Raman Academy · Daily Current Affairs
The Hindu — Important News Articles & Editorial Analysis
Tuesday · 06 October 2026Edition: International
Article 1 · Page 01GS II & III · Polity & EconomyPrelims + Mains
SC refuses to stay proceedings against Nicobar project
The Supreme Court’s refusal to stay Calcutta High Court proceedings challenging the Great Nicobar Island Project highlights the constitutional balance between strategic and economic development, environmental protection, tribal rights and cultural preservation. A three-judge Bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant emphasised that preservation of tribal culture is constitutionally protected and urged the High Court to decide the pending petitions expeditiously.
The development case vs the challenge before the courts
| Dimension | Union government’s case | Petitioners’ challenge |
|---|---|---|
| Scale & purpose | Project worth over ₹72,000 crore, including a major container transshipment terminal — of “immense” national importance for maritime connectivity, growth and strategic interests in the Indian Ocean | Petitions before the Calcutta High Court (including by former Environment Secretary Meena Gupta) call it a threat to the area’s fragile ecosystem |
| Ecology | NGT upheld the environmental clearance subject to conditions, including a High Powered Committee to re-examine ecological concerns; a subsequent review was rejected in April 2023 | Requires diversion of over 130 sq. km of tropical forest; threatens island biodiversity |
| Tribal rights | Attorney-General: there was “no loss of habitation” for the indigenous tribal population, including the endangered Shompen | May adversely affect the Shompen and Nicobarese communities; violates the Forest Rights Act, 2006 and threatens the tribes’ traditional way of life |
Supreme Court’s Observations
- The Centre sought a stay citing the project’s national and strategic importance, arguing the NGT had already considered environmental concerns; the Supreme Court declined to intervene and asked the Calcutta High Court to decide the pending petitions without delay.
- The Court indicated that national security considerations must be distinguished from commercial interests — there should be some “degree of filtration” between what constitutes the security of the State and what involves commercial interests.
- Justice Joymalya Bagchi (on the Bench with Justice V. Mohana) underlined that “preservation of culture is a constitutionally protected fundamental right… tribe culture requires constitutional protection”.
- The Shompen are recognised as a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG), making concerns about their culture, habitat and traditional practices especially significant; the High Court has scheduled 25–26 November for the constitutional issues centring on fundamental rights and preservation of the tribes’ way of life.
Constitutional & Legal Dimensions
- Article 21: The right to life has been interpreted to include a dignified life and a healthy environment.
- Article 29: Protects the right of sections of citizens to conserve their distinct language, script and culture.
- Fifth and Sixth Schedules: Provide special governance arrangements for specified tribal areas — though they do not directly govern the Nicobar Islands.
- Forest Rights Act, 2006: Recognises forest-dwelling communities’ rights and provides safeguards for customary access and forest resources.
- Article 14: Requires state action to be non-arbitrary and consistent with constitutional standards.
India Implications
- The case crystallises the challenge of reconciling strategic infrastructure development with ecological sustainability and indigenous rights — environmental clearances and tribunal decisions do not automatically resolve questions of cultural rights, forest rights or constitutional safeguards.
- A balanced approach requires independent ecological assessment, meaningful consultation with affected tribal communities, strict compliance with forest-rights legislation and transparent monitoring of environmental conditions.
- Himachal angle: The same triangle — development vs ecology vs community — defines HP’s own debates over hydropower and highway projects in fragile Kinnaur and Lahaul; notably, HP’s tribal belts (Lahaul–Spiti, Kinnaur, and Pangi–Bharmour) are Fifth Schedule Scheduled Areas, so FRA compliance, tribal consultation and cultural protection are live administrative questions at home, not just in the Nicobars.
The Supreme Court’s decision does not halt the Great Nicobar Project; it allows the constitutional issues to be examined by the High Court. The case reinforces that national development and strategic priorities must be pursued within constitutional and environmental limits. Protecting vulnerable tribal communities and fragile ecosystems is not opposed to development; it is essential to making development sustainable, inclusive and constitutionally legitimate.
Q. Which of the following constitutional provisions is most directly relevant to protection of the distinct culture of a section of citizens?
- A. Article 19
- B. Article 21
- C. Article 29
- D. Article 32
Click to reveal answer
Answer: (C) Article 29. Article 29 protects the interests of any section of citizens having a distinct language, script or culture — the provision the Court’s “preservation of culture” observation most directly engages.
