Select the mismatched pair :
Select the mismatched pair :
Options
Official answer
Correct option: B — Genetically different strains of rice in India – Less than 1000
This is the mismatched (incorrect) pair.
- India had more than 50,000 genetically different strains of rice, not fewer than 1000.
- The other three pairs are all correctly matched.
Marking scheme
- 1.1 mark: correct option B (rice strains figure is wrong).
- 2.Answer must identify B as the mismatched pair.
Hint
Recall the NCERT number for rice strains in India — it is far larger than a thousand.
Quick oral answer
Option B is mismatched — India actually had more than 50,000 genetically different strains of rice, not fewer than a thousand.
Common mistakes
- 1.Choosing C by misremembering Robert May's estimate — the ~7 million figure is correct.
- 2.Not recalling that India had over 50,000 rice strains, so mistaking B as a correct pair.
- 3.Confusing ex-situ (zoos, botanical gardens) with in-situ (national parks, sanctuaries) conservation.
Analysis and explanation
Concept
This question tests key figures and terms from Biodiversity and Conservation. The task is to spot the pair that does NOT match.
Why B is the mismatched pair
- NCERT records that India had more than 50,000 genetically different strains of rice (illustrating rich genetic diversity). "Less than 1000" is therefore incorrect — this is the mismatched pair.
Why the other pairs are correctly matched
- A — 12 megadiversity countries. These few very biodiverse nations are together called megadiversity countries.
- C — Robert May's global estimate ~7 million species. A conservative estimate placing global species diversity at about 7 million.
- D — Zoological parks = Ex-situ conservation. Zoos conserve organisms outside their natural habitat, a classic ex-situ method.
Exam trap
The examiner slips in a wrong number (rice strains) among otherwise textbook-correct facts; recall the NCERT figure of 50,000+ rice varieties.
Interesting facts
According to the IUCN (2004), the total number of described species is about 1.5 million, while Robert May's estimate puts the true global figure near 7 million.
India, with about 2.4% of the world's land area, harbours 8.1% of global species diversity, making it one of the megadiverse nations.
Question details
Q4 of 37 questions
- Board
- CBSE
- Class
- Class 12
- Subject
- Biology
- Year
- 2026
- Section
- Section A
- Marks
- 1
- Type
- MCQ
- Chapter
- Biodiversity and Conservation
- Topic
- Biodiversity — Facts and Conservation
- Bloom's level
- analyze
- Syllabus topic
- Unit X: Ecology — Biodiversity and Conservation: Species Diversity, Megadiversity and Conservation Strategies
- Author
- CBSE
- Reviewed by
- Padhantu Academic Team
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Frequently asked questions
How many rice strains did India have according to NCERT?
India had more than 50,000 genetically different strains of rice, which is why option B ('less than 1000') is the mismatched, incorrect pair. This figure showcases India's rich genetic diversity.
What is Robert May's estimate of global species diversity?
Robert May conservatively estimated global species diversity at about 7 million species. This exceeds the roughly 1.5 million species that have actually been described and named so far.