Prelims 2017

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Day 27

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 Geography www.iasscore.in

ASIA
Asia is the World's largest continent - 43,810,582 km. covering approximately 30% of the Earth's land and
8.66% of the Earth's surface.
It is bordered by the Ural Mountains to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Pacific Ocean to the west
and the Indian Ocean to the south.
The highest point in the World, is Mount Everest (8,848 m), situated in the Tibetan region of the Himalayas.
The longest river in Asia and third longest in the World is the Yangtze (6,211 km) which flows through China.

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OR
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GS
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REGIONS
The regions of Asia include:
Central Asia: Commonly understood as comprising; Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan
and Kyrgyzstan.
East Asia: Commonly understood as comprising;[16] China, Hong Kong, Macau, North Korea, South
Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Mongolia.
South Asia: Commonly understood as comprising; Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Maldives, Sri Lanka,
Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh. A common approximate synonym for South Asia is the Indian subcontinent,
plus Afghanistan.
Southeast Asia: Commonly understood as comprising; Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia,
Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Vietnam.
Western Asia (or Southwestern Asia, or Middle East minus Egypt): Commonly understood as comprising;
Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Georgia, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, the Gaza Strip,
Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, Yemen.

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IMPORTANT SEAS
OR
NAME LOCATION PART OF OCEAN
Kara Sea, Laptev North of Russia Arctic Ocean
Sea, and East
Siberian Sea
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Bering Sea Northeast of Russia Pacific Oceans

Sea of Okhotsk East of Russia Pacific Ocean
Sea of Japan West of Japan Pacific Ocean
Yellow Sea West of Korea Pacific Ocean
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East China Sea East of China Pacific Ocean

South China Sea South of China Pacific Ocean
Sulu Sea West of the Philippines Island Pacific Ocean
Celebes Sea North of Celebes Island Pacific Ocean
Banda Sea East of Celebes Sea Pacific Ocean
Flores Sea South of Celebes Sea Pacific Ocean
Java Sea North of Java Pacific Ocean
Timor Sea Northwest of Australia Pacific Ocean
Arafura Sea North of Australia South Pacific Ocean
Bay of Bengal East of the Indian Peninsula Indian Ocean
Arabian Sea West of the Indian peninsula Indian Ocean
Red Sea Separates Asia from Africa Indian Ocean
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IMPORTANT GULFS
NAME LOCATION PART OF OCEAN
Gulf of Ob Between Yamal Peninsula and Gyda Arctic Ocean
Peninsula
Gulf of Chihll East of China Yellow Sea (Pacific Ocean)
Gulf of Tonkin East of Vietnam China Sea (Pacific Ocean)
Gulf of Thailand South of Thailand South China Sea
Persian Gulf Separates Arabian Peninsula from Indian Ocean
the plateau of Iran
Gulf of Oman Between Iranian Plateau and Oman Indian Ocean
Gulf of Aden Between Somalia and Yemen Indian Ocean

E
Gulf of Aquaba Between Aquaba (Jordan) and Red Sea
Sinai Peninsula (Egypt).

NAME LOCATION
IMPORTANT ISLANDS
OR
PART OF OCEAN
Severnaya Islands North of Russia Arctic Ocean
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New Siberian Islands North of Russia Between Laptev Sea and East Siberian Sea,
Arctic Ocean
Wrangel Islands North of Russia East Siberian Sea, Arctic Ocean
Kurile Islands Between Kamchatka Peninsula and Pacific Ocean
An extention of Hokkaido Island
GS

the volcanic
Kamchatka
Peninsula.
Ryukyu Islands Between Kyushu and Taiwan Pacific Ocean
An example of
Submerged island.
Bonin Island East of Ryukyu Island Pacific Ocean
Babuyan Islands Between Taiwan and Luzon Pacific Ocean
(Philippines)
Spartly and Parcel A group of atolls in South China Pacific Ocean
Islands Sea
A disputed group
of islands claimed
by China, Vietnam,
Malaysia, Taiwan,
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Philippines, Brunei
because of vast
reserves of oil
beneath these
islands.
The Philippines Lying 1200 km east of Vietnam and Pacific Ocean
archipelago 15 north of the equator.
LUZON
The largest and the important
island of the Philippines is
known as the 'Rice Bowl of
Philippines'
Mount Mayon, the only active
volcano of the Philippines, is
located in the Luzon.
Good quality cigar tobacco is

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OR
grown in the northern Luzon
(mainly Cagayan Valley)
Igorot tribe lives in the northern
region of island
Mindano Island: Second largest
SC

island located in southern part

of the Philippines.
Mount Apo, a dormant volcano
on Mindano, is the country's highest
peak.
GS

