1. Indian Heritage

• Culture

• Modern Indian history

• The Freedom Struggle

Eminent Personalities 

Dr. Rajendra Prasad

Dr. Rajendra Prasad, son of Mahadev Sahai, was born in Zeradei, siwan, Bihar on December 3, 1884. Being the youngest in a large joint family he was greatly loved. He was strongly attached to his mother and elder brother Mahendra. In Zeradei’s diverse population, people lived together in onsiderable harmony. His earliest memories were of playing “Kabaddi” with his Hindu and Muslim friends alike. In keeping with the old customs of his village and family, he was married when he was barely 12 years old to Rajvanshi Devi.

He was a brilliant student; standing first in the entrance examination to the University of Calcutta, he was awarded a Rs.30/month scholarship. He joined the famed Calcutta Presidency College in 1902. His scholarship, ironically, would pose the first test of his patriotism. Gopal Krishna Gokhale had started the Servants of India Society in 1905 and asked him to join. So strong was his sense of duty toward his family and education that he, after much deliberation, refused Gokhale. But the decision would not rest easy on him. He recalled, “I was miserable” and for the first time in his life his performance in academia declined, and he barely cleared his law examinations.

Having made his choice, however, he set aside the intruding thoughts, and focused on his studies with renewed vigor. In 1915, He passed the Masters in Law examination with honors, winning a gold medal. Subsequently, he completed his Doctorate in Law as well.

As an accomplished lawyer, however, he realized it would be only a matter of time before he would be caught up in the turmoil of the fight for independence. While Gandhiji was on a fact finding mission in Chamaparan district of Bihar to address grievances of local peasants, he called on Dr. Rajendra Prasad to come to Champaran with volunteers. He rushed to Champaran. Initially he was not impressed with Gandhiji’s appearance or conversation. In time, however, he was deeply moved by the dedication, conviction and courage that Gandhiji displayed. Here was a man alien of the parts, who had made the cause of the people of Champaran his own. He decided that he would do everything he could to help, with his skills as a lawyer and as an enthusiastic volunteer.

Gandhiji’s influence greatly altered many of his views, most importantly on caste and untouchability. Gandhiji made Dr. Rajendra Prasad realize that the nation, working for a common cause, “became of one caste, namely co-workers.” He reduced the number of servants he had to one, and sought ways to simplify his life. He no longer felt shame in sweeping the floor, or washing his own utensils, tasks he had all along assumed others would do for him.

Whenever the people suffered, he was present to help reduce the pain. In 1914 floods ravaged Bihar and Bengal. He became a volunteer distributing food and cloth to the flood victims. In 1934, Bihar was shaken by an earthquake, which caused immense damage and loss of property. The quake, devastating by itself, was followed by floods and an outbreak of malaria which heightened misery. He dove right in with relief work, collecting food, clothes and medicine. His experiences here led to similar efforts elsewhere too. In 1935, an earthquake hit Quetta. He was not allowed to lend a hand because of Government restrictions. Nevertheless, he set up relief committees in Sind and Punjab for the homeless victims who flocked there.

Dr. Prasad called for non cooperation in Bihar as part of Gandhiji’s non-cooperation movement. He gave up his law practice and started a National College near Patna,1921. The college was later shifted to Sadaqat Ashram on the banks of the Ganga. The non-cooperation movement in Bihar spread like wildfire. Dr. Prasad toured the state, holding public meeting fter another, collecting funds and galvanizing the nation for a complete boycott of all schools, colleges and Government offices. He urged the people to take to spinning and wear only khadi. Bihar and the entire nation was taken by storm, the people responded to the leaders’ call. The machinery of the mighty British Raj was coming to a grinding halt. The British India Government utilized the one and only option at its disposal-force. Mass arrests were made. Lala Lajpat Rai, Jawaharlal Nehru, Deshbandhu Chittranjan Das and Maulana Azad were arrested. Then it happened. Peaceful non- cooperation turned to violence in Chauri Chaura, Uttar Pradesh. In light of the events at Chauri Chaura, Gandhiji suspended the civil disobedience movement. The entire nation was hushed. A murmur of dissent began within the top brass of the Congress. Gandhiji was criticized for what was called the “Bardoli retreat.”

