UPSC Prelims 2026 Question:

Which of the following statements in relation to NIRANTAR (National Institute for Research and Application of Natural Resources to Transform, Adapt and Build Resilience), a platform of institutions under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, is/are correct?

1. Ecosystem Survey and Analysis is a vertical under this platform, the lead institute of which is Botanical  Survey of India, Kolkata. 
2. Research and Management of Ecosystem Service is a vertical under this platform, the lead institute of  which is Central Zoo Authority, New Delhi. 
3. Capacity Development Support is a vertical under this platform, the lead institute of which is Indian  Institute of Forest Management, Bhopal.
   
   

Select the answer using the code given below:

Explanation: 

• Ecosystem Survey and Analysis is a vertical under NIRANTAR, and the Botanical Survey of India  (BSI), Kolkata — which is headquartered in Kolkata under MoEFCC — is the lead institute for this  vertical. This is consistent with BSI's core mandate of botanical surveys and flora research. So, statement  1 is correct. 
• The Central Zoo Authority (CZA) is a regulatory body for zoos; its mandate does not align with "Research  and Management of Ecosystem Services." The lead institute for this vertical is the Wildlife Institute of  India (WII), Dehradun, not the Central Zoo Authority. So, statement 2 is not correct. 
• Under Vertical III Capacity Development Support the Indian Institute of Forest Management  (IIFM), Bhopal, is the lead institute. The meeting of the High-Powered Steering Committee under this  vertical was held under the Chairmanship of the Union Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate  Change, Bhupender Yadav, at Bhopal. So, statement 3 is correct.
  
  

Therefore, option (2) is the correct answer.