Previous Year Question

The Red Data Book is a scientific record containing information about Endangered, Threatened, and other species of animals and plants facing the risk of extinction. Its primary objective is to assess the Conservation Status, population, geographical distribution, natural habitats, and extinction threats associated with species. Thus, the Red Data Book plays an important role in determining priorities for Biodiversity Conservation.

The concept of the Red Data Book is associated with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The IUCN was established in 1948, and the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species was initiated in 1964. Today, the IUCN Red List is a major scientific database for assessing the global extinction risk of species. Species are evaluated using scientific criteria such as Population Decline, Geographic Range, population size, and other relevant indicators.

The IUCN Red List classifies species into nine major categories—Extinct (EX), Extinct in the Wild (EW), Critically Endangered (CR), Endangered (EN), Vulnerable (VU), Near Threatened (NT), Least Concern (LC), Data Deficient (DD), and Not Evaluated (NE). Among these, CR, EN, and VU are collectively recognized as Threatened Species.

In India, the Botanical Survey of India (BSI) has published various volumes of the Red Data Book of Indian Plants to support the conservation of threatened plant species. These records contain information about rare plants, their natural habitats, geographical distribution, and conservation requirements. In contrast, the Dead Stock Book and Live Stock Book mentioned in the question are not scientific systems for classifying species according to extinction risk. The Red Data Book and the modern IUCN Red List are used to identify threatened species, develop conservation strategies, and assess the status of biodiversity.