Species in the News: UPSC Prelims 2026 | Current Affairs

In recent years, Species in the News has emerged as one of the most reliable and high-yield areas of UPSC Prelims (Environment & Ecology). Almost every Prelims paper includes 2–3 questions directly or indirectly related to species that appeared in the news.

For UPSC Prelims 2026, the relevance of species in the news UPSC becomes even stronger because:

• India is actively pursuing wildlife reintroduction and conservation projects.
• Climate change and habitat loss are bringing lesser-known species into the spotlight.
• UPSC increasingly asks statement-based and match-the-following questions on species.

Let's cover all the important species in the news for UPSC Prelims 2026.

In biology, a species is defined as a group of organisms that can interbreed naturally and produce fertile offspring.

Species in India: Key Facts 

India is one of the world’s mega-diverse countries, with a rich array of flora and fauna found across varied ecosystems, from the Himalayas to the coastal wetlands and deserts to tropical forests. India harbours an enormous variety of wildlife species, including mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, insects, and plants.

This biodiversity is monitored and documented by government agencies like the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) and the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC). 

• India is home to over 28,000 endemic species (cannot be found elsewhere).
• India is one of the most biodiverse countries in the world, despite covering only 2.4% of the Earth's land area.
• It is home to 7-8% of all known species, including over 45,000 types of plants and 91,000 types of animals.
• The country’s varied landscapes and climate have created diverse ecosystems, including forests, wetlands, grasslands, deserts, and coastal and marine habitats.
• India also has 4 of the world’s 34 major biodiversity hotspots—the Himalayas, the Western Ghats, the Northeast region, and the Nicobar Islands.
• India is a global leader in tiger conservation, with the tiger population rising to 3,682 (range 3,167-3,925) as per the All India Tiger Estimation 2022.

Must cover: National Parks in India for UPSC: Complete List and Key Facts

The following table presents a list of species in the news during 2025–26, from India and across the world, based on their relevance to UPSC Prelims Environment and current affairs questions.

Here are the key Indian species that were in the news due to conservation efforts, policy interventions, or ecological significance. Let's cover these species in detail!

1. Great Indian Bustard (GIB)

The Great Indian Bustard (GIB) is one of India’s most critically endangered bird species and a flagship species of arid and semi-arid grassland ecosystems. It is endemic to the Indian subcontinent and is primarily found in Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh, with the largest surviving population in Desert National Park, Rajasthan.

Key Threats

• Overhead power transmission lines (leading cause of mortality due to bird collisions)
• Habitat loss and fragmentation of grasslands
• Low reproductive rate (lays only one egg per year)
• Disturbance from infrastructure development

Conservation Status & Protection

2. Gangetic River Dolphin

The Gangetic River Dolphin is a freshwater cetacean native to the Ganga–Brahmaputra–Meghna river system and is an indicator species of river ecosystem health. Its presence reflects adequate water flow, prey availability, and low pollution levels.

Ecological Importance

• Top predator in riverine food chains
• Indicator of freshwater ecosystem integrity
• Sensitive to noise pollution and chemical contamination

Unique Features

• Almost blind; uses echolocation for navigation
• Lives exclusively in freshwater
• One of the few river dolphins globally

Conservation Status & Protection

3. Dugong

The Dugong, also known as the Sea Cow, is a herbivorous marine mammal that feeds primarily on seagrass meadows. In India, dugongs are found in the Gulf of Mannar, Palk Bay, Gulf of Kutch, and the Andaman & Nicobar Islands.

Ecological Significance

• Maintains seagrass health by grazing
• Acts as an indicator of healthy coastal ecosystems
• Seagrass meadows support fisheries and carbon sequestration

Major Threats

• Habitat loss due to coastal development
• Fishing net entanglement
• Boat strikes
• Pollution and seagrass degradation

Conservation Status & Protection

Must cover: IUCN List-Endangered Species & Red Data Book for UPSC Preparation

Species in the News is a high-return scoring area in UPSC Prelims. A structured approach by focusing on habitat, conservation status, and relevance can help aspirants confidently tackle environmental questions. Regular revision of such consolidated lists can significantly boost accuracy and speed in the UPSC Prelims 2026.

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