UGC NET Questions (Paper – 1)

Statement D is the only wrong statement because pollution often moves across media, for example air pollutants depositing onto land or water and leachates from solid waste affecting groundwater. Statements A, B, C, E and F are correct in describing typical pollution pathways and the rationale for integrated management. Water quality, soil health and air quality are interconnected through ecological and physical processes. Therefore, identifying D alone as wrong is the correct response.

Option A:
Option A is incorrect because it treats both A and D as wrong, even though A correctly notes the impacts of industrial effluents on water quality and aquatic ecosystems. Including A among wrong statements contradicts basic environmental science.

Option B:
Option B is incorrect since it groups D and E as wrong together. E is correct in explaining how open dumping contaminates soil and invites vectors, so pairing it with D mislabels a valid statement.

Option C:
Option C is incorrect because it labels B and D as wrong. B accurately describes contamination from overuse of fertilisers and pesticides, which is a well-known source of soil and groundwater pollution.

Option D:
Option D is correct as it singles out D, which wrongly denies cross-media linkages, and implicitly recognises all other statements as true. It aligns with the integrated approach promoted in pollution management.

Non-point sources are diffuse and hard to trace to a single discharge point. Agricultural runoff occurs when rain washes fertilisers, pesticides and soil from many fields into streams and rivers. The pollution comes from a wide area, not one identifiable pipe. Therefore, diffuse farm runoff is a classic example of non-point source water pollution.

Option A:
Option A is incorrect because a factory discharge pipe has a clearly identified location. Such a pipe is a point source that can be monitored and regulated directly.

Option B:
Option B is incorrect; leakage from a specific underground tank has a discrete location and is therefore treated as a point source, even though detecting the leak may be challenging.

Option C:
Option C is correct as it describes pollution entering water bodies over large surfaces. Managing it requires land-use practices and watershed approaches rather than simple end-of-pipe treatment.

Option D:
Option D is incorrect because a sewage outlet from a treatment plant is another example of a point source. Its flow can be sampled and controlled at one point.