70. Nelapattu Bird Sanctuary is located in which state?
[SSC MTS (2022 paper) – 2023]
(A) Tamil Nadu
(B) Andhra Pradesh
(C) Karnataka
(D) Madhya Pradesh
Answer: (B) Andhra Pradesh
Explanation: Nelapattu Bird Sanctuary lies in Andhra Pradesh near Nellore. It is particularly important for colonial nesting waterbirds, including spot-billed pelicans and other large wetland birds. Protection of water availability and nesting trees sustains these populations.
69. Which Indian national park first adopted a mascot called Bhoorsingh the Barasingha?
[MPPSC State Services (2022 paper) – 2023]
(A) Kanha
(B) Pench
(C) Bandhavgarh
(D) Satpura
Answer: (A) Kanha
Explanation: Kanha National Park in Madhya Pradesh adopted Bhoorsingh the Barasingha as its conservation mascot. Kanha is well known for recovering the endangered hard-ground barasingha, and the mascot helps communicate why this habitat and species need protection.
68. Match the following wetlands with states:
–Hokera—Punjab;
–Renuka—Himachal Pradesh;
–Rudrasagar—Tripura;
–Sasthamkotta—Tamil Nadu.
How many pairs are correct?
[UPSC CSE Prelims – 2022]
(A) One
(B) Two
(C) Three
(D) Four
Answer: (B) Two
Explanation: Renuka is in Himachal Pradesh and Rudrasagar in Tripura. Hokera lies in Jammu and Kashmir, not Punjab; Sasthamkotta is in Kerala rather than Tamil Nadu. The correctly matched pair count is therefore two.
67. Concerning wildlife protection law:
1. Every wild animal is government property.
2. Protected wild animals receive legal protection inside and outside protected areas.
3. Mere apprehension of danger always permits killing protected wildlife.
Which is correct?
[UPSC CSE Prelims – 2022]
(A) 1 and 2
(B) 2 only
(C) 1 and 3
(D) 3 only
Answer: (B) 2 only
Explanation: A protected species remains protected beyond park boundaries. The law does not automatically make every living wild animal government property, and mere fear is insufficient to justify killing a protected animal. Statutory authorisation and specified conditions are required.
66. For Gucchi, consider:
1. It is a fungus.
2. It grows in Himalayan forests.
3. It is commercially cultivated in northeastern Himalayan foothills.
Which statements are correct?
[UPSC CSE Prelims – 2022]
(A) 1 only
(B) 3 only
(C) 1 and 2 only
(D) 2 and 3 only
Answer: (C) 1 and 2 only
Explanation: Gucchi is a wild morel mushroom found in Himalayan forests, especially in the northwest. It is prized as an edible fungus and traditionally collected from nature, rather than being commercially cultivated on the scale suggested by the third statement.
65. Biorock technology is used primarily for which conservation activity?
[UPSC CSE Prelims – 2022]
(A) Restoring damaged coral reefs
(B) Making construction boards from crop residue
(C) Locating shale-gas deposits
(D) Providing mineral licks to wild animals
Answer: (A) Restoring damaged coral reefs
Explanation: Biorock technology encourages calcium carbonate to deposit on submerged frames using a weak electrical current. Coral fragments can attach and grow on these structures, making the technique relevant to reef restoration in Indian coastal and marine conservation areas.
64. In the Supreme Court’s June 2022 eco-sensitive-zone direction, what minimum distance around protected forest, parks and sanctuaries was specified?
[NDA General Ability Test – 2022]
(A) 1 km
(B) 2 km
(C) 3 km
(D) 5 km
Answer: (A) 1 km
Explanation: The 2022 judgment referred to a minimum one-kilometre eco-sensitive zone around protected areas, subject to legal developments and subsequent clarifications. Such buffer zones seek to control environmentally damaging activities near vulnerable wildlife habitats and protected boundaries.
63. Match biosphere reserves to states: Manas, Sundarbans, Nanda Devi and Pachmarhi. Which sequence is correct?
[UPPSC Combined State Exam – 2022]
(A) Assam, Uttarakhand, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh
(B) West Bengal, Assam, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh
(C) Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Assam, West Bengal
(D) Assam, West Bengal, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh
Answer: (D) Assam, West Bengal, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh
Explanation: Manas is in Assam, Sundarbans in West Bengal, Nanda Devi in Uttarakhand and Pachmarhi in Madhya Pradesh. The reserves represent northeastern, deltaic, high-Himalayan and central Indian ecological landscapes, respectively.
62. Corbett Tiger Reserve is located in which state?
[MPPSC State Services (2021 paper) – 2022]
(A) Rajasthan
(B) Madhya Pradesh
(C) Uttarakhand
(D) West Bengal
Answer: (C) Uttarakhand
Explanation: Corbett Tiger Reserve is in Uttarakhand, centred on the Ramganga river landscape. Its national park was established in 1936 as Hailey National Park. It became one of the first protected areas included in Project Tiger in 1973.
61. A designated area where wildlife and natural ecosystems receive stringent overall protection is termed what in this question?
[RRB Group D – 2022]
(A) Protected area
(B) National park
(C) Wildlife sanctuary
(D) Biosphere reserve
Answer: (B) National park
Explanation: National parks are legally protected landscapes created to safeguard ecosystems and wild species. They are generally more restrictive about resource extraction than sanctuaries. The exam distinguished this specific protected-area designation from the broader terms in the alternatives.
