Biodiversity and species: previous-year questions
73 real UPSC Prelims questions (2011–2026) with the official answer and a clear explanation. 26 of them came in the last five papers.
How often UPSC asks this
Questions per year, counted from the official papers.
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Consider the following fauna of India :
- 1. Gharial
- 2. Leatherback turtle
- 3. Swamp deer
Which of the above is/are endangered?
Answer (c) & explanation
All three are correct per UPSC's key (c). The gharial, the leatherback turtle and the swamp deer (barasingha) are all threatened species protected under Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, and UPSC treats all as endangered. In the current IUCN categories, the gharial is Critically Endangered, while the leatherback and swamp deer are Vulnerable, so 'endangered' is used loosely here. So (a), (b) and (d) fail on the key.
Notice the habitats: gharials survive mainly in the Chambal sanctuary; leatherbacks, the largest turtles, nest in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands (Galathea Bay, near the Great Nicobar project); the hard-ground barasingha lives in Kanha, Madhya Pradesh's state animal. Trap: legal 'endangered' and IUCN 'Endangered' are not the same.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Consider the following :
- 1. Black-necked crane
- 2. Cheetah
- 3. Flying squirrel
- 4. Snow leopard
Which of the above are naturally found in India?
Answer (b) & explanation
Items 1, 3 and 4 are correct (b). The black-necked crane breeds in Ladakh and winters in Arunachal's Tawang area and Bhutan (1). Flying squirrels live in the Western Ghats, the Himalaya and the north-east (3). The snow leopard lives in the high Himalaya of Ladakh, Himachal, Uttarakhand, Sikkim and Arunachal (4). Item 2 is wrong: the Asiatic cheetah was declared extinct in India in 1952, so it was not naturally found in 2012. So (a), (c) and (d) fail.
Notice the update: African cheetahs were brought to Kuno (MP) from September 2022 under Project Cheetah, and some were moved to Gandhi Sagar in 2025. India's first snow leopard survey (2023) counted about 718. Trap: today's cheetahs are introduced, not native.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Vultures which used to be very common in Indian countryside some years ago are rarely seen nowadays. This is attributed to
Answer (b) & explanation
A drug used for treating cattle is correct (b). Vultures feeding on carcasses of cattle treated with the painkiller diclofenac died of kidney failure and visceral gout. More than 95% of India's Gyps vultures (white-rumped, long-billed, slender-billed) were lost between the 1990s and 2000s. (a), (c) and (d) are wrong: invasive species, food shortage and a disease were not the main cause; carcasses were plentiful.
Notice the response: veterinary diclofenac was banned in 2006, and in 2023 India also banned aceclofenac and ketoprofen for animals. The Vulture Action Plan 2020–25 set up breeding centres, such as Pinjore in Haryana, and safe zones. Without vultures, feral dogs and rabies rose. International Vulture Awareness Day is the first Saturday of September. Trap: the cause was human-made, not natural.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
How does National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) help in protecting the Indian agriculture?
- 1. NBA checks the biopiracy and protects the indigenous and traditional genetic resources.
- 2. NBA directly monitors and supervises the scientific research on genetic modification of crop plants.
- 3. Application for Intellectual Property Rights related to genetic/biological resources cannot be made without the approval of NBA.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Answer (c) & explanation
Statements 1 and 3 are correct (c). The National Biodiversity Authority (set up 2003 under the Biological Diversity Act, 2002, at Chennai) regulates access to Indian biological resources and associated traditional knowledge to check biopiracy (1). Anyone seeking a patent or other IPR based on Indian biological material needs its approval (3). Statement 2 is wrong: research on GM crops is regulated by the GEAC and the Review Committee on Genetic Manipulation, not the NBA. So (a), (b) and (d) fail.
Notice the cases: India fought patents on neem and turmeric, and the NBA backed action against Bt brinjal biopiracy (2011). The 2023 amendment eased rules for AYUSH and research, and requires approval at the time of grant of patent rather than filing.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Which one of the following groups of animals belongs to the category of endangered species?
