FREE PREVIEW Week 4-5 3 lessons

Environment, Geography & Disasters 2025

New Ramsar sites and tiger reserve, wildlife counts, India's clean-energy milestone, new World Heritage Site, big infrastructure in the news and the major disasters of 2025.

Lessons in this module

Wetlands, Wildlife and Protected Areas

Lesson • 5 quiz questions

Read notes ↓

Energy, Heritage and Geography in the News

Lesson • 5 quiz questions

Read notes ↓

Major Disasters and Accidents of 2025

Lesson • 5 quiz questions

Read notes ↓

Lesson notes

1. Wetlands, Wildlife and Protected Areas

Every year exams ask about new Ramsar sites, tiger reserves and animal population estimates. In 2025 India added 11 Ramsar sites, got a new tiger reserve and released counts of lions and river dolphins.

Ramsar sites added in 2025 (11 sites; total 96 by December 2025)

February 2025: Sakkarakottai and Therthangal bird sanctuaries (Tamil Nadu), Khecheopalri wetland (Sikkim) and Udhwa Lake (Jharkhand).
June 2025: Khichan and Menar wetlands (Rajasthan). Khichan is famous for demoiselle cranes.
September 2025: Gokul Jalashay and Udaipur Jheel (Bihar). November 2025: Gogabeel (Bihar), the 94th site.
December 2025: Kopra Reservoir (Chhattisgarh) and Siliserh Lake (Rajasthan).
With these, India had 96 Ramsar sites at the end of 2025. Tamil Nadu has the most Ramsar sites of any state.

Tiger reserve and biosphere reserve

Madhav National Park in Shivpuri, Madhya Pradesh, was notified as India's 58th tiger reserve in March 2025.
Tiger reserves are notified by state governments on the advice of the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA).
On 27 September 2025, UNESCO added the Cold Desert Biosphere Reserve in Himachal Pradesh (Spiti region) to its World Network of Biosphere Reserves.

Wildlife counts released in 2025

Asiatic lions: the population estimate of May 2025 counted 891 lions in Gujarat, up from 674 in 2020.
Lions are now found beyond Gir in many 'satellite' areas across about 11 districts of Saurashtra.
River dolphins: India's first all-India river dolphin estimate (released in March 2025) counted about 6,327 dolphins, most of them Ganges river dolphins.
The Ganges river dolphin is India's National Aquatic Animal.

Quick facts

Ramsar sites added in 2025: 11
Total Ramsar sites, end-2025: 96
58th tiger reserve: Madhav (Madhya Pradesh), March 2025
Lion count, 2025: 891 (Gujarat)
River dolphin estimate: About 6,327 (first all-India count)
Cold Desert Biosphere Reserve: Himachal Pradesh; UNESCO network, Sept 2025

💡 Group new Ramsar sites by state: Rajasthan got three in 2025 (Khichan, Menar, Siliserh) and Bihar got three (Gokul, Udaipur, Gogabeel).

📝 5-question quiz on this lesson: enrol free to take it and track your score.

2. Energy, Heritage and Geography in the News

This lesson covers India's clean-energy milestone, a new UNESCO World Heritage Site, and big bridges, tunnels and rail lines that changed the map in 2025. Questions on these mix geography with current affairs.

Clean energy milestone

In June 2025, non-fossil sources (solar, wind, hydro, nuclear, biomass) reached 50% of India's installed electricity capacity.
This target was part of India's updated climate pledge (NDC) for 2030, so it was met five years early.
India's next target is 500 GW of non-fossil capacity by 2030.
Note: installed capacity is not the same as actual electricity generation; coal still produces most of India's electricity.

World Heritage and culture

In July 2025, UNESCO added the 'Maratha Military Landscapes of India' to the World Heritage List at its 47th session.
It includes 12 forts: 11 in Maharashtra (such as Raigad, Shivneri, Pratapgad and Sindhudurg) and Gingee Fort in Tamil Nadu.
It became India's 44th World Heritage Site.
The Prayag Maha Kumbh Mela was held at Prayagraj from 13 January to 26 February 2025; the Uttar Pradesh government said over 66 crore people took part.

