Wildlife Protection Act, 1972
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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 affairsMission Rangeen Machhli 2031: VP Radhakrishnan Launches Ornamental Fisheries Roadmap in Lakshadweep, Anchoring India's Blue EconomyVice President C.P. Radhakrishnan released 'Mission Rangeen Machhli 2031' in Agatti, Lakshadweep on 31 August 2026 — a strategic roadmap to develop India's ornamental fisheries (colourful fish for aquariums and ornamental ponds) into a globally competitive, organised industry. Lakshadweep, with over 300 ornamental fish species and a 4-lakh sq km EEZ, is the mission's focus island territory. Current affairsOdisha Coastal Erosion 2026: NCCR Assessment — 28.3% of Coastline Eroding, 16 Villages Submerged in KendraparaA National Centre for Coastal Research (NCCR) assessment of Odisha's 564-km coastline (1990-2022) found 28.3% under active erosion — Jagatsinghpur (47.6%), Ganjam (45.7%), and Kendrapara (45.0%) are worst-affected districts. Sixteen villages in Kendrapara have been submerged. Intensifying cyclones, sea-level rise, and breakwater disruption of sediment drift are the primary drivers, threatening Olive Ridley turtle nesting grounds and coastal livelihoods. 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. Current affairsWorld Lion Day 2026: India's Asiatic Lion Population Rises to 891 — A Conservation Success StoryWorld Lion Day is observed on 10 August each year to raise awareness about lion conservation globally. On World Lion Day 2026, India highlighted the results of the 16th Asiatic Lion Census (May 2025): the population has risen to 891 from 674 in 2020 — a 32.2% increase in five years — all found exclusively in and around Gir in Gujarat.
In previous-year questions
- Under which entry and list of the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution does "protection of wild animals and birds" fall, making it a subject on which both Parliament and State Legislatures can legislate?UPSC · Current Affairs
- The Wildlife Institute of India (WII) has mapped how many elephant corridors across India?UPSC · Current Affairs
- The Great Indian Bustard (GIB), a critically endangered bird that inhabits India's grasslands, is protected under which schedule of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972?UPSC · Current Affairs
- Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary in Kendrapara district, Odisha — one of the areas most severely affected by coastal erosion — is internationally significant primarily because it is:UPSC · Current Affairs
- What is India's National Aquatic Animal, whose habitat in the Ganga is directly affected by floodplain encroachment and river pollution?UPSC · Current Affairs
- Under the Indian Constitution, 'protection of wild animals and birds' appears in which List, permitting both Parliament and State Legislatures to legislate on the subject?UPSC · Current Affairs