UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — How Attenborough’s imagery hid a history of colonial harm

Q1. Consider the following statements comparing the 'fortress conservation' model with community-based conservation. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. Fortress conservation seeks to protect biodiversity by isolating ecosystems from human presence, whereas community-based conservation involves resident communities in managing resources.
  2. The fortress model originated with the creation of protected areas such as Yosemite and Yellowstone in the United States in the late 19th century.
  3. Under the fortress model, every protected area in the world today continues to forcibly evict all its resident communities without exception.
  • A. 1 only
  • B. 1 and 2 only
  • C. 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q2. With reference to the origins and spread of the fortress conservation model, consider the following statements. Which of the statements given above is/are NOT correct?

  1. The Shoshone were among the communities removed from Yellowstone National Park.
  2. The Miwok were displaced from Yosemite National Park.
  3. Pastoralist and indigenous communities in East Africa have faced conservation-linked evictions from protected areas.
  4. The fortress conservation model first emerged in colonial Africa and was only later exported to North America.
  • A. 1 and 2
  • B. 2 and 3
  • C. 4 only
  • D. 3 and 4

Q3. Consider the following statements comparing the Indian Forest Act, 1927 with the Forest Rights Act, 2006. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. The Indian Forest Act, 1927 rested on the commercial value of forests and the authority of forest officers, whereas the Forest Rights Act, 2006 rests on the traditional rights of forest-dwelling communities.
  2. Under the Indian Forest Act, 1927, villagers could be barred from entry into and resource collection in reserved forests.
  3. The Forest Rights Act, 2006 repealed the Indian Forest Act, 1927.
  • A. 1 only
  • B. 1 and 2 only
  • C. 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q4. How many broad categories of rights are recognised for forest-dwelling communities under the Forest Rights Act, 2006 (individual, community, community forest resource, and habitat rights)?

  • A. Two
  • B. Three
  • C. Four
  • D. Five

Q5. The Africa Protected Areas Congress that culminated in the Kigali Call to Action (2022) was convened by which one of the following organisations?

  • A. United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
  • B. International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)
  • C. World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF)
  • D. UNESCO

Q6. In the critique of colonial conservation voiced at the 2022 Africa Protected Areas Congress, the term 'fortress conservation' is best defined as:

  • A. A model that protects biodiversity by excluding and evicting resident and indigenous communities from protected areas
  • B. A model that fortifies parks with military technology purely to deter poachers, while keeping resident communities in place
  • C. A model of community-managed conservation where indigenous peoples hold legal title to protected areas
  • D. A financing model that channels protected-area revenues directly to displaced communities

Q7. Which one of the following was the first television series (1954) that launched David Attenborough's on-screen natural-history career?

  • A. Life on Earth
  • B. The Living Planet
  • C. Zoo Quest
  • D. The Trials of Life

Q8. With reference to David Attenborough's landmark 'Life' series of documentaries, consider the following titles. Which of the above is/are correctly identified as part of the 'Life' series?

  1. Life on Earth (1979)
  2. The Living Planet (1984)
  3. The Trials of Life (1990)
  4. Ocean (2025)
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 1, 2 and 3 only
  • C. 2, 3 and 4 only
  • D. 1, 2, 3 and 4

Q9. With reference to David Attenborough's documentary Ocean, consider the following statements. Which of the statements given above is/are NOT correct?

  1. Ocean was released in 2025.
  2. The film focuses on the state of the world's oceans and threats such as destructive industrial fishing.
  3. The film frames the ocean as capable of recovery if pressures are eased.
  4. Ocean was released to mark David Attenborough's 100th birthday.
  • A. 1 and 2
  • B. 3 only
  • C. 4 only
  • D. 2 and 4

Q10. David Attenborough, born on 8 May 1926, completed 100 years of age in which year?

  • A. 2024
  • B. 2025
  • C. 2026
  • D. 2027

Q11. Which statutory body, established under the Biological Diversity Act, 2002, functions as India's apex body advising on conservation, sustainable use and access-and-benefit-sharing under the Convention on Biological Diversity?

  • A. National Green Tribunal
  • B. National Biodiversity Authority
  • C. Wildlife Institute of India
  • D. Central Zoo Authority