UGC NET Questions (Paper – 1)

Mass media can shape public understanding and attitudes toward the environment by reporting on problems, policies and solutions. When media outlets share credible information, showcase local success stories and invite citizen engagement, they help build a culture of environmental responsibility. This role supports democratic decision-making and can put pressure on institutions to act more sustainably.

Option A:
Option A is incorrect because avoiding environmental topics misses opportunities for education and debate on crucial issues affecting society.

Option B:
Option B is correct as it underlines how media can inform, inspire and mobilise people around environmental concerns, which is essential for broad-based change.

Option C:
Option C is incorrect since promoting overconsumption without context reinforces unsustainable lifestyles and undermines environmental goals.

Option D:
Option D is incorrect because hiding pollution problems protects narrow interests at the expense of public health and ecological integrity, contradicting the watchdog function of media.

Statements A, B, D and E are correct on individual choices, social norms, policy/infrastructure support and community initiatives. Statement C is false because information alone is usually insufficient for sustained change. Statement F is false because education influences long-term attitudes and behaviours. Therefore, the correct combination is A, B, D and E only.

Option A:
Option A is correct because it includes all true statements and excludes C and F, which overstate information sufficiency and deny education’s role.

Option B:
Option B is incorrect because it includes C (false).

Option C:
Option C is incorrect because it includes C and F (both false).

Option D:
Option D is incorrect because it includes F (false) and omits B, missing social norms/peer influence.

The 2022 notification banned a list of 19 single-use plastic items that typically have short useful lives but high littering potential. Examples include earbuds with plastic sticks, certain plates, cups, cutlery and decorative thermocol. By targeting these low-utility items first, the policy aims to reduce visible pollution while giving time to design alternatives and improve management for other plastic products.

Option A:
This option is incorrect because many plastic products, especially essential and regulated uses, remain allowed; the ban is selective.

Option B:
This option correctly states the focus on low-utility, high-litter items and illustrates the rationale behind the list.

Option C:
Export-oriented units are not the primary focus; the ban addresses domestic circulation of these items.

Option D:
Carry bags are regulated mainly through minimum thickness requirements rather than a blanket ban on thicker bags.

Mission LiFE is conceptualised as a mass movement to encourage individuals and communities to adopt mindful and deliberate utilisation of resources. It aims to reduce wasteful consumption, promote sustainable habits and align everyday choices with environmental protection. By focusing on behaviour change, it links climate action with lifestyle, making every citizen a stakeholder in development that respects planetary limits. This approach integrates environmental responsibility into daily life rather than treating it as a separate technical domain. (NITI Aayog)

Option A:
This option correctly captures the central idea of Mission LiFE, which emphasises changing lifestyles and consumption patterns to reduce environmental footprints. It recognises that climate and environmental challenges are not only about technology and policy but also about how people live, consume and conserve. The focus is on positive, practical actions that ordinary people can take without sacrificing development aspirations.

Option B:
This option is incorrect because Mission LiFE is not about expanding fossil-fuel based thermal power; in fact, it encourages reduced dependence on carbon-intensive choices. Large thermal power projects may be part of the overall energy mix today, but they are not the focus of LiFE’s behavioural campaign. Linking LiFE only with thermal capacity would ignore its demand-side orientation.

Option C:
Direct cash transfers may be used in some welfare schemes, but LiFE is built around nudging and enabling sustainable behaviours rather than unconditional cash benefits. The initiative stresses awareness, community mobilisation and enabling green choices, not income support independent of environmental performance. Therefore, this description misses the programme’s core philosophy.

Option D:
Replacing environmental laws with purely voluntary corporate codes would weaken regulatory safeguards and is not the intent of LiFE. The initiative complements, rather than substitutes, environmental regulations by mobilising citizens and communities. Its emphasis is on shared responsibility and lifestyle shifts, not deregulation.

Environmental education seeks to build knowledge,values and attitudes that lead to caring and responsible action for the environment. Developing awareness and concern is foundational because people must first understand and care about issues before they change behaviour. The stem explicitly mentions positive orientation and responsible behaviour,which comes from awareness and concern. Hence Option B is correct.

Option A:
Apathy is lack of concern,which is opposite to the goal of environmental education.

Option B:
Awareness and concern directly support responsible environmental behavior and match the aim described in the stem.

Option C:
Exploitation skills contradict the stewardship and sustainability focus of environmental education.

Option D:
Purely commercial skills focus on profit and do not match the environmental responsibility goal stated.

