In which one among the following categories of protected areas in India are local people not allowed to collect and use the biomass?

The answer is B) National Parks. Under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, a national park is the most strictly protected category. Once an area is notified, private rights are extinguished and people cannot graze cattle, collect fuelwood, fodder, or minor forest produce, or otherwise remove biomass. The aim is to keep the ecosystem undisturbed.

• A) Biosphere Reserves: These are zoned. Only the core zone is strictly protected. The buffer and transition zones allow sustainable use by local communities, and the transition zone is meant to support livelihoods.
• C) Ramsar wetlands: The Ramsar Convention (1971) is an international treaty, not a category of protected area under Indian law. Its 'wise use' principle permits sustainable local use. Indian wetlands are governed by the Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules, 2017, which replaced the 2010 rules.
• D) Wildlife Sanctuaries: These are less restrictive than national parks. Section 24 of the Act allows certain rights to continue, and locals may collect forest produce under conditions.

The core concept is graded protection: the level of human use permitted depends on the category. This links to the Mains debate on conservation versus livelihoods and to the Forest Rights Act, 2006.

Trap: Many aspirants assume every protected area bars local use, or pick sanctuaries or biosphere reserves because they sound similarly restrictive. Remember that national parks are the strictest category under the 1972 Act.