SSC CGL 2025 Tier-I · 12 September 2025, Shift 3 · General Awareness · Question 22 of 100

We transcribed this text from the pictures on a candidate's response sheet for this shift; the answer is the key SSC colour-marked on that sheet. Solution last reviewed 11 September 2026.

Where this paper and its answers come from

SSC does not publish CGL question papers or a public answer key. From 2025 the candidate response sheet prints every question and option as a picture, so the text here is transcribed from those pictures for this shift and checked against them independently; where the layout carries meaning, the picture is shown as well. Each answer is the key SSC colour-marked on that sheet. SSC released a tentative key for challenge and later its final one, both only to candidates behind a login, and the sheet does not say which of the two it carries. The solutions are written by UnlockIAS.

The 'Mangrove Cell' initiative in 2025 is primarily linked to which Indian state?

(a)Odisha
(b)Andhra Pradesh
(c)Maharashtra
(d)West Bengal

Answer

Why

Correct — C. The Mangrove Cell is a unit of the Government of Maharashtra. Its own milestones page says the state set it up in 2012 to carry out measures for conserving Maharashtra's mangroves.

Its work includes the Thane Creek Flamingo Sanctuary and the Coastal and Marine Biodiversity Centre at Airoli.

Why the others are wrong

(a)
Odisha — Odisha has major mangroves, not this Cell. Its best-known mangrove forest is Bhitarkanika, but the body named "Mangrove Cell" in the question is Maharashtra's, set up in 2012.
(b)
Andhra Pradesh — Andhra Pradesh has delta mangroves such as Coringa, but the "Mangrove Cell" the question names is a Government of Maharashtra unit.
(d)
West Bengal — West Bengal holds the Sundarbans, which makes it the tempting pick, but the "Mangrove Cell" belongs to Maharashtra.

Concept

Maharashtra's mangrove protection was built in steps, as the Cell's milestones record. A High Court interim order in 2005 banned destroying mangroves, and the state declared them protected forest in 2008.

It created the Mangrove Cell in 2012 and gave mangroves reserved forest status in 2013. In 2015 it added the Mangrove and Marine Biodiversity Conservation Foundation of Maharashtra, and in 2022 Thane Creek became a Ramsar site.

The stem ties the Cell to 2025, but it was created in 2012. Linking it to Maharashtra is right; do not read "2025" as its founding year.

Key facts

Maharashtra set up the Mangrove Cell in 2012 to implement mangrove conservation measures.
Maharashtra gave its mangroves reserved forest status in 2013.
Thane Creek, home of the Thane Creek Flamingo Sanctuary, was designated a Ramsar site in 2022.
Maharashtra declared Sonneratia alba its State Mangrove Tree in 2020.

Study next

MISHTI, the Centre's mangrove programme announced in the Union Budget 2023-24India's major mangrove forests: Sundarbans, Bhitarkanika, Coringa, PichavaramRamsar sites of Maharashtra

Common traps

Picking West Bengal because the Sundarbans are the best-known mangroves — the question asks about a named Maharashtra body.
Taking the stem's "2025" as the Cell's founding year — it dates from 2012.

Mangroves return in this paper at GA Q.24 (MISHTI), and at 13 Sep 2024, 09:00, GA Q.13, where Sundari trees are placed in mangrove forests.

Related PYQs

No directly related past PYQ was found.

Topic: Scientific Research — all 178 SSC CGL questions on it, every solved shift.