UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — 10-km mining buffer applies to all wetland reserves: SC
Q1. Under the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972, a 'Conservation Reserve' is best described as which one of the following?
- A. A Government-owned area, typically adjacent to a national park or sanctuary or linking one protected area with another, declared for protecting landscape, flora, fauna and their habitat
- B. A private or community-owned area declared for protecting fauna, flora and traditional conservation values, where residents volunteer to conserve wildlife and their habitat
- C. An area of adequate ecological significance notified by the Central Government in which regulated hunting is permitted and existing settlement rights of residents survive intact
- D. A one-kilometre wide belt notified around every sanctuary and national park in which commercial mining and polluting industries stand prohibited
Q2. An area is declared a Conservation Reserve under the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 by which one of the following?
- A. The State Government, by notification, after having consultations with the local communities concerned
- B. The Central Government, by notification, on the recommendation of the National Board for Wild Life
- C. The Chief Wild Life Warden, by order, with the prior concurrence of the State Board for Wild Life
- D. The National Biodiversity Authority, by notification, on a proposal of the Biodiversity Management Committee
Q3. With reference to the Asan Conservation Reserve, consider the following:
1. It lies at Dakpathar, at the confluence of the Asan and Yamuna rivers, in Uttarakhand.
2. It was designated a Ramsar site in July 2020, becoming the first Ramsar site of its State.
3. A Survey of India report flagged 43 mining leases operating within its notified 10-km buffer.
4. Its designation as a Ramsar site automatically conferred on it the status of a National Park under the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972.
Which of the above is/are correctly identified?
- It lies at Dakpathar, at the confluence of the Asan and Yamuna rivers, in Uttarakhand.
- It was designated a Ramsar site in July 2020, becoming the first Ramsar site of its State.
- A Survey of India report flagged 43 mining leases operating within its notified 10-km buffer.
- Its designation as a Ramsar site automatically conferred on it the status of a National Park under the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972.
- A. 1, 2 and 3 only
- B. 2 and 4 only
- C. 1 and 3 only
- D. 3 and 4 only
Q4. The Asan Conservation Reserve, Uttarakhand's Ramsar site, extends over an area of approximately how many hectares?
- A. 444 hectares
- B. 1,444 hectares
- C. 4,444 hectares
- D. 144 hectares
Q5. Ahead of World Wetlands Day 2026, the Union Environment Ministry announced that the total number of Ramsar sites in India had risen to which one of the following figures?
Q6. Consider the following statements regarding the Ramsar Convention and India's wetlands:
1. The Convention was adopted in 1971 at Ramsar, a town on the Caspian Sea coast of Iran, and entered into force in 1975.
2. Wetlands are designated under nine criteria, the first covering representative, rare or unique wetland types and the remaining eight relating to conservation of biological diversity.
3. Among Indian States, Tamil Nadu accounts for the largest number of Ramsar sites, followed by Uttar Pradesh.
4. The Montreux Record is the register of Ramsar sites that have been delisted from the List of Wetlands of International Importance following successful ecological restoration.
Which of the above is/are NOT correct?
- The Convention was adopted in 1971 at Ramsar, a town on the Caspian Sea coast of Iran, and entered into force in 1975.
- Wetlands are designated under nine criteria, the first covering representative, rare or unique wetland types and the remaining eight relating to conservation of biological diversity.
- Among Indian States, Tamil Nadu accounts for the largest number of Ramsar sites, followed by Uttar Pradesh.
- The Montreux Record is the register of Ramsar sites that have been delisted from the List of Wetlands of International Importance following successful ecological restoration.
- A. 4 only
- B. 2 and 4 only
- C. 1 and 3 only
- D. 3 and 4 only
Q7. Who is the ex-officio Chairperson of the National Board for Wild Life?
- A. The Prime Minister of India
- B. The Union Minister in charge of Environment, Forest and Climate Change
- C. The Director-General of Forests and Special Secretary, MoEFCC
- D. The Chairperson of the National Tiger Conservation Authority
Q8. The National Board for Wild Life is constituted by the Central Government under which one of the following provisions?
- A. Section 5A of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972
- B. Section 36A of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972
- C. Section 38L of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972
- D. Section 3 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986
Q9. The '10-km mining buffer', which the Supreme Court in August 2026 clarified would apply uniformly to wetland and community conservation reserves across India, presently means which one of the following?
- A. Mining within 10 km of such a reserve may proceed only with the prior permission of the Standing Committee of the NBWL and the MoEFCC
- B. Mining within 10 km of such a reserve is absolutely banned, no clearance or exemption route of any kind being available to a project proponent
- C. Mining within 10 km of such a reserve is barred only where the reserve lies in a Himalayan State, other States following the one-kilometre norm
- D. Every such reserve must have an Eco-Sensitive Zone of 10 km notified around it under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, before mining is considered
Q10. In extending the Asan directions to all States in August 2026, the Supreme Court indicated that a State could be relieved of their application only on the strength of which one of the following?
- A. A finding by an expert committee that the category of reserve concerned does not exist in that State
- B. A resolution of the State Legislative Assembly asserting the State's exclusive competence over minor minerals within its territory
- C. A notification by the MoEFCC exempting the State from the restriction on the recommendation of its State Board for Wild Life
- D. A certificate from the State Pollution Control Board that mining in the State causes no permanent damage to any wetland
Q11. Consider the following statements comparing successive judicial orders on mining around the Asan wetland:
1. In 2015 the Uttarakhand High Court imposed an absolute prohibition on mining within a 10-km radius of the wetland.
2. In February 2024 the Supreme Court relaxed that position by permitting mining within the same radius subject to prior permission of the NBWL Standing Committee and the MoEFCC.
3. The Supreme Court's 2024 order achieved this relaxation by shrinking the regulated radius from 10 km to 1 km, aligning it with the eco-sensitive zone norm for national parks.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- In 2015 the Uttarakhand High Court imposed an absolute prohibition on mining within a 10-km radius of the wetland.
- In February 2024 the Supreme Court relaxed that position by permitting mining within the same radius subject to prior permission of the NBWL Standing Committee and the MoEFCC.
- The Supreme Court's 2024 order achieved this relaxation by shrinking the regulated radius from 10 km to 1 km, aligning it with the eco-sensitive zone norm for national parks.
- A. 1 only
- B. 1 and 2 only
- C. 2 and 3 only
- D. 1, 2 and 3
Q12. An Eco-Sensitive Zone around a national park or wildlife sanctuary is brought into legal effect through a final notification issued by which one of the following?
- A. The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, acting under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986
- B. The National Board for Wild Life, acting under the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972
- C. The Ministry of Mines, acting under the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957
- D. The National Green Tribunal, acting under the National Green Tribunal Act, 2010