IMPORTANT STRAITS
NAME SEPARATES CONNECT
Bering Strait Asia and North America East Siberian Sea with Bering Sea
La Perouse Strait Sakhalin Island and Hokkaido Island Sea of Okhotsk with Sea of Japan.
Tatar Strait Eastern Russia and Sakhalin. Sea of Okhotsk with Sea of Japan
Korea Strait South Korea and Kyushu (Japan) Yellow Sea with Sea of Japan
Formosa Strait Taiwan and China East China Sea with South China Sea
Luzon Strait Taiwan and Luzon (Philippines) South China Sea with Pacific Ocean.
Makassar Strait Borneo (Kalimantan) and Celebes Island Celebes Sea with Java Sea
Sunda Strait Java and Sumatra Java Sea with Indian Ocean.
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Malacca Strait Malaya Peninsula and Sumatra Java Sea with Bay of Bengal
One of the great
shipping corridors
of the world.
Strait of Jahore Singapore and Malaysia
Strait of Hormuz UAE and Iran Persian Gulf with Gulf of Oman.
Strait of Bosporus Asia and Europe. Black Sea with Sea of Marmara.
Strait of Dardanelles Asia and Europe. Sea of Marmara with Mediterranean Sea.

IMPORTANT MOUNTAINS
The Himalayan Mountain Range Lies to the north of Indo Gangetic Plain, is an example of mountain

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range which formed in the same age with same process.
An example of fold mountain of Alpine orogeny

Karakoram Range



OR
Mount Everest (8,848 m) is the highest peak, actually in Nepal
Lies to the north of the Himalaya.
Godwin Austin (K2) is the highest peak of Karakoram.
SC
Kailash Range East of Karakoram Range in Tibet.
Kunlunshan Range Lies to the north of Tibet Plateau and to the south of the desert
basin of Tarim in China.
Tienshan Lies to the north of Tarim basin.
Great Khingan Mountain The Tien Shan extends to the north east and reaches the Amur
GS

River under the name of Khingan Mountain.

Altain Mountain Lies to the north of Tienshan in succession in a more or less east-
Hangay Mountain west direction.
Sayan Mountain
Yablonovy Range, Lies to the north east of the Altain Range in the eastern Siberia
Stanvoi Range.
Dzhugzur Range
and Kolyama Range
Verkhyoyansk Range Lies to the east of the lena River separates Central Siberian Plateau
from the eastern Siberian region.
Pegu Yoma The Irrawaddy and Sittang are divided in their middle course by
this mountain range.
Arakan Ysoma Running southwards, is the western range of Myanmar.
A range of the Himalaya which further continues through the
Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Sumatra, Java and other Indonesian
islands.
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THE MOUNTAIN REGIONS TO THE WEST OF THE PAMIR

Hindukush Mountain Running westwards from the Pamir Knot to the Elburz Mountain in Iran.
Elburz Mountain Hindukush Mountain joins the Armenian Knot near the Caspian Sea
under the name of Elburz Mountain in Iran.
Sulaiman Range It proceeds southwards from the Pamir Knot along the border between
Pakistan and Afghanistan.
The most famous pass across this mountain wall is the Khyber, linking
Pakistan with Afghanistan.
Krithar Range Sulaiman Range takes the name of Kirthar in the south.
Makran Range Kirthar Range turns westward on the Arabian Sea coast and assumes the
name of Makran.
Zagros Running to the northwest of Makran, ultimately ends up in the Armenian
Knot.

E
Pontic Mountain Range Running to the northwest of Armenian Knot in Turkey.
OR
Taurus Mountain Range Running to the southwest of Armenian Knot along the Mediterranean coast
in Turkey.

IMPORTANT PLATEAUS AND BASINS

SC

NAME INFORMATION
Ladakh Plateau (Intermontane Lies between the Karakoram in the north and the Himalayas in the south.
Plateau)
Tibet Plateau (Intermontane Enclosed to the south by the Himalayas, to the north by the Kunlun
Plateau) Range is the highest tableland (4,800 m) of Tibet.
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The largest plateau in the world with an average altitude of 4,250 m.

