1. Hirakud Dam
2. Dudhawa Dam
3. Ghumarapadar Dam
4. Rihand Dam

• Despite a poor pre-monsoon season, especially during March and April when the all-India rainfall was 32% short of normal, reservoirs in the country have accumulated reasonably healthy stock overall in July so far.
• This is because surplus rainfall during the northeast monsoon of 2021 kept stocks replenished through the summer of 2022.
  • Hirakud Dam is built across the Mahanadi River, about 15 kilometres from Sambalpur in the state of Odisha in India. It is the longest earthen dam in the world. From horizon to horizon the resorvoir forms the largest artificial lake in Asia with an area of 746 Sq.Kms. and a shore line over 640 Kms.
  • Dudhawa Dam is located in Dhamtari district of Chhattisgarh in India. The construction of the dam began in 1953 and finished in 1964. It is built across the Mahanadi river in the village of Dudhawa, 21 km from Sihawa and 29 km from Kanker.
  • Ghumarapadar Dam is built across Mahanadi River and located in Raipur, Chhattisgarh.
  • Rihand Dam, also known as Govind Ballabh Pant Sagar, is the largest dam of India by volume. The reservoir of Rihand Dam is called Govind Ballabh Pant Sagar and is India's largest artificial lake. Rihand Dam is a concrete gravity dam located at Pipri in Sonbhadra District in Uttar Pradesh, India. It is built across the Rihand river.

• Russian forces abandoned the strategic Black Sea outpost of Snake Island recently, in a major victory for Ukraine that could loosen the grip of Russia’s blockade on Ukrainian ports. The most significant aspect is that this could open the door to Ukrainian grain exports from Odesa, which is critical for Ukraine’s economy and for the global food supply.

• Snake Island, also known as Serpent Island or Zmiinyi Island, is an island belonging to Ukraine located in the Black Sea, near the Danube Delta, with an important role in delimiting Ukrainian territorial waters. It is a rocky outcrop that extends less than 700 metres from end to end, and is often described as being “X-shaped”. It has a long association with Achilles, the mythical Greek warrior who was invincible but for his vulnerable heel. Parts of the Black Sea around Snake Island are believed to hold significant oil and gas reserves.

• East Khasi Hills district, Meghalaya 
• 340 meters (1115 feet)

• Shimoga district, Karnataka 
• 455 meters (1,493 ft)

• Mayurbhanj district, Odisha 
• 399 meters (1,309 ft)

• Karnataka and Goa
• 310 meters (1017 feet)

1. Bara-lacha-la - Himachal Pradesh
2. Debsa Pass - Himachal Pradesh
3. Khardung La - Sikkim
4. Mana Pass - Uttarakhand
5. Sasser Pass - Ladakh
6. Sia La - Jammu and Kashmir (Siachen Glacier) 

1. Bara-lacha-la - Himachal Pradesh
2. Debsa Pass - Himachal Pradesh
3. Khardung La - Ladakh
4. Mana Pass - Uttarakhand
5. Sasser Pass - Ladakh
6. Sia La - Jammu and Kashmir (Siachen Glacier)

• Khardung La or Khardung Pass is a mountain pass in the Leh district of the Indian union territory of Ladakh.

• In different era, Mahanadi River was known by several names, such as:
  • Ancient era – Kanaknandini
  • Dvapara Yuga – Chitrotpala (Similar name in Matsya Purana)
  • Treta Yuga – Nilotpala (Similar name in vayu Purana)
  • Mahabharata era – Mahanad
  • Kali Yuga – Mahanadi or Mahashweta
• The word Mahanadi is a compound of the Sanskrit words maha ("great") and nadi ("river")
• The Mahanadi is a major river in East Central India.
• It drains an area of around 132,100 square kilometres (51,000 sq mi) and has a total length of 900 kilometres (560 mi).
• Mahanadi is also known for the Hirakud Dam.
• The river flows through the states of Chhattisgarh and Odisha and finally merged with Bay of Bengal.

1. The river Brahmaputra originates in Himalayan Lake Manasarover in Tibet and flows eastward.
2. It is known as the Yarlung Tsangpo River in Tibet, the Brahmaputra, Lohit, Siang, and Dihang in India, and the Jamuna in Bangladesh.
3. The Brahmaputra River traverses the maximum distance in India.