Q. Large infrastructure projects in ecologically fragile regions often create a conflict between economic development and environmental sustainability. How can India adopt a sustainable-development approach in such cases? (10 Marks, 150 Words)
Article 2 · Page 04GS II & III · IR & S&TPrelims + Mains
India, Switzerland agree to expand defence, nuclear cooperation: Modi
India and Switzerland are seeking to broaden their bilateral partnership beyond trade and investment into defence, nuclear energy, infrastructure, mobility and skilled migration. The three-day visit of Swiss President Guy Parmelin — coinciding with the first anniversary of the India–EFTA Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement (TEPA) — produced five agreements, including MoUs and Letters of Intent across a wide variety of sectors.
Five pillars of the expanding India–Switzerland partnership
| Pillar | What was agreed | Why it matters for India |
|---|---|---|
| Defence | Military exchanges, collaboration in defence production, capacity building and technology-related cooperation | Supports defence indigenisation and diversification of defence partnerships |
| Nuclear energy | Agreement to deepen cooperation in nuclear energy; Swiss technological capabilities to contribute knowledge and technical cooperation | Energy security, low-carbon electricity, reduced fossil-fuel dependence, long-term climate commitments |
| Infrastructure & mobility | Agreement on transport, mobility and infrastructure; Swiss companies invited into investment, capacity building, design & engineering, and manufacturing at scale | Swiss precision engineering and transport-systems expertise for India’s infrastructure modernisation |
| Trade (TEPA) | First anniversary of the India–EFTA TEPA (in force 1 October 2025); unfinished business — an Investment Protection Agreement and intellectual property discussions | Legal certainty for investors and long-term capital flows from the EFTA bloc |
| Migration & mobility | MoU on Migration and Mobility Partnership: multiple-entry visas up to 5 years (stays up to 6 months per visit), renewable 1-year student permits, an Exchange of Young Professionals programme, and cooperation against irregular migration, exploitation and trafficking | Student mobility, skilled migration and people-to-people ties under equal-treatment principles |
Key Facts & Static Linkages
- EFTA: The European Free Trade Association comprises Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein; TEPA seeks to expand trade and investment between India and the EFTA countries.
- “Today, we identified new opportunities for cooperation in military exchanges and defence production” — PM Modi after the bilateral meeting; both sides also agreed to extend visa durations and student permits.
- Static linkages: GS-II — India–Europe relations and bilateral diplomacy; GS-III — defence indigenisation and nuclear energy; international trade — EFTA and TEPA; investment — Bilateral Investment Protection Agreements; migration — safe, orderly and regular migration; energy — nuclear power in India’s energy-transition strategy; technology — infrastructure, manufacturing and technology partnerships.
India Implications
- India–Switzerland relations are evolving from a primarily commercial partnership towards a multi-sector strategic relationship — cooperation in defence, nuclear energy, infrastructure, investment and mobility supports economic growth and strategic autonomy while opening opportunities for Swiss business.
- Early resolution of investment-protection and IP issues can further strengthen investor confidence; effective implementation of TEPA will decide whether the partnership converts into tangible economic and technological gains.
- Himachal angle: Swiss strengths read like an HP wishlist — ropeways, tunnelling and alpine transport systems for hill connectivity (from urban ropeway plans in Shimla to high-altitude road projects), Swiss-style alpine tourism benchmarks for HP’s mountain destinations, and the new Young Professionals and student-mobility channels as a route for HP’s hospitality and engineering graduates.
India–Switzerland relations are evolving from a primarily commercial partnership towards a multi-sector strategic relationship. Cooperation in defence, nuclear energy, infrastructure, investment and mobility can contribute to India’s economic growth and strategic autonomy while creating new opportunities for Swiss businesses. The effective implementation of TEPA and complementary agreements will be crucial to converting this growing partnership into tangible economic and technological gains.
Q. Consider the following countries:
- Switzerland
- Norway
- Iceland
- Liechtenstein
Which of the above are members of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA)?
- A. 1 and 2 only
- B. 1, 2 and 3 only
- C. 1, 2, 3 and 4
- D. 2, 3 and 4 only
Click to reveal answer
Answer: (C) 1, 2, 3 and 4. EFTA comprises all four — Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein — the four-country bloc with which India signed TEPA (in force 1 October 2025).
