Malabar Pied Hornbill
Syllabus: GS3/Species
In News
- The Chhattisgarh Forest Department is setting up six “hornbill restaurants” in the Udanti Sitanadi Tiger Reserve to provide a permanent habitat for the rare Malabar Pied Hornbill and promote forest regeneration.
Malabar Pied Hornbill (Anthracoceros coronatus)
- It stands 2 to 2.5 feet tall, has a large beak and vibrant plumage.
- Habitat – It inhabits moist evergreen and tall deciduous forests, plantations, and low-altitude riparian areas
- Occurs in the western Ghats, and in eastern/central India from south-west West Bengal and Bihar, to Andhra Pradesh, India, as well as Sri Lanka
- They are recognised as keystone seed dispersers in tropical forests.
- IUCN Status – ‘Nearly Threatened’
Iran Shuts Strait of Hormuz
Syllabus: GS1/Geography
In News
- Iran temporarily closed parts of the Strait of Hormuz, through which about 20% of the world’s oil passe
Strait of Hormuz
- Location – The Strait of Hormuz lies between Iran to the north and Oman and the United Arab Emirates to the south, linking the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea.
- At its narrowest point it is about 33 kilometres wide, with shipping lanes just a few kilometres across in either direction.
- Significance- Nearly half of India’s crude oil and around 60 per cent of its natural gas imports pass through the strait.
Bihar’s Ban on Open Sale of Meat
Syllabus: GS2/Governance; Health
Context
- The Bihar government announced a ban on open-air and unlicensed meat sales in urban areas.
About
- It prohibits the sale of meat and fish in open spaces, such as roadsides, weekly markets or public thoroughfares, within urban municipal areas.
- Sales are now restricted to licenced shops that comply with hygiene standards such as proper waste disposal.
- Violations can attract penalties under the Bihar Municipal Act, 2007, including fines, seizure of goods and shop closures.
- Other States: Many states have regulations calling for licensed and enclosed sale of m eat and fish. These states include Uttar Pradesh, Assam, Jharkhand.
Loggerhead Turtles
Syllabus: GS3/Species in News
Context
- According to a recent study, warmer oceans and declining food availability are affecting the reproductive and migratory patterns of loggerhead turtles.
Loggerhead Turtles (Caretta caretta)
- The loggerhead turtle is named for its large head, which supports powerful jaw muscles that enable them to feed on hard-shelled prey, such as whelks and conch.
- Distribution – They are found across the Caribbean region, Atlantic Ocean, the eastern Mediterranean Sea, the Indian Ocean and the North and South Pacific Ocean
- The Loggerhead sea turtle is a large omnivorous marine reptile recognized as one of the seven extant species of sea turtles.
- They can live up to 80 years or more.
- IUCN conservation status – Vulnerable
ISA Launches Global AI-for-Energy Mission
Syllabus: GS3/Environment
News
- The International Solar Alliance (ISA) launched the Global Mission on AI for Energy at the India AI Impact Summit 2026
- Objective – to accelerate AI adoption in clean energy across 120+ member countries, emphasizing digital infrastructure like India’s Energy Stack.
AI-for-Energy Mission
- It places digital infrastructure and citizen-centric platforms at the centre of the energy transition.
- It aims to bring together governments, industry, financial institutions and multilateral organisations to scale digital and AI-enabled clean energy systems.
Additional Information – International Solar Alliance
- Started – The ISA, is an Indian initiative that was launched by the Prime Minister of India and the President of France on 30th November 2015 in Paris.
- Solar powered countries – It is an initiative with 124 solar resource rich countries lying fully or partially between the tropic of Cancer and the tropic of Capricorn.
- Objective – To collectively address key common challenges to the scaling up of solar energy in ISA member countries.
- Headquarter – National Institute of Solar Energy (NISE) campus, Gurugram.
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