• The river Brahmaputra originates in Himalayan Lake Manasarover in Tibet to the outfall in the Bay of Bengal. 
• It flows eastward in Tibet and south, south-west in India and traverses a distance of about 2900 km out of which 1,700km is in Tibet, 900 km is in India and 300 km is in Bangladesh. 
• It is fed by the glaciers and joined by a number of tributaries which originates at different elevation in the hills

• The Brahmaputra River System (3848 km) is one of the longest rivers of the world. It is known as the Yarlung Tsangpo River in Tibet, the Brahmaputra, Lohit, Siang, and Dihang in India, and the Jamuna in Bangladesh.
• It traverses eastward longitudinally for a distance of nearly 1,200 km in a dry and flat region of southern Tibet, where it is known as the Tsangpo, which means ‘the purifier.’ The Rango Tsangpo is the major right bank tributary of this river in Tibet. 
• It emerges as a turbulent and dynamic river after carving out a deep gorge in the Central Himalayas near Namcha Barwa (7,755 m).
• The river emerges from the foothills under the name of Siang or Dihang. It enters India west of Sadiya town in Arunachal Pradesh. 
• Flowing southwest, it receives its main left bank tributaries, viz., Dibang or Sikang and Lohit; thereafter, it is known as the Brahmaputra. 
• Among the tributaries Subansiri, Manas, Jiabharali, Pagladiya, Puthimari and Sankosh etc. are snow fed.

1. Singapore
2. Laos
3. Brunei
4. Cambodia

• Laos is land locked. 
• Ten countries open in South china sea.
• The South China Sea is bordered by Brunei, Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam.

1. The Kuril Islands dispute, also known as the Northern Territories dispute, is a disagreement between Japan and Russia
2. The Iturup island is the largest and northernmost island in Russia's southern Kuril Islands
3. A substantial dispute regarding the status of the Kuril Islands arose between the U.S. and the Soviet Union during the preparation of the Treaty of San Francisco in 1951

• The Kuril Islands dispute, known as the Northern Territories dispute in Japan, is a territorial dispute between Japan and the Russian Federation over the ownership of the four southernmost Kuril Islands.
• The Kuril Islands are a chain of islands that stretch between the Japanese island of Hokkaido at their southern end and the Russian Kamchatka Peninsula at their northern end.
• The islands separate the Sea of Okhotsk from the Pacific Ocean.
• The four disputed islands, like other islands in the Kuril chain that are not in dispute, were annexed by the Soviet Union following the Kuril Islands landing operation at the end of World War II. 
• The islands in dispute are:

1. Iturup —Etorofu Island
2. Kunashir —Kunashiri Island 
3. Shikotan —Shikotan Island 
4. Habomai Islands —Habomai Islands 

• A substantial dispute regarding the status of the Kuril Islands arose between the U.S. and the Soviet Union during the preparation of the Treaty of San Francisco in 1951. The Treaty was supposed to be a permanent peace treaty between Japan and the Allied Powers of World War II.
• The Treaty of San Francisco was signed by 49 nations, including Japan and the United States, on September 8, 1951. Article (2c) states:
• "Japan renounces all right, title and claim to the Kurile Islands, and to that portion of Sakhalin and the islands adjacent to it over which Japan acquired sovereignty as a consequence of the Treaty of Portsmouth of 5 September 1905."
• The Soviet Union refused to sign the Treaty of San Francisco and publicly stated that the Kuril Islands issue was one of the reasons for its opposition to the Treaty.
• Japan signed and ratified the San Francisco treaty. However, both the Japanese government and most of the Japanese media currently claim that already at the time of the 1951 San Francisco peace conference, Japan held that the islands of Kunashiri, Etorofu, Shikotan and the Habomai Islands were technically not a part of the Kuril Islands and thus were not covered by the provisions of Article (2c) of the treaty. 

