100. Regarding Madhav National Park, assess:
1. It became a tiger reserve in 2025.
2. Sakhya Sagar, a Ramsar site, lies within it.
3. The park is spread over Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.
Which statements are correct?
[UPSC CSE Prelims – 2026]
(A) 1 only
(B) 1 and 2 only
(C) 2 and 3 only
(D) 3 only
Answer: (B) 1 and 2 only
Explanation: Madhav National Park lies entirely in Shivpuri district, Madhya Pradesh. It was notified as a tiger reserve in 2025, while Sakhya Sagar is a recognised Ramsar wetland inside the park. Hence statements 1 and 2 alone are valid.
99. For the Western hoolock gibbon, consider:
1. This endangered ape occurs in a sanctuary in northeastern India.
2. It moves by brachiation.
3. It has the heavy body form of a gorilla.
Which statements are correct?
[UPSC CSE Prelims – 2026]
(A) 1 only
(B) 1 and 2 only
(C) 2 and 3 only
(D) 3 only
Answer: (B) 1 and 2 only
Explanation: The western hoolock gibbon lives in northeastern forests, including Assam’s Hollongapar Gibbon Sanctuary. Brachiation means swinging beneath branches using long arms. It is a relatively slender lesser ape, unlike heavily built gorillas, making the third assertion inaccurate.
98. About Amur falcons visiting Doyang Lake in Nagaland, consider:
1. Local protection helps safeguard migratory falcons.
2. Tracking devices actively direct their migration.
3. They have become permanent residents of India.
Choose the correct statement(s).
[UPSC CSE Prelims – 2026]
(A) 1 only
(B) 1 and 2 only
(C) 2 and 3 only
(D) 3 only
Answer: (A) 1 only
Explanation: Amur falcons stop in Nagaland on their migration between East Asia and southern Africa. Community action sharply reduced hunting. Tracking transmitters merely record journeys, and the birds do not permanently settle in India. Therefore only the conservation statement holds.
97. About Rhynchostylis retusa (foxtail orchid), assess:
1. It grows as an epiphyte.
2. It is confined naturally to northeastern India.
3. It is the state flower of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh.
Which are correct?
[UPSC CSE Prelims – 2026]
(A) 1 only
(B) 1 and 3 only
(C) 2 and 3 only
(D) 3 only
Answer: (B) 1 and 3 only
Explanation: The foxtail orchid uses other plants for support but does not feed parasitically on them. It grows across parts of South and Southeast Asia, rather than being northeastern India’s exclusive endemic. Both Assam and Arunachal Pradesh recognise it as their state flower.
96. Which statements are correct?
1. Project Elephant began in 1992.
2. Project Tiger began in 1973.
3. Sundarbans Biosphere Reserve is in West Bengal.
4. Keoladeo National Park is in Madhya Pradesh.
[RRB NTPC UG CBT-I – 2026]
(A) 1, 2 and 3
(B) 1, 3 and 4
(C) 2 and 3 only
(D) 2, 3 and 4
Answer: (A) 1, 2 and 3
Explanation: Project Elephant dates to 1992 and Project Tiger to 1973, while Sundarbans Biosphere Reserve is in West Bengal. Keoladeo National Park is at Bharatpur in Rajasthan, not Madhya Pradesh. Thus the first three claims are correct.
95. Which statement correctly describes Pitti Island of Lakshadweep?
[RRB NTPC UG CBT-I – 2026]
(A) It is uninhabited and contains a bird sanctuary
(B) It has active volcanoes
(C) It contains India’s largest military base
(D) It is at the entrance to the Andaman Sea
Answer: (A) It is uninhabited and contains a bird sanctuary
Explanation: Pitti is a small uninhabited coral island in Lakshadweep and a protected nesting place for seabirds, including terns. It has neither active volcanoes nor a major military installation; the archipelago lies in the Arabian Sea.
94. The seventh meeting of the National Board for Wildlife, held in March 2025, took place at which national park?
[RRB Group D – 2026]
(A) Gir
(B) Bandipur
(C) Kaziranga
(D) Jim Corbett
Answer: (A) Gir
Explanation: The National Board for Wildlife met at Sasan Gir in Gujarat in March 2025. Gir is recognised for conserving the remaining wild Asiatic lions and is a focal point of habitat management and protection against disease and other threats.
93. Sambhar Salt Lake is located in which Indian state?
[SSC MTS (2025 paper, held 2026) – 2026]
(A) Rajasthan
(B) Punjab
(C) Gujarat
(D) Haryana
Answer: (A) Rajasthan
Explanation: Sambhar lies in Rajasthan and is India’s largest inland saline lake. Besides salt production, it supports migratory waterbirds including flamingos and is protected as a Ramsar wetland. Its water balance is influenced by evaporation and drainage from surrounding catchments.
92. Regarding the peacock or Gooty tarantula, assess:
I. It is an omnivorous crustacean.
II. Its Indian habitat is restricted to certain forest patches.
III. It normally lives in trees.
Which are correct?
[UPSC CSE Prelims – 2025]
(A) I only
(B) I and II only
(C) II only
(D) II and III only
Answer: (D) II and III only
Explanation: The Gooty tarantula is a vividly coloured spider, hence an arachnid rather than a crustacean. It inhabits restricted forest patches in the Eastern Ghats and lives in trees. Habitat loss and collection for trade contribute to its conservation concern.
91. Similipal, recognised in April 2025 as Odisha’s second national park, is situated in which state?
[RRB NTPC Graduate CBT-I – 2025]
(A) Gujarat
(B) Odisha
(C) Madhya Pradesh
(D) Assam
Answer: (B) Odisha
Explanation: Similipal lies in Odisha’s Mayurbhanj district and is also associated with tiger and elephant conservation. Its forested hills support rich biodiversity, including a distinctive population of pseudo-melanistic tigers. The national-park notification strengthened formal protection for the landscape.