UPSC Prelims 2016
Environment & Ecology Previous Year Questions (PYQs)

Detailed Explanation:

Answer: Option 3 — 2 and 3 only

❌ Statement 1 – Incorrect: TEEB was launched in 2007 by Germany and the European Commission following a proposal by the G8+5 Environment Ministers. The TEEB office is hosted by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) only, not by the IMF or the World Economic Forum.

✅ Statement 2 – Correct: TEEB is a global initiative that focuses on drawing attention to the economic benefits of biodiversity. It highlights the growing cost of biodiversity loss and ecosystem degradation by bringing together expertise from science, economics, and policy.

✅ Statement 3 – Correct: TEEB presents a tiered approach that helps decision-makers recognize, demonstrate, and capture the value of ecosystems and biodiversity. This approach facilitates the integration of ecosystem values into policy-making and economic accounting.

Detailed Explanation:

Answer: Option 2 — 2, 3 and 4 Only

❌ Statement 1 – Incorrect: Carbon dioxide (CO₂) is a greenhouse gas but is NOT included in India's National Air Quality Index (AQI) calculation, which focuses on pollutants with direct health impacts rather than climate change gases.

✅ Statement 2 – Correct: Carbon monoxide (CO) is one of the eight pollutants monitored under the National AQI; it is a toxic gas from incomplete combustion that reduces oxygen transport in blood.

✅ Statement 3 – Correct: Nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) is included in the AQI calculation as a major pollutant from vehicle exhausts and industrial processes that causes respiratory problems.

✅ Statement 4 – Correct: Sulphur dioxide (SO₂) is a criteria pollutant for the AQI, released from burning fossil fuels in power plants and industries.

❌ Statement 5 – Incorrect: Methane (CH₄) is a potent greenhouse gas but is NOT directly measured in the National AQI calculation.

Note: India's National AQI monitors eight pollutants: PM₁₀, PM₂.₅, NO₂, SO₂, CO, O₃, NH₃, and Pb.

Detailed Explanation:

Answer: Option 4 — 1, 2 and 3

✅ Statement 1 – Correct: Ceiling fans are covered under the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) Star Labeling program. They have been included to promote energy-efficient appliances and reduce household electricity consumption.

✅ Statement 2 – Correct: Electric geysers (storage water heaters) are part of the mandatory BEE Star Labeling scheme. The star rating indicates their energy performance, helping consumers choose efficient models.

✅ Statement 3 – Correct: Tubular fluorescent lamps (TFLs) are included in the BEE labeling program to encourage the use of energy-efficient lighting and reduce overall power consumption in residential and commercial spaces.