07 Oct 2026 - "Daily Current Affairs" Updates

Great Nicobar Island Project

Why in News: The Supreme Court recently refused to entertain the Union Government’s challenge to a PIL concerning the Great Nicobar Island Project.

What is the Project?

• Conceived by NITI Aayog and launched in 2021, it is a Rs 81,000-crore mega-infrastructure project on Great Nicobar, the southernmost island of the Andaman and Nicobar archipelago.

• Its objective is to develop Great Nicobar as a strategic maritime and economic hub.

• The project seeks to use the island’s location near the East-West shipping route, reduce dependence on foreign transshipment ports, and strengthen defence and national security.

• The source states that the project operates under environmental clearances linked to the EIA Notification, 2006 and ICRZ Notification, 2019.

Four Major Components

• International Container Transhipment Terminal at Galathea Bay: proposed capacity of 14.2 million TEU.

• Greenfield International Airport: capacity of 4,000 Peak Hour Passengers.

• Power system: 450 MVA gas- and solar-based power plant.

• New township: spread over 16,610 hectares.

Who Implements It?

• Implementation is by the Andaman and Nicobar Islands Integrated Development Corporation, a government undertaking under the Andaman and Nicobar Administration.

Memory Lock

• Great Nicobar -> southernmost island of the Andaman and Nicobar archipelago.

• Project value -> Rs 81,000 crore.

• Galathea Bay terminal -> 14.2 million TEU.

• Implementing body -> ANI Integrated Development Corporation.

ENVIRONMENT & BIODIVERSITY

Desert National Park and Great Indian Bustard Release

Why in News: Two male Great Indian Bustards bred under a captive-breeding programme were released into Desert National Park in Jaisalmer district, Rajasthan.

Desert National Park: Prelims Profile

• Located in Rajasthan, in the Jaisalmer region.

• Landscape includes extinct salt lakes, thorny scrub and sand dunes.

• The source lists Rajbaugh Lake, Malik Talao and Padam Talao among lakes associated with the sanctuary.

• The park contains fossils of plants and animals nearly 180 million years old.

• It lies in an extreme hot and arid, very-low-rainfall zone receiving less than 100 mm rainfall.

Flora and Fauna Mentioned in the Source

• Flora: dhok, ronj, salai, palm trees, sewan grass and aak shrub.

• Fauna: blackbuck, chinkara, desert fox, Bengal fox, Indian wolf and desert cat.

• Reptiles listed include spiny-tailed lizard, monitor lizard, saw-scaled viper, Russell’s viper and krait.

Memory Lock

• Location -> Jaisalmer, Rajasthan.

• Landscape -> sand dunes + thorn scrub + extinct salt lakes.

• Rainfall zone -> below 100 mm.

• Current trigger -> release of 2 male Great Indian Bustards.

WORLD GEOGRAPHY: SEAS & CHOKEPOINTS

South China Sea

Why in News: China recently urged the Philippines to stop what it described as infringement and provocations in the South China Sea.

Where is it?

• The South China Sea is an arm of the western Pacific Ocean bordering the Southeast Asian mainland.

• It is connected to the East China Sea through the Taiwan Strait.

• Its surrounding geography includes Taiwan, the Philippines, Borneo, the Gulf of Thailand, the Malay Peninsula and the Asian mainland.

Nine-Dash Line

• The nine-dash line is a U-shaped cartographic boundary used by China to claim historic sovereignty and rights over roughly 90% of the South China Sea.

Memory Lock

• Ocean -> western Pacific.

• Link to East China Sea -> Taiwan Strait.

• China’s claim line -> nine-dash line.

• Claim described in source -> roughly 90% of the sea.