Environmental governance and decentralisation – UGC NET Question

Statements B, C and D are correct as they stress local participation, multi-level perspectives and the need for clear roles and coordination. Local actors bring contextual knowledge, multi-level governance recognises the nested nature of environmental issues and clear institutional arrangements prevent overlap and conflict. Statements A and E are incorrect because decentralisation without capacity and accountability can fail, and public access to environmental information is a key ingredient of transparency and good governance. Thus, the combination B, C and D only is the correct answer.

Option A:
Option A is incorrect since it omits D, which rightly emphasises the importance of defined roles and coordination mechanisms among institutions for effective governance. Without D, the combination does not fully reflect the institutional dimension.

Option B:
Option B is correct because it groups together the three elements widely recognised in governance literature and excludes the simplistic and dismissive statements A and E. It acknowledges that decentralisation must be supported by capacity and information to work well.

Option C:
Option C is incorrect because it includes A along with B, C and D. Statement A assumes decentralisation is always beneficial regardless of context, which contradicts evidence that weak local capacity or capture can lead to poor outcomes.

Option D:
Option D is incorrect as it adds statement E, which denies the relevance of access to information for governance quality. Transparency and information access are central to accountability, so including E undermines the combination.

Option E is incorrect because it contains A, C and D, and A is false for the reasons noted. Even though C and D are correct, the inclusion of A means this set cannot be taken as representing only correct statements.

Option F is incorrect since it groups A, D and E, of which only D is correct. Both A and E misrepresent conditions needed for effective environmental governance, so the combination is largely inaccurate.