Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas to Commemorate Tribal Legacy

Source: PIB 

Why in News? 

India observes Janjatiya Gaurav Divas on 15^th November to honor tribal freedom fighter Birsa Munda, with 2024–25 marked as Janjatiya Gaurav Varsh for his 150th birth anniversary. 

What is Janjatiya Gaurav Divas and Why is It Important for Preserving Tribal History? 

• Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas: The day is observed each year to honor tribals’ contributions in preserving cultural heritage and fostering Indian values such as national pride, valour, and hospitality. It was first celebrated in 2021 as part of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav. 
  • Honouring Tribal Freedom Fighters: Birsa Munda led the Ulgulan (Great Tumult) against British land policies, symbolizing tribal resistance and the demand for self-rule. 
    • Other tribal leaders like Veer Narayan Singh, Badal Bhoi, Raja Shankar Shah, and Kunwar Raghunath Shah are also being commemorated for their anti-colonial efforts. 
• Janjatiya Gaurav Varsh 2025: As part of the celebrations, the government is establishing 11 Tribal Freedom Fighters Museums to highlight tribal valour and anti-colonial struggles often overlooked in mainstream history. 
  • 4 have already been inaugurated in Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, and Madhya Pradesh.   
• Museums as Memory Keepers:  
  • Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh Memorial & Tribal Freedom Fighters Museum (Raipur, Chhattisgarh): It commemorates Narayan Singh of the Binjhwar tribe, who led an armed revolt against British famine policies in 1856–1857 and was executed on 10th December 1857.  
    • The museum chronicles tribal uprisings such as Halba Kranti, Meria Kranti, and Bhumkal Kranti, and highlights women-led protests like Rani Cho-Ris Kranti (1878) as well as tribal participation in Gandhian movements. 
  • Bhagwan Birsa Munda Museum (Ranchi, Jharkhand): It commemorates Birsa Munda, leader of the Ulgulan (1899–1900), spiritual reformer, and freedom fighter. 
  • Badal Bhoi State Tribal Freedom Fighters Museum (Chhindwara, MP): It honours Badal Bhoi (1845–1940), leader of tribal protests against British forest laws and oppression. 
  • Raja Shankar Shah & Kunwar Raghunath Shah Museum (Jabalpur, MP): It celebrates poets who resisted British rule during 1857, using literature as a form of non-violent protest. 

Who was Birsa Munda? 

• About: Born on 15th November 1875 in the Chota Nagpur Plateau, he belonged to the Munda tribe.  
  • He grew up witnessing land alienation, forced labour (begar), and the decline of the Khuntkatti land system (joint ownership of land by tribal lineage) under British rule. 
  • He founded the Birsait faith, gaining Munda and Oraon followers who revered him as “Bhagwan” and “Dharti ka Abba.” 
• Role in Tribal Mobilisation: Influenced by the Sardar Agitation (1858–90) during his stay in Chaibasa (1886–1890), he rallied tribal communities to defend land rights, culture, and autonomy, resisting British exploitation and diku domination.  
  • The Sardar Agitation (1858–90) itself had emerged against forced labour and illegal rent hikes in Chotanagpur. 
• Ulgulan or the Great Tumult (1899-1900): He launched the Ulgulan movement, demanding an end to British rule in tribal areas, the expulsion of outsiders, and the establishment of “Birsa Raj.”  
  • The movement used guerrilla tactics, refused colonial rent, and rejected oppressive laws, becoming one of India’s most organised tribal revolts. 
• Arrest & Death: He was arrested in 1900 with his guerrilla group in the Jamkopai forest and died in Ranchi Jail on 9th June 1900 under unclear circumstances at age 25. 
• Legacy: His movement led to protective reforms like the Chotanagpur Tenancy Act, 1908, securing tribal land rights. Jharkhand was later created on 15th November 2000—his birth anniversary—as a tribute to his legacy 

What are the Key India’s Initiatives Related to the Promotion of Tribal Culture and Heritage? 

