UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — A winter getaway in Assam’s wetlands

Q1. With reference to Deepor Beel and Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary, consider the following statements: Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1. Deepor Beel is Assam's only Ramsar-designated wetland, whereas Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary is not listed under the Ramsar Convention.
2. Both Deepor Beel and Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary are situated in the Kamrup district of Assam.
3. Pobitora was originally notified primarily as a habitat for the Indian one-horned rhinoceros, whereas Deepor Beel also serves as the principal storm-water storage basin for the city of Guwahati.

• A. 1 only
• B. 1 and 3 only
• C. 2 and 3 only
• D. 1, 2 and 3

Q2. In the context of Assam's wetland ecology, the term 'beel' most precisely refers to which one of the following?

• A. An ox-bow lake or floodplain wetland formed by a former channel of a river such as the Brahmaputra
• B. A tidal mangrove creek along the Bay of Bengal coast
• C. A salt-pan depression in a semi-arid alluvial plain
• D. A high-altitude glacial tarn of the Eastern Himalaya

Q3. Consider the following bird species reported as winter visitors at Assam's wetlands. Which of the above are correctly identified as winter migrants (i.e., not resident breeders) to Indian wetlands?

1. Bar-headed Goose
2. Northern Pintail
3. Black-necked Stork
4. Greylag Goose

• A. 1 and 4 only
• B. 2 and 3 only
• C. 1, 2 and 4 only
• D. 1, 2, 3 and 4

Q4. Which one of the following is the only wetland in the State of Assam designated as a Ramsar Site of International Importance (as on January 2026)?

• A. Son Beel
• B. Deepor Beel
• C. Urpad Beel
• D. Chandubi Beel