Environment & Biodiversity Current Affairs MCQs

Notes:
The Government of India has designated areas around Shikari Devi Wildlife Sanctuary as eco-sensitive zones (ESZs) to protect it from urbanization and development. The sanctuary is located in Mandi district, Himachal Pradesh, in the Himalayan foothills. It covers altitudes between 1,800 and 3,400 m, showcasing a transition from pine forests to alpine meadows. The sanctuary is named after the goddess Shikari Devi, with a sacred temple at 2,850 m above sea level.

Notes:
Nagarahole Tiger Reserve in Karnataka is renowned for its rich biodiversity and thriving spotted deer population, with around 28 spotted deer per square kilometer. Formerly called Rajiv Gandhi National Park, it is named after the ‘Nagarahole’ river, meaning ‘Serpent River’. It is located in Karnataka. It is part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, one of the largest and oldest conservation areas in India, backed by the Brahmagiri Mountains. The reserve connects tigers and elephants to other Western Ghats areas through Brahmagiri Wildlife Sanctuary and to the Eastern Ghats via Bandipur Tiger Reserve. Nagarahole is a key site for conservation under Project Tiger and Project Elephant.

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Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency (IREDA), SJVN Ltd., GMR Energy Ltd., and Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) to develop the 900 MW Upper Karnali Hydro-electric Project in Nepal. The project, located on the Karnali River, is a run-of-the-river hydropower initiative. It will supply electricity to Nepal, India, and Bangladesh for 25 years under a build-own-operate-transfer (BOOT) model. It will generate 3,466 million units of electricity and reduce two million tons of greenhouse gas emissions annually.

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Indore (Madhya Pradesh) and Udaipur (Rajasthan) are the first Indian cities accredited as wetland cities under the Ramsar Convention. The Ramsar Convention promotes conservation and wise use of wetlands globally across 172 member countries. Accreditation recognizes cities valuing and conserving natural and human-made wetlands. The latest round accredited 31 cities, including these two, bringing the global total to 74 wetland cities. India currently has 85 protected wetlands under the Ramsar treaty.

Notes:
The white-naped tit was recently documented in Kappatagudda hills, North Karnataka, for the first time. It is also known as the pied tit or white-winged tit. Its scientific name is Machlolophus nuchalis. The bird is endemic to India, with populations in Gujarat, Haryana, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu. It inhabits dry thorn scrub forests. The white-naped tit is classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List.

Notes:
The Greater Noida Authority launched a project to protect the Surajpur wetland, threatened by polluted wastewater discharge. It is located in Uttar Pradesh. Surajpur Wetland has lacustrine soil and tropical vegetation with Phoenix trees. It’s home to rare and migratory birds, including Spot-billed Duck, Lesser Whistling Duck, and Bar-headed Goose. The wetland faces pollution, urban encroachment, and industrial impact, threatening its ecological balance. It serves as a breeding ground for waterfowl and a stopover for migratory birds, supporting eco-tourism and urban biodiversity conservation.

Notes:
The third annual Deepor Beel Winter Birding Festival 2025 recorded an increase in migratory and resident birds compared to 2024. Deepor Beel is a perennial freshwater lake on the outskirts of Guwahati, Assam. It was once a channel of the Brahmaputra River and spans 4.1 sq. km. It serves as Guwahati’s major stormwater storage basin, with outflow into the Khandajan rivulet. It was declared a Ramsar Site in 2002 and an Important Bird Area (IBA) in 2004. It is Assam’s only Ramsar site. The lake supports migratory birds, including globally threatened species like Spot-billed Pelican, Lesser Adjutant Stork, and Baer’s Pochard.

Notes:
India’s first bio bank will be set up at Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park in West Bengal, in collaboration with the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB). This facility will preserve cell and tissue samples from endangered animals, including reproductive cells from deceased ones. The samples will be used for future research and could help in efforts to revive critically endangered or extinct species.

Notes:
Lake Kivu witnessed devastation after an armed group captured Goma, a city in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). It lies on the border between Rwanda and Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). It is situated in the Albertine Rift, a seismically active zone. It drains into the Ruzizi River, which flows into Lake Tanganyika. Lake Kivu contains large amounts of methane and carbon dioxide, making it a potential hazard for a limnic eruption.

Notes:
India’s External Affairs Minister and Heads of Missions from 61 countries took elephant and jeep safari in Kaziranga National Park. Kaziranga National Park is in Assam, northeastern India. It is the largest undisturbed area in the Brahmaputra Valley floodplain. It was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985. The terrain consists of forests, tall elephant grass, reeds, marshes, and shallow pools.