Question map
Consider the following pairs : 1. Dampa Tiger Reserve : Mizoram 2. Gumti Wildlife Sanctuary : Sikkim 3. Saramati Peak : Nagaland Which of the above pairs is/are correctly matched?
Explanation
The correct answer is option C because pairs 1 and 3 are correctly matched, while pair 2 is incorrect.
Dampa Tiger Reserve is indeed located in Mizoram[1], making pair 1 correct. Gumti Wildlife Sanctuary is situated in Tripura[3], not Sikkim, making pair 2 incorrect. Saramati Peak is the highest peak in Nagaland[5], making pair 3 correct.
Therefore, only pairs 1 and 3 are correctly matched. This question tests the aspirant's knowledge of India's protected areas and geographical features, which are important topics for environmental and physical geography sections of the UPSC Prelims examination.
Sources- [1] Environment, Shankar IAS Acedemy .(ed 10th) > Chapter 29: Environment Issues and Health Effects > z. Tiger of India > p. 431
- [3] )%20TEST-7-INDIAN%20GEOGRAPHY-2-EXPLANATIONS.pdf
PROVENANCE & STUDY PATTERN
Full viewThis is a classic 'North East Focus' question. UPSC loves testing the geography of the Seven Sisters because standard books often under-represent them. The strategy is simple: for every NE state, memorize the 'Holy Trinity'—Highest Peak, Main Tiger Reserve, and one unique National Park.
This question can be broken into the following sub-statements. Tap a statement sentence to jump into its detailed analysis.
- Explicit entry: 'Name of Tiger Reserve: Dampa; State: Mizoram' in a numbered list of tiger reserves.
- Directly identifies Dampa as a tiger reserve and gives its state as Mizoram.
- Lists 'Dampa National Park and Tiger Reserves' with 'State/States: Mizoram'.
- Confirms Dampa's status as both a national park and a tiger reserve located in Mizoram.
- Explicitly lists the pair 'Gumti Wildlife Sanctuary : Sikkim' in a multiple-choice item and then gives the correct answer.
- Provides the corrective statement that Gumti Wildlife Sanctuary is in Tripura, directly refuting the claim it is in Sikkim.
- Clearly states 'Gumti Wildlife Sanctuary is situated in Tripura.'
- Used in an explanation contrasting correctly matched location pairs, directly contradicting the statement that it is in Sikkim.
This snippet shows a pattern in these sources of listing specific protected areas together with the State (e.g., Khangchendzonga National Park — State: Sikkim).
A student could use this pattern to check an authoritative list/map: if Gumti is listed with a state there, that will indicate its location.
The source gives many examples of national parks/sanctuaries paired explicitly with their State, demonstrating that state-assignment is standard in such references.
Use a comparable list or map of sanctuaries to look up Gumti and see which state is paired with it.
This snippet presents a direct format of 'State: X; Sanctuaries: Y', illustrating that checking state-wise sanctuary lists is a common method to locate a sanctuary.
Consult a state-wise sanctuary listing (or map) and locate 'Gumti' in the appropriate state's entry to test the statement.
Project Snow Leopard lists Sikkim among Himalayan states that host protected areas and unique wildlife, indicating Sikkim does have notable sanctuaries/national parks.
Knowing Sikkim hosts protected areas, a student could cross-check whether Gumti appears among Sikkim's named sanctuaries or instead appears under another state.
States Sikkim's formal status and strategic location; useful background that Sikkim is a distinct Indian state often listed as the location for its protected areas.
With Sikkim confirmed as a separate state, a student should verify whether authoritative lists place Gumti within Sikkim or within some other neighbouring state/region.
- Directly pairs 'Saramati Peak' with Nagaland in a location-matching question.
- Explicitly states 'Mt. Saramati is the highest peak in Nagaland.'
- States the peak is the highest in Nagaland and gives its specific location.
- Mentions it straddles the India–Myanmar border and provides elevation details.
- Identifies Mount Saramati in Kiphire district, Nagaland, and gives its height.
- Calls it the tallest mountain in the state, directly supporting the location claim.
Lists the 'Naga-Hills (Nagaland)' and describes the Purvanchal/Patkai-Bum mountain system along the Nagaland–Myanmar border.
A student could check a physical map of the Naga Hills / Purvanchal to see whether Saramati lies within that named mountain system and on the Nagaland side of the border.
Describes Nagaland's terrain as serrated ridges of the Brail Range and the Arakan Yoma near the border with Myanmar.
Use this terrain description plus a topographic map to locate major peaks along the Arakan Yoma/Brail ridges and determine if Saramati is among them in Nagaland.
Gives typical elevation range for Nagaland settlements (1,000–2,000 m) implying the state includes significant hilly terrain.
Compare reported elevation of Saramati (from an external map or gazetteer) to see if it is consistent with prominent peaks in Nagaland's hilly terrain.
Shows that major peaks are often identified with particular states/regions in these sources (e.g., Kanchenjunga–India/Nepal).
A student can apply this pattern by consulting regional peak lists or state gazetteers to see whether Saramati is listed as a peak of Nagaland.
- [THE VERDICT]: Moderate. Statement 1 (Dampa) is a standard book fact (Shankar/Majid). Statement 3 (Saramati) is a 'Highest Peak' superlative. Statement 2 (Gumti) is the trap.
- [THE CONCEPTUAL TRIGGER]: Physiography of North East India & State-wise Protected Area Network.
- [THE HORIZONTAL EXPANSION]: Memorize NE State Highest Peaks: Arunachal (Kangto), Nagaland (Saramati), Manipur (Mt. Iso/Tenipu), Mizoram (Phawngpui/Blue Mountain), Tripura (Betlingchhip), Meghalaya (Shillong Peak), Assam (unnamed peak in Cachar hills/Barail range).