Q. “India–Switzerland relations are evolving from a commercial partnership into a broader strategic and technological partnership.” Discuss. (10 Marks, 150 Words)
Article 3 · Page 06GS II · International RelationsPrelims + Mains
‘We need to foster a middle power approach’
The India–France relationship is acquiring a broader geopolitical dimension, centred on strategic autonomy, multilateralism and cooperation among middle powers. Remarks by Benjamin Haddad, French Minister-Delegate for European Affairs — in Delhi for the Munich Leaders’ Meeting, ahead of the expected culmination of the India–EU FTA — highlight the possibility of India and France working together to shape the international order rather than remaining passive participants in U.S.–China strategic rivalry.
What Is the ‘Middle Power’ Approach?
- Middle powers are countries that may not possess the overwhelming military or economic capabilities of superpowers but have significant diplomatic, economic, technological and regional influence.
- The emerging approach seeks to: avoid excessive dependence on any single great power; build flexible partnerships based on specific interests; strengthen multilateral institutions and international law; create coalitions on emerging issues such as AI, space, climate and global trade; and preserve strategic autonomy in foreign policy.
- India’s multi-alignment and France’s independent strategic posture provide considerable scope for convergence.
India–France convergence — and what it is responding to
| Dimension | Superpower-centric world | Middle-power approach (India–France) |
|---|---|---|
| Posture | Global affairs determined by U.S.–China rivalry; others as “passive bystanders” | Shape, rather than merely adapt to, the international order; a “non-superpower coalition” of capable states |
| Partnerships | Rigid alliance/bloc structures | Flexible, issue-based coalitions — strategic autonomy without isolation |
| Shared commitments | Power politics over rules | Rules-based international order, multilateralism, international law, greater European and Indian strategic agency, cooperation in AI and space |
| Economics | Trade as leverage in rivalry | India–EU FTA (strongly backed by France): investment and technology flows, supply-chain diversification, market access, advanced-technology cooperation — trade policy as an instrument of broader strategic cooperation |
Russia–Ukraine, West Asia & Static Linkages
- Russia–Ukraine: France expects India, as a respected global actor, to use its diplomatic influence to encourage Russia towards negotiations (EAM S. Jaishankar indicated India is mediating between Russia and Ukraine on a specific agreement for the first time). India’s balancing: historical defence ties with Russia, significant energy dependence, growing partnership with Europe/France/the U.S., commitment to dialogue and peaceful resolution, and opposition to disruption of the global economy and energy security — dialogue, diplomacy and respect for sovereignty, avoiding alignment with either bloc.
- West Asia: France argues for de-escalation and diplomatic solutions — including on Iran, nuclear proliferation and freedom of navigation (Strait of Hormuz) — reinforcing for India a foreign policy of consistent principles with strategic flexibility.
- Static linkages: India–France and India–EU relations; strategic autonomy, multi-alignment and middle powers; multilateralism and the rules-based order; U.S.–China rivalry and changing power structures; Russia–Ukraine conflict and West Asian instability; AI and space as arenas of strategic competition; India–EU FTA and supply-chain diversification.
India Implications
- India should strengthen issue-based coalitions with France and other middle powers while avoiding rigid bloc politics — expanding cooperation into AI, space, clean energy, critical technologies, trade and resilient supply chains, and continuing to advocate reform of multilateral institutions with greater representation for developing countries.
- India’s ability to combine strategic autonomy, diplomatic credibility and issue-based partnerships can strengthen its role as an influential pole in an increasingly multipolar world.
- Himachal angle: Europe is a lived reality for HP’s economy — EU travellers form one of the state’s biggest foreign-tourist cohorts (Dharamshala, Manali, Spiti), and a deepening India–EU/France track widens markets for HP’s GI-tagged crafts (Kullu and Kinnauri shawls) and processed horticulture; “strategic autonomy” and “middle powers” are also staple analytical frames for HPAS Mains IR answers.
The emerging India–France partnership reflects a broader transformation in global politics: middle powers increasingly seek to shape, rather than merely adapt to, the international order. Strategic autonomy does not mean isolation; it means maintaining the capacity to cooperate with different powers according to national and global interests. India’s ability to combine strategic autonomy, diplomatic credibility and issue-based partnerships can strengthen its role as an influential pole in an increasingly multipolar world.
Q. Which of the following best describes a middle power in international relations?
- A. A country with no significant influence outside its immediate neighbourhood
- B. A state possessing sufficient economic, diplomatic, technological or military capabilities to influence international outcomes without being a superpower
- C. A country formally allied with both major powers
- D. A country whose foreign policy is restricted to regional affairs
Click to reveal answer
Answer: (B). Middle powers lack superpower-scale capabilities but carry enough economic, diplomatic, technological or military weight to influence international outcomes — the premise of the India–France “middle power approach”.
