Environment MCQs for UPSC Prelims

Q1. How many elephant corridors have been identified in India, and across how many States do they extend?

  • A. 32 corridors across 15 States
  • B. 33 corridors across 14 States
  • C. 150 corridors across 18 States
  • D. 150 corridors across 15 States

Q2. Approximately what proportion of India's estimated 3,682 tigers inhabits areas outside notified tiger reserves?

  • A. About 15%
  • B. About 30%
  • C. About 45%
  • D. About 55%

Q3. How many laureates were named by the United Nations Environment Programme as Champions of the Earth in 2025?

  • A. Three
  • B. Four
  • C. Five
  • D. Seven

Q4. Of the 667 tiger deaths recorded in India between 2021 and 2025, how many occurred outside tiger reserves?

  • A. 326
  • B. 341
  • C. 634
  • D. 182

Q5. Approval of an area expansion of about 1,100 sq km in 2025 made which one of the following India's second largest tiger reserve?

  • A. Manas Tiger Reserve, Assam
  • B. Namdapha Tiger Reserve, Arunachal Pradesh
  • C. Nagarjunsagar-Srisailam Tiger Reserve, Andhra Pradesh
  • D. Sundarbans Tiger Reserve, West Bengal

Q6. The All India Tiger Estimation of 2022 covered how many States of India?

  • A. 17
  • B. 18
  • C. 20
  • D. 23

Q7. The mandate of the National Tiger Conservation Authority to provide for periodic evaluation and assessment of the status of tigers, co-predators, prey and habitat flows from which one of the following?

  • A. Section 38-O of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972
  • B. Section 38-V of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972
  • C. Section 5A of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972
  • D. Section 36A of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972

Q8. Which one of the following bodies operationalises the 'Management of Tigers Outside Tiger Reserves' initiative in India?

  • A. The Wildlife Crime Control Bureau, a statutory body under the same Union Ministry
  • B. The National Tiger Conservation Authority, a statutory body under the same Ministry
  • C. The Wildlife Institute of India, an autonomous institute under the same Union Ministry
  • D. The National Board for Wildlife, an apex advisory body chaired by the Prime Minister

Q9. The National Tiger Conservation Authority's 'Management of Tigers Outside Tiger Reserves' initiative is built primarily around which one of the following as its principal unit of planning and intervention?

  • A. Critical tiger habitats notified as core areas of tiger reserves under the parent Act
  • B. Eco-sensitive zones notified around protected area boundaries under environmental law
  • C. Territorial forest divisions lying outside notified tiger reserve boundaries
  • D. Conservation reserves declared by State governments over government-owned land

Q10. Which one of the following is the sole Indian property inscribed on the World Heritage List under the mixed category, recognised for both cultural and natural values?

  • A. Western Ghats, a serial property of the southern peninsula
  • B. Khangchendzonga National Park, in the State of Sikkim
  • C. Sundarbans National Park, in the Ganges delta
  • D. Great Himalayan National Park Conservation Area, Himachal Pradesh

Q11. Consider the following statements comparing the Great Indian Bustard with other bustard species of India: 1. Like the Great Indian Bustard, both the Lesser Florican and the Bengal Florican are listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List. 2. The Lesser Florican and the Bengal Florican belong to the bustard family, as does the Great Indian Bustard. 3. Project Bustard, launched in 2012, covered only the Great Indian Bustard and not the two florican species. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. Like the Great Indian Bustard, both the Lesser Florican and the Bengal Florican are listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List.
  2. The Lesser Florican and the Bengal Florican belong to the bustard family, as does the Great Indian Bustard.
  3. Project Bustard, launched in 2012, covered only the Great Indian Bustard and not the two florican species.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 1 and 3 only
  • C. 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q12. Being listed under Schedule I of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 implies which one of the following for the Great Indian Bustard?

  • A. It may be hunted only under a special licence issued by the State government
  • B. It is protected only within notified national parks and sanctuaries
  • C. It is accorded the highest degree of legal protection with the most stringent penalties for offences
  • D. It is protected for a fixed period after which the listing is reviewed

Q13. Consider the following statements about the threats to and conservation of the Great Indian Bustard: 1. Collisions with overhead power lines are a leading cause of GIB mortality. 2. Habitat loss to agriculture and industry has contributed to the population decline. 3. The Supreme Court (2024) ordered that every power line throughout India be laid underground without exception. 4. Hunting was historically among the factors behind the population crash. Which of the statements given above are correctly identified?

