Question : Which of the following is home to the only white grayheaded swamphen in the world?
Nalsarovar Bird Sanctuary
Thol Lake Wildlife Sanctuary
Chilika Lagoon
Khijadia Wildlife Sanctuary

• The only white grayheaded swamphen in the world has been found in the Mangalajodi wetland, on the northern edge of the Chilika lagoon.

Question : Which of the two State/UT have designated Snow Leopard as their State Animal?

Arunachal Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh
Sikkim and Jammu & Kashmir
Jammu & Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh
Ladakh and Himachal Pradesh

• In September 2021, Union Territory (UT) government of Ladakh has declared snow Leopard as the state animal and black-necked crane as state bird.
• The Snow leopard is the State animal of Himachal Pradesh also.

About the Snow Leopards

• Snow leopards live in the mountainous regions of central and southern Asia. The snow leopard inhabits the higher Himalayan and trans-Himalayan landscape in the five states of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, and Arunachal Pradesh.
• In total, there are about 7,500 snow leopards left in the world, out of which 500 are in India. 
• Among the many places and forests, the high-altitude cold desert of Ladakh is home to about half of them. Meanwhile, in the Ladakh region, snow leopards prey on marmots, bharal (blue sheep), and ibex.
• Also, sighting them is very rare.

Question : Consider the following statements:

1. River Umngot, also known as the Dawki River is one of the cleanest rivers in the world.
2. It is the natural boundary between Ri Pnar (of Jaintia Hills) with Hima Khyrim (of Khasi Hills)
3. It is known for a fascinating natural wonder of the state, living root bridges.

Which of the following North-Indian States we are referring to?

Tripura
Nagaland
Meghalaya
Arunachal Pradesh

• "One of the cleanest rivers in the world is in India. River Umngot, 100 Kms from Shillong, in Meghalaya state.
• Umngot, considered India’s clearest river, flows through Dawki, a town in West Jaintia Hills district, Meghalaya. 
• It is the natural boundary between Ri Pnar (of Jaintia Hills) with Hima Khyrim (of Khasi Hills).
• A boat in the river looks unimaginably beautiful, crystal clear, as if the boat is gliding in air 
• Water is so clean and transparent that the river seems like a mirror, reflecting a river bed that is hanging in the sky. 
• Meghalaya is also known for living root bridges, which is yet another fascinating natural wonder of the state. 

Question :
1, 3, 4, 5 and 6 only
2 only
3, 4 and 5 only
2 and 5 only

Question : Consider the following statements about the Dibru-Saikhowa National Park :

1. Dibru-Saikhowa is a National Park as well as a Biosphere Reserve
2. It is the largest swamp forest in north-eastern India.
3. White-winged wood ducks are endemic to this national park.
4. It is also known for its huge population of feral horses.
5. The park is bounded by the Brahmaputra and Lohit Rivers in the north and Dibru River in the south. 

Which of the following statements are correct?

Only 1, 2, and 4
Only 1, 3, 4 and 5
Only 2, 3, 4 and 5
1, 2, 3, 4 and 5

Dibru-Saikhowa National Park

• Dibru-Saikhowa National Park is a national park located in Dibrugarh and Tinsukia districts, Assam, India. It was designated a Biosphere Reserve in July 1997 with an area of 765 km2 (295 sq mi).
• It is located at about 12 km (7.5 mi) north of Tinsukia town at an average elevation of 118 m (387 ft), ranging from 110 to 126 m (361 to 413 ft). 
• The park is bounded by the Brahmaputra and Lohit Rivers in the north and Dibru River in the south. 
• It mainly consists of moist mixed semi-evergreen forests, moist mixed deciduous forests, canebrakes and grasslands. It is the largest salix swamp forest in north-eastern India, with a tropical monsoon climate with a hot and wet summer and cool and usually dry winter. 
• Annual rainfall ranges from 2,300 to 3,800 mm (91 to 150 in). 
• It is a haven for many endangered species and rich in fish diversity.
•  It is also known for its huge population of feral horses.
• It is an identified Important Bird Area (IBA), notified by the Birdlife International. It is most famous for the rare white-winged wood ducks as well as feral horses.
• Mammals found in the Park include Tiger, Elephant, Leopard, Jungle Cat, Bears, Small Indian Civet, Squirrels, Gangetic Dolphin, Hoolock Gibbon, etc. Maguri Motapung wetland is a part of the Reserve.

