UGC NET Questions (Paper – 1)

Statements A, B, D and F are correct because segregation, recognition of informal workers, well-designed user charges and impact assessment of waste-to-energy are all key aspects of modern waste governance. Statement C is wrong because open dumping degrades land, water and air and harms health, and E is wrong since awareness without systems and infrastructure cannot resolve complex waste issues. The combination that includes A, B, D and F and excludes C and E is therefore correct.

Option A:
Option A is incorrect as it omits F and thus ignores the need to evaluate environmental and social impacts of waste-to-energy projects, which can have significant externalities if poorly designed. Without F, the answer neglects an increasingly important policy concern.

Option B:
Option B is incorrect because it includes C, which wrongly claims that open dumping has no consequences. Accepting C contradicts well-established evidence on pollution, odour and disease risks from uncontrolled dumpsites.

Option C:
Option C is incorrect since it accepts E, which overstates what awareness campaigns alone can achieve, and excludes A. Without A, it fails to mention source segregation, which is foundational for effective recycling and composting.

Option D:
Option D is correct as it gathers the four statements that align with integrated waste management principles while rejecting C and E, which downplay pollution and over-rely on awareness. It reflects the governance, technical and social dimensions of urban solid waste management.

Statements A and C are correct: integrated management combines multiple strategies and decentralised systems with participation can ease pressure on landfills. Statements B and D are incorrect: open dumping can contaminate air and water, and waste-to-energy plants involve emissions and residues that require careful management. Thus, the combination A and C only is correct.

Option A:
Option A is incomplete since it includes only A and ignores C, which adds the important decentralisation and participation dimension. Without C, the approach to waste management appears overly centralised.

Option B:
Option B is incorrect as it treats B as correct along with A. B denies impacts of open dumping, which is contradicted by environmental health evidence.

Option C:
Option C is correct because it selects the two statements aligned with best practice and excludes B and D, which underestimate risks of dumping and incineration.

Option D:
Option D is incorrect as it includes B among correct statements and omits C, giving an inaccurate picture of both impacts and solutions.