MCQs 2026

The Padma Awards are conferred on the recommendations made by the Padma Awards Committee, which is constituted by the Prime Minister every year.

The official list of Bharat Ratna recipients for 2026 has not been finalized or announced by the Government of India.

For established invasive alien plant species in forest areas, manual uprooting, mechanical removal (e.g., using machinery), and controlled burning are common in-situ management strategies. These methods aim to physically remove or destroy the invasive plants to allow native vegetation to regenerate.

The National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) was established under the Biological Diversity Act, 2002, to implement the provisions of the Act. It advises the Central Government on matters relating to biodiversity conservation, sustainable use of its components, and equitable sharing of benefits arising out of the use of biological resources, including issues concerning invasive alien species.

The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) is the nodal ministry in India responsible for environmental protection, biodiversity conservation, and the formulation and implementation of policies related to invasive alien species.

IAS negatively impact native biodiversity by outcompeting native species for resources, altering physical habitats, disrupting food webs, and sometimes introducing novel pathogens or diseases to which native species have no immunity.

Ballast water carried by ships is a major vector for the accidental introduction of marine and freshwater invasive alien species. When ships discharge ballast water in new ports, they release organisms from their origin, which can establish and become invasive.

Lantana camara is a highly invasive shrub introduced to India as an ornamental plant. It forms dense, impenetrable thickets, suppresses the growth of native species, reduces fodder availability for herbivores, and hinders natural forest regeneration, posing a severe threat to biodiversity.

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