Environment & Biodiversity Current Affairs MCQs

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An albino Indian flapshell turtle (Lissemys punctata) with a bright yellow shell and skin was recently spotted in a freshwater lake at Chikodra village, Gujarat. It is found in Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh, and Myanmar, inhabiting shallow, quiet, stagnant waters like rivers, ponds, lakes, marshes, canals, and tanks, preferring sand or mud bottoms for burrowing. The species is identified by femoral flaps that cover its limbs when withdrawn and an oval soft shell. It is classified as Vulnerable under the IUCN Red List.

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Recent research discovered a new genus and two new species of freshwater crabs named Kasargodia sheebae and Pilarta vaman in the Western Ghats of Kerala. They belong to the freshwater crab family Gecarcinucidae. Kasargodia sheebae’s genus name is derived from Kasargod, the northernmost district of Kerala. It has a brownish-orange carapace with many black spots and orange claws with black spots. Pilarta vaman is named after Vaman, an avatar of Lord Vishnu, referring to its small size.

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Assam government launched Operation Falcon last year to protect one-horned rhinos from poachers. It is a joint anti-poaching drive by Assam Police and Assam Forest Department to end rhino poaching and illegal wildlife trade. It integrates digital tracking, on-ground surveillance, and rapid deployment teams for swift action. In 2025, 42 poachers were arrested, six major gangs dismantled, and nine poaching attempts foiled. The effort led to zero rhino killings in 2025 and an 86% drop in poaching since 2016. Assam has 2,895 rhinos according to the 2022 census, mostly in Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve.

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The National Green Tribunal (NGT) recently criticised Madhya Pradesh for allowing the annual Darshan Yatra in the core area of Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve. Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve is located in Umaria district of Madhya Pradesh within the Satpura and Vindhya mountain ranges. The name comes from the ancient Bandhavgarh Fort, said to be gifted by Lord Rama to his brother Lakshmana. Bandhavgarh has the highest known tiger density in India and the world.

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Two new damselfly species, Konkan Shadowdamsel and Crimson Shadowdamsel, have been discovered in the Western Ghats. Konkan Shadowdamsel was found in Sindhudurg, Maharashtra, and Crimson Shadowdamsel in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. They belong to the ‘Shadowdamsels’ group, thriving in shaded forest habitats and pristine small streams. Crimson Shadowdamsel has a reddish body, while Konkan Shadowdamsel shows coffee-brown colouration. Shadowdamsels are microendemics of Western Ghats and act as pollution indicators, reflecting forest health. Damselflies are predatory insects of order Odonata, smaller and weaker fliers than dragonflies, found near freshwater habitats.

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The first Atlantic hurricane of 2025, named Erin, rapidly intensified and became a major storm north of the Caribbean Islands. The US National Hurricane Center (NHC) reported that Erin was downgraded from Category-5 to Category-4. The storm has maximum sustained winds of 240 kilometers per hour. It brings heavy rainfall across the northern Leeward Islands, the Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico.

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Scientists have recorded the sliteye shark for the first time in the Great Chagos Bank, the world’s largest coral atoll. The shark is named for its narrow slit-like eyes and was filmed in deep seagrass habitats on the southern rim of the Bank. Two sharks were recorded 11 km apart at depths of 23–29 metres using Baited Remote Underwater Video systems. The species usually lives in deep waters but also adapts to shallow clear seas. The study shows that sliteye sharks also depend on these meadows, highlighting their biodiversity value. Sliteye sharks are listed as near-threatened and may decline by 30% in 15 years due to fishing pressure.

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The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has established the National Designated Authority (NDA) to implement a carbon emissions trading system in India. . The NDA is a mandatory requirement under Article 6 of the 2015 Paris Agreement, which provides the framework for international carbon trading. The primary purpose of the NDA is to establish and enable a carbon emissions trading regime or carbon market within India. The functions of the NDA include recommending activities for emission reduction unit trading, evaluating and approving projects that reduce carbon emissions, and ensuring alignment with India’s sustainability goals, national priorities, and country-specific criteria.

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Kerala conducted India’s first science-based, community-driven eradication of Senna spectabilis in Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary. Senna spectabilis is an invasive species native to American tropics. The tree grows 7–18 metres tall with a dense, spreading crown. It forms dense, sterile thickets, choking native plants, altering soil chemistry, and reducing food for herbivores. It closely resembles Kerala’s state flower Cassia fistula (kanikkonna), which aided its initial planting. The eradication involved community participation and science-based methods to restore forest ecosystems and promote biodiversity recovery.

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The government declared 8.6 acres of green cover at Cantonment Railway Colony as a Biodiversity Heritage Site (BHS), the second in Bengaluru after Gandhi Krishi Vigyan Kendra (GKVK). The site has 371 trees belonging to 50 species. Biodiversity Heritage Site (BHS) are rich ecosystems with rare, threatened, endemic or culturally significant species, notified under Section 37 of the Biological Diversity Act, 2002. Karnataka already hosts India’s first Biodiversity Heritage Site, Nallur Tamarind Grove (2007). Biodiversity Heritage Site (BHS) declaration does not restrict local community practices and aims to enhance their quality of life through conservation.