Background
Low Temperature Thermal Desalination (LTTD) is an indigenous technology developed by the National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT), an autonomous institute under the Ministry of Earth Sciences, to convert sea water to potable water.
Desalination plants based on LTTD technology are operational across eight islands of Lakshadweep, including Kavaratti, Minicoy, Agatti, Amini, Kalpeni, Kadamat, Chetlat and Kiltan.
The technology converts seawater into potable water by utilising the temperature difference between warm surface water and cold deep-sea water drawn from depths of around 350 to 400 metres. The warm seawater is flash-evaporated under low pressure and the vapour is condensed using cold seawater from the deep ocean.
The process needs no chemical additives and no high-pressure membranes, and it avoids the discharge of concentrated brine, which can affect fragile coral ecosystems.
The first LTTD plant in Lakshadweep was commissioned in Kavaratti in 2005. The first three plants, at Kavaratti, Agati and Minicoy, each had a capacity of 1 Lakh litre of potable water per day.
Six more plants, at Amini, Androth, Chetlet, Kadmat, Kalpeni and Kiltan, were taken up with a capacity of 1.5 lakhs litres/day, at a total cost of Rs. 187.75 cr.
The technology suits these islands because the temperature difference of about 15 degrees Celsius that it needs between sea surface water and deep-sea water is found in the vicinity of Lakshadweep coasts, where groundwater is limited and salinity intrusion is a standing problem.
Technology developed by:
National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT)
Islands with operational LTTD plants:
eight islands
Depth of the cold seawater drawn:
350 to 400 metres
Capacity of each of the first three plants:
1 Lakh litre of potable water per day
Total cost of the six later plants:
Rs. 187.75 cr
Why it matters for exams: LTTD is the standard example of an indigenous ocean technology solving a civilian problem, and the island list, the depth and the temperature difference are the three things a paper can test about it.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
LTTD Low Temperature Thermal Desalination — A desalination method that uses the temperature gap between warm surface seawater and cold deep seawater.
NIOT National Institute of Ocean Technology — An autonomous institute under the Ministry of Earth Sciences that builds ocean technology.
Brine Concentrated brine — The very salty water left over by most desalination plants, which can harm marine life where it is discharged.
Salinity intrusion Salinity intrusion — Seawater seeping into fresh groundwater, which makes wells on small islands undrinkable.
Background
The Kerala State Disaster Management Authority is the body that carries India Meteorological Department weather warnings to the districts of Kerala and coordinates the State's response. State Disaster Management Authorities are statutory bodies constituted under the Disaster Management Act, 2005 (Central Act 53 of 2005). Kerala State Disaster Management Authority is a statutory non-autonomous body under the Chairmanship of the Chief Minister of Kerala. The first KSDMA was constituted vide S.R.O No. 395/2007 dated 4th May 2007, and the present composition of KSDMA is notified vide S.R.O No. 583/2013 dated 17th July 2013. Vide Section 3 of the Kerala State Disaster Management Rules (KSDMR), 2007 the authority is composed of ten (10) members, chaired by Chief Minister and convened by Additional Chief Secretary, Revenue and Disaster Management. The Chief Secretary is the Chief Executive Officer of KSDMA vide Section 14 (4) of the DM Act, 2005. Its office is at Observatory Hills, Vikas Bhavan P.O, Thiruvananthapuram.
Constituting law:
Disaster Management Act, 2005 (Central Act 53 of 2005)
First constituted:
S.R.O No. 395/2007 dated 4th May 2007
Present composition notified by:
S.R.O No. 583/2013 dated 17th July 2013
Number of members:
ten (10)
Office:
Observatory Hills, Vikas Bhavan P.O, Thiruvananthapuram
Why it matters for exams: Every alert season raises the same examinable question: which law creates the State authority, who chairs it and who is its chief executive.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
S.R.O Statutory Rules and Orders — The numbering used for rules and notifications issued under a law.
Non-autonomous body — A body created by law but functioning within the government rather than independently of it.
