Question

Comprehension: India is home to an estimated 10% of the global Snow Leopard population spread across five Himalayan states of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh which is only 5% of the available global habitat for the animal. Project Snow Leopard was introduced in India by the Project Snow Leopard Committee instituted by the Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India, in the year 2009 to safeguard and conserve India’s unique natural heritage of high-altitude wildlife populations and their habitats by promoting conservation through participatory policies and actions. Project Tiger and Project Elephant are prevalent in India with the former introduced in 1973 garnering worldwide attention. The Snow Leopard usually occurs at an altitude of \(>2700\,\text{m}\) above sea level and is the apex predator in the Himalayan Region along with the Tibetan Wolf. The project is not only to protect the Snow Leopard, but as with Project Tiger, it is considered an umbrella species and with its protection comes the protection of other species and the habitat which they are all a part of. Top 3 National Parks in India where the Snow Leopard can likely be seen: - Kibber Wildlife Sanctuary — Himachal Pradesh
- Ulley Valley — Ladakh
- Hemis National Park — Himachal Pradesh The reasons for the introduction of Project Snow Leopard are as follows:

• A. High altitudes of India \(>3000\,\text{m}\) including the Himalayan and Trans-Himalayan biogeographic zones support a unique wildlife assemblage of global conservation significance.
• B. India has ratified international agreements promoting the conservation of high-altitude wildlife species such as the snow leopard.
• C. Snow Leopards are vulnerable species and must be protected.
• D. Are dangerous and must be left to die

Hint:

When answering comprehension questions, focus on the keywords related to purpose, tone, or intent. Eliminate options that contradict the core message of the passage.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

Step 1: Identify the central theme of the passage.
The passage is focused on Snow Leopards, their habitat, and the Project Snow Leopard launched by the Government of India. The project is designed to conserve high-altitude ecosystems and wildlife, especially snow leopards. Step 2: Note the conservation intent.
The project is introduced to “safeguard and conserve India’s unique natural heritage.” There is no mention of snow leopards being dangerous or aggressive. On the contrary, they are considered an "umbrella species," meaning conserving them helps protect the broader ecosystem. Step 3: Eliminate incorrect options.
Option (2) "Are dangerous and must be left to die" — Incorrect. The passage promotes protection.
Option (3) "Are aggressive" — Not mentioned.
Option (4) "Are rigid species" — Irrelevant.
Option (1) fits correctly with the conservation theme.
Step 4: Final inference.
The correct purpose of the passage is to highlight that snow leopards are a vulnerable species and need protection through national-level conservation efforts.