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Predicted Questions with Model Answers
Q1 (5 marks — 50 words)
What are Orans? Explain their ecological and cultural significance in Rajasthan.
Model Answer (EN): Orans are sacred community forest groves maintained by traditional communities in western Rajasthan — Bishnoi, Rabari, and others — for generations. Over 25,000 patches covering an estimated 5–10 lakh hectares exist across Rajasthan. They conserve biodiversity, support Sevan grass and GIB habitat, and recharge groundwater. Though legally unprotected, Orans represent India's oldest informal conservation tradition; CRESEP (JICA, ₹1,774 crore) is formally mapping and conserving 10,000 ha.
Q2 (5 marks — 50 words)
Name Rajasthan's major wildlife protected areas and the key species each conserves.
Model Answer (EN): Rajasthan has 3 national parks and 26 wildlife sanctuaries. Key examples: Ranthambore NP (Sawai Madhopur) — tigers (Project Tiger since 1973); Sariska Tiger Reserve (Alwar) — tigers, leopards; Desert NP (Jaisalmer-Barmer) — Great Indian Bustard, chinkara, Indian wolf; Keoladeo Ghana NP (Bharatpur) — migratory birds (UNESCO World Heritage); National Chambal Sanctuary — gharial (2,541 in 2024), Gangetic dolphin, mugger crocodile.
Q3 (5 marks — 50 words)
Describe the vegetation of the Thar Desert and how it is adapted to arid conditions.
Model Answer (EN): Thar Desert vegetation is xerophytic: Khejri (Prosopis cineraria — Rajasthan's state tree), Rohida (state flower), Ker, Phog, and Sevan grass dominate. Adaptations include deep tap roots (water access), small or waxy leaves (reduced transpiration), succulent stems (water storage), and thorns (deter grazing). Khejri is nitrogen-fixing, improves soil fertility, and provides drought fodder — called the "Kalpavriksha of the Desert."
Q4 (5 marks — 50 words)
Why is the Great Indian Bustard critically endangered? What conservation measures have been taken?
Model Answer (EN): The GIB (Ardeotis nigriceps) has fewer than 150 individuals globally, mostly in Rajasthan's Desert NP. Threats: habitat loss from agriculture and solar farms, fatal collisions with high-tension power lines (18–30 deaths/year), hunting, and increasing aridity. Conservation: Project GIB captive breeding at Sam Centre, Jaisalmer (70 birds, March 2026); Supreme Court 2021 order mandating underground power cabling in 10,000 sq km Priority Area; CRESEP Oran habitat protection.
Q5 (10 marks — 150 words)
Discuss the major forest types of Rajasthan, their distribution, and key conservation challenges the state faces.
Model Answer (EN): Rajasthan has a recorded forest area of approximately 32,737 sq km (9.56% of geographic area — below India's 21% average), with dense forest cover of only 4,323 sq km. Based on Champion and Seth's classification, the state's forests fall into four types:
1. Tropical Dry Deciduous Forests: The most extensive type, covering eastern and southeastern districts — Kota, Sawai Madhopur, Alwar, Chittorgarh, Udaipur. Dominant species: Dhok (Anogeissus pendula — the most widespread tree in Rajasthan), teak (Udaipur-Banswara-Dungarpur corridor), tendu, salai (Boswellia serrata, source of frankincense). These forests support Ranthambore and Sariska tiger reserves.
2. Tropical Thorn Forests: Found across the arid and semi-arid western and central regions. Dominated by Khejri, Ker, Phog, Rohida, Ber. These xerophytic forests constitute the largest area by scrub vegetation extent.
3. Subtropical Evergreen Forests: Restricted to Mount Abu (Sirohi district) — the only location in Rajasthan receiving more than 1,500 mm annual rainfall. Species unique to this zone: wild mango, jamun, orchids, tree ferns not found elsewhere in the state.
4. Riparian Forests: Along the banks of Chambal, Banas, and Mahi rivers with dense reed beds and Kans grass.
Conservation Challenges: (1) Mining-driven encroachment, particularly illegal quarrying in the Aravalli district; (2) Tribal community rights under Forest Rights Act 2006 creating land-use tensions; (3) Invasion by Prosopis juliflora (vilayati babool) covering over 7 lakh ha; (4) Human-wildlife conflict in Ranthambore-Sariska buffer zones; (5) Climate-induced drought reducing forest regeneration; (6) The 2026 Khejri Bachao Andolan highlights that even the legally-protected state tree faces ongoing threats in sacred Bishnoi territories.
Q6 (10 marks — 150 words)
Critically discuss the conflict between Rajasthan's renewable energy expansion and Great Indian Bustard conservation, with reference to the Supreme Court's 2021 order.
Model Answer (EN): Rajasthan represents the starkest example of India's renewable energy-biodiversity conflict. The state is India's leading solar and wind energy state — Jaisalmer and Barmer host massive solar parks and wind farms — while simultaneously being the last stronghold of the critically endangered Great Indian Bustard (<150 individuals globally).
The Power Line Problem: High-tension transmission lines criss-crossing the Thar Desert are the primary killer of GIBs in the wild. With limited frontal vision, GIBs cannot detect overhead wires; annual collision deaths are estimated at 18–30, catastrophic for a population this small. Without mitigation, the species faces extinction within decades.
Supreme Court Order (April 2021): The Court directed underground cabling of all high-tension lines within a 10,000 sq km "Priority Area" in Jaisalmer-Barmer. The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) strenuously opposed, estimating ₹21,000 crore implementation cost and arguing the order would derail 130+ GW of proposed capacity — threatening India's 500 GW renewable target by 2030. This created a direct constitutional tension between Article 21 (Right to Life — encompassing species survival) and India's climate commitments.
2023 Modification: The Supreme Court partially modified its order, classifying zones as "Priority" (mandatory underground cabling) and "Non-Priority" (feasibility assessment required). Legal contestation continues as of 2026.
Project GIB: The captive breeding programme at Sam Breeding Centre, Jaisalmer achieved 70 birds (March 2026), including two chicks hatched in 2026. However, ex-situ breeding cannot substitute for wild habitat protection — if power-line collisions continue, the wild population will collapse regardless of captive numbers.
Lessons: This case exemplifies that conservation of critically endangered species cannot be treated as secondary to development imperatives. The GIB's fate will test whether India can genuinely balance its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under Paris Agreement with its obligations under the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and its own Wildlife Protection Act 1972.