RAS question
Dudhwa Tiger Reserve is located in which state?
Correct answer: (D) Uttar Pradesh.
Dudhwa Tiger Reserve is located in Uttar Pradesh.
Explanation
Dudhwa Tiger Reserve is located in Uttar Pradesh. According to the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), it includes Dudhwa National Park, Kishanpur Wildlife Sanctuary and Katerniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary, along with additional buffer forests in North Kheri, South Kheri and Shahjahanpur. It is therefore a tiger reserve of Uttar Pradesh, not merely a site in the neighbouring Terai region. The protected area was notified in 1987-88 and the tiger reserve in 2010. Project Tiger was launched in 1973; under this programme, Dudhwa is one of India's 54 tiger reserves. The 2022 tiger census estimated India's tiger population at 3,167. These facts establish Uttar Pradesh as the correct answer.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) Bihar is associated with Valmiki Tiger Reserve, whereas Dudhwa Tiger Reserve is in Uttar Pradesh.
- (B) Tamil Nadu is associated with Kalakad-Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve, whereas Dudhwa Tiger Reserve is in Uttar Pradesh.
- (C) Chhattisgarh is associated with Indravati Tiger Reserve, whereas Dudhwa Tiger Reserve belongs to the Terai region of Uttar Pradesh.
Concept
In RAS preparation, studying tiger reserves on a map clarifies the relationship among protected areas, Project Tiger and Indian geography. Such facts recur because examinations test the locations of national conservation programmes as well as the programmes themselves.