Question : Consider the following statements regarding the National Board of Wildlife (NBWL) in India:

1. Every new government constitutes a new board, based on the provisions of the WLPA, with the new PM as the chair.
2. The NBWL, on the other hand, has the power to deal with policy-level decisions on wildlife.
3. Under the provisions of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 (WLPA), the board has to meet at least twice a year

Which among the statement/s given above is/are correct?

1 only
1 and 2 only
2 and 3 only
1, 2 and 3

National Board for Wildlife  

• Every new government constitutes a new board, based on the provisions of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 (WLPA), with the new PM as the chair. Its vice chairman is Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change. 
• The National Board for Wildlife is a mammoth body with 47-members including Parliament Members, NGOs, eminent conservationists, ecologists and environmentalists, Government secretaries of various departments.
• Under the provisions of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 (WLPA), National Board for Wild Life is a ‘Statutory Organization’.
• The NBWL can constitute a Standing Committee, but the board has to meet at least twice a year. 
• The Standing Committee’s function is to regulate land diversion within Protected Areas and Eco Sensitive Zones, making it a purely project clearance body.
• The NBWL, on the other hand, has the power to deal with policy-level decisions on wildlife.
• Theoretically, the board is “advisory” in nature and advises the Central Government on framing policies and measures for conservation of wildlife in the country. 
• However, it is a very important body because it serves as apex body to review all wildlife-related matters and approve projects in and around national parks and sanctuaries.

Question :
1-b, 2-a, 3-d, 4-c
1-b, 2-a, 3-c, 4-d
1-d, 2-a, 3-b, 4-c
1-a, 2-c, 3-d, 4-b

Correct Match:

Question :

1. October 5th has been designated as National Dolphin Day to be celebrated every year to create awareness for conservation of Dolphins
2. The Gangetic dolphin is categorised as endangered on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature Red List.
3. A WWF-India and the Uttar Pradesh forest department assessment in 2012 and 2015 recorded 1,272 dolphins in the Ganga, Yamuna, Chambal, Ken, Betwa, Son, Sharda, Geruwa, Gahagra, Gandak and Rapti

1 only
1 and 2 only
1 and 3 only
1, 2 and 3

• Recently, Environment Minister Bhupendra Yadav announced that October 5th has been designated as National Dolphin Day to be celebrated every year to create awareness for conservation of Dolphins. 
• He chaired the 67th meeting of the Standing Committee of the National Board for Wild Life in New Delhi. 
• The Gangetic dolphin is categorised as endangered on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature Red List.
• A WWF-India and the Uttar Pradesh forest department assessment in 2012 and 2015 recorded 1,272 dolphins in the Ganga, Yamuna, Chambal, Ken, Betwa, Son, Sharda, Geruwa, Gahagra, Gandak and Rapti

Question : The Chipko Andolan or the Chipko movement is a movement that practiced methods of Satyagraha. One of Chipko Movement's most salient features was the mass participation of brave female villagers who started hugging trees & saving from felling. On which of the following date Gaura Devi with 27 other women of Reni village led Chipko movement?

25 March 1973
24 April 1973
26 March 1974
20 June 1974

• In 1974, the forest department marked trees for felling in the Peng Murenda forest, near Reni village in Joshimath block, badly affected by the massive Alaknanda flood of 1970.
• More than 680 hectare were auctioned to a contractor from Rishikesh. But the women of Reni women drove out the contractor's labourers on March 26, 1974.
• This was a turning point for Chipko, as it marked the first time that the initiative by women, especially when their menfolk were not around. 

