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Plants, insects and newly described species

Plants, fungi, insects and the other species with no theme of their own, species newly described or rediscovered in India, and the ideas that tie species to ecosystems, such as keystone species and pollination. Prelims has asked what follows from a fall in butterfly populations and which organism performs the waggle dance.

UPSC has asked

  • Prelims 2017: consequences of a fall in butterfly populations

Showing 1 of 3 subjects, those that changed from 16 to 31 August 2026.Show all

Pollinators and beekeeping

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Prelims and Mains

A pollinator is infrastructure, and India's honey output has nearly doubled in a decade on the back of it.

  • The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) credits bee pollination with almost a third of global crop output.
  • Yields improve in 87 of 115 leading food crops.
  • Output rose from about 76,000 tonnes in 2013-14 to about 151,000 tonnes in 2025-26.
  • India is the second largest producer after China and the third largest exporter by value.
  • About 70 per cent of the honey is exported.
  • The National Beekeeping and Honey Mission carries the Centre's support for beekeeping and honey, and proposes doubling bee colonies by 2030.

What changed

  1. 17 Aug 2026

    The Indian Express, 17 Aug 2026: India's sweet revolution depends on this: Safeguard the bee, and sustainability is key (opens in a new tab)

UPSC has asked

  • Prelims 2023: the organism that performs the waggle dance