UPSC Prelims 2015 · Question 25 of 98
UPSC Prelims 2015 question on National Aquatic Animal
- ExamUPSC CSE
- Year2015
- PaperGeneral Studies Paper I
- SubjectEnvironment and Ecology
- TopicSpecies
- DifficultyEasy
- TypeDirect
Which one of the following is the national aquatic animal of India?
Show answer
Answer: C. Gangetic dolphin
Verdict
The answer is the Gangetic dolphin. It was declared the national aquatic animal of India.
Analysis
The Ganges river dolphin was notified as the national aquatic animal in 2009, in connection with the designation of the Ganga as a national river and the conservation attention that followed. It is a freshwater, essentially blind dolphin that navigates by echolocation. The saltwater crocodile and the gharial are reptiles rather than mammals and neither carries the designation, though the gharial is critically endangered and often appears in conservation questions. The olive ridley turtle is celebrated for its mass nesting at Gahirmatha but is likewise not the national aquatic animal.
Source
Indian Express reporting on dolphin counting in the Ganga, and India Year Book.
How to crack it
National symbols form a small closed list, so learn it once completely: animal, bird, aquatic animal, heritage animal, flower, tree, fruit and river. Every one of these has appeared or can appear. Notice also that the designation followed a policy moment, the naming of the Ganga as a national river, which is the general pattern for such notifications and helps you place the year even if you have not memorised it.
More questions on Species
← Full 2015 question paper · All Environment and Ecology questions