He stood by his mentor, seeing the wisdom behind Gandhiji’s actions. Gandhiji did not want to set a precedent of violence for free India. In March 1930, Gandhiji launched the Salt Satyagraha. He planned to march from Sabarmati Ashram to Dandi seashore to break the salt laws. A salt Satyagraha was launched in Bihar under Dr. Prasad. Nakhas Pond in Patna was chosen as the site of the Satyagraha. Batch after batch of volunteers courted arrest while making salt. Many volunteers were injured. He called for more volunteers. Public opinion forced the Government to withdraw the police and allow the volunteers to make salt. He then sold the manufactured salt to raise funds. He was sentenced to six months imprisonment.

His service on the various fronts of the movement for independence raised his profile considerably. He presided over the Bombay session of the Indian National Congress in October 1934. Following the resignation of Subhash Chandra Bose as the President of the Congress in April 1939, He was elected President. He did his best to heal the rifts created between the incompatible ideologies of Subhash Chandra Bose and Gandhiji. Rabindranath Tagore wrote to him, “I feel assured in my mind that your personality will help to soothe the injured souls and bring peace and unity into an atmosphere of mistrust and chaos…”

As the freedom struggle progressed, the dark shadow of communalism which had always lurked in the background, steadily grew. To his dismay communal riots began spontaneously burst all over the nation and in Bihar. He rushed from one scene to another to control the riots. Independence was fast approaching and so was the prospect of partition. Dr. Prasad, who had such fond memories of playing with his Hindu and Muslim friends in Zeradei, now had the misfortune of witnessing the nation being ripped into two.

In July 1946, when the Constituent Assembly was established to frame the Constitution of India, he was elected its President. Two and a half years after independence, on January 26, 1950, the Constitution of independent India was ratified and he was elected the nation’s first President. Dr. Prasad transformed the imperial splendor of Rashtrapati Bhavan into an elegant “Indian” home. He visited many countries on missions of goodwill, as the new state sought to establish and nourish new relationships. He stressed the need for peace in a nuclear age.

In 1962, after 12 years as President, Dr. Prasad retired, and was subsequently awarded the Bharat Ratna, the nation’s highest civilian award. With the many tumults of his vigorous and accomplished life, he recorded his life and the decades before independence in manybooks, among the more noted of which are “Satyagraha at Champaran” (1922), “India Divided” (1946), his autobiography “Atmakatha” (1946), “Mahatma Gandhi and Bihar, Some Reminisences” (1949), and “Bapu ke Kadmon Mein” (1954)

Dr. Rajendra Prasad spent the last few months of his life in retirement at the Sadaqat Ashram in Patna. He died on February 28, 1963. In her first citizen, India had imagined a life of possibilities, and seen an unsurpassed dedication to making them real.

Maulana Mazharul Haque

Mulana Mazharul haque was born on 22 dec.1866 in village Brahmpur, Thana Maner of Patna district. He got lot of land donated to him by his relatives and settled in villageFaridpur of district Siwan in 1900.

He constructed a home in the village and named it ‘Ashiana’. Pandit Motilal Neharu in 1927, Smt. Sarojani Devi in 1928, Pt. Madan Mohan Malviya, K.F. Nariman, Maulana Abdul Kalam Azad visited his house ‘Ashiana’ in Faridpur. He was the only son among the three children’s of Sheikh Amedullah. The names of his sister were Gafrunisha and Kaneej Fatma. His father was a rich landlord.

He got his primary education from a Maulvi at home. He passed his matriculation from Patna Collegiate in 1886. Then he went to Lucknow for higher studies and took admission in Cannigh College. But he could not adjust himself and left to England for studying law in 1886. He returned to India in 1891 after passing law and started practice at Patna. On the advice of his friend Willam Barket he joined the judicial service as Munsif. But he soon resigned following differences with the District & Session Judge and started practice at Chapra. Again he went to Patna in 1906 to practice law.

In 1906 he was elected as Vice Chairman of Bihar Congress Committee. He also stared a journal ‘Motherland’. He took actively participated in Champaran Movement and was sentence to 3 month imprisonment. He was the founder of “Sadaquat Ashram” at Patna and “Bihar Vidyapeeth”.

