UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 13 January 2026
Kartavya Desk Staff
UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 13 January 2026 covers important current affairs of the day, their backward linkages, their relevance for Prelims exam and MCQs on main articles
InstaLinks : Insta Links help you think beyond the current affairs issue and help you think multidimensionally to develop depth in your understanding of these issues. These linkages provided in this ‘hint’ format help you frame possible questions in your mind that might arise(or an examiner might imagine) from each current event. InstaLinks also connect every issue to their static or theoretical background.
Table of Contents
GS Paper 2:
• Early investment in children
Early investment in children
• PESA Act implemented in Jharkhand after 25 years
PESA Act implemented in Jharkhand after 25 years
Content for Mains Enrichment (CME):
• Rajasthan Panchayat Organic Pledge
Rajasthan Panchayat Organic Pledge
• BHASHINI Samudaye
BHASHINI Samudaye
Facts for Prelims (FFP):
• Man Portable Anti-Tank Guided Missile (MPATGM)
Man Portable Anti-Tank Guided Missile (MPATGM)
• Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV)
Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV)
• Aerosols
Aerosols
• Pax Silica Initiative
Pax Silica Initiative
• Greenwald Limit
Greenwald Limit
Mapping:
• Bannerghatta National Park
Bannerghatta National Park
UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 13 January 2026
GS Paper 2:
Early investment in children
Source: TH
Subject: Education / Vulnerable Sections
Context: India’s early childhood investment debate has gained urgency after policy experts and economists highlighted that foundational learning gaps are limiting India’s demographic dividend, even as the country targets a $30-trillion economy by 2047.
About Early investment in children:
What it is?
• Early investment in children refers to systematic public and social investment from pre-conception to 8 years of age (the first 3,000 days), covering nutrition, health, emotional care, early learning and cognitive stimulation, which together shape life-long productivity.
Key Trends in Children’s Investment:
• NIPUN Bharat & FLN Focus: India has pivoted toward ensuring every child achieves basic reading and math by Grade 3 to fix learning poverty.
E.g. FLN State Rankings show that states using localized mother-tongue instruction have recorded a 12% rise in oral reading fluency.
• POSHAN 2.0 & Anganwadi ECCE: The government now integrates nutrition with early learning so that Anganwadis become full child-development centres.
E.g. Mission Saksham Anganwadi upgraded over two lakh centres with digital tools and play-based learning kits.
• ASER Learning Deficits: While enrolment is near universal, actual learning outcomes remain weak in primary grades.
E.g. A rural Bihar pilot found that nearly 40% of Grade-5 students still need Grade-2 level remedial math support.
• Urban Lifestyle Threats: Children face rising risks from screens, inactivity and emotional isolation in cities.
E.g. Pediatric health surveys show a 15% rise in digital eye strain among children aged four to eight.
• Global SDG-4 Mandates: International frameworks push India to treat early childhood education as a core development right.
E.g. Global education reviews praised India’s draft Right to Early Childhood Care framework.
Why Early Investment is Essential?
• Time-bound brain development: About 85% of brain wiring is completed by age six, making early stimulation irreplaceable.
E.g. Infants exposed to rich parent-child interaction develop three times larger vocabularies by age five.
• Workforce productivity: Cognitive and emotional foundations built early determine adult employability.
E.g. Children who attended quality preschools earn about 20% higher entry-level wages.
• Breaking inter-generational poverty: Early intervention prevents disadvantage from becoming permanent.
E.g. Community childcare under women-livelihood missions increased mothers’ workforce participation.
• The Heckman curve: Returns on early childhood spending exceed all later education investments.
E.g. NITI Aayog estimates one rupee spent early saves eleven rupees in future health and productivity losses.
• Reducing public expenditure: Strong early foundations lower later costs of dropouts, crime and disease.
E.g. States with high ECCE coverage have 25% lower school dropout and juvenile delinquency rates.
Initiatives Taken in India:
• ICDS (1975): Provides integrated services of nutrition, health check-ups, immunisation and early care to children under six through Anganwadis.
• Mission POSHAN 2.0: Combines nutrition support with early childhood education under the idea of “Poshan bhi, Padhai bhi” to improve holistic development.
• Saksham Anganwadi Mission: Upgrades Anganwadi centres with better buildings, digital tools and play-based learning material for quality ECCE delivery.
• NIPUN Bharat: Aims to ensure every child achieves foundational reading, writing and numeracy skills by the end of Grade 3.
