Important National Parks in India act as an apt place for preserving animals by providing natural habitat and prey. Anthropogenic activities like developmental activities, industrial activities, forestry, poaching, hunting, and cultivation are not permitted. The boundaries of National Parks are well defined and no private activities are allowed inside the National Park.
For the IAS Exam, aspirants should know about the National Parks in India which is an integral part of Indian geography and Environment.
This article provides the list of National Parks in India, the year of establishment and the State associated.
List of National Parks India 2022:- Download PDF Here
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List of National Parks in India
As per the studies, India possesses more than 100 National Parks with an immense variety of fauna.
In the table below, we are giving the complete list of National Parks in India with their location, which will be helpful for your UPSC IAS Prelims exam:
| Year of Establishment | Â Â Â Â Name of National Park | State |
| 1936 | Corbett National Park | Uttarakhand |
| 1955 | Kanha National Park | Madhya Pradesh |
| 1955 | Tadoba National Park | Maharashtra |
| 1959 | Madhav National Park | Madhya Pradesh |
| 1968 | Bandhavgarh National Park | Madhya Pradesh |
| 1974 | Kaziranga National Park | Assam |
| 1974 | Bandipur National Park | Karnataka |
| 1974 | Bannerghatta National Park | Karnataka |
| 1975 | Gir National Park | Gujarat |
| 1975 | Gugamal National Park | Maharashtra |
| 1975 | Navegaon National Park | Maharashtra |
| 1975 | Pench National Park | Madhya Pradesh |
| 1976 | Blackbuck National Park | Gujarat |
| 1976 | Guindy National Park | Tamil Nadu |
| 1977 | Keibul-Lamjao National Park | Manipur |
| 1977 | Khangchendzonga National Park | Sikkim |
| 1977 | Dudhwa National Park | Uttar Pradesh |
| 1978 | Eravikulam National Park | Kerala |
| 1979 | Vansda National Park | Gujarat |
| 1979 | Van Vihar National Park | Madhya Pradesh |
| 1980 | Simlipal National Park | Odisha |
| 1980 | Ranthambore National Park | Rajasthan |
| 1980 | Gulf of Mannar Marine National Park | Tamil Nadu |
| 1981 | Guru Ghasidas (Sanjay) National Park | Chhattisgarh |
| 1981 | Dachigam National Park | Jammu & Kashmir |
| 1981 | Hemis National Park | Jammu & Kashmir |
| 1981 | Kishtwar National Park | Jammu & Kashmir |
| 1981 | Panna National Park | Madhya Pradesh |
| 1981 | Sanjay National Park | Madhya Pradesh |
| 1981 | Satpura National Park | Madhya Pradesh |
| 1981 | Keoladeo Ghana National Park | Rajasthan |
| 1982 | Indravati National Park | Chhattisgarh |
| 1982 | Kanger Valley National Park | Chhattisgarh |
| 1982 | Marine National Park | Gujarat |
| 1982 | Periyar National Park | Kerala |
| 1982 | Nanda Devi National Park | Uttarakhand |
| 1982 | Valley of Flowers National Park | Uttarakhand |
| 1983 | Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park | Andaman & Nicobar Islands |
| 1983 | Namdapha National Park | Arunachal Pradesh |
| 1983 | Fossil National Park | Madhya Pradesh |
| 1983 | Sanjay Gandhi National Park | Maharashtra |
| 1983 | Rajaji National Park | Uttarakhand |
| 1984 | Great Himalayan National Park | Himachal Pradesh |
| 1984 | Silent Valley National Park | Kerala |
| 1984 | Sunderban National Park | West Bengal |
| 1985 | Balpakram National Park | Meghalaya |
| 1986 | Mouling National Park | Arunachal Pradesh |
| 1986 | Betla National Park | Jharkhand |
| 1986 | Nokrek Ridge National Park | Meghalaya |
| 1986 | Neora Valley National Park | West Bengal |
| 1986 | Singalila National Park | West Bengal |
| 1987 | Middle Button Island National Park | Andaman & Nicobar Islands |
| 1987 | Mount Harriet National Park | Andaman & Nicobar Islands |
| 1987 | North Button Island National Park | Andaman & Nicobar Islands |
| 1987 | Saddle Peak National Park | Andaman & Nicobar Islands |
| 1987 | South Button Island National Park | Andaman & Nicobar Islands |
| 1987 | Pin Valley National Park | Himachal Pradesh |
| 1987 | Anshi National Park | Karnataka |
| 1987 | Kudremukh National Park | Karnataka |
| 1988 | Nagarahole (Rajiv Gandhi) National Park | Karnataka |
| 1988 | Bhitarkanika National Park | Odisha |
| 1989 | Sri Venkateswara National Park | Andhra Pradesh |
| 1989 | Valmiki National Park | Bihar |
| 1989 | Sultan National Park | Haryana |
| 1989 | Indira Gandhi (Annamalai) National Park | Tamil Nadu |
| 1989 | Gangotri National Park | Uttarakhand |
| 1990 | Manas National Park | Assam |
| 1990 | Mudumalai National Park | Tamil Nadu |
| 1990 | Mukurthi National Park | Tamil Nadu |
| 1990 | Govind National Park | Uttarakhand |
| 1991 | Murlen National Park | Mizoram |
| 1992 | Campbell Bay National Park | Andaman & Nicobar Islands |
| 1992 | Galathea Bay National Park | Andaman & Nicobar Islands |
| 1992 | Mollem National Park | Goa |
| 1992 | City Forest (Salim Ali) National Park | Jammu & Kashmir |
| 1992 | Phawngpui Blue Mountain National Park | Mizoram |
| 1992 | Desert National Park | Rajasthan |
| 1992 | Sariska National Park | Rajasthan |
| 1992 | Buxa National Park | West Bengal |
| 1992 | Gorumara National Park | West Bengal |
