India has released a new seismic zonation map under the revised Earthquake Design Code 2025. For the first time, the entire Himalayan arc has been placed in the newly created highest-risk Zone VI. The update is important because 61% of India now falls in moderate to high seismic hazard zones. For exams, this connects directly with Geography of India, Current Affairs, disaster preparedness, and the static topic of Physiographic Division.
The placement of the Himalayan arc in Zone VI signals a sharper risk classification than before. The central exam fact is not merely that a new map has been released, but that the revised code places the whole Himalayan belt in the highest-risk category and expands the share of India treated as moderate-to-high hazard. This has relevance for earthquake preparedness and building safety standards.
In RAS and UPSC prelims, likely questions may ask which region has been placed in Zone VI under the revised Earthquake Design Code 2025, or what share of India now lies in moderate to high hazard zones. For broader understanding, the same facts also connect physical geography with disaster preparedness and safer building standards. The facts to retain are: the entire Himalayan arc is in Zone VI, 61% of India is in moderate to high hazard zones, and the revised code is linked with better earthquake preparedness and building safety standards.