• NEP 2020: Formally integrates Early Childhood Care and Education into the school system through the 5+3+3+4 curricular structure.
Key Challenges in India:
• Fragmented governance: Child health, nutrition and learning data remain poorly integrated.
E.g. Mother-child health records do not synchronise with school enrolment databases.
• Anganwadi capacity gaps: Workers are trained for nutrition but not early pedagogy.
E.g. Surveys show most Anganwadi workers feel unprepared to deliver play-based learning.
• School-readiness crisis: Children enter Grade-1 without basic cognitive and motor skills.
E.g. Vidya Pravesh assessments show one-third of rural children cannot identify shapes or colours.
• Urban middle-class neglect: Many private preschools lack developmental standards.
E.g. Urban child audits found nearly half of kindergartens have no outdoor play space.
• Low public spending: Early childhood receives a tiny share of education budgets.
E.g. ECCE spending remains near one-tenth of one percent of GDP despite high returns.
Way ahead:
• National ECCD Mission: A mission-mode programme should integrate health, nutrition, early learning and parenting support from pre-conception to eight years, ensuring no child falls through policy silos during the most critical brain-development phase.
• Integrated Child Development Hubs: Co-locating Anganwadis with primary schools will allow smooth transition from play-based learning to formal education while sharing teachers, health services and learning resources.
• Parent education programmes: Training parents in talking, reading, playing and responsive caregiving ensures that cognitive and emotional stimulation continues at home, where children spend most of their early years.
• Legal right to Early Childhood Education: Bringing ages 3–6 under the RTE Act will force states to guarantee quality preschool access, trained educators and minimum standards, making early learning a justiciable right.
• CSR and philanthropy for Anganwadis: Private and philanthropic funding can modernise Anganwadis with better infrastructure, learning kits and training, accelerating quality improvement without burdening public finances.
Conclusion:
India’s future workforce is being shaped not in universities, but in homes, Anganwadis and early classrooms today. Without strong early foundations, economic ambition will remain fragile. Investing in children is not welfare—it is nation-building in its most powerful form.
Q. Discuss child trafficking as a social problem rooted in inequality and migration. Examine why children from marginalised communities face disproportionate risks. Suggest social and institutional measures required to address child trafficking in India. (15 M)
PESA Act implemented in Jharkhand after 25 years
Source: DTE
Subject: Devolution of Powers and Finances up to Local Levels
Context: Jharkhand notified PESA Rules in January 2026, 25 years after becoming a state, extending tribal self-governance to its Fifth Schedule areas.
About PESA Act implemented in Jharkhand after 25 years:
What is PESA?
• The Panchayat (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996 (PESA) extends Part IX of the Constitution (Panchayati Raj) to Fifth Schedule tribal areas, recognising Gram Sabha as the primary authority over local governance, land, forests and community resources.
• It was enacted on 24 December 1996 to operationalise tribal self-rule in Scheduled Areas across nine States including Jharkhand
Key history of the PESA Act:
• Colonial legacy of dispossession: British forest and land laws converted tribal communities into encroachers on their own land, destroying customary systems of governance.
• Constitutional response: The Fifth Schedule under Article 244 was designed to protect tribal areas, but without local self-governance it remained weak.
• 73rd Constitutional Amendment (1992): Panchayati Raj was introduced nationwide, but Scheduled Areas were kept outside its scope due to their special status.
• Bhuria Committee (1994–95): It recommended that Gram Sabhas, not bureaucracies, must control natural resources and development in tribal regions.
• Enactment of PESA (1996): Parliament passed PESA to legally empower tribal villages through direct democracy.
Key features of PESA:
• Gram Sabha as the supreme authority: Village assemblies are recognised as the core decision-making bodies in Scheduled Areas.
• Protection of customary law and culture: Local traditions, religious practices and tribal social systems must be respected by governance structures.
• Control over natural resources: Gram Sabhas have rights over minor forest produce, village water bodies and community lands.
• Land acquisition safeguards: No land can be acquired without consulting Gram Sabhas, and illegal land transfers can be reversed.
• Local governance powers: Villages regulate markets, money-lending, liquor, and decide beneficiaries of government schemes.
Successes of PESA:
• Legal recognition of traditional self-rule: PESA legally elevates the Gram Sabha above Panchayats in Scheduled Areas, giving constitutional backing to tribal customs and governance systems that existed long before modern administration.
E.g. Rarang village used this authority to enforce community-controlled Chilgoza harvesting, preventing contractor exploitation while protecting ecological sustainability.
