UGC NET Questions (Paper – 1)

Statements A and B are correct because they reflect the accepted waste management hierarchy that favours prevention, reduction, reuse and recycling over final disposal. Modern sustainable waste policies prioritise minimising waste generation and recovering resources before considering landfilling or incineration. Statements C and D are incorrect as open dumping is environmentally unsound and energy recovery processes can generate emissions and require careful control. Therefore, the combination with A and B only is the correct answer.

Option A:
Option A is correct because it accurately lists the two statements that correspond to the widely accepted principles of the waste hierarchy. It notes that prevention and reduction should come first and that recycling and reuse are preferable to landfilling. Since it excludes the clearly incorrect statements C and D, this combination fully matches the requirement.

Option B:
Option B is incorrect because it adds statement C, which wrongly describes open dumping as an environmentally sound and endorsed practice. In reality, open dumping leads to leachate formation, odour, vector breeding and air pollution. Including such a false statement makes the entire option invalid.

Option C:
Option C is incorrect because it groups B, C and D, and both C and D are wrong. While B is correct, C wrongly promotes open dumping and D wrongly claims that energy recovery is always benign and emission-free. The presence of two incorrect statements means this combination cannot be accepted.

Option D:
Option D is incorrect because it declares all four statements A, B, C and D to be correct. Although A and B are correct, C and D are false and contradict principles of environmentally sound waste management. As a result, selecting all four statements is inconsistent with the conceptual framework of the unit.

A gendered perspective in environmental studies emphasises that environmental policies and impacts are experienced differently by women and men due to socially constructed roles and power relations. It calls for analysing resource access, decision making and vulnerability through a gender lens. The stem describes exactly this differentiated approach,so gendered is the correct term.

Option A:
An ecocentric perspective places intrinsic value on ecosystems and non human nature, often downplaying human social distinctions. While important,it does not focus on differences between women and men as stated in the question.

Option B:
A gendered perspective helps reveal how women may bear disproportionate burdens of environmental degradation, such as walking longer distances for water or fuelwood. It also highlights their knowledge and contributions to resource management. This reasoning aligns closely with the stem.

Option C:
A technocratic approach emphasises technical expertise and engineering solutions, sometimes neglecting social and gender dimensions. It is not specifically concerned with unequal roles or vulnerabilities by gender.

Option D:
Neo classical refers to a school of economic thought that assumes rational individuals and competitive markets. Although it can be applied to environmental issues, it does not inherently address gendered differences.

Statements A, C and D are correct because the EKC is defined as an inverted-U hypothesis, its shape can be altered by structural and policy changes, and evidence shows such patterns only for some pollutants. Statement B is false, since the curve explicitly assumes eventual improvement at higher income levels rather than continuous worsening. Statement E is false because the hypothesis does not guarantee automatic solutions without policy, and F is false since distribution and consumption patterns strongly affect pollution outcomes. Thus, the combination that includes A, C and D while excluding B, E and F is correct.

Option A:
Option A is incorrect because it omits D, thereby ignoring the empirical observation that EKC patterns are pollutant-specific. Without D, the answer underplays the limited scope of the hypothesis in real-world data.

Option B:
Option B is correct as it contains the key definitional and empirical points about the EKC and highlights the role of structural and policy factors. It excludes statements that oversimplify growth effects or ignore equity considerations.

Option C:
Option C is incorrect since it includes E, which claims growth alone will solve all environmental problems, contradicting the need for deliberate environmental regulation and technological change.

Option D:
Option D is incorrect because it leaves out A, so it fails to define the EKC itself, and also includes F, which wrongly dismisses the importance of within-country inequalities and consumption patterns in interpreting environmental outcomes.

Statements C and D are wrong. Environmental justice is centrally concerned with fair distribution of environmental benefits and burdens, not solely species conservation, and ethical considerations are very relevant for policy decisions on who bears costs and who receives benefits. Statements A and B correctly distinguish anthropocentric and ecocentric perspectives. Hence, the correct option is the one that identifies C and D together as wrong.

Option A:
Option A is correct because it groups exactly the two statements that misrepresent environmental ethics and justice, while leaving A and B recognised as accurate descriptions of ethical positions. It aligns with the conceptual treatment of ethics in People, Development and Environment.

Option B:
Option B is incorrect as it isolates C only and ignores D, even though D is also clearly wrong in claiming ethics are irrelevant to policy-making.

Option C:
Option C is incorrect because it treats B, C and D as wrong. B is actually correct, since ecocentric views extend intrinsic value to ecosystems and non-human beings. Misclassifying B undermines understanding of ethical frameworks.

Option D:
Option D is incorrect because it marks A, C and D as wrong. A is a valid characterisation of anthropocentric ethics, so including it among wrong statements is unjustified.