UPSC Prelims 2026Question 32Environment

With reference to Madhav National Park, which of the following statements is/are correct ?
1. It was declared a Tiger Reserve in India in 2025.
2. Sakhya Sagar, which is designated as a Ramsar Site, is situated within this National Park.
3. Its area is shared between Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.
Select the answer using the code given below:

Options

(a)1 only
(b)1 and 2
(c)2 and 3
(d)3 only

Correct answer: b

Explanation

Correct Answer

(b) 1 and 2

Explanation of the Correct Answer

Statement 1: It was declared a Tiger Reserve in India in 2025.

Correct.

Madhav National Park in Madhya Pradesh was declared India’s 58th Tiger Reserve in March 2025.
It also became the 9th Tiger Reserve of Madhya Pradesh.
The Ministry of Environment’s 2025 year-end review mentions Madhav Tiger Reserve, Madhya Pradesh as the new tiger reserve added in 2025. (Press Information Bureau)

Statement 2: Sakhya Sagar, which is designated as a Ramsar Site, is situated within this National Park.

Correct.

Sakhya Sagar Lake is situated within Madhav National Park / Madhav Tiger Reserve.
It was designated as a Ramsar Site in 2022.
The official Madhav Tiger Reserve website mentions Sakhya Sagar Lake within Madhav, and Ramsar-related sources identify Sakhya Sagar as a Ramsar-designated wetland. (Madhav Tiger Reserve)

Statement 3: Its area is shared between Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.

Incorrect.

Madhav National Park is located in Shivpuri district of Madhya Pradesh.
Its area is not shared with Rajasthan.
It lies in the northern part of Madhya Pradesh, near Shivpuri, forming part of the Upper Vindhyan Hills. (Madhav Tiger Reserve)

Therefore, only statements 1 and 2 are correct.

Why Other Options Are Incorrect

Option	Verdict	Explanation
(a) 1 only	Incorrect	Statement 1 is correct, but statement 2 is also correct because Sakhya Sagar is a Ramsar Site within Madhav National Park.
(b) 1 and 2	Correct	Madhav National Park became a Tiger Reserve in 2025, and Sakhya Sagar Ramsar Site is located within it.
(c) 2 and 3	Incorrect	Statement 2 is correct, but statement 3 is incorrect because Madhav National Park is not shared between Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.
(d) 3 only	Incorrect	Statement 3 is incorrect; the park lies within Madhya Pradesh.

Relevant Supplementary Information

Madhav National Park / Madhav Tiger Reserve: Key Facts

Parameter	Details
Name	Madhav National Park / Madhav Tiger Reserve
State	Madhya Pradesh
District	Shivpuri
Tiger Reserve status	Declared India’s 58th Tiger Reserve in 2025
Position in Madhya Pradesh	9th Tiger Reserve of the state
Landscape	Northern fringe of Central Highlands; Upper Vindhyan Hills
Important lakes	Sakhya Sagar and Madhav Sagar
Ramsar Site inside park	Sakhya Sagar
Ramsar designation year	2022
Historical association	Former hunting ground of the Gwalior royal family and earlier rulers
Vegetation type	Dry deciduous forests, grasslands and lake ecosystem

Important Tiger Reserves of Madhya Pradesh

Tiger Reserve	State	Important Feature
Kanha	Madhya Pradesh	One of India’s oldest and best-known tiger reserves
Bandhavgarh	Madhya Pradesh	Known for high tiger density
Pench	Madhya Pradesh	Associated with the Central Indian landscape
Panna	Madhya Pradesh	Known for tiger reintroduction success
Satpura	Madhya Pradesh	Part of Satpura landscape
Sanjay-Dubri	Madhya Pradesh	Important forested tiger habitat
Veerangana Durgavati / Nauradehi	Madhya Pradesh	Large Central Indian conservation landscape
Ratapani	Madhya Pradesh	Declared a Tiger Reserve before Madhav
Madhav	Madhya Pradesh	India’s 58th Tiger Reserve, declared in 2025

Key Takeaways from the Tables

Madhav National Park = Madhya Pradesh, not Rajasthan.
It is located in Shivpuri district.
It became India’s 58th Tiger Reserve in 2025.
Sakhya Sagar Lake lies within the park and is a Ramsar Site.
Madhya Pradesh has a very significant role in India’s tiger conservation network.

Point	Explanation
Madhav = Madhya Pradesh	It is located in Shivpuri district and is not shared with Rajasthan.
Madhav became a Tiger Reserve in 2025	It was declared India’s 58th Tiger Reserve.
Sakhya Sagar is inside Madhav	It is a Ramsar Site located within the Madhav landscape.
MP is central to tiger conservation	Madhya Pradesh has multiple major tiger reserves including Kanha, Bandhavgarh, Pench, Panna, Satpura, Sanjay-Dubri, Ratapani, Veerangana Durgavati and Madhav.
Ramsar + Tiger Reserve overlap is important	Madhav is significant because it combines tiger habitat with an internationally important wetland.

