Among the following States, which one has the most suitable climatic conditions for the…

Answer: (b) Arunachal Pradesh

Arunachal Pradesh is India's richest orchid state, with about 600 species. Its terrain runs from tropical foothills to temperate forests and alpine meadows. Its high rainfall and humidity let a wide variety of orchids grow naturally, so cultivation needs little costly climate control. That makes it the state best placed to build an export-oriented orchid industry.

• ✗ (a) Andhra Pradesh is mainly peninsular plateau and coastal plain, which is warmer and drier than the humid Himalayan northeast. It cannot naturally support a large variety of orchids, especially temperate and high-altitude types, at low cost.
• ✓ (b) The State has around 600 orchid species. Its habitats range from tropical foothill forests to temperate forests, alpine meadows and high-altitude ecosystems, all within a compact area. Its high rainfall and humidity suit orchids naturally. It has an Orchid Research Centre at Tipi and the Sessa Orchid Sanctuary.
• ✗ (c) Madhya Pradesh is an inland plateau state with hot summers and a long dry season, and it has no Himalayan high-rainfall belt. Growing many orchid varieties there would need artificial humidity and temperature control, which raises costs.
• ✗ (d) Uttar Pradesh is mostly Gangetic plain, with hot, dry summers and cold winters. Its Himalayan areas became part of Uttarakhand in 2000, so it has no natural orchid-rich mountain zone.

Remember · Arunachal Pradesh is called the 'Orchid Paradise of India', with about 600 species. Tipi (orchid research centre) and Sessa (orchid sanctuary) are both in Arunachal.

Question: UPSC Civil Services (Preliminary) 2011, General Studies Paper I. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 25 Oct 2026 (how we verify). · Report an error