UGC NET Questions (Paper – 1)

Electronic waste refers specifically to discarded electrical and electronic equipment and their parts. Such waste often contains hazardous substances like heavy metals and brominated flame retardants. Improper handling can lead to serious environmental and health problems. Therefore the description in the question clearly fits electronic waste.

Option A:
Biomedical waste consists of materials generated from diagnosis,treatment and research activities in healthcare institutions. It includes contaminated dressings,sharps and pathological waste. Although hazardous,it is distinct from discarded electronic devices.

Option B:
Municipal solid waste is the general household and commercial refuse collected by urban local bodies. It includes food scraps,paper,plastics and similar items. While some electronics may enter this stream,the term is broader and not specific to electronic devices.

Option C:
Agricultural waste originates from farming activities,such as crop residues and animal manure. It does not usually include used computers or mobile phones. Hence it does not correspond to the description in the stem.

Option D:
Electronic waste,or e waste,includes obsolete computers,phones,televisions and related components. Because the stem lists exactly these kinds of items,this term matches the intended concept precisely.

Statement C is the only wrong statement because the waste hierarchy places prevention and reduction at the top, not landfilling and incineration. Landfill and incineration are typically lower-priority options. Statements A, B, D, E and F are correct as they emphasise prevention, reuse, recycling, segregation, producer responsibility and the role of informal workers. Therefore, identifying C alone as wrong is correct.

Option A:
Option A is incorrect because it treats both A and C as wrong, even though A accurately describes the top tier of the waste hierarchy. Including A among wrong statements contradicts standard waste management principles.

Option B:
Option B is incorrect as it combines C with E and wrongly classifies E as incorrect. E correctly notes that Extended Producer Responsibility can drive better product design and take-back systems to support higher steps of the hierarchy.

Option C:
Option C is incorrect since it marks B, C and D as wrong; both B and D are true and central to effective waste management. Misclassifying them undermines the understanding of resource conservation and source segregation.

Option D:
Option D is correct because it singles out C, which reverses the hierarchy’s priority, and implicitly accepts all other statements as true. This matches accepted waste management frameworks used in policy and practice.

The Green Credit Programme assigns economic value to environmentally beneficial activities that meet specified standards. Participants who carry out such actions can earn green credits, which may then be traded in a domestic market, creating financial motivation for conservation and restoration. This approach complements traditional regulation by rewarding proactive environmental stewardship across sectors.

Option A:
This option is incorrect because credits are performance-linked; there is no provision for unconditional subsidies to all industries.

Option B:
This option correctly summarises the programme’s logic of using tradable credits to reward positive environmental outcomes.

Option C:
Credits are not meant to legitimise indiscriminate forest conversion; land-use change must still comply with separate legal safeguards.

Option D:
The rules introduce an additional instrument and do not abolish existing environmental regulations; both types of tools are expected to work together.

Statements A, B, C, E and F are correct and together explain the purpose, methods and limitations of CBA. It compares monetised costs and benefits, uses valuation techniques, assesses net benefits and can be complemented by distributional analysis, while decision-makers often consider additional criteria such as ethics or ecological thresholds. Statement D is false because CBA cannot fully capture all ethical, distributional and ecological aspects by itself. The correct combination is therefore A, B, C, E and F only.

Option A:
Option A is correct as it acknowledges both the usefulness and limitations of CBA and recognises the need for complementary analyses and criteria in environmental decision-making.

Option B:
Option B is incorrect because it omits F and thus ignores how CBA results are actually used alongside other considerations in practice.

Option C:
Option C is incorrect since it excludes A and therefore does not explicitly state that CBA monetises costs and benefits.

Option D:
Option D is incorrect as it leaves out B, ignoring environmental valuation methods important for non-market goods.

The Human Development Index combines indicators of life expectancy,education and income into a single measure. It was introduced by UNDP to shift focus from mere income growth to people centred development. By integrating these three dimensions,it reflects overall human well being better than purely economic measures. Therefore the description in the question corresponds to the Human Development Index.

Option A:
Gross National Product measures the total value of goods and services produced by a country’s residents. It does not directly incorporate education or health outcomes. Hence it fails to capture the multidimensional concept described in the stem.

Option B:
The Physical Quality of Life Index includes literacy,infant mortality and life expectancy,but it does not include standard of living measured through income in the same way HDI does. It is related but not the index defined in the question. Therefore it is not the most accurate match here.

Option C:
The Human Development Index explicitly uses indicators of health,education and income. It provides a composite score that allows comparison of countries beyond simple economic output. This makes it the correct answer for the definition given.

Option D:
Gender Empowerment Measure focuses on gender equality in political and economic participation. It highlights women’s empowerment,rather than general human development. Thus it is quite different from the composite index described in the question.

The Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030 sets out priorities and targets to reduce disaster risks and losses in lives,livelihoods and assets. Its central focus is risk reduction,not just response. The stem clearly refers to global guidelines for disaster risk something,which must be reduction. Hence Option C is the correct option.

Option A:
Creation of risk is what the framework seeks to avoid,not promote. Policies that unintentionally increase risk are criticised in Sendai,so Option A contradicts the intent.

Option B:
Denial of risk occurs when societies ignore potential hazards,but the framework is about acknowledging and reducing them. Therefore Option B is not appropriate.

Option C:
Reduction reflects measures that lessen hazard exposure and vulnerability through better planning,governance and preparedness. This aligns exactly with the objectives described in the question.

Option D:
Privatisation refers to ownership arrangements and is not a central term in the Sendai document’s title or aims. Thus Option D does not fit the stem.

The Silent Valley movement opposed the construction of a hydroelectric dam that would have submerged unique tropical rainforest in the Western Ghats. Activists argued that the ecological loss would outweigh power gains. The stem refers to a project on the Kuntipuzha river,which was specifically a hydroelectric project. Therefore Option A is correct.

Option A:
Hydroelectric projects can provide renewable electricity but may also cause serious ecological and social impacts. In Silent Valley the concern was protecting an undisturbed rainforest ecosystem. This context aligns with the question.

Option B:
Mining was not the central issue in Silent Valley,although mining threatens other forest areas. The campaign here focused on stopping a dam,rather than extraction of minerals.

Option C:
An expressway affects land and traffic patterns,but Silent Valley’s controversy did not involve road construction. Thus Option C is not relevant.

Option D:
An airport project was not proposed in this forested area. The key threat was flooding from a reservoir,so Option D does not match the historical facts.

Statements A, B and C are correct and reflect the established link between energy choices and environmental outcomes. Fossil fuels emit carbon dioxide, efficiency measures cut demand and emissions and renewable sources help in mitigation. Statement D is clearly incorrect because energy policy is central to environmental protection through regulations, incentives and technology choices. Hence, the combination that includes A, B and C only is the correct answer.

Option A:
Option A is incorrect because it contains only A and B and ignores C. While A and B are accurate, C is also a correct statement since renewables contribute significantly to mitigation strategies. Leaving out a true statement makes the option incomplete.

Option B:
Option B is incorrect as it combines A, B and D and wrongly treats D as correct. By asserting that energy policy has no relevance for environmental protection, D contradicts the basic understanding of climate and energy governance. Including this false statement invalidates the option.

Option C:
Option C is incorrect because it groups A, C and D and again accepts D as valid. Although A and C are true, adding D undermines the environmental role of energy policy, so the option cannot be chosen.

Option D:
Option D is correct because it includes all the true statements—A, B and C—and excludes the false one. It recognises both the problems of fossil fuels and the solutions offered by efficiency and renewable energy. As a result, it fully satisfies the requirement of the question.

Carrying capacity is a concept used to indicate the maximum population size that an environment can support over a long period without being degraded. It depends on resource availability, technological level and consumption patterns. If the population exceeds carrying capacity, environmental degradation and resource depletion accelerate. The key idea is “support indefinitely without degrading it,” which is exactly what option B states, so it is the correct definition.

Option A:
Option A is misleading because it talks about the Earth as a whole and suggests a fixed maximum for all time. In practice, carrying capacity is context-specific (for a given ecosystem or region) and can change with technology and consumption patterns. It is not a single, immutable global number.

Option B:
Option B correctly brings together population size, environmental support and the idea of indefinite duration without degradation. It recognises that carrying capacity is about maintaining ecological balance while meeting population needs, and it aligns with ecological and UGC NET definitions of the term.

Option C:
Option C is incorrect because it focuses on supporting population “until resources are fully exploited,” which implies eventual depletion and degradation. This describes an unsustainable limit rather than a capacity that can be maintained indefinitely without harming the environment.

Option D:
Option D is incorrect because it refers to a minimum population needed to use resources fully. Carrying capacity is concerned with the upper limit beyond which environmental damage occurs, not with ensuring that all resources are completely utilised.

Common property resources are held and managed by a defined group that shares rights and responsibilities. Village grazing lands used by all eligible households under customary or formal rules fit this description. The community regulates access, resolves conflicts and maintains the resource. This is different from state-owned open access land or purely private property.

Option A:
Option A is incorrect because a privately owned tube well is controlled by a single owner who can exclude others, so it is private property.

Option B:
Option B is correct as it involves collective use and governance by the village community, a textbook example of common property.

Option C:
Option C is incorrect since an industrial plot is owned and managed by a firm, not by a community under shared rules.

Option D:
Option D is incorrect; a petrol pump is a private commercial enterprise, not a common resource.

