• 17 Jan 2026

MP Wildlife Exchange with Assam

Why in News? 

Madhya Pradesh and Assam have signed an inter‑state wildlife exchange agreement to strengthen conservation by reintroducing locally extinct species and enhancing biodiversity in both states. 

Key Points 

• Inter‑state wildlife exchange agreement finalised: MP CM Mohan Yadav met Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma in Guwahati and finalised the pact for exchange of wild animals for conservation purposes. 
• Wildlife from Assam to MP:  Assam will translocate 50 wild water buffaloes in phased groups over three years. 
  • Along with one pair of one‑horned rhinos and three king cobras to MP. 
• Reintroduction site in MP: Rhinos and cobras will be housed at Van Vihar National Park, Bhopal. 
  • Wild water buffaloes (Bubalus arnee), extinct in MP for over a century, will be reintroduced into their historic habitat at Kanha Tiger Reserve. 
• From MP to Assam: Madhya Pradesh will provide Assam with a pair of tigers and six mugger crocodiles, strengthening biodiversity in Assam. 
• Alignment with broader conservation efforts: The initiative builds on MP’s larger strategy of species restoration, following the introduction of cheetahs at Kuno National Park.

Status of Species 

• Wild Water Buffalo (Bubalus arnee): 
  • IUCN Red List: Endangered 
  • CITES: Listed in Appendix III in some countries. 
  • WPA Status (India): Protected under Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 (highest protection). 
• Mugger Crocodile (Crocodylus palustris): 
  • IUCN Red List: Vulnerable — protected and declining due to habitat loss. 
  • WPA Status (India): Protected under Schedule I 
• Bengal Tiger (Panthera tigris tigris): 
  • IUCN Red List: Endangered 
• One‑Horned Rhinoceros (Rhinoceros unicornis): 
  • IUCN Red List: Vulnerable 
• King Cobra (Ophiophagus hannah): 
  • IUCN Red List: Vulnerable 

Read More:  Kanha Tiger Reserve, Kuno National Park. 

Gujarat launched ‘Poshan Udaan 2026

Why in News? 

Gujarat has launched ‘Poshan Udaan 2026’ during the Makar Sankranti festival to spread nutrition and health awareness across the state by leveraging traditional festivities and community engagement. 

Key Points 

• Initiative: Poshan Udaan 2026 uses the popularity of the kite festival with kites carrying nutrition and health messages to symbolically raise public awareness across the state. 
  • To highlight the importance of balanced diets and health for children, adolescent girls and mothers. 
• Integration: Conducted under ICDS (Integrated Child Development Services) at Anganwadi centres. 
• Implemented by: A statewide nutrition awareness campaign organised by the Department of Women and Child Development, Gujarat. 
• Focus: The initiative emphasises dietary diversity, reduced junk food consumption, safe drinking water, and sanitation practices to improve nutrition outcomes. 
• Target groups involved: Outreach includes schoolchildren, adolescent girls, pregnant and lactating women, and local community leaders. 
• Health interventions: Activities such as haemoglobin testing, IFA( Iron and Folic Acid) tablet distribution, BMI (Body Mass Index) check-ups and personalised nutrition counselling were conducted for mothers and children. 

Read More: Makar Sankranti festival, Poshan Abhiyan,  ICDS, BMI 

MoU between Govt. of MP and Digital India BHASHINI

Why in News

The Government of Madhya Pradesh signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Digital India BHASHINI Division, to promote multilingual digital governance and citizen-centric service delivery using artificial intelligence–based language technologies.

Key Points:

• Language Inclusion: The partnership aims to break language barriers by providing government services and information in various Indian languages through the Bhashini AI platform. 
• Voice-Based Access: A primary focus is on developing voice-first tools, allowing citizens to interact with government portals using their mother tongue. 
• AI Integration: Madhya Pradesh will leverage Bhashini’s real-time translation and speech-to-text capabilities across departments like Health, Agriculture, and Revenue. 
• Data & AI Labs: Alongside this MoU, the state announced the establishment of 30 Data and AI Labs to train youth and government officials in cutting-edge technologies. 
• Significance: This collaboration positions Madhya Pradesh as a front-runner among states adopting BHASHINI for governance, complementing national efforts to build Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI).

BHASHINI 

• BHASHINI (Bharat Shared Repository of Inscriptions in Indian Languages) is a national language technology platform launched under the Digital India Programme.  
• It aims to enable translation, speech-to-text, text-to-speech and multilingual AI services across Indian languages, ensuring that digital services are accessible to citizens in their native languages. 

Read More:Digital India Programme,Digital Public Infrastructure