UGC NET Questions (Paper – 1)

Rapid and unplanned urbanisation in developing countries often results in overcrowding, slum formation and stressed infrastructure. Basic services such as water supply, sanitation, transport and waste management become inadequate. Environmental problems like air pollution, water contamination and solid waste accumulation intensify. Hence, the most appropriate description is that it creates serious pressures which must be addressed through planned urban development, as stated in option D.

Option A:
Option A is incorrect because quality of life usually improves only when urban growth is planned and serviced. In many developing cities, rapid unplanned urbanisation actually worsens living conditions for large segments of the population, so it cannot be said that it always leads to higher quality of life.

Option B:
Option B is incorrect since concentrating people without adequate planning tends to magnify, not eliminate, environmental problems. Urban areas generate large amounts of waste and pollution, and insufficient management further intensifies these issues.

Option C:
Option C is incorrect because, although rural out-migration can create challenges, urbanisation is often associated with economic growth and structural transformation. The problem is not urbanisation itself but its unplanned and unmanaged nature.

Option D:
Option D is correct as it summarises the typical consequences of rapid, unplanned urbanisation: housing shortages, infrastructure stress and environmental degradation. It also highlights the need for planned interventions, which is a key point in people–environment discussions.

Statements A, B, D and E are correct as they describe typical service deficits, risks and participatory solutions in informal settlements. Lack of basic services and marginal locations increase environmental health risks, and involving residents helps design appropriate upgrading interventions. Statements C and F are false because environmental conditions in slums strongly influence health, and air pollution does affect residents, who may even be more exposed. The correct combination therefore includes A, B, D and E only.

Option A:
Option A is correct since it brings together all true statements about service gaps, risk exposure, health benefits of upgrading and the value of participation. It rightly excludes C and F, which deny well-documented links between environment and health in slums.

Option B:
Option B is incorrect because it includes C, which wrongly claims that environmental conditions do not affect health outcomes. Adding this false statement makes the overall combination unacceptable.

Option C:
Option C is incorrect as it includes F, which denies the impact of air pollution on slum dwellers, and omits A. Air pollution clearly affects slum inhabitants, often living near busy roads or industrial areas, so accepting F is inconsistent with evidence.

Option D:
Option D is incorrect because it again accepts F and leaves out B, thus ignoring the importance of hazardous locations while including a clearly wrong statement about pollution.

Pull factors are conditions that attract people to a new place. In rural–urban migration, higher wages, better services and perceived opportunities in cities draw migrants. These forces operate alongside push factors that drive people away from origin areas. Therefore, the availability of better jobs and higher wages in cities exemplifies a pull factor.

Option A:
Option A is incorrect because crop failure and drought are classic push factors. They push people out due to hardship rather than attracting them into a new place. They describe conditions at the place of origin.

Option B:
Option B is incorrect because political conflict and violence are push factors that drive people away from their villages due to insecurity. They represent adverse conditions at the origin, not attractions at the destination.

Option C:
Option C is correct since employment opportunities and higher income act as magnets. Migrants choose cities hoping to improve their living conditions through better jobs and wages, which is the essence of a pull factor.

Option D:
Option D is incorrect because land degradation and declining fertility push farmers away from rural areas. These are again problems at the place of origin rather than pull factors in cities.

Pull factors are attractive conditions at the destination that draw migrants. In rural–urban migration, expectations of higher wages, regular salaried jobs and better services in cities act as powerful pulls. People compare these perceived benefits with conditions in their villages and decide to move if they expect an improvement in their lives. Hence, better jobs and higher wages illustrate a typical pull factor.

Option A:
Option A is a push factor because drought and crop failure drive people away from origin areas rather than attract them to a specific destination.

Option B:
Option B is also a push factor, as people flee violence for safety, but it does not itself describe the attractions of towns.

Option C:
Option C is correct since higher wages and employment opportunities in urban centres draw people and fit the classic definition of pull factors.

Option D:
Option D again describes a push factor linked to environmental degradation in the village, not an attraction in the city.

Unplanned urbanisation refers to city growth that occurs without adequate planning,regulation and infrastructure provision. Such growth often produces slums,traffic problems and severe environmental pollution. It reflects a mismatch between population influx and urban management capacity. Therefore the description in the question accurately characterises unplanned urbanisation.

Option A:
Unplanned urbanisation typically lacks proper land use zoning and basic services. As a result,informal settlements arise and environmental quality deteriorates. This pattern explains the combination of slums and pollution highlighted in the stem.

Option B:
Sustainable urban design aims to create environmentally friendly,liveable and well serviced cities. It emphasises planning and efficient infrastructure,which is the opposite of the chaotic conditions described. Hence it is not the right answer.

Option C:
Rural reconstruction concerns improving living conditions and productivity in rural areas. While related to development,it does not refer to problems in rapidly growing cities. Therefore it is not appropriate for the question.

Option D:
Smart growth promotes compact,mixed use and transit oriented urban development to reduce sprawl and environmental impacts. It is usually seen as a positive planning approach,rather than the problematic situation outlined in the stem.