Initiative	Key Features
Adi Sanskriti Project	Offers around 100 immersive courses on diverse tribal artforms; includes nearly 5,000 curated documents on India’s socio-cultural tribal heritage.
Adi Vaani	Provides real-time text and speech translation between Hindi, English, and tribal languages — Mundari, Bhili, Gondi, Santhali, Garo, Kui.
Tribal Digital Document Repository	Serves as a searchable repository of documents related to India’s tribal communities.
Varnamala and Oral Literature Initiative	Publication of local rhymes and stories in tribal languages; collection and documentation of oral tribal literature, folklore, and folktales.
Research and Documentation of Indigenous Knowledge	Promotion of studies on indigenous healing practices, medicinal plants, Adivasi languages, agriculture, dance, paintings.
Aadi Mahotsav	Celebrates tribal crafts, cuisine, commerce, culture, art; provides a national platform to showcase tribal talent and entrepreneurship.
Tribal Craft Mela & Cultural Events	Organisation of craft melas, dance festivals, art competitions, workshops-cum-exhibitions; financial support to conduct tribal fairs and festivals across states.

Conclusion 

Janjatiya Gaurav Divas and the ongoing Varsh celebrations use museums and digital initiatives to bring the overlooked legacy of tribal freedom fighters like Birsa Munda into the national narrative. This not only honours their sacrifices but also preserves tribal heritage and reinforces the vision of an inclusive India. 

Drishti Mains Question: Q. Discuss the role of digital initiatives in preserving tribal languages and cultural knowledge.

India Targets 55% Female Workforce Participation by 2030

Source: ET 

Why in News? 

The Ministry of Labour and Employment has announced a strategic plan to raise India’s Female Labour Force Participation Rate (FLFPR) from 41.7% (FY24) to 55% by 2030. The target is aimed towards Bridging the Gender Employment Gap. 

Why is Raising Female Labour Force Participation Vital for India’s Growth? 

• Major Driver of Economic Growth: Women entering the workforce boost overall productivity, enhance innovation, and strengthen financial stability, making India more resilient and competitive globally. 
  • As per McKinsey report pushing gender equality can deliver a sizable additional economic growth and could add Rs 46 lakh crore (USD 700 billion) to India's GDP in 2025. 
• Diversifies Talent & Strengthens Industries: Women bring varied perspectives that deepen the labour pool, stimulate fresh ideas, and help industries adapt to changing economic trends. 
  • Sectors such as healthcare, education, financial services, and STEM stand to gain significantly from a balanced gender workforce. 
• Catalyst for Gender Equality: Workforce participation empowers women through financial independence, asset ownership, and bargaining power, which are critical for achieving SDG 5 (Gender Equality). 
• Transforms Household & Community Welfare: Empirical studies show that women tend to invest a greater share of their income in education, nutrition, and healthcare for their families.  
  • This enhances human capital development and breaks intergenerational cycles of poverty.  
• Foundation for Sustainable and Inclusive Growth: Expanding women’s role across sectors—from agriculture and MSMEs to AI and clean energy—promotes equitable and sustainable development.  
  • Women’s workforce integration is not just a rights-based issue but a strategic economic imperative, crucial for India’s transition to a USD 5 trillion economy and achievement of the Viksit Bharat 2047 vision. 

What Challenges Impede Higher Female Labour Force Participation in India? 

• Limited Access to High-Quality Employment: A large proportion of women remain concentrated in low-productivity sectors such as agriculture and informal work, restricting their access to stable and high-paying jobs. 
• The Double Burden of Domestic and Economic Roles: In rural India, women often juggle domestic responsibilities and economic activities, blurring the distinction between household work and formal employment. 
  • Women’s unpaid care work contributes 3.1% of GDP, yet this ‘invisible’ labour rarely results in income generation or asset ownership. 
• Gender Norms and Mobility Constraints: Deep-rooted gender norms, inadequate access to safe transportation, and the absence of reliable childcare services significantly restrict women’s mobility and influence their occupational choices. 
• High Vulnerability in the Labour Market: Over 90% of employed women are engaged in informal work where social security, maternity benefits, and legal protections are either absent or extremely limited. 
  • Such employment is often irregular, seasonal, and dependent on family or local networks. 

What Measures India has Taken to Improve FLFPR? 

• Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP): BBBP enhances long-term female participation in the workforce by ensuring higher school retention and improved life outcomes for girls. 
• National Education Policy (NEP), 2020: NEP 2020 prioritises gender equity in education, ensuring inclusive and equitable access to quality education for girls from disadvantaged groups. 
• One Stop Centres (OSC) and Women Helpline: One Stop Centres provide immediate support services-medical aid, legal counselling, temporary shelter, and police facilitation-to women affected by violence. 
  • The Women Helpline offers 24×7 support, enabling women to access justice and safely continue their economic activities. 
• Codification of Labour Laws: The four consolidated Labour Codes simplify 29 laws to improve compliance and promote job creation. 
• Protective Provisions for Women Workers: Policies include 26 weeks of paid maternity leave, mandatory crèche facilities in establishments with 50+ employees, and permission for night shifts with safety arrangements. 
  • The Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace Act, 2013 provides a robust framework ensuring safe and dignified workplace environments. 

