UGC NET Questions (Paper – 1)

LCA is a systematic method that traces all relevant environmental inputs and outputs associated with a product throughout its life. It considers energy and material use, emissions and waste in each stage, from resource extraction to manufacturing, distribution, use and end-of-life management. By revealing "hotspots" of impact, LCA helps designers, firms and policymakers compare alternatives and choose options with lower overall environmental burdens.

Option A:
Option A is incorrect because LCA goes far beyond economic costs; it focuses on environmental impacts, although economic information can be analysed alongside it.

Option B:
Option B is correct since it captures the cradle-to-grave scope and environmental focus that define LCA.

Option C:
Option C is incorrect as market share analysis belongs to marketing and business studies, not to environmental life-cycle assessment.

Option D:
Option D is incorrect because assessing social reputation involves perception surveys and branding studies; it is not the primary goal of LCA tools.

The Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee was created to turn the UNEA resolution on plastic pollution into a concrete treaty text. It brings together representatives of UN member states to discuss options, draft provisions and resolve disagreements. Through successive INC sessions in different cities, negotiators work on issues such as production limits, chemicals, waste management and financial mechanisms. Thus, the INC is the central negotiating body rather than an implementing agency or tribunal. (UNEP - UN Environment Programme)

Option A:
This option is incorrect because recycling programmes are largely managed at national or local levels; the INC does not administer them. Its mandate is to negotiate treaty text, not to run operational projects within countries.

Option B:
The INC does not function as a funding agency that dispenses money directly to waste management projects. Finance will be an important part of the treaty, but such mechanisms are to be designed within the negotiations rather than administered by the INC itself.

Option C:
This option correctly describes the INC’s purpose as a negotiating forum charged with drafting the new plastics treaty. It reflects the intergovernmental nature of the process and the focus on legal text and obligations. Without such a body, the UNEA resolution could not be translated into a concrete, binding instrument.

Option D:
The INC is not a court or enforcement body that directly punishes companies. Any compliance or enforcement provisions would be part of the treaty architecture and would typically involve states, not direct corporate adjudication by the committee.