Current affairs
News for UPSC, SSC and defence exams, with the reason it matters.
Two captive-bred Great Indian Bustards released into the wild at Desert National Park
- On 4 October 2026, two male Great Indian Bustards were released at Sam, Desert National Park, Jaisalmer.
- The breeding centres at Sam and Ramdevra hold 97 birds; 11 are earmarked for release.
- Of the 97, 40 came from wild-laid eggs and 57 were bred in captivity.
Why it matters
[First] The programme now moves from captive breeding to rewilding. It is run by the Environment Ministry, Rajasthan Forest Department and the Wildlife Institute of India. National CAMPA funds it. About 200 sq km of fenced grassland enclosures inside the park serve as breeding habitat. The Supreme Court's GIB judgment guides the conservation work.
First captive-bred Great Indian Bustards set for pilot release into the wild in Jaisalmer
- Two captive-bred male Great Indian Bustard chicks are set for a pilot wild release on 4 October 2026.
- They will go into enclosures in Desert National Park, Jaisalmer, fitted with radio tags.
- The release starts the 'rewilding' phase of Project GIB, running since 2013.
Why it matters
[First] This is the first time captive-bred Great Indian Bustards will enter the wild. The bird is critically endangered, with about 140 left in the wild. Collisions with power lines from renewable projects are a major threat. The Supreme Court has ordered such lines outside the park buried by December 2027.
Asked before: UPSC Prelims 2020 asked a statement question on India's Desert National Park.
Tigress T138 released in Bengal’s Buxa Tiger Reserve to begin tiger reintroduction
- On 2 October 2026, three-year-old tigress T138 was released into Buxa Tiger Reserve, West Bengal.
- She was brought from Bihar's Valmiki Tiger Reserve, chosen for its similar terrain.
- Two to three more tigers are likely to be added to the reserve.
Why it matters
[Policy] This starts a phased plan to build a breeding, self-sustaining tiger population in Buxa. Reintroduction means bringing tigers back where they went locally extinct. India began this at Sariska and Panna in 2008. The NTCA has since run it across 12 tiger reserves. Buxa connects to forests in Bhutan and to Manas Tiger Reserve.
India’s cheetah population reaches 52, four years after reintroduction
- India now has 52 cheetahs, four years after Project Cheetah began on 17 September 2022.
- 32 cubs have been born in India since the reintroduction.
- 49 cheetahs live in Kuno National Park and 3 in Gandhi Sagar Sanctuary.
Why it matters
[Environment] Project Cheetah is a frequent exam topic. Know the two sites in Madhya Pradesh and the three source countries.
Gujarat completes mangrove planting on 27,000 hectares in Kutch under MISHTI
- Gujarat has planted mangroves on 27,000 hectares in Kutch under the MISHTI scheme.
- Its target under the scheme is 29,000 hectares.
- Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav visited a nursery at Jakhau that raises mangrove and seaweed species.
Why it matters
[Environment] MISHTI stands for Mangrove Initiative for Shoreline Habitats and Tangible Incomes. Mangroves protect coasts from storms and erosion.
Heatwaves and lightning added to India’s list of notified natural calamities
- The Home Ministry told the Lok Sabha on 4 August 2026 that heatwaves and lightning are now notified calamities.
- This takes the list of notified natural calamities to 14.
- The change follows the Sixteenth Finance Commission's recommendation.
Why it matters
[Policy] Under Article 280, the Finance Commission recommends disaster fund arrangements. FC-XVI set ₹2.04 lakh crore for State disaster funds for 2026-31.
Asked before: CDS (II) 2020 asked which Ministry the National Disaster Management Authority works under.
National Biodiversity Authority releases Rs 2.82 crore under Access and Benefit-Sharing
- The National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) released Rs 2.82 crore under the Access and Benefit-Sharing (ABS) mechanism.
- Rs 2.80 crore went to 27 State Biodiversity Boards and 3 Union Territory Biodiversity Councils.
- About Rs 2.01 lakh went to ICAR-Indian Institute of Horticultural Research, Karnataka.
Why it matters
[Environment] ABS means that whoever earns money from India's biological resources shares a part with the local people who conserved them. India's Biological Diversity Act, 2002 sets up a three-tier system: the NBA, State Biodiversity Boards and local BMCs.
BRICS Environment Ministers in New Delhi oppose EU’s carbon border tax (CBAM) as ‘unilateral’
- The 12th BRICS Environment Ministers' Meeting was held in New Delhi on 18 August 2026, under India's chairship.
- Its joint statement opposed 'unilateral, punitive, discriminatory and protectionist' climate measures, including the EU's CBAM.
- CBAM entered its definitive phase on 1 January 2026. It covers iron and steel, aluminium, cement, fertilisers, hydrogen and electricity.
Why it matters
[Policy] CBAM taxes the carbon in imports. The EU says it stops 'carbon leakage'. Developing countries call it a trade barrier. India's steel exports face the biggest hit, just as the India-EU FTA starts.
Asked before: UPSC CSP 2025 asked a statement-based question on BRICS.
Supreme Court: no State can block elephant corridors; orders nationwide survey
- The Supreme Court gave the order on 17 August 2026.
- It said no State can block elephant corridors.
- The Centre must conduct a fresh nationwide survey of the corridors.
Why it matters
[Environment] Elephants are Schedule I animals under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. Herds move across many States. Blocked corridors push them into villages and raise human-elephant conflict.
Asked before: UPSC Prelims 2020 asked a statement question on Indian elephants.
Three new cascade frog species found in Northeast India; one named after Padmini Varkey
- Scientists described three new cascade frog species of the genus Amolops.
- They are Amolops ammachi (Tripura), Amolops sendenyu (Nagaland) and Amolops bella (West Bengal).
- Five more cascade frog species were recorded in India for the first time.
Why it matters
[Environment] Cascade frogs live in fast-flowing forest streams. The finds came from over 15 years of fieldwork. They show how rich the Northeast's biodiversity is.
Supreme Court orders Rajasthan to set up river authority to revive polluted Jojari-Bandi-Luni rivers
- The Supreme Court ruled on 7 August 2026 in a suo motu case on the Jojari river.
- It asked Rajasthan to form a coordination group under the Chief Secretary.
- Rajasthan must also set up an independent River Rejuvenation Authority.
Why it matters
[SC Ruling] The Jojari flows into the Luni, the main river of the Thar region. The Luni ends in the Rann of Kutch, not the sea. The case was titled "2 Million Lives At Risk".
ONGC completes two deep geothermal wells at Puga, Ladakh, for India’s first geothermal power project
- ONGC Energy Centre completed two geothermal wells, GT-02 and GT-03, at Puga Valley in Ladakh.
- Ladakh Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena unveiled a plaque at the site on 17 July 2026.
- The wells will feed a planned 1 MW pilot plant. It is meant to be India's first demonstration-scale geothermal power project.
Why it matters
[Environment] Geothermal energy uses heat from inside the Earth. Unlike solar and wind, it can give power all day and night. Puga sits high in the Himalayas, near the meeting zone of two tectonic plates.