Daily Current Affairs | April 10 2025

1) India Revokes Transshipment Facility for Bangladesh

• India has withdrawn a key transshipment facility for Bangladesh's export cargo, which could have far-reaching effects on the neighbour.

• In June 2020, India allowed Bangladesh to use its Land Customs Stations (LCSs) for transshipment of export cargo destined for third countries including Bhutan, Nepal, and Myanmar.

• Purpose - Facilitate smoother trade flows and reduce logistical costs for Bangladesh, particularly for its vital readymade garment (RMG) sector.

Reasons for Withdrawal

• Indian Textile Industry citing concerns regarding competition with Bangladesh.

• Rising freight costs and congestion at Indian ports and airports.

• Diplomatic Tussle - Bangladesh’s growing proximity to China and remarks regarding India’s northeast.

Impact of this Move

• On Bangladesh :

  • Reduced Export Competitiveness - Increases export cost and delays in delivery to third countries.

  • Logistics Challenge - Bangladesh lacks equivalent logistical infrastructure to compensate quickly for this gap.

  • Market Share Loss - Access to Indian airports like Delhi, a hub for Europe and US-bound goods, is now limited.

  • Investor Confidence - Affects Bangladesh’s positioning as a transit hub and weakens confidence among global investors.

• On India : Reduced pressure on India’s port & logistics infrastructure; Boost to India’s textile exports; Improvement in Logistics efficiency & cost; Exaggerates geopolitical conflict.

2) Nilgiri Tahr Census

• Kerala and Tamil Nadu will jointly carry out a Nilgiri Tahr census from April 24 to 27.

• The survey will span 89 census blocks in Kerala and 176 blocks in Tamil Nadu over the four-day period.

About Nilgiri Tahr

• The Nilgiri tahr is an ungulate that is endemic to the Nilgiri Hills and the southern portion of the Western and Eastern Ghats.

• Conservation Status - IUCN Red List (Endangered) | Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 ( Schedule I).

• Habitat - Montane grasslands, shola forests, and rocky highlands, in the states of Tamil Nadu & Kerala.

• Key Features - Displays Sexual Dimorphism; Shows Diurnal Behaviour; Herbivore etc.

Nilgiri Tahr Conservation Project

• Project Nilgiri Tahr aims to conserve Tamil Nadu’s state animal through scientific surveys, radio telemetry, and reintroduction into historical habitats.

• The project is to be implemented for 5 year period from 2022 to 2027.

• According to the recent survey, there are about 1,229 Nilgiri Tahrs in Tamil Nadu and around 827 in Kerala.

• Key Protected Areas - Eravikulam National Park (Kerala), Mukurthi National Park and Grass Hills National Park (Tamil Nadu), Silent Valleyand Agasthyamalai ranges (Kerala–TN border areas).

3) Translocation of One-Horned Rhinoceros

• The Wildlife Institute of India(WII) has proposed a national action plan for translocation of one-horned rhinoceroses to reduce habitat pressure in Assam’s Kaziranga National Park and Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary, through reintroduction in new protected areas across five states.

New Protected Areas

• Dibru-Saikhowa National Park (Assam)

• Gorumara & Jaldapara National Parks (West Bengal)

• D’Ering Memorial Wildlife Sanctuary (Arunachal Pradesh)

• Valmiki Tiger Reserve (Bihar)

• Dudhwa National Park, Pilibhit Tiger Reserve, Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary (UP)

• Surai Range (Uttarakhand)

One Horned Rhino

• The Indian rhinoceros, also known as the greater one-horned rhinoceros, great Indian rhinoceros or Indian rhino, is a species of rhinoceros found in the Indian subcontinent.

• It is the 2nd largest living rhinoceros species(Largest in Asia), with adult males weighing 2.07–2.2 t and adult females 1.6 t.

• Habitat - Terai grasslands, alluvial floodplains, swamps, and subtropical savannahs.

• IUCN Red List - Vulnerable

• Important Protected Areas - Kaziranga National Park (Assam) – Largest population (~2,613 as of 2022); Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary (Assam) – Highest rhino density (107 rhinos in 16 sq. km); Jaldapara National Park (West Bengal); Gorumara National Park (West Bengal); Dudhwa National Park (UP).

4) Panchayat Advancement Index (PAI) report

• In a significant move to strengthen grassroots governance and track rural progress, the Ministry of Panchayati Raj has launched the first-ever Panchayat Advancement Index (PAI) baseline report for FY 2022-23.

• It will measure performance of over 2.5 lakh Gram Panchayats across 9 localized Sustainable Development Goal (LSDG) themes.

• Based on their score, the Gram Panchayats will be put into 5 categories : Achiever; Front Runners; Performers; Aspirants and Beginner.

More About PAI

• The score is based on on 435 unique indicators (331 mandatory + 104 optional).

• The data is drawn from 566 unique data points aligned with the National Indicator Framework (NIF).

• Objectives - Enable data-driven governance and promote evidence-based policy interventions in rural India.

Key Highlights

• The inaugural PAI data reveals that out of 2,55,699 GPs, 2,16,285 submitted validated data.

• Among these, only 699 Panchayats (0.3%) qualified as Front Runners, while 77,298 (35.8%) were marked as Performers.

• A large majority—1,32,392 Panchayats (61.2%)—were classified as Aspirants, and 5,896 (2.7%) were at the Beginner level.

• No Panchayat achieved the highest “Achiever” category.

• Gujarat and Telangana emerged as leaders with the highest number of Front Runner Gram Panchayats.

• Other high-performing states include Maharashtra, MP & UP.

• While Bihar, Chhattisgarh, and Andhra Pradesh saw a significant concentration of Aspirant GPs.