Background
On 1 November 1967, Malta's Ambassador to the United Nations, Arvid Pardo, asked the General Assembly to open its eyes to a looming conflict over the oceans, speaking of super-Power rivalry spreading to the seas, of pollution and of conflicting legal claims. His speech began a process that spanned 15 years and included the creation of the United Nations Seabed Committee, a treaty banning nuclear weapons on the seabed, and the adoption by the General Assembly of the declaration that all resources of the seabed beyond the limits of national jurisdiction are the common heritage of mankind. That process led to the Third United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea. Part XI of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea deals with mining of minerals lying on the deep ocean floor outside nationally regulated ocean areas, in what is commonly known as the international seabed area. The International Seabed Authority is already established and functioning, and it organizes and controls activities in the deep seabed beyond national jurisdiction with a view to administering its resources. Alongside it, the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea has competence to settle ocean-related disputes arising from the application or interpretation of the Convention, and the Convention itself was opened for signature on 10 December 1982 at Montego Bay, Jamaica.
Seabed resources beyond national jurisdiction:
Common heritage of mankind
Convention part on deep seabed mining:
Part XI
Body administering the deep seabed:
International Seabed Authority
Convention opened for signature:
10 December 1982, Montego Bay, Jamaica
Why it matters for exams: The common heritage of mankind principle, Part XI and the International Seabed Authority come up together whenever deep-sea mining is in the news.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Common heritage of mankind Common heritage of mankind — The principle that resources beyond any State's jurisdiction belong to humanity as a whole and cannot be appropriated.
ISA International Seabed Authority — The body that organizes and controls mineral activities in the deep seabed beyond national jurisdiction.
ITLOS International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea — The tribunal set up under the Law of the Sea Convention to settle disputes about its application or interpretation.
International seabed area International seabed area — The ocean floor beyond the limits of national jurisdiction, where mining is governed by Part XI.
Background
Canaima National Park, decorated with flat-topped mountains, steep cliffs, and dramatic waterfalls, is one of the most notable landscapes in Venezuela. It spans more than 30,000 square kilometers (12,000 square miles), making it one of the largest parks in Venezuela.
Most of the park is covered by steep, flat-topped mountains known as tepuis, a word meaning house of the gods in the language of the native Pemón. More than 100 tepuis stand in the park, ranging 1,000 to 3,000 meters in height, and they are among the oldest geologic formations in South America.
The best known of them is the heart-shaped Auyán Tepui, home to the tallest waterfall on land. Angel Falls drops nearly 1,000 meters (3,300 feet), which NASA describes as 19 times higher than Niagara Falls. Like many tepuis, Auyán holds extensive cave systems, among them the Imawarì Yeuta quartzite caves.
Venezuela accepted the World Heritage Convention on 30 October 1990 and has three properties on the World Heritage List: Coro and its Port, inscribed in 1993, Canaima National Park in 1994 and the Ciudad Universitaria de Caracas in 2000. Two are cultural and Canaima National Park is the only natural one. Its tentative list includes Ciudad Bolivar in the narrowness of the Orinoco River.
Venezuela ratified the intangible heritage convention on 12 April 2007 and has 11 elements inscribed. They include Joropo in Venezuela, Venezuela's Dancing Devils of Corpus Christi, the Carnival of El Callao and La Parranda de San Pedro de Guarenas y Guatire on the Representative List, and the Mapoyo oral tradition and the Colombian-Venezuelan llano work songs on the Urgent Safeguarding List.
Tallest waterfall on land:
Angel Falls
Height:
nearly 1,000 meters (3,300 feet)
Tepui it falls from:
Auyán Tepui
Area of Canaima National Park:
30,000 square kilometers (12,000 square miles)
Tepuis in the park:
More than 100 tepuis
World Heritage properties:
3
Acceptance of the World Heritage Convention:
30 October 1990
Intangible heritage elements:
11
Why it matters for exams: The world's tallest waterfall, the tepui landform and a country's World Heritage count are three separate question types that all sit on the same park, and the distinction between the Representative List and the Urgent Safeguarding List is regularly tested.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
tepui tepui — A steep, flat-topped table mountain of the region, a remnant of an ancient sandstone plateau.
World Heritage List UNESCO World Heritage List — The list of cultural and natural properties of outstanding universal value kept under the World Heritage Convention.
Urgent Safeguarding List List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding — The UNESCO list for living traditions whose survival is at risk, kept separate from the Representative List.
4 October 2026
The Siang Indigenous Farmers' Forum (SIFF) declined the invitation of Chief Minister Pema Khandu for a meeting at Pasighat on 5 October. The decision was taken at a meeting held on Sunday in Geku in the presence of villagers. The forum suggested holding the meeting after 11 October. Its spokesperson Tagori Mize said the forum would hold internal deliberations from 4 to 11 October on the project and the proposed PFR survey before arriving at a collective stand. The Siang Upper Multipurpose Project is at the Pre-Feasibility Report stage.