- [THE STRATEGIC METACOGNITION]: Do not memorize random sanctuaries. Focus on 'Superlatives' (Highest, Largest, First) and 'Flagship' reserves. Gumti is a major river in Tripura; associating the river name with the sanctuary solves the location.
The references explicitly map individual tiger reserves (e.g., Dampa) to their states, showing the importance of knowing which reserve lies in which state.
UPSC frequently asks to match protected areas to states or to identify regional conservation sites; mastering state–reserve mapping helps answer location and polity/ecology linkage questions. Learn via state-wise lists and map practice to quickly recall and eliminate options.
- Environment, Shankar IAS Acedemy .(ed 10th) > Chapter 29: Environment Issues and Health Effects > z. Tiger of India > p. 431
- Environment and Ecology, Majid Hussain (Access publishing 3rd ed.) > Chapter 4: BIODIVERSITY > Table 4.10 (Contd.) > p. 39
Evidence shows Dampa referenced as 'Dampa National Park and Tiger Reserves', highlighting overlap between national parks and tiger reserve designations.
Questions test understanding of protected-area categories and administrative overlaps (NP vs TR vs Wildlife Sanctuary). Knowing examples and the dual designation pattern aids answers on conservation policy and Project Tiger implementation. Study by comparing lists of national parks and tiger reserves and noting dual listings.
- Environment and Ecology, Majid Hussain (Access publishing 3rd ed.) > Chapter 4: BIODIVERSITY > Table 4.10 (Contd.) > p. 39
- Environment and Ecology, Majid Hussain (Access publishing 3rd ed.) > Chapter 4: BIODIVERSITY > project tiger (panthera tigris) > p. 43
References note states (including Mizoram) with small or worrying tiger populations, linking reserve locations to conservation status.
UPSC may ask about regional conservation challenges, distribution of tiger populations, and priority areas; understanding which states host small populations or have specific reserves informs policy and biodiversity questions. Prepare using All-India Tiger Estimation reports and state-wise summaries.
- Environment, Shankar IAS Acedemy .(ed 10th) > Chapter 16: Conservation Efforts > All India Tiger Estimation - zozz > p. 230
- Environment and Ecology, Majid Hussain (Access publishing 3rd ed.) > Chapter 4: BIODIVERSITY > project tiger (panthera tigris) > p. 43
Several references present sanctuaries and national parks organized by state, showing that location is typically tied to state-level listings.
UPSC questions often ask to identify the state/UT of a protected area; mastering how lists and tables map protected areas to states helps eliminate options quickly. Practice memorising key parks/sanctuaries by state and using tabulated sources for revision.
- Environment and Ecology, Majid Hussain (Access publishing 3rd ed.) > Chapter 4: BIODIVERSITY > SanctuarieS. > p. 43
- Geography of India ,Majid Husain, (McGrawHill 9th ed.) > Chapter 5: Natural Vegetation and National Parks > Popular National Parks of India > p. 44
One reference explicitly lists Khangchendzonga (Kanchenjunga) National Park and Biosphere Reserve under Sikkim, demonstrating examples of Sikkim's protected areas.
Knowing flagship protected areas of each state (e.g., Khangchendzonga for Sikkim) is high-yield for prelims and mains geography/environment questions and helps verify claims about lesser-known sites by comparison. Learn state-wise flagship parks and cross-check with official lists.
- Environment and Ecology, Majid Hussain (Access publishing 3rd ed.) > Chapter 4: BIODIVERSITY > Table 4.10 (Contd.) > p. 39
- Modern India ,Bipin Chandra, History class XII (NCERT 1982 ed.)[Old NCERT] > Chapter 10: India And Her Neighbours > Relations with Sikkim > p. 179
References mention the Wildlife Protection Act 1972 and define wildlife sanctuaries versus national parks—useful for understanding classification and official designation.
Questions frequently test differences between protected-area categories and the legal framework governing them; mastering definitions and the Act aids in answering both static and applied environment questions. Study the Act's broad provisions and distinctions between categories.
- Geography of India ,Majid Husain, (McGrawHill 9th ed.) > Chapter 5: Natural Vegetation and National Parks > WILDLIFE > p. 42
- Geography of India ,Majid Husain, (McGrawHill 9th ed.) > Chapter 17: Contemporary Issues > Chapter 5 – Natural Vegetation and National Parks > p. 111
The references describe the Purvanchal region and name the Naga Hills as a principal mountain group in Nagaland.
High-yield for UPSC geography questions on regional physiography and mountain systems; links to questions on state boundaries, hill ranges, and relief. Study by mapping major ranges (Purvanchal, Patkai, Naga Hills) and their state-wise locations to answer location-based MCQs and map tasks.
- Geography of India ,Majid Husain, (McGrawHill 9th ed.) > Chapter 2: Physiography > 5. The Eastern Himalaya > p. 17
Since they asked for Saramati (Nagaland's highest), the next logical sibling is **Phawngpui (Blue Mountain)**, the highest peak of Mizoram, or **Kangto**, the highest in Arunachal Pradesh. Also, note **Clouded Leopard National Park** is in Tripura (sibling to Gumti).
Use 'Linguistic Profiling'. Sikkim's places usually have Tibetan/Bhutia names (e.g., Khangchendzonga, Pangolakha, Fambong Lho). 'Gumti' sounds phonetically similar to river names in the plains (like Gomti in UP or Gumti in Tripura). It lacks the linguistic signature of Sikkim. This intuition eliminates Statement 2.
Link Saramati Peak to **Internal Security**: Saramati straddles the Indo-Myanmar border. This geography facilitates the 'Free Movement Regime' (FMR) and is historically significant for insurgent movements using the dense forest cover for cross-border camps.