Context:
Recently Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) notified Wildlife (Protection) Licensing (Additional Matters for Consideration) Rules, 2024
Wildlife (Protection) Licensing (Addition Matters for Consideration) Rules 2024:
- Fresh rules for licenses involving snake venom, captive animals, trophies, and stuffed animals.
- Schedule I animals still require central government consultation for licenses.
- Officials must consider source, manner of supply, and existing licenses in the area
Wildlife Protection Act (2022) Amendment:
- Merging of 4 schedules of wild animals into 2, reducing the total 6 to 4.
- Schedule I – animals requiring utmost protection
- Schedule II -species needing comparatively lower protection.
- Schedule II – Hunting and trade generally prohibited, but exceptions allowed for captive breeding and scientific purposes.
- Schedule IV – species to be protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
Source: Hindustan Times
Previous Year Question
If a particular plant species is placed under Schedule VI of The Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, what is the implication?
[UPSC Civil Services Exam – 2020 Prelims]
(a) A licence is required to cultivate that plant
(b) Such a plant cannot be cultivated under any circumstances
(c) It is a Genetically Modified crop plant
(d) Such a plant is invasive and harmful to the ecosystem
Answer: (a)