UGC NET Questions (Paper – 1)

The polluter pays principle states that the cost of pollution control and remediation should be borne by the polluter. It internalises environmental costs that would otherwise be external to the market. This principle provides an economic incentive for firms and individuals to reduce pollution. Therefore the description in the question clearly refers to the polluter pays principle.

Option A:
The precautionary principle advocates taking preventive action in the face of uncertainty to avoid serious or irreversible damage. It does not specifically assign costs to the polluter. Thus it does not match the definition given.

Option B:
Equity relates to fairness in the distribution of benefits and burdens among different groups. While polluter pays may promote a kind of equity,it is a more general value and not the specific policy rule defined in the question. Therefore it is not the most precise answer.

Option C:
The polluter pays principle directly links responsibility for pollution with financial liability. By making polluters responsible for the full environmental costs,it encourages cleaner technologies and processes. This is exactly the logic captured by the stem.

Option D:
Subsidiarity is a governance principle that decisions should be taken at the lowest appropriate level. It concerns allocation of authority rather than allocation of environmental costs. Hence it is not relevant to the concept described in the question.

The very title of the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act makes clear that its main purpose is to prevent and control water pollution. It establishes pollution control boards and regulatory mechanisms for this purpose. The stem refers to this 1974 legislation,so water is the correct completion.

Option A:
Air pollution is addressed in India by the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act,1981. Although some institutions are shared with the Water Act,it is a separate law. Therefore air does not fit the specific act mentioned in the question.

Option B:
Water is the environmental medium explicitly targeted by the 1974 Act. It covers effluent standards, consent procedures and penalties for polluting water bodies. This focus matches exactly with the stem’s description.

Option C:
Noise pollution is regulated through different rules under the Environment (Protection) Act and other instruments,not primarily by the Water Act. Hence noise is not the appropriate answer here.

Option D:
Thermal pollution of water bodies is one type of water pollution but is only a subset of what the Act covers. The Act’s main thrust is broader water pollution control,so the general term water is more accurate.

The All India Council for Technical Education is the apex statutory body for technical education in India. It approves institutions and programmes in engineering, architecture, management and similar fields and sets norms for infrastructure and faculty. Because the stem refers specifically to planning and coordinated development of technical education, AICTE is the correct choice.

Option A:
The All India Council for Technical Education directly regulates technical institutions and ensures that standards for technical programmes are maintained nationwide. It is repeatedly mentioned in policies and regulations in this capacity. This matches the description in the question, so Option A is accurate.

Option B:
The University Grants Commission oversees university education more broadly and does not grant primary approvals to individual technical institutions. While it may interact with AICTE, it is not the main technical education regulator, making Option B inappropriate.

Option C:
The National Council for Teacher Education is concerned with teacher education programmes and has no regulatory power over engineering or management education. Hence, Option C does not fit the stem.

Option D:
The Bar Council of India regulates legal education and the legal profession, particularly LL.B. programmes and advocates, not technical education. Therefore, Option D is clearly not suitable here.

The All India Council for Technical Education is the statutory body responsible for planning and coordinated development of technical education in India, covering fields such as engineering, management and pharmacy. It grants approvals to technical institutions and programmes and issues regulations about standards. The stem clearly refers to a body regulating technical and management education, which matches AICTE. Thus, Option C is correct.

Option A:
The University Grants Commission oversees university education in general and allocates funds, but it does not directly approve engineering or technical programmes in the way AICTE does. Therefore, Option A does not fit the specific focus on technical and management education in the stem.

Option B:
NCTE regulates teacher education programmes, mainly for school education, and has no mandate over engineering or management colleges. Consequently, Option B is not appropriate here.

Option C:
The Bar Council of India regulates legal education and the legal profession, focusing on law programmes and advocates, not on technical or management education. Hence, Option D does not match the description in the question.

Option D:
AICTE’s role includes prescribing norms for infrastructure, faculty qualifications and intake for technical institutions and ensuring that such institutions maintain minimum academic and physical standards. These responsibilities align exactly with the regulatory role described, confirming that this option is the correct answer.

Statement C is the only wrong statement because noise control is not limited to personal protective devices; it also includes engineering controls, planning measures and legal regulations. Statements A, B and D are correct: A highlights health effects, B recognises noise as environmental pollution and D lists valid control strategies. Therefore, the combination that identifies C only as wrong is the correct answer.

Option A:
Option A is correct since it accurately singles out C as the wrong statement and leaves A, B and D recognised as true. It reflects the comprehensive approach to noise management that extends beyond individual protection. Thus it matches the requirement of selecting the wrong statement(s).

Option B:
Option B is incorrect because it treats both A and C as wrong. Statement A correctly describes adverse health impacts of chronic noise exposure, such as hearing loss and stress-related problems. Including a correct statement in the wrong set makes this option invalid.

Option C:
Option C is incorrect as it groups C and D together as wrong statements. While C is indeed wrong, D is correct in giving examples of zoning, silencers and time restrictions that are widely used in noise regulation. This mixture of one true and one false statement cannot be accepted.

