What does biodiversity mean for India?
Biodiversity describes the FULL variety of life — different species of plants, animals, fungi + microbes, plus the genetic + ecosystem variation within each. India is among 17 MEGADIVERSE countries on Earth: ~7.5% of global animal species + 6% of plant species live on only 2.4% of the world's land surface. India's species form INTERDEPENDENT webs across forests, wetlands, oceans + agricultural landscapes — sustaining everything from pollination of food crops to natural pest control. Conservation thus matters both ecologically + economically.
Why are forests called "primary producers"?
They are the base of the ecological system on which all other living beings depend; they re-create the quality of air, water, and soil.
What share of global plant + animal species is found in India?
About 4-5% of all known plant and animal species on Earth (Class Vegetation chapter).
Why is conservation needed?
Preserves ecological diversity + life-support systems (water, air, soil) AND genetic diversity for better growth and breeding (e.g. agriculture still depends on traditional crop varieties).
When did the demand for a national wildlife protection programme arise?
1960s-1970s — leading to the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act of 1972.
UPSC-pattern: As per the Indian Wildlife Act and the IUCN methodology, species are classified into how many threat categories?
9 IUCN categories: EX, EW, CR, EN, VU, NT, LC, DD, NE. (Schedule classification in WLPA is a separate legal framework.)
UPSC-pattern: India is one of the 17 'megadiverse' countries. Among the 4 global biodiversity hotspots that occur in India — which one is restricted to the Andaman & Nicobar Islands?
Sundaland hotspot (specifically Nicobar Islands).
When was the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act enacted?
1972 — provided main legal framework for conservation + protection of wildlife in India.
Three core thrusts of the 1972 Act?
(1) Banning hunting of endangered species, (2) Giving legal protection to their habitats, (3) Restricting trade in wildlife.
When was the Act first comprehensively amended?
1991 — punishments made more stringent; provisions extended to plant species and conservation of endangered wild animals.
When were plants first added to the protected list?
1991 — starting with six species (a major shift from the animal-only focus).
Were insects added to the list?
Yes — Wildlife Act notifications of 1980 and 1986 added several hundred butterflies, moths, beetles, and one dragonfly.
This topic is part of the NCERT Class 10 Geography syllabus, specifically the textbook Contemporary India - II, drawn from the chapter Ch 2: Forest and Wildlife Resources. Content is cross-referenced against the latest NCERT textbook editions + standard reference works (Bipan Chandra, R.S. Sharma, Romila Thapar, Satish Chandra for history; G.C. Leong, Savindra Singh for geography; the UPSC Civil Services prelims + mains syllabus).
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