Protected Areas & Conservation MCQs for UPSC Prelims

Correct answer: C - 1 and 3 only

The Desert National Park in Rajasthan is spread across the Jaisalmer and Barmer districts, so statement 1 is correct, and it is one of the last strongholds of the critically endangered Great Indian Bustard, so statement 3 is correct. Statement 2 is wrong because several villages and human settlements exist within and around the park, making it an inhabited protected area unlike many wildlife reserves. Hence only statements 1 and 3 are correct.

Correct answer: D - Namdapha National Park

Namdapha National Park in Arunachal Pradesh spans an extraordinary altitudinal range from about 200 m to over 4,500 m at Dapha Bum, so its vegetation and climate grade from tropical wet evergreen forest through subtropical and temperate forests up to alpine, near-arctic conditions; it is often described as the only park in the world with this complete range. Khangchendzonga National Park in Sikkim has a high base altitude, so its climate runs from temperate to arctic but lacks a true tropical zone. Nanda Devi National Park lies entirely in the high Himalaya with alpine conditions. Neora Valley National Park in West Bengal covers subtropical to temperate belts but does not reach arctic conditions.

Correct answer: B - Only two

The answer is Only two. Hunting is prohibited in a community reserve and local people are permitted to collect non-timber forest produce, so statements 2 and 3 are correct. Statement 1 is wrong because a community reserve is managed by a Community Reserve Management Committee, not by the Chief Wildlife Warden. Statement 4 is treated as incorrect since traditional practices like shifting cultivation are not freely permitted, leaving only two correct statements.

Correct answer: C - Nagarjunsagar-Srisailam

Nagarjunsagar-Srisailam in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana is the largest tiger reserve in India, and it accordingly has the largest notified Critical Tiger Habitat (core area) among the options, exceeding 2,500 sq km. Corbett, Ranthambore and the Sundarbans are significant reserves but each has a smaller core habitat. Hence Nagarjunsagar-Srisailam has the largest area under Critical Tiger Habitat.

Correct answer: D - Neither 1 nor 2

Neither statement is correct. Eco-Sensitive Zones are declared by the central government under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, not under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. Their aim is to act as shock absorbers around protected areas by regulating, not totally prohibiting, activities, and many uses including agriculture continue with regulation rather than a blanket ban. So the answer is Neither 1 nor 2.

Correct answer: A - Kanha National Park

Kanha National Park in Madhya Pradesh is famous for conserving the hard-ground barasingha (Rucervus duvaucelii branderi), a grass-eating swamp deer subspecies that recovered from near extinction there. Manas in Assam is known for its swamp-dwelling barasingha and species like the pygmy hog, not the hard-ground race. Mudumalai is a Western Ghats tiger habitat, and Tal Chhapar is a grassland sanctuary noted for blackbuck, neither of which conserves the hard-ground barasingha. Hence Kanha is the correct answer.

Correct answer: A - Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve

The Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve in Tamil Nadu acts as a vital corridor linking the Eastern Ghats and the Western Ghats, allowing wildlife movement between the two ranges. Nallamala Forest and Seshachalam lie within the Eastern Ghats region and do not bridge the two. Nagarhole National Park lies in the Western Ghats. Therefore Sathyamangalam is the ecologically important link.

Correct answer: A - 1 only

Only pair 1 is correct: the Nokrek Biosphere Reserve lies in the Garo Hills of Meghalaya. Pair 2 is wrong because Loktak Lake is in the Manipur valley, not the Barail Range. Pair 3 is wrong because Namdapha National Park is in the Eastern Himalaya of Arunachal Pradesh near the Dapha Bum/Patkai region, not the Dafla Hills. Hence option (a).