With reference to the wetlands of India, consider the following statements: 1) The country's total geographical area under the category of wetlands is recorded more in Gujarat as compared to other States. 2) In India, the total geographical area of coastal wetlands is larger than that of inland wetlands. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

The correct answer is A (1 only). This question tests the national wetland inventory, not just the Ramsar list.

• Statement 1 is correct. The National Wetland Atlas (Space Applications Centre, ISRO, 2011) shows Gujarat with the largest wetland area of any state, largely because of its long coastline, Rann of Kutch and Gulf of Khambhat and Kutch salt-marsh systems.
• Statement 2 is wrong. Inland wetlands, including natural lakes, marshes and man-made tanks and reservoirs, cover a larger area than coastal wetlands in the Atlas. Coastal wetlands are important for their ecology, but they are not the larger category by area.

The core concept is wetland classification under the Ramsar framework: coastal and marine, inland natural, and inland man-made. Mains expects you to link this to the Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules, 2017, under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, and to India's Ramsar sites, which have grown to over 75 in recent years, so the count you remember from 2012 is now outdated.

Trap: Students often assume the coastal wetlands must be larger because of the long coastline, or they confuse the number of Ramsar sites with total wetland area.