What are the designated spatial dimensions and geographic coverage of the ambitious Aravalli Green Wall Project initiated by the MoEFCC?

A. 1,400 km length and 5 km wide buffer zone across 29 districts of Gujarat, Rajasthan, Haryana, and Delhi

B. 800 km length and 2 km buffer across 15 districts of Rajasthan and Gujarat

C. 2,000 km length and 10 km buffer across Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh

D. 500 km length and 3 km buffer across Delhi-NCR and Haryana

Which international ecological restoration initiative in the African continent served as the conceptual inspiration for India's Aravalli Green Wall Project?

C. Great Green Wall of the Sahel

A. Congo Basin Rainforest Shield

B. Serengeti Migration Corridor

C. Great Green Wall of the Sahel

D. Kalahari Dune Afforestation Initiative

Which topographical threshold did the Supreme Court of India officially approve in late 2025 to classify landforms as protected Aravalli hills?

A. 100-metre local relief (elevation difference with surrounding terrain)

B. 500-metre absolute height above mean sea level

C. Slopes steeper than 45 degrees regardless of elevation

D. Continuous forest canopy density exceeding 40 percent

What is the primary target demographic and the specific vaccine deployed in the nationwide HPV immunization drive rolled out by the Ministry of Health?

D. 14-year-old adolescent girls; Gardasil quadrivalent vaccine

A. Pregnant mothers; Bivalent Cervarix vaccine

B. Infants below 1 year; Pentavalent combination vaccine

C. Women aged 25 to 45 years; Nanoparticle mRNA vaccine

D. 14-year-old adolescent girls; Gardasil quadrivalent vaccine

Which apex environmental judicial tribunal upheld the environmental clearance for the ₹81,000-crore Great Nicobar Project in February 2026?

A. National Green Tribunal (NGT)

B. Central Pollution Control Board Appellate Authority

C. Coastal Zone Management Authority (CZMA)

D. National Biodiversity Authority (NBA)

Which landmark judgment delivered in March 2026 became the first direct judicial enforcement of passive euthanasia in Indian legal history?

C. Harish Rana v. Union of India

A. Aruna Ramchandra Shanbaug v. Union of India

B. Gian Kaur v. State of Punjab

C. Harish Rana v. Union of India

D. Maruti Shripati Dubal v. State of Maharashtra

How does the Indian legal framework distinguish between active and passive euthanasia under criminal law and constitutional jurisprudence?

D. Active euthanasia remains an unlawful criminal offense (BNS 100/101), while passive euthanasia via withdrawal of life support is legally recognized

A. Both active and passive euthanasia are completely permissible upon payment of compensation

B. Both forms of euthanasia are strictly categorized as premeditated first-degree murder

C. Active euthanasia is legally protected under Article 19, whereas passive euthanasia is prohibited

D. Active euthanasia remains an unlawful criminal offense (BNS 100/101), while passive euthanasia via withdrawal of life support is legally recognized

Which historic five-judge Constitution Bench judgment of the Supreme Court recognized the 'Right to Die with Dignity' as a Fundamental Right under Article 21?

A. Common Cause (A Regd. Society) v. Union of India (2018)

B. Navtej Singh Johar v. Union of India (2018)

C. Justice K.S. Puttaswamy v. Union of India (2017)

D. Shayara Bano v. Union of India (2017)

Which historic temple in Bihar was sanctioned a development outlay of ₹13.29 crore under the PRASHAD scheme by the Ministry of Tourism in 2025?

C. Ambika Bhawani Temple, Ami, Saran district

B. Maa Mundeshwari Temple, Kaimur

C. Ambika Bhawani Temple, Ami, Saran district

What is the complete official expansion of the central tourism initiative acronym 'PRASHAD'?

A. Pradhanmantri Rural Amenities and Spiritual Heritage Augmentation Drive

B. Pilgrimage Restoration And Sacred Heritage Action Department

D. Public Road and Spiritual Heritage Architectural Development

Back to BPSC Current Affairs

BPSC Bihar Special • Current Affairs16 September 2026

Bihar Current Affairs: Aravalli Green Wall Project, HPV Immunization, Great Nicobar & Passive Euthanasia

Source: Information & Public Relations Department (IPRD Bihar) / Official Gazettes•Exam Target: BPSC 71st & 72nd CCE Prelims

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BPSC 72nd Core Foundation Dossier — Module 7

1. Aravalli Green Wall Project & Geomorphology

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Vision & Dimensions: A flagship ecological corridor conceptualized by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), creating a 1,400 km long and 5 km wide green ecological buffer belt around the ancient Aravalli Range.

