Biodiversity — Hotspots, Threatened Species, Conservation (In-situ/Ex-situ)

What should you study in Biodiversity?

• Biodiversity hotspots in India — Western Ghats, Himalayas, Indo-Burma, Sundaland
• IUCN Red List categories — CR, EN, VU
• In-situ conservation — national parks, sanctuaries, biosphere reserves, Ramsar sites
• Ex-situ conservation — zoos, gene banks, botanical gardens

How often is Biodiversity asked in UPSC Prelims?

Asked in 5 of 10 years, including 3 of the last 5. Highlighted years below are the ones it appeared in.

1. 2016: not asked
2. 2017: asked
3. 2018: not asked
4. 2019: asked
5. 2020: not asked
6. 2021: asked
7. 2022: not asked
8. 2023: asked
9. 2024: not asked
10. 2025: asked

About the Prelims GS Paper I paper

General Studies Paper I is the Prelims paper that decides the cut-off: 100 multiple-choice questions for 200 marks, with negative marking for wrong answers. See all 88 Prelims GS Paper I topics.

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