May 2026
In short: India's places in the news and physical geography this month — distilled for SI/Constable Prelims.
Current Affairs — India › Geography · 9 min read · Free to read · English & Telugu
Bilingual study notes for the Andhra Pradesh Police SI & Constable exams (SLPRB AP) by AP Police Hub, a product of Anvil Academy.
A genuinely thin but sharp Geography month — the revived Lipulekh Pass boundary dispute with Nepal over the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, IMD's below-normal monsoon forecast amid a possible 'Super El Niño', and the Strait of Hormuz's return as the world's most-watched maritime chokepoint.
May 2026 — At a Glance
May 2026's genuine Geography content sat outside the usual 'places in the news' atlas — which this month leaned heavily toward wildlife sanctuaries and lakes, already Environment's remit — inside boundary politics and physical geography. India's resumption of the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra via Uttarakhand's Lipulekh Pass drew a formal diplomatic protest from Nepal's newly elected government, reviving a decades-old tri-junction dispute rooted in the 1816 Treaty of Sugauli. The India Meteorological Department forecast a 'below-normal' southwest monsoon at 92% of the Long Period Average for 2026, as forecasters flagged a possible 'Super El Niño' — potentially the strongest in a century. And far from India, the Strait of Hormuz — the narrow waterway carrying nearly a fifth of the world's oil trade — again became the year's most closely watched maritime chokepoint.
1. The Himalayan Frontier — Lipulekh Pass & the Kailash Mansarovar Dispute
In April 2026, India announced the resumption of the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra (June–August) via Lipulekh Pass. Nepal's newly elected government filed a formal diplomatic protest to both India and China, calling the route part of its sovereign territory — reviving longstanding boundary tensions at the intersection of history, geography and nationalism.
What is Lipulekh Pass?
- Location — A Himalayan pass at the India-Nepal-China tri-junction, in Uttarakhand's Pithoragarh district; a key route for trade and pilgrimage — India has used it for the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra since 1954.
- About Kailash Mansarovar — Mount Kailash (Tibet Autonomous Region, China) is sacred to Hindus (abode of Shiva), Buddhists, Jains and the Bon faith; nearby Lake Mansarovar lies near the source region of four major rivers — the Indus, Sutlej, Brahmaputra and Karnali (a Ganga tributary).
The core territorial dispute
- Nepal's claim — Based on the Treaty of Sugauli (1816) — argues that Limpiyadhura, Lipulekh and Kalapani, lying east of the Mahakali River, belong to Nepal; published a new political map in 2020 incorporating these areas, and has demanded a halt to all Indian and Chinese activity in the region.
- India's stand — Calls Nepal's claims 'unjustified and not based on historical evidence' — terms them an 'artificial enlargement' of territory; asserts traditional and customary use of Lipulekh for pilgrimage; prefers bilateral dialogue to resolve the dispute.
- China's role — Resumed trade with India via Lipulekh in 2025, adding a trilateral dimension to the dispute; was informed by Nepal of its claims but remains publicly silent.
Why Lipulekh matters to India
- Geopolitical & security — Maintains Indian influence in Nepal amid growing Chinese presence, and gives India strategic control over a key Himalayan pass near the tri-junction.
- Key issues — Boundary ambiguity over the Mahakali River's origin under the Sugauli Treaty; the issue is embedded in Nepal's own domestic politics, limiting flexibility to compromise; Nepal wants China included in talks, while India insists on a bilateral framework.
2. India's Monsoon Geography — El Niño & the 'Super El Niño' Forecast
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecast 'below-normal' southwest monsoon rainfall at 92% of the Long Period Average (LPA) for 2026, signalling a possible weakening of the monsoon due to the emergence of El Niño conditions — even as forecasters flagged a 'Super El Niño' for late 2026, possibly the strongest in a century, raising concerns it could worsen extreme weather events.
What is El Niño?
- Definition — A climatic phenomenon marked by abnormal warming of sea-surface temperatures in the eastern and central Pacific Ocean; named 'El Niño' ('Little Boy' in Spanish) by Peruvian fishermen, since the warm waters typically appeared around Christmas.
- ENSO & Super El Niño — One of three phases of the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) — El Niño (warm), La Niña (cool) and ENSO-neutral. It becomes a 'Super El Niño' — not an official scientific category, but a commonly used term — when central and eastern Pacific sea-surface temperatures rise far above normal levels.
