National Parks of India Notes for SSC Exams

National parks of India are protected areas where wildlife, plants and the landscape are fully protected, and no human activity like farming or grazing is allowed. SSC exams ask which park is in which state and which animal is famous in which park. These national parks of India notes for SSC give the important parks with the state and the main animal in a table, along with the tiger reserves and the key wildlife laws.

National Park, Sanctuary and Biosphere Reserve

Important National Parks

Wildlife Laws and Projects

Biosphere Reserves

• The first biosphere reserve of India is the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve (1986).
• Other examples are the Sundarbans, Nanda Devi, Gulf of Mannar and Panna.
• The Gulf of Mannar is the first marine biosphere reserve in South Asia.

Animals and Their Parks: Quick Match

Quick Tips

• Learn the park, state and animal as a group of three.
• Remember the first-of-its-kind facts: oldest national park (Corbett) and largest (Hemis).
• Do not mix a national park with a wildlife sanctuary or a biosphere reserve.
• Revise the new events, like the cheetahs at Kuno, from the current affairs.

Quick Revision Points

• Jim Corbett is the oldest national park of India.
• Kaziranga is the home of the one-horned rhino.
• Gir is the home of the Asiatic lion.
• Hemis is the largest national park.
• Project Tiger began in 1973.

Practice Questions With Answers

1. Which is the oldest national park of India?
   Answer: Jim Corbett National Park
2. In which state is the Kaziranga National Park?
   Answer: Assam
3. Which national park is famous for the Asiatic lion?
   Answer: Gir National Park
4. Where is the Keoladeo National Park?
   Answer: Rajasthan (Bharatpur)
5. Which national park is known for the hangul?
   Answer: Dachigam
6. In which year was Project Tiger started?
   Answer: 1973
7. Which is the largest national park of India?
   Answer: Hemis National Park
8. Which is the first biosphere reserve of India?
   Answer: Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve
9. In which national park were cheetahs reintroduced in 2022?
   Answer: Kuno National Park (Madhya Pradesh)
10. Which national park is famous for saltwater crocodiles?
    Answer: Bhitarkanika (Odisha)

How to Practise This Chapter

Learn five parks daily with the state and the animal and mark them on an outline map. Then solve questions from our practice papers, the free SSC quizzes and the previous year papers page. Read the previous chapter, Rivers of India, and see all topics on the Indian Geography notes page. Link this topic with the General Science notes on environment.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a national park?

A national park is a protected area where wildlife and nature are fully protected, and hunting, grazing and farming are not allowed.

What is the difference between a national park and a wildlife sanctuary?

A national park has stronger protection and does not allow human activities, while some activities may be allowed in a sanctuary.

Which is the oldest national park of India?

Jim Corbett National Park in Uttarakhand, set up in 1936, is the oldest national park of India.

Which is the largest national park of India?

Hemis National Park in Ladakh is the largest national park by area.

Where is the Asiatic lion found?

The Asiatic lion is found in the wild only in the Gir National Park and the nearby areas in Gujarat.

Which park is famous for the one-horned rhinoceros?

Kaziranga National Park in Assam is famous for the one-horned rhinoceros.

What is Project Tiger?

Project Tiger is a scheme started in 1973 to protect tigers and their habitat. It began in Jim Corbett National Park.

What is a biosphere reserve?

A biosphere reserve is a large protected area to conserve plants, animals and the culture of local people. It has core, buffer and transition zones.

Which is the first biosphere reserve of India?

The Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, set up in 1986, is the first biosphere reserve of India.

Where were cheetahs reintroduced in India?

Cheetahs were brought to the Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh in 2022.

How can I remember the national parks easily?

Learn the park with its state and its main animal, and mark the parks on a map of India.

How many questions come from national parks in SSC exams?

Usually one question comes from national parks and wildlife in SSC General Awareness papers, but the number changes from year to year.