Correct answer: (b) Maintenance of Tiger Reserves
Explanation
- A
Captive breeding of Wild Fauna
Captive breeding of wild fauna is a zoo and conservation-breeding function (CZA, species recovery). M-STrIPES is not that programme. This option is not the key.
- B
Maintenance of Tiger Reserves
M-STrIPES is Monitoring System for Tigers’ Intensive Protection and Ecological Status, a GPS-based field protocol used in tiger reserves for patrols, evidence and ecological monitoring. That is why (b) is the official key.
- C
Indigenous Satellite Navigation System
Indigenous satellite navigation is NavIC (IRNSS), not M-STrIPES. This option is therefore wrong.
- D
Security of National Highways
National highway security is a Home/NHAI/police function, not this acronym. This option is not the key.
Summary. Official key is (b) Maintenance of Tiger Reserves. M-STrIPES is NTCA’s Android/GPS tool for beat-level protection and ecological data in tiger landscapes. It is not a captive-breeding scheme, not NavIC, and not a highways project. The acronym is a regular Prelims pairing with Project Tiger.