Invited meeting:
5 October, Pasighat
Date suggested by SIFF:
after 11 October
Internal deliberations:
4 to 11 October
Why it matters for exams: SIFF is the grassroots body of the Adi-led opposition on the Siang; knowing who the parties are helps with questions on the project.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
SIFF Siang Indigenous Farmers' Forum — The forum of farmers in the Siang valley that opposes the Siang Upper Multipurpose Project.
Background
The National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) was launched by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change in January 2019, with the object of improving air quality in 131 non-attainment and Million Plus Cities and Urban Agglomerations across 24 States/UTs by engaging all relevant stakeholders. The programme first aimed at a reduction of 20-30% in PM10 concentrations by 2024-25 compared with the baseline year of 2017-18. That target has since been revised to achieve up to a 40% reduction in PM10 levels, or to meet the national standards, by 2025-26. City specific targets ranging from 4-15% have been given for the reduction in annual PM10 concentrations, to be met by implementing city specific action plans. In addition, an annual target of 15% improvement in Good Days, meaning days on which the Air Quality Index is below 200, has been prescribed for 49 Million Plus cities and Urban Agglomerations.
Launched in:
January 2019
Cities covered:
131 non-attainment and Million Plus Cities
States and union territories covered:
24 States/UTs
Baseline year:
baseline year of 2017-18
Revised PM10 reduction target:
40%
City specific targets:
4-15%
Why it matters for exams: The launching ministry, the baseline year, the revised PM10 reduction target and the band of city specific targets are the facts asked about this programme, and the Good Days target is the part most often missed.
Kerala PSCUPSCSSC
In plain words
NCAP National Clean Air Programme — India's national programme for reducing particulate air pollution in the worst affected cities.
PM10 Particulate matter of 10 micrometres or less in diameter — Airborne dust particles small enough to be drawn into the airways.
Non-attainment city — A city that has not met the national ambient air quality standards over a stated period.
AQI Air Quality Index — A single number that converts pollutant concentrations into a scale the public can read.
4 October 2026
A magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck Colombia, with its epicentre at San Jose Del Palmar in the Choco region, about 400 km west of Bogota, at a depth of 107 km.
At least 132 people were killed and 570 others injured.
President Abelardo de la Espriella declared a national state of emergency, saying the first priority was rescuing people trapped under the rubble.
In Cali, the country's third-largest city, at least 20 buildings collapsed and 380 were damaged; Pereira, Quibdo and Manizales were also hit.
At least 21 aftershocks followed within hours and several airports suspended operations for structural inspections.
The Colombian Geological Service said it was the country's strongest recorded earthquake in the 21st century.
Magnitude:
7.4
Epicentre:
San Jose Del Palmar, Choco
Depth:
107 km
Deaths:
At least 132
Injured:
570
Why it matters for exams: Major earthquakes are asked with their magnitude, epicentre and tectonic setting, and this one also fixes the name of Colombia's current President.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Aftershock A smaller earthquake following a larger one — Aftershocks occur in the same area as the main shock as the ground settles.
Background
The Government of India describes the Great Nicobar project as covering 166.10 sq km, made up of 35.35 sq km of revenue land and 130.75 sq km of forest land.
Its components are an International Container Transshipment Terminal of 14.2 million TEU capacity, a greenfield international airport designed for 4,000 peak hour passengers, a gas and solar based power plant of 450 MVA, and a township.
The project is to be implemented in three phases spread over 2025 to 2047.
It has prior Environmental Clearance under the Environment Impact Assessment Notification, 2006, with 42 specific conditions covering air, water, noise, waste management, marine ecology, human health and disaster management.
It has also been cleared under the Island Coastal Regulation Zone Notification, 2019.
Total area:
166.10 sq. km
Revenue land:
35.35 sq. km
Forest land:
130.75 sq. km
Transshipment terminal capacity:
14.2 million TEU
Power plant:
450 MVA, gas and solar
Phases:
Three phases, 2025-2047
Why it matters for exams: The project's area, components and clearance route are precise, examinable facts about India's largest island infrastructure plan.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
TEU Twenty-foot Equivalent Unit — The standard measure of container ship and port capacity, equal to one twenty-foot container.
ICRZ Island Coastal Regulation Zone — The notification that regulates construction and activity along the coasts of the Andaman and Nicobar and Lakshadweep islands.
4 October 2026
The Ministry of Jal Shakti said on 3 October 2026 that Jal Arpan was observed in more than 1,850 gram panchayats across rural India as part of the Special Gram Sabhas held on Gandhi Jayanti.
