Daily Quiz: UPSC Prelims Marathon – March 7, 2020

Hard ground swamp deer (Barasingha or Rucervus duvaucelii), the state animal of Madhya Pradesh, is seeing a revival in the Kanha National Park and Tiger Reserve (KNPTR) after having been perilously close to extinction for a long time. The species now numbers 800, after five decades of persistent conservation work. KNPTR is on the Maikal range of the Satpura hills, and is spread over an area of 940 square kilometres between Mandla and Balaghat districts of Madhya Pradesh. The swamp deer is endemic to KNPTR. In 1967, the numbers of swamp deer decreased to 66 due to rampant hunting, habitat loss and diseases. The number was estimated at around 551 in 1953. The deer was brought back from the verge of extinction with the help of a successful breeding programme and conservation practices at the KNPTR.

Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act came into effect in 2006. It seeks to recognize forest rights of Scheduled Tribes and other traditional forest dwellers who have been occupying and are dependent on the forest land for generations. It envisions the forest rights committee of a village as the central unit in managing forest resources.

The Punjab and Haryana High Court has declared Sukhna Lake legal entity and has ordered demolition of legal/unauthorized constructions in its catchment area. Sukhna Lake in Chandigarh is a reservoir at the foothills (Shivalik hills) of the Himalayas. This lake was created in 1958 by Le Corbusier and the Chief Engineer P L Verma by damming the Sukhna Choe, a seasonal stream coming down from the Shivalik Hills. The lake is a sanctuary for many exotic migratory birds like the Siberian duck, storks and cranes during the winter months.

The Global Environment Outlook (GEO) is often referred to as UN Environment’s flagship environmental assessment.  The first publication was in 1997 and was originally requested by Member States. It is a flagship report because it fulfills the core functions of the organization, which date back to the UN General Assembly resolution that established the UN Environment Programme in 1972. The Global Environment Outlook (GEO) is a consultative and participatory process to prepare an independent assessment of the state of the environment, the effectiveness of the policy response to address these environmental challenges and the possible pathways to be achieve various internationally agreed environmental goals.

The Global Tiger Forum (GTF) is the only inter- governmental international body established with members from willing countries to embark on a global campaign to protect the Tiger. The GTF was formed in 1993 on recommendations from an international symposium on Tiger Conservation at New Delhi, India. The first meeting of the Tiger Range countries to setup the forum was held in 1994, in which India was elected to the Chair and was asked to form an interim secretariat. In 1997, the GTF became an independent organization. The GTF has a General Assembly meeting every 3 years and Standing committee meetings at least once a year. A Chairperson, usually a Minister from one of the Tiger Range countries heads GTF for a fixed tenure of 3 Years. The Secretariat of GTF is headed by a Secretary General and is located in New Delhi, India.