UGC NET Questions (Paper – 1)

Sanitation includes safe disposal of human excreta and waste water to protect health and the environment. Providing toilets and eliminating open defecation reduce contamination of soil and water and break disease transmission pathways. The stem clearly describes such actions,so sanitation is the appropriate term. Therefore Option D is correct.

Option A:
Aesthetics may improve indirectly,but the primary purpose of toilets is hygiene and health,not appearance.

Option B:
Production relates to economic output and is not the primary objective of ending open defecation.

Option C:
Commerce concerns trade and business activity and does not capture the hygiene and disease prevention focus here.

Option D:
Sanitation directly refers to safe excreta disposal and improved hygiene through toilets,matching the stem precisely.

Minamata disease occurred when industrial effluents containing methylmercury were discharged into Minamata Bay. The mercury entered the food chain, accumulated in fish and shellfish and then poisoned local residents who consumed them. The disease caused neurological damage and deformities. Therefore mercury is the substance responsible as indicated in the stem.

Option A:
Lead exposure can cause serious health problems, especially in children, but it was not the primary contaminant in the Minamata incident. Lead poisoning is associated with different industrial and domestic sources, so this option is incorrect.

Option B:
Cadmium pollution led to another famous Japanese disease,Itai-itai disease, characterised by severe bone and kidney damage. This historical linkage distinguishes cadmium from mercury in the context of Minamata. Hence cadmium is not the right answer here.

Option C:
Mercury,particularly in organic forms like methylmercury,readily bioaccumulates and biomagnifies in aquatic food chains. The Minamata tragedy is a classic example of such contamination leading to widespread human health impacts. This option exactly matches the pollutant referred to in the question.

Option D:
Arsenic contamination has caused major groundwater health crises in places like West Bengal and Bangladesh,leading to skin lesions and cancers. However,it is unrelated to the specific historical Minamata disease.

Statements A, B and D are correct because they highlight environmental impacts, the role of management and closure plans and the risks of illegal mining. Statement C is incorrect since stakeholder consultation and community engagement are widely recognised as essential for fair and informed decisions about mining. Therefore, the combination A, B and D only is correct.

Option A:
Option A is incomplete as it omits D, which correctly draws attention to the particularly harmful nature of illegal and unregulated mining. Without D, the set of correct statements is not complete.

Option B:
Option B is incorrect because it includes only B and D and leaves out A, which accurately describes typical environmental impacts of mining. Excluding A weakens the conceptual coverage.

Option C:
Option C is incorrect as it treats all four statements as correct, thereby accepting C, which wrongly dismisses stakeholder engagement. The presence of this false statement invalidates the combination.

Option D:
Option D is correct since it groups the three true statements and excludes the clearly false C. It reflects both the environmental risks and governance measures associated with mining activities.