News: Concerns have been raised after the Centre confirmed that no Great Indian Bustards (GIB) were spotted in the Kutch Bustard Sanctuary (KBS) in Gujarat’s Kutch district since the start of this year. Centre told this, to a question by a Congress leader in Rajya Sabha. Read the news here.
Background on the recent happenings.
Kutch Bustard Sanctuary (KBS) is a sanctuary notified in 1992 which is the core habitat for the GIB. It consists of most of the eco-sensitive zone and its creation led to an increase in the population of the bird species. From just 30 GIB’s in 1999, KBS saw an increase up to 45 in 2007. But lately, it’s found that infrastructure projects have gained speed which led to the cropping up of windmills and powerlines which have disturbed the overall GIB population. From 2008 onwards the bird population saw a drastic decline and in a heartwrenching stat. it was found that only 25 of them existed in 2016. To make things worse, the KBS staff had disclosed that only 7 GIB’s were spotted, all females and no male was sighted in the region for the past two years.
Looking at this issue, the Supreme Court of India has ordered that all overhead power transmission lines in core and potential GIB habitats in Rajasthan and Gujarat should be undergrounded. Moreover, the apex court also formed a 3 member committee to help the power companies to comply with this order. Read More on Environment and Ecology UPSC
About Great Indian Bustard:
The Great Indian Bustard as the name suggests is a bird species found in the Indian subcontinent characterized with a large and heavy bust. It resembles an Ostrich with bare legs and is one of the heavy flying bird species. Their core habitat is grasslands and scrubs which is why they are mostly found in regions like Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, and also some parts of Pakistan. According to a recent survey, the number of Great Indian Bustard was estimated to be around 150 individuals. This is the reason why ICUN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) has categorized GIB as Critically Endangered. Moreover, they are also protected under the Wildlife Protection Act 1972.
About IUCN from UPSC perspective:
The International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources is an International Organisation established in 1948 which works in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natural resources. It has an Observer Status in United Nations. India is a party to IUCN.
The organization launches a Red Data Book since 1964 which uses a set of criteria to evaluate the risks to global species and their sustenance. Depending on their level of risks, the IUCN’s Red List categorizes species into 9 groups. They are:
- Extinct (EX)
- Extinct in the Wild (EW)
- Critically Endangered (CR)
- Endangered (EN)
- Vulnerable (VU
- Near Threatened (NT)
- Conservation Dependent (CD)
- Least Concern (LC)
- Data Deficient (DD)
- Not Evaluated (NE)
From UPSC Current Affairs view you should focus on
1. Why there is a decline?
2. Possible threats?
3. Where GIB’s are found?
4. The IUCN status and recent conventions in this direction eg the CMS(Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals)
Possible MCQ’s from the related topic:
Recently added to the IUCN Red List of Endangered species, which of the following species is also known as the “Pride of Munnar”?
(a) Sociable Lapwing
(b) Nilgiri Tahr
(c) Javan Rhinoceros
(d) Pink-headed Duck
Ans: b
Consider the following statements with respect to Brown Blotched Bengal Tree Frog
- It is commonly found in the deep jungles of the state of West Bengal.
- It belonged to the genus Polypedates and its body colour is yellowish-brown to greenish-brown.
Which of the statement(s) given above is/are incorrect?
(a). 1 only
(b). 2 only
(c). Both 1 and 2
(d). Neither 1 nor 2
Ans: a
Consider the following statements with respect to Microhyla eos sometimes seen in the news recently
- It is a new species of frog found in Assam.
- Microhyla are a group of narrow-mouthed frogs that is primarily and widely found in India only.
Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?
(a). 1 only
(b). 2 only
(c). Both 1 and 2
(d). Neither 1 nor 2
Ans: d
Consider the following statements with respect to Grizzled Giant Squirrel
- It is usually found in the Eastern Himalayas especially in the state of Arunachal Pradesh.
- It is listed under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.
Which of the statement(s) given above is/are incorrect?
(a). 1 only
(b). 2 only
(c). Both 1 and 2
(d). Neither 1 nor 2
Ans: a
Consider the following statements with reference to the Snow Leopard:
- Snow Leopard is the state animal of Jammu & Kashmir.
- Bishkek Declaration is related to the protection of the species and its environment.
- The Year 2019 was seen as the International Year of the Snow Leopard.
Which of the statement(s) given above is/are incorrect?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) 2 and 3 only
(d) 1 and 3 only
Ans: d
Consider the following statements with reference to the Barn Owl Campaign:
- Union Territory of Pondicherry recruited three pairs of barn owls from Kerala to hunt down rats responsible for deteriorating its coconut yield.
- The campaign was launched as islands are a designated organic zone, where the use of chemicals for pest control is not allowed.
Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) 2 and 3 only
(d) 1 and 3 only
Ans: b
Consider the following statements:
- The tailless Hoolock Gibbon is the only ape found in India.
- Western hoolock gibbon is listed as Vulnerable under the IUCN Redlist.
Which of the statement(s) given above is/are incorrect?
(a). 1 only
(b). 2 only
(c). Both 1 and 2
(d). Neither 1 nor 2
Ans: b
Consider the following statements with reference to Peacock Parachute Spider recently seen in the news:
- It was spotted in the Pakkamalai Reserve Forests in Tamil Nadu.
- It is endemic to India.
Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?
(a). 1 only
(b). 2 only
(c). Both 1 and 2
(d). Neither 1 nor 2
Ans: c
Which of the following states has recently declared ‘Cirrochroa thais’ as the state butterfly?
(a) Kerala
(b) Odisha
(c) Assam
(d) Tamil Nadu
Ans: d
Which of the following is the first species to be officially declared threatened due to deep-sea mining?
(a) Large-tooth Sawfish
(b) Hawksbill Turtle
(c) Scaly- Foot Snail
(d) ‘Maveli’ Frog
Ans: c
With reference to Great Indian Bustard, consider the following statements:
1. It is classified as a Critically Endangered species as per IUCN.
2. Their habitat mainly comprises of tropical forests of North-East India.
Which of the statement given above is/are incorrect?
a) 1 only
b) 2 only
c) Both 1 and 2
d) Neither 1 nor 2
Ans: B
Which of the following is/are true regarding IUCN?
1) World Conservation Congress is IUCN’s principal governing body.
2) It elects the President.
a. Only 1
b. Only 2
c. Both 1 and 2
d. Neither 1 nor 2
Ans: b
IUCN’s World Conservation Congress will focus on which of the following areas?
a. Plight of island nations due to rising seas
b. Greenhouse gases
c. Deforestation
d. Droughts and Famines
Ans: a
More on this website for your UPSC Preparation:
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS: https://currentaffairsupsc.in/international-relations/
POLITY: https://currentaffairsupsc.in/polity/
ECONOMICS: https://currentaffairsupsc.in/economics/
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY: https://currentaffairsupsc.in/science-technology/
ENVIRONMENT & ECO.: https://currentaffairsupsc.in/environment-ecology-and-biodiversity/
HISTORY: https://currentaffairsupsc.in/history/
MISC: https://currentaffairsupsc.in/misc/