Environment & Biodiversity Current Affairs MCQs

Notes:
Recently, two new safari gates were inaugurated at the Bor Tiger Project in Maharashtra. Bor Tiger Reserve is located in the Wardha district of Maharashtra. It is the smallest tiger reserve in India in terms of area. The reserve covers about 138.12 square kilometres, including the drainage basin of the Bor Dam. It holds strategic importance as it is centrally located among major Bengal tiger habitats.

Notes:
Bhitarkanika National Park in Kendrapara district of Odisha has reported a marginal rise in migratory birds as per the latest forest department census. The park covers about 672 square kilometres of mangrove swamps formed by the Brahmani, Baitarani, and Dhamra river delta. It contains creeks, backwaters, estuaries, deltas, and mudflats and is surrounded by Bhitarkanika Wildlife Sanctuary. Gahirmatha Beach and Marine Sanctuary lie to the east near the Bay of Bengal. It is India’s second largest mangrove ecosystem after the Sundarbans and is a Ramsar site.

Notes:
A new plant species named Hoya nagaensis was discovered in the high-altitude forests of Nagaland. It belongs to the wax plant family and the Hoya genus, known for ornamental plants. The species was found in the Kavunhou Community Reserved Forest in Phek district. It is currently known from only one location, making it highly vulnerable. The plant grows in a little-explored temperate forest ecosystem. It shows unique leaf shapes and distinctive star-shaped flowers.

Notes:
The Rusty-spotted Cat, one of the rarest and smallest wild cats in the world, was recently spotted in the Shergarh forest of Baran district, Rajasthan. It is the world’s smallest and lightest known cat species. The species is found in dry deciduous and semi-deciduous forests of northern and central India, the Western Ghats, Kachchh, Rajasthan, and peninsular India. It is also distributed in Nepal and Sri Lanka. India supports about 80 percent of the global population of this species. Its conservation status on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List is Near Threatened.

Notes:
A recent faunal survey in Karimpuzha Wildlife Sanctuary has greatly increased biodiversity records of Kerala’s youngest protected area. The sanctuary is located in Malappuram district of Kerala on the western slopes of the Nilgiris. Its name comes from the Karimpuzha River, a tributary of the Chaliyar River. The forest forms part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve (NBR) and the Nilambur Elephant Reserve (ER). It borders Mukurthi National Park (Tamil Nadu) and Silent Valley National Park (Kerala).

Notes:
The Rajasthan Forest and Environment Minister stated that villagers in Dholpur–Karauli Tiger Reserve will not be relocated without their consent. Dholpur–Karauli Tiger Reserve is located in eastern Rajasthan across Dholpur and Karauli districts. It shares ecological continuity with Ranthambhore Tiger Reserve towards the west. The reserve lies close to the Chambal River in the east, which acts as a natural boundary and water source. It was officially notified in 2023 as Rajasthan’s fifth tiger reserve.

Notes:
Researchers discovered a new tiny crab species named Galathea balasubramaniani from coral reefs of Agatti in Lakshadweep Islands. It belongs to genus Galathea, a group of small reef-dwelling anomuran crabs called squat lobsters. These crabs look like tiny lobsters and hide in coral and rocky crevices. It measures only about 3 millimetres, making it one of the smallest reef crabs in the region. It plays a key ecological role by recycling organic matter and serving as food for fish and other marine life.

Notes:
In March 2026, two new moniligastrid earthworm species named Moniligaster girishi and Drawida reynoldsi were discovered in Silent Valley National Park in the Western Ghats and published in Zootaxa. Moniligaster girishi was found in tropical wet evergreen forest near Chembotti and has a unique undivided spermathecal atrial gland and distinct prostatic capsule. It is named after P Girish Kumar of Zoological Survey of India. Drawida reynoldsi was collected from montane grasslands between Sispara and Anginda and has a sausage like prostatic capsule and large spermathecal atrium. It is named after Canadian expert John Warren Reynolds.

Notes:
A recent survey of the Hindon River has revealed alarming water quality concerns, with preliminary tests showing zero dissolved oxygen (DO) at multiple locations, making the river “uninhabitable” for most aquatic life. The Hindon River is a tributary of the Yamuna River, flowing through parts of Uttar Pradesh and Haryana. It originates in the Saharanpur district of Uttar Pradesh, in the Siwalik Hills, at an elevation of approximately 800 meters (2,625 feet) above sea level. The river flows across the industrial belt of Western Uttar Pradesh and Haryana before merging with the Yamuna near Noida, covering a total length of 400 km. Its main tributaries include the Kali (West) River and the Krishni River.

Notes:
The Assam Government is planning to create a new Reserved Forest adjacent to Burhachapori Wildlife Sanctuary in Sonitpur district, Assam, to strengthen conservation efforts. Burhachapori Wildlife Sanctuary is located on the south bank of the Brahmaputra River, Assam and is part of the Laokhowa–Burhachapori ecosystem. It lies strategically between Kaziranga National Park (east), Orang National Park (west), and Laokhowa Wildlife Sanctuary (south). The region experiences a sub-tropical monsoon climate, supporting rich biodiversity.