Jal Arpan is a reform under Jal Jeevan Mission 2.0 that formally places rural drinking water supply systems in the hands of the gram panchayat and the community.
346 Har Ghar Jal certificates were issued in regional languages; the certificate is available in 19 languages.
2,691 water supply assets were geo-tagged, including about 700 sources, under the Sujalam Bharat digital asset management initiative.
More than 15.96 crore rural households, over 82 per cent of rural households, now have a tap water connection.
The Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation built a dedicated Jal Arpan digital module to support gram panchayat-led management.
Gram panchayats:
More than 1,850
Rural households with tap connection:
More than 15.96 crore (over 82 per cent)
Assets geo-tagged:
2,691
Har Ghar Jal certificates:
346, in 19 languages
Why it matters for exams: The tap connection coverage figure and the name of the handover reform under the mission's second phase are both askable.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Jal Jeevan Mission Jal Jeevan Mission — The Centre's programme to provide a functional household tap water connection to every rural household.
Jal Arpan Jal Arpan reform — The formal handover of a completed rural water supply scheme to the gram panchayat for operation and upkeep.
4 October 2026
Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav released two male Great Indian Bustards into the wild at Sam in the Desert National Park, Jaisalmer, Rajasthan, on 4 October 2026.
Rajasthan's Minister for Forest and Environment Sanjay Sharma was present.
The Bustard Recovery Programme is run by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change with the Rajasthan Forest Department and the Wildlife Institute of India, with technical support from the International Fund for Houbara Conservation.
The conservation breeding facilities at Sam and Ramdevra hold 97 birds - 40 raised from wild-laid eggs and 57 captive-bred. Eleven have been earmarked for release.
The programme produced 24 live chicks in 2025 and 29 in 2026.
Under the jumpstart approach, captive-laid eggs placed in wild nests hatched six chicks in Rajasthan and two in Gujarat.
About 200 square kilometres of fenced grassland enclosures have been created inside the Desert National Park for breeding.
Birds released:
2 males
Birds in breeding facilities:
97 (40 from wild-laid eggs, 57 captive-bred)
Earmarked for release:
11
Live chicks:
24 in 2025; 29 in 2026
Fenced grassland enclosures:
About 200 sq km
Why it matters for exams: A flagship species, a named national park and hard breeding figures are classic environment questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Great Indian Bustard Ardeotis nigriceps — A large grassland bird of western India, now confined mainly to the Thar desert region of Rajasthan.
WII Wildlife Institute of India — A Dehradun-based institute under the Environment Ministry that does wildlife research and training.
Background
Background to the yellow alerts now in force across seven Kerala districts.
The Kerala State Disaster Management Authority publishes the rainfall thresholds that go with each colour of warning issued for the State.
A yellow alert means isolated heavy rainfall is forecast, defined as 64.5 mm to 115.5 mm of rain within 24 hours.
The colours are a graded scale: a yellow alert asks the public and agencies to stay watchful, while higher colours signal heavier rain and a greater need for preparedness.
The alerts are issued district by district, which is why the list of districts under warning changes from day to day during a rain spell.
The Authority is the State's nodal body for disaster management, and its rainfall page carries the daily district warnings.
Yellow alert threshold:
64.5 mm to 115.5 mm in 24 hours
Issuing authority for the State page:
Kerala State Disaster Management Authority
Unit of issue:
District
Why it matters for exams: The exact millimetre band for a yellow alert is a single-fact question that recurs whenever Kerala is under a rain warning.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
KSDMA Kerala State Disaster Management Authority — The State's nodal authority for disaster management, which publishes rainfall warnings district by district.
4 October 2026
The India Meteorological Department has issued a yellow alert for seven Kerala districts for 4 October 2026: Pathanamthitta, Kottayam, Idukki, Ernakulam, Malappuram, Kozhikode and Wayanad.
From 4 to 6 October isolated places in Kerala are likely to get rain with thunderstorms and strong winds of 40 to 50 kmph, with rain and winds of 30 to 40 kmph forecast for 7 and 8 October.
For 5 October the yellow alert covers Pathanamthitta, Idukki, Malappuram, Wayanad, Kannur and Kasaragod, and for 6 October it covers Idukki, Ernakulam, Thrissur, Palakkad, Malappuram and Wayanad.
Earlier in the spell, on 1 October, an orange alert was in force for Pathanamthitta, Kottayam and Idukki, with heavy rain forecast in the State until 7 October.