Yunan Plateau Lies to the southeast of the Tibet Plateau is separated from the fertile
Szechuan basin by the range of mountains.
Takla Makan Desert An intermontane desert basin lies between the Tienshan in the north and
Plateau and Tarim Basin Kunlun Shan in the south.
Convective wind 'Karaburan' blows in the arid regions.
Pamir Plateau Situated to the northwest of the Indian sub-continent.
Meeting point for the central Asian mountain ranges which make up the
skeleton of the continent
The highest plateau of the world with an altitude of 4,900 m is also known
as 'roof of the world'
Armenian Plateau Situated between the Caspian Sea and Black Sea
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Pamir-like plateau from where many mountain ranges spread out, therefore
called the Armenian Knot.
Iranian Plateau The central desert plateau of Iran is enclosed by Zagros in the south and
west and Elburz in the north.
Mongolian Plateau A high plateau between 1,500 and 1,800 m above sea level, is situated
between the Khinghan in the east, Altunshan and Tien Shan in the south,
Altai and Yablonovy in the west.
Urfan Basin Lies to the west of Mongolian Plateau.
Alban Plateau Lies to the north west of Stanvoi Mountain.
Indo-China Plateau Region of Southeast Asia, extends over Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia,
Thailand and Myanmar.
Shan Plateau Lies between Pegu Yoma and Arkan Yoma in the eastern part of

E
Myanmar.
The Salween River flows through the plateau.

Deccan Plateau
tungsten. OR
Region important for precious stone (Rubies), silver, lead, and tin and

Baluchistan Plateau
Arabian Plateau
Lies to the south of Indo Gangetic plain, between the Eastern Ghats and
Western Ghats.
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North western part of Deccan Plateau is an example of lava Plateau or
Plateau of accumulation.
A desert plateau (900 m high) situated to the west of Kirthar Range.
An example of tilted block extending over the entire Arabian Peninsula.
GS

Plateau of Anatolia or Asia Enclosed between Pontic Mountain Ranges in the north west and Tauras
Minor or Turkey in the south west.
A vast plateau with an average height of 1,200 m, broken by ridges and
volcanic
The main rivers draining off the plateau are Tigris and Euphrates.
Loess Plateau The Plateau region is surrounded by Great Plain in the east, Qining
Mountains in the south and Ordos Plateau in the north.
Loess is the wind borne fine dust, deposited beyond the deserts limits
and is the fine loam, rich in lime.
Shansi and Shensi region of loess plateau is known for its extensive coal
reserves.
The Hwang Ho flows through loess land.
Dzungarian Basin Relatively low lying land between the Tien shan and Altai Range in
Mongolia.
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A sort of door between China and Mongolia in the east and Tarim lowland
in the west.
Mesopotamian Plain Formed by the Tigris and Euphrates River in Iraq.
One of the major regions where wheat, barley, tobacco and cotton is
grown.
Gobi Desert Situated to the southeast of Mongolians Plateau and extends into China.
Aridity due to interior location shows the features of undulating sand sea
as well as barren sheets of rock and stone.

IMPORTANT LAND REGIONS

Manchurian Plain Formed by the Amur River and its tributaries in the northern part of China
Important cities Anshan, Shenyag and Fushun of Mukden Triangle are

E
located.
Great Plain of China Formed by the Hwang-Ho and Yangtze Kiang Rivers in the eastern China.
OR
Turanian Plain Formed by the two principal Asian rivers, the Amu Darya and Syr Darya
It is an example of Basin plain which covers the region of Turkmenistan,
Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan.
West Siberian Plain It extends over 3,200 km eastwards from the Urals to the Yenisey River
SC

and is one of the largest lowlands in the world.

Tsaidam Basin Lies between Altun Shan and Kunlunshan and to the north east of Central
Tibetan Plateau
The major region of oil fields.
GS

Szechuan Basin Situated to the north of Yunan Plateau is the fertile basin where the Yangtze
Kiang River is joined by three major tributaries known as the Red Basin
because of its coloured sandstone.
Red basin of Szechuan is the leading rice producing region and is called the
'Rice Bowl of China'.
THE DESERT LANDSCAPE OF SAUDI ARABIA
Rub-al-Khali Largest continuous sand desert in the southern part of Saudi Arabia
It is also called 'Empty Quarter'
Al Nafud Desert Deserts land in the north eastern region of Saudi Arabia
THE DESERT LANDSCAPE OF IRAN
Dasht-I-Kavir Largest Salt desert of the world situated in the northern Iran.
Dasht-I-Lut Barren desert of Iran situated in the eastern part of country.
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IMPORTANT LAKES
NAME INFORMATION

Lake Balkal Located in the southern part of eastern Siberia and to the west of Yablonovy Range
in Russia.

Source of the Lena River.

It is the deepest continental body of water on Earth having a maximum depth of
1,620 m.
Lake Balkash Located in Kazakhastan.

North of the Lake is Karaganda coal basin.

Aral Sea Located between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan

E
Two principal Asian rivers, the Amu Darya and Syr Darya flow through semi arid
depression into the sea.
Lake Van Golu

Lake Turnool
The largest lake of Turkey
One of the saltiest lake in the world.OR
The northernmost extent of East African Rift Valley.
SC
Located in the Anatolia Peninsula of Turkey.
Lake Asad Located in Syria
Dead Sea It is an example of rift valley lake which lies along the West Bank of Jordan.
One of the deepest points of Asia is the world's lowest lake.
GS

The Jordan river flows in to the Dead Sea, which has no outlet, and evaporation
balances the inflow.

