RAS question
Which animal was declared the state animal of Rajasthan in 2014?
Correct answer: (B) Camel.
The camel, specifically the dromedary camel, was declared a state animal of Rajasthan in 2014.
Explanation
The answer is camel because Rajasthan recognised the dromedary camel as a state animal in 2014. The declaration date was 19 September 2014, and Rajasthan has two state animals: Chinkara, or Indian Gazelle, declared in 1981, and Camel, declared in 2014. Times Content, Times of India states that the Rajasthan government declared the camel as the State animal in 2014, with the decision taken at a state Cabinet meeting in Bikaner. Its stated purpose was to address the dwindling number of camels, an issue linked to rural Rajasthan because camels support the livelihood of many people there.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) Blackbuck is found in Rajasthan, but it is not identified as either of Rajasthan's state animals.
- (C) Tiger is the national animal, so it does not answer the Rajasthan-specific 2014 state-animal declaration asked here.
- (D) Chinkara is one of Rajasthan's state animals, but it was declared in 1981, not in 2014.
Concept
This tests Rajasthan's official state symbols, a recurring RAS area because such symbols link polity, administration and state identity. The 2014 camel declaration is especially examinable because Rajasthan has two state animals, making year-based questions easy to confuse.