The "Red Data Books" published by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) contain lists of 1) Endemic plant and animal species present in the biodiversity hotspots. 2) Threatened plant and animal species. 3) Protected sites for conservation of nature and natural resources in various countries. Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

The correct answer is B: only statement 2 is right. Red Data Books are the IUCN's inventories of species threatened with extinction, classified into categories such as Critically Endangered, Endangered, Vulnerable and Extinct. The modern IUCN Red List carries the same idea forward as an online database that is updated regularly.

Statement 1 is wrong. Endemism describes where a species is found, and biodiversity hotspots are identified using endemism and habitat loss criteria, a concept associated with Conservation International, not with IUCN Red Data Books. A species can be endemic to a hotspot without being threatened at all.

Statement 3 is wrong. Lists of protected areas are maintained through the World Database on Protected Areas, which is a separate IUCN and UNEP-WCMC product from the Red Data Books.

• Statement 1: not what Red Data Books list.
• Statement 2: correct, the core purpose of these books.
• Statement 3: protected-area lists are a different database.

Mains angle: the Red List informs environmental impact assessment, the species schedules under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, and debates on species recovery and human-wildlife conflict.

Trap: Aspirants see IUCN and assume its books cover every conservation list, so they pick A or C. Keep the concepts separate: threatened species belong to Red Data Books, while hotspots and protected areas are different lists.