National Parks and Tiger Reserves of India: State-Wise List with Memory Tricks
How a national park differs from a sanctuary and a biosphere reserve, plus a state-wise list of parks and tiger reserves that SSC and UPSC repeat.
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Environment questions often ask which State holds a park, or which legal label is stricter. Under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, a sanctuary and a national park are both notified protected areas. A national park is generally stricter: grazing and private rights are more tightly limited. A biosphere reserve is a wider UNESCO-style landscape with a core, a buffer, and a transition zone. It is not the same legal category as a national park, though a park may sit inside the core.
| Place | State | Label |
|---|---|---|
| Jim Corbett | Uttarakhand | National park and tiger reserve; India’s first national park |
| Kaziranga | Assam | National park; one-horned rhinoceros |
| Manas | Assam | National park, tiger reserve, and a biosphere reserve |
| Sundarbans | West Bengal | Tiger reserve, national park, and biosphere reserve |
| Gir | Gujarat | National park; Asiatic lion |
| Kanha | Madhya Pradesh | National park and tiger reserve |
| Bandhavgarh | Madhya Pradesh | National park and tiger reserve |
| Ranthambore | Rajasthan | National park and tiger reserve |
| Sariska | Rajasthan | Tiger reserve |
| Periyar | Kerala | Tiger reserve |
| Bandipur | Karnataka | Tiger reserve, part of the Nilgiri biosphere landscape |
| Hemis | Ladakh | National park; snow leopard |
Project Tiger began in 1973. Jim Corbett was among the first reserves. Madhya Pradesh is repeatedly called the State with a large number of tiger reserves, which is why Kanha and Bandhavgarh should be a pair in your notes. A new notification can add a reserve, so treat any “complete list” as a revision aid and check the National Tiger Conservation Authority before a mains answer that needs the latest count.
Practice MCQs
1. Jim Corbett National Park is in: (a) Assam (b) Uttarakhand (c) Madhya Pradesh (d) Gujarat
Answer: (b).
2. The Asiatic lion is associated with: (a) Gir (b) Kaziranga (c) Hemis (d) Periyar
Answer: (a).
3. Project Tiger was launched in: (a) 1952 (b) 1972 (c) 1973 (d) 1986
Answer: (c). The Wildlife (Protection) Act is 1972.
4. A biosphere reserve is best described as: (a) identical to a national park (b) a zoned landscape with core, buffer and transition (c) a municipal park (d) a tiger census
Answer: (b).
5. Ranthambore is in: (a) Rajasthan (b) Kerala (c) Karnataka (d) Assam
Answer: (a).
6. Kaziranga is famous for the: (a) Asiatic lion (b) one-horned rhinoceros (c) snow leopard (d) olive ridley only
Answer: (b).
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The free practice set on the homepage needs no account. Use it after you read, while the facts are still fresh.
Start free practiceThese notes are for educational purposes. IQ Earners is not affiliated with UPSC, SSC, IBPS or SBI. Check the constitutional text and the latest official notifications before you rely on a detail. Found an error? Write via Contact.