UPSC GS Paper III: Environment - Protected Areas, National Parks, Wildlife Sanctuaries, Biosphere Reserves

Must?Know

• Project Tiger was launched in 1973; first tiger reserve was Jim Corbett National Park, Uttarakhand.
• Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 provides legal framework for creation of National Parks (Schedule I and II species receive absolute protection).
• National Parks in India are notified under Section 35 of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972; no human activity permitted except as permitted by law.
• Wildlife Sanctuaries are declared under Section 26A of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972; limited biotic interference allowed.
• Biosphere Reserves are internationally recognized under UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme; India has 18 designated sites as of 2023.
• Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve (1986) was the first biosphere reserve established in India; spans Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka.
• Great Himalayan National Park (Himachal Pradesh) was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2014 for its alpine meadows and high-altitude flora and fauna.
• Sundarbans National Park (West Bengal) is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and home to the Royal Bengal Tiger; also part of Sundarbans Biosphere Reserve.
• Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary (Kerala) is known for its population of Asian elephants and is a tiger reserve under Project Tiger.
• Kaziranga National Park (Assam) is a UNESCO World Heritage Site; hosts about two-thirds of the world’s one-horned rhinoceros population.
• Keoladeo Ghana National Park (Rajasthan) is a Ramsar site and former royal hunting ground; important wintering ground for migratory Palaearctic birds.
• Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve (Uttarakhand) includes Nanda Devi National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and Valley of Flowers National Park.
• Simlipal Biosphere Reserve (Odisha) is part of the Eastern Ghats and contains significant populations of tigers and elephants; also a tiger reserve.
• Gulf of Mannar Biosphere Reserve (Tamil Nadu) includes 21 islands and adjacent coastal waters; richest marine biodiversity in India with over 3,600 species.
• Pachmarhi Biosphere Reserve (Madhya Pradesh) includes Satpura Range; comprises Satpura National Park and Bori and Pachmarhi Sanctuaries.
• Manas National Park (Assam) is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a tiger reserve; also part of Manas Biosphere Reserve.
• Dachigam National Park (Jammu & Kashmir) was established to protect the hangul (Kashmir stag); located near Srinagar.
• Ranthambore National Park (Rajasthan) is one of the oldest tiger reserves; located in the Aravalli and Vindhya hill ranges.
• Nagarhole National Park (Karnataka) is part of Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve; contiguous with Bandipur and Mudumalai.
• Namdapha National Park (Arunachal Pradesh) is the only park in India to have four big cat species: tiger, leopard, snow leopard, and clouded leopard.
• Kanchenjunga National Park (Sikkim) was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2016; includes the third-highest peak in the world.
• Jim Corbett National Park (Uttarakhand) is the oldest national park in India, established in 1936 as Hailey National Park.
• Silent Valley National Park (Kerala) was saved from hydroelectric project in 1980s due to environmental movement; contains tropical evergreen forests.
• Hemis National Park (Ladakh) is the largest national park in India; known for high density of snow leopards.
• Bhitarkanika National Park (Odisha) hosts the largest population of saltwater crocodiles in India; also a Ramsar site.

Difficulty Level

Intermediate – requires precise knowledge of locations, legal provisions, and interlinkages with international designations; questions often mix multiple categories.

Common UPSC Traps

Trap: Biosphere Reserves and National Parks are created under the same legal framework – Fact: Biosphere Reserves are not legally protected under any act but are designated under UNESCO’s MAB programme; National Parks are notified under Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.

Trap: All tiger reserves are National Parks – Fact: While many tiger reserves include National Parks, some core areas are Wildlife Sanctuaries (e.g., Bor Tiger Reserve, Maharashtra is entirely a sanctuary).

Trap: Wildlife Sanctuaries prohibit all human activities – Fact: Some human activities like grazing, collection of non-timber forest products are allowed in sanctuaries with permission, unlike National Parks.

Trap: Keoladeo Ghana is only a National Park – Fact: It is also a Ramsar site (1981) and a UNESCO World Heritage Site (1985), making it multi-designated.

Trap: Project Elephant and Project Tiger were launched in the same year – Fact: Project Tiger was launched in 1973; Project Elephant was launched in 1992.

Practice MCQs

Question: Which of the following pairs is/are correctly matched?

