Consider the following :
- 1.Cashew
- 2.Papaya
- 3.Red sanders
How many of the above trees are actually native to India ?
Show answer
Answer: A. Red sanders (Pterocarpus santalinus) is endemic to the southern Eastern Ghats of Andhra Pradesh, so it is native to India. Cashew is native to Brazil and was brought by the Portuguese. Papaya is native to Mexico and Central America. So only one is native.
Watch for: Cashew and papaya are grown so widely in India that students assume they are native.
Why the other options are wrong
- B. Wrong because cashew and papaya both came from the Americas.
- C. Wrong because cashew and papaya are not native to India.
- D. Wrong because red sanders is native and endemic to India.
Source to check: IUCN Red List, Pterocarpus santalinus; ICAR-Directorate of Cashew Research, Puttur (history of cashew in India)
Answer from the official UPSC key. Written and fact-checked by AI against the official key. Spotted a mistake? Report it.