Q. “India and France represent an emerging model of middle-power cooperation in an increasingly multipolar world.” Discuss. (10 Marks, 150 Words)
Article 4 · Page 09GS III · Indian EconomyMains Focus
Coal stocks critically low as power demand rises in India
India’s power sector is facing renewed pressure as rising electricity demand, high temperatures and weaker hydropower generation increase dependence on coal-fired thermal plants. More than 44% of monitored thermal power plants had critically low coal stocks by September 30 — highlighting vulnerabilities in India’s energy security even as the government (Union Coal Minister G. Kishan Reddy, September 28) asserts there is no structural coal shortage.
The coal-stock stress at a glance
| Metric | Figure |
|---|---|
| Plants with critically low stocks (CEA, 30 Sept) | 84 of 191 monitored thermal plants (>44%) |
| When is a plant “critical”? | Coal stock below 25% of the normative requirement, or stock supporting generation for less than three days |
| Electricity demand growth (2026) | ≈ 10% year-on-year — the highest increase in a decade |
| All-time peak power demand | 270.8 GW on 21 May 2026 |
| Coal’s share of generation | ≈ 79% of total electricity generation in 2024–25 (Energy Statistics India 2026) |
What Is Driving the Squeeze
- Rising demand: Higher temperatures and heatwaves, increasing use of air-conditioners and cooling appliances, economic growth and industrial activity, and rising household consumption — a growing gap between demand and the flexibility of the energy system.
- Climate–energy nexus: Strong El Niño conditions can weaken monsoon winds and rainfall, reducing hydropower generation; lower hydro output pushes dependence back onto coal. The feedback loop: higher temperatures → greater cooling demand → higher electricity consumption → greater dependence on thermal power → pressure on coal stocks. Climate change can simultaneously affect energy supply and demand.
- Why coal remains critical: Despite rapid solar and wind expansion, coal is the backbone of grid stability — but excessive dependence creates vulnerabilities: coal transportation bottlenecks, railway logistics constraints, mine-to-plant supply mismatches, environmental and health costs, exposure to climate disruptions, and difficulty in rapidly balancing peak demand. The issue is not merely production but stocks at plants plus reliable transportation and supply.
- Static linkages: Energy security and infrastructure; coal-based generation and India’s energy transition; El Niño, climate change and extreme temperatures; heatwaves and electricity demand (disaster management); renewable diversification; peak demand, base-load power and grid stability; CEA and IMD.
India Implications
- India needs a diversified and climate-resilient power system rather than excessive coal reliance at peak: better coal-stock management and railway logistics; renewables with adequate storage; modern transmission and distribution; pumped-storage and battery systems; demand-side management and efficiency; energy-efficient cooling; stronger forecasting of demand and extreme weather.
- Himachal angle: HP sits on the other side of this equation as the hydro counterweight — weak-monsoon/El Niño years cut Satluj–Beas basin generation and with it HP’s free-power royalty revenues, even as national coal stress mounts; HP’s pumped-storage potential is precisely the “storage-backed” capacity the grid needs, and the state’s summer-surplus/winter-deficit profile makes it both contributor to and dependant on national grid resilience.
The present coal-stock pressure reflects a larger structural challenge in India’s energy sector. Rising temperatures are increasing electricity demand while climate variability can simultaneously weaken hydropower supply, thereby increasing dependence on coal. India therefore needs to ensure short-term thermal power reliability while accelerating the transition towards a diversified, renewable-rich, storage-backed and climate-resilient energy system. Energy security in the coming decades will depend not only on producing more power, but on making the entire energy system resilient to climate and demand shocks.
Q. “India’s emerging electricity challenge is increasingly a climate–energy challenge rather than merely a fuel-supply challenge.” Discuss. (10 Marks, 150 Words)
Article 5 · Page 10GS III · EnvironmentMains Focus
Why is Buxa bringing tigers back?
The release of a three-year-old tigress, T138, in West Bengal’s Buxa Tiger Reserve on October 2 marks the beginning of a phased effort to restore a viable and self-sustaining tiger population in an area where a stable resident population had been absent for several years. The initiative highlights the importance of habitat restoration, scientific wildlife management and landscape-level conservation.
