Consider the following statements : Statement-I : Marsupials are not naturally found in India. Statement-II : Marsupials can thrive only in montane grasslands with no predators. Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?

(a) Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II is the correct explanation for Statement-I
(b) Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II is not the correct explanation for Statement-I
(c) Statement-I is correct but Statement-II is incorrect ✓ UPSC's answer
(d) Statement-I is incorrect but Statement-II is correct

Why the answer is (c)

• Marsupials — pouched mammals such as kangaroos, koalas, wombats and opossums — occur naturally only in Australasia and the Americas; none is native to India, so Statement-I is correct.

• Statement-II is incorrect: marsupials occupy a huge range of habitats, from Australian deserts and tropical rainforests to American woodlands, and coexist with predators such as dingoes, eagles and pythons; they are not confined to predator-free montane grasslands.

• Their absence from India is a matter of biogeography — they evolved in Gondwanan lands that separated before India joined Asia — not of habitat.

• Hence Statement-I is correct but Statement-II is incorrect, option (c).

Why the other options are wrong

(a) Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II is the correct explanation…: Statement-II is wrong: marsupials live in many habitats with predators.
(b) Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II is not the correct…: Statement-II is wrong, so both cannot be correct.
(d) Statement-I is incorrect but Statement-II is correct: Statement-I is correct: no marsupial is native to India.

Asked in the GS Paper I of the UPSC Civil Services Preliminary Examination 2023, held on 28 May 2023. Question and answer key: Union Public Service Commission. Explanation: UPSC Answer Check.