Option D:
Option D is incorrect because it sees B and C as wrong. B is a correct statement since noise is widely recognised as environmental pollution affecting well-being. Treating B as wrong undermines standard environmental health knowledge.

Point source pollution originates from a single identifiable source such as a pipe,outfall or chimney. The stem describes effluent entering a river from a specific pipe,which fits this definition exactly. Therefore it is correctly classified as point source pollution.

Option A:
Non point source pollution arises from many dispersed sources like agricultural runoff or urban stormwater. It is difficult to trace to a single discharge point. Since the question mentions one pipe,non point is not accurate.

Option B:
Point sources are typically easier to monitor and regulate because their location and discharge characteristics can be precisely identified. Industrial pipes and sewage outlets are classic examples. This explanation matches the scenario described in the stem.

Option C:
Diffuse pollution is another term used for non point pollution,emphasising its widespread and scattered nature. It does not apply when a single clearly defined outlet is involved. Hence it is not the correct answer here.

Option D:
Natural sources such as soil erosion or volcanic activity can introduce materials into water bodies,but the stem specifically mentions industrial effluent. Therefore natural is not an appropriate classification.

An ambient air quality standard specifies the maximum acceptable concentration of a pollutant in outdoor air over a defined time period. These standards are set to protect human health and the environment. The stem clearly refers to such permissible limits,so standard is the correct word.

Option A:
An inventory is a detailed list or accounting of emission sources and quantities. While useful for management,it does not itself state permissible limits or health based thresholds. Hence it is not suitable for the blank.

Option B:
A standard is a legally or administratively established benchmark against which actual air quality is compared. Ambient air quality standards guide regulatory action and monitoring. This is exactly what the stem describes,so this option is accurate.

Option C:
A profile usually means a descriptive representation of air quality conditions or emissions but does not inherently define acceptable limits. Therefore it is not equivalent to the concept in the question.

Option D:
A budget in environmental science may refer to the balance of emissions and removals of a pollutant or greenhouse gas. It is different from health based concentration limits,so it cannot fit the blank.

The Environment (Protection) Act was enacted in 1986 in the aftermath of the Bhopal gas tragedy. It provides a comprehensive legal framework empowering the central government to set standards and issue notifications for environmental protection. Because the stem refers to this umbrella legislation,1986 is the correct year.

Option A:
The year 1972 is associated with the Stockholm Conference on the Human Environment,which influenced Indian environmental policy but did not itself create the Environment (Protection) Act. Therefore 1972 is not the right completion for the Act’s year.

Option B:
1986 marks the formal adoption of the Environment (Protection) Act,under which various rules such as those for hazardous waste and coastal regulation have been issued. This makes it the accurate answer to the question.

Option C:
The year 1991 is known in India for major economic liberalisation measures. It does not correspond to the passage of this specific environmental act,so it is not appropriate here.

Option D:
The year 2002 has significance for some conservation initiatives but is unrelated to the original enactment of the Environment (Protection) Act. Thus it is not the correct option.

The precautionary principle states that lack of full scientific certainty should not be used as a reason to postpone cost effective measures to prevent environmental degradation when there is a threat of serious or irreversible damage. The stem highlights preventive action under uncertainty,which captures this idea precisely. Therefore the correct answer is the precautionary principle.

Option A:
Sustainable use refers to using resources in a way that does not compromise their availability for future generations. While related to long term thinking,it does not explicitly address acting in advance of full certainty as described in the question.

Option B:
Efficiency focuses on achieving objectives with minimal input or cost. It is an important economic consideration but does not capture the risk averse stance embedded in the precautionary principle.

Option C:
The precautionary principle shifts the burden of proof toward proponents of potentially harmful activities,encouraging safer alternatives. This feature aligns with the stem’s emphasis on avoiding serious harm even when knowledge is incomplete.

Option D:
Equity concerns fairness in the distribution of benefits and burdens,such as intergenerational and intragenerational justice. While equity considerations can support precaution,they are not the specific principle described in the stem.

The National Council for Teacher Education is the statutory body specifically mandated to plan and coordinate teacher education and to regulate institutions offering teacher preparation programmes like B.Ed. and D.El.Ed. It sets norms and standards for these courses. The stem clearly points to the apex regulator of teacher education institutions, which is NCTE, so Option C is correct.

Option A:
The University Grants Commission oversees university-level education more broadly and does not issue programme recognition for teacher education in the way NCTE does. Hence, Option A is not the best match for the description in the question.

Option B:
AICTE focuses on technical and management education and has no direct role in accrediting teacher education programmes for schools, making Option B inappropriate.

Option C:
NCERT is primarily concerned with school curriculum development, textbooks and research in school education, not with regulatory approval for teacher education institutions. Therefore, Option D does not satisfy the stem’s requirement.

Option D:
NCTE issues recognition orders, prescribes intake, infrastructure and faculty norms for teacher education, and monitors compliance, directly matching the regulatory functions described. This close alignment confirms that Option C is the correct answer.