Sea of Gallilee Lava flow blocked the Jordan Valley and formed an elongated lake in Israel.

The lava-blocked lake is linked to the Dead Sea through the Jordan River.
Lake Tonle Sap Located in the central lowland of Cambodia.

Lake Toba Situated in the Sumatra (Indonesia)

An example of crater or caldera lake:

Lop Nor Salt lake in China, site of numerous nuclear testing.

Tarim river drains into the lake.

Caspian Sea The largest lake in the world and five times larger than the Lake Superior.

It separates Europe from Asia.

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IMPORTANT RIVERS
NAME SOURCE OUTFLOW
NORTH FLOWING RIVERS FROM WEST TO EAST IN RUSSIA
Ob Altai Mountain Gulf of Ob
Tributaries: Irtysh, Tobol
Yenisey Tannuala Mountain Arctic Ocean
Lena Lake Baikal Arctic Ocean
Kolyma Kolyma Range East Siberian Sea.
EAST FLOWING RIVERS FROM NORTH TO SOUTH
Amur Confluence of Shika and Argun Tatar Strait
Tributary: Sungari River. River.
Yalu Korea Bay (Yellow Sea)
Forms a well defined
border between
E
OR
North Korea and the
Eastern Russia.
Hwang Ho Tibetan Plateau The river's course was diverted away
into the Gulf of Pohai instead of
The river is best the Yellow Sea.
SC

known for the floods,

also called 'China's
Sorrow'.
It flows through loess
land, hence it is also
called, the Yellow river.
GS

Yangtse Kiang Tibetan Plateau East China Sea.

It is the longest river
of Asia.
It flows through
Szechuan basin
Shangai and Wuhan,
are the important cities
of China lying along the
river.
Sikiang Eastern Yunan (China) China Sea.
More than half of the
total silk production in
China comes from the
Yangtse Kiang and
Sikiang deltas.
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About 75% of the

Chinese live in fertile
river basin of Hwang
Ho, Yangtse Kiang
and Sikang.
SOUTH FLOWING RIVERS
Mekong Tibetan highlands South China Sea
It flows through China,
Thailand-Laos border,
Cambodia and Vietnam
over 4,160 km to the
South China Sea.
Longest river in South
East Asia.

E
In Laos, the Mekong
forms the western

Boundary with Thailand.
Phnom Penh and Ho Chi
Minch cities are situated
OR
on the bank of river.
SC
Mekong valley of south
Vietnam is devoted to
rice cultivation.
Delta: Arcuate, is
(characterised by funnel
shaped distributaries,
GS

stabled by growth of
mangrove vegetation)
lying in Vietnam.
Chao Phraya Gulf of Thailand
City located: Bangkok
The principal river of
Thailand
The river's delta has rich
alluvial soil which is used
almost entirely for rice and
has very high density of
population.
Salween Tibetian highlands Gulf of Martaban
It flows through China &
Shan Plateau (Myanmar)
over 2,090 km.
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Longest river of Myanmar.

Irrawaddy North Myanmar Bay of Bengal
Tributary: Chindwin
City located: Mandalay
Major river of the
country referred to as
the 'Life line of Myanmar'
Central basin between
Irrawaddy and Chindwin
around Mandalay is very
important for wheat and
cotton cultivation.
Delta region of Irrawaddy
and Sittang, known as the

E
'Rice Bowl of Myanmar'
Brahmaputra Rises in glacier about 100 km south Bay of Bengal
OR
Brahmaputra is called east of Mansarovar Lake
Tsang-Po in Tibet and
Dihang in Assam, before
entering in India.
It enters Bangladesh near
SC

Dhubri.
Ganga
In the upper course Gangotri Glacier Bay of Bengal
Alaknanda and Bhagirathi
River meet at Devprayag
GS

and form Ganga.

