UGC NET Questions (Paper – 1)

Statements A and B are correct as they highlight psychological and social determinants of pro-environmental behaviour. Statement C is wrong because awareness alone does not always translate into action; many barriers such as habits and structural constraints intervene. Statement D is also incorrect since economic instruments like taxes and subsidies can influence behaviour. Therefore, A and B only is the correct combination.

Option A:
Option A is incorrect because it includes only A and leaves out B, which is also true. Ignoring the role of social norms and peer influence provides an incomplete explanation of behaviour.

Option B:
Option B is correct because it recognises both individual-level factors (values, attitudes, knowledge, control) and social factors (norms and peer influence) while excluding statements that oversimplify or deny economic influences. This combination fits well with environmental psychology perspectives.

Option C:
Option C is incorrect since it adds C to A and B, treating C as true. C overstates the power of awareness by claiming it always guarantees behaviour change, which is not supported by evidence.

Option D:
Option D is incorrect because it groups B, C and D and accepts D, which denies the role of economic incentives. As both C and D are false, the option cannot be correct.

Statements C and D are wrong because they misrepresent both environmental ethics and environmental education. Environmental ethics generally recognises intrinsic value in non-human nature, not just human interests, and therefore C is incorrect. Environmental education is meant for all learners to foster environmental responsibility, so restricting it only to science students as in D is also wrong. Statements A and B correctly describe the scope of environmental ethics and goals of environmental education, so the correct set of wrong statements is C and D only.

Option A:
Option A is incorrect because it singles out C as the only wrong statement and treats D as acceptable. While C is indeed wrong, D is also incorrect because environmental education is intended to be interdisciplinary and open to all learners, not restricted to science students. Excluding D from the wrong set makes this combination incomplete.

Option B:
Option B is correct because it identifies both C and D as misrepresentations of the concepts involved. Environmental ethics goes beyond anthropocentric interests, and environmental education is not discipline-bound. By excluding A and B, which are correct, this option satisfies the requirement of selecting all wrong statements.

Option C:
Option C is incorrect because it claims that A, C and D are wrong. Statement A accurately defines environmental ethics as exploring the moral relationship between humans and nature and is widely accepted in philosophy and environmental studies. Including a correct statement in the wrong set makes this option logically flawed.

Option D:
Option D is incorrect because it groups B, C and D as wrong statements. Statement B is correct since environmental education indeed aims at developing knowledge, attitudes and skills to address environmental issues. Treating B as wrong along with C and D contradicts the established objectives of environmental education.