Consider the following fauna of India : 1. Gharial 2. Leatherback turtle 3. Swamp deer Which of the above is/are endangered?

Correct answer: C. All three species are threatened, and the question uses "endangered" in its broad sense, covering every species at risk of extinction.

• Gharial (1): Gavialis gangeticus is Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, the most severe threat category. It is listed in Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. Fishing nets, sand mining and habitat degradation drove the decline.
• Leatherback turtle (2): Dermochelys coriacea is a marine species that nests on Indian coasts such as Odisha and the Andamans. It was Vulnerable in 2013 and was uplisted to Critically Endangered in 2020, which is the current status. It is also in Schedule I.
• Swamp deer (3): Barasingha (Rucervus duvaucelii) is Vulnerable on the IUCN list and is protected under Schedule I of the Act.

The core concept is the difference between IUCN categories and the legal schedules of the Wildlife (Protection) Act. For Mains GS-3, this links to biodiversity loss, the conservation approach behind Project Crocodile, and the role of Schedule I protection.

Trap: Aspirants read "endangered" as only the IUCN Endangered category and drop the Critically Endangered gharial, or assume the leatherback is not an Indian fauna species.