Statement B is the only wrong statement because effective environmental awareness today uses a mix of media, including digital and social platforms, rather than depending solely on printed posters. Statements A, C and D are correct as they highlight community-level folk media, experiential learning through eco-clubs and the role of mass media campaigns in shaping attitudes. Since only B misrepresents good practice in awareness-building, the correct choice is the combination that isolates B alone as wrong.

Option A:
Option A is incorrect because it treats both A and B as wrong, whereas statement A is actually correct. Community-level tools like street plays and rallies are widely used to communicate environmental messages in an accessible way. Including a correct statement among wrong ones makes this option logically inconsistent with the question.

Option B:
Option B is correct because it identifies B only as the wrong statement and leaves A, C and D recognised as valid. It acknowledges that limiting programmes to printed posters and excluding digital and social media would be a serious weakness in modern awareness strategies.Thus, this option precisely matches the requirement to select the wrong statement or statements.

Option C:
Option C is incorrect because it considers B and C as wrong. Statement C is in fact correct since eco-clubs and hands-on activities have been repeatedly emphasised in environmental education policies as important for student learning. Misclassifying it as wrong leads to an incorrect combination.

Option D:
Option D is incorrect because it treats B, C and D as wrong. While B is wrong, C and D are correct: eco-clubs support behaviour change and mass media campaigns are essential for reaching wide audiences. Grouping correct statements with the wrong one cannot satisfy the condition of the question.

Teaching is planned and organised rather than left to chance, so it is best described as a systematic activity. A systematic approach allows the teacher to align objectives, content, methods and evaluation in a coherent way. This coherence increases the likelihood that learners will achieve desired outcomes. Therefore, among the options given, systematic correctly captures the nature of teaching in formal institutions.

Option A:
Describing teaching as systematic highlights that it follows a sequence such as planning, implementation and evaluation. Lessons are designed with clear goals and structured learning experiences, not improvised without thought. Because the stem refers to a deliberate attempt to bring about desirable behavioural change, systematic is the most accurate term.

Option B:
Casual suggests that teaching is carried out informally without serious planning, which would reduce effectiveness and accountability. While some flexibility is necessary, professional teaching cannot be left to casual decisions. Thus, this option does not match the planned and organised nature implied in the stem.

Option C:
Impulsive implies acting on sudden feelings without reflection or preparation. If teaching were impulsive, learners would receive confusing and fragmented experiences. This contradicts the idea of deliberate, goal-oriented behaviour change.

Option D:
Random would mean that teaching activities occur without order or pattern, making it unlikely that learners could progress systematically through content. Such randomness is incompatible with curriculum requirements and educational accountability, so it is not an appropriate description.

Statements C and D are wrong, whereas A and B are correct. C is incorrect because behaviour change and community-led approaches are central to successful sanitation programmes. D is also false since toilets without water, safe containment and waste management do not ensure safe sanitation. Therefore, the wrong statements are C and D only.

Option A:
Option A is incorrect because it identifies A only as wrong, but A is actually true; open defecation is a recognised cause of faecal contamination of the environment. Misclassifying a correct statement as wrong leads to an incorrect option.

Option B:
Option B is incorrect since it treats both A and B as wrong. Statement B is true as unmanaged solid waste attracts vectors, and A is also true. Including true statements as wrong contradicts the question.

Option C:
Option C is incorrect because it groups A, B and C as wrong. While C is indeed wrong, A and B are correct, so this combination mislabels two accurate statements and cannot be accepted.

Option D:
Option D is correct because it identifies exactly the two wrong statements (C and D) and excludes the true statements (A and B).

Water conservation means reducing unnecessary water use and losses through better practices and technologies. Fixing leaks and limiting running taps directly cut wastage at the household level. The stem presents precisely such actions,so “conservation” is the correct term. It reflects responsible and sustainable water use.

Option A:
Pollution refers to contamination of water with harmful substances,which is different from saving water. The examples in the stem are about reducing wastage,not contamination.

Option B:
Conservation emphasises using water carefully so that current needs are met without compromising future availability. Household measures like those described in the question align directly with this goal.

Option C:
Privatisation concerns ownership and management of water services and does not describe individual habits of saving water.

Option D:
Export of water refers to transferring water resources between regions or countries and is unrelated to household saving practices.

Persuasive communication aims to change attitudes,beliefs or behaviours of the audience. A campaign encouraging people to quit smoking clearly seeks behavioural change for health reasons. It goes beyond merely informing and attempts to convince viewers to act. Therefore it performs a persuasive function.

Option A:
Informative messages provide knowledge but may not directly seek attitude or behaviour change.

