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PCS ParikshanAssam Switch to Hindi
Kaziranga Identified as a Key Stronghold for the Fishing Cat
Why in News?
The first scientific assessment has established that Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve is a major stronghold of the fishing cat (Prionailurus viverrinus), highlighting the ecological importance of its wetland ecosystems.
Key Points:
- Scientific Assessment: The data collected during the All-India Tiger Estimation documented 57 unique fishing cat individuals across over 450 sq km of the tiger reserve, indicating a healthy and breeding population.
- Habitat: Kaziranga’s floodplains of the Brahmaputra River, including wetlands, marshes, oxbow lakes (beels) and wet alluvial grasslands, provide ideal habitat conditions for the semi-aquatic fishing cat.
- Kaziranga is a UNESCO World Heritage Site known for high densities of rhinos, tigers and a rich array of mammals, birds and reptiles.
- Characteristics: The fishing cat (Prionailurus viverrinus) is a medium-sized wild cat adapted to aquatic environments, known for its ability to swim and hunt fish in wetlands.
- Conservation Status:
- IUCN Status: Vulnerable
- WPA Status: Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, provides the highest degree of legal protection in India.
- Threats: Major threats to the species include wetland degradation, habitat loss due to urbanisation and agriculture, human-wildlife conflict, and decline of freshwater ecosystems.
- Significance: The findings expand Kaziranga’s conservation value beyond its famous populations of one-horned rhinoceros and tigers, reinforcing the importance of integrated wetland conservation strategies.
| Read More: Kaziranga National Park, Brahmaputra River, UNESCO World Heritage Site, IUCN, WPA, Wetlands |
National Current Affairs Switch to Hindi
Iran Appointed Ayatollah Alireza Arafi as Interim Supreme Leader
Why in News?
Following the reported death of Ali Khamenei in a joint United States-Israeli airstrike, the Islamic Republic of Iran has appointed Ayatollah Alireza Arafi as a key member of the interim Leadership Council, effectively positioning him as the acting Supreme Leader during the transitional period.
Key Points:
- Leadership Council: Under Article 111 of the Iranian Constitution, a three-member interim body now governs the Islamic Republic.
- It includes Arafi alongside the President and the Chief Justice, ensuring continuity of authority amid the unprecedented leadership vacuum.
- Role and Authority: The interim Leadership Council assumes the constitutional duties of the Supreme Leader until a permanent successor is chosen by the Assembly of Experts.
- The Supreme Leader in Iran is the highest authority, overseeing the armed forces, judiciary, state broadcasting, and key policy decisions.
- Background of Arafi: He is a senior Shia cleric and has held key positions in Iran’s religious establishment, including membership in both the Guardian Council and the Assembly of Experts.
- He has also led major seminaries in Qom.
- Qom is Iran’s principal centre of Shia Islamic scholarship, and Arafi’s association with its seminaries strengthens his clerical standing.
- Continuity of Governance: The interim council ensures that executive, military, and judicial authority remains uninterrupted during the transition period.
- Significance: Alireza Arafi’s appointment to the interim leadership council is a key moment in Iran’s political transition, highlighting constitutional procedures for leadership succession amid heightened regional tensions.
| Read More: Iran-Israel Conflict |