The spell has been attributed to a cyclonic circulation over northern Tamil Nadu.
Districts under yellow alert on 4 October:
Seven
Wind speed, 4 to 6 October:
40 to 50 kmph
Wind speed, 7 and 8 October:
30 to 40 kmph
Orange alert districts on 1 October:
Pathanamthitta, Kottayam, Idukki
Why it matters for exams: District-wise alert lists and wind-speed thresholds are the kind of precise detail Kerala PSC asks about the State's disaster-management calendar.
Kerala PSC
In plain words
IMD India Meteorological Department — The national weather agency that issues forecasts and colour-coded warnings for India.
Background
Kerala's installed power generation capacity is about 3,300 MW, with hydroelectric projects the main source, run mainly by the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB).
Because hydro output depends on rain, part of the State's demand is met by buying power from the national grid.
Transmission and distribution losses have been brought down to about 10-11 per cent, one of the lowest rates in the country.
Solar capacity has crossed 900 MW, helped by KSEB's Soura scheme, rooftop systems and solar parks.
The Government of Kerala State Profile page gives these figures.
Installed capacity:
about 3,300 MW
Solar capacity:
over 900 MW
T&D losses:
about 10-11 per cent
Why it matters for exams: KSEB, hydro dependence and rooftop solar are recurring Kerala PSC energy topics.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
ANERT Agency for Non-conventional Energy and Rural Technology — The State agency cited for renewable energy data.
Background
The Kerala Forest Research Institute (KFRI) was established in 1975 and is located at Peechi in Thrissur district.
It became a constituent institution of the Kerala State Council for Science, Technology and Environment (KSCSTE) in 2002.
It is structured into 17 Research Departments grouped under nine Programme Divisions.
It is the Secretariat for the international network TEAKNET, funded by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations.
Its field surveys showed that over 75 per cent of the State's wood requirement is of non-forestry origin, disproving the notion that forests are the major source of wood.
With the Kerala Forest Department it set up the Kerala Forest Seed Centre, which supplies quality seeds of teak and other plantation species.
Location:
Peechi, Thrissur district
Research Departments:
17 under nine Programme Divisions
Secretariat of:
TEAKNET
Why it matters for exams: Kerala PSC asks about Kerala's research institutions, where they are located and what they study.
Kerala PSCUPSC
Background
Myristica swamps are freshwater swamps of the Southern Western Ghats dominated by Myristica, a genus of primitive evergreen trees (wild nutmeg).
The botanist and forest officer Krishnamurthy first documented them in the 1960s at Kulathupuzha, Shendurney and Anchal in the Travancore forests; Champion and Seth classified them as "wild swamps" in 1968.
They lie in low-lying evergreen forest that stays waterlogged all year, and the trees have stilt roots and pneumatophores (breathing roots).
They cover just 0.004% of Kerala's land area yet harbour 16.3% of the endemic species of the Western Ghats.
Notable areas include Kulathupuzha, Shendurney, Arippa, Madathara, Palode and Anchal.
Share of Kerala's land area:
0.004%
Share of Western Ghats endemics:
16.3%
Tree genus:
Myristica (wild nutmeg)
Why it matters for exams: Kerala PSC and UPSC ask about Kerala's special ecosystems: swamps, grasslands, mangroves and sacred groves.
Kerala PSCUPSC
Background
Project Elephant is a centrally sponsored scheme of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, launched in February 1992.
It gives financial and technical support to major elephant-bearing States for the protection of elephants, their habitats and corridors.
It also seeks to address human-elephant conflict and the welfare of domesticated elephants.
Critical elephant habitats are notified as Elephant Reserves, with the approval of a Steering Committee chaired by the Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
Elephant Reserves overlap with Tiger Reserves, Wildlife Sanctuaries and Reserved Forests, and activities in them are regulated under the existing Acts, Rules and Guidelines.
Type of scheme:
Centrally sponsored
Launched:
February 1992
Reserve approval body:
Steering Committee chaired by the Environment Minister
Why it matters for exams: Project Elephant's nature, aims and the Elephant Reserve mechanism are regular environment-paper questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Elephant Reserve Notified critical elephant habitat — An area notified for focused elephant conservation, which can overlap with tiger reserves and sanctuaries.
Background
The Kerala Forest Department records that 33.5% of the State's 3800 flowering plants are endemic, which is 22.6% of all such plants in India.
