Environment & Biodiversity Current Affairs MCQs

Notes:
Interpol (International Criminal Police Organization) reported a global crackdown on illegal wildlife and forestry trade in 2025. The operation ran from 15 September to 15 October 2025 across 134 countries. Police, customs, border security, forestry and wildlife agencies worked together. A total of 4,640 seizures were made in one month. More than 30,000 live animals, protected plants, timber and spices were seized. The crackdown was called Operation Thunder 2025 and was led by Interpol with the World Customs Organization. Authorities seized ivory, rhino horns, pangolin scales, reptiles, birds, insects, plants and illegal timber. Interpol warned that wildlife crime is worth up to 20 billion US dollars yearly and linked to other serious crimes.

Notes:
Karnataka has requested the Central Water Commission (CWC) to intervene, alleging excess and unauthorised use of Bhima River water by Maharashtra, violating agreed allocations. Bhima River is a major perennial river in western and southern India and a key tributary of the Krishna River. Locally, it is also called the Chandrabhaga River, especially near Pandharpur. The river originates near Bhimashankar hills in the Western Ghats (Sahyadris), close to the Bhimashankar Temple in Pune district, Maharashtra.

Notes:
The blackbuck (Antilope cervicapra) population at Vallanadu Wildlife Sanctuary has increased to a total of 300. Vallanadu Wildlife Sanctuary is located in Tamil Nadu and was established to protect blackbuck antelopes. Blackbuck is an antelope species native to India and Nepal, primarily inhabiting open grasslands, dry scrub, and lightly forested areas. It is distributed across Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, and other parts of peninsular India.

Notes:
The Kerala government has renamed Aralam Wildlife Sanctuary as Aralam Butterfly Sanctuary, making it the first butterfly sanctuary in the state. The sanctuary is located in Kerala and shares boundaries with Brahmagiri Wildlife Sanctuary in Karnataka, Kottiyoor Wildlife Sanctuary, and the North Wayanad forest division. It consists mainly of evergreen and semi-evergreen forest vegetation. The Cheenkanni River, originating from the Brahmagiri ranges, flows through the dense forests of the sanctuary.

Notes:
Research at 27 test lakes in northeastern Germany showed an increase in the abundance of charophytes. Charophytes are a type of green algae found in freshwater ecosystems. Fossils of charophytes date back to the Silurian Period, about 443 million years ago. This period marked the shift of plants from water to land, and charophytes are the closest living relatives of land plants. They grow in silt, mud, peat, or sand and often colonize newly cleared areas first.

Notes:
The Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change chaired a meeting of NIRANTAR, the National Institute for Research & Application of Natural Resources to Transform, Adapt and Build Resilience. NIRANTAR is a collaborative platform of institutions under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) aimed at strengthening coordination and cooperation. The platform is organised into four verticals that focus on research, assessment, and utilisation of natural resources, with special emphasis on bioresources. NIRANTAR seeks to promote sustainable use of bioresources to support development while ensuring ecological balance.

Notes:
The Indian Skimmer Conservation Project was launched by the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS). BNHS, established in 1883, is one of India’s largest non-governmental organizations working on conservation and biodiversity research. The Indian Skimmer is native to South Asia, mainly found in India, Bangladesh, and Pakistan, and extends to Nepal and Myanmar. It has a unique feeding method, skimming the water surface with its specialised beak, where the lower mandible is longer. The species inhabits sandy lowland rivers, lakes, marshes, estuaries, and coastal areas. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List, the Indian Skimmer is Endangered.

Notes:
A recent survey across the Ganga River basin recorded 3,037 gharials in 13 rivers despite serious survival threats. Gharial is a freshwater crocodile belonging to the Crocodylia order and Crocodylidae family. Its scientific name is Gavialis gangeticus and it mainly feeds on fish. Earlier, its range extended across Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, and Pakistan. Today, major populations survive in the Chambal, Girwa, and Rapti–Naryani rivers. In India, gharial reserves are located in Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan. As per the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List, it is critically endangered.

Notes:
For the first time, the Tamil Nadu Forest Department has started a study on the Madras Hedgehog in the Theri forests. Madras Hedgehog, locally called Mulleli, is a small mammal also known as the bare-bellied hedgehog, discovered in 1851. It has sharp spines on the back and soft white fur on the belly, using spines for protection from predators. It is nocturnal, curls into a ball for defence, and survives in dry and harsh landscapes. It inhabits dry scrublands, thorn forests, grasslands, and farmland edges. The species is endemic to peninsular India, found in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, and parts of Karnataka.

Notes:
Amid controversy over reducing its boundary, the Forest Minister recently visited Shettihalli Wildlife Sanctuary to assess the situation. The sanctuary is located in Shimoga (Shivamogga) district of Karnataka and covers about 395.6 square kilometres. The Tunga Anicut Dam lies within the sanctuary and supports otters and several water bird species. Mandagadde Bird Sanctuary is part of Shettihalli and is a major bird nesting site on an island in the Tunga River. The area has tropical evergreen, semi-evergreen, dry deciduous, and moist deciduous forests.