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Q22 (IAS/2020) Environment & Ecology › Biodiversity & Protected Areas › Flagship species ecology Official Key

With reference to Indian elephants, consider the following statements : 1. The leader of an elephant group is a female. 2. The maximum gestation period can be 22 months. 3. An elephant can normally go on calving till the age of 40 years only. 4. Among the States in India, the highest elephant population is in Kerala. Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?

Result
Your answer: —  ·  Correct: A
Explanation

The correct answer is Option 1 (1 and 2 only). This is based on the biological and behavioral characteristics of the Asian Elephant (Elephas maximus).

  • Statement 1 is correct: Elephant herds follow a matriarchal structure. The oldest and largest female leads the group, guiding them to food and water sources.
  • Statement 2 is correct: Elephants have the longest gestation period of any mammal, lasting between 18 to 22 months.
  • Statement 3 is incorrect: Elephants are long-lived animals. While fertility may decline, they can continue calving well beyond 40, often up to 50-60 years of age.
  • Statement 4 is incorrect: According to the Elephant Census (2017), Karnataka has the highest elephant population in India, followed by Assam and Kerala.

Since statements 1 and 2 are scientifically accurate while 3 and 4 are factual errors, Option 1 is the only valid 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. With reference to Indian elephants, consider the following statements : 1. The leader of an elephant group is a female. 2. The maximum …
At a glance
Origin: Books + Current Affairs Fairness: Low / Borderline fairness Books / CA: 2.5/10 · 7.5/10
You're seeing a guest preview. The Verdict and first statement analysis are open. Login with Google to unlock all tabs.

This question signals a shift from 'Conservation Status' (IUCN/Location) to 'Species Biology & Ethology' (Behavior/Life Cycle). While Statement 1 is standard book knowledge, Statements 2 and 3 require reading the 'About' section of news explainers during major events (like the 2020 Kerala elephant incident or the Elephant Census release). It punishes superficial reading.

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 Indian elephant social groups led by a female (i.e., do Indian elephants exhibit matriarchal herd leadership)?
Origin: Direct from books Fairness: Straightforward Book-answerable
From standard books
Environment, Shankar IAS Acedemy .(ed 10th) > Chapter 8: Biodiversity > IUU yuu ku fiul= ii. ri,, ;"ri,t.,- , > p. 144
Presence: 5/5
“IUU yo..u kfiu1fl= ,,i,ii. "=.. r ,,';"ri,t.,- , Elephants live in a social hierarchy dominated by older females. Older females travel in long-lasting social units of about half a dozen adult females and their offspring, with the unit being led by a single matriarch, the matrilineal matriarch.”
Why this source?
  • Explicitly states elephants live in a social hierarchy dominated by older females.
  • Describes long-lasting social units of about half a dozen adult females and offspring.
  • Specifies each unit is led by a single matriarch, a matrilineal leader.
THEMES IN INDIAN HISTORY PART I, History CLASS XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 2: Kings, Farmers and Towns > Capturing elephants for the army > p. 35
Presence: 2/5
“The Arthashastra lays down minute details of administrative and military organisation. This is what it says about how to capture elephants: Guards of elephant forests, assisted by those who rear elephants, those who enchain the legs of elephants, those who guard the boundaries, those who live in forests, as well as by those who nurse elephants, shall, with the help of five or seven female elephants to help in tethering wild ones, trace the whereabouts of herds of elephants by following the course of urine and dung left by elephants. According to Greek sources, the Mauryan ruler had a standing army of 600,000 foot-soldiers, 30,000 cavalry and 9,000 elephants.”
Why this source?
  • Describes use of five or seven female elephants in operations to tether and trace wild herds.
  • Implies coordinated roles of female elephants in locating and managing herds.
Statement analysis

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Statement analysis

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Statement analysis

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