The origins of this flora are traced to Gondwanaland, the ancient supercontinent, and the Nilgiri, Palani and Cardamom ranges show plant similarities with Adam's Peak in Sri Lanka.
Three areas stand out for endemic plants: Agasthyamala, the Anamalai-High Ranges and Silent Valley-Wayanad.
Agasthyamala has nearly 190 endemic plant species, and the Anamalai-High Ranges have three genera found nowhere else.
Silent Valley-Wayanad has five endemic genera, including Silentvalleya.
Flowering plants:
3800
Endemic share:
33.5%
Share of India's endemics:
22.6%
Why it matters for exams: Endemism, Gondwana links and the Western Ghats flora are core Kerala PSC and UPSC environment topics.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Endemic Found only in a particular region — An endemic species occurs naturally nowhere else on Earth.
Background
The Antarctic Treaty was signed in Washington on 1 December 1959, and Argentina ratified it by Law No. 15.802.
Argentina has been a Consultative Party to the Treaty since it entered into force in 1961.
Since the Treaty, all areas south of the 60th parallel south, up to the Pole at 90 degrees, are reserved for scientific and technical activities.
Article IV of the Treaty safeguards claims of sovereignty over Antarctica and their foundations.
In the Argentine Antarctic Sector the country administers 13 bases or stations: 6 are permanent, operating all year, and the rest are temporary, operating only in summer.
Treaty limit:
South of 60° S
Argentine bases:
13
Permanent bases:
6
Ratifying law:
Law No. 15.802
Why it matters for exams: The Antarctic Treaty, its 60 degrees south limit and Article IV on sovereignty claims are regular geography and international-relations questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
Consultative Party — A party to the Antarctic Treaty entitled to take part in its decision-making meetings.
Article IV — The Treaty article that safeguards sovereignty claims over Antarctica and their foundations.
Background
The National Tiger Conservation Authority's List of Tiger Reserves records one tiger reserve against the State of Bihar: Valmiki.
The list gives, for each reserve, the year of declaration, the State it lies in, the core and the buffer area, and the gazette notification of the tiger reserve.
Valmiki is entered with a protected area notification year of 1989-90 and a tiger reserve notification year of 2012.
Its core area is given as 598.45 and its buffer area as 300.93, in square kilometres.
Its total area is given as 899.38 square kilometres.
The same list links a brief note on the reserve and the gazette notification that declared it a tiger reserve.
The Authority's eco-tourism listing of tiger reserve websites also shows a single reserve under Bihar, Valmiki.
Core area (sq km):
598.45
Buffer area (sq km):
300.93
Total area (sq km):
899.38
Protected area notification year:
1989-90
Tiger reserve notification year:
2012
Why it matters for exams: A state's tiger reserves are asked by name and by area, and Bihar has only this one to remember.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
NTCA National Tiger Conservation Authority — The statutory authority that maintains the list of tiger reserves and oversees their core and buffer areas.
Background
The Convention on Biological Diversity's country profile lists Colombia as one of the world's megadiverse countries, hosting close to 10% of the planet's biodiversity.
Worldwide it ranks first in bird and orchid species diversity and second in plants, butterflies, freshwater fishes and amphibians.
The profile counts 314 types of ecosystems in the country.
Colombia's large watersheds feed into the sub-continental basins the profile names as the Amazon, Orinoco, Caribbean, Magdalena-Cauca and the Pacific.
Areas of high biological diversity are found in the Andean ecosystems, followed by the Amazon rainforests and the humid ecosystems in the Chocó biogeographical area.
The profile records that 53% of the mainland is still covered with natural forests, while the dry forests are among the most threatened, reduced to around 2% of their original extension.
About 2% of the Colombian mainland is covered by moorlands, which the profile calls one of the most important ecosystems for human well-being because of the water they supply to more than three-quarters of the population in those areas.
Colombia has been a Party to the Convention on Biological Diversity since 1995-02-26, by ratification.
Biodiversity status:
megadiverse
Share of the planet's biodiversity:
close to 10%
Where Colombia ranks first:
ranks first in bird and orchid species diversity
Types of ecosystems:
314 types of ecosystems
Party to the Convention since:
1995-02-26
Mainland under natural forest:
53% of the mainland is still covered with natural forests
Why it matters for exams: Megadiversity, the species a country leads the world in, and its river basins are standard environment and geography questions.
Kerala PSCUPSC
In plain words
CBD Convention on Biological Diversity — The international treaty on biological diversity, to which Colombia is a Party by ratification.