UGC NET Questions (Paper – 1)

Statements A, B, C, D and F are correct as they describe the legal framework, institutions, use of PIL and enforcement challenges. Statement E is false because environmental laws apply to both urban and rural areas. Hence A, B, C, D and F only is correct.

Option A:
Option A is incomplete since it omits F.

Option B:
Option B is correct because it includes A, B, C, D and F and excludes E.

Option C:
Option C is incorrect as it includes E (false).

Option D:
Option D is incorrect because it includes E and omits B.

Statements A, B and D are correct because environmental movements have indeed resisted unsustainable deforestation and displacement, combined ecology with livelihood rights and used legal channels such as public interest litigation. These features are prominent in many national and local struggles. Statement C is incorrect because many movements support alternative development paths and appropriate technologies rather than rejecting all development. Thus, the combination including A, B and D and excluding C is correct.

Option A:
Option A is incorrect as it includes only A and B and omits D. While A and B correctly capture grassroots and Chipko-type struggles, ignoring the legal strategies used by environmental groups leaves out an important dimension of environmental activism. The set of correct statements is therefore incomplete.

Option B:
Option B is incorrect because it combines A and D but leaves out B. The Chipko movement’s focus on both forests and livelihoods is an important example often cited in the syllabus. Excluding B means this option does not list all the correct statements.

Option C:
Option C is correct since it brings together A, B and D, which jointly describe the roles of movements in resisting harmful projects, protecting communities and using public interest litigation. It also rightly rejects C, which caricatures movements as anti-development in all forms. This makes it the only fully accurate combination.

Option D:
Option D is incorrect because it includes C along with B and D. Accepting C would imply that environmental movements reject all technological change, which is not true. Many movements advocate alternative, more sustainable technologies, so this option misrepresents their stance.

The NGT is a specialised judicial body established to handle environmental disputes quickly and with technical expertise. It adjudicates civil cases involving substantial questions relating to the environment, including enforcement of legal rights, compensation and restoration. Its core role is to decide such cases, not to legislate or directly manage resources.

Option A:
Option A is incorrect because making laws is the function of Parliament and state legislatures; the NGT applies existing environmental laws rather than enacting new ones.

Option B:
Option B is correct since the NGT’s mandate is to hear and dispose of environmental cases concerning pollution, forests, biodiversity and other natural resources.

Option C:
Option C is incorrect as day-to-day management of parks and sanctuaries is handled by forest and wildlife departments, not by the NGT.

Option D:
Option D is incorrect because tax collection is carried out by revenue authorities; the NGT may impose penalties or compensation, but it is not a tax-collecting agency.

Statements A and C are correct: environmental laws set binding rules for control and conservation, and public interest litigation or citizen suits can help enforce these norms. Statements B and D are incorrect because enforcement also relies on capacity, monitoring and institutions, and transparency plus information access are vital for accountability. Hence, the combination A and C only is correct.

Option A:
Option A is incomplete since it omits C, which adds the important role of citizens and judiciary in upholding environmental laws. Without C, the enforcement dimension is underplayed.

Option B:
Option B is incorrect as it accepts B, implying penalties alone are sufficient without institutional capacity. This contradicts empirical experience where weak institutions undermine enforcement despite strong penalties.

Option C:
Option C is correct because it chooses the two statements that reflect both the legal framework and participatory enforcement tools, while excluding statements that ignore capacity and transparency.

Option D:
Option D is incorrect as it includes D, which wrongly claims information is irrelevant to enforcement, even though disclosure is central to many environmental regimes.

Statements A, B, C and E are correct because they describe well-known movements, their focus on displacement and sustainability and the use of PIL to advance environmental justice. Statement D is incorrect, since many movements demand alternatives and better assessment rather than rejecting all development. Statement F is incorrect because activism has influenced policies, judicial decisions and institutional reforms. Therefore, the combination A, B, C and E only is correct.

Option A:
Option A is correct as it combines historical examples, rights-based concerns and legal strategies that characterise Indian environmental movements. It excludes extreme claims that movements oppose all development or lack policy influence.

Option B:
Option B is incorrect because it includes D, which overgeneralises the stance of movements and ignores their constructive proposals. Although A, B and E are true, the presence of D makes the option unacceptable.

Option C:
Option C is incorrect since it includes F, which denies the impact of activism on policy and law. While B, C and E are correct, the inclusion of F and exclusion of A weakens the description.

Option D:
Option D is incorrect as it keeps F and leaves out B. Excluding B omits a key example of dam-related mobilisation, while accepting F denies the record of activism shaping law and policy.