Question map
If a particular plant species is placed under Schedule VI of The Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, what is the implication ?
Explanation
The correct answer is Option 1.
The Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 was amended in 1991 to include Schedule VI, which specifically deals with specified plants. The primary implication of a plant being listed under this schedule is that its cultivation, collection, or possession is strictly regulated.
- Why Option 1 is correct: Section 17C of the Act mandates that no person shall cultivate a specified plant except under and in accordance with a licence granted by the Chief Wildlife Warden or an authorized officer. Examples of such plants include Beddomes’ cycad, Blue Vanda, and Pitcher plant.
- Why other options are incorrect: Option 2 is wrong because cultivation is permitted with a legal licence. Options 3 and 4 are incorrect because Schedule VI is based on the endangerment status and conservation needs of the species, rather than its genetic modification or invasive nature.
PROVENANCE & STUDY PATTERN
Guest previewThis is a classic 'Sitter' found directly in standard texts like Shankar IAS or Majid Hussain. It rewards reading the 'Salient Features' of the Wildlife Protection Act rather than just memorizing animal names. The question tests legal structure (licensing vs. bans) rather than obscure trivia.
This question can be broken into the following sub-statements. Tap a statement sentence to jump into its detailed analysis.
- Statement 1: Does Schedule VI of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 require a licence to cultivate plant species listed in Schedule VI?
- Statement 2: Are plant species listed under Schedule VI of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 completely banned from cultivation under any circumstances?
- Statement 3: Does listing under Schedule VI of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 indicate that a plant species is a genetically modified crop?
- Statement 4: Are plant species listed under Schedule VI of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 classified as invasive and harmful to the ecosystem?
- Explicitly lists 'Granting of licence (permits) for cultivation of specified but otherwise prohibited plants' as a provision of the Act.
- Links cultivation of certain protected plants to a licensing regime rather than unrestricted cultivation.
- Notes that 'specified plants' were added to the Act (1990), indicating plant-specific regulatory provisions were incorporated.
- Mentions the schedules framework, implying regulated categorization of species which supports the existence of schedule-based controls.
Explicitly states the Act provides for granting licences (permits) for cultivation of 'specified but otherwise prohibited plants'.
A student could infer that listing does not necessarily mean an absolute ban — check if Schedule VI species are 'specified' for which permits may be issued under the Act.
Notes that 'specified plants' were added to the Act (in 1990), indicating plants are a distinct category within the schedules and subject to particular rules.
Use this to justify looking up how Schedule VI (the plant schedule) is defined and whether it contains clauses on exceptions or permitting cultivation.
Explains that the WPA has multiple schedules with 'varying degrees of protection', implying different schedules impose different restrictions rather than a uniform absolute ban.
Apply this pattern to suspect Schedule VI may impose a particular type/level of restriction (not necessarily an absolute cultivation ban).
States that in National Parks activities like cultivation are banned, showing location-based prohibitions can overlay schedule protections.
Combine this with Schedule VI listing to consider that cultivation might be allowed in general but prohibited within protected areas — so exceptions could be spatially conditional.
Gives an example (coral reef) of an entry in a schedule receiving 'highest degree of protection', showing schedules can vary in strictness and that specific entries matter.
Use as a model to check whether Schedule VI entries include absolute prohibitions or conditional protections (e.g., permits/exemptions).
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- Passage explicitly shows Schedule VI listing contains named botanical species (e.g., Cycas beddomei, Nepenthes khasiana).
- The items are conventional species names (native plants/orchids), with no reference to genetic modification.
- Thus the Schedule VI list in the passage represents protected plant species, not GM crops.
States the WPA consists of six schedule lists that give varying degrees of protection and regulate poaching, smuggling and illegal trade.
A student could extend this by noting that schedules classify protection status, so Schedule VI likely denotes a conservation/regulatory category rather than a technology (GM) label.
Lists provisions of the Act including 'Protection of specified plants' and 'Granting of licence (permits) for cultivation of specified but otherwise prohibited plants.'
One can infer Schedule listings relate to protection/controlled cultivation and could check whether permissions concern wild/rare plants rather than biotech status.
Notes that 'specified plants' were added to the Act in 1990 and that schedules I–V are ratings according to risk of survival (for fauna).
