Carrying capacity and human activities – UGC NET Question

Statements A, B and D are correct and together summarise the relationship between carrying capacity, environmental limits and sustainable development. Carrying capacity describes the maximum sustainable load on an environment, and exceeding it can cause depletion and degradation. Sustainable development tries to align human activities with these ecological limits. Statement C is incorrect because technological innovations can increase or sometimes decrease effective carrying capacity by changing resource use efficiency and environmental impact. Hence, the correct combination is A, B and D only.

Option A:
Option A is incorrect because it lists only A and B, leaving out D. Although A and B accurately define carrying capacity and consequences of overshooting it, D is also correct in linking sustainability goals to staying within ecological limits. Excluding D makes the set incomplete.

Option B:
Option B is incorrect because it combines B, C and D and treats C as correct. C is wrong because technology can alter carrying capacity, for example through improved agricultural productivity or more efficient energy use. Including a false statement makes this combination unacceptable.

Option C:
Option C is incorrect because it asserts that all four statements A, B, C and D are correct. While A, B and D are correct, C contradicts the dynamic understanding of carrying capacity influenced by technological and social changes. The presence of an incorrect statement invalidates the entire set.

Option D:
Option D is correct because it identifies the three statements that align with ecological and sustainability concepts and excludes the one that is clearly false. It recognises both the definitional and policy dimensions of carrying capacity and reflects the essence of the development–environment relationship in the unit.