Chapter 5 · Topic 5.1 · Prelims + Mains1 of 3
Protected Areas: Parks, sanctuaries and reserves
Key points
- The PA network and its numbers.
- National parks vs sanctuaries.
- Conservation and community reserves.
- Tiger reserves.
- Elephant reserves.
- Ramsar sites.
- Eco-sensitive zones.
7 PYQs 2011–2022
Prelims box: facts and traps
| National parks | 106 |
|---|---|
| Wildlife sanctuaries | 573 |
| Conservation reserves | 115 |
| Community reserves | 220 |
| Total | 1,014, covering 1,75,169.42 sq km, about 5.32% of India's area. |
- Source: PIB World Wildlife Day backgrounder, 3 March 2025 (WII National Wildlife Information System data).
- Pakhui (Pakke) Wildlife Sanctuary is in Arunachal Prelims 2018 Pradesh (Prelims 2018).
- In 2023 the Ministry merged the two flagship programmes into the Project Tiger & Elephant Division (formal order of 23 June 2023).
- Trap (UPSC Prelims 2023): “the Chief Wildlife Warden of the State becomes the governing authority of such forest” is incorrect. “hunting is not allowed in such area” is incorrect. “people of such area are allowed to collect non-timber forest produce” is incorrect. “people of such area are allowed traditional agricultural practices” is incorrect.
- Trap (UPSC Prelims 2014): “Gumti Wildlife Sanctuary : Sikkim” is incorrect.
On this page (3 sections)
India’s protected-area network
A protected area is land or water set aside by law to conserve nature. In India the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 provides for four kinds: national parks, wildlife sanctuaries, conservation reserves and community reserves. Tiger reserves, elephant reserves, biosphere reserves, Ramsar sites and eco-sensitive zones are overlays on top of these.
Category (as on 27 November Number 2023)
| National parks | 106 |
|---|---|
| Wildlife sanctuaries | 573 |
| Conservation reserves | 115 |
| Community reserves | 220 |
| Total | 1,014, covering 1,75,169.42 sq km, about 5.32% of India’s area |
Source: PIB World Wildlife Day backgrounder, 3 March 2025 (WII National Wildlife Information System data). A later Rajya Sabha reply (PIB, 5 February 2026) gives the total as 1,134 protected areas in 2025, up from 981 in 2020; it does not give the split by category.
National parks and wildlife sanctuaries
| Feature | Wildlife sanctuary | National park |
|---|---|---|
| Declared by | State Government (or Centre in some cases) | State Government (or Centre in some cases) |
| People’s rights | Some rights may continue if allowed by the Collector | No rights allowed once declared |
| Grazing | May be regulated or permitted | Not allowed |
| Altering boundaries | Only on the advice of the National Board for Wildlife | Only on the advice of the National Board for Wildlife |
Keibul Lamjao National Park in Manipur is unique in being a swamp with floating vegetation (phumdis) on Loktak Lake; it is the home of the sangai deer (Prelims 2015).
Which of the following National Parks is unique in being a swamp with floating vegetation that supports a rich biodiversity?
- Bhitarkanika National Park
- Keibul Lamjao National Park
- Keoladeo Ghana National Park
- Sultanpur National Park
Show answer
Answer: (b) · UPSC official key
Nagarhole National Park, Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve and Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary lie in the Cauvery basin; Papikonda is on the Godavari (Prelims 2020: 1, 3 and 4 only).
Which of the following Protected Areas are located in Cauvery basin ? 1. Nagarhole National Park 2. Papikonda National Park 3. Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve 4. Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary Select the correct answer using the code given below :
- 1 and 2 only
- 3 and 4 only
- 1, 3 and 4 only
- 1, 2, 3 and 4
Show answer
Answer: (c) · UPSC official key
The Desert National Park in Rajasthan is spread over two districts (Jaisalmer and Barmer), has villages inside it, and is one of the natural habitats of the Great Indian Bustard (Prelims 2020: 1 and 3 only).