Indus Mansarovar lake Arabian Sea
One of the world's largest
rivers flows through a
gorge of Kailash Range,
enters Jammu and
Kashmir, and drains into
Arabian Sea through
Attock plains of Pakistan.
Tigris and Eupharates
These two rivers dominate
Iraq and flow south
eastwards across the
country then drain into
the Persian Gulf via a
combined estuary
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They meet at Shatt-al-Arab

in Iraq.
Amu Darya and Syr Darya
The principal rivers of
Central Asia flow to the
Aral Sea through the semi
and depression.
CLIMATE
Asia lies almost entirely in the northern hemisphere and the seasons of all are similar. The seasons of southern
and south-east Asia vary slightly because of the monsoons.
Northern Asia, Central Asia, Eastern Asia
- Spring - March, April, May

E
- Summer - June, July, August
- Autumn - September, October, November
- Winter - December, January, February
Southern Asia, South-East Asia
OR
- Spring - December, January, February
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- Summer - March, April, May
- Autumn - June, July, August
- Winter - September, October, November
GS
Notes

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 Indian Polity www.iasscore.in

INTRODUCTION TO GOVERNING INSTITUTIONS

The governing institutions of India are divided as Constitutional Bodies; Statutory Bodies and Quasi-judicial
Bodies.
Constitutional bodies:
These are the bodies which are mentioned in constitution of India and so considered as more powerful and
independent. For example Election Commission of India is mentioned in Article. Its mandate and power are
mentioned in constitution itself as a result it has a large degree of autonomy.
The examples are:

E
a) Comptroller and Auditor General
b) Election Commission
c)
d)
e)
Union Public Service Commission
Finance Commission
National Commission for SC
OR
SC
f) National Commission for ST
Statutory Bodies:
A statutory body is an organization with the authority to check that another organization's actions are legal.
It is typically set up by a government or parliament. Statutory bodies ensure that other businesses or organizations
stay legal and follow official rules. They are a group created by law, and they are established by government
legislation.
GS

The examples are:

a) National Human Rights Commission
b) National Commission for Women
c) National Commission for Minorities
d) National Commission for Backward Classes
e) National Law Commission
f) National Green Tribunal
Quasi-Judicial Bodies
The executive/administration also performs judicial function, and act as a quasi-judicial authority. A quasi-
judicial function stands mid-way between a judicial function and an administrative function. A quasi-judicial
decision is nearer to the administrative decision in terms of its discretionary element and nearer to the judicial
decision in terms of procedure and objectivity of its end-product.
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A quasi-judicial function differs from a purely judicial function in the following respects:
a) A quasi-judicial authority has some of the trappings of a court & there is an obligation to act judicially.
b) A dispute between two parties is an essential characteristic of a judicial function, but this may not be true
for a quasi-judicial function.
c) A court is bound by the rules of evidence and procedure while a quasi-judicial authority is not.
d) While a court is bound by precedents, a quasi-judicial authority is not.
e) A court cannot be a judge in its own cause (except in contempt cases), while an administrative authority
vested with quasi-judicial powers may be a party to the controversy but can still decide it.
f) In deciding cases, courts apply pre-existing law whereas administrative authorities exercise discretion.
The examples are:
a) National Human Rights Commission
b) State Human Rights Commission
c) Central Information Commission

E
OR
d) State Information Commission
e) National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission
f) State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission
g) District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum
SC
GS
Notes

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INSTITUTIONS TO FACILITATE
COOPERATIVE FEDERALISM
"Federalism" as "the method of dividing powers so that the general and regional governments are each within
a sphere coordinate and independent". This implies a system of governance in which sovereignty is
constitutionally divided between a central governing authority and sub-national political entities.
Two contrary concepts have arisen in India - Cooperative Federalism and Competitive Federalism.
Cooperative federalism implies the Centre and states share a horizontal relationship, where they "cooperate"
in the larger public interest. It's visualized as an important tool to enable states' participation in the formulation
and implementation of national policies.
Competitive federalism can refer to the relationship between the Central and state governments (vertical) or

E
between state governments (horizontal). This idea gained significance in India post the 1990s economic
reforms. In a free-market economy, the endowments of states, available resource base and their comparative
advantages all foster a spirit of competition. States need to compete among themselves and also with the

OR
Centre for benefits. Increasing globalization, however, made the already existing inequalities and imbalances
between states starker. This gave rise to concerns about states' freedom to formulate their own growth policies.
Executive Mechanisms for Co-Operative Federalism
A. Inter-State Council (ISC)
SC
Article 263 of the Constitution, provides the provision for the formation of an Inter-State Council.
The members of the Inter-State Council consist of Chief Ministers of all states, Chief Ministers of Union
Territories having a Legislative Assembly and Administrators of UTs not having a Legislative Assembly, Six
Union Ministers and eleven Union Cabinet Ministers/Minister of State (Independent Charge) as permanent
invitees.
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The Council is charged with the duty of -

