Tragedy of commons idea – UGC NET Question

The tragedy of the commons refers to situations where no one owns a resource and each user has an incentive to take as much as possible. When everyone behaves this way, total extraction exceeds sustainable limits and the resource is degraded or destroyed. The problem lies in unregulated open access, not in sharing itself. Hence, the option describing overuse by self-interested individuals leading to degradation is correct.

Option A:
Option A is incorrect because nature alone cannot guarantee conservation when human extraction is unregulated. Without rules, open-access resources are vulnerable to overuse.

Option B:
Option B is correct as it captures the core mechanism: individual self-interest in open-access situations can produce collectively harmful outcomes. It summarises Hardin’s argument about grazing on common pastures.

Option C:
Option C is incorrect since communities with shared rules can often manage resources sustainably. Many studies show successful common property regimes that avoid tragedy through collective action.

Option D:
Option D is incorrect because private ownership does not always lead to depletion. Owners may have strong incentives to manage resources prudently over time.