The Ganga River System The Ganga river system is the largest in India having a number of perennial and non-perennial rivers originating in the Himalayas in the north and the Peninsula in the south, respectively. It accounts for 26.3% of the geographical area of the country and is shared by ten states. Ambala is located… Continue reading Drainage System | Part 4

The Indian Drainage System The Indian drainage system consists of a large number of small and big rivers. It is an outcome of: The evolutionary process of the three major physiographic units The nature and characteristics of precipitation. Source Classification of Drainage Systems in India: 1. On the basis of discharge of water – the… Continue reading Drainage System | Part 3

Area of interest: North India, Central India, and South India. After the decline of Harsha’s empire, a number of large states rose in North India, Deccan, and South India. 3 of the most prominent among these were – the Palas, the Pratiharas, and the Rashtrakutas. NORTH INDIA The political confusion created by the fall of… Continue reading Chapter 9 | Post-Gupta Period II (750AD – 1000AD)

Area of interest: North India, Deccan India & South India The political situation became complex with the passing away of the Guptas and the demise of the Vakataka rulers. Vassals of the Guptas became independent in the North.In the Deccan and far South too, a multiplicity of powers were witnessed. NORTH INDIA Political Background Harshavardhana… Continue reading Chapter 8 | Post-Gupta Period I (600AD – 750AD) Later Guptas, Badami Chalukyas, Pallavas, Pandyas

Areas of Interest: North India, Central India, and South India Unlike the previous period, this period saw was marked by political stability that ensured and encouraged cultural florescence. The Guptas and Vakatakas were the major powers in north and central India respectively. South however witnessed a transitionary period called the Kalabhra Interregnum. This transitionary period… Continue reading Chapter 7 | Gupta Period (300AD – 600AD)

Areas of Interest – North, South & East India (specifically Kalinga) The five centuries that passed between the fall of the Mauryas and the rise of the Guptas witnessed a lot of political instability and upheaval in the North of India. The South however remained fairly stable. NORTH INDIA I. Political Background As the maps… Continue reading Chapter 6 | Post Mauryan Period (200BC to 300AD)

Areas of Interest: North India NORTH INDIA I. Political Background The period from the sixth to the late fourth century BC witnessed the rise of territorial polities-mahajanapadas in North India. This culminated in the establishment of the Mauryan Empire in about 325 BC. The Mauryan Empire was a pan-Indian empire founded by Chandragupta Maurya. Ashoka… Continue reading Chapter 5 | Mauryan Period (400BC – 200BC)

Note4Students It is important to understand the transformations that occur from the Vedic to the Later Vedic period as many of them are carried forward. During this time, the class-divided society transformed into a caste-divided one, polytheistic religion into a sacrificial ritual-dominated one, the condition of women deteriorated, and simple tribal polity transformed into a… Continue reading Chapter 4 | Vedic and Later Vedic Period (1500BC – 600BC)

Note4Students This topic is not one of UPSC’s favorites. A deeper understanding is not required. You need to make a note of 2 things. 1. Understand the evolution of tool technology, memorize which technology(flint, flakes, microliths) corresponds to which age. 2. Refer to the table at the end. Memorize what started in which age. Paleolithic… Continue reading Chapter 1 | Stone Age – Paleolithic, Mesolithic and Neolithic

What is Agroforestry? Agroforestry is a sustainable management mechanism for land that: increases overall production, combines agricultural crops, tree crops, forest plants and animals simultaneously, and applies management practices that are compatible with cultural practices of the local population. It is a type of social forestry in which an individual farmer undertakes tree farming and… Continue reading Agroforestry

Cropping Pattern refers to a yearly sequence and spatial arrangement of crops and fallow in a given area Cropping pattern used on a farm and its interaction with farm resources, other farm enterprises and available technology that determines its make up, is called a cropping system. A farmer’s choice of crops is governed by several… Continue reading Part 4 | Cropping Patterns and Systems in India