Urbanisation refers to both the growth of cities and the rising share of people who live in them. It is driven by rural to urban migration and natural increase within urban areas. Since the stem focuses on the proportion of population residing in towns and cities,the correct term is urbanisation. Urbanisation thus directly captures the demographic shift described.

Option A:
Industrialisation is the process of expanding manufacturing and factory based production. Although it often accompanies urbanisation,it is primarily an economic structural change rather than a demographic measure. Therefore it does not exactly match the definition in the question.

Option B:
Urbanisation explicitly denotes the concentration of population in urban settlements. It is usually expressed as a percentage of total population living in urban areas. That is why it accurately completes the sentence given in the stem.

Option C:
Migration is the movement of people from one place to another,which can be rural to urban,urban to rural or between regions and countries. The stem is not about movement alone but about the resulting proportion of the population residing in urban areas,so migration is too broad and imprecise here.

Option D:
Metropolisation refers to the development of very large metropolitan regions,often through merging of cities and surrounding towns. It is a specific urban pattern and not the general demographic process of rising urban share described in the question.

Statement C is wrong because urbanisation does not always reduce pressure on rural and peri-urban areas; in fact, urban demand often increases extraction of resources and conversion of land outside cities. Statements A, B and D are correct: urbanisation can raise resource demand, compact forms can lower per capita use and urban consumption patterns shape wider ecological footprints. Therefore, the option that selects C alone as wrong is correct.

Option A:
Option A is incorrect because it treats both A and C as wrong, even though A is a true statement about increased resource demand with urban growth. Including a correct statement among wrong ones makes the option unacceptable.

Option B:
Option B is incorrect as it groups C and D as wrong. While C is indeed wrong, D is correct since city consumption influences regional and global ecological footprints through resource flows and waste.

Option C:
Option C is correct because it isolates C as the only incorrect statement and implicitly recognises A, B and D as accurate. It matches the requirement for selecting wrong statement(s).

Option D:
Option D is incorrect because it labels all four statements as wrong. This misrepresents three correct statements about urbanisation and its environmental implications.

When people move from countryside villages to town and city areas,they are moving from rural to urban settlements. The stem describes young people leaving villages for jobs in cities,which fits this pattern exactly. Hence “rural to urban” migration is the correct term. It is a key driver of urbanisation.

Option A:
Seasonal migration refers to temporary movements that are reversed after a season,such as harvest or construction seasons. The question does not specify temporary or cyclical movement,so Option A is not precise.

Option B:
Rural to urban migration is often permanent or long term and changes the demographic structure of both origin and destination. This describes the flow mentioned in the stem accurately.

Option C:
Return migration occurs when migrants go back to their native place after some time in the destination area. The stem does not talk about returning,so Option C is not appropriate.

Option D:
Forced migration involves coercion due to conflict or disasters. The question mentions voluntary job-seeking migration,so Option D is incorrect.

Slums are characterised by overcrowding,insecure tenure and inadequate access to basic services like water and sanitation. They emerge when urbanisation outpaces formal housing and infrastructure provision. The stem’s description of unplanned settlements lacking basic services corresponds directly to slums. Therefore this is the correct term.

Option A:
Suburbs are residential areas on the outskirts of cities,which may have good infrastructure and planned layouts. They are not defined by lack of services or informality,so they do not match the conditions described in the question.

Option B:
Gated communities are typically well planned residential enclaves designed for higher income groups. They usually have better than average access to services and security,which is the opposite of what the stem indicates.

Option C:
Slums are often situated on marginal lands and can be highly vulnerable to environmental hazards such as floods and landslides. Their growth reflects both urban poverty and inadequate planning,exactly as the question suggests.

Option D:
Exurbs are low density settlements beyond the suburbs,often inhabited by commuters. They are not necessarily informal or service deprived,so this term does not fit the scenario in the stem.

Statements A, B, C and E are correct because they describe how unplanned urbanisation produces informal settlements, how hazardous locations increase risk, how upgrading reduces environmental health problems and how participation improves interventions. Statement D is wrong because urban planning is central to addressing service inequalities. Statement F is also wrong, since slum-related environmental problems can affect entire urban systems through pollution and disease. Therefore, the option that retains A, B, C and E while excluding D and F is correct.

Option A:
Option A is incorrect because it omits E, thereby missing the important point that inclusive planning involves participation of slum residents in designing interventions.

Option B:
Option B is incorrect as it includes D, thereby treating a false claim about planning as correct. It also omits E, which recognises the importance of involving slum residents in decision-making.

Option C:
Option C is incorrect since it keeps D and excludes A. Losing A removes recognition of how rapid urbanisation generates informal settlements, while retaining D wrongly minimises the role of planning.

Option D:
Option D is correct as it keeps all true statements and excludes both D and F, which underestimate planning responsibilities and city-wide impacts. It aligns with inclusive and environmentally sensitive urban development.

Statement B is the only wrong statement because the urban heat island effect actually results in higher temperatures in city centres compared to rural surroundings. Statements A, C and D are correct as they reflect well-documented environmental issues and solutions related to urbanisation. Rapid unplanned urbanisation does produce slums and poor sanitation, transport emissions worsen air quality and proper planning can mitigate such impacts. Therefore, the combination that identifies B only as wrong is the correct answer.

