Environment & Biodiversity Current Affairs MCQs

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Recently, village hunters near Palamau Tiger Reserve surrendered their weapons, including guns and traps, during Wildlife Week celebrations. Palamau Tiger Reserve is located on the western side of Latehar district on the Chhotanagpur Plateau in Jharkhand. It forms part of the Betla National Park and covers an area of about 1,026 square kilometres. It is one of the first nine tiger reserves created in India under Project Tiger. It was the first reserve in the world to conduct a tiger census using pugmark count in 1932 under J.W. Nicholson.

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Recently, the rare fungus Hygrocybe pellucida was seen for the first time in Telangana’s Kawal Tiger Reserve. It belongs to the Hygrophoraceae family and is known for its bright, waxy, and colourful fruiting bodies. These fungi are usually found in grasslands, mossy forest floors, and nutrient-poor habitats. They are commonly called wax cups because of their shiny texture. Hygrocybe pellucida was first identified as a new species in Kerala in 2024. The Hygrocybe genus has around 350 species distributed worldwide. Its discovery marks an important biodiversity record for Telangana.

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The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has invoked Stage II of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) as Delhi’s Air Quality Index (AQI) crossed 300, entering the “very poor” category. Stage II measures include mechanical road sweeping, water sprinkling, strict dust control at construction sites, and promoting CNG and electric public transport. Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) is a framework created to control air pollution in the Delhi-NCR region. It acts as an emergency response system, activated when the Air Quality Index (AQI) reaches the “poor” category. The plan is implemented by the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) in coordination with the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC).

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Birdwatchers recently made the first-ever sighting of the Indian Scops Owl near the Daroji Sloth Bear Sanctuary in Karnataka. The Indian Scops Owl is a small woodland owl native to southern Asia. It is found in India, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Iran. It lives in forests, scrublands, and agricultural areas and is non-migratory. The owl measures 17–20 cm in height with a wingspan of about 45 cm. It has large bright yellow eyes, a round head, and brown-grey feathers with fine patterns. It hunts at night, mainly feeding on insects. It is listed as Least Concern under the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List.

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Central Asian countries recently endorsed a six-year work programme under the Central Asian Mammals Initiative (CAMI) to conserve 17 iconic migratory mammal species. The meeting was hosted by the Government of Uzbekistan under its presidency of the 14th Conference of the Parties (COP14) to the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS). CAMI was launched in 2014 at COP11 to the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS) to address major threats to migratory mammals across Central Asia. The programme covers species such as snow leopard, saiga antelope, Bukhara deer, Persian leopard, and wild yak. The next update of the CAMI resolution will be presented at CMS COP15 in Brazil in March 2026.

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A new fish species named Pseudorhombus bahudaensis was recently discovered by researchers from the Estuarine Biology Regional Centre of the Zoological Survey of India. It was found in the Bahuda estuary located in Odisha. This species belongs to the flounder fish group under the order Pleuronectiformes. It closely resembles Pseudorhombus arsius, also known as the Gangetic largetooth flounder. They usually live in inshore waters up to 50 metres deep and can move between saltwater and freshwater environments.

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The Odisha Human Rights Commission (OHRC) has sought records from the Forest and Revenue Departments and the Angul Collector regarding alleged irregularities in village relocation at Satkosia Tiger Reserve. Satkosia Tiger Reserve is located in central Odisha across Angul, Cuttack, Boudh, and Nayagarh districts. The reserve includes Satkosia Gorge Sanctuary and Baisipalli Wildlife Sanctuary, divided by the Mahanadi River. It is also part of the Mahanadi Elephant Reserve. It lies at the junction of the Deccan Peninsula and Eastern Ghats, creating rich biodiversity.

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Civil society groups and conservationists in Assam have urged declaring the Roumari-Donduwa Wetland Complex within Laokhowa Wildlife Sanctuary as a Ramsar Site due to its rich avian biodiversity. Laokhowa Wildlife Sanctuary lies on the southern bank of the Brahmaputra River in Nagaon District, Assam. The sanctuary forms part of the Laokhowa–Burachapori ecosystem and serves as a buffer zone of Kaziranga Tiger Reserve. It is situated within the Brahmaputra Valley and is surrounded by human settlements except to the north.

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The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) recently rated Khangchendzonga National Park in Sikkim as “good” in its global review of natural World Heritage sites. It is located in Sikkim. The park is part of the Khangchendzonga Biosphere Reserve (KBR), India’s first “mixed” UNESCO World Heritage Site, recognized in 2016 for natural and cultural significance. It has 18 glaciers, the largest being Zemu Glacier, one of Asia’s largest.

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Scientists have discovered a new owlfly species in Kerala after 134 years, named Protidricerus albocapitatus, marking a major entomological finding. It was found in the Nedumkayam forest in the Malappuram district of Kerala. The species belongs to the family Myrmeleontidae and the order Neuroptera. With this discovery, Kerala now has five known owlfly species, and India’s total has increased to 37 species. The owlfly has a white tufted head and clubbed antennae, making it easily identifiable.