How can India Ensure Inclusive Female Workforce Participation? 

• Redesign Labour Metrics for Quality Work: India must go beyond tracking participation and incorporate indicators such as earnings, work hours, job security, and asset ownership.  
  • Integrating NSO’s Time Use Survey can help recognise unpaid care work and redefine productive labour to reflect actual economic contribution. 
• Create Gender-Sensitive Formal Employment: Policies like Production-Linked Incentives, Make in India, and MSME support should embed women-focused incentives.  
  • Expanding labour-intensive sectors in rural clusters and adapting MGNREGA for women-specific tasks can generate proximity-based, dignified wage work. 
• Strengthen Care and Social Infrastructure: Community childcare centres, eldercare services, and shared kitchens can substantially reduce women’s unpaid workload, enabling sustained workforce participation and smoother transition into formal jobs. 
• Skill Building and Digital Empowerment: Region-specific, demand-driven upskilling-especially in health, education, logistics, and digital services-along with safe access to gig/platform work can raise productivity and income. 
• Tackle Social Norms: Strengthening SHGs with credit, digital literacy, and market linkages, combined with behavioural campaigns promoting shared domestic roles, can create an enabling ecosystem for long-term economic inclusion. 

Conclusion 

India’s rising labour force participation must translate into secure, remunerative, and formal employment. Formal recognition of unpaid care work-valued at nearly 10–39% of GDP-highlights the vast invisible contribution of women. Strengthening the care economy, expanding non-farm jobs, and ensuring safe and equitable workplaces will be essential for unlocking India’s demographic dividend. 

Drishti Mains Question Examine the factors influencing female labour force participation in India and evaluate the measures taken by the government to improve it.

Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru as the Architect of Modern India

Source: IE 

Why in News?

Children’s Day, celebrated on 14^th November 2025, marks the 125th birth anniversary of Jawaharlal Nehru.  

• The occasion also offers a moment to reflect on Nehru’s enduring contributions in shaping modern India through his vision, institutions, and commitment to nation-building.

What is the Role of Jawaharlal Nehru in Nation-Building? 

Role in India’s Independence 

• Inspired by Mahatma Gandhi, Nehru became deeply involved in the freedom struggle. 
• In 1912, he attended the Bankipore Congress as a delegate, and became Secretary of the Home Rule League, Allahabad in 1919. 
• He opposed the Rowlatt Act, 1919 joined the Non-Cooperation Movement, and was repeatedly jailed during the Salt Satyagraha and Quit India Movement. 
• He represented India at the Congress of Oppressed Nationalities in Brussels (1926). 
• In 1928, Nehru attended the All-Party Congress and signed the Nehru Report on constitutional reforms (named after his father Shri Motilal Nehru).  
  • In the same year, he founded the ‘Independence for India League,’ advocating complete break from British rule, and became its General Secretary. 
• Jawaharlal Nehru was elected as Congress President at the landmark Lahore Session (1929), which adopted Poorna Swaraj as the national goal. 
• The Resolution on Fundamental Rights and Economic Programme for the 1931 Karachi Session of the Indian National Congress was primarily drafted by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru.  
• Jawaharlal Nehru was the second Individual Satyagrahi, following Vinoba Bhave, in 1940. 
• On 15th August 1947, he became India’s first Prime Minister and delivered the historic “Tryst with Destiny” speech. 
• As Prime Minister, he worked to strengthen democracy, secularism, and scientific thinking in the new nation. 

