UPSC Key: Railway line through tiger corridor, Disaster drills, and Pellet guns

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national importance and environment. 

Mains Examination: General Studies-II, III: Government policies and interventions, Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment.

What’s the ongoing story: Central India’s key tiger corridor between the Satpura and Melghat tiger reserves stands to be fragmented because in-principle wildlife clearance for a third railway line between Jujharpur and Chichonda in Madhya Pradesh has been recommended by the Standing Committee of the National Board for Wildlife (SC-NBWL). 

Key Points to Ponder:

— How do tigers function as an umbrella species and why is their conservation critical for biodiversity?

— What is the conservation status of Tiger?

— What is India’s tiger population? How many tiger reserves are in India? 

— What is the importance of the Tiger Corridor?

— What are the major tiger reserves in India?

—  Read about the ‘Project Tiger’?

— What is tiger reintroduction? What are the challenges of tiger reintroduction programmes?

— What are the initiatives taken by the government for tiger conservation?

— Know about the Satpura and Melghat tiger reserves.

Key Takeaways:

— The clearance is subject to the condition that mitigation structures — such as overpasses for safe passage of wildlife across the rail alignment — suggested by the Central Railway are reviewed and finalised based on proper scientific study and engineering designs, according to the minutes of the SC-NBWL’s July 9 meeting.

— The proposed railway line will pass through two notified tiger corridors, and an eco-sensitive zone in the Satpura-Melghat landscape, according to official documents. The Satpura tiger reserve is in Madhya Pradesh while the Melghat tiger reserve is in Maharashtra.

— Tiger corridors provide safe pathways for many wildlife species including tigers, leopards, herbivores, sloth bears, helping the animals disperse to newer landscape and aiding genetic flow of wildlife. 

— A committee that inspected the alignment sites noted in its report to the SC-NBWL that the forest stretch and corridors are a lifeline for the Satpura-Pench-Melghat landscape, and hence the project should be seen in the context of current and future perspectives.

— The 160.6-km stretch between Jujharpur (Betul district) and Chichonda (Narmadapuram district), forms part of a longer 290-km third and fourth railway line on the busy Itarsi-Nagpur route, proposed by the Central Railway, Mumbai headquarters. The alignment passes through forest areas, two notified tiger corridors and an eco-sensitive zone.

— The project requires use of 206.09 hectares of land – 74.69 hectares of forest land and 131.4 hectares of non-forest land – falling in the notified tiger corridor.

Do You Know:

— Tiger corridors are vital wildlife pathways that connect tiger habitats, enabling animal movement, gene flow, and long term survival.

— Under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, development projects requiring land in or around tiger reserves or corridors require statutory clearance from the standing committee of the National Board for Wildlife. 

— A tiger reserve in India is a designated area established under the Project Tiger initiative to ensure the conservation of tigers and their habitats. These reserves are part of the government’s efforts to protect the tiger population, maintain biodiversity, and restore ecological balance.

Facts about Tigers 📍Scientific Name: Panthera tigris 📍Wildlife Protection Act (WPA), 1972 status: Schedule I. 📍IUCN Red List status: Endangered. 📍CITES status: Appendix I. 📍Habitats: Tropical rainforests, evergreen forests, temperate forests, mangrove swamps, grasslands, and savannas. 📍Major Tiger Landscapes in India: Shivalik-Gangetic plains, Central India and Eastern Ghats, Western Ghats, North Eastern Hills & Brahmaputra Flood Plains and Sundarbans.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍UPSC Issue at a Glance | Why Tigers Matter: Environmental, cultural, and economic significance of India’s apex predator  

📍Govt’s plan to revive struggling tiger reserves

Previous year UPSC Prelims Questions Covering similar theme:

(1) Among the following Tiger Reserves, which one has the largest area under “Critical Tiger Habitat”? (UPSC CSE 2020)

(a) Corbett

(b) Ranthambore

(c) Nagarjunasagar-Srisailam

(d) Sundarbans

(2) The term ‘M-STrIPES’ is sometimes seen in the news in the context of (UPSC CSE 2017)

(a) Captive breeding of Wild Fauna

(b) Maintenance of Tiger Reserves

(c) Indigenous Satellite Navigation System

(d) Security of National Highways

 

WORLD

China issues new rules to assert its control over South China Sea shoal

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

Mains Examination: General Studies-II: Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests.