Option A:
Option A is incorrect because it treats statement A as wrong, whereas A accurately describes the consequences of unplanned urban growth such as slums, congestion and poor sanitation. These are widely recognised in urban studies and environmental planning. Since A is a correct statement, calling it wrong makes this option invalid.

Option B:
Option B is correct because it singles out statement B, which misrepresents the urban heat island effect by stating that city centres become cooler than rural areas. In reality, built-up surfaces and reduced vegetation make cities warmer, so B is clearly incorrect. As A, C and D are all correct, identifying only B as wrong satisfies the requirement of the question.

Option C:
Option C is incorrect because it claims both A and B are wrong. While B is indeed wrong, A is correct since unplanned urbanisation is strongly associated with slums and inadequate infrastructure. By including a correct statement in the set of wrong statements, this option fails the logical condition of the question.

Option D:
Option D is incorrect because it asserts that both B and C are wrong. C is correct because vehicle and transport-related emissions are major sources of urban air pollution and greenhouse gases. Grouping a correct statement with B in the wrong set makes this combination unacceptable.

Statements A, B, C and D are correct because they reflect the standard definition of ecological footprint, its relationship with urban consumption, and the role of design and comparative analysis. The metric estimates land and water area needed for resources and waste, urbanisation can expand demand, compact design and transit can lower per capita pressure, and footprints can be compared across places. Statements E and F are incorrect since ecological footprints do not capture cultural or spiritual values and clearly depend on both population and per capita consumption patterns. Therefore, the correct set of statements is A, B, C and D only.

Option A:
Option A is correct as it includes all the true statements about ecological footprints and excludes E and F, which exaggerate the scope of the indicator and over-simplify its determinants. It captures both the measurement concept and its practical uses in urban sustainability analysis.

Option B:
Option B is incorrect because it includes F, which claims that footprints depend only on population size. This ignores the crucial role of consumption levels and technology in determining the magnitude of ecological footprints, so the option mixes true and false statements.

Option C:
Option C is incorrect since it accepts both E and F along with the true statements. Adding E implies the indicator fully covers cultural and spiritual aspects, which it does not, and adding F misstates the drivers of ecological demand, making the whole combination invalid.

Option D:
Option D is incorrect because it omits A and treats only B, C and D as correct. Leaving out A removes the basic definition of ecological footprint, which is essential for understanding the rest of the statements.

Urbanisation is about the growing share of people residing in towns and cities, not just absolute population growth. This change can result from natural increase in urban areas, migration from rural regions and reclassification of settlements. As the proportion of urban population rises, social and environmental patterns also change. Thus, defining urbanisation as an increase in the proportion of people living in urban areas over time is conceptually accurate.

Option A:
Option A is incorrect because the total national population can increase while the share of urban population remains the same or even falls. Urbanisation specifically concerns the urban share, not overall population size.

Option B:
Option B is incorrect since movement between rural areas does not necessarily increase the urban proportion. Rural-to-rural migration may alter local demographics but does not drive urbanisation.

Option C:
Option C is incorrect as reducing industrial activities does not define urbanisation. Cities may still grow in population even if some industries relocate, or they may specialise in services instead.

Option D:
Option D is correct because it focuses on the relative growth of the urban population. This indicator is widely used in census and planning documents to track urbanisation trends.

Rapid, unplanned urbanisation typically overloads infrastructure and services, creating high pressures on air, water and land that manifest as pollution, congestion and slum formation.

Option A:
Incorrect; air quality usually deteriorates rather than uniformly improving when urban growth is unplanned.

Option B:
Incorrect; per capita waste generation tends to increase with urban incomes and consumption, straining waste management systems.

Option C:
Correct; it summarises the typical environmental and social stresses—pollution and slum growth—associated with uncontrolled urban expansion.

Option D:
Incorrect; wetlands and green spaces are often encroached upon or degraded rather than automatically restored.

Statements A, B, C and E are correct, while statement D is incorrect. A and B describe demographic and spatial dynamics of urban growth, C points to planning approaches that can lower resource use and E highlights environmental health risks in informal settlements. D is wrong because urbanisation by itself does not guarantee equitable access to services; inequalities often persist. Since option B includes only A, B and C and omits E, it is incomplete and cannot be the correct answer. The correct combination must be A, B, C and E only.

Option A:
Option A is correct because it includes A, B, C and E, all of which accurately describe urbanisation-related phenomena, and it excludes D, which incorrectly assumes automatic equity in service provision. It therefore presents a comprehensive and accurate picture, matching the requirement.

Option B:
Option B is incorrect since it ignores E, which is a key statement about the environmental and health challenges of informal settlements. This omission leads to an incomplete representation of risks.

Option C:
Option C is incorrect because it includes D, which is false, along with B, C and E. Accepting D contradicts evidence of persistent urban inequalities.

Option D:
Option D is incorrect as it groups A, C, D and E and leaves out B. Apart from omitting B, it again accepts D, which misrepresents the relationship between urbanisation and service equity.