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Q27 (IAS/2019) Environment & Ecology › Biodiversity & Protected Areas › Biosphere reserves network Official Key

Which of the following are in Agasthyamala Biosphere Reserve?

Result
Your answer:  ·  Correct: A
Explanation

The correct answer is option A. The Agasthyamalai Biosphere Reserve includes Neyyar, Peppara and Shendurney wildlife Sanctuaries and their adjoining areas in Kerala[1], and the Kalakad Mundanthurai Tiger reserve[2]. This combination precisely matches option A.

Option B is incorrect because while Mudumalai is mentioned in the context of other biosphere reserves like Nilgiri, it is not part of Agasthyamala. Similarly, Wayanad and Silent Valley National Park are separate protected areas in Kerala but not components of the Agasthyamala Biosphere Reserve. Options C and D list wildlife sanctuaries and reserves from other regions of India that have no connection to the Agasthyamala Biosphere Reserve, which is specifically located in the Western Ghats region covering parts of Kerala and Tamil Nadu.

Sources
  1. [1] Environment, Shankar IAS Acedemy .(ed 10th) > Chapter 29: Environment Issues and Health Effects > 5. Biosphere > p. 433
  2. [2] https://www.unesco.org/en/mab/agasthyamala
How others answered
Each bar shows the % of students who chose that option. Green bar = correct answer, blue outline = your choice.
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PROVENANCE & STUDY PATTERN
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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. Which of the following are in Agasthyamala Biosphere Reserve? [A] Neyyar, Peppara and Shendurney Wildlife Sanctuaries; and Kalakad Munda…
At a glance
Origin: Mostly Current Affairs Fairness: Low / Borderline fairness Books / CA: 0/10 · 5/10
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This is a classic 'Cluster Memory' question. UPSC demands you know the exact 'Parent-Child' relationship between the 18 Biosphere Reserves and their constituent National Parks/Sanctuaries. Relying on vague location awareness is insufficient; you must memorize the specific groupings found in standard texts like Shankar IAS or the UNESCO MAB list.

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 Neyyar, Peppara and Shendurney Wildlife Sanctuaries and Kalakad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve included in the Agasthyamala Biosphere Reserve?
Origin: Web / Current Affairs Fairness: CA heavy Web-answerable

Web source
Presence: 5/5
"Three wildlife sanctuaries, Shendurney, Peppara and Neyyar, are located in the site, as well as the Kalakad Mundanthurai Tiger reserve."
Why this source?
  • Authoritative source (UNESCO) explicitly names the three wildlife sanctuaries and the tiger reserve as located in the site.
  • Directly ties Neyyar (spelled 'Neyyar'), Peppara and Shendurney to the Agasthyamala Biosphere Reserve and also names Kalakad Mundanthurai Tiger reserve.
Web source
Presence: 5/5
"The reserve includes three wildlife sanctuaries, Shendurney, Peppara and Nayar, as well as the Kalakad Mundanthurai Tiger reserve."
Why this source?
  • Confirms inclusion using similar wording on the same UNESCO page content.
  • Lists the three sanctuaries (Shendurney, Peppara and Nayar) and the Kalakad Mundanthurai Tiger reserve as part of the reserve.
Web source
Presence: 4/5
"includes the Shendurney and Peppara wildlife sanctuaries and parts of the Neyyar sanctuary in Kerala along with the Kalakad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve of Tamil Nadu."
Why this source?
  • Independent article corroborates the inclusion, naming Shendurney and Peppara and parts of Neyyar, along with Kalakad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve.
  • Provides regional context (Kerala and Tamil Nadu) while reaffirming which protected areas are included.

Environment, Shankar IAS Acedemy .(ed 10th) > Chapter 29: Environment Issues and Health Effects > 5. Biosphere > p. 433
Strength: 5/5
“Biosphere sites established by countries and recognized under UNESCO's Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme to promote sustainable development based on local community efforts and sound science. The programme of Biosphere Reserve was initiated by UNESCO in No: 1.; Name: Achanakamar Amarkantak; Iocation (State): Covers parts of Anupur and Diadori districts of M.P., and parts of Bilaspur districts of Chhattishgarh State. No: a; Name: Agasthyamalai; Iocation (State): Neyyar, Peppara and Shendurney wildlife Sanctuaries and their adjoining areas in Kerala, No: 3.; Name: Cold Desert; Iocation (State): Pin Valley National Park and surroundings; Chandratal and Sarchu & Kibber Wildlife Sanctuary in Himachal Pradesh No: ; Name: Gulf of Mannar; location (State): Indian part of Gulf of Mannar Mannar between India and Sri Lanka (Tamil Nadu).”
Why relevant

Gives a named composition for the Agasthyamalai (Agasthyamala) Biosphere Reserve listing Neyyar, Peppara and Shendurney wildlife sanctuaries and adjoining areas.

