Context:

• The Greater One-Horned Rhinoceros (Rhinoceros unicornis) is an iconic species of India’s Brahmaputra and Terai floodplains and grasslands.
• Historically, its range extended across the northern Indian subcontinent along the Indus, Ganga and Brahmaputra river systems. Today, wild populations in India are concentrated mainly in Assam, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.
• India’s conservation approach is increasingly shifting from merely protecting existing rhino populations to expanding the species across suitable parts of its historical range.

From Protection to Population Recovery:

• Rhino conservation in India is fundamentally a story of recovery. The population has increased by nearly 170% — from around 1,500 animals to more than 4,000 by September 2024.
• To consolidate this recovery, the National Conservation Strategy for the Greater One-Horned Rhinoceros (2019) provides a long-term framework based on -
  • Strengthening existing populations.
  • Restoring suitable former habitats.
  • Maintaining genetic security and habitat connectivity.
  • Scientifically planned translocations.
  • Building climate resilience into conservation planning.
• Phase I - 2026–2031:
  • The proposed five-year Phase I programme, with ₹77.39 crore in support through the National CAMPA Authority, covers Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.
  • Its priorities include scientific monitoring and protection, habitat restoration and management, translocation planning, community coexistence, and capacity building.
  • Expansion of rhino populations into suitable areas of Bihar and Arunachal Pradesh is also a priority.

Rhino Conservation is Equal to Ecosystem Conservation:

• The survival of the rhino is inseparable from the health of alluvial and Terai grasslands and wetlands.
• These ecosystems also support species such as swamp deer, wild buffalo, elephants, tigers and grassland birds.
• Grasslands are dynamic ecosystems and require active, science-based management to prevent habitat degradation, inappropriate ecological succession, and invasive species proliferation.
• The Rhino Conservation Action Plan therefore focuses on mapping and assessing grasslands and wetlands, identifying invasive species, prioritising restoration sites and developing Protected Area-specific management protocols.

Comprehensive Assessment of Indian Grasslands:

• A complementary five-year initiative (2026–2031), with ₹20.86 crore, will assess Indian grasslands through the Wildlife Institute of India (WII), Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE) and Forest Survey of India (FSI).
• It will examine grassland extent and ecological condition, biodiversity and degradation, ecosystem services, and carbon potential.
• It is expected to contribute to a National Grassland Atlas, restoration priorities and long-term management guidelines.
• This reflects a shift from species-centric conservation towards landscape-level and ecosystem-based conservation, where protecting a flagship species simultaneously safeguards wider ecological functions.

Climate Resilience and Technology:

• Flooding is a natural component of ecosystems such as Kaziranga, but increasing frequency and intensity of extreme climatic events can create additional conservation pressures.
• Future conservation therefore requires access to higher ground, ecological connectivity, protection of dispersal routes, landscape-scale habitat management, and climate-resilient conservation planning.
• Technology can further strengthen conservation through modern surveillance, spatial monitoring, veterinary diagnostics, genetic tools and decision-support systems.
• However, technology cannot replace frontline personnel — forest guards, watchers, mahouts, veterinarians and field officers — who remain the foundation of wildlife protection.

Conservation at Different Levels:

• Communities as conservation partners:
  • Long-term rhino conservation depends on communities living around rhino habitats.
  • Conservation must therefore be treated as a shared enterprise, rather than merely a government activity.
  • Community participation can help address human-wildlife conflict, strengthen local stewardship and make conservation outcomes more sustainable.
• Regional and international cooperation:
  • Rhino conservation also requires cooperation beyond administrative and national boundaries.
  • At the Second Asian Rhino Range States Conservation Meeting in New Delhi (2019), India, Bhutan, Indonesia, Malaysia and Nepal adopted the New Delhi Declaration to strengthen cooperation for Asian rhinoceros conservation.
  • Such cooperation is important for addressing shared challenges such as habitat fragmentation, illegal wildlife trade, genetic conservation and transboundary ecological connectivity.