| 1993 | Intanki National Park | Nagaland |
| 1994 | Kasu Brahmananda Reddy National Park | Telangana |
| 1994 | Mahaveer Harina Vanasthali National Park | Telangana |
| 1994 | Mrugavani National Park | Telangana |
| 1996 | Rani Jhansi Marine National Park | Andaman & Nicobar Islands |
| 1998 | Nameri National Park | Assam |
| 1999 | Dibru-Saikhowa National Park | Assam |
| 1999 | Rajiv Gandhi Orang National Park | Assam |
| 2003 | Kalesar National Park | Haryana |
| 2003 | Anamudi Shola National Park | Kerala |
| 2003 | Mathikettan Shola National Park | Kerala |
| 2003 | Pampadum Shola National Park | Kerala |
| 2004 | Chandoli National Park | Maharashtra |
| 2005 | Rajiv Gandhi (Rameswaram) National Park | Andhra Pradesh |
| 2006 | Mukundra Hills National Park | Rajasthan |
| 2007 | Clouded Leopard National Park | Tripura |
| 2007 | Bison National Park | Tripura |
| 2008 | Papikonda National Park | Andhra Pradesh |
| 2010 | Inderkilla National Park | Himachal Pradesh |
| 2010 | Khirganga National Park | Himachal Pradesh |
| 2010 | Simbalbara National Park | Himachal Pradesh |
| 2014 | Jaldapara National Park | West Bengal |
The General Studies Paper I for UPSC IAS Prelims includes various subjects like Geography, History, Polity, and Economics. Previous year question papers of Civil Service Exam tends to ask more factual questions from traditional as well as current affairs segment which is considered as highly dynamic.
List of National Parks India 2022:- Download PDF Here
List of National Parks in India is an important static GK topic for the UPSC exam. For more static GK topics check the article linked here.
National Parks in India- Salient Points related to UPSC IAS Exam
- If aspirants are adopting the right strategies for understanding this fact, then they can crack the UPSC IAS exam very easily.
- The geography questions asked by UPSC in IAS Prelims Exam in the last few years are overlapped with the environment and ecology.
- The National Parks, Wildlife Sanctuary, Reserve forest, Conservation reserves, Marine reserves, Community reserves, Biosphere reserves come under the Protected areas of India.
- India is one of the 17 megadiverse countries in the world. The country is bestowed with a plethora of flora and fauna.
- National parks are protected areas under IUCN category II. India’s first National Park was established in 1936 at Uttarakhand, Jim Corbett National Park.
- India only had five national parks till 1970. In 1972, India legislated the Wildlife Protection Act.
There are similar topics that aspirants can read from the linked articles mentioned in the table below:
| GI Tags in India | UNESCO World Heritage Sites in India | Major Ports in India |
| Natural Vegetation in India | Pong Dam Lake Wildlife Sanctuary | Important Lakes in India |
Important Facts & Questions on National Parks in India
Q1
Q 1. What is a National Park?
Ans. Any natural habitat which is set aside by the Government of a state or Union Territory for the conservation of the natural environment is called a National Park.
Q2
Q 2. Which is the largest National Park in India?
Ans. Hemis National Park in Ladakh is the largest National Park in India. Hemis National Park is globally famous for its snow leopards, it is believed to have the highest density of them in any protected area in the world.
Q3
Q 3. Why do we need National Parks?
Ans. There are multiple objectives for creating a National Park:
- It can help in the protection of the ecosystem os a specific area or region
- Conservation of species that are on the verge of extinction
- To preserve natural resources for ecological development
- It can help in preserving varied species
Q4
Q 4. Which was the first Marine National Park in India?
Ans. The first Marine National Park is located in the Gulf of Kutch and was created in 1982. It is situated on the southern shore of the Gulf of Kutch in the Devbhumi Dwarka district of Gujarat state.
Q5
Q 5. Which is the only floating National Park in the country and where is it located?
Ans. The Keibul Lamjao National Park is a national park in the Bishnupur district of the state of Manipur in India. It is the only floating National Park in the world.
Q6
Q 6. What is the difference between a National Park and a Wildlife Sanctuary?
Ans. A wildlife sanctuary is an area of nature owned by the government or a private agency for the protection of particular species of flora or fauna during a part of the year or in its entirety. Whereas, a national park is a reserved area of land owned by the government which is protected from industrialization, human exploitation, and pollution. To know a detailed Difference Between National Park, Biosphere Reserve and Wildlife Sanctuary, visit the linked article.
Q7
Q 7. Which is the oldest National Park in India?
Ans. The Jim Corbett National Park is the oldest National Park in India. It is located in Uttrakhand and was established in 1936.
Q8
Q 8. How many National Parks are there in India?
Ans. There are a total of 104 National Parks (as in January 2021) in India. They cover a total area of 40,564 km2, which is 1.23% of the geographical area of the country.
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