UGC NET Questions (Paper – 1)

Sanitation includes safe disposal of human excreta and waste water to protect health and the environment. Providing toilets and eliminating open defecation reduce contamination of soil and water and break disease transmission pathways. The stem clearly describes such actions,so sanitation is the appropriate term. Therefore Option D is correct.

Option A:
Aesthetics may improve indirectly,but the primary purpose of toilets is hygiene and health,not appearance.

Option B:
Production relates to economic output and is not the primary objective of ending open defecation.

Option C:
Commerce concerns trade and business activity and does not capture the hygiene and disease prevention focus here.

Option D:
Sanitation directly refers to safe excreta disposal and improved hygiene through toilets,matching the stem precisely.

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).

Statements A, B, D and F are correct as they highlight safe water, sanitation, solid waste management and vulnerability of age groups. Statement C is wrong because handwashing with soap is highly effective in interrupting disease transmission. Statement E is also wrong, since environmental health includes both biological and chemical risks. Therefore, the combination A, B, D and F only is correct.

Option A:
Option A is incorrect because it includes C, which understates the importance of handwashing, and it omits F.

Option B:
Option B is incorrect as it includes E, which wrongly narrows environmental health to chemical issues.

Option C:
Option C is incorrect because it accepts E and omits A, denying safe water’s central role and limiting scope.

Option D:
Option D is correct since it selects A, B, D and F and excludes C and E.

Statements A, B, D and E are correct as they describe contamination pathways, the importance of safe sludge and wastewater management, the effectiveness of handwashing and the role of school facilities, especially for girls. Statement C is wrong because toilets without use, cleaning and maintenance do not remove disease risks, and F is wrong since poor solid waste management contributes to vector breeding and environmental contamination. Therefore, the correct combination includes A, B, D and E and excludes C and F.

Option A:
Option A is correct since it brings together all key links between sanitation, health and education outcomes, while leaving out statements that oversimplify solutions or deny environmental health connections. It reflects the integrated WASH perspective promoted in this unit.

Option B:
Option B is incorrect because it omits E and fails to recognise how school facilities affect attendance and dignity. Without E, the answer underplays the gendered and educational dimensions of sanitation.

Option C:
Option C is incorrect as it includes C, which wrongly claims that infrastructure alone guarantees disease elimination. Including C ignores the importance of behaviour change, operations and maintenance for sustained health gains.

Option D:
Option D is incorrect because it accepts F, which denies links between solid waste and environmental health, and excludes A. This combination both removes a fundamental contamination pathway and accepts a false statement.