What’s the ongoing story: China on Saturday issued management measures for the Huangyan Dao National Nature Reserve in the disputed South China Sea, a move likely to further escalate its maritime row with the Philippines, which has counterclaims over the shoal. 

Key Points to Ponder:

— What is the South China Sea?

— What is the ‘nine-dash line’?

— Why is the South China Sea strategically important? 

— What are the disputed islands in the South China Sea?

— Read about the Scarborough Shoal dispute in the South China Sea.

— What is India’s stand on the South China Sea?

— What is India’s Act East policy?

— Read about the SAGAR and MAHASAGAR doctrines.

— Map work: Locate South China Sea and disputed islands. 

Key Takeaways:

— The measures are a key step in safeguarding the diversity, stability and sustainability of the Huangyan Dao natural ecosystem, an official announcement said. 

— Under the rules, a routine patrol system will be established to promptly investigate and handle violations in accordance with the law.

— Violators will be held accountable under relevant laws and regulations, the state-run Xinhua news agency quoted the rules jointly issued by the Ministry of Natural Resources, the National Forestry and Grassland Administration, the China Coast Guard, and the Hainan provincial government.

— Without prior approval, any activities such as fishing, mining, and the extraction of corals, coral reefs, or giant clams that damage rare marine species and the natural ecosystem are prohibited, it said.

— No individual or organization may enter the reserve, except as otherwise provided by laws and regulations or for activities organized for conservation and management purposes, it said.

Do You Know:

— The South China Sea is situated just south of the Chinese mainland and is bordered by the countries of Brunei, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam.

— The South China Sea is one of the most strategically critical maritime areas and China eyes its control to assert more power over the region. In 1947, the country, under the rule of the nationalist Kuomintang party, issued a map with the so-called “nine-dash line”.

— The nine-dash line essentially encircles Beijing’s claimed waters and islands of the South China Sea — as much as 90% of the sea has been claimed by China. The line continued to appear in the official maps even after the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) came to power.

— In the past few years, the country has also tried to stop other nations from conducting any military or economic operation without its consent, saying the sea falls under its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). China’s sweeping claims, however, have been widely contested by other countries. 

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Knowledge Nugget | South China Sea back in spotlight: What’s happening and why it matters

UPSC Prelims Practice Question Covering similar theme:

(3) Which of the following countries is not included in territorial disputes in the South China Sea?

(a) Brunei

(b) Vietnam

(c) Thailand

(d) Philippines

Previous year UPSC Mains Question Covering similar theme:

Evaluate the economic and strategic dimensions of India’s Look East Policy in the context of the post-Cold War international scenario. (UPSC CSE 2016)

 

ECONOMY 

RBI’s swap window draws $40.8bn forex inflows under 2 months

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

Mains Examination: General Studies-III: Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization of resources, growth, development. 

What’s the ongoing story: The Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) concessional swap facility has attracted foreign exchange inflows worth over $40 billion in less than two months, reflecting strong overseas investor and depositor response to the central bank’s liquidity-enhancing measure. 

Key Points to Ponder:

— What are Foreign Currency Non-Resident (Bank) deposits? 

— What is the Reserve Bank of India’s foreign exchange swap facility? 

— What is the significance of RBI’s foreign exchange swap facility in managing external sector stability?

— How FCNR(B) deposits strengthen India’s foreign exchange reserves?

— What are External Commercial Borrowings (ECBs)?

— What is the impact of the West Asia Crisis on India’s external sector?

— What are advantages and limitations of using swap facilities? 

Key Takeaways:

— The RBI on Saturday said total inflows mobilised under the special facility stood at $40.816 billion as on July 31, 2026. Of this, Foreign Currency Non-Resident (Bank) — FCNR(B) — deposits accounted for the largest share at $36.725 billion, followed by Overseas Foreign Currency Borrowings (OFCBs) at $2.575 billion and External Commercial Borrowings (ECBs) at $1.516 billion.

— The central bank had announced the concessional swap facility on June 5, 2026, to encourage fresh foreign currency inflows and support domestic liquidity. The scheme became operational on June 8, 2026.

— Under the facility, the RBI offers concessional swap arrangements for fresh FCNR(B) deposits mobilised by banks as well as eligible OFCB and ECB inflows. The swap window for FCNR(B) deposits will remain open until September 30, 2026, while the facility for OFCBs and ECBs will continue until December 31, 2026.