Way Forward:

• India’s rhino recovery demonstrates that species decline is not necessarily irreversible when supported by sustained political commitment, scientific management and field-level protection.
• The conservation of the Greater One-Horned Rhinoceros ultimately extends beyond a single species.
• Protecting rhino habitats means protecting rivers, wetlands, grasslands, forests, biodiversity and local communities that form interconnected ecological landscapes.

Conclusion:

• India’s recovery of the Greater One-Horned Rhinoceros is a significant conservation achievement.
• The challenge now is to consolidate these gains while expanding populations into suitable historical habitats.
• The rhino’s recovery is a national achievement; ensuring its long-term survival is a national responsibility.

Context

• Political parties are indispensable to representative democracy, yet the Indian Constitution gives them limited explicit recognition.
• They primarily function as associations protected by Article 19, while the Tenth Schedule recognises their role in the anti-defection framework.
• Their unusual legal status allows them to enjoy substantial tax exemptions and regulatory privileges, making transparency in political finance a crucial democratic concern.
• The proliferation of Registered Unrecognised Political Parties (RUPPs), unexplained donations and controversies surrounding electoral bonds reveal weaknesses in India's electoral-finance framework.
• The central issue is whether citizens can know who finances political power and whether financial contributions influence public policy.

The Mystery of Political Funding

• Political funding is regulated through the Representation of the People Act, 1951, the Income-tax Act and Election Commission regulations.
• Section 29A provides for registration of political parties, while Section 29B permits voluntary contributions subject to statutory restrictions.
• The large number of RUPPs creates a significant regulatory challenge. The Election Commission reported 2,854 RUPPs in August 2025 and subsequently delisted 334 parties for non-compliance with requirements such as contesting elections.
• However, delisting, recognition and deregistration have distinct legal meanings.
• Registration allows an organisation to function as a political party, while recognition determines its status for purposes such as reserved symbols.
• The distinction can create regulatory gaps when parties remain formally registered despite limited electoral participation.
• Former Chief Election Commissioner T.N. Seshan had already highlighted the poor internal discipline and weak compliance of political parties in the 1990s.
• His emphasis on institutional accountability remains relevant because electoral integrity requires not merely conducting elections but ensuring that political organisations themselves follow transparent rules.

The Scale of Political Wealth

• The magnitude of political finance raises questions about the relationship between democratic competition and private wealth.
• Large financial reserves, substantial donations and tax exemptions can provide political parties with resources extending well beyond immediate electoral requirements.
• The fundamental concern is insufficient information about the source, purpose and beneficiaries of political contributions.
• Political parties exercise considerable public influence by selecting candidates, shaping legislation and participating in government formation.
• Tax exemptions strengthen the case for transparency. When the State forgoes revenue to facilitate political activity, citizens have a legitimate interest in knowing whether such concessions serve genuine democratic purposes.
• Financial disclosure must therefore move beyond formal submission of accounts towards meaningful verification and public accountability.

Electoral Bonds and the Transparency Debate

• The electoral-bond scheme became the most significant episode in India's political-finance debate.
• In February 2024, the Supreme Court declared the Electoral Bond Scheme and related statutory amendments unconstitutional.
• It held that non-disclosure of political contributions violated citizens' right to information under Article 19(1)(a) and also invalidated the removal of the earlier corporate-contribution limit.
• The judgment established that political funding cannot be completely insulated from citizens' right to know.
• At the same time, allegations of quid pro quo require evidence and investigation rather than assumptions based merely on the timing of donations and government decisions.
• The broader lesson is that financial transparency should enable citizens and institutions to scrutinise political funding while ensuring that individual allegations are examined through due process.

