RAS question
Consider the following statements about the camel population trend and conservation efforts in Rajasthan: 1. The camel population of Rajasthan has been declining steadily since the 1990s. 2. Camels were declared the State Animal of Rajasthan in 2014. 3. The primary reasons for camel decline include mechanisation of agriculture, ban on camel slaughter, and decreasing pastureland. 4. The National Research Centre on Camel (NRCC) in Bikaner has developed commercially viable camel milk products including ice cream and fermented milk. Which of the statements given above are correct?
Correct answer: (B) 1, 2, 3 and 4.
All four statements are correct: Rajasthan's camel population has declined since the 1990s, the camel was declared Rajasthan's State Animal in 2014, the decline is linked to mechanisation, slaughter-ban economics and shrinking pastureland, and NRCC Bikaner has developed camel milk products.
Explanation
The answer is all four statements because they describe the same Rajasthan camel-conservation problem from different angles. The official livestock-census release records the national camel population at 2.5 lakh in 2019 and says camels showed a declining trend across the 17th, 18th, 19th and 20th Livestock Censuses. Rajasthan's camel population fell more sharply from about 5 lakh in the 1990s to under 2.5 lakh by the 2019 census. Rajasthan declaring the camel as State Animal in 2014 fits this conservation context. The stated causes are agricultural mechanisation reducing the camel's draught role, slaughter-ban economics weakening incentives, and pastureland loss reducing the rearing base. NRCC Bikaner's camel milk ice cream and fermented products show livelihood-oriented conservation.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) Option A leaves out statement 3, although mechanisation, slaughter-ban economics and decreasing pastureland are real contributors to camel decline.
- (C) Option C omits statements 1 and 3, even though the camel population decline since the 1990s and its linked economic and pastureland causes are central to the issue.
- (D) Option D omits statements 2 and 4, but the camel's 2014 State Animal status and NRCC Bikaner's camel milk product development are both part of the conservation response.
Concept
This tests Rajasthan livestock geography, especially the link between desert ecology, pastoral livelihoods and state conservation policy. It recurs in RAS because camel decline connects physical geography with agriculture, animal husbandry and Rajasthan-specific policy measures.