Biological Diversity Act, 2002
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Current affairsWWF Living Planet Report 2026: Global Wildlife Populations Down 73% Since 1970The WWF Living Planet Report 2026, released on October 7, reveals that monitored vertebrate wildlife populations have declined by an average of 73% between 1970 and 2022. Freshwater species suffered the steepest loss at 85%, while Latin America and the Caribbean recorded the worst regional decline at 95%. The report simultaneously documents conservation success stories — tigers, turtles, and tuna recovering — and calls for urgent global action to halt the biodiversity crisis before critical tipping points are crossed. Current affairsCERVAVAC Receives WHO Prequalification: India's Indigenous Quadrivalent HPV Vaccine Cleared for Global DistributionCERVAVAC, India's first indigenously developed quadrivalent Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine manufactured by the Serum Institute of India (SII), received World Health Organization (WHO) prequalification effective September 25, 2026. The milestone makes CERVAVAC eligible for procurement by UN agencies for global distribution, represents the 32nd WHO prequalification for a biological product from SII, and reinforces India's Atmanirbhar Bharat objective in vaccine development while advancing global cervical cancer prevention efforts. Current affairsCheetah at Veerangana Durgavati Tiger Reserve: India's Third Cheetah Habitat as 'Vyom' and 'Neera' Released in Madhya PradeshMadhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav released two cheetahs — named 'Vyom' (male) and 'Neera' (female) — into the Veerangana Durgavati Tiger Reserve on October 7, 2026, making it India's third cheetah habitat under Project Cheetah. The reserve, spanning ~2,339 sq km across Sagar, Damoh and Narsinghpur districts, joins Kuno National Park (Sheopur) and Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary (Mandsaur) as official cheetah sites in Madhya Pradesh. Current affairsBuxa Tiger Reserve Gets First Tigress: Inter-Reserve Translocation from Valmiki Marks Wildlife Conservation MilestoneA Bengal tigress was formally released into Buxa Tiger Reserve, West Bengal, on October 2, 2026 — the first resident tiger in the reserve since approximately 2012. The tigress was airlifted from Valmiki Tiger Reserve (Bihar) under the National Tiger Conservation Authority's inter-reserve translocation protocol, marking a landmark step in Project Tiger's effort to restore self-sustaining tiger populations in reserves that have lost their apex predator. Current affairsPRAMAAN: India Issues First Certificates Under Its National Forest and Agroforestry Certification SchemeEnvironment Minister Bhupender Yadav presented India's first PRAMAAN certificates on September 29, 2026. PRAMAAN (Programme for Recognition and Accreditation of sustainable Management practices for Agroforestry And Natural forestry resources) is India's first government-run national forest and agroforestry certification scheme, implemented by IIFM Bhopal. First recipients: AP Forest Development Corporation (33,000 ha) and an Odisha bamboo farmer. Current affairsProject Cheetah Completes 4 Years: Population Reaches 56 with 36 India-Born Cheetahs, New Litter at Kuno National ParkProject Cheetah completed four years on 17 September 2026. India's cheetah population at Kuno National Park, Madhya Pradesh has reached 56 individuals, including 36 born in India — over 60% of the current population is India-bred. A new litter of four cubs was born at Kuno on 17 September 2026, delivered by KGP12, an Indian-born cheetah whose mother was a South African cheetah named Gamini. Current affairsWestern Ghats Ecologically Sensitive Area: 6th Draft Notification 2026, Kerala's Push to Exclude 131 Villages, and the Conservation-Livelihood DebateThe Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) issued its 6th draft notification on July 25, 2026, proposing to declare over 56,825 sq km of the Western Ghats as an Ecologically Sensitive Area (ESA). The public objection window closes September 24, 2026. Kerala has moved to exclude 131 villages and approximately 9,993 sq km, while the Centre insists no part — except the Palakkad Gap — should be excluded to maintain ecological continuity. Current affairsBuellia maharajensis: New Lichen Species Discovered in Mathikettan Shola National Park, Kerala — Biodiversity Significance and UPSC AngleScientists from Maharaja's College (Ernakulam), KFRI, and CSIR-NBRI have discovered a new-to-science lichen species, Buellia maharajensis, from Mathikettan Shola National Park in Idukki district, Kerala. Published in the peer-reviewed journal Taiwania on September 8, 2026, this is the fourth new lichen species found in this single national park, underscoring the Western Ghats' extraordinary biodiversity value and the importance of protecting shola-grassland ecosystems. Current affairsBSI Discovers Osbeckia ulotricha in Agasthyamala Biosphere Reserve: New Plant Species from Western Ghats and India's Biodiversity SignificanceScientists from the Botanical Survey of India (BSI) discovered a new woolly-haired flowering plant species, Osbeckia ulotricha, in the shola grasslands of the Agasthyamala Biosphere Reserve in the Western Ghats (Kerala–Tamil Nadu boundary). Published in the international botanical journal Lilloa, the discovery adds to India's documented flora — set against the backdrop of the Western Ghats as one of the world's 36 biodiversity hotspots. Current affairsIndia Hosts International Tiger Landscapes Workshop; IBCA Signs MoU with ADB for Nature-Positive Conservation FinancingThe International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) signed a landmark MoU with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) on the sidelines of the International Tiger Landscapes Workshop (September 2–3, 2026) in New Delhi — unlocking nature-positive blended finance for landscape-scale tiger conservation across six Asian tiger-range nations. Current affairsSupreme Court Rules No State Can Block Elephant Corridors: Nationwide Survey Ordered, Fireballs BannedIn a landmark August 2026 ruling, the Supreme Court of India held that no State or Union Territory can obstruct elephant corridors — even on grounds of harm to persons or property — and directed the Union Government to conduct a fresh nationwide survey of all elephant corridors. The Court also prohibited the use of fireballs and mashaals (lit torches) to drive away elephants. Current affairsIndia Launches First-Ever Guide to Grasslands and Open Natural Ecosystems at UNCCD COP17, UlaanbaatarIndia launched its first-ever Guide to Grasslands and Other Open Natural Ecosystems (ONEs) at the 17th Conference of Parties (COP17) of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia on August 17, 2026 — a landmark step recognising the ecological, carbon, and livelihood significance of India's long-neglected non-forest ecosystems.
In previous-year questions
- The Biological Diversity Act (BDA), 2002 governs access to India's biological resources including newly discovered species like Osbeckia ulotricha. Which body was established under BDA 2002 to implement access and benefit-sharing (ABS) provisions at the national level, and which international protocol supports this framework?UPSC · Current Affairs
- Under the Biological Diversity Act, 2002, which body must grant approval before Indian biological resources (such as a newly discovered lichen species and its compounds) can be commercially accessed or exported?UPSC · Current Affairs
- With reference to India's biodiversity, consider the following statements: 1. India is one of 17 "megadiverse" countries recognised globally. 2. India contains two internationally recognised biodiversity hotspots — the Western Ghats and the Eastern Himalayas. 3. India's National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) was established under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?UPSC · Current Affairs