A student could reason schedules were introduced for conservation risk categories and therefore Schedule VI likely follows the same conservation/management logic for plants, not GM designation.
Explains GM crops are regulated by the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, and defines what GM crops are.
Using this, a student can distinguish that GM crop approval and regulation is handled by GEAC/EPA framework, separate from WPA schedule listings.
Defines GMOs and the process of genetic modification (foreign gene insertion) — a definitional frame for what 'GM' means.
A student could use this definition to check the relevant regulatory/legislative instrument for GM status (biotech-specific bodies) rather than assuming a conservation schedule indicates genetic modification.
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States the WPA, 1972 consists of 6 schedule lists which give varying degrees of protection.
A student could infer that being listed in a Schedule likely relates to protection status rather than classification as 'invasive', and check Schedule VI text to see if it confers protection or restriction.
Says 'specified plants' were added to the Act in 1990, indicating the Act includes provisions specifically for plants as well as animals.
One could use this to infer the schedules including plants were intended for conservation/protection and then compare Schedule VI entries against invasive species lists.
Lists the Act's provisions: protection of specified plants, permits for picking/uprooting, and permits for cultivation of 'specified but otherwise prohibited plants'.
Suggests the Act regulates and protects certain plants (including restricting harvesting/cultivation), so students can test whether Schedule VI plants are protected/restricted species rather than labelled 'invasive'.
Explains the Act's objective is to provide protection to endangered species listed in its schedules and support conservation areas.
Implies schedule listings are for conservation of endangered species; a student could check whether Schedule VI plants are listed for protection (endangered) rather than for control as invasive species.
Notes that coral reef is included in Schedule I and that inclusion affords the highest degree of protection.
Provides an example that items placed in Schedules are given protection status, supporting the idea that schedule inclusion typically denotes protection, so one should verify whether Schedule VI plants are similarly protected or instead designated for control.
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- [THE VERDICT]: Sitter. Direct hit from Shankar IAS (Chapter: Protected Area Network / WPA Schedules) or Majid Hussain.
- [THE CONCEPTUAL TRIGGER]: The structure of the Wildlife Protection Act (WPA), 1972—specifically the distinction between Animal Schedules (I-V) and the Plant Schedule (VI).
- [THE HORIZONTAL EXPANSION]: Memorize the 6 specific plants originally in Schedule VI: 1. Beddome’s cycad, 2. Blue Vanda, 3. Red Vanda, 4. Kuth, 5. Ladies slipper orchids, 6. Pitcher plant. *Update*: Post-2022 Amendment, WPA has only 4 Schedules; Plants are now in Schedule III.
- [THE STRATEGIC METACOGNITION]: Do not assume 'Protection' equals 'Total Ban'. Indian law rarely bans activities 'under any circumstances' (Option B). It usually creates a 'Permit Raj'. Study laws by asking: Who regulates? (Chief Wildlife Warden), What is allowed? (Cultivation with licence), and What is the penalty?
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The Act contains a specific provision authorizing licences for cultivation of specified (otherwise prohibited) plants, directly bearing on whether cultivation requires permission.
High-yield for questions on legal controls over flora: explains the administrative mechanism (licence) used to regulate cultivation of protected plants and links to regulation vs. prohibition distinctions; useful in governance and environment-law mains and prelims questions.
- Environment and Ecology, Majid Hussain (Access publishing 3rd ed.) > Chapter 5: Biodiversity and Legislations > the wildlife act, 1972 > p. 13
The Act is organised into schedules that assign differing degrees of protection to species, which frames how plants or animals are regulated.
Important for understanding how statutory protections vary across species groups; connects to policy questions on prioritisation of conservation, enforcement powers, and schedule-based restrictions in MCQs and essay topics.
- Environment, Shankar IAS Acedemy .(ed 10th) > Chapter 11: Schedule Animals of WPA 1972 > 11.1. SCHEDULE LIST-WPA, 1972 > p. 171
- Environment, Shankar IAS Acedemy .(ed 10th) > Chapter 15: Protected Area Network > r5.r.3. Salient features of the Act: > p. 212
The 1990 amendment added specified plants to the Act, creating plant-specific regulatory and licensing provisions relevant to cultivation controls.
