UGC NET Questions (Paper – 1)

Statements C and D are wrong, whereas A and B are correct. C is incorrect because behaviour change and community-led approaches are central to successful sanitation programmes. D is also false since toilets without water, safe containment and waste management do not ensure safe sanitation. Therefore, the wrong statements are C and D only.

Option A:
Option A is incorrect because it identifies A only as wrong, but A is actually true; open defecation is a recognised cause of faecal contamination of the environment. Misclassifying a correct statement as wrong leads to an incorrect option.

Option B:
Option B is incorrect since it treats both A and B as wrong. Statement B is true as unmanaged solid waste attracts vectors, and A is also true. Including true statements as wrong contradicts the question.

Option C:
Option C is incorrect because it groups A, B and C as wrong. While C is indeed wrong, A and B are correct, so this combination mislabels two accurate statements and cannot be accepted.

Option D:
Option D is correct because it identifies exactly the two wrong statements (C and D) and excludes the true statements (A and B).

Unplanned slums often arise when rapid urbanisation outpaces formal housing and infrastructure provision. Residents typically lack secure tenure, safe water, sewers and organised waste collection. As a result, overcrowding, open drains, makeshift toilets and uncollected garbage are common, creating health and environmental hazards. Thus, the combination of overcrowding, poor sanitation and solid waste accumulation is the environmental problem most closely associated with such settlements, making Option C correct.

Option A:
Option A is incorrect because high per capita green space and excellent waste management are the opposite of typical slum conditions. Slum improvement programmes specifically target deficits in these services.

Option B:
Option B is incorrect; adequate piped water and efficient sewage networks are characteristics of well-serviced urban neighbourhoods, not of informal slums.

Option C:
Option C is correct as it recognises that environmental quality in slums is shaped by inadequate services and high density. These conditions contribute to water-borne diseases, vector breeding and local pollution.

Option D:
Option D is incorrect as it describes a scenario of low population density and abundant public parks, which rarely applies to slum areas that usually occupy small areas with large populations and limited open space.

Most conventional plastics are made of long-chain polymers that do not break down easily by microbial action. This non-biodegradability means they persist for decades or centuries in landfills, soils and oceans, fragmenting into microplastics and harming wildlife. Thus, the key problematic property is their long-term persistence in the environment.

Option A:
Option A is incorrect because plastics do not decompose into harmless nutrients within days; that behaviour is typical of organic wastes like food scraps, not synthetic polymers.

Option B:
Option B is correct because it highlights non-biodegradability and very long persistence, which lead to accumulation of plastic debris and microplastics in ecosystems.

Option C:
Option C is incorrect since many common plastics can be recycled under suitable conditions; the problem is not that recycling is impossible, but that it is often insufficiently implemented.

Option D:
Option D is incorrect because most plastics are insoluble in water; they tend to float or sink rather than dissolving and disappearing.

Statement D is the only wrong statement because pollution often moves across media, for example air pollutants depositing onto land or water and leachates from solid waste affecting groundwater. Statements A, B, C, E and F are correct in describing typical pollution pathways and the rationale for integrated management. Water quality, soil health and air quality are interconnected through ecological and physical processes. Therefore, identifying D alone as wrong is the correct response.

Option A:
Option A is incorrect because it treats both A and D as wrong, even though A correctly notes the impacts of industrial effluents on water quality and aquatic ecosystems. Including A among wrong statements contradicts basic environmental science.

Option B:
Option B is incorrect since it groups D and E as wrong together. E is correct in explaining how open dumping contaminates soil and invites vectors, so pairing it with D mislabels a valid statement.

Option C:
Option C is incorrect because it labels B and D as wrong. B accurately describes contamination from overuse of fertilisers and pesticides, which is a well-known source of soil and groundwater pollution.

Option D:
Option D is correct as it singles out D, which wrongly denies cross-media linkages, and implicitly recognises all other statements as true. It aligns with the integrated approach promoted in pollution management.

Many plastic carry bags are made of polymers that do not break down easily in natural environments. They can persist for decades,posing hazards to wildlife and clogging drainage systems. The stem points to this persistent pollution problem,so non biodegradable waste is the correct classification. Option B is therefore appropriate.

Option A:
Recyclable paper decomposes relatively quickly and can be reprocessed; it does not match persistent plastic litter.

Option B:
Non biodegradable wastes resist decomposition and accumulate in landfills and ecosystems; plastic carry bags are a classic example.

Option C:
Organic waste is biodegradable material like food scraps; plastics are not organic waste in this sense.

Option D:
Easily decomposable materials break down quickly; plastics show the opposite behavior.

Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) requires manufacturers to take back or ensure proper collection and recycling of their products after use. Electronics are a common target because they contain hazardous as well as valuable materials. The stem mentions post consumer products requiring end of life management,which matches electronic waste. Therefore Option B is the correct answer.

Option A:
Fresh vegetables are perishable goods whose waste is usually biodegradable and handled through normal organic waste systems. They are not the primary focus of EPR frameworks,so Option A is not suitable.

Option B:
Electronic waste includes discarded computers,phones and appliances whose safe disposal and recycling need organised systems. EPR shifts some responsibility for these systems to producers,matching the concept in the question.

Option C:
Groundwater resources require regulation but are not “products” returned to producers. EPR is product oriented,so Option C does not fit.

Option D:
Open spaces are environmental amenities,not items manufactured and sold by producers. They are not managed through EPR policies,so Option D is incorrect.