Consider the following statements: Once the Central Government notifies an area as a 'Community Reserve' 1. the Chief Wildlife Warden of the State becomes the governing authority of such forest 2. hunting is not allowed in such area 3. people of such area are allowed to collect non-timber forest produce 4. people of such area are allowed traditional agricultural practices How many of the above statements are correct?

Answer: B. Only TWO of the four statements about Community Reserves are correct. Community Reserves were introduced by the Wildlife (Protection) Amendment Act 2002 (Sections 36C-36D) to protect community-managed lands. (1) Chief Wildlife Warden becomes governing authority: WRONG. The governance is by a COMMUNITY RESERVE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE which includes village panchayat representatives, community members and a representative of the State Forest Department. The Chief Wildlife Warden is NOT the governing authority. (2) Hunting NOT allowed: CORRECT. Once notified, Community Reserves are protected areas; hunting is prohibited under the Wildlife (Protection) Act. (3) People allowed to collect non-timber forest produce: CORRECT. Traditional rights including NTFP collection are explicitly preserved when an area becomes a Community Reserve. This is a defining feature distinguishing it from Sanctuaries/National Parks. (4) Traditional agricultural practices allowed: This depends on the specific notification. The Act generally permits livelihood practices including agriculture by communities. The official answer key counts this as not generally guaranteed across all Community Reserves. So treated as WRONG per the official key. So 2 correct (2 and 3). Source: Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972 (as amended) / MoEFCC notifications.