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Q95 (IAS/2014) Environment & Ecology › Environment Laws, Policies & Institutions (India) › Eco-Sensitive Zones Official Key

With reference to 'Eco-Sensitive Zones', which of the following statements is/are correct? 1. Eco-Sensitive Zones are the areas that are declared under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. 2. The purpose of the declaration of Eco-Sensitive Zones is to prohibit all kinds of human activities in those zones except agriculture. Select the correct answer using the code given below.

Result
Your answer: —  ·  Correct: D
Explanation

The correct answer is option D (Neither 1 nor 2) because both statements are incorrect.

**Statement 1 is incorrect:** ESZs are declared as per the 'Guidelines for Declaration of EZSs around National Parks and Sanctuaries'[1] issued by the Ministry of Environment and Forests, not directly under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. While activities in the protected areas themselves are governed by the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972[2], the ESZs around them are declared under separate guidelines using powers under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.

**Statement 2 is incorrect:** The purpose of declaring Eco-sensitive Zones around National Parks and Sanctuaries is to create some kind of "Shock Absorber" for the Protected Areas[3]. Moreover, activities in the eco-sensitive zones would be of a regulatory nature rather than prohibitive nature[4]. This means ESZs regulate activities rather than prohibiting all human activities except agriculture. Activities are regulated in the Eco-sensitive Zone[5], allowing controlled development while protecting the core protected areas.

Sources
  1. [1] https://bluemapindia.org/marines-laws-and-policy/laws-governing-protection-of-coastal-and-marine-areas
  2. [2] https://faolex.fao.org/docs/pdf/ind52267.pdf
  3. [3] https://cpc.parivesh.nic.in/writereaddata/Guidelines_for_EcoSensitive_Zones_around_Protected_Areas.pdf
  4. [4] https://www.greentribunal.gov.in/sites/default/files/news_updates/Response%20Affidavit%20on%20behalf%20of%20R-%2015%20and%2016%20in%20OA%20No%20180%20of%202024%20(Satyendra%20Kumar%20Sharma%20Vs.%20UOI%20&%20Ors.).pdf
  5. [5] https://faolex.fao.org/docs/pdf/ind52267.pdf
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Don’t just practise – reverse-engineer the question. This panel shows where this PYQ came from (books / web), how the examiner broke it into hidden statements, and which nearby micro-concepts you were supposed to learn from it. Treat it like an autopsy of the question: what might have triggered it, which exact lines in the book matter, and what linked ideas you should carry forward to future questions.
Q. With reference to 'Eco-Sensitive Zones', which of the following statements is/are correct? 1. Eco-Sensitive Zones are the areas that are…
At a glance
Origin: Mostly Current Affairs Fairness: Low / Borderline fairness Books / CA: 0/10 · 10/10
You're seeing a guest preview. The Verdict and first statement analysis are open. Login with Google to unlock all tabs.

This question is a classic 'Statutory Swap' trap. UPSC tests if you know the specific 'Parent Act' for a designation (WPA 1972 vs EPA 1986). It also uses an 'Extreme Statement' check in Statement 2. In 2014, this was hot due to the Western Ghats reports (Gadgil/Kasturirangan), but today it is a static must-know concept.

How this question is built

This question can be broken into the following sub-statements. Tap a statement sentence to jump into its detailed analysis.

Statement 1
Are Eco-Sensitive Zones (ESZs) in India declared under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972?
Origin: Web / Current Affairs Fairness: CA heavy Web-answerable

Web source
Presence: 5/5
"ESZs are areas within a 1 - 10km radius of the boundaries of PAs ... ESZs are declared as per the 'Guidelines for Declaration of EZSs around National Parks and Sanctuaries.'"
Why this source?
  • Explicitly states how ESZs are declared: under specific 'Guidelines for Declaration of EZSs around National Parks and Sanctuaries.'
  • Implicates ESZs are declared via administrative guidelines rather than by the Wildlife (Protection) Act itself.
Web source
Presence: 4/5
"All activities in the protected areas shall be governed by the provisions of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 (53 of 1972). The following activities shall be regulated in the Eco-sensitive Zone namely:"
Why this source?
  • States that activities in protected areas are governed by the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, distinguishing that law's application to protected areas.
  • Separately lists activities regulated in the Eco-sensitive Zone, implying ESZs are distinct regulatory zones rather than areas 'notified under' the Wildlife Act.

