Explanation: There are 18 biosphere reserves in the country, only nine, including the Nilgiris, Nanda Devi, Nokrek, Gulf of Mannar, Sundarban, and Great Nicobar, have been included in the network.

• Biosphere reserves are “representative parts of natural and cultural landscapes extending over a large area of terrestrial or coastal/marine ecosystems or a combination thereof and representative examples of bio-geographic zones/provinces.”
• Globally, 621 biosphere reserves from 117 countries are included in the network so far, according to the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests and Climate Change.

Source: https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/andhra-pradesh/Agasthyamala-likely-to-be-part-of-World-biosphere-reserves/article60514619.ece