• Economic sovereignty via Minor Forest Produce: By shifting ownership of NTFPs from Forest Departments to Gram Sabhas, PESA converted forest gatherers into economic stakeholders rather than wage collectors.
E.g. Gadchiroli’s federated Gram Sabhas leveraged collective bargaining for tendu and bamboo, increasing incomes by cutting out middlemen and state monopolies.
• Deepened participatory democracy: PESA expands democracy beyond elections by making household-level and women’s participation mandatory, embedding social inclusion inside governance itself.
E.g. Khamdhogi’s rule of one man–one woman per household ensured that development decisions reflected women’s needs, not just male elites.
• Legal shield against land alienation: The requirement of prior informed consent transforms Gram Sabhas into constitutional gatekeepers against forced displacement and bureaucratic land grabs.
E.g. Bhil villages in Udaipur blocked forest reclassification by asserting their collective rights over ancestral land through PESA-backed resolutions.
• Community control over natural resources: PESA allows Gram Sabhas to turn local resources into community assets, shifting villages from dependency to revenue-based self-reliance.
E.g. Vadagudem’s sand cooperative channels profits into schools and healthcare, demonstrating how decentralised resource control enables local development.
Challenges to PESA:
• Dilution of Powers by States: Several state governments have framed restrictive rules that bypass the Gram Sabha, often reducing its role to a mere advisory body rather than a decision-maker.
• Bureaucratic Dominance: The traditional top-down administrative structure often ignores village resolutions, with officials and higher Panchayat tiers continuing to control funds and project approvals.
• Circumvention for Industrial Projects: Large-scale mining and infrastructure projects often use legal loopholes or coercive tactics to bypass the requirement for mandatory Gram Sabha consultation.
• Inactivity of Constitutional Protections: Governors and Tribal Advisory Councils, despite having specific mandates to oversee Scheduled Areas, rarely exercise their discretionary powers to safeguard PESA.
• Lack of Awareness and Literacy: High levels of digital and legal illiteracy in remote hamlets mean many communities remain unaware of their potent rights to reject land acquisition.
Way Ahead:
• Operationalizing Gram Sabhas: Villages must be provided with independent secretariats, direct funding, and technical training to manage local budgets and social developmental planning effectively.
• Legal Convergence: PESA implementation must be synchronized with the Forest Rights Act (2006) and the Samata Judgment to ensure that private mining cannot occur without community consent.
• Restoring Village Authority: State-level PESA rules require urgent amendments to ensure that the consent of the Gram Sabha is legally binding and non-negotiable for all land-related matters.
• Independent Grievance Redressal: A specialized judicial or quasi-judicial body should be established in Scheduled Areas to handle PESA violations without the delays of the mainstream court system.
• Social Audits and Monitoring: Civil society organizations should be empowered to conduct regular social audits, ensuring that transparency is maintained in how tribal resources are utilized and managed.
Conclusion:
PESA is not just a law, but India’s constitutional promise of tribal self-rule. Jharkhand’s delayed implementation will matter only if Gram Sabhas are truly empowered. Without real autonomy, development in tribal areas will remain extractive and unjust.
Q. Critically evaluate the impact of the Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act (PESA) on forest conservation in India. (15M)
#### UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 13 January 2026 Content for Mains Enrichment (CME)
Rajasthan Panchayat Organic Pledge
Context: Bamanwas Kankar panchayat in Rajasthan has become the first village body in the State to be certified as fully organic, marking a major grassroots milestone in India’s shift towards chemical-free and sustainable agriculture.
About Rajasthan Panchayat Organic Pledge:
What it is?
• Bamanwas Kankar panchayat, comprising seven hamlets in Kotputli–Behror district, has formally committed to 100% organic farming and eco-friendly animal husbandry, eliminating chemical fertilisers, pesticides, and synthetic inputs from all agricultural and livestock practices.
Key features:
• Chemical-free farming: All crops grown without synthetic fertilisers or pesticides.
• Eco-friendly livestock management: Animal husbandry aligned with health and ecological standards.
• Community-led transition: Shift driven by collective village decisions, not top-down mandates.
• Institutional support: Backed by COFED (Cofarmin Federation of Organic Societies and Producer Companies) for certification, data collection, and market access.
• Market linkage: Organic certification enables farmers to access premium markets and reduce input costs.
Significance:
• Soil and water revival: Helps reverse soil degradation and declining groundwater levels.
• Farmer welfare: Lowers input costs and improves income through better prices.