1. River Sonar is its largest tributary, whose entire basin lies in Madhya Pradesh
2. Crossing the Bijawar-Panna hills, the Ken River cuts a long and very deep gorge. In this gorge several streams join the Ken making waterfalls
3. It is famous for the rare semi-precious stone known as Shahjar or Shazar 
4. Banda city is located on banks of river Ken

• Ken has an overall drainage basin of 28,058 km2, out of which 12,620 km2 belong to Sonar River its largest tributary, whose entire basin lies in Madhya Pradesh; and along its 427 kilometres (265 mi) course it receives water from its own tributaries such as Bawas, Dewar, Kaith and Baink on the left bank, and Kopra and Bearma of the right. 
• Therefore, statement 1 is correct.
• Crossing the Bijawar-Panna hills, the Ken River cuts a 60 km long, and 150–180 m deep gorge. Several streams join the Ken in this gorge making waterfalls. The Ken valley separates the Rewa Plateau from the Satna Plateau.
• Therefore, statement 2 is correct.
• The Raneh Falls on the Ken river and Ken Ghariyal Sanctuary are tourist attractions. The rocks formed here present different hues and are made of Granite, Dolomite and Quartz. Gangau Dam has been constructed at the confluence of the Ken and Simri rivers. The Ken River passes through Panna National Park.
• It is famous for the rare semi-precious stone known as Shahjar or Shazar , a transparent form of the mineral Agate containing dendrites.
• Therefore, statement 3 is correct.
• Banda city is located on banks of river Ken. 
• Therefore, statement 4 is correct.

1. The site of Mes Aynak possesses a vast complex of Buddhist monasteries, homes, and market areas
2. Mes Aynak means ‘embrace the concepts of karma’
3. Mes Aynak contains Afghanistan's largest copper deposit for which the Taliban are hoping for Chinese investment
4. The site's archaeological wealth had been discovered by Russian and Afghan geologists

• Mes Aynak means ‘Little source of copper’
• Hence, 2nd statement is incorrect
• Mes Aynak contains Afghanistan's largest copper deposit for which the Taliban are hoping for Chinese investment.
• The site of Mes Aynak possesses a vast complex of Buddhist monasteries, homes, and market areas.
• The site's archaeological wealth had been discovered by Russian and Afghan geologists
• Hence, 1st, 3rd and 4th statements are correct

1. Mekedatu is located in the state of Tamilnadu. 
2. Mekedatu is a drinking water cum power generation project located at the confluence of river Cauvery and its tributary Harangi

• Mekedatu is a location along Kaveri in the border of Chamarajanagar and Ramanagara Districts of Kanataka. 
• Hence, Statement 1 is incorrect
• From this point, about 3.5 kilometers downstream, the river Kaveri flows through a deep and narrow gorge.
• Mekedatu is a drinking water cum power generation project located at the confluence of river Cauvery and its tributary Arkavathi
• Hence, Statement 2 is incorrect
• Mekedatu' means 'goat's leap' in Kannada.

1. First Geological Map of parts of India was of Hyderabad region by Dr H. W. Voysey in 1821
2. Thomas Oldham took charge of office on 5th March, 1851, which marks the establishment of the Geological Survey of India. 
3. In 1951, M. S. Krishnan becomes the first Indian to be a Director of the Geological survey of India

• First Geological Map of parts of India was of Hyderabad region by Dr H. W. Voysey

• Museum of Geology established in Calcutta in three rooms of Asiatic Society of Bengal

• D. H. Williams of British Geological Survey appointed geologic advisor to the East India Company for the purpose of carrying out geological survey of three coal bearing districts. He developed a number of deposits in Raniganj, Jharia and Karanpura coal fields

• Thomas Oldham arrived in Calcutta on 4th March and took charge of office on 5th March, 1851, which marks the establishment of the Geological Survey of India.

• H. B. Medlicott establishes three-fold subdivision of the Vindhyans

• H. B. Medlicott surveys Himalayan Ranges between Ravi and Ganges and lays down the foundation of Himalayan Geology.

• Geological map of the Ranigunj coal fields by W. L. Wilson published. This is the first geological map of 1" = 1 Mile published by the Geological Survey of India

• J. G. Medlicott recognises three principal subdivisions of the coal bearing series and applied the names Talcher, Damuda and Mahadevas.