Helps answer timeline and amendment-based questions on legal evolution of wildlife protection; ties into themes of legislative updates, centralization of powers, and expanding scope from fauna to flora.
- Environment, Shankar IAS Acedemy .(ed 10th) > Chapter 15: Protected Area Network > r5.r.3. Salient features of the Act: > p. 212
- Environment and Ecology, Majid Hussain (Access publishing 3rd ed.) > Chapter 5: Biodiversity and Legislations > the wildlife act, 1972 > p. 13
The Act permits issuance of licences for picking, uprooting, and cultivation of specified plants, so Schedule VI plants are not universally banned from cultivation.
High-yield for legal/administrative questions: teaches that protection status can include regulated permissions, not absolute prohibition. Connects conservation law to licence/permit regimes and to topics like research/education exemptions and regulated trade. Enables answering questions that contrast species protection with authorised uses.
- Environment and Ecology, Majid Hussain (Access publishing 3rd ed.) > Chapter 5: Biodiversity and Legislations > the wildlife act, 1972 > p. 13
The WPA comprises multiple schedules that assign varying degrees of protection to wildlife, implying protection is graded rather than identical for every list.
Important for questions on classification and legal consequences: knowing that there are six schedules and that protection levels differ helps decode statutory implications for species. Links to amendment history and policy design in biodiversity law; useful for comparative questions on status and penalties.
- Environment, Shankar IAS Acedemy .(ed 10th) > Chapter 11: Schedule Animals of WPA 1972 > 11.1. SCHEDULE LIST-WPA, 1972 > p. 171
- Environment, Shankar IAS Acedemy .(ed 10th) > Chapter 15: Protected Area Network > r5.r.3. Salient features of the Act: > p. 212
National Parks impose strict bans on activities like cultivation and collection of plants, which is a location-based restriction distinct from species-specific licensing elsewhere under the Act.
Helps distinguish spatial instruments (protected areas) from species-specific regulatory mechanisms; crucial for questions on where protections apply and when licences may be granted. Connects to land-use policy, rights of local communities, and enforcement regimes.
- Environment and Ecology, Majid Hussain (Access publishing 3rd ed.) > Chapter 4: BIODIVERSITY > nAtIonAl pArKs. > p. 38
- Environment and Ecology, Majid Hussain (Access publishing 3rd ed.) > Chapter 5: Biodiversity and Legislations > the wildlife act, 1972 > p. 13
The Act contains schedules and explicitly provides protection and licensing provisions for specified plants.
High-yield for questions on biodiversity law and conservation policy: it clarifies the legal mechanism used to protect plant species and governs permits for picking, uprooting or cultivating specified plants. Mastering this links to forest/wildlife law, protected area management, and human-rights/forest-community issues in UPSC mains and prelims.
- Environment, Shankar IAS Acedemy .(ed 10th) > Chapter 15: Protected Area Network > r5.r.3. Salient features of the Act: > p. 212
- Environment and Ecology, Majid Hussain (Access publishing 3rd ed.) > Chapter 5: Biodiversity and Legislations > the wildlife act, 1972 > p. 13
- Environment, Shankar IAS Acedemy .(ed 10th) > Chapter 11: Schedule Animals of WPA 1972 > 11.1. SCHEDULE LIST-WPA, 1972 > p. 171
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The 'Vermin' Trap: Formerly Schedule V listed vermin (rats, crows). Now, under the 2022 Amendment, the Central Government declares vermin via notification (Schedule II), not by a fixed schedule list. Also, remember: GM Crops are regulated under the Environment Protection Act, 1986 (GEAC), NOT the Wildlife Protection Act.
Use the 'Extreme Absolutism' filter. Option B says 'cannot be cultivated under ANY circumstances'—this is legally impractical for plants that might have medicinal value. Option C (GM) belongs to the EPA 1986/GEAC domain. Option D (Invasive) is a negative trait, whereas WPA Schedules are 'Honor Lists' for protection. Option A is the only moderate, administrative statement.
Link to Economy (GS3): The cultivation of Schedule VI plants (like Kuth/Saussurea lappa) is a high-value agricultural activity in the Himalayas. The 'Licence' requirement is a Non-Tariff Barrier or regulatory hurdle affecting the 'Ease of Doing Business' for medicinal plant farmers.
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