• Public health: Reduces exposure to toxic agrochemicals for farmers and consumers.
• Biodiversity gains: Increased beneficial insects and soil microorganisms.
Relevance for UPSC examination syllabus:
• GS Paper III (Agriculture & Environment)
• Organic farming, sustainable agriculture, soil health, agri-input reforms, biodiversity conservation.
• Organic farming, sustainable agriculture, soil health, agri-input reforms, biodiversity conservation.
• GS Paper II (Governance & Local Self-Government)
• Role of Panchayati Raj Institutions, community-led development, grassroots environmental governance.
• Role of Panchayati Raj Institutions, community-led development, grassroots environmental governance.
• GS Paper I (Society & Rural Development)
• Rural livelihoods, community participation, sustainable development models.
• Rural livelihoods, community participation, sustainable development models.
BHASHINI Samudaye
Context: BHASHINI Samudaye is being organised by MeitY in New Delhi to strengthen India’s language AI ecosystem.
About BHASHINI Samudaye:
What it is?
• BHASHINI Samudaye is a collaborative ecosystem platform under BHASHINI that enables co-creation, governance and scaling of Indian-language AI tools, datasets and services through partnerships with academia, civil society and technology developers.
Developed by:
• It is led by the Digital India BHASHINI Division (DIBD) under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) as part of the National Language Translation Mission (NLTM).
Key Features:
• Ecosystem-led AI governance: participatory model involving researchers, states, NGOs and startups.
• BHASHINI platform & APIs: enables real-time translation, speech-to-text and text-to-speech in Indian languages.
• BhashaDaan: citizen contribution platform for building open Indian-language datasets.
• Ethical data framework: ensures inclusive, consent-based and standardised data creation.
• Live use-case demonstrations: showing application in governance, education and public services.
Relevance for UPSC Examination
• GS Paper II – Governance & Social Justice Digital governance and citizen access to public services Inclusion of linguistic minorities in e-governance
• Digital governance and citizen access to public services
• Inclusion of linguistic minorities in e-governance
• GS Paper III – Science, Technology & Digital Infrastructure Artificial Intelligence and public digital platforms Data governance, indigenous technology, Digital India
• Artificial Intelligence and public digital platforms
• Data governance, indigenous technology, Digital India
• GS Paper IV – Ethics in Governance Ethical AI, inclusivity, participatory governance Technology for social empowerment
• Ethical AI, inclusivity, participatory governance
• Technology for social empowerment
#### UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 13 January 2026 Facts for Prelims (FFP)
Man Portable Anti-Tank Guided Missile (MPATGM)
Source: PIB
Subject: Defence
Context: DRDO successfully flight-tested the Third-Generation Fire & Forget Man Portable Anti-Tank Guided Missile (MPATGM) with top-attack capability against a moving target.
About Man Portable Anti-Tank Guided Missile (MPATGM):
What it is?
• MPATGM is a third-generation, fire-and-forget, shoulder-launched anti-tank guided missile system designed to destroy modern main battle tanks and armoured vehicles.
Developed by:
• Developed by DRDO, led by Defence Research & Development Laboratory (Hyderabad).
• To provide Indian infantry with a high-precision, lightweight and lethal weapon capable of neutralising enemy armour under day-night and all-weather conditions.
Key Features:
• Fire & Forget system: After launch, the missile locks onto the target and guides itself, allowing the soldier to take cover or relocate.
• IIR homing seeker: Uses thermal imaging to detect enemy vehicles, enabling accurate targeting in day, night and low visibility.
• Top-attack mode: The missile strikes from above, where tank armour is thinnest, ensuring maximum destruction.
• Tandem HEAT warhead: A two-stage explosive first defeats reactive armour and then penetrates the main armour.
• 200–4,000 m range: Enables infantry to engage tanks from a safe stand-off distance.
• Man-portable launcher: Can be carried by soldiers and also mounted on tripods or military vehicles for flexible deployment.
Significance:
• Greatly enhances infantry’s anti-tank capability in high-intensity warfare.
• Reduces dependence on imported ATGMs like Spike and Javelin.
• Strengthens India’s Aatmanirbhar Bharat in defence technology.
Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV)
Source: IE
Subject: Science and Technology
Context: ISRO’s PSLV-C62 mission suffered a failure due to an anomaly in its third stage (PS3), marking the second consecutive PSLV failure after PSLV-C61 in May 2025.
About Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV):
What it is?