Option B:
Persuasive appeals often use emotional and rational arguments together,making option B the best match.

Option C:
Ritualistic or ceremonial communication focuses on maintaining social bonds through formal rituals,not behaviour change.

Option D:
Phatic communication maintains social contact through small talk rather than advocating lifestyle changes.

Energy conservation refers to reducing energy use by avoiding waste and improving practices without necessarily changing technology. Turning off unused lights and fans directly cuts electricity consumption and is a classic conservation behaviour. The stem describes exactly this type of action,so energy conservation is the correct term. Therefore Option C fits best.

Option A:
Generation is producing electricity at power plants; it is not the household action described.

Option B:
Transmission is delivering electricity through the grid; it is not about switching off appliances at home.

Option C:
Energy conservation reduces energy use through behavioral or operational changes like switching off devices when not needed,matching the stem.

Option D:
Waste collection relates to solid waste management,not electricity saving behavior.

Statements A, B, D and E are correct as they reflect the goals, methods and broader support systems for environmental education. EE focuses on knowledge, skills and values, uses experiential methods, works with media and community support and promotes ethical responsibility towards nature and future generations. Statement C is false because adults, professionals and communities are also important audiences, and F is false because discussing local conflicts can make learning more relevant. Therefore, the combination A, B, D and E only is correct.

Option A:
Option A is incomplete because it omits D and E, thereby ignoring the roles of mass media, community programmes and explicit value education. As a result, it under-represents important dimensions of environmental education.

Option B:
Option B is incorrect since it includes F, which wrongly claims that environmental education must avoid local conflicts. In reality, local issues often serve as concrete entry points for learning and critical thinking.

Option C:
Option C is correct because it groups all the statements that align with policy frameworks and practice while excluding C and F, which restrict the scope and relevance of EE. It presents a comprehensive view of environmental education and value change.

Option D:
Option D is incorrect as it once again accepts F and omits A. Leaving out A ignores the core purpose of environmental education, while including F denies the importance of addressing real-world conflicts and issues.

Persuasive communication aims to influence attitudes,beliefs or behaviours of the audience. The counsellor in the stem is urging students to change their online practices by explaining risks and benefits. This clearly seeks behavioural modification. Therefore the function is persuasive.

Option A:
Ritualistic communication focuses on shared ceremonies and symbolic acts,not practical behaviour change.

Option B:
Persuasive messages are designed to change behaviour/attitudes using reasons and appeals (risks/benefits),so the counsellor’s urging is persuasive.

Option C:
Phatic communication maintains social contact through small talk and greetings,which is different from careful risk based arguments.

Option D:
Surveillance refers to monitoring and reporting information about the environment rather than recommending actions.

Statements A, B, C, E and F are correct and show technical, economic, behavioural and policy aspects of efficiency. Statement D is false because energy efficiency supports energy security by reducing demand and contributes to sustainable development by lowering environmental impacts. Hence, the correct combination is A, B, C, E and F only.

Option A:
Option A is correct because it includes all true statements and excludes D, which wrongly dismisses efficiency’s role in energy security and sustainability.

Option B:
Option B is incorrect because it omits E and F, missing behavioural and policy tools that help realise efficiency gains in practice.

Option C:
Option C is incorrect since it includes D (false) and omits A, losing the basic definitional statement of efficiency.

Option D:
Option D is incorrect because it omits B, so it underrepresents emissions benefits of efficiency when power is fossil-fuel based.

Statements C and F are wrong, while A, B, D and E are correct. Indoor air pollution from solid fuels is a major risk factor for respiratory disease, so saying it has no effect is clearly false. Environmental health programmes routinely include behaviour change components, such as promoting handwashing and safe storage, so claiming they never consider behaviour change is also wrong. The other statements describe widely accepted WASH–health relationships. Hence, the wrong statements together are C and F.

Option A:
Option A is incorrect because it identifies only C as wrong and ignores F, which also misrepresents environmental health practice. It therefore fails to capture the full set of incorrect statements.

Option B:
Option B is incorrect since it treats D as wrong along with C, yet D correctly notes that children are more vulnerable to environmental risks due to physiology and exposure patterns. Misclassifying D undermines basic public health understanding.

Option C:
Option C is correct because it selects exactly those statements that contradict established evidence on indoor air pollution and health promotion strategies. It leaves A, B, D and E recognised as the valid foundations of WASH programming.

Option D:
Option D is incorrect as it adds A to the list of wrong statements even though A accurately describes the link between unsafe water, sanitation and diarrhoeal disease. Grouping A with C and F makes the option logically inconsistent.