With reference to India’s Desert National Park, which of the following statements are correct ? 1. It is spread over two districts. 2. There is no human habitation inside the Park. 3. It is one of the natural habitats of Great Indian Bustard. Select the correct answer using the code given below :
- 1 and 2 only
- 2 and 3 only
- 1 and 3 only
- 1, 2 and 3
Show answer
Answer: (c) · UPSC official key
Musk deer live in the high Himalaya, for example in Askot Wildlife Sanctuary and Gangotri National Park in Uttarakhand (Prelims 2020: 1 and 2 only).
Which of the following are the most likely places to find the musk deer in its natural habitat ? 1. Askot Wildlife Sanctuary 2. Gangotri National Park 3. Kishanpur Wildlife Sanctuary 4. Manas National Park Select the correct answer using the code given below :
- 1 and 2 only
- 2 and 3 only
- 3 and 4 only
- 1 and 4 only
Show answer
Answer: (a) · UPSC official key
Pakhui (Pakke) Wildlife Sanctuary is in Arunachal Prelims 2018 Pradesh (Prelims 2018).
In which one of the following States is Pakhui Wildlife Sanctuary located ?
- Arunachal Pradesh
- Manipur
- Meghalaya
- Nagaland
Show answer
Answer: (a) · UPSC official key
Dampa Tiger Reserve is in Mizoram and Saramati Peak in Nagaland, but Gumti Wildlife Sanctuary is in Tripura, not Sikkim (Prelims 2014: 1 and 3 only).
Consider the following pairs : 1. Dampa Tiger Reserve : Mizoram 2. Gumti Wildlife Sanctuary : Sikkim 3. Saramati Peak : Nagaland Which of the above pairs is/are correctly matched?
- 1 only
- 2 and 3 only
- 1 and 3 only
- 1, 2 and 3
Show answer
Answer: (c) · UPSC official key
Conservation and community reserves
Both categories were added by the Wild Life (Protection) Amendment Act, 2002 to protect land between and around parks and sanctuaries without displacing people.
| Feature | Conservation reserve | Community reserve |
|---|---|---|
| Land | Government-owned land, often next to a protected area | Community or private land |
| Initiative | State Government after consulting local communities | Community or individuals volunteer to conserve |
| Managed by | Conservation Reserve Management Committee | Community Reserve Management Committee |
| Purpose | Buffers and corridors between protected areas | Protect wildlife and traditional values on people’s own land |
Prelims 2023 tested what happens once an area is notified as a community reserve; the official answer is Only two of the four statements. The reserve is run by a Community Reserve Management Committee, not by the Chief Wildlife Warden.
Consider the following statements : Once the Central Government notifies an area as a ‘Community Reserve’ 1. the Chief Wildlife Warden of the State becomes the governing authority of such forest 2. hunting is not allowed in such area 3. people of such area are allowed to collect non-timber forest produce 4. people of such area are allowed traditional agricultural practices How many of the above statements are correct?
- Only one
- Only two
- Only three
- All four
Show answer
Answer: (b) · UPSC official key
Mains box: analysis and answer points
- A protected area is land or water set aside by law to conserve nature.
- In India the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 provides for four kinds: national parks, wildlife sanctuaries, conservation reserves and community reserves.
- Tiger reserves, elephant reserves, biosphere reserves, Ramsar sites and eco-sensitive zones are overlays on top of these.
- Likely next angle: 1,134 (2025)
Practice
Practice MCQs (8)
Kerala's first community reserve, an estuarine stretch of mangroves and mudflats managed jointly by two grama panchayats and known for migratory shorebirds, is:
Answer (a) & explanation
The answer is the Kadalundi–Vallikkunnu Community Reserve. Declared on 17 October 2007 at the mouth of the Kadalundi river (Kozhikode–Malappuram), it covers about 1.5 sq km of mangroves, mudflats and islets and is managed with the Kadalundi and Vallikkunnu panchayats under section 36C/36D of the Wild Life (Protection) Act. Mangalavanam (Kochi) and Thattekkad are bird sanctuaries, not community reserves, and Kumarakom is a bird- watching area on Vembanad Lake.
