UGC NET Questions (Paper – 1)

EIA is a planning tool used to anticipate how a project might affect air, water, land, ecosystems and people. By examining alternatives and suggesting mitigation measures, it helps decision makers weigh environmental costs alongside economic and social benefits. Effective EIAs include public consultation and can lead to project redesign, conditions or even rejection.

Option A:
Option A is incorrect because EIA is not meant to rubber-stamp all projects; it can recommend modifications or cancellation.

Option B:
Option B is correct as it summarises the predictive and evaluative role of EIA prior to project approval.

Option C:
Option C is incorrect; EIA complements, not replaces, economic analyses. Both are needed for balanced appraisal.

Option D:
Option D is incorrect since private and community actors can also propose projects, which may still require EIA depending on regulations.

Statements A, B and D are correct because EIA is a predictive tool carried out before project approval, incorporates public inputs and proposes mitigation and monitoring plans. It helps decision makers anticipate and reduce negative environmental impacts. Statement C is incorrect since post-construction studies are more in the nature of monitoring or audits, not the core EIA itself. Hence, A, B and D together form the correct combination.

Option A:
Option A is incomplete as it lists only A and B and omits D. Without recognising the role of mitigation and monitoring in EIA reports, the description of the process is not full. Therefore, this option fails to capture all correct statements.

Option B:
Option B is correct because it includes the predictive, participatory and planning dimensions of EIA and excludes C, which misplaces the timing of EIA after construction. This reflects the standard definition and use of EIA in environmental management.

Option C:
Option C is incorrect since it includes C along with B and D. Accepting C would wrongly redefine EIA as a post-construction activity, which contradicts its preventive character.

Option D:
Option D is incorrect because it combines A and D with C and omits B. While A and D are true, including C and leaving out public consultation fails to represent EIA accurately and ignores its participatory dimension.

Environmental Impact Assessment is a preventive environmental management tool used before major projects are approved. Its primary role is to identify and predict potential environmental impacts, evaluate their significance and suggest mitigation measures. By doing so, it helps decision makers consider environmental costs and benefits alongside economic and social factors. Therefore, the main purpose of EIA is impact identification and evaluation prior to decision-making, as indicated in option C.

Option A:
Option A is incorrect because EIA is not a funding mechanism; it does not provide financial assistance. It is an assessment process used to guide decisions on whether and how a project should proceed.

Option B:
Option B is incorrect since EIA may lengthen approval time due to detailed studies and consultations. Its aim is environmental safeguards, not speedy clearance.

Option C:
Option C is correct because it clearly states the core activities of EIA: identifying, predicting and evaluating environmental impacts before decisions. This allows potential negative effects to be avoided, reduced or compensated.

Option D:
Option D is incorrect because increasing land value is not an objective of EIA. Any rise or fall in land prices is incidental and not part of the assessment’s purpose.

Environmental impact assessment is a formal process to identify,predict and evaluate potential environmental impacts of proposed projects. It helps decision makers consider environmental consequences alongside economic and technical factors. By doing so,it aims to avoid,reduce or compensate for adverse impacts before they occur. Therefore the definition in the question clearly refers to environmental impact assessment.

Option A:
A social audit evaluates the social performance and accountability of institutions,especially in governance and welfare schemes. While it may touch on environmental issues,it is not primarily about predicting environmental impacts of projects. Hence it does not match the process described in the stem.

Option B:
Environmental impact assessment is designed to be conducted before project approval. It involves baseline studies,impact prediction,mitigation planning and public consultation. This systematic approach fits perfectly with the description given in the question.

Option C:
Resource mapping involves identifying and documenting the distribution of various resources in a region. It is a useful planning tool but does not itself evaluate the impacts of a proposed project. Therefore it is not the best answer here.

Option D:
Performance appraisal usually refers to evaluation of employees in an organisation. It focuses on productivity and work behaviour rather than environmental effects of projects. Thus it is unrelated to the concept defined in the question.

Statements A, C and D correctly describe key features of Environmental Impact Assessment. Statement A highlights that EIA is a systematic process, C points to the role of public participation and D emphasises identification of mitigation measures to reduce negative impacts. Statement B is incorrect because EIA is normally carried out before project implementation to inform decision-making. Therefore, the combination containing A, C and D only is the correct answer.

Option A:
Option A is correct because it includes all the true statements about EIA while excluding the false one. It recognises that EIA is prospective in nature, involves stakeholders and leads to mitigation plans. By omitting statement B, which wrongly places EIA after project completion, this option fits the conceptual understanding used in environmental management.

Option B:
Option B is incorrect because it pairs A with B. While A is correct, B is wrong since EIA is not meant to be carried out after the project is fully constructed; such a timing would defeat its preventive purpose. Including a false statement makes the whole combination invalid.

Option C:
Option C is incorrect because it collects A, B and C. In this set, A and C are correct but B remains incorrect for the reason that EIA is done prior to project implementation. A correct combination must exclude B altogether rather than including it along with true statements.

Option D:
Option D is incorrect because it groups B, C and D. Although C and D are correct, the presence of B, which misrepresents the timing of EIA, means the option cannot be accepted. An answer containing even one false statement fails to represent the correct description of EIA.

Environmental Impact Assessment is a systematic process used to identify and analyse the likely environmental consequences of a proposed project. It helps decision-makers consider alternatives, design mitigation measures and decide whether or not to approve a project. By assessing impacts in advance, EIA supports more informed and sustainable planning. Thus, its main purpose is to predict and evaluate environmental impacts before key decisions are taken, as stated in Option B.

Option A:
Option A is incorrect because EIA does not aim to rush projects or bypass public consultation. In many jurisdictions, public participation is an integral part of the EIA process.

Option B:
Option B is correct as it highlights the anticipatory nature of EIA. Environmental consequences are examined before major decisions so that they can influence project design and approval.

Option C:
Option C is incorrect because EIA is meant to complement, not replace, economic feasibility studies. Sound planning considers both economic and environmental aspects together.

Option D:
Option D is incorrect since no development project can have absolutely zero environmental impact. EIA seeks to minimise negative impacts and enhance positive ones, not to guarantee total absence of change.

Environmental impact assessment is a formal procedure used to identify,predict and evaluate the likely environmental effects of proposed projects or policies before key decisions are taken. It aims to integrate environmental considerations into planning and avoid or mitigate negative impacts. The stem directly describes this process,so environmental impact assessment is the correct term.

Option A:
Cost benefit analysis compares monetary costs and benefits of a project and may or may not include environmental impacts in a systematic way. It is broader economically but not focused specifically on predicting environmental consequences as EIA does.

Option B:
Social audit examines how well an organisation or programme meets social objectives such as participation,transparency and service delivery. While important,it does not primarily address environmental prediction and evaluation.

Option C:
Green budgeting involves integrating environmental objectives and indicators into government budgeting processes. It is a fiscal planning tool rather than a project specific assessment of environmental consequences.

Option D:
Environmental impact assessment produces reports and recommendations that can shape project design,site selection and mitigation measures. This matches exactly the role set out in the question stem.