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Frogs are amphibian species that have essential ecological characteristics to balance the ecosystem. The species is considered as an indicator species of the ecosystem as even minor changes in the environment can affect them. Increasing anthropogenic influences to the species’ habitat can accelerate the population’s decline and push them toward extinction. The family Amolops genus consists of six different species, including Amolops mahabharatensis (a recent discovery of Nepal), it is also called as Mahabharat Torrent frog of the mountain region. The species consists of genetically and morphologically different features than previously known Amolops species.

The habitat 

In Nepal, the habitat of Amolops mahabharatensis lies in 214-1,800 meters elevation range. As for specific sites, the species’ habitats include Sabha khola and Dobhan o(Sankhuwasabha district), Barahakshetra (Sunsari), Hattibang (Chitwan), Pokhara (Kaski) and Latinath (Darchula). Beyond the borders, the Sikkim region of India is also its habitat. The species are found on subtropical mixed forest riversides where the mature individuals are found on boulders of rapid river zones whereas the tadpoles stick to the rocks of the rivers. 

Status of the species

This species features in the vulnerable category of the IUCN red list, pointing toward population declination across its habitat. The amphibian species are considered very sensitive toward their surroundings. Even minor changes in the environment can pose a serious threat to their survival. The Amolops mahabharatensis is facing tremendous pressure from anthropogenic activities and overexploitation. Throughout the mountainous region of Nepal, Paha hunting is a famous recreational activity with food value and medicinal purpose based on their indigenous knowledge. 

Due to the species' considerable ethnozoological value to the nearby indigenous communities, the latter hunt the species extensively. For several ethnic communities of the mountainous region, the species are primarily a delicacy having medicinal properties.

Threats

Harvesting of mature species before their breeding period is a major cause behind species declination. Overexploitation of natural resources from the forest (wood, grasses, fodder) creates an edge effect on the species. On top of it, the introduction of invasive species—both plants and animals like fish—on the aquatic ecosystem can degrade aquatic health, where those species can alter the ambient temperature and ultraviolet radiation that directly affect sensitive amphibian species like Amolops mahabharatensis. Furthermore, the use of herbicides and insecticides on agricultural land can adversely affect river health.

Conservation action

Educating young generations and local communities about the importance of the species in the ecosystem is an effective way of ensuring species conservation. For example, Environment Protection and Study Center (ENPROSC) is implementing a project named ‘Promoting eco-clubs and field survey to initiate conservation of threatened Mahabharat Torrent Frog in central Nepal’ at Hattibang, Chitwan with support from Stiftung Artenschutz, Germany. The main objective of the project is to educate future generations in amphibian conservation. 

But only those site specific projects seem insufficient to protect overall amphibian species among the whole country. 

Regulation of unsustainable harvest practices is highly necessary to prevent local extinction of the species. For that, the harvesting season can be shifted after its breeding period so that the reproduction of the species can maintain the population and reduce the possibility of population declination. The direct runoff from the agricultural land should be diverted by identifying sensitive species habitats at the river system.

Direct introduction of the invasive species—either plant or aquatic animal species—should be avoided to curb competition for resources in the environment. 

Focus on alternative food resources rather than those threatened species of the aquatic ecosystem. 

The herpetofaunal species like Amolops mahabharatensis are the least prioritized species in terms of conservation, though they are as threatened as common leopards. Apparently, being a non-charismatic species is tantamount to facing extinction. The stakeholders’ biases against conservation activities for the species is also the reason behind a rapid decline of the species across its habitat.

Every year, March 20 is celebrated as the Frog Day worldwide but frog conservation activities seem insufficient. Very few organizations are considering herpetofauna conservation and execution of the prepared plans is often hindered due to the lack of funds.  What’s more, anthropogenic influence is affecting the species’ habitats. To reduce these threats, the local community should be more aware about the status and importance of the species in the environment. Involving future generations in conservation activities and drawing the attention of stakeholders toward this issue are essential to conserve the habitats of herpetofaunal species, not on paper but on the ground.

China is organizing the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) from March 25 to 28, in Qionghai City, South China’s Hainan Province. It is an annual event at which government officials, heads of international organizations, business leaders and scholars converge to discuss the most pressing issues of the day. However, there will not be high-level participation from Nepal as Nepal’s Ambassador to China Krishna Prasad Oli has been told to represent Nepal.

Last year, then Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal’s foreign affairs advisor Rupak Sapkota had attended the program. In the past, there used to be participation of the prime minister or president but nowadays Nepal is sending low-key officials. Officials say as Nepal’s top political leadership snubbed the invitation, China has not shown interest to lend the invitation to the top political leadership.

