Environment & Biodiversity Current Affairs MCQs

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Five beaches in Maharashtra have recently received the international Blue Flag certification. The certified beaches are Shrivardhan and Nagaon in Raigad district, Parnaka in Palghar district, and Guhagar and Ladghar in Ratnagiri district. The announcement was made by Maharashtra Women and Child Development Minister Aditi Tatkare. Blue Flag certification is awarded by Denmark’s Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE). The certification evaluates 33 criteria related to cleanliness, beauty, and environmental sustainability. The award highlights Maharashtra’s commitment to sustainable and safe beaches.

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The Shi-Yomi district administration in Arunachal Pradesh will hold an environmental public hearing on November 12 for the 1,000 MW Naying Hydroelectric Project at Yapik community hall. The project is a run-of-the-river hydropower project on the Siyom (Yomgo) River in Arunachal Pradesh, to be implemented by the North Eastern Electric Power Corporation (NEEPCO). It includes a concrete dam, underground powerhouse, and tunnels, with construction likely to begin in 2028 and commissioning by 2032. The project will produce 4,966.77 GWh of electricity annually. The Siyom River, a right-bank tributary of the Brahmaputra, flows through Arunachal Pradesh, with Mouling National Park on its east bank.

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The Delhi government has declared nearly 41 square kilometres of the Southern Ridge area as a reserved forest. Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta stated the move aims to protect the national capital from pollution and promote sustainable environmental practices. The government will plant indigenous trees on open land within the forest to maintain soil fertility and strengthen the environment. The priority is to make Delhi a modern, pollution-free, green, and environmentally balanced capital. The declaration supports long-term ecological conservation and urban environmental health.

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The Supreme Court directed the Jharkhand government to give an undertaking to notify a new wildlife sanctuary in Saranda. Saranda Forest is the largest Sal (Shorea robusta) forest in Asia, located in Jharkhand. Sal is a moist deciduous tree. Saranda means “the land of seven hundred hills”. Nearly 80% of the local population belongs to Ho, Munda, Oraon, and other primitive tribes. The notification aims to protect biodiversity and support tribal livelihoods.

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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 rare bird White-cheeked Partridge (Arborophila atrogularis) was recently rescued near Dehing Patkai National Park in Assam. It belongs to the Phasianidae family, which includes pheasants and partridges. It inhabits dense undergrowth of evergreen forests, along with scrub, bamboo, and grassland areas. In India, it is found below 750 meters altitude, and up to 1,220 meters in Southeast Asia. It is found mainly in Northeast India. Its IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) status is Near Threatened.

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The National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) has recently released funds to Biodiversity Management Committees (BMCs) in Uttar Pradesh and Sikkim. NBA is a statutory and autonomous body under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC). It was established in 2003 under the Biological Diversity Act, 2002. The headquarters of NBA is located in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. NBA performs facilitative, regulatory, and advisory functions for the conservation and sustainable use of biological resources. It also ensures fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from their use.

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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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Typhoon Kalmaegi recently made landfall in the central Philippines. Typhoons are tropical cyclones that form over the Western Pacific Ocean. A tropical cyclone is a rotating storm system developing over warm tropical oceans, varying in speed, size, and intensity. These storms are known by different names globally — Hurricanes in the Atlantic and Northeast Pacific, Cyclones in the Indian Ocean, and Willy-willies in Western Australia.

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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.