Khuda Baksh Khan

He was born in village Ukhai, 6 k.m. from Siwan district on 2nd August 1842 in his parental house. The ancestors of Khuda Baksha were in service of King Alamgir. They were doing the work of book keeping and writing records of the kingdom.

His father was a famous advocate in Patna. He was very fond of collecting hand written books and he was spending big part of his income on purchasing such books. His father brought Khuda Baksh to Patna from Ukhai. He passed his matriculation with very good marks from the Patna High School in 1859. His father sent him to Calcutta for higher studies. But he could not adjust himself to the new environment and he often had health problems. He returned to Patna and started studying law in Patna University. He completed his law education in 1868 and started practice at Patna. In short time, he became a well known advocate.

His father expired in 1876, but in his will he has asked his son to establish a public library with the collection of his books nearing around 1700 and making more contribution to the collection. His father aim was to benefit the people of his precious collection.

In 1877 he became the 1st Vice Chairman of the Patna Municipal Corporation. For his contribution in the area of education and literature he was awarded the title of “Khan Bahadur” in 1891. In 1903 he was honored with the title of “C.I.B.”

The biggest achievement of Khuda Baksh was creating a public library from the precious collections of his father and making his own valuable collection of books, which was later named as “Oriental Public Library” He started constructing a separate special building for the library, which was completed in two years. The library was inaugurated by the Lieutenant Governor of Bangal Sir Charles Elliot in 1891. At that time it was having around 4000 hand written books in the library.

In 1895, he was appointed as a Chief Justice of High Court of Nizam of Hyderabad. After staying there for about three years, he again returned to Patna and started the practice. But soon he suffered from the paralysis and he confined his activity only to the library. Due to his illness, he could not carry out his activities. He was given Rs. 8000 for paying his debts and made the secretary of the library and Rs. 200 was sanctioned as a pension to him. He could not recovered from the paralysis and the great son of Siwan died on 3rd August 1908.

 

• Post-independence

• Indian Society

A. population and associated issues

B. poverty and developmental issues

C.urbanization

   7. Geographical features

8.Indian Constitution

9. Polity

 

 

10. Governance

A. institutions

B. regulatory

C. Government policies

D. role of NGOs

E. measures

11. Social Justice

A. Welfare schemes

PRESIDENT OF INDIA PRESENTS NATIONAL AWARDS FOR THE EMPOWERMENT OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES FOR THE YEAR 2023

The President of India, Smt Droupadi Murmu presented the National Awards for the Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities for the year 2023 in New Delhi today (December 3, 2023) on the occasion of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities.

Speaking on the occasion, the President said that the National Awards for the Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities is a commendable medium for empowerment of Divyangjan as recognizing individual and institutional work encourages everyone. She said that Divyangjan who are achievers in various fields should help other Divyangjan to the best of their ability.

The President said that about 15 percent of the total world population are persons with disabilities and their empowerment is a high priority.  She was happy to note that in the last few years, there has been a change in the attitude of the society towards persons with disabilities. She expressed confidence that with the help of proper facilities, opportunities and empowerment efforts, all Divyangjan will live life with equality and dignity.

The President said that it is a matter of pride that every part of the new Parliament building is accessible to the Divyangjan. She urged all to learn from this and ensure the needs of Divyangjan from the very beginning. She said that we should work with the thinking of innovation instead of renovation.

The President said that achieving Sustainable Development Goals related to poverty alleviation, health and well-being, good education, gender equality, sanitation and drinking water etc. gives special strength to the empowerment of Divyangjan. She was happy to note that India has given high priority to these goals and is continuously moving towards achieving them.

Pointing out India’s best ever performance at Asian Para Games, the President said that our players have created a new history on the strength of their indomitable winning spirit. She noted that there is continuous remarkable progress in the performance of all players. She appreciated the inspiring role played by players like Dr Deepa Malik and Ms Avani Lekhara in this regard.

