Background
Nepal is located in South Asia and shares territorial borders with India and China. Kathmandu is the capital and the largest metropolitan city of the country. Under the present Constitution the country is organised into seven provincial governments. The UNESCO World Heritage Centre lists two natural properties for Nepal. Sagarmatha National Park was inscribed in 1979. Chitwan National Park was inscribed in 1984.
Capital:
Kathmandu
Land neighbours:
India and China
Natural World Heritage properties:
Sagarmatha National Park, Chitwan National Park
Why it matters for exams: Neighbours, capital and the protected areas on the World Heritage List are the standard one-mark facts asked about any South Asian neighbour of India.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Sagarmatha — The Nepali name carried by the national park that Nepal had inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1979.
Metropolitan city — A category of urban local government used in Nepal for its largest cities.
Background
China has a land area of about 9.6 million sq km and is the third largest country in the world, after Russia and Canada.
Its land boundary runs to some 22,800 km and its mainland coastline to approximately 18,000 km.
The terrain descends from west to east like a staircase; the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, averaging more than 4,000 m and called the roof of the world, forms the highest step.
Mount Qomolangma (Mount Everest), 8,848 m above sea level, is the main peak of the Himalayas and the world's highest peak.
The Yangtze, 6,300 km long, is the largest river in China and the third largest in the world after the Nile and the Amazon; the Yellow River, 5,464 km, is the second largest in China.
The Tarim River, 2,179 km, is China's longest interior river, and the man-made Grand Canal from Beijing to Hangzhou runs 1,801 km.
Poyang Lake, 3,583 sq km, is the largest freshwater lake, and Qinghai Lake, 4,583 sq km, the largest saltwater lake.
Land area:
about 9.6 million sq km
Land boundary:
some 22,800 km
Largest river:
The Yangtze, 6,300 km long
Largest freshwater lake:
Poyang Lake, 3,583 sq km
Why it matters for exams: Physical geography of a large neighbour is standard preliminary material, and the rank of the Yangtze, the length of the Grand Canal and the two largest lakes are repeatedly asked.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Interior river — A river that drains into an inland lake, a desert or a salt marsh instead of reaching the sea.
Qinghai-Tibet Plateau — The highest step of China's terrain, averaging more than 4,000 m above sea level.
Grand Canal — A man-made waterway from Beijing to Hangzhou that links five major rivers.
Background
If the Earth did not rotate and remained stationary, the atmosphere would circulate between the poles and the equator in a simple back-and-forth pattern.
Because the Earth rotates, circulating air is deflected toward the right in the Northern Hemisphere and toward the left in the Southern Hemisphere, resulting in curved paths.
This deflection is called the Coriolis effect.
It is named after the French mathematician Gaspard Gustave de Coriolis, who studied the transfer of energy in rotating systems like waterwheels.
Coastal currents are affected by local winds. Surface ocean currents, which occur on the open ocean, are driven by a complex global wind system.
To understand the effects of winds on ocean currents, one needs the Coriolis force and the Ekman spiral together.
Deflection in the Northern Hemisphere:
toward the right
Deflection in the Southern Hemisphere:
toward the left in the Southern Hemisphere
Name of the deflection:
the Coriolis effect
Companion concept for wind-driven currents:
Ekman spiral
Why it matters for exams: The direction of deflection in each hemisphere is a one-mark fact that decides answers on winds, cyclones and ocean currents alike.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Coriolis effect — The deflection of moving air and water caused by the rotation of the Earth.
Ekman spiral — The turning of wind-driven water with depth, used with the Coriolis force to explain surface currents.
Background
Tides are very long-period waves that move through the oceans in response to the forces exerted by the moon and sun.
The difference in height between the high tide and the low tide is called the tidal range.
The incoming tide along the coast is called a flood current and the outgoing tide an ebb current; the weakest currents, between the two, are called slack water.
Most coastal areas experience two high tides and two low tides every day, because the Earth rotates through two tidal bulges in one lunar day, and a lunar day is 24 hours and 50 minutes.
High tides occur 12 hours and 25 minutes apart, and it takes six hours and 12.5 minutes for the water at the shore to go from high to low.
When the sun, moon and Earth are in alignment, at the time of the new or full moon, the solar tide adds to the lunar tide and the result is commonly called spring tides.
