UGC NET Questions (Paper – 1)

Waterborne diseases such as diarrhoea, cholera and typhoid spread mainly through ingestion of water contaminated with human or animal waste. In crowded settlements, breaking this transmission route requires reliable access to microbiologically safe drinking water and effective removal and treatment of sewage. When these systems function together, they significantly reduce pathogen loads in the environment and improve public health outcomes.

Option A:
Option A is incorrect because individual bottled water use by a few does not address community-wide contamination and is often unaffordable; it leaves systemic sanitation problems unsolved.

Option B:
Option B is correct as it tackles both the supply of safe water and the safe disposal of excreta, which is the foundation of modern public health engineering.

Option C:
Option C is incorrect since storing wastewater in open containers creates breeding grounds for disease vectors and increases exposure risks.

Option D:
Option D is incorrect because open defecation near water bodies directly contributes to faecal contamination and is a major cause of waterborne disease outbreaks.

Statements A, B and C properly describe the scope and determinants of environmental health and occupational risk. A points to specific occupational exposures that can harm health, B defines environmental health as dealing with external physical, chemical and biological factors and C identifies safe water and sanitation as key determinants. Statement D is incorrect because workplace safety is a major component of environmental and occupational health. Thus, the correct combination is A, B and C only.

Option A:
Option A is correct because it includes all the true statements while excluding D, which denies the environmental dimension of workplace safety. It offers a comprehensive view linking occupational risk, environmental conditions and public health determinants. Therefore, it meets the requirement.

Option B:
Option B is incorrect as it omits C, which is a crucial aspect of environmental health related to basic services like water and sanitation. Leaving out such a central factor makes the combination incomplete.

Option C:
Option C is incorrect since it includes D, which wrongly disconnects workplace safety from environmental health. Although B and C are correct, the presence of D renders the option unacceptable.

Option D:
Option D is incorrect because it combines A and C with D. While A and C are valid statements, D contradicts the recognised inclusion of workplace conditions within environmental and occupational health domains. This mixture of correct and incorrect statements cannot be chosen.