Question : Consider the following statements:

1. On 20 December 2013, at its 68th session, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) proclaimed 3 March as UN World Wildlife Day to celebrate and raise awareness of the world’s wild animals and plants.
2. 3 March 1973 is the day of signature of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) in 1973

Which among the statement/s given above is/are correct?

1 only
2 only
Both 1 and 2
Neither 1 nor 2

UN World Wildlife Day

• On 20 December 2013, at its 68th session, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) proclaimed 3 March – the day of signature of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) in 1973 – as UN World Wildlife Day to celebrate and raise awareness of the world’s wild animals and plants.
• The UNGA resolution also designated the CITES Secretariat as the facilitator for the global observance of this special day for wildlife on the UN calendar. 

Question :

1. It is a native to Jammu and Kashmir. 
2. It is a deciduous tree. 
3. It is cultivated as an ornamental tree with no medicinal value.

1 and 2 only

2 only
1 and 3 only
1, 2 and 3

Range of Distribution:

• It is a native to eastern Mediterranean region from where it spreads eastwards. It is commonly cultivated and highly valued as an ornamental tree in Jammu and Kashmir.

Medicinal Uses:

• Leaves and bark are medicinally important. The bark possesses antiscorbic and antirheumatic properties; it is boiled in vinegar and given in diarrhoea, dysentery, hernia and toothache. Fresh leaves are bruised and applied to the eyes in opthalmia.

Question : With reference to India’s biodiversity Crytodactylus exercitus, Cyrtodactylus lungleiensis and Cyrtodactylus siahaensis are new species of:

Monkey
Tortoise
Lizard
Frog

• They are lizard.
• It belongs to class Reptile.
• Reptiles are turtles, snakes, lizards, alligators and crocodiles.

Question :
Sanjay National Park
Manas National Park
Anshi National Park
Navegaon National Park

• Manas National Park or Manas Wildlife Sanctuary is a national park, UNESCO Natural World Heritage site, a Project Tiger reserve, an elephant reserve and a biosphere reserve in Assam, India. Located in the Himalayan foothills, it is contiguous with the Royal Manas National Park in Bhutan.
• The park is known for its rare and endangered endemic wildlife such as the Assam roofed turtle, hispid hare, golden langur and pygmy hog. Manas is famous for its population of the wild water buffalo.
• The Manas National Park was declared a sanctuary on 1 October 1928.
• Manas Bio Reserve was created in 1973.  In 1973, it was declared as Tiger Reserve under Project Tiger.
• It was declared a World Heritage site in December 1985 by UNESCO.
• Manas was declared as a National Park in 1990.
• In 2003, Manas was declared as Chirang – Ripu Elephant Reserve under Project Elephant. Total area of the park is about 500 Km2.

Question :

1. Consider the following statements regarding the Ramsar Sites: 
2. The convention was held in the city of Ramsar, Iran, in February 1971 and was originally contracted by seven countries when it came into force on 21 December 1975. 
3. The country with the most sites is the United Kingdom with 175. 
4. With 49 Ramsar sites, India is the country with the highest sites in South Asia

Which of the statement/s given above is/are correct?
1 only
1 and 2 only
1 and 3 only
1, 2 and 3

