

Previous year UPSC main Question Covering similar theme:
📍Whereas the British planters had developed tea gardens all along the Shivaliks and Lesser Himalayas from Assam to Himachal Pradesh, in effect they did not succeed beyond the Darjeeling area. Explain. (2014)

Explained

What makes Kerala particularly vulnerable to landslides

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Indian and World Geography-Physical, Social, Economic Geography of India and the World.

Mains Examination: General Studies I: Important Geophysical phenomena such as earthquakes, Tsunami, Volcanic activity, cyclone etc., geographical features and their location-changes in critical geographical features (including water-bodies and ice-caps) and in flora and fauna and the effects of such changes.

What’s the ongoing story: Two years after the devastating Wayanad landslides, exceptionally heavy rain triggered fresh landslides, mudslides and flooding across parts of Kerala on Saturday (August 1), killing at least six people and leaving several others feared missing.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What is Landslide?

• What causes Landslides?

• What are the types of landslides?

• Know the Landslide-Prone Areas in India and mark them on Map

• Landslides in Himalayan Region and Landslides in Western Ghats-compare and contrast

• The Geological Survey of India (GSI) and national landslide susceptibility mapping-connect the dots

• What according to Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change are the causes of landslides in Kerala?

• What are the Government measures to handle landslide risks in India?

Key Takeaways:

• The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) on Saturday issued a red alert for Idukki, Kottayam, Pathanamthitta, Thrissur, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Wayanad, Kannur and Kasaragod districts, warning of heavy to extremely heavy rainfall, thunderstorms and gusty winds. Kerala Chief Minister V D Satheesan has directed the collectors of Idukki, Kottayam and Pathanamthitta to undertake emergency preparations and coordinate district-wise rescue operations.

• The IMD has also warned that strong winds with 40 to 50 kmph speeds are likely in isolated places in Kerala on Sunday.

• Neetha K Gopal, head of the IMD’s Meteorological Centre in Thiruvananthapuram, told The Indian Express that the intense spell was being driven by an offshore trough extending from the south Gujarat coast to Kerala, strong southwesterly winds across the Arabian Sea, and a strong north-south pressure gradient along the west coast. Together, these conditions had strengthened the monsoon flow and produced widespread rainfall across Kerala.

Do You Know:

• Landslides are natural disasters that occur mainly in mountainous terrains with conducive soil, rock, geology and slope conditions. A sudden movement of rock, boulders, earth or debris down a slope is called a landslide.

• While they are fairly common, landslides are extremely hazardous and pose a threat to human and animal lives, damaging property, roads and bridges, disrupting communication lines and snapping power lines.
Landslides generally result from a combination of two sets of factors:
—Conditioning factors, such as soil topography, rocks, geomorphology, and slope angles, among others, make some parts of the country more vulnerable to landslides than other parts.
—Triggering factors include intense rainfall and anthropogenic activities such as haphazard land use, unscientific construction, and large-scale destruction of forests.
Most landslides in India are rain-induced events. Other natural causes include earthquakes, snow-melting and undercutting of slopes due to flooding. They may also be caused by anthropogenic activities such as excavation, cutting of hills and trees, excessive infrastructure development, and overgrazing by cattle.

• Kerala’s landslide risk is largely concentrated along the Western Ghats, especially in central and northern districts, such as Idukki, Pathanamthitta, Kottayam, Wayanad, Kozhikode and Malappuram. The region’s steep slopes, geology and changing land use make it inherently susceptible to landslides.

• During spells of intense or prolonged rainfall, water infiltrates the loose soil and reaches the interface between the soil and the underlying rock, weakening the bond between the two and increasing the likelihood of slope failure, KS Sajinkumar, Professor of Geology at the University of Kerala, told The Indian Express after the 2024 Wayanad landslides. “The terrain here has two distinctive layers, a layer of soil sitting atop hard rocks… water reaches the rocks and flows between the soil and the rock layers. This weakens the force that binds the soil to the rocks and triggers the movement,” he said.

• In 2023, the Indian Space Research Organisation’s National Remote Sensing Centre, Hyderabad, released a landslide atlas based on landslide events recorded between 1998 and 2022, primarily along the Himalayas and the Western Ghats.
The database showed that while the Western Ghats recorded fewer landslide events than the Himalayan region, Kerala
accounted for a disproportionately high share of landslide fatalities.

• Land-use changes and human interventions have also contributed to the fragility of the region, with quarrying, road laying, and the expansion of plantations altering the stability of slopes and natural drainage.
Concerns about the cumulative impact of development in the Western Ghats have long been expressed. The 2011 Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel, chaired by ecologist.

• Madhav Gadgil, recommended that mining, quarrying, polluting industries and large construction projects in ecologically sensitive areas along the mountain range be strictly regulated. However, several states objected to the contents of this report, and the Centre constituted a High-Level Working Group on the Western Ghats headed by space scientist K Kasturirangan.

• The Kasturirangan Committee subsequently proposed a smaller Ecologically Sensitive Area and a less stringent regulatory framework than the Gadgil panel. Since then, successive landslide disasters in Kerala have repeatedly revived the debate over balancing development in the Western Ghats with ecological protection.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍From the Opinions Editor: From Kerala’s landslides to Assam’s floods, learning to live with nature

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:
📍Differentiate the causes of landslides in the Himalayan region and Western Ghats. (2021)
📍The Himalayas are highly prone to landslides.” Discuss the causes and suggest suitable measures of mitigation. (2016)

 

PRELIMS ANSWER KEY

1.(a)  2.(b)  3.(c) 4.(c) 5.(a) 6.(d)

  

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