Launched in 2002, the forum has witnessed Asia’s regional integration as it pulled through the Asian financial crisis in 1997, the SARS epidemic in 2003, the global financial crisis in 2008 and the recently concluded Covid-19 pandemic.

In the first conference, King Birendra was invited in 2001 and in 2015 then President Ram Baran Yadav represented Nepal.  Now, the region once again finds itself on the cusp of change. “Our world is in the middle of a pivotal transition, where disruptive shifts are profoundly reshaping the international order,” BFA Secretary General Zhang Jun said at a press conference in Beijing. “What this means is that the BFA, as a high-level platform dedicated to dialogue and cooperation, now stands at a new horizon, where it is charged with both greater expectations and heavier responsibilities,” he added.

Whenever significant political developments unfold in Nepal, politicians are quick to draw connections to India. For instance, in 2021, when the then Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli dissolved Nepal’s Parliament, his own colleagues accused him of acting under India’s influence. Senior leaders from major parties, including Pushpa Kamal Dahal, publicly urged India to “stand in favor of democracy” in Nepal, arguing that Oli’s move was an attempt to undermine the 2015 constitution.

At the time, many political leaders speculated that India’s influence extended to Nepal’s judiciary, suggesting that the Supreme Court might validate Oli’s decision to dissolve Parliament. However, the court overturned Oli’s move, reinstated Parliament, and directed the then President Bidya Devi Bhandari to appoint Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba as the new prime minister.

Fast forward to the present, and pro-monarchy forces are mobilizing to restore the monarchy and what they describe as “true democracy.” Once again, whispers within Nepal’s ruling party suggest that India might be backing this movement. According to The Kathmandu Post, Foreign Minister Arzu Rana Deuba raised this concern directly with her Indian counterpart, S Jaishankar, during a recent meeting. Jaishankar reportedly denied any involvement, and upon her return from India, Deuba stated that she sensed no intention from India to alter Nepal’s current political system.

Despite these assurances, some politicians have pointed to the presence of a poster featuring Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath as “evidence” of India’s support—a claim widely dismissed as weak and unconvincing.

Foreign Minister Deuba’s blunt and undiplomatic remarks have drawn criticism from strategic circles. In a recent internal meeting, senior leaders of the CPN-UML discussed the possibility of “foreign forces” supporting royalist movements. Similarly, CPN (Maoist Center) Chairperson Pushpa Kamal Dahal briefly alluded to external backing for the pro-monarchy campaign.

Political analyst Puranjan Acharya notes that while the Indian government may not officially support the monarchy, organizations like the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), its affiliate Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and other Hindu nationalist groups have long advocated for Nepal to return to being a Hindu state. Acharya explains that while the Indian government is committed to secularism, these organizations are free to push their agendas in Nepal.

Arun Subedi, a foreign affairs advisor to a former prime minister, adds that while RSS and BJP may not directly support the pro-monarchy protests, India has become increasingly reactive to Nepal’s political developments due to geopolitical considerations.

Former Indian ambassador to Nepal Ranjit Rae emphasizes that Nepal’s issues must be resolved by its own people and leaders. In an op-ed published in India’s Deccan Herald, Rae stated that it is not in India’s interest to take sides in Nepal’s internal affairs. He also cautioned the Indian media, which has a significant audience in Nepal, against engaging in partisan rhetoric.

Rae further argued that instability in Nepal is detrimental to India’s interests as a turbulent Nepal could provide opportunities for external players to increase their influence, thereby jeopardizing India’s strategic position. Historically, both the monarchy and communist forces in Nepal have fueled anti-Indian sentiments and sought closer ties with China. For example, in 2005, shortly after assuming absolute power, King Gyanendra attempted to facilitate China’s entry into SAARC during the Dhaka Summit.

Geopolitical analyst Chandra Dev Bhatta believes there is no evidence of Indian backing for the pro-monarchy protests. Instead, he attributes the growing support for the monarchy to widespread public frustration with Nepal’s major political parties, which have failed to deliver on their promises. Bhatta stresses that the protests are driven by internal factors rather than external influence.

More than 50,000 people have been killed in the Gaza Strip since the war began, the territory's Hamas-run health ministry has announced, BBC reported.

That number - 50,021 - equates to about 2.1% of the 2.3 million pre-war population of the territory, or around 1 in 50 people. 

A total of 113,274 others had been injured in the same period, the health ministry said. 

Figures from the Gaza Ministry of Health (MoH) have been widely used in times of conflict and are seen as reliable by the United Nations (UN) and international institutions. But Israel has consistently refuted data published by Gaza's authorities, according to BBC.