Question

Number of National Parks present in India are-
a)49
b)50
c)70
d)104

Answer 1

Hint: Wildlife and natural vegetation are one of the most important assets of a country. The government of India, therefore , declares certain areas as protected areas where human occupation and exploitation of resources is limited. The International Union for Conservation of Nature( IUCN ), based on the level of protection and regulation of the area, has categorized these protected areas into four kinds- national parks, wildlife sanctuaries, conservation reserves and community reserves.

Complete answer: An area with ecological, geo-morphological natural significance,that is marked out by the Government to protect its wildlife and environment is called a National Park. National Park falls under category II of IUCN protected areas. These are areas with rich flora and fauna where human activity is strictly regulated.
Activities like grazing, hunting, forestry and cultivation are prohibited within the precincts of a national park and only those activities are allowed which are permitted by the Chief Wildlife Warden of the State. State governments are also allowed to alter or fix the boundaries of a National park after consultation with the National Board of Wildlife.
There are 104 National Parks in India. These national parks cover around 1.23% of the entire geographical area of the country. Madhya Pradesh and Andaman and Nicobar have the maximum number of national parks with 9 national parks in each state. Hemis National Park in Jammu and Kashmir is the largest National Park in India. On the other hand, South Button Island National Park in Andaman and Nicobar island is the smallest national park in the country.

Therefore the correct answer is option (D) 104.

Note: The difference between a wildlife sanctuary and a national park is based on the rights that are vested to the people living inside or near these areas. The communities do not have any rights in a national park whereas communities residing in a wildlife sanctuary may have certain rights like grazing of livestock. Hailey’s National park, now known as Jim Corbett National Parks, is the first National park of India.