RAS question
The Indus River Dolphin in India is found in:
Correct answer: (D) Beas River in Punjab.
In India, the Indus river dolphin is found only in a small pocket of the Beas River in Punjab.
Explanation
The Indus river dolphin (Platanista minor) has an extremely narrow Indian distribution, which is why the Beas River in Punjab is the correct answer. Monitoring Ganges and Indus River Dolphins, Associated Aquatic Fauna and Habitat: Field Guide 2021-22 states that Indus dolphins in India are only distributed in a small pocket of the Beas River in Punjab, while most of the population is in Pakistan. It records only 6-8 individuals in India and classifies the species as Endangered on the IUCN Red List. The species has also been declared Punjab's state aquatic animal. So the question is testing a precise species-location link, not a general river-dolphin fact: in India, Indus river dolphin means Beas, Punjab.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) Brahmaputra is associated here with the Ganges river dolphin, not the Indus river dolphin's Indian range.
- (B) The Ganga River has the Ganges river dolphin, so it cannot be treated as the Indian location of the Indus river dolphin.
- (C) Godavari is not identified in the question data or Monitoring Ganges and Indus River Dolphins, Associated Aquatic Fauna and Habitat: Field Guide 2021-22 as an Indian habitat of the Indus river dolphin.
Concept
This tests species distribution under Environment and Ecology, especially the link between threatened fauna and specific river systems. It recurs in RAS because such questions combine biodiversity status, state geography and conservation priorities in one fact.