Question

The first protected area in India is _______
A) Silent valley
B) Corbett National Park
C) Bandipur sanctuary
D) Nagar-Hole

Answer 1

Hint: A protected area is defined as regions or locations that are under protection due to their ecological, cultural or natural values so that their exploitation is limited.

Complete answer-
The most important objective of protected areas is the conservation of biodiversity, it may be specific for a species or may be one where all the species co-exist. The World Commission on Protected Areas has developed six different categories of protected areas which is recognized internationally by the United Nations as well as various national governments. The categories are as follows- category Ia which stands for strict nature reserve, category Ib which stands for Wilderness area, category II which stands for National park, category III which stands for Natural monument or feature, category IV which stands for Habitat/ Species Management area, category V which stands for Protected Landscape or Seascape and category VI which stands for protected area with sustainable use of natural resources. Among the given options in the question, the first protected area in India is the Corbett National Park which was established in 1936.

So the correct answer is B) Corbett National Park.

Note-
The Corbett National Park is located in Nainital, Uttarakhand and was established under the Project Tiger initiative to prevent tigers from getting extinct. Apart from tigers the park consists of various types of trees and animals such as leopards, deers, Himalayan black bears, macaques and several species of birds.