One week later, when the sun and moon are at right angles to each other, the solar tide partly cancels the lunar tide and produces moderate tides known as neap tides.
During each lunar month two sets of spring tides and two sets of neap tides occur.
Length of a lunar day:
24 hours and 50 minutes
Interval between high tides:
12 hours and 25 minutes
Tides at new or full moon:
spring tides
Tides when sun and moon are at right angles:
neap tides
Height difference between high and low tide:
tidal range
Why it matters for exams: The lunar day, the twice-daily tide and the spring-neap pair are among the most frequently set physical geography questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Lunar day — The time a place on Earth takes to rotate from a point under the moon back to the same point under the moon.
Tidal range — The height difference between a high tide and the following low tide.
Slack water — The period between flood and ebb currents, when tidal currents are weakest.
Background
India's first planned eco-tourism destination lies in the foothills of the Western Ghats, in the Kollam district of Kerala. Thenmala is a government-managed facility. It is run by the Thenmala Ecotourism Promotion Society (TEPS). Thenmala is the meeting point of Kollam-Shencottah road and Trivandrum-Shencottah road, surrounded by dense forest, and is 66 kms east of Kollam. The destination offers lush green forests, butterfly safaris, musical dancing fountains, and adventure activities such as trekking, hiking and night camping. The stated aim of the Thenmala Eco Tourism area is preserving, protecting and even improving the environment.
District:
Kollam
Managed by:
Thenmala Ecotourism Promotion Society (TEPS)
Distance from Kollam:
66 kms east of Kollam
Why it matters for exams: The 'first in India' tag and the name of the managing society are the two details an examiner can convert into a one-mark question.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
TEPS Thenmala Ecotourism Promotion Society — The government society that runs the Thenmala eco-tourism area.
Eco-tourism — Tourism planned so that visitor use does not degrade the natural area it depends on.
Background
The smallest protected area under the state forest department is not in the Western Ghats but in the heart of Kochi city. Mangalavanam Bird Sanctuary lies in Ernakulam district and has an area of 0.0274 sq km. It is the only bird sanctuary in Kerala which is located in Mangrove forests. The word Mangal means mangroves in Portuguese. The sanctuary was established in 2004. A survey found that there are 194 birds in 32 species, and the number of bird species recorded so far from this area is 72. There are also 17 species of butterflies and 51 different types of spiders on record here.
District:
Ernakulam
Area:
0.0274 sq km
Established:
2004
Bird species recorded so far:
72
Why it matters for exams: Kerala PSC repeatedly asks which is the smallest protected area in the State and which sanctuary stands in mangrove forest; both answers are the same place.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Protected area — An area notified by government for the conservation of wildlife and its habitat.
Mangrove — Salt-tolerant forest that grows on tidal coasts and estuaries.
Background
Kasaragod, the district at the northern end of Kerala that hosts the Central University of Kerala, was formed in 1984. It was created on the basis of the order of 19.05.1984 of GO (MS) number 520/84 / RD, comprising the Hosdurg and Kasaragod taluks, which were part of the undivided Kannur District. The district has Kodagu and Dakshina Kannada districts of Karnataka to its east and the Arabian Sea in the west. Its administrative frame today is four taluks and 129 villages, with two revenue subdivisions. On the local government side it has six blocks and 38 panchayats, and it holds five Assembly Constituencies. The district headquarters town also gives its name to the Kasaragod tiles made from the local hard red clay.
Formed:
24th May, 1984
Order number:
GO (MS) number 520/84 / RD
Date of the order:
19.05.1984
Parent district:
undivided Kannur District
Taluks and villages:
Taluk (4) and Villages (129)
Blocks and panchayats:
Blocks (6) and Panchayats (38)
Assembly constituencies:
Assembly Constituencies (5)
Why it matters for exams: District formation questions ask the date, the parent district and the taluks, and Kasaragod is the State's youngest district by this route.
Kerala PSC
In plain words
Taluk — The revenue unit between the district and the village in Kerala's administration.
GO (MS) Government Order (Manuscript series) — The numbered written order through which the State government takes a formal decision.
