Environment & Biodiversity Current Affairs MCQs

Notes:
India has launched a unique scientific study to detect zoonotic diseases that may pass from birds to humans. The study is titled “Building a surveillance model for detecting zoonotic spillover in increased bird-human interaction settings using the One Health approach.” It will follow the One Health approach, which links the health of humans, animals, and the environment. The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) is leading the initiative. The study will be carried out in selected bird sanctuaries and wetlands in Sikkim, Maharashtra, and Tamil Nadu. It aims to monitor human and bird health where their interactions are increasing.

Notes:
A new species of land snail named Theobaldius konkanensis was discovered in Maharashtra’s Konkan region by researchers from India and the United Kingdom (UK). The findings were published in the journal Molluscan Research, under the study titled “A new species of cyclophorid land snail from the coastal regions of Maharashtra.” The species is endemic to the northern Western Ghats, a rich but understudied biodiversity hotspot. It lives in tropical evergreen and semi-evergreen forests, staying active from June to September under leaf litter and damp branches. Researchers urge conservation due to its limited habitat range.

Notes:
Devotees in large numbers are taking a holy dip in the Saryu River while visiting the Ram Temple in Ayodhya during Ram Navami. The Saryu River, also called Sarayu or Sarju River, flows through Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh. It is an ancient river mentioned in the Vedas and the epic Ramayana. The lower part of the Ghaghara River is commonly known as the Sarayu River. The holy city of Ayodhya, believed to be the birthplace of Lord Rama, is located on the banks of the Sarayu River.

Notes:
Kerala and Tamil Nadu jointly conducts a Nilgiri Tahr census to mark 50 years of Eravikulam National Park. Eravikulam National Park, Kerala’s first national park, was a sanctuary in 1975 and became a national park in 1978. It was mainly established to protect the endangered Nilgiri Tahr, a mountain goat species found only in the Western Ghats of Kerala and Tamil Nadu. The park also shelters species like Lion-tailed Macaques and Nilgiri Langurs. Nilgiri Tahr is also the state animal of Tamil Nadu.

Notes:
Farmer leaders, environmentalists, religious heads, and advocates are protesting the proposed Bandura Nala water diversion project in the Mahadayi River basin. The Mahadayi River, also known as Mandovi or Mhadei, is a rain-fed river shared by Karnataka and Goa for their water needs. It originates from Bhimgad Wildlife Sanctuary in the Western Ghats of Karnataka, flows briefly through Maharashtra, and then enters Goa, where it empties into the Arabian Sea at Panaji. Out of its 111-km total length, about 76 km lies in Goa. Important tributaries include Rogaro, Kushavati, Nanorem, Nanuz, Valvota, and Mapusa. The river also hosts the Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary on Chorao Island, and the towns of Panaji and Old Goa lie on its left bank.

Notes:
Asiatic lions, also called Persian Lions or Indian Lions, belong to the subspecies Panthera leo persica and are found only in India, mainly in Gir National Park, Gujarat. Once spread across West Asia and the Middle East, they are now extinct outside India, making Gir their last home. As per the 2020 lion census by the Gujarat Forest Department, there are 674 lions across 30,000 sq km in nine districts and 53 talukas of Saurashtra. Lions are now moving beyond Gir, even reaching Diu Island, showing healthy range expansion. International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has listed them as Endangered since 2008, improved from Critically Endangered in the 1990s due to successful conservation.

Notes:
India, along with 62 countries, supported the world’s first global carbon tax on the shipping sector, approved by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) in London. The International Maritime Organization (IMO) is the global body that adopted the first global carbon tax on the shipping industry. A Carbon Tax is a type of environmental tax charged on the carbon content in fossil fuels like coal, oil, and gas. It aims to cut greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by making pollution more expensive and promoting clean energy alternatives. The tax is calculated based on the amount of carbon dioxide (CO₂) or other GHGs released. It encourages a market-based climate solution, making industries shift to greener practices.

Notes:
Forest fires recently broke out in Phawngpui National Park in Mizoram, damaging nearly one-ninth of its total area, according to state forest officials. Phawngpui National Park, also called the Blue Mountain National Park, is in the southeastern corner of Mizoram, close to the India-Myanmar border. It is the highest peak in Mizoram, with an altitude of 2,157 meters above sea level. The park covers 50 square kilometres, overlooks the Chhimtuipui River, and offers views of Myanmar’s hill ranges.

Notes:
Marine scientists have captured the world’s first video of a colossal squid swimming freely in the wild. This event comes nearly 100 years after the species was first discovered by researchers. The colossal squid is one of the largest and most mysterious invertebrates on Earth. Its scientific name is Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni. It is found in the cold, deep waters of the Southern Ocean near Antarctica. Despite its size and rarity, the colossal squid is listed as Least Concern on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List.

Notes:
The second annual synchronised estimation of Nilgiri tahr began recently in Tamil Nadu and Kerala, covering 36 new blocks in addition to the 140 blocks surveyed last year. The Nilgiri tahr (Nilgiritragus hylocrius) is an endangered mountain ungulate found only in the southern Western Ghats. It is also known as the Nilgiri Ibex or simply Ibex, and locally referred to as ‘Varayaadu’. This species is the only mountain ungulate in southern India and is the state animal of Tamil Nadu.