RAS question
The 'Chipko Movement' for forest conservation originated in which state?
Correct answer: (B) Uttarakhand (then Uttar Pradesh).
The Chipko Movement for forest conservation originated in Chamoli district of Uttarakhand, which was then part of Uttar Pradesh.
Explanation
The answer is Uttarakhand, because the Chipko Movement began in Chamoli district, a place the Uttarakhand Tourism Development Board identifies as the birthplace of the movement. In 1973, Chamoli was in Uttar Pradesh; Uttarakhand was created later, so exam options often write it as "Uttarakhand (then Uttar Pradesh)". The movement is remembered for villagers physically hugging trees to stop logging, with Sunderlal Bahuguna, Gaura Devi, and Chandi Prasad Bhatt associated with its leadership. For Rajasthan exams, the trap is the state's older Bishnoi tradition: in 1730, Amrita Devi and 363 Bishnois died protecting Khejri trees, but that was not the Chipko Movement.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) Rajasthan is linked to the Bishnoi sacrifice of 1730 under Amrita Devi, but the Chipko Movement itself began in Chamoli, Uttarakhand.
- (C) Madhya Pradesh is not identified in the explanation or the official source as the origin of the Chipko Movement.
- (D) Karnataka is associated with the Appiko Movement, which was inspired by Chipko but had a separate origin.
Concept
This tests environmental movements in modern Indian ecology, especially how local forest-protection movements are tied to place. It recurs in RAS because Rajasthan's Bishnoi tradition is a tempting but distinct comparison with Chipko.