 

B Health

C. Education

D. Human Resources

E. poverty and hunger

12. International relations

A. India and its neighbourhood

B. groupings and agreements

India re-elected to International Maritime Organisation

In elections held at its assembly on Friday for the 2024–25 biennium, India was re-elected to the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) Council with the highest tally. India’s re-election falls under the Category of 10 states with “the largest interest in international seaborne trade”, alongside Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Shri Sarbananda Sonowal said, “Ministry has made every possible effort under the leadership of PM Modi. We are delighted and humbled by the support of the international community at the International Maritime Organisation for India. The highest votes are indicative of the government’s determination to strengthen India’s varied contributions to international maritime operations.

India secured the large-scale support of the international community at the International Maritime Organisation for India to continue to serve the global maritime domain. The International Maritime Organisation (IMO) is the leading authority that regulates the maritime industry, which supports global trade, transportation, and all marine operations.

Indian delegation was led by Secretary, Ministry of Ports, Shipping and waterways Shri T.K Ramachandaran, with Members including DG Shipping Shri Shyam Jagannathan, officers of DGS, High Commission of India at London and industry representatives.

The council is the executive organ of IMO and is responsible, under the assembly, for supervising the work of the organization. Between sessions of the assembly, the council performs the functions of the assembly, except that of making recommendations to governments on maritime safety and pollution prevention.

Under the MIV 2030 to enhance representation at IMO India aims at appointing permanent representatives at IMO London. With a view to enhance and garner maritime expertise for India, it is proposed that India should nominate at least 2 qualified candidates for the Junior Professional Officer (JPO) Program at the IMO. The JPO Program is an established program within the United Nations with the main objective of providing young professionals an opportunity to gain hands-on experience in international cooperation under the supervision of specialists and to contribute to the advancement of their nation’s mandate.

The Amrik Kaal Vision 2047 has also set goals to strengthen India’s global maritime presence. There are 43 initiatives identified as part of Amrit Kaal Vision 2047 Action Plan of which, the key initiatives focus on strengthening our global maritime presence which includes dedicated IMO cell in India, appointment of a permanent representative at IMO headquarters, London, implementation of BIMSTEC Master Plan, creating a robust BIMSTEC institutional structure to ensure implementation of regional projects in a coordinated & timely manner etc.

Introduction to IMO

IMO – the International Maritime Organization – is the United Nations specialized agency with responsibility for the safety and security of shipping and the prevention of marine and atmospheric pollution by ships. IMO’s work supports the UN SDGs.​

As a specialized agency of the United Nations, IMO is the global standard-setting authority for the safety, security and environmental performance of international shipping. Its main role is to create a regulatory framework for the shipping industry that is fair and effective, universally adopted and universally implemented.

In other words, its role is to create a level playing-field so that ship operators cannot address their financial issues by simply cutting corners and compromising on safety, security and environmental performance. This approach also encourages innovation and efficiency.

Shipping is a truly international industry, and it can only operate effectively if the regulations and standards are themselves agreed, adopted and implemented on an international basis. And IMO is the forum at which this process takes place.

International shipping transports more than 80 per cent of global trade to peoples and communities all over the world. Shipping is the most efficient and cost-effective method of international transportation for most goods; it provides a dependable, low-cost means of transporting goods globally, facilitating commerce and helping to create prosperity among nations and peoples.

The world relies on a safe, secure and efficient international shipping industry – and this is provided by the regulatory framework developed and maintained by IMO.

IMO measures cover all aspects of international shipping – including ship design, construction, equipment, manning, operation and disposal – to ensure that this vital sector for remains safe, environmentally sound, energy efficient and secure.

Shipping is an essential component of any programme for future sustainable economic growth. Through IMO, the Organization’s Member States, civil society and the shipping industry are already working together to ensure a continued and strengthened contribution towards a green economy and growth in a sustainable manner. The promotion of sustainable shipping and sustainable maritime development is one of the major priorities of IMO in the coming years.

As part of the United Nations family, IMO is actively working towards the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the associated SDGs . Indeed, most of the elements of the 2030 Agenda will only be realized with a sustainable transport sector supporting world trade and facilitating global economy. IMO’s Technical Cooperation Committee has formally approved linkages between the Organization’s technical assistance work and the SDGs. While the oceans goal,SDG 14, is central to IMO, aspects of the Organization’s work can be linked to all individual SDGs.

