Why in the News
Two meetings were held on 9 July 2026 at the Central Academy for State Forest Service (CASFOS), Coimbatore: the 29th meeting of the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) and the 91st meeting of the Standing Committee of the National Board for Wildlife (SC-NBWL). According to PIB, Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav chaired both.
Venue
CASFOS, Coimbatore, 9 July 2026
NTCA, 29th
STRIDES 2026 and Roadmap to Rescue released; the 6th MEE cycle considered
SC-NBWL, 91st
Rhino, Great Indian Bustard, pygmy hog; more than 100 proposals considered
Diagram: an original table.
What Happened in the NTCA's 29th Meeting?
The Minister released two publications. The first, Roadmap to Rescue, is a roadmap of interim or transit facilities for the rescue, rehabilitation and release of wild animals in tiger landscapes. The second, STRIDES 2026, is an assessment of the state of infrastructure, development, ecology and social standards of tiger reserves.
The Authority approved the annual report for 2024-25. The meeting also considered a proposal to run the 6th cycle of the Management Effectiveness Evaluation (MEE) of tiger reserves, holding a Tiger Conclave to raise funds, and organising STRIPES as a research platform.
What Happened in the SC-NBWL's 91st Meeting?
The Standing Committee reviewed the progress of the directions of the National Board for Wildlife's (NBWL) previous meetings. The main topics of discussion were: a long-term strategy for the greater one-horned rhinoceros based on the Rhino DNA Indexing System, the next strategy for the Great Indian Bustard, and including the pygmy hog in the Species Recovery Programme.
The committee also released scientific publications on the rhinoceros, the sloth bear and the Great Indian Bustard. It considered more than 100 proposals in areas such as roads, defence infrastructure, drinking water, power lines, mining and renewable energy, under the provisions of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972.
Where Does Confusion Arise in the Exam?
Both meetings were held on the same day and at the same place, but the institutions are different. STRIDES 2026 was released in the NTCA meeting, while the pygmy hog subject came up in the SC-NBWL meeting. Also, "discussed" and "approved" are different words.
The Direction of Preparation from Past Questions:
Statement-based questions have appeared in the official General Studies Paper-I of the UPSC Preliminary Examination 2023. So prepare the institution, the meeting number and the released documents separately. The questions below are original practice, not real PYQs.
Preliminary Examination Style: Practice Questions
1. With reference to the meetings of 9 July 2026, consider the following statements:
Statement 1: STRIDES 2026 was released in the NTCA's 29th meeting.
Statement 2: Both meetings were held at CASFOS, Coimbatore.
Statement 3: According to the press release, the SC-NBWL gave final approval to including the pygmy hog in the Species Recovery Programme.
How many of the above statements are correct?
(a) Only one
(b) Only two
(c) All three
(d) None
See Answer and Reason
Answer: (b) Only two. Statements 1 and 2 are correct. Statement 3 is wrong, because according to PIB the issue of including the pygmy hog remained under "discussion"; there is no mention of final approval.
2. What is the "Roadmap to Rescue" related to?
(a) Interim facilities for the rescue, rehabilitation and release of wild animals in tiger landscapes
(b) The enumeration of Ganges dolphins
(c) Mangrove planting in coastal areas
(d) The ringing of migratory birds
See Answer and Reason
Answer: (a). According to PIB, it is a strategic roadmap of interim or transit facilities for rescue-rehab-release.
3. On which species were scientific publications released in the SC-NBWL's 91st meeting?
(a) Rhinoceros, sloth bear and Great Indian Bustard
(b) Snow leopard, gharial and Nilgiri tahr
(c) Asiatic lion, turtle and red panda
(d) Ganges dolphin, dugong and olive ridley
See Answer and Reason
Answer: (a). According to PIB, publications on the rhinoceros, the sloth bear and the Great Indian Bustard were released.
Sources:
- PIB: the NTCA's 29th meeting, 9 July 2026.
- PIB: the SC-NBWL's 91st meeting, 9 July 2026.
- UPSC: Preliminary Examination 2023, question format.
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