UGC NET Questions (Paper – 1)

Strong sustainability argues that certain components of natural capital are non substitutable because they perform unique life support functions. It holds that these critical stocks must be maintained intact rather than traded off against increases in produced capital. The stem’s insistence that natural capital cannot always be substituted and should not fall below thresholds captures this view,so strong sustainability is the correct term. Option B is therefore right.

Option A:
Weak sustainability assumes natural capital losses can be offset by increases in man made capital,which contradicts the stem.

Option B:
“Strong” completes “strong sustainability,”the view that critical natural capital must be maintained and is not fully substitutable,matching the stem.

Option C:
Partial sustainability is not a standard category describing substitutability/thresholds in sustainability theory.

Option D:
Random sustainability has no recognised meaning and does not describe a coherent strategy.

Green accounting attempts to integrate environmental factors into national income accounts. It recognises that GDP can rise while natural capital is depleted or environmental quality declines, giving a misleading picture of true wealth. By subtracting costs of pollution and resource depletion and adding the value of environmental services, green GDP provides a more realistic measure of sustainable economic performance. Thus, the main idea is to adjust income measures for environmental losses, as described in Option C.

Option A:
Option A is incorrect because simply calculating physical output volumes does not address environmental externalities. Green accounting is specifically concerned with valuing environmental gains and losses.

Option B:
Option B is incorrect as it suggests excluding environmental assets, which is the opposite of what green accounting advocates. Ignoring these assets perpetuates the shortcomings of conventional GDP.

Option C:
Option C is correct since it points to the need for incorporating the depreciation of natural capital alongside produced capital. This adjustment helps policymakers see whether growth is being achieved at the cost of long-term environmental health.

Option D:
Option D is incorrect because green accounting does not demand the abolition of all traditional measures. Instead, it complements and refines them by adding an environmental dimension.