UPSC Prelims 2011 · GS Paper I
Question 79: Environment and Ecology
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 :
AnswerThe answer is (b).
The IUCN Red Data Books, now the Red List, list species at risk of extinction, graded as extinct, critically endangered, endangered, vulnerable and so on, covering plants and animals. They are lists of threatened species. They are not lists of endemic species in hotspots, and not lists of protected sites in various countries, which are recorded elsewhere. So only statement 2 is correct.
- 1. They are not lists of endemic species in hotspots.
- 2. They list threatened plant and animal species.
- 3. They are not lists of protected sites.
How you could have got this
- If you were sure statement 3 is not correct, (a), (c) and (d) go: each of them includes 3.
What you needed to know: They are not lists of protected sites.
Only (b) is left. You didn’t need statements 1 or 2.
This follows an unofficial answer: UPSC has not published its key for this year, and if that answer is wrong, so is this path.
Which options go is worked out from UPSC’s key and the options, not by a model.
Why each option is right or wrong
- (a) Includes statements 1 and 3, which describe other kinds of lists.
- (b) Right: threatened plant and animal species.
- (c) Includes statement 3, which describes lists of protected sites, not threatened species.
- (d) Lists of protected sites are not what the Red Data Books contain.
Explanation: written by UPSC Grade, not by UPSC.
Source: UPSC, Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination 2011, General Studies Paper I, Series A. The paper on upsc.gov.in.