• Ram Singh becomes the first Indian to join Geological survey of india (as an apprentice)

• Geological Gallery in the new Indian Museum was thrown open to public on January 1

• Geology Classes started in Presidency College, Calcutta with T. H. Holland as the first part time professor of Geology.

• Revised Geological Map of India in 1"= 32 Mile scale was published under H. H. Hayden

• E. H. Pascoe's "Manual of Geology of India" published in four volumes

• C. S. Fox's memoir on the Gondwana system and the lower Gondwana coalfields of India
• E. R. Gee: Geology and coal reserves of Ranigunj Coalfields
• J. B. Auden's Vindhyan Sedimentaion in the Son Valley
• H. C. Jones Iron Ore deposits of Bihar and Orissa.
• L. L. Fermor's Mineral Resources of Central Provinces of Bihar and Orissa.
• D. N. Wadia's Geology of Poonch State (Kashmir) and Syntaxis of the Northwest Himalaya

• M. S. Krishnan becomes the first Indian to be a Director of the Geological survey of India
• After independence, the country undertook programme of planned development. Since then governmental policies and priorities are going through paradigm shifts in response to the market forces. GSI has been reciprocating to these changing scenarios time and again in a prompt and apt manner.

• GSI celebrated 150 years of its dedicated service to the nation

• Geological Survey of India (GSI), the premier Geological organization of India, celebrated its 172nd Foundation Day

1. Headquartered in Delhi, IMD is an agency under Ministry of Earth Sciences of the Government of India that operates hundreds of observation stations across India and Antarctica.
2. It is the principal agency responsible for metrological observation, weather forecasting and seismology.
3. For more accurate weather forecast, recently IMD has commissioned 4 new doppler radars in Leh, Delhi, Mumbai & Chennai 

• The India Meteorological Department (IMD) is an agency of the Ministry of Earth Sciences of the Government of India. It is the principal agency responsible for metrological observation, weather forecasting and seismology.
• IMD is headquartered in Delhi and operates hundreds of observation stations across India and Antarctica.
• Regional offices are at Chennai, Mumbai, Kolkata, Nagpur, Guwahati and New Delhi.
• IMD is also one of the six Regional Specialised Meteorological Centres of the World Meteorological Organisation.
• It has the responsibility for forecasting, naming and distribution of warnings for tropical cyclones in the Northern Indian Ocean region, including the Malacca Straits, the Bay of Bengal, the Arabian Sea and the Persian Gulf.

• THE INDIA Meteorological Department (IMD) commissioned four doppler weather radars, including an X-band radar in Leh that is installed at the highest altitude anywhere in the country. 
• Delhi got its third doppler radar in the form of an X-band radar at Ayanagar. It has a radius of 100km around the NCR.
• Presently, radars are also operational at Palam and Mausam Bhavan.
• Mumbai got its second radar, a C-band radar at Veravalli, that covers a radius of 450-km around the city.
• Similarly, the Met department operationalised an X-band radar covering a 150-km radius around Chennai, the third radar for the southern city.

1. Betel Leaves
2. The Cashew Crop

• Dhinkia’s fertile land and the coastal environment are ideal for growing the cashew cash crop.
• Dhinkia’s economy is based around the “Paradip betel leaves” that are sold across the country.
• The weather, sand dunes and water supply make it conducive for betel. 

1. The Ganga Expressway, an ambitious project of Central Government, connecting Meerut to Prayagraj district has got environmental clearance.
2. the 594-km Ganga Expressway is the longest expressway in the country, whose more than 90 Percent land acquisition work is complete.
3. The expressway will start at Bijauli in Meerut district from the Meerut-Bulandshahr highway and conclude at the Prayagraj bypass near the Joodapur Dandu village in Prayagraj district.

• Hence Statement 1 is incorrect.

Consider the following statements w.r.t. Geographic Information System (GIS) Energy Map of India

1.      NITI Aayog in collaboration with Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has developed a comprehensive GIS Energy Map of India with the support of Energy Ministries of Government of India.

2.      The map attempts to identify and locate all primary and secondary sources of energy and their transportation/transmission networks to provide a comprehensive view of energy production and distribution in a country.

3.      The Geospatial Energy Map of India will be useful in planning and making investment decisions.

4.      It will also aid in disaster management using available energy assets.

Which of the above statements are correct?