Jawaharlal Nehru as Architect of Modern India 

• Nehru’s Vision of a Modern and Progressive Nation: Nehru inherited a nation scarred by Partition, social division and economic ruin, yet he laid out a bold vision of a secular, democratic and forward-looking India.  
  • His leadership helped stabilize the country and initiate its transformation into a modern state. 
• Building Institutions of Excellence:   Jawaharlal Nehru laid the foundation of modern India by creating institutions of scientific and technical excellence such as the IITs, ISRO (successor to the Indian National Committee for Space Research (INCOSPAR), which was set up under Nehru), AIIMS, and major research universities.  
  • His vision strengthened India’s capability in engineering, space science, and nuclear development, enabling the country to pursue self-reliance and large-scale industrialisation.  
  • These institutions often called the “Temples of Modern India” continue to drive innovation, human capital formation, and technological leadership. 
• Introducing the Five-Year Plans: Nehru introduced India’s First Five-Year Plan in 1951, giving the nation a structured roadmap for economic development after Partition.  
  • The plan focused on agriculture, irrigation, food security, and rural development, helping India overcome severe shortages and inflation. 
  • These plans created a long-term planning framework that guided India’s development for decades. 
• Strengthening India’s Democratic Foundations: Nehru deeply committed to democracy, equality, and constitutional values. 
  • He advocated for fundamental rights, equality, secularism, and freedom of expression. 
  • He oversaw the establishment of the Election Commission of India (1950) and guided the country through its first general elections (1951–52), then the world’s largest democratic exercise.  
  • His commitment to democratic institutions ensured that independent India adopted a stable, inclusive, and constitutional system of governance. 
• Shaping India’s Foreign Policy: As Prime Minister, Nehru held additional charge of the Ministry of External Affairs until his death. 
  • He laid the foundation of India’s independent foreign policy during a tense post–World War II environment. 
  • He is one of the pioneers of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) to keep India out of Cold War blocs. 
  • He led the Asian Relations Conference (1947), strengthening Asian solidarity. 
  • Nehru championed the Panchsheel Agreement, five principles of peaceful coexistence, still central to India’s diplomacy. 
• Infrastructure: Launched major infrastructure projects such as the Bhakra-Nangal Dam, steel plants at Bhilai, Durgapur and Rourkela, and large public sector enterprises. 
  • Developed modern cities like Chandigarh and Jawahar Lal Nehru projected Chandigarh as the face of modern India. 
• Establishing India as a Welfare State: Nehru envisioned India as a welfare state that balanced economic growth with social justice.  
  • Rejecting both unregulated capitalism and rigid communism, he promoted a model where the state ensured education, healthcare, labour rights, social security, and dignity for all citizens. 

Conclusion 

Children’s Day honours Nehru’s bond with children and his pivotal role in shaping modern India. As we mark his 125th birth anniversary, his vision continues to guide national priorities. His legacy reminds us that investing in people is the foundation of India’s progress.

Q. Discuss Jawaharlal Nehru’s role in framing India’s democratic and constitutional ethos.

National Migration Survey (2026–27)

Source: IE 

Why in News? 

The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) will conduct a year-long National Migration Survey from July 2026 to June 2027, the most comprehensive study of migration in nearly two decades. 

What is the National Migration Survey (2026–27)? 

• About: The National Migration Survey, conducted under the National Sample Survey framework, will cover nearly all states and union territories except the inaccessible villages of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. 
  • The survey aims to produce reliable estimates on key migration indicators, including the overall migration rate, out-migration levels, short-term migration patterns, the reasons people move, and the net migration balance across regions. 
• Need for the Migration Survey: India needs a new migration survey because the last NSS detailed migration survey (NSS 64th round in 2007–08) is outdated.  
  • With major changes in mobility, especially after Covid-19, fresh data is essential for planning housing, jobs, welfare portability, and regional development. 
• New Features of the 2026 Survey: Short-term migration will now cover stays of 15 days to six months, replacing the earlier one-to-six-month definition.  
  • The survey will track individual migrants instead of whole households, and it adds new questions on income changes, access to services, living conditions, and future migration plans to better understand the impact of mobility. 
• Previous Migration Surveys in India: Migration surveys have been conducted by the NSS since the 9th round (1955), with dedicated rounds such as the 18th (1963–64) and 64th (2007–08) collecting detailed information on various aspects of migration.  
  • More recent data on migration were collected through the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) 2020–21 and the Multiple Indicator Survey (2020–21).

Significance of National Migration Survey (2026–27) 

• Helps identify migration hotspots and employment-linked mobility corridors. 
• Enables targeted policies for housing, transport, and skilling. 
• Supports planning for urban expansion and labour market needs. 
• Offers insights for social protection schemes for migrants. 
• Strengthens India’s socio-economic data architecture after a long gap in migration-specific surveys.
  

What is Migration? 

