The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has recently categorized the Red Sanders (Red Sandalwood) into
- (a)deficient category
- (b)endangered category
- (c)near-threatened category
- (d)critically endangered category
Correct — B, endangered category. In the news cycle before this April 2022 exam, the IUCN's 2021 Red List update was reported to have moved Red Sanders (Pterocarpus santalinus) back into the 'Endangered' category, reflecting continuing pressure from illegal logging and smuggling of its prized red timber. The official key marks 'endangered' correct. Note that this species' listing has fluctuated — it had earlier been reassessed as 'Near Threatened' in 2018, and some standing summaries still cite that status, so students should check the current IUCN Red List entry for the latest position.
- (a)deficient category — There is no IUCN category called simply 'deficient'; the actual category is 'Data Deficient', and it was not the status assigned to Red Sanders here.
- (c)near-threatened category — Red Sanders had been listed as Near Threatened after the 2018 assessment, but the reassessment behind this question moved it up to Endangered.
- (d)critically endangered category — The species was placed in the Endangered category, one step below Critically Endangered, so this over-states the assigned status.
The IUCN Red List rates species by extinction risk using categories from Least Concern up through Near Threatened, Vulnerable, Endangered and Critically Endangered. Red Sanders is a slow-growing tree endemic to the southern Eastern Ghats of India, chiefly in Andhra Pradesh, whose dense red heartwood is heavily smuggled, keeping it under conservation pressure.
The question tests whether you followed the 2021-22 news that Red Sanders was returned to the 'Endangered' category. The distractors mix in a fake category ('deficient'), the previous 'Near Threatened' status and the more severe 'Critically Endangered' to test precise recall — the reassessment landed on Endangered.
- Red Sanders (Pterocarpus santalinus) is endemic to the southern Eastern Ghats, mainly in Andhra Pradesh.
- It is prized for its dense red heartwood and is a frequent target of illegal logging.
- The exam's answer reflects the 2021 IUCN reassessment reported as moving it back to 'Endangered'.
- It is also listed in Appendix II of CITES, which regulates its international trade.
- Falling for the fake option 'deficient' instead of the real IUCN category 'Data Deficient'.
- Assuming the status is static — Red Sanders' IUCN listing has shifted between Near Threatened and Endangered.
As an environment current-affairs item on a species' updated IUCN Red List status.
With reference to 'Red Sanders', sometimes seen in the news, consider the following statements: 1. It is a tree species found in a part of South India. 2. It is one of the most important trees in the tropical rain forest areas of South India. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- (a) 1 only
- (b) 2 only
- (c) Both 1 and 2
- (d) Neither 1 nor 2
Answer(a) 1 only
The very same species in a UPSC prelims item — confirms Red Sanders is a South-Indian (Eastern Ghats) tree, the background this NDA status question builds on.
- practice — not a real PYQ
Red Sanders (Pterocarpus santalinus) is a tree endemic mainly to which region of India?
- (a)Southern Eastern Ghats (Andhra Pradesh)
- (b)Sundarbans delta
- (c)Western Himalaya
- (d)Thar Desert
Answer(a) Southern Eastern Ghats (Andhra Pradesh) — its natural home.
- practice — not a real PYQ
In the IUCN Red List, which category indicates a higher risk of extinction than 'Endangered'?
- (a)Vulnerable
- (b)Near Threatened
- (c)Critically Endangered
- (d)Least Concern
Answer(c) Critically Endangered — the highest-risk category before Extinct in the Wild.