Bridges, tunnels and rail lines

13 January 2025: the Sonamarg (Z-Morh) tunnel in Jammu and Kashmir was inaugurated by the PM, giving all-weather access to Sonamarg.
6 April 2025: the new Pamban bridge in Tamil Nadu, India's first vertical-lift sea bridge, was opened by the PM. It links Rameswaram (Pamban island) with the mainland.
6 June 2025: the PM opened the Chenab Rail Bridge in Reasi district, J&K, the world's highest railway arch bridge (about 359 m above the river), as part of the Udhampur–Srinagar–Baramulla rail line.
8 October 2025: Navi Mumbai International Airport was inaugurated.

Quick facts

50% non-fossil capacity: June 2025 (NDC target met 5 years early)
44th World Heritage Site: Maratha Military Landscapes (July 2025)
Maratha forts listed: 12 (11 Maharashtra + Gingee, Tamil Nadu)
New Pamban bridge: India's first vertical-lift sea bridge (6 April 2025)
Chenab Rail Bridge: World's highest rail arch bridge; opened 6 June 2025
Sonamarg tunnel: Opened 13 January 2025

💡 Link each structure to its state: Pamban → Tamil Nadu, Chenab and Sonamarg → Jammu and Kashmir, Navi Mumbai airport → Maharashtra.

📝 5-question quiz on this lesson: enrol free to take it and track your score.

3. Major Disasters and Accidents of 2025

Exams increasingly ask about disasters: where they happened, when, and what type they were. Here are the major natural disasters and accidents of 2025 in India, stated factually.

Natural disasters

5 August 2025: a flash flood and debris flow hit Dharali village in Uttarkashi district, Uttarakhand, along the Kheer Ganga stream.
14 August 2025: a cloudburst in Kishtwar district, J&K, killed over 60 people, including Machail Mata yatra pilgrims.
26 August 2025: a landslide on the route to the Vaishno Devi shrine near Katra, J&K, killed at least 30 people.
August–September 2025: Punjab faced its worst floods since 1988 as the Sutlej, Beas and Ravi overflowed; the state declared all 23 districts flood-affected.
Late October 2025: Severe Cyclonic Storm 'Montha' (name given by Thailand) crossed the Andhra Pradesh coast near Narsapur.

Crowd crushes and accidents

29 January 2025: a crowd crush at the Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj on Mauni Amavasya killed at least 30 people, according to official figures.
15 February 2025: a crowd crush at New Delhi railway station killed 18 people.
12 June 2025: Air India flight AI171 (Boeing 787-8), flying from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick, crashed soon after take-off. 241 of the 242 people on board died, along with 19 people on the ground; one passenger survived.
Former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani was among those killed in the AI171 crash. The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) is investigating.
27 September 2025: a crowd crush at a political rally in Karur, Tamil Nadu, killed at least 40 people.

Who handles disasters

The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) is headed by the Prime Minister, under the Disaster Management Act, 2005.
The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) does rescue work; states have their own SDRF.
The AAIB, under the Ministry of Civil Aviation, investigates aircraft accidents in India.
Cyclone names in the North Indian Ocean come from a list prepared by 13 member countries of the WMO/ESCAP Panel.

Quick facts

Dharali flash flood: 5 Aug 2025, Uttarkashi (Uttarakhand)
Kishtwar cloudburst: 14 Aug 2025, J&K
Punjab floods: Worst since 1988; all 23 districts
Cyclone Montha: Andhra Pradesh, Oct 2025; name by Thailand
Air India AI171: 12 June 2025, Ahmedabad; 1 survivor
Maha Kumbh crush: 29 Jan 2025 (Mauni Amavasya)

💡 For disaster questions, remember three things: type (flood, cloudburst, cyclone), place (district and state) and month.

📝 5-question quiz on this lesson: enrol free to take it and track your score.

Other modules in Current Affairs 2025: India & World

Polity & Governance 2025FREE PREVIEW → Economy, Budget & Banking 2025FREE PREVIEW → Government Schemes & Social Sector 2025FREE PREVIEW → Science, Space, Technology & Defence 2025FREE PREVIEW → Sports, Awards, Persons in News & Important Days 2025FREE PREVIEW → World Politics and Leaders 2025FREE PREVIEW → India's Foreign Relations 2025FREE PREVIEW → International Organisations and Summits 2025FREE PREVIEW → Global Economy, Science and Technology 2025FREE PREVIEW → World Sports, Awards and Important Days 2025FREE PREVIEW → Final AssessmentFREE PREVIEW →

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