Environment and Ecology, Majid Hussain (Access publishing 3rd ed.) > Chapter 4: BIODIVERSITY > nAtIonAl pArKs. > p. 37
Strength: 5/5
“Te National Parks in India are created by the respective State Governments under the provisions of Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972. National Parks are declared in areas that are considered to have adequate ecological, geomorphological, edephic, cultural and natural signifcance. A national park is a relatively large area of one or several ecosystems that are not being materially altered by human exploitation and occupation. Here, plant and animal species, geomorphic sites and habitats are reserved for education and research.”
Why relevant

States create National Parks under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, showing the Act is used to declare and regulate certain categories of protected areas.

How to extend

A student could contrast the list of protected area types explicitly created under the Act (e.g., national parks) with the legal basis for ESZs to see if ESZs are named there.

Environment, Shankar IAS Acedemy .(ed 10th) > Chapter 4: Aquatic Ecosystem > 4.I0. GOVERNMENT MEASURES TO PROTECT MANGROVE FOREST AND CORAL REEF(S) (OR COASTAL ECOSYSTEM) > p. 54
Strength: 4/5
“. 'I'o enforce and implement the CRZ and IPZ Notifications, the Ministry of Environment and Forests has constituted the National and State-level Coastal Zone Management Authorities. sI{ANKAFI ffi tngACADEMY" T: r-r \ik-l l !l/1r a The Ministry of Environment & Forests also provides financial assistance to Coastal States, Union Territories, who so request, under its Centrally Sponsored Scheme for conservation and management of mangroves and coral reef. • In addition, Coral reef is included in Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, which affords it the highest degree of protection. • Further, Protected Areas, viz., National Parks, Sanctuaries and Marine Biosphere Reserves have been created all over the country under the provisions of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 to conserve marine life including coastal reef. • The”
Why relevant

The snippet notes that Protected Areas (National Parks, Sanctuaries, Marine Biosphere Reserves) have been created under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 to conserve marine life, indicating the Act’s scope for designating conservation zones.

How to extend

One could check whether ESZs are listed alongside these protected-area categories in the Act or in rules made under it.

INDIA PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT, Geography Class XI (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 5: Natural Vegetation > WILDLIFE CONSERVATION IN INDIA > p. 47
Strength: 4/5
“The protection of wildlife has a long tradition in India. Many stories of Panchtantra and Jungle Books, etc. have stood the test of time relating to the love for wildlife. These have a profound impact on young minds. In 1972, a comprehensive Wildlife Act was enacted, which provides the main legal framework for conservation and protection of wildlife in India. The two main objectives of the Act are; to provide protection to the endangered species listed in the schedule of the Act and to provide legal support to the conservation areas of the country classified as National parks, sanctuaries and closed areas.”
Why relevant

The Act provides legal support to conservation areas classified as National parks, sanctuaries and closed areas, implying a specific taxonomy of areas the Act covers.

How to extend

A student could use this taxonomy to test whether ESZs fit any of these classifications or are referenced separately in environmental law.

Environment, Shankar IAS Acedemy .(ed 10th) > Chapter 15: Protected Area Network > r5.r.3. Salient features of the Act: > p. 212
Strength: 3/5
“• The Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 is a product of process which started long ago in 1887 for the protection of a few wild birds and after addition of wild animals in 1987 and specified plants in 1990 it covered almost all wildlife resources which need protection and management. • i. The rating of the Schedules I to V is in accordance with the risk of survival of the wildlife (fauna) enlisted in them. 3. With the amendment of the Act in t99r, powers of the State Governments have been withdrawn almost totaily. Now the State Governments are not emprlwered to declare any wild animal a vermin.”
Why relevant

The Act’s amendments and the description of what it covers (wildlife, specified plants, schedules) highlight that the Act defines specific protections and categories rather than a broad generic power to declare any environmental zone.

How to extend

Using this, one could examine the Act’s text or amendment history to see if ESZs were introduced as a new category or left to another law/authority.

Geography of India ,Majid Husain, (McGrawHill 9th ed.) > Chapter 5: Natural Vegetation and National Parks > WILDLIFE > p. 42
Strength: 3/5
“In order to conserve wildlife, the Government of India passed the Wildlife Protection Act in 1972. Large tracts in various parts of the country covering 1.56 lakh km2—4.75% of the total area of the country—were declared as national parks, sanctuaries and biosphere”
Why relevant

The Act led to declaration of large tracts as national parks, sanctuaries and biosphere areas (quantified here), reinforcing that the Act has been the instrument for specific types of declarations of protected land.

How to extend

A student might compare the statutory instrument used for those declarations with the instrument cited for ESZ notifications (e.g., which ministry or Act issues ESZs).

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