L
Laccoliths

Definition: Dome-shaped intrusive igneous body pushing overlying strata upward. Prelims Pointers: Shallow intrusion; Mushroom-shaped. PYQ: UPSC Prelims...

Lagoon

Definition: Shallow water body separated from sea by sandbar.Prelims Pointers: Brackish water ecosystem.PYQ: UPSC Prelims...

Lagoons

Definition: Shallow coastal water bodies separated by sandbars.Prelims Pointers: Brackish water ecosystems.PYQ: UPSC Prelims 2017Current...

Lahar

Definition: Volcanic mudflow composed of ash, debris and water.Prelims Pointers: Highly destructive; Occurs near volcanoes.PYQ:...

Laissez-Faire

Definition: Laissez-faire is an economic philosophy advocating minimal government intervention in economic activities, allowing market...

Lal-Bal-Pal

Definition: Trio of extremist nationalist leaders.Prelims facts: Lala Lajpat Rai, Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Bipin Chandra...

Lala Hardayal

Definition: Revolutionary intellectual.Prelims facts: Ideologue of Ghadar Party.

Lala Lajpat Rai

Definition: Extremist leader and freedom fighter.Prelims facts: Part of Lal-Bal-Pal; died after Simon Commission protest...

Lambardar

Village headman responsible for revenue collection in the Mahalwari system.UPSC Traps: Worked under British supervision;...

Land Breeze

Definition: Night-time wind from land to sea.Reason: Faster cooling of land.PYQ: 2012

Land Subsidence

Definition: Gradual sinking of land due to natural or anthropogenic causes.Prelims Pointers: Causes—groundwater extraction, mining;...

Lapies

Definition: Grooved limestone surfaces formed by solution.Prelims Pointers: Karst topography indicator.PYQ: UPSC Prelims 2018Current Affairs:...

Latent Heat

Definition: Heat absorbed/released during phase change.PYQ: 2013

LEAPS

Logistics Excellence, Advancement, and Performance Shield (LEAPS) is a national benchmarking initiative to recognize excellence,...

Leatherback Sea Turtle

Status: The largest of all living turtles and one of the most migratory marine reptiles....

Lehmann Discontinuity

Definition: Boundary between outer and inner core.• UPSC Pointers: Inner core solid; discovered by Inge...

Light Year

Definition: Distance travelled by light in one year in vacuum.• UPSC Pointers: ≈9.46 trillion km;...

Lightning Conductor Theory

The idea that INC acted as a lightning conductor to absorb political discontent and prevent...

Limestone

Definition: Sedimentary rock composed of calcium carbonate.Prelims Pointers: Cement industry; Karst topography.PYQ: UPSC Prelims 2019Current...

Liquidity Adjustment Facility

Definition: The primary operational framework used by the RBI to manage liquidity in the banking...

Lithification

Definition: Process by which loose sediments are converted into sedimentary rock.Prelims Pointers: Compaction + cementation;...

Lithosphere

Definition: Rigid outer layer of Earth including crust and uppermost mantle.• UPSC Pointers: Broken into...

Loess

Definition: Wind-deposited fine silt.Prelims Pointers: Highly fertile soil.PYQ: UPSC Prelims 2016Current Affairs: Soil erosion concerns.

Logistics Performance Index

Definition: An index by the World Bank assessing countries on logistics efficiency.Key Prelims Traps:Released by...

Loo

Definition: Hot dry summer wind in northern India.Season: May–June.PYQ: 2015

Lord Cornwallis

Governor-General associated with administrative, judicial, and revenue reforms.UPSC Traps: Introduced Permanent Settlement; Cornwallis Code; civil...

Lord Dalhousie

Definition: Governor-General of India.• Time Period: 1848–1856• UPSC Prelims Pointers: Doctrine of Lapse; railways introduction.

Lord Linlithgow

Definition: Viceroy of India during WWII.Prelims facts: Announced August Offer (1940).

Lord Wellesley

Governor-General associated with expansionist policy.UPSC Traps: Subsidiary Alliance; founded Fort William College.

Lothal

A coastal trading center in Gujarat. Prelims Pointer: Known for having an artificial Dockyard (the first...

Lucknow Pact

Definition: Agreement between Indian National Congress and All-India Muslim League.Year: 1916Prelims facts: Accepted separate electorates;...