Answer (a) & explanation
Option (a) is correct per UPSC's key. Option (a) lists only threatened animals: the Great Indian Bustard (Critically Endangered), musk deer and red panda (Endangered), and the Asiatic wild ass, treated as endangered in India; the Indian subspecies, the khur, is in Schedule I (the IUCN now lists the species as a whole as Near Threatened, so the grouping is loose). Each other option includes a common animal: cheetal and blue bull (nilgai) in (b) and (d), rhesus monkey in (c), and Hanuman langur in (d). So (b), (c) and (d) fail.
Notice the bustard's plight: fewer than 150 remain, mainly in Rajasthan; the Supreme Court has ordered undergrounding of power lines in its habitat. Trap: one common animal sinks an option.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
What is the difference between the antelopes Oryx and Chiru?
Answer (a) & explanation
Option (a) is correct. The oryx is adapted to the hot, arid deserts of Africa and Arabia, with pale coats and water-saving physiology. The chiru (Tibetan antelope) lives in the cold, high-altitude steppes and semi-deserts of the Tibetan plateau and Ladakh. (b) is wrong: antelopes have horns, not antlers, and the chiru is poached for its fine wool (shahtoosh), not musk. (c) is wrong: the oryx is not found wild in India, and the chiru lives in Ladakh, not the north-east. (d) fails because (a) is correct.
Notice the conservation side: shahtoosh trade is banned under CITES, and the chiru is in Schedule I; its numbers recovered enough to be moved to Near Threatened in 2016. The Arabian oryx was reintroduced after extinction in the wild. Trap: musk belongs to musk deer.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Which of the following can be threats to the biodiversity of a geographical area?
- 1. Global warming
- 2. Fragmentation of habitat
- 3. Invasion of alien species
- 4. Promotion of vegetarianism
Select the correct answer using the codes given below :
Answer (a) & explanation
Items 1, 2 and 3 are correct (a). The main threats to biodiversity are habitat loss and fragmentation (2), invasive alien species such as Lantana and Prosopis in India (3), climate change (1), pollution and over-exploitation. Item 4 is wrong: vegetarianism needs less land and water than meat-heavy diets, so it reduces pressure on habitats; it is not a threat. So (b), (c) and (d) fail.
Notice the framework: E.O. Wilson's 'HIPPO' (habitat loss, invasive species, pollution, population, over-harvesting). The IPBES assessment (2019) said about 1 million species face extinction. India's National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (2024) aligns with the Kunming-Montreal 30x30 target. Trap: item 4 is a lifestyle choice dressed up as a threat.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Three of the following criteria have contributed to the recognition of Western Ghats-Sri Lanka and Indo-Burma regions as hotspots of biodiversity :
- 1. Species richness
- 2. Vegetation density
- 3. Endemism
- 4. Ethno-botanical importance
- 5. Threat perception
- 6. Adaptation of flora and fauna to warm and humid conditions
Which three of the above are correct criteria in this context ?
Answer (c) & explanation
Criteria 1, 3 and 5 are correct (c). A biodiversity hotspot, a concept from Norman Myers (1988) later adopted by Conservation International, must meet two strict tests: it must have at least 1,500 endemic vascular plant species (endemism), and it must have lost at least 70% of its original habitat (threat). Such places also have high species richness. So 1, 3 and 5 are the criteria. Vegetation density (2), ethno-botanical importance (4) and adaptation to warm humid conditions (6) are not hotspot criteria, so options (a), (b) and (d) fail.
Notice the numbers: there are 36 hotspots worldwide, covering about 2.5% of land but holding over half of plant species as endemics. India has parts of four: the Himalaya, Indo-Burma, Western Ghats-Sri Lanka and Sundaland (Nicobar Islands). Trap: dense forest alone does not make a hotspot.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
The Himalayan Range is very rich in species diversity. Which one among the following is the most appropriate reason for this phenomenon ?
Answer (b) & explanation
The answer is (b). The Himalaya is rich in species because it is a meeting point of different biogeographic realms: the Palaearctic (Eurasian) to the north, the Indo-Malayan (Oriental) to the east and south, and elements from the Ethiopian (African) realm in the west. Its great altitudinal range, from tropical foothills to alpine zones, packs many habitats into a short distance. Option (a) is wrong because rainfall varies widely, from wet east to dry west and the cold desert of Ladakh. Option (c) is wrong because invasive species, such as Lantana, have spread there. Option (d) is wrong because human pressure is heavy.