Important Food Crops 1. Rice: Geographical Conditions of Growth: Rice grows best in areas of warm, humid climate; rice requires temperatures between 20°C and 35°C and a well-distributed rainfall of about 100 cm or irrigation facilities. Fertile soil. Delta and valley soils are the most suitable. Soils with higher clay content are preferred for its… Continue reading Part 2 | Important Food Crops (Rice, Wheat, Maize, Millets, Pulses and Barley) and Horticultural Crops

We discussed in detail alluvial, black, red and laterite soils. Let’s continue the discussion and move on to the next soil types! Source 5. Arid Soils Formation: These are derived from the disintegration of adjacent rocks and are largely blown from coastal regions and Indus valley. Areas: Arid soils are characteristically developed in western Rajasthan,… Continue reading Part 5 | Indian Soils – Arid, Saline and Alkaline, Peaty and Forest Soils

We learnt about the various ways to classify soils. In this article, we will look at the various types of Indian soils in detail (According to ICAR’s classification). Let’s begin! Source 1. Alluvial Soils Formation: They are mainly derived from the debris brought down from the Himalayas or the silt left out by the retreating… Continue reading Part 4 | Indian Soils – Alluvial, Black, Red and Laterite soils

India is one of the 17 mega diverse countries of the world. With only 2.4% of the world’s land area, 16.7% of the world’s human population and 18% livestock, it contributes about 8% of the known global biodiversity, however, putting enormous demands on our natural resources. India is home to world’s largest wild tigers population… Continue reading Natural Vegetation and Wildlife: Part 6 | Conservation of Wildlife

In this article, we continue the discussion and look at various conservation attempts made to protect the Indian forests. Conservation of Forests: 1. The National Forest Policy: The National Forest Policy 1952 aimed at bringing one-third of the total land area with 65% in hilly and 25% in plains under the forest cover. It suggested… Continue reading Natural Vegetation and Wildlife: Part 5 | Conservation of Forests – Afforestation Schemes and Other Initiatives

Vegetation in the Himalayas: The Himalayan ranges show a succession of vegetation from the tropical to the tundra, which changes with altitude. When we look at the vegetational zones, the eastern Himalayas are similar to the western Himalayas. But on the whole, the eastern Himalayas have more tropical elements, a greater variety of Oaks and… Continue reading Natural Vegetation and Wildlife: Part 4 | Vegetation Zones of the Himalayas, The Problems of Indian Forestry

4. Subtropical Vegetation A. Sub-tropical Broad-leaved Hill Forests: Distribution: These forests occur on the lower slopes of the Himalaya in Bengal and Assam and on other hill ranges such as Khasi, Nilgiri, Mahabaleshwar, Pachmarhi, Amarkantak and Parasnath. Important Species: In the eastern Himalayas, Oak, Chestnut, Ash, Birch, Pine are common species. B. Sub-tropical Pine Forest… Continue reading Natural Vegetation and Wildlife: Part 3 | The Sub-tropical, Temperate, Sub-Alpine and Alpine, Littoral and Swamp Vegetation

Moving on, let’s discuss the various natural vegetation types of India in detail: Natural Vegetation Types of India 1. Tropical Evergreen Forests ‘Evergreen’ because there is no definite time for trees to shed their leaves, flowering and fruition. As such these forests appear green all the year round. The common animals found in these forests… Continue reading Natural Vegetation and Wildlife: Part 2 | Tropical Evergreen, Tropical Deciduous and Tropical Thorny Vegetation

Before we discuss the natural vegetation types found in India, let’s get acquainted with some basic terms: Flora, Vegetation and Forests: Flora refers to plants of a particular region or period, listed as a species and considered as a group. Likewise, fauna refers to the animal life, considered collectively, of any given period, environment or… Continue reading Natural Vegetation and Wildlife- Part 1 | An Overview of Natural Vegetation Types Found in India