Why do tropical cyclones not form within about 5 degrees latitude of t

Why do tropical cyclones not form within about 5 degrees latitude of the equator? Why does India have a bi-modal tropical cyclone season?Hurricane Camille (Cat 5, 1969) and Hurricane Katrina (Cat 3) took very similar tracks. However, Katrina was much more destructive and had a bigger storm surge. Research a bit and find out some reasons why.