Background
The UNESCO World Heritage Centre's page for India shows 45 properties inscribed on the World Heritage List. Of these, 37 are Cultural, 7 are Natural and 1 is Mixed. The Mixed property is Khangchendzonga National Park. The Natural properties include Kaziranga National Park, Keoladeo National Park, Manas Wildlife Sanctuary, Sundarbans National Park and the Western Ghats. The same page lists 78 sites on India's Tentative List, the inventory of properties the country intends to consider for nomination.
Properties inscribed:
45
Cultural:
37
Natural:
7
Mixed:
1
Tentative List sites:
78
Why it matters for exams: Counts of Cultural, Natural and Mixed World Heritage sites, and which site falls in which class, are staple questions.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
Tentative List — An inventory of properties a country intends to consider for World Heritage nomination.
Background
East Siang district takes its name from the Siang river, which rises in Tibet, where it is called Tsangpo, and flows down to the plains of Assam south of Pasighat, where it meets the Dihang and the Lohit and becomes the Brahmaputra. Pasighat, the district headquarters, was established in 1911 and is described by the district administration as the oldest town in Arunachal Pradesh and the gateway to the state. The district is mostly inhabited by the Adi tribe. Its village councils, called Kebang, have judicial, administrative and developmental functions.
District headquarters:
Pasighat
Pasighat established:
1911
Village councils of the Adi:
Kebang
Siang meets Dihang and Lohit:
south of Pasighat, as the Brahmaputra
Why it matters for exams: Background to the live Siang Upper Multipurpose Project debate: the Siang is the river at its centre and Pasighat is where talks with stakeholders have been held. Questions on Arunachal Pradesh often ask about its oldest town, the Siang-Brahmaputra link and the Adi Kebang council system.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
Kebang Adi village council — A traditional village council of the Adi with judicial, administrative and developmental functions.
Background
The Subansiri Lower Hydroelectric Project (HEP), located on the Subansiri River at the border of Arunachal Pradesh and Assam, has a total installed capacity of 2000 MW (eight units of 250 MW each). It is being implemented by NHPC Limited. As per the reply of 16 March 2026, two units had been commissioned, with the remaining units planned in a phased manner till Dec'26. On completion it is expected to generate about 7,422 million Units a year, with flood moderation benefits in the Brahmaputra Valley. About 7,000 local workers were employed during construction. Minister of State Shripad Naik gave the information in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha.
Installed capacity:
2000 MW
Units:
eight of 250 MW each
Annual generation:
about 7,422 million Units
Remaining units due:
till Dec'26
Why it matters for exams: Subansiri Lower, a 2000 MW NHPC project on the Arunachal Pradesh-Assam border, is a frequent static and current-affairs link for hydropower and Brahmaputra Valley questions.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
Background
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved an investment of Rs.26,069.50 crore for the Kamala Hydro Electric Project in Kamle, Kra Daadi & Kurung Kumey Districts of Arunachal Pradesh. The project has an installed capacity of 1720 MW (8 x 210 MW & 1 x 40 MW) and is expected to generate 6870 MU of energy. It will be implemented through a Joint Venture Company between NHPC Limited and the Govt. of Arunachal Pradesh, with an estimated completion period of 96 months. The State will receive 12% free power and an additional 1% for the Local Area Development Fund.
Investment:
Rs.26,069.50 crore
Installed capacity:
1720 MW
Energy:
6870 MU
Completion period:
96 months
Free power to State:
12%
Why it matters for exams: Hydropower in Arunachal Pradesh: capacity, the NHPC joint venture and the 12% free power share are standard facts for economy and state papers.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
CCEA Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs — The Union Cabinet committee that approves large investment proposals.
LADF Local Area Development Fund — A fund of 1% of project revenue for the host area.
Background
Namdapha, a National Park and Tiger Reserve, covers an area of 1985.23 square kilometres in Changlang District of Arunachal Pradesh, on the international border between India and Myanmar. It lies along the Noa-Dihing river near Miao and was declared a Tiger Reserve in 1983. The district page calls it the only park in the world with four big cat species: the Tiger, Leopard, Snow Leopard and Clouded Leopard. Hoolock Gibbons, the only ape species found in India, also live there. Changlang became the 10th district of Arunachal Pradesh on 14 November 1987, the same district where the Namchik Namphuk coal mine opened on 6 October 2025.