Statements D and F are wrong because they deny the central role of ethics and rights in environmental decisions. D ignores that many environmental choices involve moral judgments beyond simple economic calculations. F is incorrect because rights-based conservation approaches show that recognising marginalised groups’ rights can support long-term stewardship. Statements A, B, C and E correctly explain equity notions, justice concerns and indigenous ethical perspectives. Hence, the wrong statements together are D and F only.

Option A:
Option A is correct as it picks exactly D and F, the two statements that conflict with contemporary thinking on environmental ethics and justice. It implicitly validates A, B, C and E as accurate descriptions of key ethical ideas used in policy debates and activism.

Option B:
Option B is incorrect because it singles out only D as wrong and overlooks F, which also seriously misrepresents the relationship between rights and conservation. By failing to include F, it underestimates the importance of rights-based approaches.

Option C:
Option C is incorrect since it treats only F as wrong and ignores D. While F is indeed incorrect, D is equally problematic in suggesting ethics have no place in decision-making, so this option does not fully respond to the question.

Option D:
Option D is incorrect because it groups C, D and F as wrong, even though C correctly characterises the focus of environmental justice. Including C among wrong statements contradicts the accepted definition of that concept.

In the demographic transition model,the early expanding stage is characterised by continued high birth rates coupled with a sharp decline in death rates. This combination produces a wide gap between births and deaths and results in rapid population growth. The description in the question mirrors these features. Therefore the correct term is early expanding stage.

Option A:
The high stationary stage is the initial phase of demographic transition with both high birth and high death rates,leading to relatively stable population size. It does not involve rapidly falling death rates,so it does not match the situation described in the stem.

Option B:
The early expanding stage reflects improvements in healthcare,sanitation and food supply that reduce mortality while fertility remains high. This creates the explosive growth pattern mentioned in the question. Hence this option accurately names the stage being described.

Option C:
The late expanding stage features declining birth rates along with already low death rates,so the growth rate begins to slow. It does not show the very high growth caused by the large gap between births and deaths. Thus it is not appropriate for the stem.

Option D:
The declining stage is the final phase in which both birth and death rates are low and the population may stabilise or even shrink. This is the opposite of the rapid growth scenario described in the question.

City HAPs typically include actions such as heat alerts issued in advance, training for health workers, mapping of vulnerable populations and setting up shaded or air-conditioned spaces for rest. They also promote simple behavioural measures like staying hydrated and avoiding strenuous activity during peak heat. These measures aim to reduce heat-related illness and mortality, especially among outdoor workers, the elderly and the urban poor.

Option A:
This option is incorrect because working during the hottest hours increases health risks and goes against HAP guidance.

Option B:
This option correctly describes a standard package of interventions found in many Heat Action Plans, combining early warning, communication and on-ground support.

Option C:
Reducing tree cover would remove natural shade and cooling, which is the opposite of what cities are advised to do.

Option D:
Avoiding water intake during heatwaves is dangerous; HAPs emphasise adequate hydration, not restriction.

Statements A, B, D and E are correct because they identify EIA as a predictive tool with participation, mitigation and structured stages like screening and scoping. Statement C is false since EIA is meant to be done before major decisions and construction. Statement F is false because EIA findings and conditions significantly influence whether and how projects are approved. Therefore, the combination A, B, D and E only is correct.

Option A:
Option A is incorrect as it replaces E with F, implying that EIA conditions are irrelevant to decisions. This misrepresents the regulatory function of EIA, even though A, B and D themselves are correct.

Option B:
Option B is correct because it accurately reflects the preventive nature, procedural steps and participatory dimension of EIA. It excludes C and F, which undermine the timing and significance of the process.

Option C:
Option C is incorrect since it includes C, which wrongly places EIA after construction, and omits A, which defines EIA as a predictive tool. This makes the combination inconsistent.

Option D:
Option D is incorrect because it includes C and omits B, denying public consultation while implying post-construction assessment. This conflicts with EIA theory and practice.

For the first time in a COP cover decision, the Glasgow Climate Pact explicitly mentioned coal and fossil fuel subsidies. It called on countries to accelerate efforts to phase down unabated coal power and phase out inefficient subsidies, recognising their role in driving emissions. This language, although less stringent than some had demanded, signalled a shift towards directly addressing fossil fuel use within climate agreements.

Option A:
This option overstates the decision; COP26 did not impose an immediate, total fossil fuel ban starting 2022, which would have been politically infeasible.

Option B:
This option correctly reflects the negotiated wording on coal and subsidies and connects it to the broader 1.5°C mitigation effort.

Option C:
The pact does not endorse long-term coal expansion; instead, it points towards reducing coal reliance, especially when unabated.

Option D:
The 1.5°C limit was reaffirmed rather than deleted, so this description is inaccurate.