Current Affairs: Passage of the Day - 25 February 2025 | Current Affairs & General Knowledge - CLAT PDF Download

Directions: Read the passage carefully and answer the questions that follow.
PM Modi praised the role of the Soliga tribal community in the rise of the tiger population in the Biligirirangana Hills (BRT) Tiger Reserve during the 119th episode of ‘Mann Ki Baat' on Sunday.
In his monthly radio talk, he stated that we have many cultural dances like Huli Vesha of Karnataka, Puli of Tamil Nadu, and Pulikali of Kerala, which are associated with nature and wildlife. "I would also like to thank my tribal brothers and sisters because they actively participate in work related to wildlife protection. The population of tigers has risen continuously in Karnataka's BRT Tiger Reserve. A lot of credit for this goes to the Soliga tribe, who worship the tiger. Owing to them, there is almost no man-animal conflict in this area," he said.
It can be recalled that in Karnataka, the Soliga population is around 40,000, and many of them live in the Chamarajanagar district, especially in the BR Hills region. They were the first ones to get forest land rights inside the tiger reserve in 2011.
According to BRT Tiger Reserve director BS Shripati, the tiger population of the sanctuary is now around 50. "The number of tigers in the reserve was around 8-10 a few years ago, which has now touched 50. Soligas live in consonance with nature. They love and worship forests and wild animals. Conservation is part of their life," he explained.
Joseph Hoover, former member of the State Board for Wildlife and an activist, said the civil society needs to learn a lot from the tribal families who coexisted with wild animals inside the forest for centuries. "Along with Soligas, other tribal communities, including Jenu Kuruba, Betta Kuruba, etc., are coexisting inside the forest and played an important role in the conservation. The civil society who repeatedly complain about the entry of wild animals into border villages must learn the lesson of co-living from tribals. I congratulate the PM for raising this important conservation issue," he said.
[Excerpt from TOI "Soligas and Tiger Conservation in BRT Tiger Reserve" Dated 25/02/25]

Q1: Where does the Soliga tribe primarily inhabit?
(a) Sundarbans National Park
(b) Biligiri Rangaswamy Temple (BRT) Tiger Reserve
(c) Gir National Park
(d) Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary

View Answer  

Ans: (b) Biligiri Rangaswamy Temple (BRT) Tiger Reserve
Sol: The Soliga tribe resides in the BRT Tiger Reserve in Karnataka.

Q2: What does the name “Soliga” mean?
(a) Children of the forest
(b) Protectors of wildlife
(c) Children of bamboo
(d) Worshippers of tigers

View Answer  

Ans: (c) Children of bamboo
Sol: The term “Soliga” translates to "children of bamboo."

Q3: What unique conservation practice do the Soligas follow?
(a) Hunting tigers to protect their crops
(b) Worshipping tigers as sacred beings
(c) Capturing tigers for research purposes
(d) Relocating tigers to different areas

View Answer  

Ans: (b) Worshipping tigers as sacred beings
Sol: The Soligas believe tigers are sacred and refer to them as Dodda Nayi, which helps in conservation.

Q4: What is an important food source for the Soliga tribe?
(a) Rice
(b) Honey
(c) Fish
(d) Corn

View Answer  

Ans: (b) Honey
Sol: The Soligas collect honey and other forest products for sustenance.

Q5: What contributed to the rise in tiger numbers in the BRT Tiger Reserve?
(a) Soliga tribe’s conservation practices
(b) Increase in hunting restrictions
(c) Relocation of villages
(d) Construction of wildlife corridors

View Answer  

Ans: (a) Soliga tribe’s conservation practices
Sol: Prime Minister Narendra Modi credited the Soligas for their role in increasing tiger numbers.