Question map
In which one of the following States is Pakhui Wildlife Sanctuary located ?
Explanation
The Pakhui Wildlife Sanctuary is located in the East Kameng district of Arunachal Pradesh.[1] This makes option A the correct answer.
Pakhui Wildlife Sanctuary, also known as Pakke Wildlife Sanctuary and Pakke Tiger Reserve, is one of the important protected areas in the northeastern state of Arunachal Pradesh. The sanctuary is known for its rich biodiversity, including various species of flora and fauna, and plays a significant role in wildlife conservation efforts in the region.
The other options - Manipur, Meghalaya, and Nagaland - are all northeastern states of India, which might cause confusion. However, this particular sanctuary is specifically situated in Arunachal Pradesh, making it the only correct answer among the given options.
SourcesPROVENANCE & STUDY PATTERN
Full viewThis was a 'Sitter' disguised as a random fact. Pakhui is also known as Pakke Tiger Reserve. In UPSC, you must memorize the list of ~54 Tiger Reserves by heart before touching random wildlife sanctuaries. If it's a Tiger Reserve, it's not 'random'—it's core syllabus.
This question can be broken into the following sub-statements. Tap a statement sentence to jump into its detailed analysis.
- Directly names the sanctuary and gives its district and state.
- Explicitly locates Pakhui Wildlife Sanctuary in Arunachal Pradesh.
Lists Namdapha National Park and explicitly gives its state as Arunachal Pradesh, showing the source separates and labels protected areas by state (including Arunachal).
A student could use this pattern (protected areas listed by state) and check other named northeastern sanctuaries to see whether Pakhui appears in the same regional/state group (Arunachal) on a map or reference.
Table entries show many northeastern protected areas (Jaldapara—West Bengal, Kaziranga—Assam, Keibul Lamjao—Manipur), illustrating that these texts systematically list sanctuaries with their states in that region.
A student could use this systematic listing approach to look for Pakhui in adjacent entries or a similar table in the same book or map the region to infer Pakhui likely belongs to one of the northeastern states.
Contains entries for national parks/sanctuaries in neighbouring northeastern states (Nokrek—Meghalaya, Parambikulam/Periyar—Kerala), reinforcing that the source groups protected areas by state across India.
One could narrow down Pakhui by comparing lists of sanctuaries for each northeastern state (Arunachal, Assam, Meghalaya, etc.) on a map to identify which state contains Pakhui.
Shows the source habit of listing sanctuaries under each state (examples from Andhra Pradesh, Haryana, Kerala, etc.), establishing a general rule: these references assign each sanctuary to a specific state.
Using that rule, a student would consult the same kind of state-by-state list (or a map) to find which state header contains 'Pakhui Wildlife Sanctuary'.
Discusses biosphere reserves and the practice of naming locations/states for reserves, indicating the texts consistently associate protected areas with their states.
A student could look for Pakhui within the biosphere/reserve listings or cross-reference the reserve it belongs to on a map to identify the state.
- [THE VERDICT]: Sitter. Pakhui (Pakke) is a designated Tiger Reserve. Missing a TR location is a preparation sin.
- [THE CONCEPTUAL TRIGGER]: Protected Area Network > North East India > Tiger Reserves.
- [THE HORIZONTAL EXPANSION]: Memorize the Arunachal Quartet: Namdapha (TR), Kamlang (TR), Pakke/Pakhui (TR), and Mouling (NP). Confusing siblings: Nameri (Assam) vs. Pakke (Arunachal) - they are contiguous.
- [THE STRATEGIC METACOGNITION]: Do not memorize 500+ sanctuaries. Hierarchy of importance: Tiger Reserves > National Parks > Ramsar Sites > Biosphere Reserves > News-based Sanctuaries.
Several references list sanctuaries and national parks alongside the state in which they are located, illustrating the common exam pattern linking protected areas to states.
High-yield for UPSC: questions often ask which state hosts a particular national park or sanctuary. Learning this association helps in geography and environment prelims/GS papers and links to biodiversity and regional planning topics. Use tabulated memorization and map drills to retain state–protected area pairs.
- Environment and Ecology, Majid Hussain (Access publishing 3rd ed.) > Chapter 4: BIODIVERSITY > SanctuarieS. > p. 43
- 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 > Table 4.10 (Contd.) > p. 40
One reference explicitly notes that a wildlife sanctuary is similar to a national park, indicating conceptual overlap and distinctions are discussed in the sources.
Important for UPSC because questions probe legal protections, management differences, and categories under the Wildlife Protection Act. Mastering this clarifies answer choices in factual and scenario-based questions; compare definitions, restriction levels, and typical governance arrangements.
- Geography of India ,Majid Husain, (McGrawHill 9th ed.) > Chapter 5: Natural Vegetation and National Parks > Popular National Parks of India > p. 44
The provided material uses tables (Table 4.10) enumerating parks/sanctuaries with dominant species and states, showing an effective presentation pattern for facts.
Exam strategy: memorise curated tables (parks, states, key species) rather than isolated facts—this improves recall for prelims and helps write concise answers in mains. Practice by converting tables into flashcards and map-based recall.
- 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 > Table 4.10 (Contd.) > p. 41
- Environment and Ecology, Majid Hussain (Access publishing 3rd ed.) > Chapter 4: BIODIVERSITY > Table 4.10 (Contd.) > p. 40
The Nyishi Tribe. They reside around Pakhui and famously switched from using real Hornbill beaks in their headgear to artificial ones (fiberglass) to save the bird. This cultural-environmental link is a future 2-marker.
The 'River Rule'. Many sanctuaries are named after the rivers flowing through them. The Pakke River is a tributary of the Kameng River (Arunachal). If you knew your drainage system (Kameng = Arunachal), you could place the sanctuary instantly.
GS-3 Environment (Conservation): Use the 'Hornbill Nest Adoption Programme' of Pakhui as a prime example of 'Community Based Conservation'. It shows how local tribes can transition from hunters to protectors.