[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"doc-seo-318934-105":3,"detail-sidebar-cat-0-en-105":81,"doc-detail-318934-en":131},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":6},0,"ok",{"site_id":7,"language":8,"slug":9,"title":10,"keywords":11,"description":12,"schema_data":13,"social_meta":74,"head_meta":76,"extra_data":78,"updated_unix":80},105,"en","lead-ias-daily-bulletin-21-july-maritime-geography-india-supreme-court-update","Lead IAS Daily Bulletin - 21 July - Maritime Geography & India Supreme Court Update","","21 July 2026 daily bulletin covering maritime geography around Ukraine and major sea chokepoints. It explains key water bodies, ports, borders, river systems, and how the Black Sea and Sea of Azov connect. It then outlines the Houthis’ declared maritime blockade at the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and lists major global chokepoints such as Hormuz, Malacca, Suez, Panama, and others. The bulletin also summarizes India’s Bill to increase Supreme Court judges from 34 to 38, including constitutional provisions and appointment processes.",{"@graph":14,"@context":73},[15,34,56],{"@type":16,"itemListElement":17},"BreadcrumbList",[18,23,27,31],{"item":19,"name":20,"@type":21,"position":22},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",1,{"item":24,"name":25,"@type":21,"position":26},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/","Document",2,{"item":28,"name":29,"@type":21,"position":30},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/research-report/","Research & Report",3,{"item":32,"name":10,"@type":21,"position":33},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/lead-ias-daily-bulletin-21-july-maritime-geography-india-supreme-court-update/318934/",4,{"url":32,"name":10,"@type":35,"image":36,"author":41,"headline":10,"publisher":44,"fileFormat":47,"inLanguage":8,"description":12,"dateModified":48,"datePublished":49,"encodingFormat":47,"isAccessibleForFree":50,"interactionStatistic":51},"DigitalDocument",{"url":37,"@type":38,"width":39,"height":40},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/lead-ias-daily-bulletin-21-july-maritime-geography-india-supreme-court-update/318934.png","ImageObject",300,407,{"name":42,"@type":43},"Ezra","Person",{"url":19,"name":45,"@type":46},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-10-30","2026-09-20",true,{"@type":52,"interactionType":53,"userInteractionCount":55},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":54},"ViewAction",15,{"@type":57,"mainEntity":58},"FAQPage",[59,65,69],{"name":60,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":62},"What was declared at the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, and why is it strategically important?","Question",{"text":63,"@type":64},"The Houthis declared a maritime blockade at the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. It is a strategic chokepoint connecting the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden for global oil and trade.","Answer",{"name":66,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":67},"Which factors reduce salinity in the Sea of Azov and supply nutrients?",{"text":68,"@type":64},"The Don and Kuban rivers provide over 90% of the freshwater inflow into the Sea of Azov. This reduces salinity and supplies nutrients.",{"name":70,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":71},"What change does the government propose for the number of Supreme Court judges, and what constitutional basis supports it?",{"text":72,"@type":64},"A Bill in the Lok Sabha proposes increasing the sanctioned strength from 34 to 38 to address the backlog. Article 124 provides the basis, including Parliament’s ability to increase the number by law.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":32,"og:type":75,"og:title":10,"og:site_name":45,"og:description":12},"article",{"robots":77,"canonical":32},"index,follow",{"doc_id":79,"site_id":7},318934,1790294723,{"code":4,"msg":82,"data":83},"success",[84,88,92,96,101,106,111,115,120,123,127],{"id":22,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":85,"show_sort_weight":86,"slug":87},"Story & Novel",90,"story-novel",{"id":26,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":89,"show_sort_weight":90,"slug":91},"Literature",80,"literature",{"id":33,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":93,"show_sort_weight":94,"slug":95},"Exam",70,"exam",{"id":97,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":98,"show_sort_weight":99,"slug":100},5,"Comic",60,"comic",{"id":102,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":103,"show_sort_weight":104,"slug":105},6,"Technology",50,"technology",{"id":107,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":108,"show_sort_weight":109,"slug":110},7,"Healthcare",40,"healthcare",{"id":112,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":29,"show_sort_weight":113,"slug":114},8,30,"research-report",{"id":116,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":117,"show_sort_weight":118,"slug":119},9,"Religion & Spirituality",20,"religion-spirituality",{"id":118,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":121,"show_sort_weight":118,"slug":122},"World Cup","world-cup",{"id":124,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":125,"show_sort_weight":124,"slug":126},10,"Lifestyle","lifestyle",{"id":128,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":129,"show_sort_weight":97,"slug":130},19,"General","general",{"code":4,"msg":82,"data":132},{"doc_id":79,"user_id":133,"nickname":42,"user_avatar":134,"doc_module":4,"category_id":112,"category_name":29,"doc_title":10,"doc_description":12,"doc_content":135,"file_id":136,"file_url":137,"file_type":138,"file_size":139,"view_count":55,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":22,"is_downloadable":22,"audit_status":22,"page_count":102,"language":140,"language_code":8,"site_id":7,"html_lang":8,"table_of_contents":141,"faqs":142,"seo_title":143,"seo_description":12,"update_tm":144,"read_time":55,"preview_page_count":4},1099514068035,"https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/davatar_276721f389ce27ea32af1340a28f341c","21 July 2026  \nWater Bodies nearby Ukraine  \nFour Indian seafarers were killed in an attack on a merchant vessel near Odessa, Ukraine's largest Black Sea port, bringing the water body near Ukraine into the news.  \no Ukraine is an Eastern European nation whose capital is Kyiv and which gained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991.  \no Ukraine has coastlines along the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov.  \no Black sea:  \no Borders: Ukraine, Russia, Turkey, Bulgaria, Romania, Georgia.  \no Connected to: Mediterranean Sea via the Bosporus Strait → Sea of Marmara → Dardanelles Strait → Aegean Sea → Mediterranean Sea.  \no Major Ukrainian ports: Odesa (Odessa), Chornomorsk, Yuzhne, Mykolaiv, Sevastopol (Crimea).  \no Sea of Azov:  \no The Sea of Azov is a shallow inland sea located between Ukraine (northwest) and Russia (southeast).  \no Connection: It is connected to the Black Sea through the Kerch Strait, which lies between the Crimean Peninsula (west) and the Taman Peninsula (east). Through the Black Sea, it is linked to the Atlantic Ocean via the Sea of Marmara, Aegean Sea, and Mediterranean Sea.  \no Major Rivers: The Don and Kuban rivers (Russia) provide over 90% of the freshwater inflow, reducing salinity and supplying nutrients.  \no Major Ports: Taganrog (Russia), Mariupol and Berdyansk (Ukraine).  \no Major rivers associated with Ukraine include the Dnieper (Dnipro), Danube, Dniester, and Southern Bug, all of which drain into the Black Sea, with the Danube forming part of Ukraine's border with Romania.  \nMaritime Chokepoints  \nThe Houthis declared a maritime blockade at the Bab elMandeb Strait, a strategic maritime chokepoint connecting the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.  \no A maritime chokepoint is a narrow sea passage, such as a strait or canal, through which a large volume of global maritime trade and energy supplies passes.  \no Major maritime chokepoints:  \n\n| Chokepoint | Location | Significance |\n| --- | --- | --- |\n| Strait of\u003Cbr>Hormuz | Between Iran and Oman; connects Persian Gulf ↔ Gulf of Oman (Arabian Sea) | Major oil transit route; carries about\u003Cbr>one-fifth of global oil. |\n| Strait of\u003Cbr>Malacca | Between Malay Peninsula and Sumatra (Indonesia);\u003Cbr>connects Indian Ocean ↔ South China Sea | Major global trade route; important for\u003Cbr>India's Act East Policy. Singapore sits near its narrowest point (Singapore Strait) |\n| Suez Canal | Located in Egypt; connects Mediterranean Sea ↔ Red Sea | Shortens Europe– Asia shipping route. |\n| Bab el\u003Cbr>Mandeb Strait | Between Yemen and\u003Cbr>Djibouti/Eritrea; connects Red Sea ↔ Gulf of Aden | Key route for oil and global trade. |\n| Panama Canal | Located in\u003Cbr>Panama; connects Atlantic Ocean ↔ Pacific Ocean | Reduces shipping\u003Cbr>distance between oceans. |\n| Bering Strait | Between Russia and Alaska (USA); connects Arctic Ocean ↔ Pacific Ocean | Strategic route between Asia and North America. |\n| Strait of\u003Cbr>Gibraltar | Between Spain and Morocco; connects Atlantic\u003Cbr>Ocean ↔\u003Cbr>Mediterranean Sea | Gateway to the Mediterranean\u003Cbr>Sea. |\n| Bosporus Strait | Located in Turkey (Istanbul); connects Black Sea ↔ Sea of Marmara | Links Black Sea with Mediterranean routes.\u003Cbr>Dardanelles strait connects the Sea of Marmara to the |\n\n21 July 2026  \n\n|  |  | Aegean Sea;\u003Cbr>together they form\u003Cbr>the Turkish\u003Cbr>Straits. |\n| --- | --- | --- |\n| Sunda Strait | Between Java and Sumatra (Indonesia); connects Java Sea ↔ Indian Ocean | Important Southeast Asian shipping route. |\n\nHouthis  \nThe Houthis declared a maritime blockade at the Bab elMandeb Strait, a strategic maritime chokepoint connecting the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.  \no Houthis (officially Ansar Allah) are a Shiite Muslim political and armed movement based in Yemen.  \no Considered as a part of Iran’s “Axis of Resistance”.  \no Locations of Operation:  \no Sanaa-Yemen’s capital, under Houthi control since 2014.  \no Hodeidah - strategic Red Sea port, partially controlled by Houthis.  \no Other militant groups in West Asia:  \no Hamas: Palestine","cbCaipMxiqZUe7Ix","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaipMxiqZUe7Ix","pdf",3213543,"English","# Water Bodies nearby Ukraine\n## Maritime Chokepoints\n## Houthis\n## Number of Supreme Court Judges","[{\"question\":\"What was declared at the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, and why is it strategically important?\",\"answer\":\"The Houthis declared a maritime blockade at the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. It is a strategic chokepoint connecting the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden for global oil and trade.\"},{\"question\":\"Which factors reduce salinity in the Sea of Azov and supply nutrients?\",\"answer\":\"The Don and Kuban rivers provide over 90% of the freshwater inflow into the Sea of Azov. This reduces salinity and supplies nutrients.\"},{\"question\":\"What change does the government propose for the number of Supreme Court judges, and what constitutional basis supports it?\",\"answer\":\"A Bill in the Lok Sabha proposes increasing the sanctioned strength from 34 to 38 to address the backlog. Article 124 provides the basis, including Parliament’s ability to increase the number by law.\"}]","Lead IAS Daily Bulletin - 21 July - Maritime Geography & India Supreme Court Update | PDF",1789941521]