a) Inquiring into and advising upon disputes which may have arisen between States;
b) Investigating and discussing subjects in which some or all of the States, or the Union and one or more
of the States, have a common interest; or
c) Making recommendations upon any such subject and in particular, recommendations for the better co-
ordination of policy and action with respect to that subject, it shall be lawful for the President by order
to establish such a Council, and to define the nature of the duties to be performed by it and its
organization and procedure.
B. Zonal Council
The idea of creation of Zonal Councils was mooted by the first Prime Minister of India, Pandit Jawahar Lal
Nehru in 1956 when during the course of debate on the report of the States Re-organisation Commission, he
suggested that the States proposed to be re-organised may be grouped into four or five zones having an
Advisory Council 'to develop the habit of cooperative working" among these States.
The present composition of each of these Zonal Councils is as under:
Northern Zonal Council, comprising Chandigarh, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir,
Punjab, and Rajasthan;
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North-Central Zonal Council, comprising Bihar, Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, and Uttarakhand;
North-Eastern Zonal Council, comprising Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram,
Nagaland and Tripura; The State of Sikkim has also been included in the North Eastern Council vide
North Eastern Council (Amendment) Act, 2002 notified on 23rd December, 2002.
Eastern Zonal Council, comprising Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Odisha,
Sikkim, and West Bengal;
Western Zonal Council, comprising Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu, Goa, Gujarat, and
Maharashtra;
Southern Zonal Council, comprising Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Lakshadweep, Puducherry, Tamil
Nadu, and Telangana.
Organizational structure of Zonal Councils
Chairman - The Union Home Minister is the Chairman of each of these Councils.
Vice Chairman - The Chief Ministers of the States included in each zone act as Vice-Chairman of the
Zonal Council for that zone by rotation, each holding office for a period of one year at a time.

E
Members - Chief Minister and two other Ministers as nominated by the Governor from each of the States
and two members from Union Territories included in the zone.
OR
Advisers - One person nominated by the Planning Commission for each of the Zonal Councils, Chief
Secretaries and another officer/Development Commissioner nominated by each of the States included in
the Zone
The main objectives of setting up of Zonal Councils are as under:
SC

Bringing out national integration;

Arresting the growth of acute State consciousness, regionalism, linguism and particularistic tendencies;
Enabling the Centre and the States to co-operate and exchange ideas and experiences; and
Establishing a climate of co-operation amongst the States for successful and speedy execution of
GS

development projects.
C. Niti Aayog
NITI Aayog is the premier policy 'Think Tank' of the Government of India, providing both directional and
policy inputs. While designing strategic and long term policies and programmes for the Government of India,
NITI Aayog also provides relevant technical advice to the Centre and States.
At the core of NITI Aayog's creation are two hubs - Team India Hub and the Knowledge and Innovation
Hub. The Team India Hub leads the engagement of states with the Central government, while the Knowledge
and Innovation Hub builds NITI's think-tank capabilities. These hubs reflect the two key tasks of the Aayog.
NITI Aayog is also developing itself as a State of the Art Resource Centre, with the necessary resources,
knowledge and skills, that will enable it to act with speed, promote research and innovation, provide strategic
policy vision for the government, and deal with contingent issues.
Functions
To evolve a shared vision of national development priorities sectors and strategies with the active involvement
of States in the light of national objectives
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To foster cooperative federalism through structured support initiatives and mechanisms with the States on
a continuous basis, recognizing that strong States make a strong nation
To develop mechanisms to formulate credible plans at the village level and aggregate these progressively
at higher levels of government
To ensure, on areas that are specifically referred to it, that the interests of national security are incorporated
in economic strategy and policy
To pay special attention to the sections of our society that may be at risk of not benefiting adequately
from economic progress
To design strategic and long term policy and programme frameworks and initiatives, and monitor their
progress and their efficacy. The lessons learnt through monitoring and feedback will be used for making
innovative improvements, including necessary mid-course corrections
To provide advice and encourage partnerships between key stakeholders and national and international
like-minded Think tanks, as well as educational and policy research institutions.

E
To create a knowledge, innovation and entrepreneurial support system through a collaborative community
of national and international experts, practitioners and other partners.

implementation of the development agenda.
OR
To offer a platform for resolution of inter-sectoral and inter departmental issues in order to accelerate the