The Buxa reintroduction — factfile
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| The tigress | T138, three years old — released on 2 October into Buxa Tiger Reserve (Alipurduar subdivision, Jalpaiguri district, West Bengal) |
| Source reserve | Valmiki Tiger Reserve, Bihar — chosen for ecological and terrain similarity with Buxa, within the Terai Arc Landscape (Sundarbans tigers were unsuitable: a unique mangrove ecosystem very different from Buxa’s forests) |
| The reserve | Declared a tiger reserve in 1983 (the 15th in the country); ≈ 760.87 sq. km; connected to the forests of Bhutan (north), Kochugaon forests and Manas Tiger Reserve (east), and Jaldapara National Park (west) |
| The plan | A phased programme — three more tigers likely; initial acclimatisation in a ≈2.3-hectare enclosure before release into the wider reserve |
| Monitoring | Radio/GPS telemetry, camera traps, field-based tracking; movement, health and behaviour |
India’s Reintroduction Experience & Buxa’s Challenges
- India’s tiger-reintroduction programme began with successful interventions in Sariska and Panna in 2008 and has expanded to multiple reserves — but outcomes have been uneven: at Satkosia Tiger Reserve, translocated tigers struggled to adapt and human–tiger conflicts increased.
- Successful reintroduction requires more than releasing animals: suitable habitat, adequate prey base, genetic and demographic viability, community participation, protection from poaching, and long-term monitoring (NTCA’s publication “Reintroduction & Population Recovery of Tigers in India: Field Experiences & Key Learnings” flags adaptation difficulties, livestock depredation and negative local responses).
- Buxa’s landscape-level challenges: settlements and villages within and around the reserve (around 300 families are being relocated); tea estates and human pressure; degraded or disturbed habitat; railway and road infrastructure (with elephant mortality on linear infrastructure); heavy Bhutan–West Bengal commercial traffic; and potential human–tiger conflict.
- Can Buxa sustain tigers? Only with a sufficient prey base and breeding population over the long term; habitat connectivity with Bhutan and neighbouring forests is vital because isolated populations face genetic bottlenecks and demographic instability — the objective is population recovery, not merely increasing tiger numbers.
- Static linkages: Wildlife conservation and biodiversity; Project Tiger (1973); NTCA — statutory authority under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972; wildlife corridors for genetic exchange and dispersal; PVTGs and local communities in conservation; landscape approach beyond protected-area boundaries; human–wildlife conflict; ecological restoration of historically occupied species.
India Implications
- Buxa’s reintroduction is ultimately an experiment in ecosystem restoration and landscape-level conservation — its success will rest on prey, connectivity, community cooperation and long-term monitoring, not on the release event itself.
- India’s experience shows reintroduction can restore locally extinct populations when backed by scientific planning and strong protection — species recovery must go hand in hand with habitat recovery and coexistence with local communities.
- Himachal angle: HP has no tigers, but the same playbook runs its flagship recoveries — snow leopard conservation in Spiti’s community-managed landscapes, the western tragopan (the state bird) conservation-breeding programme at Sarahan, and cheer pheasant releases — while the corridor-and-coexistence logic speaks directly to HP’s leopard-conflict hotspots and the Great Himalayan National Park’s landscape management.
Buxa’s tiger reintroduction is ultimately an experiment in ecosystem restoration and landscape-level conservation. The success of the programme will depend not simply on releasing tigers but on ensuring adequate prey, habitat connectivity, community cooperation and effective long-term monitoring. India’s experience shows that reintroduction can restore locally extinct populations when supported by scientific planning and strong protection. Buxa therefore represents an opportunity to demonstrate that species recovery must go hand in hand with habitat recovery and coexistence with local communities.
Q. “Tiger reintroduction is fundamentally an exercise in ecosystem restoration rather than merely species relocation.” Discuss. (10 Marks, 150 Words)
Editorial Analysis · Page 08GS III · EnvironmentMains Focus
Bird islands — India’s conservation efforts must go beyond symbolism
Context: India’s wildlife conservation efforts have traditionally focused on iconic species — tigers, lions, cheetahs and the Great Indian Bustard. The decline of several bird species, however, points to a larger concern: conservation cannot be limited to individual species or isolated protected areas. Effective biodiversity protection requires conserving entire ecological landscapes and ensuring coexistence between wildlife, habitats and human communities.
Great Indian Bustard: A Conservation Success in Progress
- The Great Indian Bustard (GIB), locally known as Godawan, is among India’s most endangered birds — its population has crashed from around 1,260 in 1969 (dipping to ~600 by 2000, and 140–175 in Rajasthan by the 2010s) to roughly 120 today.