Notice the classification: India's Biogeographic Zones (Rodgers and Panwar) number 10, and the Himalaya and Trans-Himalaya are two of them. The Himalaya is part of a global biodiversity hotspot. The eastern Himalaya is richer than the western. Trap: rainfall is not the main reason.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
A sandy and saline area is the natural habitat of an Indian animal species. The animal has no predators in that area but its existence is threatened due to the destruction of its habitat. Which one of the following could be that animal ?
Answer (b) & explanation
Indian wild ass is correct (b). The khur lives only in the Little Rann of Kutch, Gujarat, a flat, saline and sandy desert, protected in the Wild Ass Sanctuary (1972). Adults have almost no natural predators there, but salt pans, livestock grazing and the invasive Prosopis juliflora shrub eat into its habitat. (a) is wrong: the wild buffalo lives in wet grasslands of Assam and Chhattisgarh. (c) is wrong: the wild boar is widespread and has many predators. (d) is wrong: the chinkara (Indian gazelle) lives in Thar scrub and is hunted by wolves and dogs.
Notice the trend: the 2024 census counted about 7,670 wild asses, up from a few hundred in the 1960s. Trap: 'saline' points straight to the Rann.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Biodiversity forms the basis for human existence in the following ways :
- 1. Soil formation
- 2. Prevention of soil erosion
- 3. Recycling of waste
- 4. Pollination of crops
Select the correct answer using the codes given below :
Answer (d) & explanation
All four are correct (d). Biodiversity supports human life through ecosystem services. Microbes, fungi and earthworms break down rock and litter to form soil (1). Roots and plant cover hold soil against wind and water erosion (2). Decomposers recycle wastes and return nutrients to the soil (3). Bees, butterflies, birds and bats pollinate crops (4). So options (a), (b) and (c) leave out real services.
Notice the wider frame: the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment groups services as provisioning, regulating, supporting and cultural. Soil formation and nutrient cycling are supporting services; pollination and erosion control are regulating ones. The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (2022) aims to protect 30% of land and sea by 2030.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
The “Red Data Books” published by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) contain lists of
- 1. Endemic plant and animal species present in the biodiversity hotspots.
- 2. Threatened plant and animal species.
- 3. Protected sites for conservation of nature and natural resources in various countries.
Select the correct answer using the codes given below :
Answer (b) & explanation
Statement 2 only is correct (b). The Red Data Book, now the IUCN Red List, records species at risk of extinction, sorted into categories: Critically Endangered, Endangered and Vulnerable (together 'threatened'), plus Near Threatened, Least Concern, Extinct in the Wild and Extinct. Statement 1 is wrong: it does not list endemic species of hotspots as such; endemics appear only if they are assessed for risk. Statement 3 is wrong: protected sites are listed in the World Database on Protected Areas, not the Red List. So (a), (c) and (d) fail.
Notice the colour code: the old books used pink pages for critically endangered species and green pages for those once endangered but now safe. Trap: hotspots and protected areas are different conservation lists.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Consider the following statements :
- 1. Biodiversity is normally greater in the lower latitudes as compared to the higher latitudes.
- 2. Along the mountain gradients, biodiversity is normally greater in the lower altitudes as compared to the higher altitudes.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?
Answer (c) & explanation
Both statements are correct (c). Species are richest in the tropics and fall towards the poles (1). Reasons include more warmth and sunlight, high productivity, and a long, stable history without glaciation, giving more time for species to evolve. Climbing a mountain is like moving towards the poles: it gets colder and harsher, so diversity generally falls with altitude (2). So (a), (b) and (d) fail.
Notice the examples: the Amazon holds the most species of any region, and India's Western Ghats and Eastern Himalaya are biodiversity hotspots. Some groups peak at mid-elevations in mountains, but the general rule holds. Trap: both are textbook gradients, so do not look for an exception.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.