Energy efficiency, new technology and innovation, maritime education and training, maritime security, maritime traffic management and the development of the maritime infrastructure: the development and implementation, through IMO, of global standards covering these and other issues will underpin IMO’s commitment to provide the institutional framework necessary for a green and sustainable global maritime transportation system.

bimstec organisation role and function

The purposes of BIMSTEC:

• To create an enabling environment for rapid economic development through identification and implementation of specific cooperation projects in the already agreed areas of cooperation and such other areas that may be agreed upon by the Member States. Member States may periodically review the areas of cooperation.
•  To accelerate the economic growth and social progress in the Bay of Bengal region through joint endeavours in a spirit of equality and partnership.
• To promote active collaboration and mutual assistance on matters of common interest in the economic, social, technical and scientific fields.

• To provide assistance to each other in the form of training and research facilities in the educational, professional and technical spheres.
• To cooperate more effectively in joint efforts that are supportive of and complementary to national development plans of the Member States which result in tangible benefits to the people in raising their living standards, including through generating employment and improving transportation and communication infrastructure.
• To cooperate in projects that can be dealt with most productively on a regional basis among the BIMSTEC Member States and that make best use of available synergies.
• To maintain peace and stability in the Bay of Bengal region through close collaboration in combating international terrorism, transnational organized crimes as well as natural disasters, climate change and communicable diseases.
• To maintain close and beneficial cooperation with existing international and regional organizations with similar aims and purposes.
• To endeavour to eradicate poverty from the Bay of Bengal region.
• To establish multidimensional connectivity, promote synergy among connectivity frameworks in the region, as a key enabler to economic integration for shared prosperity.
• To promote trade and investment as a major contributing factor for fostering economic and social development in the region.

C.Indian diaspora

13. Economic Development

A. Government Budgeting

B. industrial

E.issues

14. Technology

 

15. Environment

16. Security

The landmark Indian Army event, the “Battle of Minds – Indian Army Quiz 2023”,

 celebrating the 25^th anniversary of India’s victory in the Kargil War, concluded with its final round at Manekshaw Centre, Delhi, held on 3^rd December 2023. The four-month-long inter-school quiz competition witnessed an overwhelming response, with over 32,000 schools participating nationwide, making it a historic and largest-ever quiz contest in the country.

The final round of ’Battle of Minds’ – Indian Army Quiz 2023, witnessed St John’s School BLW, Varanasi emerge victorious. The event was graced by Shri Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Union Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology & Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, as the Chief Guest. He, along with General Manoj Pande, Chief of the Army Staff and Mrs Archana Pande, President, Army Wives Welfare Association felicitated the winners. Prizes for the participants included cash awards, certificates, tablets and a mini school bus to the winning team.

As part of myriad events commemorating 25^th year of Kargil Vijay Divas celebrations, the quiz competition celebrated the victory of the Indian Armed Forces in the Kargil War, rendering a heartfelt tribute to the bravery and courage of those who made that victory possible.

The initiative commenced its journey in August this year, wherein 32,441 schools registered for the event. The competition comprised online and offline rounds, including quarter and semi-finals, held across the length and breadth of India. Teams of four students, aged 10 to 16 years, from each school participated.

Key highlights of the competition included:

• An inaugural online round with 3,600 schools qualifying for the next round.
• Quarter Finals were conducted at 12 locations nationwide extending from Srinagar in the North to Bengaluru in the South and Narangi, Guwahati in the East to Kota in the West.
• A Special Round was held in physical mode on 07 Oct 2023 at the Kargil War Memorial, as a Special Commemoration Round for Indian Army’s victory in the Kargil War. 12 local schools participated in this Special Round, which provided an opportunity to the students to compete in presence of war heroes immortalized at the War Memorial. The winner of this round was given a wild card entry for the Northern Command Quarter-Finals.
• Command level semi-finals were conducted in Srinagar, Chandimandir, Kota, Dehradun, Chennai, and Shillong. 12 top teams were eventually selected for participation in the finals.