Context and Current Relevance

Madhav’s recognition as a Tiger Reserve strengthens the Central Indian tiger landscape.
The presence of Sakhya Sagar Ramsar Site makes the reserve important for both tiger conservation and wetland conservation.
Recent reports have raised concerns over pollution in Sakhya Sagar, showing the need for stronger wetland management within protected areas. (The Times of India)

Table: National Parks / Tiger Reserves Recently Relevant in Madhya Pradesh

Protected Area	Location	Status / Recent Relevance	Important Features
Madhav National Park / Madhav Tiger Reserve	Shivpuri district, Madhya Pradesh	Declared India’s 58th Tiger Reserve in 2025	Contains Sakhya Sagar Ramsar Site; dry deciduous forest and lake ecosystem
Ratapani Tiger Reserve	Raisen and Sehore districts, Madhya Pradesh	Declared a Tiger Reserve before Madhav	Important tiger habitat near Bhopal
Veerangana Durgavati Tiger Reserve	Sagar, Damoh and Narsinghpur region, Madhya Pradesh	Created by merging Nauradehi Wildlife Sanctuary and Durgavati Wildlife Sanctuary	Large Central Indian tiger conservation landscape
Kanha Tiger Reserve	Mandla and Balaghat districts	One of India’s best-known tiger reserves	Known for barasingha conservation
Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve	Umaria district	Major tiger reserve of Central India	Known for high tiger density
Pench Tiger Reserve	Seoni and Chhindwara districts	Important tiger landscape shared with Maharashtra’s Pench region	Associated with the “Jungle Book” landscape
Panna Tiger Reserve	Panna and Chhatarpur districts	Known for successful tiger reintroduction	Located near Ken River landscape
Satpura Tiger Reserve	Narmadapuram district	Important Satpura hill landscape	Diverse terrain: forests, sandstone peaks, ravines
Sanjay-Dubri Tiger Reserve	Sidhi and Shahdol districts	Eastern Madhya Pradesh tiger habitat	Connected to the larger Central Indian forest belt

Table: Important Ramsar Sites in Madhya Pradesh

Ramsar Site	Location	Year of Ramsar Designation	Important Feature
Bhoj Wetland	Bhopal	2002	Consists of Upper Lake and Lower Lake; important urban wetland
Sakhya Sagar	Shivpuri, inside Madhav National Park / Madhav Tiger Reserve	2022	Artificial lake supporting marsh crocodiles and waterbirds
Sirpur Wetland	Indore	2022	Important urban wetland and bird habitat
Yashwant Sagar	Indore	2022	Important wetland for waterbirds and water regulation
Tawa Reservoir	Narmadapuram region	2024	Reservoir on the Tawa River; important wetland ecosystem

Table: Madhav National Park / Madhav Tiger Reserve: Quick Facts

Parameter	Details
State	Madhya Pradesh
District	Shivpuri
Tiger Reserve status	Declared in 2025
India-wide position	58th Tiger Reserve
State position	9th Tiger Reserve of Madhya Pradesh
Important wetland inside park	Sakhya Sagar
Ramsar Site inside park	Sakhya Sagar
Other lake in the park	Madhav Sagar
Landscape	Upper Vindhyan Hills / Central Indian landscape
Vegetation	Dry deciduous forest, grassland and wetland ecosystem
State sharing	Not shared with Rajasthan; located in Madhya Pradesh

Table: Similar UPSC-Trap Facts on Protected Areas

Protected Area / Site	Correct State / Country	Common Confusion	Correct Fact
Madhav National Park	Madhya Pradesh	Sometimes confused with Rajasthan due to proximity	It is located in Shivpuri district, Madhya Pradesh
Sakhya Sagar	Madhya Pradesh	Confused as a separate wetland outside the park	It lies within Madhav National Park / Tiger Reserve
Kuno National Park	Madhya Pradesh	Sometimes linked only with cheetahs, not broader conservation	It is India’s main cheetah reintroduction site
Ranthambore Tiger Reserve	Rajasthan	Confused with Madhav due to regional proximity	It is in Rajasthan, not Madhya Pradesh
Pench Tiger Reserve	Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra landscape	Confusion due to same name in two states	Pench landscape extends across both states, but MP and Maharashtra have separate administrative units
Sariska Tiger Reserve	Rajasthan	Sometimes confused with MP tiger reserves	It is located in Rajasthan’s Aravalli landscape
Keoladeo National Park	Rajasthan	Confused with tiger reserves	It is a bird sanctuary and Ramsar Site, not a tiger reserve

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