  1. Collisions with overhead power lines are a leading cause of GIB mortality.
  2. Habitat loss to agriculture and industry has contributed to the population decline.
  3. The Supreme Court (2024) ordered that every power line throughout India be laid underground without exception.
  4. Hunting was historically among the factors behind the population crash.
  • A. 1, 2 and 3
  • B. 1, 2 and 4
  • C. 2, 3 and 4
  • D. 1, 2, 3 and 4

Q14. In the context of protecting the Great Indian Bustard from power lines, 'bird diverters' (such as firefly diverters) refer to which one of the following?

  • A. Underground cables that remove the risk of collision altogether
  • B. Trained personnel who steer flocks away from transmission corridors
  • C. Sensors that shut down wind-turbine blades when birds approach
  • D. Reflective devices fixed on overhead power lines to make them visible to birds in flight

Q15. Consider the following statements about the Great Indian Bustard rewilding tunnel milestone: 1. The rewilding tunnel was built at a cost of about ₹9.25 crore. 2. Three captive-bred chicks were placed in the tunnel for the first time. 3. The chicks are to remain in the tunnel for about four months under CCTV surveillance. 4. After the tunnel phase, the chicks are to be shifted to Gir National Park for release. Which of the statements given above is/are NOT correct?

  1. The rewilding tunnel was built at a cost of about ₹9.25 crore.
  2. Three captive-bred chicks were placed in the tunnel for the first time.
  3. The chicks are to remain in the tunnel for about four months under CCTV surveillance.
  4. After the tunnel phase, the chicks are to be shifted to Gir National Park for release.
  • A. 1 and 4
  • B. 2 only
  • C. 3 and 4
  • D. 4 only

Q16. In the context of the Great Indian Bustard rewilding programme, the 'soft-release' approach refers to which one of the following?

  • A. Releasing captive-bred birds directly into the wild soon after hatching
  • B. Rearing birds permanently in captivity and releasing only their offspring into the wild
  • C. Acclimatising captive-bred birds to natural conditions with minimal human contact before final release
  • D. Releasing only a few birds each year so that the habitat is not overwhelmed

Q17. The conservation breeding facility for the Great Indian Bustard set up inside Desert National Park in 2019 was established jointly by the Rajasthan government, the Wildlife Institute of India and which one of the following Union ministries?

  • A. Ministry of Earth Sciences
  • B. Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change
  • C. Ministry of Science and Technology
  • D. Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare

Q18. Consider the following statements comparing the Great Indian Bustard conservation centres in Rajasthan: 1. The Godawan Conservation Centre is located at Ramdevra in Jaisalmer district. 2. Ramdevra holds a larger share of the captive GIB population than the Sam centre. 3. The rewilding tunnel for soft-release was constructed at the Sudasari centre rather than at Ramdevra. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. The Godawan Conservation Centre is located at Ramdevra in Jaisalmer district.
  2. Ramdevra holds a larger share of the captive GIB population than the Sam centre.
  3. The rewilding tunnel for soft-release was constructed at the Sudasari centre rather than at Ramdevra.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 2 and 3 only
  • C. 1 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q19. Desert National Park, a principal habitat of the Great Indian Bustard, extends over an area closest to which one of the following?

  • A. 740 sq km
  • B. 14,013 sq km
  • C. 3,162 sq km
  • D. 1,412 sq km

Q20. Consider the following statements regarding the distribution of the Great Indian Bustard: 1. It occurs in the states of Rajasthan and Gujarat. 2. Besides Rajasthan and Gujarat, small populations occur in Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. 3. The species is found exclusively within India and occurs in no other country. 4. Desert National Park lies in the Jaisalmer and Barmer districts of Rajasthan. Which of the statements given above is/are NOT correct?

  1. It occurs in the states of Rajasthan and Gujarat.
  2. Besides Rajasthan and Gujarat, small populations occur in Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.
  3. The species is found exclusively within India and occurs in no other country.
  4. Desert National Park lies in the Jaisalmer and Barmer districts of Rajasthan.
  • A. 1 and 3
  • B. 2 and 4
  • C. 3 and 4
  • D. 3 only

Q21. As per recent estimates, the surviving global wild population of the Great Indian Bustard is closest to which one of the following?