The final event, conducted in New Delhi today, was not just a test of knowledge, but also a cultural showcase, featuring performances from four Army Public Schools in the NCR. The event, attended by an audience of around 800, including students, teachers, parents and distinguished guests from various sectors, was a testament to the spirit of learning and competition.

In their addresses, Chief Guest Shri Rajeev Chandrasekhar and General Manoj Pande, Chief of the Army Staff expressed their delight and pride in the event’s success, underscoring the Indian Army’s commitment to nurturing intellectual growth and leadership among the youth. The event will also motivate bright young students to take up Army as a career option.

In an evocative blend of homage and innovation, “Battle of Minds – Indian Army Quiz 2023” emerges as a powerful catalyst, propelling the nation’s youth towards enlightenment and empowerment. As symbolized by its poignant logo, this visionary stride honours the spirit of the victory in the Kargil War and cements the Indian Army’s commitment to a future where unity, knowledge, and curiosity converge – further reinforcing a sense of commitment towards a strong, progressive and united India.

INS KADMATT AT YOKOSUKA, JAPAN 

INS Kadmatt, on a Long Range Operational Deployment to the North Pacific Ocean entered Yokosuka, Japan on Dec 02, 2023 for an Operational Turnaround (OTR).

Onboard visits including professional interactions and community welfare activities are planned during the stay.

Interactions with the Japan Maritime Self Defence Force (JMSDF) will include cross-ship visits, professional exchange of ideas, Joint Yoga Camp, and coordination meeting for the Maritime Partnership Exercise (MPX).

At Yokosuka, the ship will be celebrating the Navy Day on 04 Dec 2023 in presence of the Indian diaspora in Japan.

Recently, INS Kadmatt has also undertaken fuelling with JMSDF Fast Combat Support Ship, JS Towada on 28 Nov 2023, off Okinawa, under the tenets of the Reciprocal Provisioning of Supply and Services (RPSS) signed between both navies.

The visit of INS Kadmatt to Japan and interaction with the JMSDF is aimed at further bolstering maritime cooperation between India and Japan, in line with the vision of both countries for the Indo-Pacific.

INS Kadmatt is an indigenously designed and built Anti-Submarine Warfare Corvette, equipped with state-of-the-art AS weapon suite.

 

 

17. Disaster Management

National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC) meets to review preparedness for impending cyclonic storm ‘Michaung’ in Bay of Bengal

National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC) under Chairmanship of Cabinet Secretary Shri Rajiv Gauba met today to review preparedness of State governments and Central Ministries/ Departments for impending cyclone ‘Michaung’ in Bay of Bengal.

Director General, India Meteorological Department (IMD), briefed the Committee about the current status of cyclonic storm ‘Michaung’. The Cyclonic Storm over southwest Bay of Bengal moved northwestwards with a speed of 9 kmph during past 06 hours and lay centered at 1630 hours IST today over the same region near latitude 11.8°N and longitude 82.2°E, about 260 km east-southeast of Puducherry, 250 km southeast of Chennai, 380 km south-southeast of Nellore, 490 km south-southeast of Bapatla and 500 km south-southeast of Machilipatnam.

 It is likely to continue to move northwestwards, intensify further and reach westcentral Bay of Bengal off south Andhra Pradesh and adjoining north Tamil Nadu coasts by 4^th December forenoon. Thereafter, it would move nearly northwards almost parallel and close to south Andhra Pradesh coast and cross south Andhra Pradesh coast between Nellore and Machilipatnam during forenoon of 5^thDecember as a Severe Cyclonic Storm with a maximum sustained wind speed of 90-100 kmph gusting to 110 kmph.

Cabinet Secretary emphasized that states concerned must take up all necessary precautionary measures in the backdrop of the latest forecast by IMD. He stressed that it must be ensured that there is no loss of life and evacuation from vulnerable areas is completed well in time.

Chief Secretaries of Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Puducherry and Special Chief Secretary, Revenue & Disaster Management, Andhra Pradesh apprised the committee of the preparatory measures being taken. The committee was informed that low lying areas have been identified and evacuation of people to relief centers has started. Alerts are being issued in local languages through SMS and weather bulletins. Fishermen and vessels at sea have returned to safety. Essential commodities have been stocked. Local administration has deployed sufficient number of officials for 24/7 supervision and monitoring of the situation.

