Disasters (Geography).
Syllabus: UPSC Pre GS1: Indian & World Geography; Mains GS1
Western Ghats for UPSC: six States, formation, passes, rivers, endemic species, UNESCO and hotspot status, Gadgil vs Kasturirangan reports and landslides.
Cyclones for UPSC: conditions for tropical cyclones, eye and eyewall, IMD categories, naming system, temperate cyclones, Bay of Bengal vs Arabian Sea…
Landslides for UPSC: natural and human causes, Himalayan and Western Ghats zones, Landslide Atlas of India, Wayanad 2024, Joshimath, and NDMA mitigation…
Earthquakes for UPSC: causes, focus and epicentre, P, S and surface waves, shadow zones, Richter vs Mercalli, India's seismic zones, tsunamis and…
Disaster management for UPSC: hazard profile, DM Act 2005 and 2025 amendment, NDMA, SDMA, NDRF, NDRF and SDRF funds, Sendai Framework, Odisha…
The Centre has approved the Urban Flood Risk Management Programme in two phases under the National Disaster Mitigation Fund, MHA told Lok Sabha on 11 August 2026. Phase I covers seven metros at ₹3075.65 crore. Phase II covers 11 cities, including Lucknow and Kanpur, at ₹2444.42 crore. States implement the projects.
UPSC angle: Prelims: NDMF.
11 Aug 2026
Housing and Urban Affairs told Parliament that urban planning sits with States and urban local bodies under the Twelfth Schedule. NDMA's 2019 heat-wave guidelines ask cities to assess urban heat islands. Heat Action Plans exist in 23 States, 195 districts and 64 cities.
UPSC angle: Prelims: 12th Schedule.
20 Jul 2026
India's seventh Regional Meteorological Centre opened at Jammu on 5 June 2026. It will serve Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh and Himachal Pradesh with district-level and mountain forecasts and warnings for flash floods, cloudbursts, avalanches and landslides. J&K and Ladakh had no Doppler Weather Radar in 2014; four now work.
UPSC angle: Prelims: IMD RMCs.
5 Jun 2026
The Ayush Vertical under DGHS, with the Ministry of Ayush, issued a Public Health Advisory on Extreme Heat/Heatwave. It guides the public, workers and event organisers on hydration, avoiding peak sun, light cotton clothes and electrolyte-rich fluids. Infants, elderly, pregnant women, outdoor workers and people with chronic illness need extra care. Heatstroke is a medical emergency—call 108/102.
UPSC angle: Prelims: heatwave criteria.
18 May 2026
Tourism in fragile hills needs waste and disaster planning built in from the start.
UPSC angle: Prelims: ADB loan.
11 Sep 2025
Hill states face cloudbursts that larger radars miss; denser networks give local warnings.
UPSC angle: Prelims: Mission Mausam.
4 Sep 2025