— FCNR(B) deposits are fixed-term bank deposits that can be opened in India by NRIs, Overseas Citizens of India (OCIs) and Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs). These deposits allow overseas Indians to maintain their savings in designated foreign currencies such as the US dollar, pound sterling, euro, Japanese yen, Australian dollar and Canadian dollar, rather than converting their funds into Indian rupees. 

— Interest earned on FCNR(B) deposits is exempt from income tax in India as long as the depositor qualifies as a non-resident under Indian tax laws. Under the current framework, banks can offer rates linked to internationally accepted benchmark rates.

— With two months to go for the scheme’s closure, experts are expecting $70-80 billion inflows. The scheme was introduced to stabilise the rupee and foreign exchange reserves of the country which came under pressure due to the West Asia conflict and rise in crude oil prices. 

— The overwhelming contribution from FCNR(B) deposits indicates strong participation by non-resident Indians, helping banks mobilise long-term foreign currency resources at a time when the RBI is seeking to bolster foreign exchange liquidity.

Do You Know:

— The FCNR (B) swap scheme is revived after nearly 13 years with the vision that it will do much of the heavy lifting when it comes to bringing in foreign inflows. The facility is a plain buy/sell foreign exchange swap from the RBI side covering only the principal amount of the deposits and not the interest component. 

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍UPSC Issue at a Glance | Decoding India’s 3F Challenge: Fuel, Fertiliser and Foreign Exchange

UPSC Prelims Practice Question Covering similar theme:

(4) Consider the following statements with reference to Foreign Currency Non-Resident (Bank) [FCNR(B)] deposits:

1. FCNR(B) deposits can be opened by Non-Resident Indians (NRIs), Overseas Citizens of India (OCIs), and Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs).

2. These deposits are maintained in designated foreign currencies and do not require conversion into Indian rupees.

3. The interest earned on FCNR(B) deposits is exempt from income tax in India as long as the depositor qualifies as a non-resident under Indian tax laws.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

(a) 1 and 3 only

(b) 1 and 2 only

(c) 2 and 3 only

(d) 1, 2, and 3

 

OPINION 

A call for disaster drills for Indians

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Indian and World Geography-Physical, Social, Economic Geography of India and the World.

Mains Examination: General Studies-I, II, III: Important Geophysical phenomena such as earthquakes, Tsunami, Volcanic activity, cyclone etc., Government policies and interventions, Disaster and disaster management. 

What’s the ongoing story: Roxy Mathew Koll writes- “Wherever we live in India, we now face some form of extreme weather. The danger may be a heatwave, cyclone, cloudburst, flash flood or landslide. The hazards differ, but no part of the country can assume it is safe. Yet most of us have never taken part in a disaster drill.”

Key Points to Ponder:

— Assam floods-which are affected areas? 

— Why is disaster preparedness as important as disaster response?

— What is the importance of disaster drills?

— What steps have been taken by the government for management of extreme weather events in India?

— What should India do to reduce the risk of future catastrophe?

— Read about the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and its functions.

Key Takeaways:

— “Every summer, people collapse. Every monsoon, children and adults are swept away. During the recent Assam floods, 13-year-old Hridip Panika entered the floodwaters to save his puppy. He saved the animal, but lost his life in the current. Many of these deaths unfold within minutes, before trained help can arrive. Survival depends on a few immediate decisions.”

— “In a recent assessment, we found that hot days have increased by about five to ten days per decade since the 1950s, while extreme rain events causing floods over India tripled. Meanwhile, India has improved its ability to forecast heatwaves, cyclones and heavy rain. Alerts now reach millions through television, mobile phones and social media. However, a warning only tells us that danger is approaching. It does not teach us what to do. That knowledge has to be learnt and practised before the emergency.”

— “A World Health Organization regional report cites 36,362 drowning deaths in India in 2021. Just 15 centimetres of fast-moving water can knock an adult down, while about 30 cm can carry away many cars. Yet people routinely walk, ride or drive into floodwater without knowing its depth, speed or what lies beneath.”

— “India needs a national culture of disaster drills. Every school, college, government office and workplace should conduct two mandatory seasonal drills each year, one before the heatwave season and another before the monsoon.”