National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has deployed 21 teams in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Puducherry and 08additional teams have been kept in reserve. Rescue and relief teams of the Coast Guard, Army and Navy along with ships and aircrafts have been kept on standby.

Reviewing preparedness measures of the Central Agencies and Governments of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and Puducherry, Cabinet Secretary stressed that all preventive and precautionary measures should be taken. He said that the aim should be to avoid any loss of life and minimize damage to property. Evacuation should be completed timely. He also directed that timely alerts should be sent in local languages.

Cabinet Secretary directed Ministry of Ports, Shipping & Waterways, Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas and Indian Coast Guard that all boats/ vessels and manpower deployed at offshore installations should be moved to risk free area immediately. He assured the Governments of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and Puducherry that sufficient number of NDRF teams shall be deployed as per requirement and all Central agencies are available for any assistance.

The meeting was attended by Chief Secretary of Tamil Nadu, Odisha and Puducherry, Special Chief Secretary, Revenue & Disaster Management, Andhra Pradesh, Union Home Secretary, Secretary, Department of Fisheries, Secretary, Ministry of Power, Secretary, Ministry of Ports, Shipping & Waterways, Secretary, Department of Telecommunications, Additional Secretary, Petroleum & Natural Gas, Member Secretary NDMA, DG IMD, DG Coast Guard, CISC IDS, IG NDRF and senior officers from the Ministry of Home Affairs.

How IMD names a cyclone? Importance, criteria, format, history, other key details ​

In 2000, the member nations of WMO/ESCAP (World Meteorological Organisation/United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific) agreed in principle to assign names to the tropical cyclones in the Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal.

The practice of naming cyclones was started to help in quick identification of storms in warning messages. It is worth noting that names are far easier to remember than numbers and technical terms. So, assigning names to storms increases community preparedness, heightens interest in warnings and makes it easier for the media to report on tropical cyclones.

The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) follows a specific naming convention for cyclones that form over the North Indian Ocean, including the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal.

Due to the approaching Cyclone Biparjoy, there is a renewed interest in how IMD names cyclones. Let us take a look at the history, criteria and importance of naming cyclones.

History of naming cyclones

In the mid-1900s, the practice of using feminine names for storms began. Subsequently, meteorologists decided to identify storms using names from a list arranged alphabetically. 

In 2000, the member nations of WMO/ESCAP (World Meteorological Organisation/United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific) agreed in principle to assign names to the tropical cyclones in the Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal. This decision was taken at the twenty-seventh session of the group, which was held in 2000 in Muscat.

This group includes India, Qatar, Maldives, Myanmar, Oman, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Thailand, United Arab Emirates and Yemen.

Regional specialised meteorological centres (RSMCs) and Tropical Cyclone Warning Centres (TCWCs) name every cyclone that is formed across the world. India’s weather agency is one of the six RSMCs in the world. As an RSMC, the IMD names the cyclones developing over the north Indian Ocean after considering the suggestions of 12 other countries in the region. Each of the 13 countries in WMO/ESCAP has sent 13 suggestions for cyclone names. This list of 169 cyclone names is finalized by the WMO/ESCAP Panel on Tropical Cyclones.

Criteria of naming a cyclone

Countries need to follow some rules while suggesting names for cyclones. If these guidelines are followed, the name is accepted by the WMO/ESCAP Panel on Tropical Cyclones.

1.      The cyclone name should be neutral to politics and political figures, cultures, religious beliefs and gender

2.      The cyclone name should not hurt the sentiments of any group or community

3.      The name should not be rude in nature

4.      The name should be short and easy to pronounce

5.      The maximum length of the name will be eight letters

6.      Countries will have to provide their proposed name with its pronunciation and voice over

7.      The names of tropical cyclones over the north Indian Ocean shall not be repeated.

Importance of naming a cyclone

The use of short, distinctive names for cyclones makes it easier for the general public as well as the scientific community to tackle these tropical storms. With a name, the media and disaster management authorities are able to easily identify individual cyclones and create awareness of its development. A specific name also helps in disseminating warnings for increased community preparedness.