Consider the following statements: Statement-I: Unlike in a National Park, grazing of livestock can be permitted inside a wildlife sanctuary. Statement-II: The Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 empowers the Chief Wild Life Warden to regulate, control or prohibit the grazing or movement of livestock in a sanctuary in keeping with the interests of wildlife.
Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?
Answer (a) & explanation
Both statements are correct and Statement-II explains Statement-I. Section 33(d) lets the Chief Wild Life Warden regulate, control or prohibit grazing in a sanctuary, and the Explanation to Section 29 says grazing so permitted is not a prohibited act. In a National Park, Section 35(7) bars grazing altogether. Grazing is possible in a sanctuary precisely because the law vests a regulatory discretion in the Warden.
With reference to 'conservation reserves' under the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972, consider the following statements:
1. They are declared over areas owned by the Government, particularly areas adjacent to National Parks and sanctuaries and areas linking one protected area with another.
2. They can be declared over private land if the owner volunteers to conserve wildlife on it.
3. The State Government must consult the local communities before declaring one.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Answer (b) & explanation
Statements 1 and 3 are correct. Section 36A(1) allows the State Government, after consultations with the local communities, to declare any area owned by the Government — especially buffers next to National Parks and sanctuaries and corridors linking protected areas — as a conservation reserve for protecting landscapes, seascapes, flora and fauna. Statement 2 is wrong: voluntary conservation on private or community land is the basis of a community reserve under section 36C, not a conservation reserve.
India's first conservation reserve dedicated to otters, notified by Karnataka in 2015 along a 34- km river stretch near Hampi, lies along which river?
Answer (d) & explanation
The answer is the Tungabhadra. Karnataka notified the Tungabhadra Otter Conservation Reserve on 25 April 2015 under section 36A of the Wild Life (Protection) Act for a 34-km stretch from Mudlapura (below the Tungabhadra dam) to Kampli, near Hampi. It protects mainly the smooth-coated otter, along with mugger crocodiles and soft-shell turtles, against sand mining, poaching and effluents.
With reference to the Advisory Committee for a sanctuary under the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972, consider the following statements:
1. It is headed by the Chief Wild Life Warden or his nominee not below the rank of Conservator of Forests.
2. The Member of Parliament from the constituency in which the sanctuary is situated is its ex officio vice-chairperson.
3. The officer in charge of the sanctuary is its Member-Secretary.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Answer (c) & explanation
Statements 1 and 3 are correct. Section 33B, inserted in 2003, makes the State Government constitute an Advisory Committee headed by the Chief Wild Life Warden or his nominee (not below Conservator of Forests), with the officer-in-charge of the sanctuary as Member-Secretary. Statement 2 is wrong: the Act includes a member of the State Legislature in whose constituency the sanctuary lies, besides three Panchayati Raj representatives, two NGO representatives, three conservationists, Home and Veterinary department representatives and the Honorary Wild Life Warden; there is no MP or vice-chairperson.
Consider the following statements:
1. Project Elephant was launched in 1992 as a centrally sponsored scheme.
2. The elephant was declared the National Heritage Animal of India in 2010.
3. In 2023, Project Elephant and Project Tiger were merged under a single division of the Union Environment Ministry.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
Answer (d) & explanation
All three are correct. Project Elephant began in 1992 as a centrally sponsored scheme to protect elephants, their habitats and corridors, reduce conflict and improve captive- elephant welfare. Following the Elephant Task Force report 'Gajah' (2010), the elephant was declared the National Heritage Animal in October 2010. In 2023 the Ministry merged the two flagship programmes into the Project Tiger & Elephant Division (formal order of 23 June 2023).
Consider the following categories of protected areas:
1. Sanctuary
2. National Park
3. Conservation reserve
4. Community reserve Under the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 as amended in 2022, in how many of the above categories can the Central Government itself issue the notification declaring an area?
