These notes cover Part 2 of environmental planning and management for OPSC/OAS: India’s environmental movements and their leaders, the institutions and research bodies that OPSC asks about, national conservation projects with their current status, environmental days and awards, and Odisha’s protected-area and species data. The 2025–26 updates—Similipal’s national park status, the 100th Ramsar site, Project Cheetah’s mortality record and Odisha’s dolphin and crocodile censuses—are included because state-specific current data now appears regularly in OAS prelims.
Environmental Movements of India: Leaders, Regions and Current Relevance
India’s environmental movement is a series of grassroots responses to forest loss, displacement and pollution. The movements are best remembered by three tags: the region, the leader, and the immediate trigger.
| Movement | Year, region and key fact |
|---|---|
| Bishnoi Movement | 1730, Khejarli (Rajasthan); Amrita Devi and 363 Bishnois died protecting Khejri trees from the Maharaja of Jodhpur’s men; regarded as the earliest recorded environmental sacrifice 2024 |
| Chipko Movement | 1973, Chamoli (Uttarakhand); villagers hugged trees to stop commercial felling; leaders Sundarlal Bahuguna, Chandi Prasad Bhatt, and Gaura Devi (Reni village) MPPSC (Pre) 2014 2023 |
| Appiko Movement | 1983, Uttara Kannada (Karnataka); ‘appiko’ means ‘to embrace’ in Kannada; led by Pandurang Hegde; inspired by Chipko 2024 |
| Narmada Bachao Andolan | 1985 onwards; led by Medha Patkar; opposed the Sardar Sarovar Dam on displacement and ecological grounds MPPSC (Pre) 2016 |
| Silent Valley Movement | Kerala; saved a tropical evergreen forest from a hydel project; not associated with Baba Amte UP Lower Sub (Pre) 2009 |
The Chipko Movement completed 50 years in 2023. Its first action is dated to 27 March 1973 in Mandal village, Chamoli, where peasants stopped loggers from felling ash trees. 2023 The movement’s legacy continues through Mahila Mangal Dals in Uttarakhand, which now combine forest protection with fire-fighting. 2025
- The Bishnoi sacrifice is dated 1730, not 1973; it is the earliest, while Chipko is the most cited modern movement.
- Silent Valley is in Kerala, and its leader is not Baba Amte; Baba Amte is associated with Anandwan and leprosy rehabilitation.
Environmental Institutions and Research Bodies
OPSC asks direct location questions on national research institutes. Group them by parent body and city for recall.
| Institution | Location and parent body |
|---|---|
| CSIR–NEERI | Nagpur; premier environmental engineering research institute under CSIR 2025 |
| CSIR–NBRI | Lucknow; plant biodiversity research, herbarium and living collections 2025 |
| ICAR–CAZRI | Jodhpur; arid-zone agriculture, dune stabilisation and desertification research 2025 |
| Wildlife Institute of India | Dehradun; autonomous body under MoEFCC for wildlife research and training 2025 |
| Forest Survey of India | Dehradun; publishes the India State of Forest Report (ISFR) biennially 2025 |
| Forest Research Institute | Dehradun; under ICFRE 2024 |
| Zoological Survey of India / Botanical Survey of India | Both headquartered in Kolkata 2024 |
| Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History | Coimbatore 2024 |
| Indian Institute of Forest Management | Bhopal (not Kolkata) UPPSC (Pre) 2012 |
Dehradun hosts FRI, WII and FSI; Kolkata hosts ZSI and BSI; Nagpur hosts NEERI; Lucknow hosts NBRI; Jodhpur hosts CAZRI; Coimbatore hosts SACON. This clustering prevents city–institute mismatches.
National Conservation Projects: Status and Current Data
| Project | Launch year and current status |
|---|---|
| Project Tiger | 1973; India now has 58 tiger reserves covering about 78,000 sq km; the 2022 estimation reported 3,682 tigers, roughly 75% of the global wild population 2025 |
| Project Elephant | 1992; covers elephant reserves across 14 states |
| Project Snow Leopard | 2009; focuses on the Himalayan range |
| Project Dolphin | 2020; for Gangetic and marine dolphins |
| Project Cheetah | September 2022; intercontinental translocation to Kuno National Park (MP); by 2026, India’s cheetah population reached 56, but mortality since 2022 stood at 24, including several adults 2026 |
Project Cheetah is the world’s first intercontinental translocation of a large carnivore. Nine cheetahs died in the first year alone, and by September 2026 the mortality toll was 24. 2026 The project’s long-term success is still being assessed, and it is a likely OPSC current-affairs question.
