National Parks in India

Important National Parks in India act as an apt place for preserving animals by providing natural habitat and prey. Anthropogenic activities like developmental activities, industrial activities, forestry, poaching, hunting, and cultivation are not permitted. The boundaries of National Parks are well defined and no private activities are allowed inside the National Park.

List of National Parks India 2024
Download PDF Here

For the IAS Exam, aspirants should know about the National Parks in India which is an integral part of Indian geography and Environment.

This article provides the list of National Parks in India, the year of establishment and the State associated.

Web Banner new

To complement your preparation for the upcoming exam, check the following links:

List of National Parks in India

As per the studies, India possesses more than 100 National Parks with an immense variety of fauna.

In the table below, we are giving the complete list of National Parks in India with their location, which will be helpful for your UPSC IAS Prelims exam:

Year of Establishment         Name of National Park State
1936 Corbett National Park Uttarakhand
1955 Kanha National Park Madhya Pradesh
1955 Tadoba National Park Maharashtra
1959 Madhav National Park Madhya Pradesh
1968 Bandhavgarh National Park Madhya Pradesh
1974 Kaziranga National Park Assam
1974 Bandipur National Park Karnataka
1974 Bannerghatta National Park Karnataka
1975 Gir National Park Gujarat
1975 Gugamal National Park Maharashtra
1975 Navegaon National Park Maharashtra
1975 Pench National Park Madhya Pradesh
1976 Blackbuck National Park Gujarat
1976 Guindy National Park Tamil Nadu
1977 Keibul-Lamjao National Park Manipur
1977 Khangchendzonga National Park Sikkim
1977 Dudhwa National Park Uttar Pradesh
1978 Eravikulam National Park Kerala
1979 Vansda National Park Gujarat
1979 Van Vihar National Park Madhya Pradesh
1980 Simlipal National Park Odisha
1980 Ranthambore National Park Rajasthan
1980 Gulf of Mannar Marine National Park Tamil Nadu
1981 Guru Ghasidas (Sanjay) National Park Chhattisgarh
1981 Dachigam National Park Jammu & Kashmir
1981 Hemis National Park Jammu & Kashmir
1981 Kishtwar National Park Jammu & Kashmir
1981 Panna National Park Madhya Pradesh
1981 Sanjay National Park Madhya Pradesh
1981 Satpura National Park Madhya Pradesh
1981 Keoladeo Ghana National Park Rajasthan
1982 Indravati National Park Chhattisgarh
1982 Kanger Valley National Park Chhattisgarh
1982 Marine National Park Gujarat
1982 Periyar National Park Kerala
1982 Nanda Devi National Park Uttarakhand
1982 Valley of Flowers National Park Uttarakhand
1983 Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park Andaman & Nicobar Islands
1983 Namdapha National Park Arunachal Pradesh
1983 Fossil National Park Madhya Pradesh
1983 Sanjay Gandhi National Park Maharashtra
1983 Rajaji National Park Uttarakhand
1984 Great Himalayan National Park Himachal Pradesh
1984 Silent Valley National Park Kerala
1984 Sunderban National Park West Bengal
1985 Balpakram National Park Meghalaya
1986 Mouling National Park Arunachal Pradesh
1986 Betla National Park Jharkhand
1986 Nokrek Ridge National Park Meghalaya
1986 Neora Valley National Park West Bengal
1986 Singalila National Park West Bengal
1987 Middle Button Island National Park Andaman & Nicobar Islands
1987 Mount Harriet National Park Andaman & Nicobar Islands
1987 North Button Island National Park Andaman & Nicobar Islands
1987 Saddle Peak National Park Andaman & Nicobar Islands
1987 South Button Island National Park Andaman & Nicobar Islands
1987 Pin Valley National Park Himachal Pradesh
1987 Anshi National Park Karnataka
1987 Kudremukh National Park Karnataka
1988 Nagarahole (Rajiv Gandhi) National Park Karnataka
1988 Bhitarkanika National Park Odisha
1989 Sri Venkateswara National Park Andhra Pradesh
1989 Valmiki National Park Bihar
1989 Sultan National Park Haryana
1989 Indira Gandhi (Annamalai) National Park Tamil Nadu
1989 Gangotri National Park Uttarakhand
1990 Manas National Park Assam
1990 Mudumalai National Park Tamil Nadu
1990 Mukurthi National Park Tamil Nadu
1990 Govind National Park Uttarakhand
1991 Murlen National Park Mizoram
1992 Campbell Bay National Park Andaman & Nicobar Islands
1992 Galathea Bay National Park Andaman & Nicobar Islands
1992 Mollem National Park Goa
1992 City Forest (Salim Ali) National Park Jammu & Kashmir
1992 Phawngpui Blue Mountain National Park Mizoram
1992 Desert National Park Rajasthan
1992 Sariska National Park Rajasthan
1992 Buxa National Park West Bengal
1992 Gorumara National Park West Bengal
1993 Intanki National Park Nagaland
1994 Kasu Brahmananda Reddy National Park Telangana
1994 Mahaveer Harina Vanasthali National Park Telangana
1994 Mrugavani National Park Telangana
1996 Rani Jhansi Marine National Park Andaman & Nicobar Islands
1998 Nameri National Park Assam
1999 Dibru-Saikhowa National Park Assam
1999 Rajiv Gandhi Orang National Park Assam
2003 Kalesar National Park Haryana
2003 Anamudi Shola National Park Kerala
2003 Mathikettan Shola National Park Kerala
2003 Pampadum Shola National Park Kerala
2004 Chandoli National Park Maharashtra
2005 Rajiv Gandhi (Rameswaram) National Park Andhra Pradesh
2006 Mukundra Hills National Park Rajasthan
2007 Clouded Leopard National Park Tripura
2007 Bison National Park Tripura
2008 Papikonda National Park Andhra Pradesh
2010 Inderkilla National Park Himachal Pradesh
2010 Khirganga National Park Himachal Pradesh
2010 Simbalbara National Park Himachal Pradesh
2014 Jaldapara National Park West Bengal