How to extend

A student could treat this as a specific partial membership list and check maps or other sources to see if Kalakad Mundanthurai lies contiguous or administratively included with those sanctuaries in the same reserve.

Environment and Ecology, Majid Hussain (Access publishing 3rd ed.) > Chapter 4: BIODIVERSITY > Criteria for selection of Biosphere Reserves > p. 32
Strength: 4/5
“• Biosphere Reserves: 1. Biosphere Reserves are created by UNESCO.; Protected Areas (National Parks, Sanctuaries and Tiger Reserves): 1. Protected areas are created mainly by the State Govern ments or by the Central Government according to the norms of the Indian National Man and Biosphere Committee. • Biosphere Reserves: 2. Conservation of all the fauna, fora and land scape of the Biosphere Reserve.; Protected Areas (National Parks, Sanctuaries and Tiger Reserves): 2. Fauna and fora of ecosystems may be partly modifed. • Biosphere Reserves: 3. Biosphere Reserve conserves the natural and cultural diversity; Protected Areas (National Parks, Sanctuaries and Tiger Reserves): 3.”
Why relevant

Explains the general rule that Biosphere Reserves are created by UNESCO and often incorporate protected areas (national parks, sanctuaries, tiger reserves) under national norms.

How to extend

Using this rule, a student can plausibly expect tiger reserves like Kalakad Mundanthurai to be incorporated into a biosphere reserve if geographically adjacent, so they can check adjacency on a map or official listings.

Geography of India ,Majid Husain, (McGrawHill 9th ed.) > Chapter 5: Natural Vegetation and National Parks > Western Ghats: A World Heritage Site > p. 56
Strength: 4/5
“The Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve (5500 km2) of the evergreen forests of Nagarhole, the Bandipur National Park covered with deciduous forest, the Mudumalai National Park and the Mukurthi National Park in the states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu are the other important protected areas. Moreover, there are Mudumalai (Coimbatore), Anamalai (Nilgiri District) and Munda Thurai (Tirunelveli and Kanniyakumari districts) tiger reserves in the southern parts of the Western Ghats (Fig. 5.9). A judicious use of resources and conservation practices can improve the resilience characteristics of the ecosystems of this important world heritage site.”
Why relevant

Mentions 'Munda Thurai' (Mundanthurai) tiger reserve in the southern Western Ghats (Tirunelveli and Kanniyakumari districts), placing it geographically near Agasthyamala's southern Western Ghats context.

How to extend

A student can use this geographic proximity plus maps of the southern Western Ghats to judge whether Kalakad Mundanthurai is contiguous with the sanctuaries named for Agasthyamalai.

Environment and Ecology, Majid Hussain (Access publishing 3rd ed.) > Chapter 4: BIODIVERSITY > Western ghats as a World Heritage site > p. 57
Strength: 3/5
“Western Ghats are covered with tropical and subtropical forests that provide food and natural habitat for the native tribal people. Te region is ecologically sensitive to development. Te Government of India and the state governments have established many protected areas including two biosphere reserves, 13 national parks and several wildlife sanctuaries to protect the endangered species of the region. Te Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve (5500 sq km) of the evergreen forests of Nagarhole, the Bandipur National Park covered with deciduous forest, the Tamil Nadu National Park and Mukurthi National Park in the states of Tamil Nadu and Kerala are the important protected areas.”
Why relevant

Describes the Western Ghats as having many protected areas and biosphere reserves, implying that biosphere reserves in this region commonly group multiple protected units.

How to extend

Apply this pattern to suspect that Agasthyamalai (in southern Western Ghats) could encompass multiple nearby sanctuaries and a tiger reserve; verify by checking regional protected-area maps or official biosphere boundaries.

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Statement analysis

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Statement analysis

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