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UPSC Prelims 2017 · Environment · Rules for the Planet
In India, if a species of tortoise is declared protected under Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, what does it imply?
- (a) It enjoys the same level of protection as the tiger.
- (b) It no longer exists in the wild, a few individuals are under captive protection; and now it is impossible to prevent its extinction.
- (c) It is endemic to a particular region of India.
- (d) Both (b) and (c) stated above are correct in this context.
Show the answer and explanation
Answer: (a) It enjoys the same level of protection as the tiger.
Schedule I gives the highest protection — the same as the tiger, with the heaviest penalties.
The idea
The schedules of the Act are a ranking of legal protection. They say how strictly the law guards a species and how heavy the punishment is. They say nothing about where the species lives or how many are left. So every Schedule I species, large or small, stands at the same level as the tiger.
Species is placed in Schedule I → Hunting and trade are banned → Offence brings the heaviest punishment in the Act → Same for a tortoise as for a tiger
Elimination technique
Option (b) uses “impossible”. Absolute words usually mark the wrong statement in Environment PYQs. Once (b) is out, (d) goes with it.
Also know
An offence against a Schedule I animal carries at least three years in prison, which can extend to seven. The Indian star tortoise is heavily smuggled for the pet trade and was moved to CITES Appendix I in 2019. Extinction risk is a separate matter, recorded in the IUCN Red List.
🔒 Schedule I = highest protection (tiger, elephant, star tortoise…).