UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — Project Cheetah: India’s Landmark Wildlife Restoration Initiative Shows Strong Progress and Promising Future

Q1. Project Cheetah, described as the world's first intercontinental translocation of a large carnivore, was formally launched in India in which one of the following years?

• A. 2020
• B. 2021
• C. 2022
• D. 2023

Q2. With reference to Project Cheetah, consider the following statements: 1. The project is implemented by the National Tiger Conservation Authority under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. 2. Kuno National Park, the primary reintroduction site, is located in the State of Rajasthan. 3. The first batch of cheetahs translocated to India in September 2022 was sourced from Namibia. 4. The Wildlife Institute of India is one of the collaborating institutions in the implementation of the project. Which of the statements given above are correct?

1. The project is implemented by the National Tiger Conservation Authority under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
2. Kuno National Park, the primary reintroduction site, is located in the State of Rajasthan.
3. The first batch of cheetahs translocated to India in September 2022 was sourced from Namibia.
4. The Wildlife Institute of India is one of the collaborating institutions in the implementation of the project.

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

Q3. With reference to Kuno National Park and Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary, both associated with Project Cheetah, consider the following statements: 1. Both protected areas are located in the State of Madhya Pradesh. 2. Unlike Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary, Kuno National Park is named after a river which is a tributary of the Chambal. 3. Both Kuno National Park and Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary lie entirely within Sheopur district of Madhya Pradesh. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1. Both protected areas are located in the State of Madhya Pradesh.
2. Unlike Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary, Kuno National Park is named after a river which is a tributary of the Chambal.
3. Both Kuno National Park and Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary lie entirely within Sheopur district of Madhya Pradesh.

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

Q4. Under which Appendix of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) is the cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) listed?

• A. Appendix I
• B. Appendix II
• C. Appendix III
• D. It is not listed under any CITES Appendix

Q5. How many subspecies of the cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) are currently recognised by the IUCN?

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

Q6. The International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA), which held its 1st Summit at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi in June 2026, has a mandate for the conservation of how many big cat species?

• A. Five
• B. Six
• C. Seven
• D. Eight

Q7. With reference to the International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA), which became fully operational in 2025, which one of the following best describes its institutional character?

• A. A non-binding voluntary coalition of range states convened under the IUCN Species Survival Commission
• B. A treaty-based intergovernmental international organisation headquartered in India
• C. A specialised programme of the CITES Secretariat for regulating trade in big cat parts and derivatives
• D. A bilateral conservation partnership between India and African range states under a Memorandum of Understanding

Q8. With reference to the historical timeline of Project Cheetah in India, consider the following statements. Which of the above is/are NOT correct?

1. The cheetah was officially declared extinct in India in 1952.
2. The Supreme Court of India, in 2020, permitted the introduction of African cheetahs on an experimental basis.
3. The first batch of eight cheetahs translocated to Kuno National Park in September 2022 was brought from South Africa.
4. The second batch of twelve cheetahs that arrived in February 2023 was brought from South Africa.

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

Q9. With reference to the two founder batches of African cheetahs translocated to Kuno National Park under Project Cheetah, consider the following statements: 1. The batch translocated from Namibia in September 2022 was larger in number than the batch translocated from South Africa in February 2023. 2. Both founder batches were released at Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh. 3. The Namibia translocation preceded the South Africa translocation by about five months. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1. The batch translocated from Namibia in September 2022 was larger in number than the batch translocated from South Africa in February 2023.
2. Both founder batches were released at Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh.
3. The Namibia translocation preceded the South Africa translocation by about five months.

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

Q10. Under Project Cheetah, which one of the following source countries has contributed the single largest contingent of cheetahs translocated to Kuno National Park in any one batch?

• A. Namibia
• B. South Africa
• C. Botswana
• D. Kenya

Q11. With reference to the contingent of cheetahs received by India in February 2026, as compared with earlier translocations under Project Cheetah, consider the following statements: 1. The 2026 contingent from Botswana was numerically the largest single batch of cheetahs received by India under Project Cheetah, exceeding the batches received from Namibia and South Africa. 2. With the 2026 arrivals, Kuno National Park has now received cheetahs from three African source countries — Namibia, South Africa and Botswana. 3. Unlike the earlier batches, the 2026 contingent from Botswana was transported to India aboard an Indian Air Force C-17 Globemaster III aircraft. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1. The 2026 contingent from Botswana was numerically the largest single batch of cheetahs received by India under Project Cheetah, exceeding the batches received from Namibia and South Africa.
2. With the 2026 arrivals, Kuno National Park has now received cheetahs from three African source countries — Namibia, South Africa and Botswana.
3. Unlike the earlier batches, the 2026 contingent from Botswana was transported to India aboard an Indian Air Force C-17 Globemaster III aircraft.

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

Q12. After the Wild Life (Protection) Amendment Act, 2022 (which came into force on 1 April 2023), how many Schedules does the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 contain?

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

Q13. Which one of the following is the nodal implementing agency for Project Cheetah in India?

• A. Wildlife Institute of India
• B. Central Zoo Authority
• C. National Tiger Conservation Authority
• D. Madhya Pradesh Forest Department

Q14. Among the following species-specific conservation projects of the Government of India, which one was launched the earliest?

• A. Project Snow Leopard
• B. Project Lion
• C. Project Tiger
• D. Project Dolphin

Q15. The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), which presently serves as the nodal implementing agency for Project Cheetah, was constituted as a statutory authority under which one of the following?

• A. The Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972, as originally enacted
• B. The Wild Life (Protection) Amendment Act, 2006
• C. The Environment (Protection) Act, 1986
• D. The Biological Diversity Act, 2002