Previous Year Question
In India, if a species of tortoise is declared protected under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, what does it imply?
It enjoys the same level of protection as the tiger
It no longer exists in the wild, a few individuals are under captive protection; and now it is impossible to prevent its extinction
It is endemic to a particular region of India
Both (b) and (c) stated above are correct in this context
Correct Answer: A
Detailed Solution
This question is based on the schedules that existed under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 before the 2022 amendment.
Under that arrangement, wildlife included in Schedule I received the highest level of statutory protection under the Act.
The tiger was also included in Schedule I; therefore, a tortoise placed in Schedule I was entitled to the same statutory level of protection.
Hunting of Schedule I species was prohibited under Section 9 of the Act.
Only under exceptional circumstances prescribed in the Act could the wildlife concerned be captured or killed with the permission of the competent authority.
Offences involving these species attracted more stringent penalties than those involving species in other schedules.
Schedule I protection also involved strict controls on the possession, transport and trade of these species and articles derived from them.
Inclusion in Schedule I does not mean that the species has become extinct in the wild. Therefore, option (b) is not correct.
Inclusion in Schedule I is also not evidence that a species is endemic to a particular region of India. Therefore, option (c) is not correct.
A statutory protection schedule and the IUCN conservation status are two separate classification systems.
The Wildlife Protection (Amendment) Act, 2022 reorganized the schedules, but Schedule I still relates to animal species requiring the highest level of protection.