7th May 2026

Explanation -
It is located in the foothills of the Himalayas in the Nainital district of Uttarakhand. It is a part of the Corbett Tiger Reserve.

It was established in 1936 as Hailey National Park and was later renamed in 1957 in memory of Jim Corbett, a famous hunter turned conservationist, who played a key role in the establishment of the park.

It is not only the first national park in India but also the first to come under the Project Tiger.

It is spread over the Bhabar and lower Shivalik regions with a deep-water table. The tract is porous with boulders and sand deposits.

Drainage —
The Ramganga River (West) and its important tributaries - Sonanadi, Palain, and Mandal, constitute the primary water source for the region. Additionally, the Kosi River runs adjacent to the national park.

Vegetation — North Indian tropical moist deciduous forests and tropical dry deciduous forests.

Flora — In general, the park comprises sal and mixed forests, interspersed with grasslands and riparian vegetation. The grasslands are locally known as 'Chaur', which are an outcome of abandoned settlements or past clearings. Evergreen Sal and its combined trees, the Sheesham and the Kanju, are found extensively on the ridges.

Fauna — Tigers, elephants, leopards, sambar, hog deer, spotted deer, etc.

Explanation -
The 'UDGAM Portal' is a government initiative designed to provide a convenient platform for members of the public to search for their unclaimed deposits held across various banks in one centralised location.

This initiative aims to make the process of locating and claiming such deposits easier for individuals.

Explanation -
International law already contains provisions addressing severe environmental destruction, even though the term "ecocide" is not formally recognised.

The International Criminal Court's Rome Statute classifies attacks causing "widespread, long-term and severe" environmental damage as war crimes when they directly affect human beings.

Similarly, the Geneva Conventions prohibit warfare methods causing major environmental harm, while the Environmental Modification Convention (ENMOD) bans deliberate manipulation of natural processes with severe consequences.

Environmental harm can also be challenged through principles of state sovereignty and cross-border responsibility. Under traditional international law, actions such as polluting rivers flowing into another country can constitute violations of legal obligations between states.

How Ecocide Differs?
The major difference lies in the focus of protection. Existing international laws are largely anthropocentric, meaning they treat environmental destruction mainly as a crime because it harms human beings.

Ecocide, however, seeks to recognise the environment itself as a victim deserving independent legal protection.

Supporters of ecocide argue that recognising it as a separate international crime would move global law beyond human-centred harm and establish accountability for large-scale ecological destruction, even where immediate human suffering may not be directly visible.

Explanation -
Ecocide refers to severe and large-scale environmental destruction caused by human activities, often resulting in widespread or long-term ecological harm. It is commonly associated with industrial disasters, war-related damage, or actions that devastate ecosystems.

Legal Recognition in National Laws —
Vietnam became the first country to include ecocide in domestic law in 1990. Since then, several countries such as Russia, Ukraine, France, Belgium, and Chile have incorporated similar provisions into their legal systems.

Proposed International Definition —
In 2021, experts proposed defining ecocide as unlawful or reckless acts committed with awareness that they could cause severe, widespread, or long-term environmental damage.

Lack of International Recognition —
Despite growing attention and national-level recognition, ecocide is still not formally recognised as an international crime under global law.

Explanation -
In response to economic stress triggered by the ongoing West Asia conflict, the Union Cabinet has approved the Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme (ECLGS) 5.0.

The scheme aims to ensure liquidity support to distressed sectors—particularly MSMEs and aviation—by facilitating additional credit flow and preventing disruptions to economic activity.

Key Features of ECLGS 5.0 -

Scale and financial outlay — Targeted additional credit flow of ₹2.55 lakh crore, and government guarantee cost (fiscal outlay) of ₹18,000 crore. This includes a specific allocation of ₹5,000 crore for the airline sector.

Coverage and eligibility —

• Beneficiaries: MSMEs and non-MSMEs, and scheduled passenger airlines.
• Eligibility condition: Existing borrowers with standard accounts as of March 31, 2026.

Credit limits —

• For MSMEs and non-MSMEs (excluding airlines) - up to 20% of peak working capital (Q4 FY26), with a cap of ₹100 crore.
• For airlines - up to 100% of outstanding credit, with a cap of ₹1,500 crore per borrower.

Guarantee structure — 100% guarantee for MSMEs, 90% guarantee for non-MSMEs and airlines, provided by National Credit Guarantee Trustee Company Limited. It covers default risk of additional loans.

Loan terms — 5 years for MSMEs and non-MSMEs, including a moratorium of 1 year; and 7 years for airlines, including a moratorium of 2 years.

Interest rate caps — Maximum 9% for banks, and maximum 13% or 0.75% above benchmark rate (whichever is lower) for NBFCs.

Additional incentives — Zero guarantee fee; loans sanctioned till March 31, 2027; and guarantee cover co-terminus with loan tenure.