— “A heat drill should simulate a student or worker developing severe weakness, dizziness or confusion. Participants should know who calls for medical help, where rapid cooling will begin and who checks on those at greater risk. Every institution should identify a shaded or cooled room, maintain drinking water and know when outdoor work, sports and assemblies must stop.”

— “A monsoon drill should be equally practical. Students and staff should walk the evacuation route to higher ground, practise head counts and test an alternative route in case the main exit is flooded. They should learn never to enter or drive through moving water, and to stay away from submerged drains and electrical wires.”

— “Children should be taught to throw a rope or flotation aid from a safe position and call trained rescuers, instead of jumping into the water. Survival swimming and basic water-rescue skills should become part of education in flood-prone districts.”

— “Disaster management must become a practical part of education from the primary level. Children should learn local hazards, warning colours, safe routes, signs of heat illness and basic first aid. Older students can learn emergency communication, evacuation and community volunteering. These abilities should be demonstrated, not memorised. A child who learns them at school will also carry them home.”

— “India is not starting from zero. The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) already provides for school disaster plans, mock drills and village-level drill calendars based on local hazards. Yet a six-state survey found that most schools had not held the drills, many lacked evacuation plans and only about a quarter had trained staff and students.”

— “Every panchayat and urban ward should designate at least one local safety point. It should be accessible to people with disabilities and have water, cooling, first aid, toilets, backup lighting and communication. Its location and routes should be displayed publicly.”

— “District disaster management authorities should coordinate drills with schools, health departments, fire services, local governments and trained volunteers. Strong infrastructure, health services and emergency response remain essential.”

— “Half an hour of practice twice a year is a small demand. In an emergency, the decisions made during those first few minutes can determine who reaches safety.”

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍UPSC Issue at a Glance | Assam Floods: The anatomy of flash floods, from sudden disasters to smarter preparedness

Previous year UPSC main Question Covering similar theme:

Account for the huge flooding of million cities in India including the smart ones like Hyderabad and Pune. Suggest lasting remedial measures. (UPSC CSE 2020)

Santiago to Shopian and Delhi —pellet guns in crowd control

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

Mains Examination: General Studies-III, IV: Disaster and disaster management and Various Security forces and agencies and their mandate, accountability and ethical governance.

What’s the ongoing story: Murari writes- “On July 30, inside the Supreme Court, legal arguments clashed with a physical tragedy. At the heart of the debate were Sahil Lochab, a 19-year-old student fighting to save his eye after a metal pellet tore into it, and Irshad Sheikh, a young worker who underwent surgery for embedded pellets.”

Key Points to Ponder:

— What is a pellet gun?

— Are pellet guns legal for crowd control in India?

— How severe can pellet injuries be?

— What is crowd management?

— What are the methods of crowd riot control by the police?

— What law says about controlling protests and large numbers of gatherings?

— How does the law differentiate between lawful and unlawful gatherings?

— What is the concept of graded use of force in crowd management?

Key Takeaways:

— “The court refused an outright ban, noting exceptional situations, but left the door open for an inquiry. Yet, a chilling question hung in the air. How did a shotgun, used for years in conflict zones, end up being fired at unarmed students in the heart of Delhi?”

— “To understand how we got here, we must look at the history of pellet guns and their use in crowd control. Using them on civilian crowds is a modern nightmare born from an attempt to be ‘merciful’. The blueprint was drawn in 1950s’ Hong Kong. Following the bloody Double Ten riots, colonial police fired wooden baton rounds, or projectiles made of wood, to control violent mobs. The British military improvised further during The Troubles in Northern Ireland.”

— “In 1970, facing Catholic civil rights protests, soldiers fired rubber and later, plastic bullets. Fired at close range, they shattered bones and skulls. A 10-year-old boy in Derry was completely blinded, and 17 people were killed. Pellet-firing shotguns followed, causing immediate, severe facial injuries.”

— “The weapon travelled the world, almost always finding the fragile human eye. During the First Intifada between 1987 and 1993, the Israeli military fired rubber and plastic rounds directly at Palestinian protesters, starting decades of life-altering eye injuries affecting children. This approach to riot control eventually found its way to Europe.”

— “For years, the police fired these weapons into crowds with no clear international rules. The United Nations finally stepped in with the UN Human Rights Office releasing in 2020 its first-ever comprehensive guidance on less-lethal weapons to fill this void. They realised that governments were deploying these weapons with zero global standards on their design, testing, or use.”