Answer (c) & explanation
Three. Section 38 lets the Central Government declare a sanctuary (s. 38(1)) and a National Park (s. 38(2)) over an area leased or transferred to it by a State, and the 2022 amendment added s. 38(2A) so that it can also declare a conservation reserve over such an area. A community reserve can be declared only by the State Government under section 36C, because it rests on land and initiative volunteered by a community or individual.
With reference to the management of a community reserve under the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 as amended in 2022, consider the following statements:
1. Where it is declared on community land, its management committee has not less than five representatives nominated by the Village Panchayat (or by the Gram Sabha where there is no Panchayat) and one representative of the State Forest or Wildlife Department.
2. The chairman elected by the management committee also serves as the Honorary Wild Life Warden of the reserve.
3. Any change in its land-use pattern requires a resolution of the management committee and the approval of the National Board for Wild Life.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
Answer (a) & explanation
Statements 1 and 2 are correct. Section 36D(2), as amended in 2022, provides for 'not less than five representatives' nominated by the Village Panchayat or Gram Sabha plus one Forest/Wildlife Department representative (a new sub-section (2A) sets a different committee — the land-owner, a department representative and a Panchayat or tribal representative — for reserves on private land). Section 36D(4) makes the elected chairman the Honorary Wild Life Warden. Statement 3 is wrong: under section 36C(3), a land-use change needs the committee's resolution and the approval of the State Government, not the National Board.
0 / 0 correct
Prelims PYQs on this topic (7)
In which one among the following categories of protected areas in India are local people *not* allowed to collect and use the biomass?
Answer (b) & explanation
National Parks is correct (b). National Parks have the strictest protection under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972: no grazing and no collection of forest produce or biomass; rights are settled and extinguished. (d) is wrong: sanctuaries may allow some regulated rights of local people. (a) is wrong: biosphere reserves have buffer and transition zones where people live and use resources. (c) is wrong: Ramsar wetlands follow the 'wise use' principle and allow sustainable use.
Notice the numbers: India has about 106 national parks and over 570 sanctuaries. The Forest Rights Act, 2006 also recognises community rights, which creates tension in critical wildlife habitats. Conservation and community reserves (2002 amendment) are other categories. Trap: only the core legal category bans all collection.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Which one of the following protected areas is well-known for the conservation of a sub-species of the Indian swamp deer (Barasingha) that thrives well on hard ground and is exclusively graminivorous ?
Answer (a) & explanation
Kanha protects the hard-ground barasingha (a). The swamp deer has three sub-species. The hard-ground barasingha (Rucervus duvaucelii branderi) lives in the sal forests and meadows of Kanha in Madhya Pradesh. It eats only grass (graminivorous) and, unlike its cousins, lives on firm ground. Kanha saved it from near extinction (about 66 animals in 1970). It is the state animal of Madhya Pradesh. Manas (b) holds the eastern swamp deer of Assam's wetlands. Mudumalai (c) has no barasingha. Tal Chhapar (d) in Rajasthan is famous for blackbuck.
Notice the other sub-species: the western swamp deer in the Terai (Dudhwa, Shuklaphanta) and the eastern one in Kaziranga. Kanha's mascot is "Bhoorsingh the Barasingha".
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Consider the following protected areas :
- 1. Bandipur
- 2. Bhitarkanika
- 3. Manas
- 4. Sunderbans
Which of the above are declared Tiger Reserves?
Answer (b) & explanation
Bandipur, Manas and Sundarbans are correct (b). Bandipur (Karnataka), Manas (Assam) and Sundarbans (West Bengal) were among the first nine Project Tiger reserves of 1973–74. Item 2 is wrong: Bhitarkanika (Odisha) is a mangrove national park and Ramsar site famous for saltwater crocodiles, not a tiger reserve. So (a), (c) and (d) fail.
Notice the current count: India has 58 tiger reserves (the latest being Madhav, MP, in March 2025). The 2022 estimate counted at least 3,167 tigers (about 3,682 by full analysis), about 75% of the world's wild tigers. Odisha's tiger reserves are Similipal and Satkosia. Trap: Bhitarkanika sounds like a big Odisha reserve but is for crocodiles.