• Migration: According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), migration is the movement of people away from their usual place of residence to a new place of residence, either across an international border or within a State. 
  • Under India’s NSS, migration refers to movement that changes an individual’s Usual Place of Residence (UPR). A person is considered a migrant if their last UPR differs from the current place of enumeration. 
• Migration in India: Migration in India (2020-2021) report contains estimates of the indicators based on information collected Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) 2020–21. 
  • The report showed India’s migration rate at 28.9%, with women migrating far more than men in both rural and urban areas.  
  • Rural female migration was 48% compared to 5.9% for men, while urban rates were 47.8% and 22.5% respectively.  
  • Reasons for moving differed sharply: 67% of men migrated for work, while 87% of women moved due to marriage. 
• Migration Key Concepts under National Sample Survey (NSS) 
  • Usual Place of Residence (UPR): The place (village or town) where a person has lived continuously for six months or more. 
  • Migration Rate: The percentage of migrants within a specific population category (rural, urban, male, female, etc.). 
  • Net Migration: The difference between in-migration and out-migration for any region. 
  • Short-Term Migrant: A person who has not changed their UPR, but stayed away from home for 15 days to less than 6 months in the last 365 days for employment or job search. 
  • Out-Migrant: A former household member who moved to another village or town at any time in the past and is still alive at the time of the survey.

Drishti Mains Question:  Discuss the significance of a fresh National Migration Survey  for India’s urban planning and labour policy.

Jal Sanchay Jan Bhagidari(JSJB) Initiative

Source: PIB 

Why in News? 

The Jal Shakti Ministry announced the 1st Jal Sanchay Jan Bhagidari (JSJB) Awards under the JSJB initiative, with Telangana topping the list for 5.2 lakh water conservation structures.  

• This initiative aligns with the PM’s vision of Jan Shakti for Jal Shakti. 

What is the Jal Sanchay Jan Bhagidari (JSJB) Initiative? 

• About: Launched in September 2024 in Surat, JSJB is a community-driven program under Jal Shakti Abhiyan: Catch the Rain (JSA: CTR) and integrates the Whole-of-Government and Whole-of-Society approach. 
  • It promotes rooftop rainwater harvesting and reviving traditional water bodies like lakes, ponds, and stepwells. 
• Objective & Approach: It encourages the construction of artificial recharge and storage structures. 
  • It follows the 3Cs mantra – Community, corporate social responsibility (CSR), and Cost, ensuring long-term water security and resilience against water stress. 
  • States divided into five zones for implementation i.e., Northern, Eastern, Southern, Western and North- Eastern Zone & Hilly States. 
• Inter-Ministerial Collaboration: The Ministry of Jal Shakti serves as the nodal agency and has partnered with the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs to enhance urban water conservation efforts. 
• Decentralized Targets: 
  • Districts (General): Minimum 10,000 artificial recharge structures. 
  • Hilly/North-Eastern districts: 3,000 structures. 
  • Municipal Corporations: 10,000 structures. 
• Achievement: Against an overall target of 10 lakh structures, a remarkable 27.6 lakh structures were reported within the timeline, indicating widespread participation. 

What are India's Initiatives Related to Water Conservation? 

• National Water Policy, 2012  
• National Aquifer Mapping and Management Program (NAQUIM)  
• Mission Amrit Sarovar  
• Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM)  
• Jal Shakti Abhiyan (JSA)  
• Atal Bhujal Yojana (ABY) 

Drone City and Space City Project

Source: PIB 

The Union Ministry of Commerce & Industry laid the foundation stone for the country’s first Drone City and a new Space City in Andhra Pradesh during the 30th Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) Partnership Summit. 

• The projects aim to attract significant investment, create high-skilled jobs, and position Andhra Pradesh as a national hub for aerospace, drones and space technology. 
• Drone City: Drone City to be built at Orvakal Industrial Node near Kurnool across 300 acres, dedicated entirely to drone manufacturing, testing and innovation. 
  • Drone City is expected to boost self-reliance in high-quality drone manufacturing and support national missions such as Kisan Drones, Swamitva Yojana and supporting national security operations like Operation Sindoor. 
• Space City: Planned near Sriharikota, India’s premier rocket launch hub, strengthening the state’s role in space-related industries. 
  • Aims to complement IN-SPACe and Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre efforts to promote private sector participation in space. 
• Incentives: State government to incentivise investors with 100% State Goods and Services Tax (GST) refund via an escrow mechanism and 20% capital investment reimbursement, ensuring transparent and non-bureaucratic processes. 
• These initiatives align with national goals under Viksit Bharat 2047 and Swarna Andhra 2047 (a strategic vision launched by the Government of Andhra Pradesh to transform the state into a USD 2.4 trillion economy by the year 2047). 

Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) 

• CII is a non-government, not-for-profit, industry-led body that supports India’s economic development through policy advocacy and collaboration. Founded in 1895, it is headquartered in New Delhi. 
• The CII Partnership Summit is held annually in collaboration with Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) under Ministry of Commerce and Industry.