— “When it came to metal shotgun pellets, the UN was absolute: they should never be used for crowd control. Because they scatter wildly, it is physically impossible to aim them safely, making them inherently indiscriminate.”

— “India too has a documented history of deploying pellet guns. The pump-action shotguns used by paramilitary forces are made at Rifle Factory Ishapore in Ichhapur, West Bengal. A single cartridge shoots hundreds of high-velocity metal pellets that scatter wildly.”

— “On January 12, 2018, then Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti informed the state Assembly that 9,042 people were injured between July 8, 2016, and February 27, 2017, during the unrest following the killing of Burhan Wani. Of these, 6,221 sustained pellet injuries.”

— “During that 2016 unrest, schoolgirl Insha Mushtaq was hit by pellets while standing by her window, losing her sight completely. Ten years later, the government finally released funds to help her run a gas agency.”

— “Following the 2016 outcry over Kashmir, the Union Home Ministry formed a committee, deciding that forces must first use chilli shells and stun grenades, keeping pellet guns as a final resort.”

— “Governments worldwide often reach for these weapons hoping to control crowds without killing. But as courts argue over police manuals, for many young people with pellet injuries — from Santiago to Shopian to New Delhi — the reality on the ground remains unchanged.”

Do You Know:

— Pellets are loaded with lead and once fired they disperse in huge numbers. They don’t follow a definite path. Pellets penetrate the skin’s soft tissues, and eye being the delicate structure is the most vulnerable to damage. Once the pellet goes inside an eye it shatters tissues and causes multiple damages to all parts of the eye.

— Pellet guns were introduced by the J&K police in 2010 when more then 100 people were killed during the stone-pelting protests. Police officials said that one cartridge of a pellet gun contains a few hundred pellets which resemble ball bearings. The moment it is fired, the cartridge bursts and immediately throws hundreds of pellet from a single point. 

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍RAF man fired 7 rounds from pellet gun, 5 hit protesters: Probe 

📍What are pellet guns and why are they so lethal? 

 

ALSO IN NEWS

No junk food within 50 metres of schools and colleges: New Karnataka advisory

— The Karnataka Food Safety and Drug Administration (FSDA) department has issued an advisory restricting the sale of food products high in fat, sugar, and salt within a 50-metre radius of schools and colleges in the state.

The advisory comes in the wake of FSDA inspections of food business establishments located around 134 schools and colleges in July.

— The department directed all food establishments located near schools to be licensed and registered under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. It also said that food safety officers will conduct regular inspections around schools and colleges.

— Violation of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 and the Food Safety and Standards Rules/Regulations, 2011 will result in “issuance of improvement notices, suspension or cancellation of licence, seizure of food products, and judicial proceedings, wherever necessary”, it added.

Record July dispatches by Coal India as reliance on thermal power rises

— India’s largest coal miner, Coal India Ltd (CIL), reported an 8.44% year-on-year increase in coal production to 50.36 million tonnes (MT) in July, while coal dispatches surged 18.38% to 64.19 MT, driven by higher demand from the power sector.

— CIL’s cumulative coal supplies during the first four months of FY27 (April-July) also touched a record high of 262.04 MT, up 6.9% year-on-year, surpassing the previous best of 259.4 MT recorded during the corresponding period of FY25.

— The sharp rise in coal production and dispatches comes as below-normal monsoon rainfall has increased the power system’s reliance on coal-fired generation amid a decline in hydroelectric output.

— The southwest monsoon, which lasts until September, has been affected by an intensifying El Niño, resulting in drier-than-normal conditions across large parts of the country.

— Although rainfall improved in July after a significantly dry June, the recovery has been insufficient to erase the seasonal deficit, with cumulative rainfall still about 13% below normal. — The weak monsoon has also kept electricity demand elevated for cooling and irrigation, pushing the country’s peak power demand to 270 gigawatts (GW) in July.

UPI transactions hit record high of Rs29.9 lakh cr in July

— Transactions through the popular Unified Payments Interface (UPI) again reached a record high of Rs 29.9 lakh crore in July, according to data released by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI). UPI transactions touched a record high of Rs 29.9 lakh crore in May 2026.

— As per the data released on Saturday, UPI transactions in volume terms were 23.66 billion in July, higher than 23.2 billion in May and 22.72 billion in June.

PRELIMS ANSWER KEY

1. (c) 2. (b)  3. (c) 4. (d) 

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