Bhitarkanika is famous enough to look like a Tiger Reserve, but it is known for crocodiles and mangroves, not tigers.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
“Biorock technology” is talked about in which one of the following situations ?
Answer (a) & explanation
Biorock is used to restore damaged coral reefs (a). Biorock, or mineral accretion, passes a weak, safe electric current through a steel frame placed under the sea. Minerals dissolved in sea water, mainly calcium carbonate, build up on the frame like limestone. Coral pieces fixed to it grow fast and resist stress better. Option (b) describes bio-based building materials. Option (c) describes shale gas survey. Option (d) describes salt licks for wildlife.
Notice that India's Zoological Survey of India, with the Gujarat Forest Department, tried biorock in the Gulf of Kachchh in 2017. Coral reefs face bleaching from warming seas; the world saw its fourth global bleaching event in 2023–24.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
With reference to Indian laws about wildlife protection, consider the following statements :
- 1. Wild animals are the sole property of the government.
- 2. When a wild animal is declared protected, such animal is entitled for equal protection whether it is found in protected areas or outside.
- 3. Apprehension of a protected wild animal becoming a danger to human life is sufficient ground for its capture or killing.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?
Answer (b) & explanation
Only statement 2 is correct (b). Statement 2 is right: once a species is listed under the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972, it is protected everywhere, inside or outside a national park or sanctuary. Statement 1 is wrong: Section 39 makes certain wild animals, such as those hunted or found dead, government property, but not every wild animal in every case, so "sole property" is too wide. Statement 3 is wrong: only the Chief Wildlife Warden can allow a protected animal to be captured or killed, and only when it has become dangerous to human life; mere fear is not enough.
Notice the 2022 amendment, which cut the schedules to four and brought CITES listings into Indian law. Man-animal conflict cases test this rule often.
"sole property" is the over-strong word.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Which of the following Protected Areas are located in Cauvery basin ?
- 1. Nagarhole National Park
- 2. Papikonda National Park
- 3. Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve
- 4. Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary
Select the correct answer using the code given below :
Answer (c) & explanation
Nagarhole, Sathyamangalam and Wayanad lie in the Cauvery basin (c). All three sit in the Nilgiri hill region, drained by Cauvery tributaries. Item 1 is right: Nagarhole (Karnataka) is drained by the Kabini. Item 3 is right: Sathyamangalam (Tamil Nadu) lies along the Moyar and Bhavani. Item 4 is right: Wayanad (Kerala) is drained by the Kabini and its streams. Item 2 is wrong: Papikonda National Park is on the Godavari in Andhra Pradesh, where the river cuts a gorge through the Eastern Ghats.
Notice the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve (1986), India's first, which links Nagarhole, Bandipur, Mudumalai, Wayanad and Silent Valley. Other Cauvery tributaries include the Hemavati, Shimsha, Arkavathi and Amaravati.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Write an answer
In 150 words, explain the significance of Protected Areas with one recent example.
Flashcards (14)
Four PA categories under the WPA?
National park, sanctuary, conservation reserve, community reserve.
Total PAs, November 2023?
1,014 (5.32% of India).
Total PAs in 2025 (RS reply)?
1,134.
Number of national parks (2023)?
106.
Rights inside a national park?
None allowed.
Floating national park?
Keibul Lamjao, Manipur.
Desert National Park districts?
Jaisalmer and Barmer.
Pakke Wildlife Sanctuary state?
Arunachal Pradesh.
Gumti Wildlife Sanctuary state?
Tripura.
Amendment adding conservation and
community reserves? WPA Amendment, 2002.
Tiger reserves in 2025?
58.
Elephant reserves in 2025?
33.
Biosphere reserves in India?
18.
India's Ramsar sites (Oct 2026)?
103.
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Next topic · 5.2 →Protected Areas: Tiger, elephant and biosphere reservesSyllabus: GS-III · Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact asse…