Some Facts About Ramsar Sites

• Any wetland site which is listed under the Ramsar Convention that intends to preserve it and advance sustainable utilization of its natural resources is known as a Ramsar Site.
• On 2 February 1971, the International Treaty for the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Wetlands was signed at a city of Iran called Ramsar, hence the name Ramsar Sites.
• It was originally contracted by seven countries when it came into force on 21 December 1975. 
• Today, there are 172 contracting parties to the Ramsar Convention.
• India signed the Ramsar Convention on 1 February 1982.
• Ramsar Convention has two fold objectives viz. Conservation and sustainable utilization of wetlands; and stop the encroachment and loss of wetlands.
• This treaty is not a legal binding treaty and is not a part of UN & UNESCO conventions.
• As per the Ramsar Convention, Wetlands are areas of marsh, fen, peatland or water, whether natural or artificial, permanent or temporary, with water that is static or flowing, fresh, brackish or salt, including areas of marine water the depth of which at low tide does not exceed six metres. 
• For example, marine and coastal areas; Estuaries; Lakes and rivers; Marshes and peatlands; Groundwater and human-made wetlands such as rice paddies, shrimp ponds, and reservoirs.
• The country with the most sites is the United Kingdom with 175. 
• On the eve of the World Wetlands Day, the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands designated Khijadia Bird Sanctuary near Jamnagar in Gujarat and Bakhira Wildlife Sanctuary in Uttar Pradesh as wetlands of international importance. 
• With the addition of these two wetlands, the number of Ramsar Sites in India has gone up to 49, the highest for any country in South Asia.

Question : Consider the following statements regarding the Ramsar Sites:

1. Recently, the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands designated Khijadia Bird Sanctuary near Jamnagar in Gujarat and Bakhira Wildlife Sanctuary in Uttar Pradesh as wetlands of international importance.
2. With the addition of these two wetlands, the number of Ramsar Sites in India has gone up to 49.
3. India is the founding member of this convention.

Which of the statement/s given above is/are not correct?
1 and 2 only
2 and 3 only
2 only
3 only

• On the eve of the World Wetlands Day, the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands designated Khijadia Bird Sanctuary near Jamnagar in Gujarat and Bakhira Wildlife Sanctuary in Uttar Pradesh as wetlands of international importance. 
• Hence, Statement 1 is correct
• With the addition of these two wetlands, the number of Ramsar Sites in India has gone up to 49.
• Hence, Statement 2 is correct
• India is not the founding member of this convention. India signed the Ramsar Convention on 1 February 1982.
• Hence, Statement 3 is incorrect

Question :
1, 2 and 3 only
2, 3 and 4 only
2 and 3 only
1 and 5 only

• Bandipur National Park, an 874 square kilometres forested reserve in the southern Indian state of Karnataka, is known for its small population of tigers.
• Hence, 1st Pair is correct
• Govind Pashu Vihar National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary is a national park in Uttarakhand, India established initially as a wildlife sanctuary in 1955, and was later converted into a national park.
• Hence, 2nd Pair is incorrect
• Inderkilla National Park is a national park in Himachal Pradesh, India established in 2010. It covers an area of about 104 square kilometres.
• Hence, 3rd Pair is incorrect
• Dehing Patkai National Park is located in the Dibrugarh and Tinsukia districts of Assam and covers an area of 231.65 square kilometres rainforest. It was declared a wildlife sanctuary on 13 June 2004. On 13 December 2020 Government of Assam upgraded it into a national park.
• Hence, 4th Pair is correct
• Bandhavgarh National Park is a national park of India, located in the Umaria district of Madhya Pradesh. Bandhavgarh, with an area of 105 square kilometres (41 sq mi), was declared a national park in 1968 and then became Tiger Reserve in 1993.
• Hence, 5th Pair is correct

Question : Which among the following is known as the Tiger State of India?

Karnataka
Madhya Pradesh
Gujarat
Uttrakhand

• With 526 Tigers, Madhya Pradesh (MP) was awarded the ‘Tiger State’ in 2018 for being home to the biggest population of the big cat.

Question : There are how many existing wildlife sanctuaries in India ?

566
576
466
476

There are 566 existing wildlife sanctuaries in India covering an area of 122420 km², which is 3.72% of the geographical area of the country

(Source: National Wildlife Database, Dec. 2020).

