Environment & Biodiversity Current Affairs MCQs

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The Supreme Court of India has approved Rajasthan government’s plan to develop two new wetlands near Ajmer to support nature and planned city growth. This decision aims to protect the environment and ensure sustainable urban development near Ana Sagar Lake. Ana Sagar Lake is an artificial lake in Ajmer, Rajasthan, built between 1135 and 1150 AD by Anaaji Chauhan, father of King Prithviraj Chauhan. It is one of India’s largest and most famous lakes.

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On May 27, 2025, large amounts of tiny plastic pellets called nurdles were found along the coast of Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. This followed the sinking of the Liberian cargo ship MSC ELSA 3 on May 25, 2025, which carried containers with hazardous materials. Nurdles are small plastic pellets, 1 to 5 millimeters in size, used as raw materials in plastic manufacturing. They are made of plastics like Low-Density Polyethene (LDPE) and High-Density Polyethene (HDPE). Nurdles are harmful because marine animals ingest them, causing health problems and threatening ecosystems. The incident highlights ongoing marine pollution risks linked to growing global plastic production.

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A new species of jumping spider named Spartaeus karigiri was recently discovered by researchers in southern India. It belongs to the Spartaeinae subfamily and was found for the first time in India, previously known only from Southeast Asia and Africa. The spider is named after Karigiri (Elephant Hill) in Devarayanadurga, Karnataka, where it was first seen. It is known for its smart hunting skills and web-invasion tactics by tricking other spiders. These spiders have excellent eyesight and mimic prey to catch food.

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The Maharashtra Forest Department has recently launched a bus safari service at Nandur Madhyameshwar Wildlife Sanctuary in Nashik district. The sanctuary is known as the “Bharatpur of Maharashtra,” a title given by famous Indian ornithologist Dr. Salim Ali. It is located in Nashik district, Maharashtra. The new safari aims to boost eco-tourism and create awareness about wetland biodiversity.

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Recently, a rare sighting of a Himalayan brown bear with its family in Nelong and Jadung Valleys created excitement in Gangotri National Park, Uttarakhand. The Himalayan brown bear is the largest mammal in the high-altitude Himalayas and one of the oldest brown bear lineages. In India, it is found in fragmented alpine habitats of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand. Its conservation status is Critically Endangered under the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List.

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Recently, botanists discovered a new species in Assam called Garciniakusumae. Garciniakusumae belongs to the Garcinia genus, known as thoikora in Assamese. It is a dioecious evergreen tree growing up to 18 metres tall. The tree flowers from February to April and bears fruit from May to June. The fruit is used culturally and medicinally in Assam. Its sun-dried pulp is made into a sherbet to prevent heat stroke and quench thirst.

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Recently, a report highlighted that the leopard population in Dudhwa Tiger Reserve (DTR) has increased by 198.91% since 2022. Dudhwa Tiger Reserve is located on the Indo-Nepal border in Lakhimpur-Kheri district, Uttar Pradesh. It comprises Dudhwa National Park and two wildlife sanctuaries—Kishanpur and Katerniaghat—along with forest areas of North Kheri, South Kheri, and Shahjahanpur in its buffer zone. The reserve lies in the Tarai-Bhabar habitat of the Upper Gangetic Plains Biogeographic Province.

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Recently, the Assam Forest Department began DNA profiling of rhino horns to add them to the Rhino DNA Index System (RhoDIS) India database. RhoDIS India was launched in 2016 by the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC) in collaboration with the Wildlife Institute of India (WII), forest departments of Assam, West Bengal, and Uttar Pradesh, and World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) India. RhoDIS is a wildlife forensic tool designed to help in solving wildlife crime cases. It creates a unique genetic signature for each rhino using DNA indexing.

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Recently, hundreds of buffaloes were found grazing illegally inside the restricted area of Pong Wildlife Sanctuary in Samkehar, Bathu, and Panalath, violating sanctuary rules. Pong Dam Lake Wildlife Sanctuary is also known as Maharana Pratap Sagar. It is a manmade reservoir created by the Pong Dam on the Beas River in the Shivalik hills, Kangra district, Himachal Pradesh. The sanctuary includes both the reservoir water body and surrounding wetland areas. It was declared a Ramsar Site in 2002 for its ecological importance.

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Tiwai Island in Sierra Leone has been newly added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2025. It lies in the Moa River, southeastern Sierra Leone. It forms part of the Gola-Tiwai Complex, which includes Gola Rainforest National Park, the country’s largest tropical rainforest. Tiwai is globally known for its rich biodiversity, especially 11 species of primates, including the endangered western chimpanzee, Diana monkey, and king colobus.