How many Ramsar conservation sites have been enlisted from India so far?
- (a)12
- (b)16
- (c)27
- (d)62
Correct — C, 27. The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands (signed 1971 at Ramsar, Iran) lets member countries designate 'Wetlands of International Importance'. India — a party since 1982 — had designated its 27th such site, the Samaspur Bird Sanctuary in Uttar Pradesh, on 3 October 2019, only weeks before this examination, so 27 was the register total at exam time. India's first two Ramsar sites, Chilika Lake (Odisha) and Keoladeo National Park (Rajasthan), were listed back in 1981. (The network has expanded very rapidly since — past 85 sites by 2025 — so today's figure is far higher; this item is anchored to the 2019 exam.)
- (a)12 — Far short of India's tally — the country had well over a dozen Ramsar sites long before 2019.
- (b)16 — Still an undercount; India had crossed this number years earlier.
- (d)62 — Too high for 2019 — India did not approach this many sites until the rapid expansion of the 2020s.
The Ramsar Convention (1971) is an intergovernmental treaty for the conservation and 'wise use' of wetlands. Member states designate wetlands of international importance, known as Ramsar sites. India acceded in 1982; its first two sites, Chilika Lake and Keoladeo National Park, were designated in 1981.
This is a 'count so far' current-affairs item, so anchor it to late 2019. The tally rises almost every year, meaning the tested number reflects the register on the exam date rather than the figure today.
- The Ramsar Convention was signed on 2 February 1971 at Ramsar, Iran; 2 February is World Wetlands Day.
- India became a party in 1982; Chilika Lake and Keoladeo National Park (both 1981) were its first Ramsar sites.
- India's 27th site, Samaspur Bird Sanctuary (Uttar Pradesh), was designated on 3 October 2019.
- The network expanded rapidly thereafter — past 85 sites by 2025.
- Quoting a current (much larger) figure for a question anchored to 2019.
- Confusing Ramsar sites with biosphere reserves, or the Ramsar list with the World Heritage list.
Asked as a running count 'so far' — tie the number to the exam year, since it rises almost every year.
India is a party to the Ramsar Convention and has declared many areas as Ramsar Sites. Which of the following statements best describes how we should maintain these sites in the context of this Convention?
- (a) Keep all the sites completely inaccessible to man so that they will not be exploited.
- (b) Conserve all the sites through ecosystem approach and permit tourism and recreation only.
- (c) Conserve all the sites through ecosystem approach for a period without any exploitation, with specific criteria and specific period for each site, and then allow sustainable use of them by future generations.
- (d) Conserve all the sites through ecosystem approach and allow their simultaneous sustainable use.
Answer(d) Conserve all the sites through ecosystem approach and allow their simultaneous sustainable use.
Same topic — India's Ramsar sites under the Convention. UPSC tests the 'wise use' principle for maintaining them; this NDA item tests how many India had designated.
Which of the following were added in India as Ramsar Site in the year 2025? 1. Sakkarakottai Bird Sanctuary 2. Udhwa Lake 3. Rudrasagar Lake 4. Bakhira Wildlife Sanctuary Select the answer using the code given below:
- (a) 1 and 4
- (b) 2 and 3 only
- (c) 1 and 2 only
- (d) 1, 2 and 3
Answer(c) 1 and 2 only
Same running theme — India's growing Ramsar network. That 2025 item asks which sites were newly added; this 2019 item asks the running total at the time.
- practice — not a real PYQ
The Ramsar Convention, adopted in 1971, deals with the conservation of
- (a)forests
- (b)wetlands
- (c)deserts
- (d)coral reefs
Answer(b) wetlands — it protects 'Wetlands of International Importance'.
- practice — not a real PYQ
Which of the following was among India's first Ramsar sites, designated in 1981?
- (a)Loktak Lake
- (b)Sundarban Wetland
- (c)Chilika Lake
- (d)Sambhar Lake
Answer(c) Chilika Lake — listed alongside Keoladeo National Park in 1981.