UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS

Following the Silkyara Bend–Barkot Tunnel collapse on NH-134 (Char Dham Mahamarg Pariyojana) in Uttarakhand on 12 November 2023, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has issued comprehensive tunnel safety guidelines.

Cyclone Ditwah, currently moving over the southwest Bay of Bengal near the Sri Lanka coast, has caused at least 56 deaths in Sri Lanka. The system is now advancing towards Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, prompting heavy rainfall alerts across southern India.

The Government of India has proposed a ₹ 30,000-crore outlay for a revamped version of the UDAN (Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik) regional connectivity scheme, with the aim to extend the initiative beyond April 2027 and significantly expand air access to underserved and remote regions.

India is a geographically and climatically diverse country, making it highly vulnerable to natural disasters such as earthquakes, floods, cyclones, droughts, landslides, heatwaves, cold waves, and forest fires. According to various reports, disasters cause nearly 2% loss to India’s GDP every year. This underscores the need for a robust, scientific, and community-centered disaster management system.

A cloudburst and heavy rains caused a flash flood in the Kheer Ganga river in Dharali, Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand on August 5, 2025, which caused massive destruction.

Extreme weather events such as floods, landslides and droughts are becoming more frequent and unpredictable due to climate change in India. Traditional insurance models are inadequate to deal with these unpredictable and frequent disasters.

On May 28, 2025, a huge chunk of the Birch Glacier broke off and slid down the mountain slope in the alpine village of Blatten, located in the Lötschental Valley in southern Switzerland, burying nearly 90% of the village under debris.