Environmental Days and Awards
| Day / Award | Date or purpose |
|---|---|
| World Wetlands Day | 2 February UPPSC 2008 |
| World Water Day | 22 March UPPSC (Pre) 2011 |
| International Earth Day | 22 April MPPSC (Pre) 2018 |
| International Day for Biological Diversity | 22 May UPPSC 2018 |
| World Environment Day | 5 June JPSC 2013 |
| Global Tiger Day | 29 July |
| World Ozone Day | 16 September |
| World Toilet Day | 19 November UPPSC (Pre) 2015 |
| Indira Gandhi Paryavaran Puraskar | Broad contribution to environmental protection UPPSC (Mains) 2004 |
| Rajiv Gandhi Environment Award | Clean technology and development UPPSC (Mains) 2006 |
| Tyler Prize | International environmental achievement; M.S. Swaminathan was the first Indian recipient UPRO/ARO (Pre) 2004 |
| Amrita Devi Bishnoi National Award | Community-led wildlife protection; named after the 1730 Bishnoi martyr 2024 |
Odisha Angle: Protected Areas, Species and Current Data
Odisha’s environmental profile is defined by its mangroves, lagoons and the Similipal landscape. The state now has six Ramsar sites (Chilika, Bhitarkanika, Satkosia, Tampara, Hirakud and Ansupa), while Tamil Nadu leads with 20 sites as India reached 100 Ramsar sites in 2026. 2026
| Odisha site / species | Latest data and significance |
|---|---|
| Similipal National Park | Declared India’s 107th National Park on 24 April 2025; Odisha’s second after Bhitarkanika; area 845.70 sq km; home to 40 tigers, including 18 melanistic tigers (the world’s only wild population), 25% of Odisha’s elephants and 104 orchid species 2025 |
| Bhitarkanika | India’s second-largest mangrove patch; saltwater crocodile population rose from 96 in 1975 to 1,826 in 2025; Gahirmatha is a major olive ridley rookery 2025 |
| Chilika Lake | India’s first Ramsar site (1981); Asia’s largest brackish-water lagoon; Irrawaddy dolphin count steady at 159 in 2026; Odisha’s total dolphin count reached a five-year high of 765 across six species 2026 |
| Odisha Biodiversity Board | Statutory body under the Biological Diversity Act, 2002; headquartered in Bhubaneswar; state rules notified in 2012 2024 |
| OSPCB | Statutory regulator under the Water Act 1974 and Air Act 1981; operates Consent to Establish and Consent to Operate through an online system 2024 |
Similipal’s national park notification makes the notified 845.70 sq km ‘rights free’, with no human activity allowed; the remaining part of the 2,750 sq km tiger reserve continues as a wildlife sanctuary. 2025 The state is implementing the Greater Similipal Landscape Programme with AI-powered camera towers, V-SAT communication and a dedicated security force. 2025
IMAGE (Map): Map of Odisha showing Similipal, Bhitarkanika, Chilika and the six Ramsar sites.
Labels: Similipal (Mayurbhanj), Bhitarkanika (Kendrapara), Chilika (Puri–Khurda–Ganjam), Satkosia (Mahanadi), Tampara, Hirakud, Ansupa; Gahirmatha coast.
Caption: Odisha’s national park, mangrove and Ramsar wetland network.
Find it: Odisha Forest Department map or Ramsar Sites Information Service; or draw from the names in these notes.
Practice Questions
Which of the following statements about the Chipko Movement is/are correct?
- It began in 1973 in Chamoli district, Uttarakhand.
- Gaura Devi led the action at Reni village.
- It completed 50 years in 2023.
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
- I and II only
- II and III only
- I and III only
- I, II and III
Show answer
(d) – All three statements are correct. Chipko began in 1973, Gaura Devi led the Reni action, and the movement completed 50 years in 2023. 2023
The Bishnoi Movement is associated with which of the following?
- Protection of Khejri trees in Khejarli, Rajasthan
- Opposition to the Sardar Sarovar Dam
- Protection of Silent Valley forests
- Anti-liquor agitation in Andhra Pradesh
Show answer
(a) – The Bishnoi Movement of 1730, led by Amrita Devi, protected Khejri trees in Khejarli, Rajasthan. 2024
CSIR–NEERI is located at
- Lucknow
- Nagpur
- Jodhpur
- Dehradun
Show answer
(b) – CSIR–NEERI is headquartered in Nagpur. 2025
Consider the following pairs:
| Institution | Location |
|---|---|
| 1. Wildlife Institute of India | Dehradun |
| 2. Forest Survey of India | Dehradun |
| 3. Indian Institute of Forest Management | Kolkata |
How many of the pairs given above are correctly matched?
- Only one
- Only two
- All three
- None
Show answer
(b) – Pairs 1 and 2 are correct. IIFM is located in Bhopal, not Kolkata. UPPSC (Pre) 2012
Project Cheetah, launched in September 2022, reintroduced cheetahs at
- Ranthambore National Park
- Kuno National Park
- Bandhavgarh National Park
- Kanha National Park
Show answer
(b) – Project Cheetah translocated African cheetahs to Kuno National Park, Madhya Pradesh. 2022
Similipal was declared India’s 107th National Park in which year?
- 2023
- 2024
- 2025
- 2026
Show answer
(c) – Similipal was notified as a National Park on 24 April 2025. 2025
Consider the following statements about Bhitarkanika:
- It is India’s second-largest mangrove ecosystem.
- The saltwater crocodile population in 2025 was 1,826.
- Gahirmatha, within Bhitarkanika, is a major olive ridley turtle rookery.
How many of the statements given above are correct?
- Only one
- Only two
- All three
- None
Show answer
(c) – All three statements are correct. 2025