• PSLV is India’s third-generation orbital launch vehicle, designed primarily to place satellites into Polar and Sun-Synchronous Orbits, and known globally as ISRO’s workhorse rocket.
Developed by:
• It is developed and operated by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) through its various centres including Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre and Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre.
PSLV: Key Stages:
• PS1: First Stage (Powerful liftoff stage):
• Uses a large solid rocket motor (S139) and strap-on boosters Fuel: HTPB (solid fuel) Its job is to lift the heavy rocket off the ground and push it through the thickest part of the atmosphere Strap-on boosters give extra push, like turbo engines during takeoff
• Uses a large solid rocket motor (S139) and strap-on boosters
• Fuel: HTPB (solid fuel)
• Its job is to lift the heavy rocket off the ground and push it through the thickest part of the atmosphere
• Strap-on boosters give extra push, like turbo engines during takeoff
• PS2: Second Stage (Control and stability stage):
• Uses the Vikas liquid engine Fuel: UDMH + Nitrogen Tetroxide This stage gives smooth, controlled thrust after PS1 burns out It helps the rocket stay stable and on the right path while climbing higher
• Uses the Vikas liquid engine
• Fuel: UDMH + Nitrogen Tetroxide
• This stage gives smooth, controlled thrust after PS1 burns out
• It helps the rocket stay stable and on the right path while climbing higher
• PS3: Third Stage (High-speed booster):
• Uses a solid motor (S7) Fuel: HTPB This stage provides a big speed boost needed to reach near-orbital velocity Think of it as the final sprint before the satellite is placed in orbit
• Uses a solid motor (S7)
• Fuel: HTPB
• This stage provides a big speed boost needed to reach near-orbital velocity
• Think of it as the final sprint before the satellite is placed in orbit
• PS4: Fourth Stage (Precision stage):
• Uses two liquid engines (PS4) Fuel: MMH + MON This stage acts like a fine-tuning engine It precisely places satellites into the correct orbit and can make small adjustments
• Uses two liquid engines (PS4)
• Fuel: MMH + MON
• This stage acts like a fine-tuning engine
• It precisely places satellites into the correct orbit and can make small adjustments
Functions of PSLV:
• Launches Earth observation, navigation and communication satellites.
• Places satellites in Low Earth Orbit, Polar Orbit and GTO.
• Supports India’s strategic, commercial and scientific missions.
• Backbone of India’s space commercialisation through NSIL.
Aerosols
Source: TOI
Subject: Environment
Context: A new IIT Madras–led study published in Science Advances shows that air pollution aerosols are intensifying and prolonging winter fog over north India.
About Aerosols:
What they are?
Aerosols are tiny solid or liquid particles suspended in the atmosphere, often invisible to the naked eye, that strongly influence air quality, weather and climate.
Origin:
• Natural sources: desert dust, sea spray, volcanic ash, forest fires
• Human sources: vehicle emissions, industrial pollution, biomass burning, coal and diesel use
They can be primary aerosols (emitted directly) or secondary aerosols (formed from gases like sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides in the air).
Key features:
• Extremely small in size: Their tiny size allows aerosols to enter deep into lungs and stay suspended easily in the air.
• Stay in air for days to weeks: They travel long distances before settling or being washed out by rain.
• Condensation nuclei: Aerosols provide surfaces for water vapour to condense, forming fog and cloud droplets.
• Scatter or absorb sunlight: Some aerosols reflect sunlight, while others like black carbon absorb heat.
Implications:
• Health: Aerosols worsen asthma, lung infections and heart diseases by penetrating the respiratory system.
• Weather: They make fog thicker and longer-lasting by increasing droplet formation and cooling.
• Climate (cooling): Reflective aerosols send sunlight back to space, lowering surface temperature.
• Climate (warming): Black carbon absorbs solar heat, warming the atmosphere.
• Cloud and rainfall changes: Aerosols make clouds brighter and longer-lived, altering rainfall patterns.
Pax Silica Initiative
Source: IE
Subject: International Relations
Context: The United States has announced that India will be invited to join the US-led Pax Silica initiative next month as part of efforts to stabilise and deepen India-US strategic and trade ties.
• Pax Silica aims to secure silicon, semiconductors and AI-critical supply chains amid rising geopolitical and technology competition.
About Pax Silica Initiative:
What it is?
• Pax Silica is a US-led economic security and technology partnership to build a secure, resilient and innovation-driven global supply chain for silicon, semiconductors, artificial intelligence, critical minerals and advanced manufacturing.