To maintain a state-of-the-art Resource Centre, be a repository of research on good governance and best
practices in sustainable and equitable development as well as help their dissemination to stake-holders
To actively monitor and evaluate the implementation of programmes and initiatives, including the
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identification of the needed resources so as to strengthen the probability of success and scope of delivery
To focus on technology upgradation and capacity building for implementation of programmes and initiatives
To undertake other activities as may be necessary in order to further the execution of the national
development agenda, and the objectives mentioned above
Other Mechanisms and Techniques
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Fiscal federal institutions : Finance Commission (Art.280) a constitutional body but not permanent, and
NITI Aayog.
Union Agencies with Federal Implications : Election Commission, Union Public service Commission,
Central Bureau of Investigation , Central Auditor General of India, National Investigative Agency,
paramilitary forces.
Independent Regulatory Authorities in national economy in post-liberalization phase in various sectors
like telecom , electricity, banking, insurance, companies affairs : Telecom Regulatory Authority of India
(TRAI), Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC), Securities Exchange Board of India (SEBI),
Competition Commission.
Tribunals set up under Inter State River Water Disputes Act 1956 resolve water disputes : Narmada,
Krishna, Godavari, Cauvery, Sutlej-Yamuna and environmental issues( National Green Tribunal ), and
Constitutional Courts.
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SHALE GAS
Shale gas refers to natural gas that is trapped within shale formations due to their low permeability and cannot
escape to the surface as easily as Conventional Natural Gas. Shales are fine-grained sedimentary rocks that can
be rich resources of petroleum and natural gas.
Sedimentary rocks are rocks formed by the accumulation of sediments at the Earth's surface and within bodies
of water. Common sedimentary rocks include sandstone, limestone, and shale.
The extraction process of shale gas involves two methods
Horizontal drilling:

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Under this technique a vertical well is drilled to the targeted rock formation and then at the desired depth,
the drill bit is turned horizontally, exposing the well to more of the producing shale.
Hydraulic Fracturing:
In this technique, water along with
chemicals and sand are pumped into
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the well and a fracture or crack is
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developed in the shale rock to release
the hydrocarbons trapped in shale
formations to flow from the shale into
the well. Hydraulic fracturing when
used in conjunction with horizontal
drilling, it enables gas producers to
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extract shale gas at reasonable cost and

rapidly as it enhances the flow of gas
quickly to the desired well.
Problems in Extraction:
The importance of shale gas can be
gauged from the fact that an estimated
35% of world surface rock is made of
shale formations. However, extraction
of shale gas is difficult and tardy
process. The difficulty is mainly
because of less permeability of the
shale rocks, which does not allow
significant fluid flow.
Due to low permeability, commercially
viable production of shale gas needs
fracturing of the rocks for, the
fracturing provides permeability. For
many years, this gas was produced
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from natural fractures, but as there was development of modern technologies such as horizontal drilling /
hydraulic fracturing (aka fracking); more and more artificial fractures around the well bores were created.
This skyrocketed the production of shale gas and led to the so called Shale Gas Boom in United States. This
shale gas boom has also contributed partially in the recent fall of global oil prices. The hydraulic farming aided
shale gas production has rejuvenated the natural gas industry in the United States.
India-Shale Scenario:
Shale Gas in India Various estimates, including those by leading firms, put Indian reserves of shale oil and gas
at large numbers describing Shale oil and gas are more widespread than natural oil and gas. Major regions of
availability are Gujarat, Rajasthan-Cambay, Central India-Gondwana, Krishna and Godavari Basin and
offshore areas in Bay of Bengal, Indo-gangetic plains, Cauvery onshore and Assam-Arakan.
The assessment of shale formations has started in India at various sites. Also, a MoU have been signed between
USA and India for sharing technical knowledge in shale-gas exploration. According to the Energy Information
Administration report, India's shale gas reserves equals 96 trillion cubic feet which can supply for 26 years of
the country's Gas demand. As per the National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI) Hyderabad, claimed
to identify 28 sedimentary basins of shale gas (natural gas found trapped in shale formations under the ground),

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including ten potential producing basins, across India. These have been classified according to their hydrocarbon
potential, and hold an estimated 527 trillion cubic feet (TCF) of reserves.
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Jambusar located near Vadodara in Gujarat is India's first shale gas exploratory successfully drilled by ONGC
in Cambay region which is estimated to have a shale gas potential of 20 TCF (trillion cubic feet).
Challenges and Environmental concerns:
A potential problem in India could be that shale is mostly found about 2,000 meters deep on shore, in
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areas of human habitation; unlike oil drilling that takes place offshore. Specially designed water bore-wells
may be needed in such areas to tackle escaping methane gas. Use of high-power compressors and other
equipment could also unsettle local populations, while shale drilling could affect groundwater reserves.
Also the Land acquisition will be a big problem in India.
The gas produced from such reservoir rocks is known as 'tight gas' and it requires massive hydraulic
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fracturing technique. So the potential impacts of hydraulic fracturing locally and downstream of drilling
areas is also a big concern. Hydraulic fracturing involves drilling through the water table into deep underground
shale gas reserves. Millions of gallons of water are then used to break the shale and release the gas. In
theory, all wells should be completely incased until past the water table level. This is also a big challenge
in India due to it's lax and corrupt system. Because even after having highly strict rules and regulations
in countries like US and UK, there have been numerous instances of cases breaking or being improperly
formed and hazardous water being released into the groundwater. This contaminated groundwater then
allows for gas to enter homes and soil, creating potentially dangerous situations, including exploding homes
Of the 344 chemicals used for drilling, many of which have little to no safety information associated with
them, over 75% are known to cause skin, eye, and sensory organ irritation. 20 to 30% cause reproductive,
mutagenic, or cancerous complications. These chemicals are commonly transmitted through the air and
water. Benzene, a known carcinogen, is commonly found at levels far exceeding standards in the air around
fracking sites.
Shale gas is definitely going to be a useful additional energy resource for India. But the challenge lies in making
it sustainable and safe.
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KRISHI KALYAN CESS