  • A. Around 500 individuals
  • B. Fewer than 150 individuals
  • C. Around 1,000 individuals
  • D. Around 2,500 individuals

Q22. Consider the following statements about the Great Indian Bustard: 1. It is the State bird of Rajasthan. 2. Its scientific name is Ardeotis nigriceps. 3. It is classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List. 4. It is predominantly a grassland and desert-dwelling species. Which of the statements given above are correctly identified?

  1. It is the State bird of Rajasthan.
  2. Its scientific name is Ardeotis nigriceps.
  3. It is classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List.
  4. It is predominantly a grassland and desert-dwelling species.
  • A. 1, 2 and 3
  • B. 2, 3 and 4
  • C. 1, 2 and 4
  • D. 1, 2, 3 and 4

Q23. With reference to the Manual for Drought Management in India, consider the following statements: 1. The Manual for Drought Management, 2016 was issued by the Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare. 2. The 2016 Manual superseded the earlier drought management manual of 2009. 3. Under the 2016 Manual, States affected by moderate as well as severe drought are eligible to seek Central assistance. 4. The Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) is among the rainfall-related indicators used to trigger drought assessment. Which of the above is/are correctly identified?

  1. The Manual for Drought Management, 2016 was issued by the Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare.
  2. The 2016 Manual superseded the earlier drought management manual of 2009.
  3. Under the 2016 Manual, States affected by moderate as well as severe drought are eligible to seek Central assistance.
  4. The Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) is among the rainfall-related indicators used to trigger drought assessment.
  • A. 1 and 3 only
  • B. 1, 2 and 4 only
  • C. 2, 3 and 4 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3 only

Q24. Roughly what share of the increase in global paddy greenhouse-gas emissions does the study attribute to the loss of soil organic carbon (driven by continuous irrigation and residue incorporation)?

  • A. About one-quarter
  • B. About one-half
  • C. About two-thirds
  • D. About three-quarters

Q25. Which of the following practices is/are correctly identified as a method for reducing methane emissions from rice paddies?

  1. Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD) — periodically draining the field below the soil surface before re-flooding.
  2. System of Rice Intensification (SRI) — raising rice with reduced standing water and wider spacing.
  3. Direct-Seeded Rice (DSR) — sowing seed directly into the field instead of transplanting into standing water.
  4. Maintaining continuous deep flooding of the field throughout the entire growing season.
  • A. 1, 2 and 3
  • B. 1 and 4
  • C. 2, 3 and 4
  • D. 1, 2, 3 and 4

Q26. According to the 2025 satellite-based Global Rice Paddy Inventory, which country was the world's single largest emitter of methane from rice cultivation in 2022?

  • A. India
  • B. China
  • C. Indonesia
  • D. Vietnam

Q27. The National Innovations in Climate Resilient Agriculture (NICRA), which develops adaptation and mitigation technologies for climate-vulnerable rice regions such as the Eastern Gangetic Plains, is implemented primarily by:

  • A. The Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), Pusa
  • B. The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD)
  • C. The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR)
  • D. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), India office

Q28. In a flooded rice paddy, methanotrophic bacteria are best described as organisms that:

  • A. Produce methane exclusively from acetic acid under anaerobic conditions
  • B. Oxidise methane, thereby reducing the amount released to the atmosphere
  • C. Fix atmospheric nitrogen in the root nodules of all rice plants
  • D. Decompose all soil organic carbon into carbon dioxide only

Q29. In the context of this study, the term 'paddy' is best understood as:

  • A. A drought-tolerant upland variety of rice grown without any standing water
  • B. Rice grain from which the husk has been removed by milling
  • C. A field in which rice is grown under flooded, waterlogged conditions
  • D. The straw residue left in the field after the rice crop is harvested

Q30. The nodal Union agency responsible for compiling India's National Greenhouse Gas Inventory and submitting its Biennial Update Reports to the UNFCCC is:

  • A. The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change
  • B. The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare
  • C. The Ministry of Earth Sciences
  • D. The Ministry of Science and Technology