- Major causes: historical hunting; conversion of grasslands into irrigated, pesticide-soaked agricultural fields; roads and habitat fragmentation; and collisions with high-tension power lines — a heavy bird that flies at line height with poor frontal vision.
- Captive breeding offers hope: the programme now has 97 birds, including 57 captive-bred individuals, producing 29 chicks this year and 24 last year; this week, two captive-bred males were released into the wild at Desert National Park, Jaisalmer, with nine more awaiting release.
- The power-line tension: the Supreme Court in 2021 ordered low-voltage lines in priority habitats underground; after renewable-energy companies argued this compromised solar-power economics, the Court modified the order — only a subset of lines in the bird’s “critical habitat” must go underground — illustrating the friction between species conservation and infrastructure development.
Species-centric symbolism vs the landscape approach
| Dimension | Species-centric symbolism | Landscape approach |
|---|---|---|
| Unit of conservation | Iconic species and isolated protected areas — tiger reintroductions, cheetah introduction, Gir-concentrated lions (now straying into habitations), Delhi Ridge plantations of peepal and banyan that ecologists say do not belong to its dry ecology | Entire ecological landscapes — wildlife does not recognise administrative boundaries |
| Tools | Captive breeding, relocation, enclosures, “island” reserves whose pressure spills into surrounding settlements | Wildlife corridors; buffer zones; community-managed habitats; sustainable agriculture; ecologically appropriate infrastructure; protection of grasslands, wetlands and scrublands; restoration of degraded ecosystems |
| Blind spots | Grasslands treated as “wastelands” and converted for agriculture, infrastructure and plantations; farmland and open-country birds ignored | Grasslands valued for bustards, floricans, grassland birds, pollinators and insects, grazing-dependent wildlife and local pastoral communities; restoration follows the native ecology of a landscape, not just tree cover |
| The indicator | Released or protected numbers of iconic animals | Birds as sensitive ecological indicators — skylark numbers down nearly 80% and Indian rollers 30% in 12 years; India’s ~1,256 bird species (about 11.5% of the world’s total) include many now classified as threatened |
Way Forward & Static Linkages
- Way forward — ecosystem- and landscape-based conservation: (1) identify and legally protect critical wildlife corridors; (2) integrate biodiversity considerations into infrastructure planning; (3) conserve grasslands, wetlands and scrublands alongside forests; (4) use native species in ecological restoration; (5) promote wildlife-sensitive agricultural practices; (6) strengthen community participation; (7) use scientific monitoring to assess species and ecosystem health.
- Static linkages: Biodiversity conservation and wildlife management; habitat fragmentation and ecological restoration; Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972; Project Tiger — landscape-level conservation and corridors; in-situ vs ex-situ conservation; human–wildlife conflict at the development–conservation interface; ecological corridors for genetic exchange; sustainable development; the ecosystem approach — conserving ecological processes rather than isolated species.
India Implications
- The GIB’s fragile recovery shows sustained effort can rescue even critically endangered species — but long-term biodiversity protection cannot rest on captive breeding, relocation or isolated reserves; landscapes, ecological connectivity and human–wildlife coexistence must become the core of conservation policy.
- India’s conservation success should be measured not by the number of iconic animals released, but by whether entire ecosystems can support diverse species and human communities together.
- Himachal angle: HP’s best work is already landscape-shaped — community-based snow leopard conservation across Spiti, the western tragopan breeding programme at Sarahan, and the UNESCO-listed Great Himalayan National Park — while the editorial’s warnings land close to home: the “island reserve” overflow mirrors HP’s monkey and leopard conflict, and the grassland lesson maps onto HP’s alpine pastures and grazing commons sustained with Gaddi and Gujjar pastoral communities.
The Great Indian Bustard’s recovery demonstrates that sustained conservation efforts can provide hope even for critically endangered species. Yet long-term biodiversity protection cannot depend only on captive breeding, relocation or creating isolated reserves. Landscapes, ecological connectivity and human–wildlife coexistence must become the core of conservation policy. India’s conservation success should ultimately be measured not merely by the number of iconic animals released or protected, but by whether entire ecosystems remain capable of supporting diverse species and human communities together.
Q. “India’s conservation policy remains captive to symbolism; landscapes, not species, ought to be the unit of conservation.” Critically examine with reference to recent species-recovery initiatives. (15 Marks, 250 Words)
