UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — CAMPA clears conservation projects for river dolphins, three other species
Q1. With reference to the fund architecture created by the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Act, 2016, consider the following statements:
1. Of the amounts realised from user agencies, 90% is credited to the State Funds and 10% to the National Fund.
2. Net Present Value (NPV) is levied to compensate for the loss of ecosystem services from the diverted forest land, and its determination is entrusted to an expert committee constituted by the central government.
3. The National CAMPA Authority functions under the administrative control of the Ministry of Jal Shakti.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- Of the amounts realised from user agencies, 90% is credited to the State Funds and 10% to the National Fund.
- Net Present Value (NPV) is levied to compensate for the loss of ecosystem services from the diverted forest land, and its determination is entrusted to an expert committee constituted by the central government.
- The National CAMPA Authority functions under the administrative control of the Ministry of Jal Shakti.
- A. 1 only
- B. 1 and 2 only
- C. 2 and 3 only
- D. 1, 2 and 3
Q2. The Governing Body of National CAMPA, which at its 7th meeting in Coimbatore cleared four species-specific conservation projects, is chaired by which one of the following?
- A. The Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change
- B. The Prime Minister of India
- C. The Cabinet Secretary
- D. The Union Minister of Jal Shakti
Q3. At the 7th meeting of the Governing Body of National CAMPA held at Coimbatore, how many species-specific conservation projects were cleared?
- A. Three
- B. Four
- C. Five
- D. Six
Q4. The 'sacred groves' (Aastha Vans) targeted by the newly approved Aastha Van Sanrakshan Yojana are best described as which one of the following?
- A. Patches of natural vegetation traditionally protected by local communities on religious or cultural grounds
- B. Government-notified reserved forests managed exclusively by the Forest Department for timber
- C. Urban plantations raised on municipal land under the Nagar Van scheme
- D. Mangrove buffer belts maintained along the coastline for cyclone protection
Q5. The Aastha Van Sanrakshan Yojana approved by National CAMPA aims to conserve/restore approximately how many sacred groves across the country?
- A. About 5,000
- B. About 10,000
- C. About 15,000
- D. About 30,000
Q6. In India's first-ever nationwide riverine dolphin estimation, which one of the following States recorded the largest number of riverine dolphins?
- A. Uttar Pradesh
- B. Bihar
- C. West Bengal
- D. Assam
Q7. Consider the following pairings of species with an attribute:
1. Wild water buffalo — State animal of Chhattisgarh
2. Snow leopard — listed 'Vulnerable' on the IUCN Red List
3. Indian one-horned rhinoceros — largest population concentrated in Kaziranga National Park, Assam
4. Snow leopard — largest Indian population found in Sikkim
Which of the above is/are correctly identified?
- Wild water buffalo — State animal of Chhattisgarh
- Snow leopard — listed 'Vulnerable' on the IUCN Red List
- Indian one-horned rhinoceros — largest population concentrated in Kaziranga National Park, Assam
- Snow leopard — largest Indian population found in Sikkim
- A. 1, 2 and 3
- B. 2 and 4
- C. 1 and 4
- D. 3 only
Q8. The snow leopard and the Indian one-horned rhinoceros are both classified as 'Vulnerable' on the IUCN Red List. Which one of the following best describes this category?
- A. A taxon considered to be facing a high risk of extinction in the wild
- B. A taxon that is extinct in the wild and survives only in captivity
- C. A taxon found exclusively within a single protected area
- D. A taxon whose population is always increasing under legal protection
Q9. The dedicated 'GIS Lab' whose establishment was decided at the 7th CAMPA Governing Body meeting is best described as which one of the following?
- A. A geospatial monitoring and evaluation system using satellite imagery and GIS platforms to transparently track compensatory afforestation and CAMPA-funded activities
- B. A laboratory for genetic sequencing and DNA barcoding of endangered species
- C. A national gene-bank for storing seeds of native tree species
- D. A real-time river water-quality telemetry network for the Ganga basin
Q10. According to the Central Empowered Committee's assessment of CAMPA, although about 85% of the afforestation target had been achieved, only approximately what proportion of the CAMPA funds had actually been utilised?
- A. About 45%
- B. About 55%
- C. About 67.5%
- D. About 90%