RAS question
The National Chambal Gharial Sanctuary is shared between Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and which other state?
Correct answer: (B) Uttar Pradesh.
The National Chambal Gharial Sanctuary is shared by Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.
Explanation
The National Chambal Gharial Sanctuary is a tri-state protected area, so the missing state is Uttar Pradesh. The official Uttar Pradesh Eco-Tourism Development Board page says the sanctuary covers area across Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan, and adds that its Uttar Pradesh section lies in Agra and Etawah districts. This matches the question's framing: Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh are already named, leaving Uttar Pradesh as the third state. The sanctuary's conservation importance also explains why it is asked in Rajasthan geography: it protects the critically endangered gharial, along with riverine wildlife such as the freshwater dolphin, turtles, otters and fish in the Chambal river system.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) Maharashtra is not part of the tri-state sanctuary named by the official source, which lists Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan.
- (C) Gujarat is not included in the official list of states across which the National Chambal Sanctuary extends.
- (D) Haryana is outside the stated tri-state extent of the sanctuary and is not named as a Chambal sanctuary state in the source.
Concept
This tests Rajasthan's protected areas and inter-state riverine conservation geography. It recurs in RAS because the Chambal sanctuary links state geography with biodiversity protection and map-based factual recall.