State PCS - Uttar Pradesh (UP PCS)

• 03 Apr 2025

National Junior Girls Handball Championship

Why in News? 

Uttar Pradesh won the 47^th National Junior Girls Handball Championship . 

Key Points 

• About the Championship: 
  • Uttar Pradesh won the title of this championship for the first time . 
  • Uttar Pradesh defeated Himachal Pradesh in the final .  
  • This championship was organized from 26 to 30 March 2025 at K.D. Singh Babu Stadium in Lucknow .  
  • It was organised on the occasion of the 50^th foundation day of Uttar Pradesh Handball Association. 
• Handball: 
  • It is an indoor game , consisting of two teams and each team has seven players. 
  • Handball originated in  Scandinavia and Germany in the late 19^th century . 
  • Earlier it was an outdoor game and was known as ‘Field Handball’. Later, G. Wallstrom introduced indoor handball in Sweden in 1910.  
    • Between 1938 and 1966, separate world championships were held for both formats of handball, but from 1967 onwards the world championship was held only for indoor handball. 
  • Handball was included in the Olympics only once as an exhibition sport in Berlin in 1936, while it was officially included as an Olympic sport in Munich in 1972.  
    • Women's handball was included in the Olympics in 1976.

Crude Oil Discovery in Ballia

Why in News? 

Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) discovered huge reserves of crude oil at a depth of 3,000 metres in Sagarpali village of Ballia district located in the Ganga Basin of Uttar Pradesh . 

Key Points 

• About the Discovery: 
  
  • This will help India's energy security and also reduce the dependence on Arab countries. This reserve will provide India with the necessary fuel for many decades, which will strengthen the country's economy. 
  • This oil reserve is spread over an area of 300 km from Sagarpali in Ballia to Phaphamau in Prayagraj.  
  • The major crude oil producing states in India are Rajasthan (21.82%), Gujarat (13.53%), Assam (12.50%), Tamil Nadu (1.15%), Andhra Pradesh (0.87%) and Arunachal Pradesh (0.13%). 

Oil and Natural Gas Corporation(ONGC) 

• It is a Maharatna Public Sector Undertaking (PSU) of the Government of India. 
• It was established in 1995 and is under the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas . 
• It is India's largest crude oil and natural gas company, contributing around 70% of Indian domestic production.

Ganges Basin

• The tributary of the Ganga called 'Bhagirathi' is fed by the Gangotri glacier and meets the Alaknanda at Devprayag in Uttarakhand. 
• At Haridwar, the Ganga emerges from the mountains and comes towards the plains . 
• The Ganga receives many tributaries from the Himalayas, some of the major rivers are Yamuna, Ghaghara, Gandak and Kosi.