Necessary Reforms

• Institutional Accountability
  • Political-finance regulation is fragmented among the Election Commission, Income-Tax authorities and other institutions.
  • Political parties have also historically resisted greater external scrutiny.
  • The Election Commission possesses extensive constitutional authority over elections and maintains financial-disclosure mechanisms.
  • However, disclosure alone is insufficient when submitted accounts are not meaningfully scrutinised.
  • Reform should include:
    • Standardised digital disclosure of party finances.
    • Independent auditing of political-party accounts.
    • Clear links between continued registration and electoral participation.
    • Greater scrutiny of unusually large or unexplained donations.
    • A central database of contributions, expenditure and assets.
    • Appropriate and proportionate taxation of political donations.
    • Better coordination between the ECI and tax authorities.
    • Enforceable procedures for deregistration of persistently inactive parties.
• Balancing Regulation and Democratic Freedom
  • Political-finance reform must not become a mechanism for excessive governmental control over political organisations.
  • Political parties are essential to freedom of association, political participation and democratic pluralism.
  • Regulation should therefore be transparent, politically neutral and subject to legal safeguards.
  • The objective should not be to restrict citizens' ability to establish or support political parties, but to ensure that parties enjoying the privileges of political status also fulfil corresponding obligations of financial disclosure and accountability.

Conclusion

• The fundamental challenge is not simply the existence of political money but the opacity surrounding its sources, uses and consequences.
• A democracy cannot function effectively when citizens know who seeks their votes but lack adequate information about who finances those organisations.
• The electoral-bonds judgment and the Election Commission's action against non-compliant RUPPs demonstrate the continuing importance of electoral-finance reform.
• India needs a framework based on transparency, independent auditing, standardised disclosure, institutional coordination and enforceable accountability.
• Political parties must retain the freedom necessary for democratic competition, but that freedom must coexist with a corresponding obligation to disclose how political power is financed.

About OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development):

• It is an international organization established with the aim of fostering economic growth and development among member countries.
• It succeeded the Organisation for European Economic Co-operation (OEEC), which focused on distributing Marshall Plan aid post-World War II.
• The convention establishing the OECD was signed on Dec. 14, 1960, by 18 European countries, the United States, and Canada and went into effect on Sept. 30, 1961.
• OECD members are typically democratic countries that support free-market economies.
• Current Members: 38 countries.
• Headquarters: Paris, France.
• The stated goal of the OECD is to shape policies that foster prosperity, equality, opportunity and well-being for all.
• The organization's activities encompass a wide range of areas, including trade, industry, agriculture, and environmental protection, with a focus on sustainable development.
• The governance structure consists of the OECD Council, the OECD Secretariat, and numerous committees that address specific topics such as public governance and climate change.
• Lacking the power to enforce its decisions, the OECD is essentially a consultative assembly that pursues its program through moral suasion, conferences, seminars, and numerous publications.
• The OECD publishes economic reports, statistical databases, analyses, and forecasts on the outlook for economic growth worldwide.
• Major Reports Published by the OECD:
  • OECD Economic Outlook
  • PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment)
  • Health at a Glance
  • Country Peer Review Reports
• The organization also seeks to eliminate bribery and other financial crime
• The OECD maintains a so-called “black list” of nations that are considered uncooperative tax havens.
• India and OECD:
  • India is one of the many non-member economies with which the OECD has working relationships in addition to its member countries.
  • India has been an OECD Key Partner since 2007.

About Transfer Pricing:

• Transfer pricing refers to the prices of goods and services that are exchanged between companies under common control.
• For instance, when a subsidiary company provides goods or services to its parent company or another subsidiary within the same group, the price set for these transactions is known as the transfer price.
• They represent a complex and important aspect of business, in particular for companies operating in different tax jurisdictions.
• The transfer pricing method is generally used by multinational companies (MNCs) and their subsidiaries or sister companies to allocate income and expenses.
• Effective but legal transfer pricing takes advantage of different tax regimes in different countries by raising transfer prices for goods and services produced in countries with lower tax rates.
• In some cases, companies even lower their expenditure on interrelated transactions by avoiding tariffs on goods and services exchanged internationally.
• The benefits of transfer pricing are tax savings, profit allocation among subsidiaries, and enhanced financial efficiency.
• However, transfer pricing must comply with international regulations to avoid issues such as tax evasion.
• Companies must comply with the transfer pricing rules established by the countries in which they operate, adhering to the arm's length principle (ALP) to ensure transactions are priced as if they were between unrelated parties.
  • ALP: Related parties price transactions as if they were transactions on an open market.
  • The Indian transfer pricing regulations (ITPR) require that income arising from ‘international transactions’ between ‘associated enterprises’ be computed with reference to the ALP.
• International transfer pricing disputes arise mainly as countries seek to ensure MNCs are subject to tax on profits attributable to their respective jurisdictions.
• Accordingly, differences in allocation of taxable income among countries can give rise to disputes among taxpayers and tax authorities as well as those in different jurisdictions.