Launched by: It is led by the United States, under the US Department of State, with the first Pax Silica Summit held in December 2025.
Nations involved: Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Netherlands, United Kingdom, Israel, United Arab Emirates, Australia
• With guest partners: Taiwan, European Union, Canada, OECD
Key Features:
• Entire tech chain coverage: Ensures security from raw materials to finished AI chips and data infrastructure, preventing bottlenecks at any stage.
• Trusted technology ecosystems: Limits cooperation to reliable partner countries, reducing risks of data theft, sabotage and espionage.
• Long-term supply and capacity building: Encourages stable investment, new fabs and processing units across member countries.
• Anti-dumping and coercion coordination: Prevents market flooding or political pressure from disrupting critical tech supplies.
• Economic–national security link: Recognises that control over chips and AI equals strategic power in the modern world.
Significance:
• US-led AI–chip bloc: Creates a powerful technology alliance controlling much of the world’s advanced semiconductor ecosystem.
• Lower strategic vulnerability: Reduces reliance on hostile or unstable suppliers, especially for critical electronics and defence tech.
• Boost for India: Gives India access to high-end chips, global investors and AI supply chains, accelerating its digital and defence ambitions.
Greenwald Limit
Source: TH
Subject: Science and Technology
Context: China’s EAST fusion reactor has achieved stable plasma densities up to 65% beyond the Greenwald limit, a long-standing barrier in nuclear fusion research.
About Greenwald Limit:
What it is?
• The Greenwald limit is a theoretical density ceiling for plasma in a tokamak (fusion reactor), beyond which the plasma becomes unstable and collapses.
• It links the maximum safe plasma density to the plasma current and size of the reactor.
Why it is important?
• Fusion reactions require very high plasma density, temperature, and confinement time.
• The Greenwald limit has long been a major bottleneck, preventing reactors from packing enough fuel to reach self-sustaining fusion (ignition).
Key features:
• Tokamak-specific limit: The Greenwald limit applies to donut-shaped magnetic fusion reactors, where plasma is confined using strong magnetic fields.
• Stability threshold: Exceeding this limit normally causes plasma to become unstable and collapse, risking damage to the reactor.
• Density–energy link: Higher plasma density leads to more atomic collisions, which increases the rate of fusion and energy output.
• Design barrier: For decades, it was treated as a fixed ceiling, forcing engineers to limit fuel density in fusion reactors.
Achievement & Significance:
• China’s EAST reactor achieved 1.3–1.65 times the Greenwald limit while maintaining stability.
• Done by cooling the divertor and reducing tungsten impurities, allowing cleaner, denser plasma.
• Confirms Plasma–Wall Self-Organisation (PWSO) theory, proving a new “density-free” operating regime.
#### UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 13 January 2026 Mapping:
Bannerghatta National Park
Source: TOI
Subject: Mapping
Context: The Central Empowered Committee (CEC) in January 2026 recommended restoring the original 2016 Ecologically Sensitive Zone (ESZ) around Bannerghatta National Park, undoing the reduced 2020 notification.
About Bannerghatta National Park:
What it is?
• Bannerghatta National Park is a protected wildlife reserve and biodiversity hotspot forming the southern green lung of Bengaluru, crucial for conserving forests, elephants, and other wildlife.
Located in:
• It lies about 22 km south of Bengaluru across Bengaluru Urban and Ramanagara districts in Karnataka, in the Anekal hill range.
History:
• The area was declared a reserve forest in 1970 and became a national park in 1974.
• In 2002, a portion was carved out as the Bannerghatta Biological Park (zoo and safari) to promote conservation and tourism.
Geological and physical features:
• Granite hill ranges: Part of the Anekal Hills, formed of ancient granite sheets that shape the park’s rugged terrain.
• Moist deciduous valleys: Lower elevations support dense forests that sustain elephants, deer, and predators.
• Dry scrub uplands: Higher elevations have scrub vegetation, important for grazing species.
• Wildlife corridors: BNP forms a vital elephant corridor linking BR Hills and Sathyamangalam forests. Water system: The Suvarnamukhi stream flows through the park, sustaining wildlife in a semi-arid landscape.
What is the issue?
• The Ecologically Sensitive Zone (ESZ) around BNP was reduced from 268.9 sq km (2016 draft) to 168.64 sq km (2020 notification), excluding key elephant corridors and forest buffers.
• This opened the door to real estate, quarrying and industrial expansion, increasing human–animal conflict and degrading wildlife habitats near a fast-expanding Bengaluru.
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