Map Based GK — Set 4

Correct Answer: A. Madhya Pradesh

• **Madhya Pradesh** = is mapped as the 'Tiger State' with the highest number of tigers (2022 census), home to Kanha, Pench, and Bandhavgarh tiger reserves. • **2022 tiger census** — Madhya Pradesh was confirmed as India's tiger state with the most individual tigers, reclaiming this status from Karnataka. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Uttarakhand: has Jim Corbett, a significant tiger reserve; Karnataka: ranked second in tiger count in the 2022 census; Maharashtra: has Tadoba-Andhari and other reserves but ranks lower.

Correct Answer: C. Rajasthan

• **Rajasthan** = location of Sariska Tiger Reserve in Alwar district, famous as the first tiger reserve in the world to successfully relocate tigers from Ranthambore. • **First tiger relocation globally** — Sariska's tiger relocation programme is a landmark conservation achievement, distinguishing it from other Indian reserves. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Madhya Pradesh: has Kanha, Pench, Bandhavgarh; Uttar Pradesh: has Dudhwa Tiger Reserve; Gujarat: has Gir for Asiatic lions, no tiger reserve.

Correct Answer: A. Keoladeo Ghana

• **Keoladeo Ghana National Park** = formerly Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary, located in Rajasthan, a man-made wetland and UNESCO World Heritage site for migratory waterfowl. • **UNESCO World Heritage** — Keoladeo is recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage site and is a major wintering ground for birds from Central Asia and Siberia. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Vedanthangal: famous bird sanctuary in Tamil Nadu; Sultanpur: bird sanctuary in Haryana's Gurugram district; Chilika: famous lagoon in Odisha, not in Rajasthan.

Correct Answer: A. Uttarakhand

• **Uttarakhand** = location of Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve in the Garhwal Himalayas, surrounding Nanda Devi peak (7,816 m), India's second highest mountain. • **Core = Nanda Devi National Park** — the core area of this biosphere reserve is the Nanda Devi National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Himachal Pradesh: has Great Himalayan NP and Cold Desert BR; Arunachal Pradesh: has Dihang-Dibang BR; Sikkim: has Khangchendzonga BR.

Correct Answer: B. Jammu and Kashmir

• **Jammu and Kashmir** = contains Dachigam National Park, approximately 22 km from Srinagar, globally famous for protecting the endangered Hangul (Kashmir Stag). • **22 km from Srinagar** — this proximity to Srinagar is a key geographical marker for Dachigam's map location in the Kashmir Valley. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Sikkim: has Kanchendzonga NP; Himachal Pradesh: has Great Himalayan and Kibber wildlife areas; Uttarakhand: has Corbett, Valley of Flowers, and Nanda Devi.

Correct Answer: B. Chhattisgarh

• **Chhattisgarh** = location of Indravati National Park in Bijapur district, named after the Indravati River, one of three tiger reserves in the state. • **Wild Buffalo** — Indravati is especially known for the rare wild buffalo (Indian bison/gaur), its flagship species, making it distinct among Chhattisgarh's parks. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Maharashtra: has Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve; Jharkhand: has Betla National Park; Odisha: has Similipal and Bhitarkanika.

Correct Answer: B. Kerala

• **Kerala** = hosts Silent Valley National Park in the Nilgiri Hills, Palakkad district, one of the few remaining rainforest patches in the Western Ghats. • **Saved from a dam project** — Silent Valley was famously protected from a hydroelectric project in the 1980s, a landmark moment in India's environmental activism history. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Tamil Nadu: has Mudumalai and Anamalai Tiger Reserve; Andhra Pradesh: has Nagarjunasagar-Srisailam TR; Karnataka: has Bandipur and Nagarhole.

Correct Answer: D. Nilgiri

• **Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve** = the larger biosphere reserve that includes Mudumalai National Park in Tamil Nadu, sharing borders with Bandipur and Wayanad. • **Bandipur-Wayanad-Mudumalai triangle** — this tri-state protected area corridor maps as one of India's most important wildlife corridors for tigers and elephants. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Seshachalam: in Andhra Pradesh's Eastern Ghats; Agasthyamala: at the southern tip of Western Ghats shared by Kerala and Tamil Nadu; Gulf of Mannar: a marine biosphere reserve off Tamil Nadu's coast.

Correct Answer: B. Madhya Pradesh

• **Madhya Pradesh** = location of Bandhavgarh National Park in Umaria district, known for one of the highest tiger densities in India. • **Bandhavgarh Fort** — the historic fort sitting on the central hill within the park is a distinctive map landmark that identifies Bandhavgarh's location. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Uttar Pradesh: has Dudhwa Tiger Reserve; Maharashtra: has Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve; Rajasthan: has Ranthambore and Sariska.

Correct Answer: C. Jim Corbett National Park

• **Jim Corbett National Park** = the oldest national park in India, established in 1936 as Hailey National Park in Uttarakhand, later renamed after naturalist Jim Corbett. • **First Project Tiger reserve, 1973** — Corbett was also the first park to come under Project Tiger initiative in 1973, adding to its historical significance. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Kanha National Park: established in 1955, not 1936; Kaziranga National Park: declared in 1974, much later; Gir National Park: first established as a sanctuary in 1965, declared national park in 1975.