Area:
1985.23 square kilometres
Declared Tiger Reserve:
1983
River:
Noa-Dihing
District:
Changlang
Why it matters for exams: Namdapha is the standard answer for Arunachal's national park and the four-big-cat fact.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
6 October 2026
The official website and logo of the Kerala State Climate Change Adaptation Mission are to be launched on 6 October at 3 pm at Central Residency Hotel, Thiruvananthapuram.
Minister for Electricity, Environment and Parliamentary Affairs Sunny Joseph will do the launch.
Transport Minister C P John will give the keynote address.
The government formed the Mission to face climate change challenges, make carbon finance and carbon credit available at government level, and strengthen the State economy by promoting green jobs.
A lecture and panel discussion in the Mission's climate adaptation dialogue series is held at 10 am.
Launch date:
6 October
Venue:
Central Residency Hotel, Thiruvananthapuram
Mission:
Kerala State Climate Change Adaptation Mission
Why it matters for exams: New State missions and their objectives are frequently asked in Kerala PSC and environment papers.
Kerala PSCUPSC
Background
A proposal by the Chief Minister of Kerala to shift the 167-year-old zoo out of the city to a forest neighbourhood has put the compound under public debate. The museum and zoo were formally established in 1855; the museum opened to the public in 1857 and the zoo and public gardens followed in 1859. The collection of exotic animals began in the reign of Maharaja Swathi Thirunal of Travancore. The compound covers 55 acres, of which about 30 acres are animal enclosures, and holds over a thousand animals of nearly a hundred species along with the museum, a botanical garden and art galleries. Sites under consideration for a relocated zoo include the Neyyar Wildlife Sanctuary, which spans 128 square kilometres, the Peppara Wildlife Sanctuary at 53 square kilometres and the Agasthyavanam Biological Park Range at 32 square kilometres. Kerala already has a precedent: the Thrissur zoo was moved from its city-centre site to the 336-acre Puthur Zoological Park, developed at about ₹369 crore. Moving a zoological park next to protected forest would need environmental impact assessments and statutory clearances.
Museum and zoo formally established:
1855
Museum opened to the public:
1857
Zoo and public gardens opened:
1859
Area of the compound:
55 acres, about 30 acres of enclosures
Puthur Zoological Park, Thrissur:
336 acres, about ₹369 crore
Why it matters for exams: The compound links Travancore's institutional history with present-day questions of zoo management and forest clearances, a combination examiners like.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Agasthyavanam Biological Park Agasthyavanam Biological Park Range — A forest range near Thiruvananthapuram, 32 square kilometres in extent, named after the Agasthyamala hills.
Background
The Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) has begun drawing up to 800 MW from the Himachal Power Corporation at ₹14.5 per unit, about 28 crore units in October 2026, after a deficient monsoon cut the State's own generation. Most of KSEB's own generation is hydroelectric, so it rises and falls with the water stored in the State's dams. Under a 'swap' arrangement, KSEB buys power from other States at the summer peak and returns the same power during the monsoon, when its hydel stations generate more. Because Kerala's peak demand comes at night, about 95 per cent of the Himachal supply is taken at night. The State electricity regulatory commission had allowed KSEB to buy power at a maximum of ₹10 per unit, and permission is needed for any purchase above that ceiling. KSEB's position is that in an emergency it may approach the commission for approval within 10 days of starting the purchase. The additional expenditure for October 2026 at ₹14.5 per unit is put at ₹410 crore.
Purchase price:
₹14.5 per unit
Quantity:
Up to 800 MW; about 28 crore units in October 2026
Regulatory ceiling already allowed:
₹10 per unit
Additional expenditure for October 2026:
₹410 crore
Share of supply taken at night:
About 95 per cent
Why it matters for exams: Examiners use Kerala's hydel dependence and inter-State power purchase to test how a State's electricity board, its regulatory commission and the monsoon are linked.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
KSEB Kerala State Electricity Board — The State's electricity utility, which generates, transmits and distributes power in Kerala.
Swap arrangement Inter-State power swap — Power taken from another State in one season and returned in kind in another season, instead of being paid for in cash alone.
5 October 2026
Union Minister Pralhad Joshi will inaugurate the 8th edition of Windergy India on 8 October 2026 at the Chennai Trade Centre; the three-day show runs from 7 to 9 October 2026.
India added a record 6.05 GW of wind capacity in FY 2025-26, taking cumulative capacity to 58.52 GW by August 2026.
