Biological and public health emergencies (BPHE) A biological emergency is one caused due to natural outbreaks of epidemics or the intentional use of biological agents (Viruses and microorganisms) or toxins through the dissemination of such agents in ways to harm the human population, food, crops, and livestock to cause outbreaks of disease. Pandemics and Epidemics:… Continue reading Biological and public health emergencies (BPHE)

Cold wave: A rapid fall in temperature within 24 hours to a level requiring substantially increased protection to agriculture, industry, commerce, and social activities. Derecho: “a widespread, long-lived, straight-line windstorm (no rotation like a tornado)” that is associated with a “band of rapidly moving showers or thunderstorms”. The name comes from the Spanish word ‘la… Continue reading Cold Wave, Derecho

The IPCC defines heatwave as “a period of abnormally hot weather, often defined with reference to a relative temperature threshold, lasting from two days to months.” Nodal Ministry: Indian Meteorological Department (Ministry of Earth Sciences, MOES) Types of HeatWaves: Criteria to declare: Causes: Heatwaves in India can be caused by various factors, including: Mitigation: NDMA… Continue reading Heatwaves

Broadly drought is perceived as a sharply felt water deficit caused by variations in the natural hydro-meteorological factors, agro-ecological conditions, and moisture requirements of crops under prevailing cropping choices (systems, patterns). Nodal Ministry: Min. of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare (MAFW) Types of Droughts: Criteria To Declare: The National Commission on Agriculture in India defines three… Continue reading Droughts

Wave Action: Physical processes and movements associated with the propagation of waves in a fluid medium, such as water or air. It influences coastal erosion, weather patterns, and the design of structures like bridges and offshore platforms. States Prone: Nodal Ministry: Min. of Earth Sciences (MOES) Types: Criteria to Declare: It typically doesn’t follow specific… Continue reading Wave Action

Landslides: Movement of a mass of rock, debris, or earth down a slope under the direct influence of gravity. It is estimated that 30% of the world’s landslides occur in the Himalayan ranges. In the Nilgiris alone, unprecedented rains in the region triggered about 100 landslides. The mean rate of land loss is to the… Continue reading Landslides

Urban Floods: It is caused by the combination of meteorological, hydrological and human factors. Flood peaks from 1.8 to 8 times and flood volumes by up to 6 times. Nodal Ministry: Min. of Housing and Urban Affairs (MHUA) States Prone: Types of Urban Floods: Criteria to Declare: In India, the criteria to declare an urban… Continue reading Urban Floods

The inundation of land and human settlements by the rise of water in the channels and its spill-over presents the condition of flooding. Regions Prone to Flooding in India: Nodal Ministry: Min. of Jal Shakti (MOJS) Types of Floods: Criteria to Declare: The Indian government typically declares a flood based on specific criteria that may… Continue reading Floods

A type of geological event near an opening/vent in the Earth’s surface including volcanic eruptions of lava, ash, hot vapour, gas, and pyroclastic material. Regions Prone to Volcanic eruptions: Barren island (A&N), Narcondam (Andaman Sea), Deccan trap in Deccan plateau, Baratang (Andaman Island), Dhinodhar hills (Gujarat), Dhosi hills (Aravali mountains), Tosham hills (Haryana).Nodal Ministry: Min.… Continue reading Volcanic Eruptions

Tsunamis (Japanese for “harbour wave”), also known as a seismic sea wave, are a series of very large waves with extremely long wavelengths, in the deep ocean, the length from crest to crest may be 100 km and more. When the seafloor abruptly deforms the sudden vertical displacements over large areas disturb the ocean’s surface,… Continue reading Tsunamis

It is the shaking of the earth. It is caused due the release of energy, which generates waves that travel in all directions.  Mass movement— Surface displacement of earthen materials due to ground shaking triggered by earthquakes. Nearly 59% of India’s territory is prone to moderate to severe earthquakes. 11% fall in very high-risk zone… Continue reading Earthquakes/ Mass movement of earth materials

Civil Services: “While governments may come and go, ministers may rise and fall, the administration of a country goes on forever. Needless to say, civil services form the backbone of administration”.   – Ramsay Muir “…you will not have a united India, if you have not a good all-India service which has the independence of… Continue reading Civil Services

Right to Information Act, 2005 “Where a society has chosen to accept democracy as its creedal faith, it is elementary that the citizens ought to know what their government is doing.” – Justice P N Bhagwati “Information is the currency of democracy,” – Thomas Jefferson Right to Information Act, 2005 The Right to Information (RTI)… Continue reading Right to Information

Social audit is a collaborative process in which the public, particularly the beneficiaries, actively participate in evaluating the performance of government programs and projects. This form of audit allows people to directly assess and oversee the effectiveness of governmental initiatives, together with the administration Evolution of Social Audit in India: Objectives of Social Audit Principles… Continue reading Social Audit

Transparency and Accountability: [2021] An independent and empowered social audit mechanism is an absolute must in every sphere of public service, including the judiciary, to ensure performance, accountability, and ethical conduct. Elaborate. [2020] “Recent amendments to the Right to Information Act will have a profound impact on the autonomy and independence of the Information Commission”.… Continue reading Transparency and Accountability

Previous Year Questions [2023] Discuss the contribution of civil society groups for women’s effective and meaningful participation and representation in state legislatures in India.  [2022] Do you agree with the view that increasing dependence on donor agencies for development reduces the importance of community participation in the development process? Justify your answer.  [2021] Can Civil… Continue reading Non-governmental Organisations (NGOs)

Disaster Disaster Management: The term “disaster” comes from the French word “Desastre,” a combination of ‘des’ meaning bad, and ‘aster’ meaning star, implying ‘Bad or Evil star.’ According to the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) Disaster is a serious disruption of the functioning of a community or a society at any scale… Continue reading Disaster Management

Urbanisation is important in UPSC CSE Mains due to its impact on economic growth, social dynamics, and governance challenges. It underscores the need for sustainable urban planning, infrastructure development, and equitable resource distribution to manage its complex implications effectively. Questions in UPSC CSE (Mains) from this theme Sub-themes In line with the trends of the… Continue reading URBANISATION AND ASSOCIATED ISSUES

Skill development is a critical topic in UPSC CSE Mains due to its role in enhancing economic productivity, fostering inclusive growth, and addressing social inequalities. Effective policies in these areas are essential for equipping the workforce with relevant skills, promoting entrepreneurship, and empowering marginalised communities, thereby contributing to India’s overall development agenda. Questions in UPSC… Continue reading SKILL DEVELOPMENT IN INDIA