Environment & Biodiversity Current Affairs MCQs

Notes:
Tigidia singhal is a new species of trapdoor spider recently discovered in India. It was discovered in the semi-arid grasslands of the Deccan Plateau in Maharashtra. The discovery increases the number of Tigidia species in India to eight. The genus Tigidia is found only in India, Madagascar, and Mauritius. Earlier, Tigidia species were known only from the tropical evergreen and deciduous forests of the Western and Eastern Ghats. Tigidia singhal is the first species of this genus recorded from a semi-arid open natural ecosystem.

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Project Tiger (launched in 1973) has made India home to over 70% of the world’s wild tigers, with the tiger population increasing from 1,411 (2006) to 3,682 (2022). India’s Tiger Reserve network has expanded from 9 reserves to 58 reserves, covering 84,488 sq. km. To address this, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) launched the Tigers Outside Tiger Reserves (TOTR) initiative. TOTR aims to conserve tigers in shared landscapes through a scientific, landscape-based approach while protecting human lives and livelihoods. The initiative focuses on preventing conflicts, promoting community participation, and ensuring long-term human–tiger coexistence.

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A 29-year-old man was found dead inside Raimona National Park in Kokrajhar district, Assam, with his family alleging that he was shot by forest guards. Raimona National Park is located in the Himalayan foothills of Assam. It was declared a National Park in 2021 and was earlier proposed as part of the Ripu–Chirang Wildlife Sanctuary. The park is an important habitat for Asian elephants, gaur (Indian bison), and the endangered golden langur. It is bounded by the Sankosh River (west), Saralbhanga River (north & east), and Ripu Reserve Forest (south).

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The Supreme Court directed a 10-km mining buffer zone around all Wetland Conservation Reserves in India. The order extends the buffer first applied to the Asan Conservation Reserve in Uttarakhand to similar protected wetlands across the country. Asan Conservation Reserve is the first Ramsar Site of Uttarakhand. It covers 444.4 hectares in Dehradun, at the confluence of the Asan and Yamuna rivers. The reserve lies on the Central Asian Flyway, an important route for migratory birds. It supports 330 bird species, including several globally threatened species.

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Dimna Lake of Jamshedpur, Jharkhand, was among 25 lakes across India after which spectator galleries were named during the 80th Independence Day celebrations at the Red Fort. The reservoir was constructed by Tata Steel under the Dimna Nala Water Supply Scheme to meet Jamshedpur’s growing water requirements. It has a storage capacity of approximately 7,500 million gallons. It is located at the foothills of the Dalma Hills, Jharkhand. Dimna Lake is both an important water-security and ecological asset. It is also a popular destination for tourists, nature lovers and adventure enthusiasts.

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The National Zoological Park (NZP), New Delhi organised the 2nd edition of ‘Tree Walk @ NZP’ along with its 11th Sunday Bird Walk. The programme was conducted under the Zoo’s Citizen Science Initiative. The initiative aims to encourage public participation in biodiversity documentation, monitoring and conservation awareness. 25 participants took part, including students, nature enthusiasts, wildlife photographers, researchers, interns and volunteers.

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Khijadia Bird Sanctuary in Jamnagar, Gujarat, has emerged as an important breeding site for the Black-necked Stork (Ephippiorhynchus asiaticus). Khijadia Bird Sanctuary is a protected wetland located near Jamnagar, Gujarat, about 14 km from the city. It is recognized as a Ramsar Wetland of International Importance. It supports over 300 bird species, including several migratory birds.

Notes:
Scientists discovered a new subterranean, legless amphibian species named Gegeneophis chandgadi in Buzawade village of Chandgad, Maharashtra. It belongs to the amphibian group called caecilians, which are legless and adapted to a burrowing lifestyle. The species has a slender, flesh-coloured body with specialised rings called annuli. It was found beneath leaf litter and woodpiles in a backyard, highlighting its secretive underground habitat. The species was identified using DNA barcoding and detailed morphological examination.

Notes:
Bakhira Lake in Sant Kabir Nagar, Uttar Pradesh, provides a 25,000-year record of Indian Summer Monsoon variability. The study was conducted by researchers from Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences (BSIP) under the Department of Science and Technology (DST). Researchers used environmental magnetic properties of lake sediments to reconstruct past monsoon activity. Bakhira Lake is part of the Ghaghara–Rapti alluvial system and is a perennial oxbow/floodplain wetland. It was designated a Ramsar Site in 2022. The study covers the Last Glacial Maximum, Bølling–Allerød, Younger Dryas and Holocene Climatic Optimum.

Notes:
The black robin, also known as karure or Chatham Island black robin, has been named New Zealand’s Bird of the Year 2026. It received more than 25,000 votes, finishing ahead of the kākāpō and kārearea (New Zealand falcon). More than 105,000 people participated in the 2026 competition. The black robin is naturally found only in the Chatham Islands, around 800 km east of mainland New Zealand. The species faced an extreme population decline and was reduced to just five birds by 1980, including only one fertile female named Old Blue. Conservationists used intensive breeding programmes and even employed Chatham Island tits as foster parents to help raise black robin chicks.