Question :
1 and 2 only

3 only 
2 and 3 only
1, 2 and 3

Correct Match

1. Ahmedabad- Sabarmati;
2. Vadodara – Vishwamitra;
3. Jetpur in Rajkot district – Bhadar

Find detailed news and how important this topic is from UPSC Civil Services Examination viewpoint

• Gujarat’s Deep-Sea Pipeline Scheme Remains Non-Starter

Question : As the Centre has given its approval of granting tiger reserve status to three new sites and agreed in-principle to give its nod to two more; The total number of Tiger Reserves (TR) in India will rise to:

51
54
56
58

• Five more sites are expected to be formally declared tiger reserves (TR) in India by the end of this year.
• The total number of TRs will rise to 56, as the Centre has already given its approval of granting tiger reserve status to three new sites and agreed in-principle to give its nod to two more.

For more details and how UPSC look at such topics: Five New Tiger Reserves Likely This Year

Question : 2022 is the Year of the Tiger as well as being the 12-year anniversary of the first Global Tiger Summit in 2010 where tiger range governments made an ambitious goal to double the number of tigers in the wild. 
In September 2022, which of the following country will host the 2nd Global Tiger Summit where a new tiger population estimate will be released?

India
Russia
Thailand
Bhutan

• Global Tiger Summit 2022 is to be held at Vladivostok, Russia in September 2022.

Question : Consider the following statements w.r.t. the recently held Fourth Assembly of the International Solar Alliance

1. A promise is made to achieve $1 trillion global in solar investments by 2030
2. ISA Assembly clears the 'One Sun' political declaration for the launch of Green Grids Initiative - One Sun One World One Grid (GGI-OSOWOG) at COP26
3. New ISA programmes were launched on management of solar PV panels & battery usage, waste and solar hydrogen programme

Which of the above statements are correct?
1 only
1 and 3 only
2 and 3 only
1, 2 and 3

Question : Consider the following statements w.r.t. India’s Bio-Economic Hub that is being developed in North-East India.

1. The Eastern Himalayan Region is one of the mega-biodiversity rich zones and is among the 34 biodiversity Hotspots of the world.
2. India will be recognized as a Global Bio-manufacturing Hub by 2025 and will figure among the top 5 countries of the world.
3. India’s Bio-Economy is on its way to achieve 150-billion-dollar target from the current 70 billion-dollar by 2025 and will contribute effectively to the Prime Minister’s vision of a 5 trillion-dollar economy by 2024-25.

Which of the above statements are correct?
1 and 2 only
1 and 3 only
1, 2 and 3
None of the above

Question : Montreal Protocol, an international environmental treaty for phasing out of production and consumption of Ozone Depleting Substances came into force on 16th September in 
1986
1987
1988
1989

World Ozone Day is celebrated on 16th September each year to commemorate the signing of the Montreal Protocol, an international environmental treaty for phasing out of production and consumption of Ozone Depleting Substances, that came into force on this day in 1987.

Question : Consider the following statements regarding Tundra type of Climate
1. It is found north of the Arctic circle in the northern hemisphere.
2. Rainfall is cyclonic only and not convectional.
3. Mosses and Lichens are the natural vegetation of this region.

Which of the above statements is/are correct?   
1 and 2 only
2 and 3 only
1 and 3 only
1, 2 and 3

1. Tundra climate is found mainly north of the Arctic Circle in the northern hemisphere. It has long severe winters and cool and short summers. (Statement 1 is correct).
2. No convectional rainfall occurs in this region because of low rate of evaporation and lack of moisture in the air. Cyclonic rainfall takes place. Most of the rainfall takes place in summer days. In the coastal areas, where cyclones are strongly felt, most of the rain falls in winter. (Statement 2 is correct).
3. Due to extremely harsh climatic conditions, hardly any vegetation can survive in this region. There are no trees in Tundra because of very short growing season and very low temperature whole the year round. Mosses, lichens and sedges grow here. In coastal lowlands, some hardy grasses grow. (Statement 3 is correct).