Environment & Biodiversity Current Affairs MCQs

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Karnataka has requested the Central Water Commission (CWC) to intervene, alleging excess and unauthorised use of Bhima River water by Maharashtra, violating agreed allocations. Bhima River is a major perennial river in western and southern India and a key tributary of the Krishna River. Locally, it is also called the Chandrabhaga River, especially near Pandharpur. The river originates near Bhimashankar hills in the Western Ghats (Sahyadris), close to the Bhimashankar Temple in Pune district, Maharashtra.

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A viral video of a Himalayan red fox near Pangong Tso in Ladakh has drawn attention, while wildlife officials warned against human interference. The Himalayan red fox is a subspecies of the red fox with the scientific name Vulpes vulpes montana. It is native to the Himalayan region across India, Nepal, Bhutan, and Tibet. In India, it is found in Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, and Arunachal Pradesh. It lives at high altitudes between 2,500 and 5,000 metres in diverse habitats. Its conservation status under the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List is Least Concern.

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A new conservation project has been approved to protect breeding habitats of sandbar-nesting birds in the Ganga basin, focusing on endangered species like the Indian Skimmer. The Indian Skimmer (also called Indian Scissors-bill) is a distinctive waterbird native to southern Asia. It is one of only three skimmer species worldwide. It is found across India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Myanmar, with Nepal as a non-breeding visitor. The species is endangered and relies on sandbar habitats for breeding, making protection of these areas crucial for its survival.

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The Central Empowered Committee recommended restoring the Ecologically Sensitive Zone (ESZ) of Bannerghatta National Park (BNP) to its original 2016 extent. Bannerghatta National Park is located in the Anekal range hills near Bengaluru, Karnataka. India’s first butterfly enclosure was opened here in 2006. The Suvarnamukhi stream flows through the park and is the main water source for wildlife. It is a key habitat for endangered Asian elephants, tigers, leopards, Indian gaur, deer species, sloth bear, pangolin, and slender loris.

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The Chadar trek on the frozen Zanskar River in Ladakh was postponed due to weak ice formation, disappointing adventure tourists. The Zanskar River is a major left-bank tributary of the Indus River and flows entirely within the Union Territory of Ladakh. It drains the remote and cold Zanskar Valley in the north-western Himalayas. The river originates at high Himalayan ranges from two main branches. One branch is the Doda River, rising near Pansi La Pass. The other branch forms from the Kargyag River near Shingo La and the Tsarap River near Baralacha La. It flows north-west and joins the Indus River near Nimmu at about 3,100 metres elevation.

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The Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change chaired a meeting of NIRANTAR, the National Institute for Research & Application of Natural Resources to Transform, Adapt and Build Resilience. NIRANTAR is a collaborative platform of institutions under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) aimed at strengthening coordination and cooperation. The platform is organised into four verticals that focus on research, assessment, and utilisation of natural resources, with special emphasis on bioresources. NIRANTAR seeks to promote sustainable use of bioresources to support development while ensuring ecological balance.

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The Indian Skimmer Conservation Project was launched by the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS). BNHS, established in 1883, is one of India’s largest non-governmental organizations working on conservation and biodiversity research. The Indian Skimmer is native to South Asia, mainly found in India, Bangladesh, and Pakistan, and extends to Nepal and Myanmar. It has a unique feeding method, skimming the water surface with its specialised beak, where the lower mandible is longer. The species inhabits sandy lowland rivers, lakes, marshes, estuaries, and coastal areas. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List, the Indian Skimmer is Endangered.

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Scientists from China, Madagascar, Slovenia, and the United States studied bark spiders to understand how they produce extremely tough silk. The study focused on Darwin’s Bark Spider (Caerostris darwini) and Caerostris kuntneri. Darwin’s Bark Spider is known for making the largest and toughest webs in the animal kingdom. The species was discovered in 2001 and formally described in 2009. It lives in riverine forests and wetlands. The spider is found in Madagascar’s forests.

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The Rusty-spotted Cat, one of the rarest and smallest wild cats in the world, was recently spotted in the Shergarh forest of Baran district, Rajasthan. It is the world’s smallest and lightest known cat species. The species is found in dry deciduous and semi-deciduous forests of northern and central India, the Western Ghats, Kachchh, Rajasthan, and peninsular India. It is also distributed in Nepal and Sri Lanka. India supports about 80 percent of the global population of this species. Its conservation status on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List is Near Threatened.

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Researchers discovered a new plant species named Tetrataenium paikadae in the high-altitude grasslands of Idukki district, Kerala. It was found inside Eravikulam National Park in the Western Ghats. The plant belongs to the Apiaceae family, which includes common plants like carrot and coriander. It grows in moist, marshy grasslands at elevations of 1,000 to 2,500 metres above sea level. It was identified as a new species based on the unique number and arrangement of oil tubes in its fruits.