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Geographical Scope: Covers 29 districts across 4 states/UTs: Gujarat, Rajasthan, Haryana, and Delhi.

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Inspiration: Inspired by Africa’s renowned “Great Green Wall” initiative in the Sahel region.

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Core Mandate:

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Combat Desertification: Acts as a massive vegetative barrier arresting the eastward creep of the Thar Desert into North India's fertile plains.

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Aquifer Rejuvenation: Restores surface water bodies, with 75 priority lakes and streams revived in the initial phase.

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Carbon Sequestration: Creates an additional carbon sink of 2.5 to 3.0 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent.

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Physiographic Profile of Aravalli:

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Oldest fold mountain range on Earth, extending ~670 to 800 km from Palanpur (Gujarat) to Majnu Ka Tila (Delhi).

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Highest elevation: Guru Shikhar (1,722 m) at Mount Abu, Rajasthan.

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Supreme Court Benchmark: Accepted the 100-metre local relief criterion (local elevation differential) to objectively define Aravalli hills for mining bans and conservation.

2. National HPV Vaccination Campaign & Cervical Cancer Prevention

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Nationwide Campaign: The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare launched a nationwide Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination drive targeting 14-year-old adolescent girls (~1.15 crore girls).

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Vaccine Specifications: Deploys Gardasil, a quadrivalent vaccine conferring 93% to 100% protection against:

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HPV Types 16 and 18 (responsible for >80% of all cervical cancer cases).

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HPV Types 6 and 11 (responsible for genital warts).

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Epidemiological Context: Cervical cancer is India's second most fatal female cancer, claiming ~80,000 lives annually from ~1.20 lakh diagnosed cases.

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Bihar’s Pioneer Milestone: Bihar was the first state in India to roll out free HPV vaccination for girls aged 9–14 under the “Mukhyamantri Balika Cancer Pratirakshan Yojana” on 6 October 2024, preceding nationwide implementation on 28 February 2026.

3. Great Nicobar Project & NGT Clearance (February 2026)

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Judicial Clearance: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) upheld environmental clearance for the ₹81,000 crore holistic infrastructure development project on Great Nicobar Island, citing strategic maritime necessity while prescribing stringent ecological safeguards.

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Four Flagship Components:

International Container Transshipment Terminal (ICTT) at Galathea Bay (16 million TEU capacity).

Dual-use military/civil greenfield international airport with a 3 km runway.

450 MVA gas-solar hybrid power plant.

Integrated urban township.

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Ecological & Tribal Safeguards: Strict conservation buffers around leatherback sea turtle nesting beaches at Galathea Bay, with zero displacement guaranteed for indigenous Shompen (PVTG) and Nicobarese tribes.

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Statutory Profile of NGT: Established on 18 October 2010 under the NGT Act, 2010; makes India the 3rd country globally with a dedicated environmental court; mandates dispute resolution within 6 months.

4. Passive Euthanasia: Harish Rana v. Union of India (2026)

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Historic Ruling: A Supreme Court bench comprising Justices J.B. Pardiwala and K.V. Viswanathan approved the withdrawal of mechanical life-support systems with palliative care for 32-year-old Harish Rana, who had been in a Permanent Vegetative State (PVS) for 13 years.

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Constitutional Application: Marks the first direct judicial enforcement of the Common Cause (2018) landmark ruling, establishing the “Right to Die with Dignity” as an integral facet of Article 21.

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Active vs. Passive Euthanasia: Active euthanasia (lethal injection) remains an offense of culpable homicide/murder under Sections 100/101 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) 2023. Passive euthanasia (withdrawing artificial life support) is legally valid under strict medical protocols.

5. PRASHAD Scheme & Bihar's Ambika Bhawani Temple

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National Footprint: The Ministry of Tourism sanctioned 54 projects across 28 states/UTs totaling ₹1,726.74 crore under the Pilgrimage Rejuvenation And Spiritual, Heritage Augmentation Drive (PRASHAD).

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Bihar Sanction: Development of the historic Ambika Bhawani Temple at Ami in Saran district, Bihar, sanctioned at ₹13.29 crore for spiritual tourism infrastructure.

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