Read more: Drone Technology  Shaping the Future of India's Space Sector

Anti-dumping Duty

Source: BS 

India has imposed a five-year anti-dumping duty on hot-rolled steel imports from Vietnam after investigations confirmed that unfairly low-priced imports were harming the domestic steel industry. 

• The decision follows Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR) findings confirming that Vietnamese steel was dumped below normal value, causing injury to Indian producers. Stainless steel hot-rolled products are excluded from the duty. 
• In India, anti-dumping cases are investigated by the DGTR under the Ministry of Commerce, while the Finance Ministry imposes the duty.  
• Anti-dumping Duty: It is a protective tariff imposed on imports that are priced lower than their normal value in the exporting country.  
  • Its primary purpose is to shield domestic industries from harm caused by unfairly priced foreign imports. 
  • India is one of the largest users of anti-dumping duties in the world, most of which have been imposed on Chinese imports. 
  • World Trade Organization (WTO) rules, through Article 6 of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (1994), permit member countries to impose anti-dumping and countervailing duties under specific and strictly regulated conditions. 
• Anti-dumping Duty Vs Countervailing Duty (CVD): 

Read more:  Anti-Dumping Duty

Jharkhand’s Saranda Forest

Source: TH 

The Supreme Court of India directed the Jharkhand government to declare 31,468.25 hectares of the Saranda forest area as a wildlife sanctuary. The court reaffirmed that mining is prohibited inside national parks and wildlife sanctuaries, as well as within a one-kilometre buffer from their boundaries. 

• The Court upheld the 1968 erstwhile unified State of Bihar notification declaring the Saranda forest as the “Saranda Game Sanctuary,” which later came under Jharkhand’s jurisdiction after the State’s bifurcation (2000). 

Saranda Forest 

• About: It is the largest Sal forest in Asia, located near Jamshedpur, Jharkhand. The name “Saranda” means “land of seven hundred hills”, spread over around 900 sq. km. 
  • It historically served as the private hunting ground of the royal family of Seraikela. 
  • The Saranda forest division also accounts for 26% of India’s iron ore reserves, making it both ecologically and economically significant. 
• Flora: Dominated by Sal (Shorea robusta), forming one of the most pristine and continuous Sal forests in the world. Other major species include Mahua and Kusum. 
  • Supports diverse deciduous vegetation that maintains water cycles and contributes to carbon sequestration. 
• Fauna: It is the habitat for critically endangered and endemic species, including the sal forest tortoise, four-horned antelope, and Asian palm civet.  
  • The forest is home to endangered species of flying lizards and hundreds of elephants. 
• Tribes: Inhabited by Ho, Munda, Uraon, and allied Adivasi communities. Their livelihoods, culture, and subsistence practices are deeply linked to forest resources.

Read more: Conserving Protected Areas in India

US Response on Nigeria Violence

Source: IE 

The US President criticised Nigeria for failing to protect Christians from violence (Plateau, Benue, and Kaduna states), warning of possible aid cuts and military action, triggering diplomatic and political debate. 

• Insecurity in Nigeria stems from terrorist insurgencies like Boko Haram, communal land–water conflicts, and criminal banditry, all intensified by poverty, weak governance, and climate change. 
  • This mirrors wider Sahel instability—in Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, and Chad—where Islamist groups, ethnic tensions, and climate stress drive conflict and weaken state authority. 

Nigeria 

• Location: Nigeria is located on the western coast of Africa and is often called the Giant of Africa because of its size, population, and economic influence on the continent.  
  • It shares borders with Niger to the north, Chad and Cameroon to the east, the Gulf of Guinea to the south, and Benin to the west. 
• Population and Economy: Nigeria has the world’s 6th largest population and Africa’s largest, and it ranks as the 4th largest economy in Africa. 
• Rivers and Drainage: Nigeria’s main drainage basins are the Niger–Benue, Lake Chad, and the Gulf of Guinea. The Niger River and its major tributary, the Benue River, are the country’s most important rivers. 
• Global Engagement: Nigeria recently became the 9th BRICS partner country (without membership or decision-making power), joining Belarus, Bolivia, Cuba, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Thailand, Uganda, and Uzbekistan. 
  • Nigeria, Africa's largest recipient of US aid, is shifting its focus to strengthen ties with China, India, and the EU to reduce its reliance on the US. 

Read More: PM's Visit to Nigeria, Brazil and Guyana