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UPSC Prelims 2026 · Environment · Wild Places
With reference to Madhav National Park, which of the following statements is/are correct?
- It was declared a Tiger Reserve in India in 2025.
- Sakhya Sagar, which is designated as a Ramsar Site, is situated within this National Park.
- Its area is shared between Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.
- (a) 1 only
- (b) 1 and 2
- (c) 2 and 3
- (d) 3 only
Show the answer and explanation
Answer: (b) 1 and 2
Tiger reserve in 2025 ✓ and Sakhya Sagar Ramsar site ✓. Statement 3 is wrong — the park is only in MP.
Statement by statement
1. ✓ CORRECT — India’s 58th tiger reserve Madhav (Shivpuri, Madhya Pradesh) was notified as a tiger reserve in March 2025 — India’s 58th and MP’s 9th. Tigers were brought back here in 2023.
2. ✓ CORRECT — Ramsar site since 2022 Sakhya Sagar is a lake inside Madhav National Park, declared a Ramsar site in 2022 — famous for mugger crocodiles.
3. ✗ WRONG — only Madhya Pradesh The park lies wholly in Shivpuri district, Madhya Pradesh. The Rajasthan link is a trap — Kuno (MP) and Ranthambore (Rajasthan) are its neighbours in the same tiger landscape, not part of it.
The idea
One place can carry several labels at once, each from a different law or treaty. “National park” comes from the Wild Life (Protection) Act. “Tiger reserve” is added on top by notification on the tiger authority’s advice. “Ramsar site” comes from an international convention and can apply to one lake inside the park.
National park since 1958 → Sakhya Sagar lake becomes a Ramsar site, 2022 → Tigers are brought back, 2023 → Notified as a tiger reserve, 2025
Why the others are wrong
(a) Misses Sakhya Sagar — a Ramsar lake that is inside the park.
(c) Statement 3 is wrong — Madhav is not shared with Rajasthan.
(d) The only wrong statement is picked alone.
The trap
The “shared between two states” line. Some protected areas really do cross borders (Pench is MP + Maharashtra), so check each one — Madhav does not.
Also know
UPSC 2026 asked it because it was news: a new tiger reserve + a Ramsar site in one park. Expect the same pattern for the newest reserves and Ramsar sites.
🔒 Madhav = Shivpuri (MP) · 58th Tiger Reserve (March 2025) · Sakhya Sagar Ramsar lake inside.