The General Studies Paper I for UPSC IAS Prelims includes various subjects like Geography, History, Polity, and Economics. Previous year question papers of Civil Service Exam tends to ask more factual questions from traditional as well as current affairs segment which is considered as highly dynamic.

List of National Parks in India

List of National Parks India 2023
Download PDF Here

List of National Parks in India is an important static GK topic for the UPSC exam. For more static GK topics check the article linked here.

National Parks in India- Salient Points related to UPSC IAS Exam

  • If aspirants are adopting the right strategies for understanding this fact, then they can crack the UPSC IAS exam very easily.
  • The geography questions asked by UPSC in IAS Prelims Exam in the last few years are overlapped with the environment and ecology.
  • The National Parks, Wildlife Sanctuary, Reserve forest, Conservation reserves, Marine reserves, Community reserves, Biosphere reserves come under the Protected areas of India.
  • India is one of the 17 megadiverse countries in the world. The country is bestowed with a plethora of flora and fauna.
  • National parks are protected areas under IUCN category II. India’s first National Park was established in 1936 at Uttarakhand, Jim Corbett National Park.
  • India only had five national parks till 1970. In 1972, India legislated the Wildlife Protection Act.

There are similar topics that aspirants can read from the linked articles mentioned in the table below:

GI Tags in India UNESCO World Heritage Sites in India Major Ports in India
Natural Vegetation in India Pong Dam Lake Wildlife Sanctuary Important Lakes in India

Important Facts & Questions on National Parks in India

Q1

Q 1. What is a National Park?

Ans. Any natural habitat which is set aside by the Government of a state or Union Territory for the conservation of the natural environment is called a National Park.
Q2

Q 2. Which is the largest National Park in India?

Ans. Hemis National Park in Ladakh is the largest National Park in India. Hemis National Park is globally famous for its snow leopards, it is believed to have the highest density of them in any protected area in the world.
Q3

Q 3. Why do we need National Parks?

Ans. There are multiple objectives for creating a National Park:

  • It can help in the protection of the ecosystem os a specific area or region
  • Conservation of species that are on the verge of extinction
  • To preserve natural resources for ecological development
  • It can help in preserving varied species
Q4

Q 4. Which was the first Marine National Park in India?

Ans. The first Marine National Park is located in the Gulf of Kutch and was created in 1982. It is situated on the southern shore of the Gulf of Kutch in the Devbhumi Dwarka district of Gujarat state.
Q5

Q 5. Which is the only floating National Park in the country and where is it located?

Ans. The Keibul Lamjao National Park is a national park in the Bishnupur district of the state of Manipur in India. It is the only floating National Park in the world.
Q6

Q 6. What is the difference between a National Park and a Wildlife Sanctuary?

Ans. A wildlife sanctuary is an area of nature owned by the government or a private agency for the protection of particular species of flora or fauna during a part of the year or in its entirety. Whereas, a national park is a reserved area of land owned by the government which is protected from industrialization, human exploitation, and pollution. To know a detailed Difference Between National Park, Biosphere Reserve and Wildlife Sanctuary, visit the linked article.
Q7

Q 7. Which is the oldest National Park in India?

Ans. The Jim Corbett National Park is the oldest National Park in India. It is located in Uttrakhand and was established in 1936.
Q8

Q 8. How many National Parks are there in India?

Ans. There are a total of 104 National Parks (as in January 2021) in India. They cover a total area of 40,564 km2, which is 1.23% of the geographical area of the country.

Relevant Links

UPSC Mains General Studies Paper-I Strategy, Syllabus & Structure Topic-Wise General Studies Paper-1 Questions for UPSC Mains
Geography Questions in UPSC Mains GS 1 Environment & Ecology Questions in UPSC Mains GS-3
Daily News

Comments

Leave a Comment

Your Mobile number and Email id will not be published.

*

*