About OLED (Organic Light-Emitting Diode):

• It refers to a class of light-emitting devices where the emissive layer is composed of carbon-based organic molecules that glow when excited by an electric current.
• The OLED structure consists of a multilayer array of thin organic films sandwiched between two electrodes, at least one of which is transparent, allowing light emission. When electrical current is applied, a bright light is emitted.  
• OLEDs differ from both traditional LEDs (inorganic diodes that emit light at specific points) and LCDs (which rely on liquid crystals and a backlight).
• Instead, OLEDs are self-emissive surfaces which means every pixel generates its own light.
• OLED displays provide the best image quality, and they can also be made transparent, flexible, foldable, and even rollable and stretchable.
• An OLED display have the following advantages over an LCD display:
  • Improved image quality: Better contrast, higher brightness, fuller viewing angle, a wider color range, and much faster refresh rates.
  • Lower power consumption.
  • Simpler design that enables ultra-thin, flexible, foldable, and transparent displays
  • Better durability: OLEDs are very durable and can operate in a broader temperature range.
• Advanced OLED configurations include PHOLED (Phosphorescent OLED) variants, which use phosphorescent phosphors to increase light efficiency, and WOLED (White OLED), used in lighting technology to generate white light with a wide colour spectrum.

About Paliyar Tribe:

• They are one of the many ethnic Dravidian (ethnolinguistic and cultural) tribes in Southern India.
• They are a Scheduled Tribe primarily located in the South Western Ghats montane rain forests of Tamil Nadu and eastern Kerala.
• They are and have been known by multiple names, such as the Paliyans, Palaiyars, Pazhaiyares, and Panaiyars.
• Language: They primarily speak a dialect related to Tamil, reflecting their Dravidian linguistic heritage.
• Occupation:
  • Traditionally, the Paliyars were hunters and gatherers.
  • Many have transitioned into traders of forest products, food cultivators, and beekeepers.
  • Some work as wage laborers on plantations or in nearby towns.
• Palliyars have small communities called kudis, sometimes living in caves or mud shelters.

Key Facts about Srivilliputhur-Megamalai Tiger Reserve (SMTR):

• It is located in the state of Tamil Nadu.
• It lies in the ecologically sensitive Western Ghats
• It was formed in 2021 by combining Grizzled Squirrel Wildlife Sanctuary and Megamalai Wildlife Sanctuary.
• It functions as a connecting link between Kerala’s Periyar Tiger Reserve and Tamil Nadu’s Southern Kalakkad-Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve.
• Rivers: The area primarily relies on three perennial rivers: Vaigai, Suruliyaru, and Shanmuganathi.
• The climate of the reserve is influenced by both the southwest and northeast monsoons.
• Vegetation: It’s a blend of tropical evergreen and semi-evergreen forests, dry deciduous and moist mixed deciduous woods, and grasslands.
• Flora: Some notable plant species in the reserve include Teak, Indian Rosewood, Bamboo species, Wild fig trees, Evergreen shrubs, and medicinal plants.
• Fauna:
  • Mammals: Elephants, Tiger, Leopard, Nilgiri Tahr, Gaur, Spotted Deer, Barking Deer, Sambar Deer, Wild Boar, Porcupine, Nilgiri Langur, Lion-Tailed Macaque,
  • It is particularly celebrated as the last known stronghold of the Grizzled Giant Squirrel (Ratufa macroura), a spectacular arboreal mammal found only in a handful of locations in peninsular India and Sri Lanka.

About Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC):

• It is the second largest intergovernmental organisation after the United Nations.
• It has a membership of 57 states spread over four continents.
• OIC aims to preserve Islamic values, safeguard and defend the national sovereignty and independence of member states, and contribute to international peace and security.
• The OIC considers itself as the “collective voice of the Muslim world” and endeavors to safeguard and protect the interests of its member states in economic, social, and political areas.
• Headquarters: Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
• Its official languages are Arabic, English, and French.
• The OIC is composed of the following main bodies:
  • Islamic Summit Conference (ISC): It is the supreme authority of the OIC, which meets every three years to lay down the Organization’s policy.
  • Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM): It meets once a year to examine the implementation of its decisions taken within the framework of the policy defined by the ISC.
  • General Secretariat: It is the executive organ of the OIC entrusted with the implementation of the decisions of the two preceding bodies.
  • Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission (IPHRC), established in 2011.
• Specialised and affiliated institutions include the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), and the Statistical, Economic and Social Research and Training Centre for Islamic Countries (SESRIC).
• The OIC partners with international mechanisms (including every specialized UN agency), governments, and civil society organizations (CSOs) to address issues of concern to its member states and Muslims worldwide.
• Core agenda items have historically centred on the Palestinian question and the status of Jerusalem, solidarity among Muslim states, countering Islamophobia, and economic and scientific cooperation.
• India and OIC:
  • The 1969 Snub: India was invited to the inaugural OIC summit in Rabat, Morocco, in 1969, but was disinvited at the last minute due to pressure from Pakistan.
  • Guest of Honour (2019): In 2019, India participated for the first time in an OIC CFM meeting.
  • India has strategically bypassed the OIC as a collective bloc, instead building massive economic and security ties directly with the Gulf and Arab nations.
  • Kashmir Issue: India consistently rejects the OIC's locus standi on its internal affairs, stating that the organisation has no mandate to comment on matters regarding sovereign Indian territories.

About PB-SHABD Platform:

• Prasar Bharati-Shared Audio-Visuals for Broadcast and Dissemination (PB-SHABD) was launched in March, 2024.
• It is news feed service from Prasar Bharati, open to media users round the clock.
• Features:
  • It gives registered media organisations free, ready-to-use news in text, video, audio, photo and infographic formats. 
  • It supplies timely, authentic and ready-to-use news content from India and the world.
  • Its users are registered media organisations, digital publishers and content creators. Newspapers, news television channels and digital news publishers form the bulk of this base.
  • Format and Languages: Under this content is offered in five formats, namely text, video, audio, photographs and infographics and news is provided in 15 Indian languages and under nearly 50 news categories.
  • Coverage: Its coverage extends across national, regional and local developments.
  • The service is free of cost. Registered users pay no subscription fee for the content they download. Its free access has been assured up to March 2027.

Key Facts about Prasar Bharti:

• It is the Public Service Broadcaster of the country.
• It is a statutory autonomous body established in 1997 under the Prasar Bharati Act 1990.
• Objective: To conduct public broadcasting services intended to inform and entertain the public.
• The corporation works through two constituents, Akashvani and Doordarshan.
• Headquarter: New Delhi

About Black carbon:

• Black carbon is a dark sooty material emitted during both natural and anthropogenic activities.
• It results from incomplete combustion of fossil fuels, biofuels and biomass.
• It is a component of PM 2.5.
• It is a short-lived climate pollutant (SLCP) due to its atmospheric lifetime of only a few days to weeks, yet it has a substantial impact on global warming.
• After CO₂, black carbon is the second most significant contributor to global warming. Unlike CO₂, it is a particle, not a greenhouse gas.
• Sources: Primary sources include coal-fired power plants, cookstoves, diesel engines, and the burning of biomass fuels such as wood, other fossil fuels, forest fires, crop-residue burning, and brick kilns.
• It does not remain confined to its source region.
• Impact of Black Carbon:
  • Human Health: It has a significant adverse effect on human health and leads to premature mortality.
  • Regional atmospheric heating: It remains in the atmosphere for only days to weeks, but during that period it strongly absorbs sunlight and can produce substantial atmospheric heating.
  • Responsible for glacial melt: Black carbon particles deposited on snow and ice darken the surface, reduce its albedo, and cause it to absorb more solar radiation. This can accelerate snow and ice melt.
  • Environment: It affects climate, agriculture, and ecosystems.
    • It can alter rainfall patterns, regional atmospheric circulation, and cloud formation, accelerate glacier melting, influence freshwater supplies for millions, and contribute to rising sea levels.