RAS question
How many tiger reserves does Rajasthan have (as of 2024)?
Correct answer: (D) 5.
As of 2024, Rajasthan has five tiger reserves: Ranthambore, Sariska, Mukundara, Ramgarh Vishdhari and Dholpur-Karauli.
Explanation
Rajasthan's tiger-reserve count is five because the NTCA tiger-reserve list records Rajasthan entries for Ranthambore, Sariska, Mukundara, Ramgarh Vishdhari Tiger Reserve and Dholpur-Karauli Tiger Reserve. The existing chronology also explains the exam trap: Ramgarh Vishdhari was added in 2022 and Dholpur-Karauli in 2023, taking the state beyond the older counts used in many static notes. Therefore, for a 2024 question, the updated answer is not the earlier three or four, but five. The key is to count the current NTCA-listed Rajasthan reserves rather than rely on a pre-2022 or pre-2023 figure.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) Four is the pre-Dholpur-Karauli count; it leaves out Dholpur-Karauli Tiger Reserve, which the NTCA list records for Rajasthan with 2023.
- (B) Two is too low because even the NTCA list names more Rajasthan tiger reserves than Ranthambore and Sariska alone.
- (C) Three reflects the older position before Ramgarh Vishdhari in 2022 and Dholpur-Karauli in 2023 increased the count.
Concept
This tests Rajasthan geography through protected-area mapping and the habit of updating static environment facts. It recurs in RAS because new reserve notifications change otherwise familiar counts.