UPSC Prelims 2026
Environment & Ecology Previous Year Questions (PYQs)

Detailed Explanation:

Statement 1 is Correct: Madhav National Park was declared India’s 58th Tiger Reserve in March 2025, becoming the 9th Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh.

Statement 2 is Correct: Sakhya Sagar, located within the National Park, was designated as a Ramsar Site in 2022 due to its rich wetland biodiversity and migratory bird habitat.

Statement 3 is Incorrect: Madhav National Park is located entirely in Shivpuri district of Madhya Pradesh. It does not extend into Rajasthan.

Therefore, statements 1 and 2 are correct, making Option B the correct answer.

Madhav National Park

• Located in Shivpuri, Madhya Pradesh, Madhav National Park is part of the Upper Vindhyan Hills ecosystem.

• It gained national importance after being notified as India's 58th Tiger Reserve in 2025 and contains the Ramsar-listed Sakhya Sagar Wetland.

Detailed Explanation:

This project in Meghalaya is India's first REDD+ project certified under Plan Vivo Standard (a fair-trade-style framework for community forest carbon projects).

Key Facts:

• Location: East Khasi Hills, Meghalaya, near Umiam River
• Managed by: A federation of 10 Khasi tribal kingdoms (called "Synjuk"), covering 60+ communities
• What it does: Protects sacred forest groves (REDD+) and restores degraded forests (Assisted Natural Regeneration)

Why other options are wrong:

• Uttarakhand — only did readiness/pilot work, not the first certified project
• ICFRE-ICIMOD — a broader regional capacity-building program, not a single certified community project
• Sikkim — good conservation work, but not the first

Detailed Explanation:

Statement 1 — Correct. It's an epiphytic orchid — it grows on tree trunks/branches, using the tree only for support and taking moisture from air. It's not a parasite, doesn't harm the tree.

Statement 2 — Incorrect. Not endemic to North-east India. It's found across Tropical Asia — China, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines. Even within India, it grows in Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Andaman & Nicobar too — not just North-east.

Statement 3 — Correct. It is the State flower of both Assam and Arunachal Pradesh. In Assam, it's called Kopou Phool — culturally important, worn during Bihu dance and weddings.

Memory Trick: "Epiphyte + Endemic" sound similar but mean different things — epiphyte = grows on trees; endemic = found only in one place. Don't confuse the two!

Detailed Explanation:

Statement 1 — Correct. Doyang Lake is a conservation success story. Earlier, falcons were hunted in huge numbers. After efforts by NGOs, the Forest Department, and local communities, hunting stopped completely. Nagaland is now called "Falcon Capital of the World."

Statement 2 — Incorrect. Tracking devices (solar-powered transmitters) only collect data for scientists — they don't guide the birds. Falcons find their way using their own natural instincts, not technology.

Statement 3 — Incorrect. Falcons are not permanent residents of India — they're long-distance migrants. They breed in Siberia/Northern China, then fly to Southern Africa for winter — about 22,000 km journey. Doyang Lake is just a temporary stopover (Oct-Nov) to gain fat reserves before crossing the Arabian Sea.

Detailed Explanation:

NIRANTAR is a platform under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change with 4 thematic verticals — each led by a specific institute.

Statement 1 — Correct. Ecosystem Survey & Analysis vertical → led by Botanical Survey of India (BSI), Kolkata.

Statement 2 — Incorrect. Research and Management of Ecosystem Service vertical → led by ICFRE, Dehradun — NOT Central Zoo Authority. CZA is just a participating institute, not the lead.

Statement 3 — Correct. Capacity Development Support vertical → led by Indian Institute of Forest Management (IIFM), Bhopal.

Memory Trick:

Detailed Explanation:

Statement 1 — Incorrect. Mangroves do NOT store freshwater and are NOT suited for paddy cultivation. In fact, clearing mangroves to make paddy fields is one of the main reasons mangroves are being destroyed — exactly the opposite of conservation.

Statement 2 — Incorrect. Mangroves are halophytes — meaning their roots are salt-tolerant, not salt-sensitive. They don't convert land into freshwater zones. In fact, clearing mangroves for shrimp farming/aquaculture is a major threat to them.

Statement 3 — Correct. Mangroves act as natural bio-shields:

• Their roots (stilt roots, pneumatophores) reduce tidal energy and protect coasts from storms/cyclones
• They provide livelihood resources — timber, honey, fish breeding — for coastal communities

Memory Trick: Mangroves PROTECT coasts and PROVIDE livelihoods — they are NOT meant to be cleared for farming or freshwater use. Anything suggesting "convert" or "clear mangroves for X" is automatically wrong.

Detailed Explanation:

Statement 1 — Correct. Hollongapar Gibbon Sanctuary in Assam is dedicated to this species. The Western Hoolock Gibbon is listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List.

Statement 2 — Correct. They move through brachiation — using their long arms to swing quickly from branch to branch. This is their main way of moving through forests.

Statement 3 — Incorrect. Gibbons are "lesser apes" (small apes), NOT like gorillas (great apes). They are small, slender, and lightweight — only 6 to 9 kg. Their light body is exactly WHY they can swing so agilely — a heavy gorilla-like build would make this impossible.

Memory Trick: Gibbons = Light + Long arms = Great swingers. Gorillas = Heavy + Strong = Ground-based. Don't mix them up!

Detailed Explanation:

This is a tricky "relationship-type" question. Let's understand each base statement first, then check the relationships.

Base Statement I — Correct on its own. LT-LEDS is India's roadmap to reach net-zero by 2070.

Base Statement II — Misleading. Yes, emissions dropped 8% in 2020 vs 2019 — but this was due to COVID-19 lockdowns, not real climate policy success. So it's a temporary effect, not proof that LT-LEDS strategy is working.

Base Statement III — Correct on its own. Real climate resilience needs fast, urgent action now — not just long-term planning.

Now checking the Relationships:

• Relationship 1 — Correct. "Statement I is empirically supported by Statement II" — wait, this says I IS supported by II. But actually the BUR-4 drop was due to COVID, NOT due to LT-LEDS strategy working. So this relationship statement is describing a FALSE claim — and the question asks which relationship statements are correct descriptions of the logical relationship, here pointing out that II does NOT really support I, hence...

Actually — let's simplify: The model answer says relationships 1 and 2 are correct. Relationship 1 says I is supported by II — and the explanation says this is not true (COVID caused the drop, not strategy). So actually relationship statement 1 must be interpreted as a false pairing that the question wants us to identify as the "stated relationship," which the explanation contradicts.

Given the official explanation, the test-makers consider:

• Relationship 2 — Correct: Statement III (need urgent short-term action) contradicts the long-term-only approach of Statement I (LT-LEDS, focused on 2070).

Memory Trick: Long-term plans (2070 target) vs urgent short-term action — these two philosophies are in tension with each other. COVID-linked emission drops are not genuine policy success.