1. Nokrek Biosphere Reserve – Meghalaya

2. Panchmarhi Biosphere Reserve – Madhya Pradesh

3. Agasthyamalai Biosphere Reserve – Karnataka
A) 1 only
B) 1 and 2 only
C) 2 and 3 only
D) 1, 2 and 3
Answer: B
Explanation: Nokrek (Meghalaya) and Pachmarhi (Madhya Pradesh) are correctly matched; Agasthyamalai spans Kerala and Tamil Nadu, not Karnataka.
Why others fail: Option D is tempting because Agasthyamalai is in the Western Ghats, which pass through Karnataka, but the reserve itself is in southern Western Ghats, excluding Karnataka.

Question: Consider the following statements:

1. National Parks have stricter protection than Wildlife Sanctuaries.

2. A Wildlife Sanctuary can be upgraded to a National Park.

3. Biosphere Reserves are established under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.
Which of the statements given above is.
A) 1 and 2 only
B) 2 and 3 only
C) 1 and 3 only
D) 1, 2 and 3
Answer: A
Explanation: Statements 1 and 2 are correct; National Parks prohibit all human activity unless permitted, and sanctuaries can be upgraded (e.g., Sariska). Biosphere Reserves are not under the 1972 Act.
Why others fail: Statement 3 is incorrect but often assumed due to association with protected areas; it is a common trap.

Question: Which of the following is the correct chronological order of designation as UNESCO World Heritage Sites?
A) Kaziranga, Keoladeo, Sundarbans, Manas
B) Keoladeo, Kaziranga, Manas, Sundarbans
C) Keoladeo, Manas, Kaziranga, Sundarbans
D) Kaziranga, Manas, Keoladeo, Sundarbans
Answer: B
Explanation: Keoladeo (1985), Kaziranga (1985), Manas (1985), Sundarbans (1987); all three were inscribed in 1985 except Sundarbans.
Why others fail: Option A is tempting because Kaziranga is more prominent, but Keoladeo was inscribed first in 1985.

Question: Which one of the following is NOT a criterion for designation as a Biosphere Reserve?
A) Presence of a core zone with minimal human impact
B) Legal protection under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972
C) Inclusion of buffer and transition zones
D) Promotion of sustainable development
Answer: B
Explanation: Biosphere Reserves do not require legal protection under the 1972 Act; they are UNESCO designations focused on conservation and sustainable use.
Why others fail: Option B appears correct due to association with protected areas, but legal status is not a UNESCO requirement.

Question: The Dampa Tiger Reserve is located in:
A) Mizoram
B) Tripura
C) Meghalaya
D) Nagaland
Answer: A
Explanation: Dampa Tiger Reserve is the only tiger reserve in Mizoram, located in the western part of the state.
Why others fail: Option B (Tripura) is tempting as it is geographically close and has forested areas, but it does not have a tiger reserve.

Last?Minute Revision

• National Parks: no human activity; Wildlife Sanctuaries: regulated human activity allowed.
• Wildlife Protection Act: 1972; amended in 2002, 2006 (inserted provisions for Tiger Conservation Foundation).
• Project Tiger: 1973; 55 tiger reserves as of 2023.
• Project Elephant: 1992; aims to protect elephants, their habitat and corridors.
• India has 106 National Parks (as of 2023).
• India has over 560 Wildlife Sanctuaries (as of 2023).
• Biosphere Reserves in India: 18 (UNESCO designated).
• Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve: first in India (1986).
• Sundarbans: only mangrove tiger habitat in the world.
• Nanda Devi National Park: closed to visitors since 1983 to protect ecology; reopened partially in limited zones.
• Keoladeo Ghana: formerly Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary; Ramsar site since 1981.
• Manas National Park: also a UNESCO World Heritage Site and tiger reserve.
• Simlipal: tiger reserve and biosphere reserve in Odisha.
• Pachmarhi: only biosphere reserve in Central India.
• Gulf of Mannar: first marine biosphere reserve in India (1989).
• Agasthyamalai Biosphere Reserve: associated with traditional medicine and rich in endemic flora.
• Dachigam: established to protect hangul (Cervus hanglu hanglu).
• Hemis National Park: largest in India by area (~4,400 km²).
• Namdapha: only park in India with four big cat species.
• Silent Valley: saved due to Save Silent Valley Movement led by activists like Sálim Ali.
• Kanchenjunga National Park: renamed from Kanchenjunga Biosphere Reserve to National Park in 2016.
• Great Himalayan National Park: became UNESCO site in 2014; located in Kullu, HP.
• Bhitarkanika: second largest mangrove ecosystem in India after Sundarbans.
• Ranthambore: located in Vindhya and Aravalli ranges; former hunting ground of Jaipur royalty.
• Corbett: oldest NP (1936), originally Hailey National Park.
• verify from standard source: exact number of sanctuaries and NPs may vary slightly by source.