Directions (18-22): Five coherent statements are given. Rearrange those in a meaningful order and answer the questions following to that.

(A) During the decades preceding independence, as well as those after, India’s sole emphasis was on agriculture.

(B) Recently Indian government announced reintroduction of 8 cheetah in Indian forest by translocating them from Namibia.

(C) While over-hunting was a major contributing factor for the cheetah’s extinction, the decimation of grassland-forest habitat also played a role.

(D) The aim behind the translocation is not only to restore India’s ‘historic evolutionary balance’, but also to develop a cheetah ‘metapopulation’.

(E) This included acquiring off grassland, which led to a decline in the cheetah’s habitat.

Which of the following will be the fifth statement after rearrangement?

The correct answer is Option D.

To determine the correct sequence of the given statements, let us analyze the logical flow of information:

1. Statement (B) serves as the introductory statement, presenting the core topic: the Indian government's recent announcement to reintroduce cheetahs translocated from Namibia.

2. Statement (C) logically follows statement (B) by explaining the historical reasons behind the cheetah's extinction in India, pointing to over-hunting and grassland-forest habitat decimation.

3. Statement (A) provides historical background on how habitat decimation occurred, highlighting India's exclusive focus on agriculture both before and after independence.

4. Statement (E) builds directly on statement (A), explaining that the focus on agriculture included acquiring grassland, which led directly to the decline of cheetah habitat.

5. Statement (D) concludes the passage by elaborating on the primary goal and aim behind the translocation initiative introduced in statement (B), which is to restore India's historic evolutionary balance and develop a cheetah metapopulation.

Thus, the coherent logical order of the statements is B - C - A - E - D.

Therefore, the fifth statement after rearrangement is (D).