RAS question
Pakhui National Park (hornbills) is in:
Correct answer: (C) Arunachal.
Pakhui, also known as Pakke, is in Arunachal Pradesh and is associated with hornbills.
Explanation
Pakhui National Park refers to the Pakhui or Pakke wildlife landscape in Arunachal Pradesh. Arunachal Tourism places Pakhui Wildlife Sanctuary in East Kameng district of Arunachal Pradesh and notes that it later became Pakke Tiger Reserve. The hornbill clue matters because Pakke is described as India's only hornbill sanctuary, with the surrounding forest harbouring great hornbill, wreathed hornbill, oriental pied hornbill and rufous-necked hornbill. Therefore, when an RAS environment question links Pakhui with hornbills, the state to identify is Arunachal Pradesh, not a central or western Indian state. The national-park count is a separate memory point; it is not needed to locate Pakhui.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) Maharashtra is wrong because the Pakhui/Pakke site is located in East Kameng district of Arunachal Pradesh, not in western India.
- (B) MP is wrong because Pakhui/Pakke is connected with Arunachal Pradesh and East Kameng, not Madhya Pradesh.
- (D) Assam is wrong because Pakke is contiguous with Nameri Tiger Reserve of Assam, but Pakke itself is in Arunachal Pradesh.
Concept
This tests the environment-and-geography habit of linking protected areas with their states and signature species. Such map-based biodiversity facts recur in RAS because they connect conservation sites, species clues and state locations in one short question.