Subject Reference: GS Paper II (IR - India-China) | GS Paper I (Geography - Rivers)
- The News (Dec 2025): Construction has officially begun on the 60 GW Medog Dam at the "Great Bend." It will be three times the size of the Three Gorges Dam.
- Apt Topic: "Hydro-Hegemony and the 'Water Bomb' Theory"
- Geopolitics of the 'Great Bend': The river drops 2,000 meters in a short stretch. China’s control over this flow gives it "hydrological leverage" over India (Brahmaputra) and Bangladesh (Jamuna).
- India’s Counter-Strategy: India is fast-tracking the 11 GW Upper Siang Project in Arunachal Pradesh to create "storage capacity," allowing India to manage sudden water releases or diversions from China.
IAS-2026 - OPTIONAL / GEOGRAPHY / PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION / SOCIOLOGY / ANTHROPOLOGY / ORIENTATION ON 03 & 04-10-2025 
