UGC NET Questions (Paper – 1)

Statements A, B, C, D and F are correct: solid fuels and poor ventilation raise indoor pollutants; exposure increases respiratory risks especially for women/children; cleaner fuels/improved stoves reduce exposure; and additional sources include materials, tobacco and chemicals. Statement E is false because exposure is strongly shaped by time spent indoors and gendered household roles. Hence, the correct combination is A, B, C, D and F only.

Option A:
Option A is correct because it includes all true statements and excludes only E, which wrongly denies the importance of time use and gender roles in exposure.

Option B:
Option B is incorrect because it omits F, thereby ignoring important indoor sources like building materials, tobacco smoke and household chemicals.

Option C:
Option C is incorrect since it includes E (false) and also omits A, missing the key role of solid fuels in indoor smoke generation.

Option D:
Option D is incorrect because it omits B, underplaying the critical role of ventilation in determining indoor concentrations.

All four statements are correct and describe different aspects of air pollution and its management. PM2.5 and similar pollutants are harmful because they reach deep lung regions and may enter circulation. Vulnerable groups like children and the elderly face higher risks, and epidemiological studies link pollution to respiratory and cardiovascular problems. Air quality management combines regulatory, technological and behavioural measures. Therefore, the combination A, B, C and D is the correct answer.

Option A:
Option A is incorrect because it lists only A and B and omits C and D. While it acknowledges pollutant characteristics and vulnerable groups, it ignores the documented disease links and the multi-pronged strategy for control, so it is incomplete.

Option B:
Option B is incorrect as it includes A, B and C but leaves out D. Without mentioning management strategies such as emission standards and cleaner fuels, the option does not fully represent how societies respond to air pollution.

Option C:
Option C is incorrect since it includes B, C and D but excludes A. Statement A about PM2.5’s ability to penetrate deep into the lungs is fundamental to understanding health effects, so leaving it out makes the set partial.

Option D:
Option D is correct because it recognises that all four statements accurately reflect the science of air pollution and public health as well as key elements of control strategies. It is the only option that includes every true statement.

Statements C and D are wrong, whereas A and B are correct. Statement C is incorrect because indoor air pollution is a major concern in many rural households that use solid fuels such as wood, dung or crop residues for cooking. Statement D is also incorrect because air quality standards are framed primarily to protect human health, although they may also consider welfare, vegetation and materials. Therefore, the correct answer must identify both C and D as wrong statements together.

Option A:
Option A is incorrect because it singles out C only as wrong while ignoring D. Although C is indeed wrong, D is also an incorrect statement since air quality standards explicitly aim to protect human health. Because the question asks for all wrong statements, excluding D makes this option incomplete.

Option B:
Option B is incorrect because it selects D only as the wrong statement and treats C as correct. As indoor air pollution is a serious health issue in many rural areas of developing countries, statement C cannot be accepted as true. Leaving out C from the set of wrong statements makes this option unacceptable.

Option C:
Option C is incorrect because it claims that A, C and D are wrong. Statements C and D are wrong, but statement A is correct because fine particulate matter (PM2.5) can indeed penetrate deep into the respiratory system and reach the bloodstream. Including a correct statement among wrong ones invalidates this combination.

Option D:
Option D is correct because it accurately identifies C and D as the wrong statements and excludes A and B, which are scientifically valid. It recognises that indoor air pollution is a serious rural health issue and that air quality standards serve to protect human health. Hence this combination fully satisfies the requirement of selecting the wrong statements.