UPSC Prelims 2016 · GS Paper I
Question 53: Environment and Ecology
With reference to ‘Red Sanders’, sometimes seen in the news, consider the following statements :
- 1.It is a tree species found in a part of South India.
- 2.It is one of the most important trees in the tropical rain forest areas of South India.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
AnswerUPSC’s answer is (a).
Red sanders (Pterocarpus santalinus) is endemic to a limited area of South India, chiefly the Eastern Ghats of Andhra Pradesh, where it grows in dry deciduous forest. Its valuable wood makes it a target of smuggling, which is why it is often in the news. It is not a major tree of the tropical rain forests of South India, so statement 2 is wrong.
- 1. It is found in a limited part of South India, mainly the Eastern Ghats of Andhra Pradesh.
- 2. It belongs to dry deciduous forest, not the tropical rain forests.
How you could have got this
- If you were sure statement 1 is correct, (b) and (d) go: each of them leaves 1 out.
What you needed to know: It is found in a limited part of South India, mainly the Eastern Ghats of Andhra Pradesh.
- Then, if you were sure statement 2 is not correct, (c) goes: it includes 2.
What you needed to know: It belongs to dry deciduous forest, not the tropical rain forests.
Only (a) is left. This one needs every statement.
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) Right: it is a tree of a part of South India, but not of the rain forests.
- (b) Statement 2 is wrong: it is not a rain forest tree.
- (c) Statement 2 is wrong, so 'both' fails.
- (d) Statement 1 is correct, so 'neither' fails.
Answer: UPSC’s key. Explanation: written by UPSC Grade, not by UPSC.
Source: UPSC, Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination 2016, General Studies Paper I, Series A. The paper on upsc.gov.in.