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Recent Developments

Khejri Bachao Andolan (February 2026): A mass mobilization in Jodhpur, Barmer, and Nagaur districts protested felling of Khejri trees for road widening and power-line projects. The Bishnoi community organized at scale, explicitly invoking the 1730 Khejarli martyrdom. The Rajasthan government responded with an advisory instructing district collectors to evaluate project alignments to minimize tree loss, but stopped short of a formal protective order. The movement drew national media attention and connections to the broader debate over infrastructure versus ecological heritage in arid states.
GIB Captive Breeding Milestone (2024): The Wildlife Institute of India's captive breeding facility at Sudasari (Jaisalmer), operated in collaboration with the International Fund for Houbara Conservation (IFHC), achieved the hatching of 3 eggs in 2024. This is significant because captive breeding of GIB was considered extremely difficult; the species had never been successfully bred in captivity in India before the Sudasari program began. The chicks are reared in a semi-wild environment to prepare for eventual release.
Supreme Court GIB Order — Ongoing Contestation (2021–2026): The April 2021 SC order directing underground cabling in the 10,000 sq km GIB Priority Area (Rajasthan + Gujarat) remains only partially implemented. The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) contested the order citing a cost of ~₹21,000 crore. In 2023, a modified SC bench allowed overhead lines for solar/wind projects in select zones under strict conditions, while maintaining the underground mandate near active GIB nesting areas. As of 2026, legal contestation continues — a live exam-relevant situation.
Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam (2024-25): The national campaign exceeded its Rajasthan target by 87.3%, with 5.62 crore saplings planted against a 3-crore target. Rajasthan's contribution came primarily through the Forestry Department's TOFR (Tree Outside Forest in Rajasthan) scheme distributing 409.41 lakh saplings.
CRESEP Implementation Progress (ongoing): Under the JICA-funded CRESEP (₹1,774.30 crore), the project has prioritized Oran (sacred grove) conservation in western Rajasthan. As of 2024, 10,000 hectares of Oran have been mapped and brought under formal conservation plans in Jaisalmer, Barmer, and Bikaner districts. This represents the first systematic government recognition of Orans as formal conservation units — previously they existed entirely in community tradition outside legal frameworks.

Potential Exam Questions from Current Affairs

Possible question: What is the Khejri Bachao Andolan (2026)? How does it connect to Rajasthan's conservation heritage?
Answer pointers: February 2026 mass mobilization; protests against Khejri felling for infrastructure; Bishnoi community; connection to 1730 Khejarli massacre (Amrita Devi, 363 martyrs); state government advisory; broader tension between development and ecological conservation in arid zones.
Possible question: Discuss the challenges in implementing the Supreme Court's 2021 order on underground power cables for Great Indian Bustard protection.
Answer pointers: SC order April 2021 (Writ Petition 838/2019); directed underground cabling in 10,000 sq km Priority Area; MNRE opposition (₹21,000 crore cost); modified order 2023; ongoing legal contestation; GIB population at <150 globally; Rajasthan's simultaneous position as renewable energy leader and GIB habitat state.
Possible question: What are Orans? Explain their significance and the CRESEP project's approach to their conservation.
Answer pointers: Oran = sacred groves in western Rajasthan; maintained by Bishnoi, Rabari, and other communities; 25,000+ patches; 5–10 lakh ha estimated area; informal conservation with no legal status; CRESEP (JICA, ₹1,774.30 crore) formally mapping and conserving 10,000 ha; significance for GIB habitat, Sevan grass, and biodiversity conservation in an otherwise degraded landscape.