- Mechanism — Weakening trade winds allow warm Pacific waters to shift eastward, disrupting the normal Walker Circulation; as a result, convection and rainfall over the Indian region weaken.
Climatic drivers of the Indian monsoon
- ENSO effect — El Niño generally weakens the Indian monsoon, whereas La Niña strengthens it.
- Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) — Caused by differences in sea-surface temperatures between the western Indian Ocean (near Africa) and the eastern Indian Ocean (near Indonesia). A positive IOD (western ocean warmer) often strengthens the monsoon and can partially offset El Niño; a negative IOD (eastern ocean warmer) often weakens the monsoon and can worsen drought during El Niño years.
- Other drivers — Lower Eurasian snow cover supports stronger monsoon circulation; the position and intensity of subtropical jet streams affect monsoon onset and distribution; global warming increases monsoon variability and extreme rainfall events.
The Long Period Average (LPA) — India's monsoon benchmark| Term | Meaning |
|---|
| LPA | The average monsoon (June–September) rainfall calculated over a long-term period (1971–2020 for India) — used by IMD as the benchmark for assessing monsoon performance; India's LPA is ~87 cm. |
| 'Deficient' monsoon | IMD classifies rainfall below 90% of the LPA as 'deficient'; 2026's 92% forecast falls just above this threshold, i.e. 'below-normal' but not yet 'deficient'. |
Marine heatwaves — a 'high-octane fuel' for tropical cyclones
- What is a marine heatwave — Occurs when sea-surface temperatures remain above the 90th percentile for 5 or more consecutive days — prolonged warm ocean conditions that increase oceanic heat content and influence atmospheric circulation.
- Effect on cyclones — Marine heatwaves supply extra thermal energy to tropical cyclones, making rapid intensification more likely; cyclones crossing these zones are 1.6× more likely to become billion-dollar disasters, cause ~93% higher economic losses, and bring ~12% higher rainfall — with the North Indian Ocean among the major global hotspots, alongside the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea.
- Terminology — The same storm system is called a hurricane in the Atlantic, a typhoon in the Western Pacific, and a cyclone in the Indian Ocean; it is classed 'severe' once sustained wind speeds exceed 119 km/h.
3. The Strait of Hormuz — Anatomy of a Global Chokepoint
The Strait of Hormuz once again became a major geopolitical flashpoint amid escalating tensions in West Asia in May 2026, as Iran's restrictions on maritime passage — following US-Israeli strikes and the resulting military responses — highlighted the strategic importance of this narrow waterway, through which a significant share of the world's oil and gas supplies pass.
Geographical importance
- Location — Connects the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea; lies between Iran to the north and Oman and the UAE to the south. At its narrowest, the strait lies entirely within the overlapping territorial waters of Iran and Oman, and is governed by transit passage under UNCLOS.
- Why it matters — Acts as the gateway for West Asian oil exports, links trade routes between Asia, Africa and Europe, and serves as a critical maritime chokepoint for global commerce and energy security; nearly one-fifth of global petroleum trade passes through it, making it one of the world's most sensitive strategic waterways.
Historical evolution of control
- Portuguese conquest (16th c.) — In 1515, the Portuguese Empire under Afonso de Albuquerque captured Hormuz Island, turning it into a fortified naval base to dominate spice and silk trade routes connecting India, Persia, Arabia and East Africa.
- Anglo-Dutch rivalry & British hegemony — By the early 17th century, an English-Dutch-Safavid alliance expelled the Portuguese; the strait then became contested between the British and Dutch East India Companies. By the 19th century, Britain established regional dominance through treaties with local rulers — the treaty-bound Gulf sheikhdoms became known as the Trucial States, which later evolved into the modern-day UAE.
- From trade route to energy corridor — By the early 20th century, Britain's focus shifted from trade routes to energy: oil was discovered at Masjed Soleyman (1908), and the Anglo-Persian Oil Company was established in 1909 — Britain maintained influence in the Gulf through its treaty system until its formal military withdrawal in 1971.
Contemporary relevance
- Why it stays critical — Global energy markets' dependence on Gulf oil exports, the ongoing Iran-US strategic rivalry, the presence of major naval forces in the region, and the vulnerability of global supply chains together mean any instability in the strait can trigger rising oil prices, supply-chain disruptions and worldwide inflationary pressure.