Social Science (087) — AI-generated practice question

The inhabitants of five villages in the Alwar district of Rajasthan declared 1,200 hectares of forest as the Bhairodev Dakav 'Sonchuri'. They established their own rules prohibiting hunting and protecting wildlife against outside encroachments, without government involvement.

This initiative shows that local communities can take independent and effective action in wildlife conservation. It highlights that communities recognise conservation as essential for their own long-term livelihood. It also demonstrates that people-centric, grassroots efforts — driven by a sense of ownership — can be as effective as, or even more effective than, government-led programmes.

Source: Community and Conservation, Chapter 2

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• Examiners expect two parts: (1) what the initiative is, and (2) what it tells us about communities' role. Both must be addressed for full 3 marks.
• Mention the key facts: five villages, 1,200 hectares, self-made rules, no hunting, no government involvement — these are the scoring details.
• The second part should go beyond description to draw a conclusion about community conservation — e.g., communities act out of livelihood interest, they can be self-sufficient in conservation.
• Avoid copying entire sentences verbatim; paraphrase slightly to show understanding.