A cess is a tax that is levied by the government to raise funds for a specific purpose. Collections from the
Education Cess and the Secondary and Higher Education Cess, for instance, are supposed to be used for
funding primary and higher and secondary education respectively.
The new cess is supposed to be levied at a rate of 0.5% on all goods and services where the government can
levy service taxes.
It is supposed to promote various initiatives in the domain of agriculture and also finance them. The government
already charges service taxes at the rate of 14% and the Swachh Bharat Cess is applied at a rate of 0.5%. With
the KKC, the total service tax rate would effectively go up to 15%.

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KKC would be levied, charged, collected and paid to Government independent of Service Tax. This needs

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to be charged separately on the invoice, accounted for separately in the books of accounts and paid separately
under separate accounting code.
The proceeds of the Krishi Kalyan Cess shall first be credited to the Consolidated Fund of India and the
Central Government may, after due appropriation made by Parliament by law in this behalf, utilise such sums
of money of the Krishi Kalyan Cess for such specified purposes.
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TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE DIGITAL LIBRARY

TKDL is an initiative to provide the information on traditional knowledge existing in the country, in
languages and format understandable by patent examiners at International Patent Offices ( IPOs), so as
to prevent the grant of wrong patents.
TKDL is a collaborative project of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and the
Department of Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy, is situated in Ghaziabad,
U.P.
TKDL acts as a bridge between the traditional knowledge information existing in local languages and the
patent examiners at IPOs.
Apart from that, the non-patent database servers to foster modern research based on traditional knowledge,
as it simplifies access to this vast knowledge of remedies or practices.

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It has signed agreements with leading international patent office's such as European Patent Office (EPO),
United Kingdom Trademark & Patent Office (UKPTO) and the United States Patent and Trademark
OR
Office to protect traditional knowledge from biopiracy, by giving patent examiners at international patent
offices access to the TKDL database for patent search and examination.
At present, as per the approval of Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, access of TKDL is available
to nine International Patent Offices (European Patent Office, United State Patent & Trademark Office,
Japan Patent Office, United Kingdom Patent Office, Canadian Intellectual Property Office, German
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Patent Office, Intellectual Property Australia, Indian Patent Office and Chile Patent Office), under TKDL
Access (Non-disclosure) Agreement. Negotiations are under way to conclude the Access Agreement with
Intellectual Property Office of Russia and Malaysia. As per the terms and conditions of the Access
agreement, examiners of patent office can utilize TKDL for search and examination purposes only and
can not reveal the contents of TKDL to any third party unless it is necessary for the purpose of citation.
TKDL Access Agreement is unique in nature and has in-built safeguards on Non-disclosure to protect
India's interest against any possible misuse.
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In addition, pre-grant oppositions are being filed at various International Patent Offices, along with prior-
art evidences from TKDL. Significant impact has already been realized. So far about 200 patent applications
of the pharmaceutical companies of United States, Great Britain, Spain, Italy, China etc. have either been
set aside/ withdrawn/ amended, based on the Prior art evidences present in the TKDL database without
any cost and in few weeks/months of time, whereas APEDA had to spend about seven crores towards
legal fee only for getting few claims of Basmati rice patent revoked. Similar outcome is expected in about
1200 more cases, where TKDL has filed pre-grant opposition.
TKDL is proving to be an effective deterrent against bio-piracy and is being recognized as a global leader
in the area of traditional knowledge protection. In 2011, an International Conference was organized by
World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in collaboration with CSIR on 'Utilization of Traditional
Knowledge Digital Library as a Model for Protection of Traditional Knowledge', at New Delhi. Pursuant
to this, WIPO in collaboration with CSIR and DIPP (Ministry of Commerce and Industry) organized an
'International Study Visit To TKDL' for 19 countries interested in replication of TKDL.
TKDL has made waves around the world, particularly in TK-rich countries by demonstrating the advantages
of proactive action and the power of strong deterrence. The idea is not to restrict the use of traditional
knowledge, but to ensure that wrong patents are not granted due to lack of access to the prior art for
Patent examiners.
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