GK Express of 30/01/2026

🚆 GK Express 2.0

Discipline • Clarity • Competitive Preparation

TODAY’S FOCUS → FRIDAY - INDIAN ENVIRONMENT AND BIO-DIVERSITY

🧠 Thought of the Day

“Earth provides enough to satisfy every man's needs, but not every man's greed.”

— Mahatma Gandhi

📰 Current Affairs (Env.)

1. Project Cheetah 2.0:
   
   The government has approved the Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary (MP) as the second home for cheetahs. Fencing and habitat development are currently underway to prepare for the next batch of translocations from Africa.
2. Great Indian Bustard (GIB) Conservation:
   
   The Supreme Court recently formed a high-level committee to balance the preservation of the critically endangered GIB with the installation of power transmission lines in Rajasthan and Gujarat.

📘 Concept of the Day

Subject: Biodiversity Conservation

Concept: Biodiversity Hotspots in India

A "Biodiversity Hotspot" is a biogeographic region with significant levels of biodiversity that is threatened by human habitation. The concept was introduced by Norman Myersin 1988.

Two Strict Criteria to qualify:

• It must contain at least 1,500 species of vascular plants (> 0.5% of the world’s total) as endemics.
• It has to have lost at least 70% of its primary vegetation.

The 4 Hotspots in India:

• The Himalayas: Includes the entire Indian Himalayan region.
• Indo-Burma: Includes entire North-eastern India (except Assam and Andamans).
• The Western Ghats: Also known as the Sahyadri Hills.
• Sundaland: Includes the Nicobar group of Islands.

🤔 Think About This

Tap a question to reveal the answer

1. What is the significance of 'Biosphere Reserves' in the conservation of biodiversity in India.

Significance:
1. In-situ Conservation: They conserve species in their natural habitats (Core Zone).
2. Sustainable Development: They balance economic development with environmental protection (Transition Zone).
3. Research & Monitoring: They act as 'living laboratories' for scientific studies (Buffer Zone).
4. Community Participation: They involve local tribes and communities in conservation efforts, reducing human-wildlife conflict.

2. "Human-Wildlife conflict is a result of habitat fragmentation." Analyze.

Analysis:
1. Fragmentation: Roads, railways, and canals break large forest tracts, isolating animal populations.
2. Resource Scarcity: Animals (like Elephants/Leopards) stray into villages seeking food and water due to shrinking habitats.
3. Corridor Loss: Loss of traditional migration corridors forces animals to pass through human settlements.
Way Forward:

Eco-bridges, bio-fencing, and restoring elephant corridors are essential.

📝 Let’s Write an Exam

Q.1 (UPSC PYQ)
Considering the following areas:
1. Bandipur
2. Bhitarkanika
3. Manas
4. Sunderbans

Which of the above are declared as Tiger Reserves?

A) 1 and 2 only

B) 1, 3 and 4 only

C) 2, 3 and 4 only

D) 1, 2, 3 and 4

Answer: B
• Bandipur (Karnataka), Manas (Assam), and Sunderbans (West Bengal) are famous Tiger Reserves.
• Bhitarkanika (Odisha) is a National Park famous for Saltwater Crocodiles and Mangroves, not a Tiger Reserve.

It is India's second-largest mangrove ecosystem (672 sq km), famed as a "mini Amazon".

Q.2 (UPSC PYQ)
Which one of the following is not a site for the 'in-situ' method of conservation of flora?

A) Biosphere Reserve

B) Botanical Garden

C) National Park

D) Wildlife Sanctuary

Answer: B
• In-situ: Conservation in natural habitat (e.g., National Parks, Sanctuaries, Biosphere Reserves).
• Ex-situ: Conservation outside natural habitat (e.g., Botanical Gardens, Zoos, Seed Banks).

✍️ Answer These Questions

1.What is the full form of NGT?

2.World Environment Day is celebrated on which date?

GK Express @ Juniors Hostel
Curated with discipline by Nikhil Dasari