Another 28 GW is under implementation, towards the goal of 100 GW by 2030.
The event will have about 400 exhibitors from over 20 countries and country pavilions from Denmark, Germany and Spain.
Cumulative wind capacity (Aug 2026):
58.52 GW
Capacity added in FY 2025-26:
6.05 GW
Under implementation:
28 GW
Target for 2030:
100 GW
Why it matters for exams: Renewable-energy capacity figures and the 2030 targets are frequent economy and environment questions.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
GW Gigawatt — A unit of power equal to one thousand megawatts.
MNRE Ministry of New and Renewable Energy — The Union ministry responsible for renewable energy such as wind and solar.
5 October 2026
The Commission for Air Quality Management in NCR and Adjoining Areas (CAQM) has deployed Flying Squads in 34 districts of Punjab and Haryana for 1 October to 30 November 2026.
The deployment covers 18 districts in Punjab and 16 in Haryana during the paddy harvesting season.
The squads will assess ground conditions and coordinate with farmers, the Parali Protection Force, district authorities and State Pollution Control Boards.
The situation will be reported daily to the CAQM Cell at SAS Nagar.
Districts covered:
34
Punjab / Haryana:
18 / 16
Period:
1 Oct – 30 Nov 2026
Why it matters for exams: Air-quality governance and stubble-burning control are recurring environment questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
CAQM Commission for Air Quality Management in NCR and Adjoining Areas — The statutory commission that coordinates air-pollution control in the NCR and nearby areas.
CPCB Central Pollution Control Board — The national body that monitors and sets standards for pollution.
5 October 2026
On 30 September 2026 Japan's Ambassador to India, Keiichi Ono, and the then MoEFCC Secretary, Tanmay Kumar, jointly launched the Operational Manual for the India-Japan Joint Crediting Mechanism (JCM) in New Delhi.
The mechanism aims to promote low-carbon technologies, mobilise climate finance and support emission reductions and removals in India.
It operationalises bilateral cooperation under Article 6.2 of the Paris Agreement.
A Memorandum of Cooperation was signed on 7 August 2025 and the Rule of Implementation was adopted on 8 June 2026.
The manual covers the whole project cycle, from a Project Idea Note to the issuance and authorisation of JCM credits.
Launched on:
30 September 2026
Legal basis:
Article 6.2, Paris Agreement
MoC signed:
7 August 2025
Why it matters for exams: India-Japan agreements and Paris Agreement Article 6 carbon-market mechanisms are recurring environment and international-relations topics.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
JCM Joint Crediting Mechanism — A bilateral scheme under which emission reductions achieved by projects are credited between the two countries.
MoEFCC Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change — The Union ministry responsible for environment and climate policy.
Background
UNESCO's page for Venezuela lists three World Heritage properties.
Coro and its Port and Ciudad Universitaria de Caracas are cultural properties.
Canaima National Park is the natural property, inscribed under criteria (vii)(viii)(ix)(x).
The park covers 3,000,000 hectares in south-eastern Venezuela along the border between Guyana and Brazil.
Roughly 65% of the park is covered by table mountain (tepui) formations.
Venezuela ratified the World Heritage Convention on 30 October 1990.
World Heritage properties:
3
Canaima area:
3,000,000 hectares
Tepui cover in Canaima:
Roughly 65%
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Tepui Table mountain — A flat-topped mountain with steep cliffs, typical of Canaima.
Background
Nagarjunasagar-Srisailam Tiger Reserve (NSTR) spans 3728 km2 in five revenue districts.
The Wildlife Institute of India portal calls it the largest tiger reserve in the country in terms of size.
It lies in the Nallamala Hills, an offshoot of the Eastern Ghats.
The Core/Critical Tiger Habitat is 2444.14 km2 and the buffer/peripheral area is 1283.36 km2.
The River Krishna is the perennial water source, and the reserve links with Amrabad Tiger Reserve in Telangana.
Total area:
3728 km2
Core/Critical Tiger Habitat:
2444.14 km2
Buffer area:
1283.36 km2
Why it matters for exams: Largest tiger reserve and its hill range and river are frequent environment and State Focus questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Core/Critical Tiger Habitat Core/Critical Tiger Habitat — The inviolate core area of a tiger reserve, kept for tigers.