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

Detailed Explanation:

Answer: Option 2 — Maintenance of Tiger Reserves

M-STRIPES stands for Monitoring System for Tigers - Intensive Protection and Ecological Status. It is a software-based monitoring system launched by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) to strengthen tiger protection and enhance patrolling activities in tiger reserves across India. The system enables real-time monitoring of patrol efforts, wildlife sightings, and ecological parameters by forest guards and staff in tiger reserves.

Detailed Explanation:

Answer: Option 1 — It enjoys the same level of protection as the tiger.

Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, provides the highest level of legal protection to endangered species in India. Any species listed under Schedule I, whether a tiger, elephant, or tortoise, receives identical legal safeguards including absolute protection from hunting, trade, and habitat destruction, with the most stringent penalties for violations.

❌ Option 2 – Incorrect: This describes the IUCN Red List category 'Extinct in the Wild', which is a biological conservation status, not a legal designation under the Wildlife (Protection) Act.

❌ Option 3 – Incorrect: Endemism (being restricted to a particular geographic region) is not a criterion for Schedule I listing; species are listed based on the degree of threat and need for protection, regardless of their geographic range.

❌ Option 4 – Incorrect: Since both statements B and C are incorrect, this option is also incorrect.

Note: The Wildlife (Protection) Amendment Act, 2022, has rationalized the original six schedules into four schedules, but Schedule I continues to provide the highest level of protection.

Detailed Explanation:

Answer: Option 2 — Chambal River

The National Chambal Gharial Sanctuary, located along the Chambal River spanning Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh, is the best place to see gharials in their natural habitat. This tri-state protected area is one of the most important sanctuaries dedicated to the conservation of the critically endangered gharial, a fish-eating crocodilian species. The sanctuary provides ideal riverine conditions for gharial breeding and survival, making it the premier destination for observing these unique reptiles in the wild.

Detailed Explanation:

Answer: Option 3 — 1 and 3 only

Water conservation in agriculture involves practices that reduce water loss through evaporation, improve soil water retention, and enhance infiltration. Reduced or zero tillage and leaving crop residue on fields are effective water conservation techniques, while gypsum application primarily improves soil structure rather than directly conserving water.

✅ Statement 1 – Correct: Reduced or zero tillage minimizes soil disturbance, creating a more compact surface that reduces evaporation and allows better water infiltration and retention in the soil.

❌ Statement 2 – Incorrect: Gypsum (calcium sulfate) is a soil amendment that improves soil structure and reduces sodicity, but it does not directly contribute to water conservation; it may even increase leaching in some cases.

✅ Statement 3 – Correct: Crop residue left on the field acts as mulch, reducing soil evaporation, suppressing weeds, preventing erosion, and maintaining soil moisture for longer periods.

Detailed Explanation:

Answer: Option 4 — 1, 2 and 3

✅ Pair 1 – Correct: Lipstick formulations have been found to contain lead, a heavy metal that poses potential health risks. Studies have detected trace amounts of lead in various lipstick brands, making this a valid concern.

✅ Pair 2 – Correct: Brominated vegetable oils (BVO) are used in some soft drinks as emulsifiers to keep citrus flavoring evenly distributed. BVO has been banned in several countries due to health concerns and potential toxicity.

✅ Pair 3 – Correct: Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is a flavor enhancer commonly used in Chinese fast food and various Asian cuisines. While controversial, MSG is used to enhance savory taste, though its safety remains debated.

All three pairs are correctly matched.

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.

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 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 3 — 1 and 3 only

✅ Statement 1 – Correct: The UNCCD promotes effective action through innovative national programmes and supportive international partnerships, providing a framework for countries to collaborate on combating desertification and mitigating drought effects.

❌ Statement 2 – Incorrect: The Convention has a particular focus on Africa, not South Asia and North Africa. Its full name is 'United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification in Those Countries Experiencing Serious Drought and/or Desertification, Particularly in Africa'. Additionally, the Secretariat does not allocate the major portion of financial resources—financial mobilization is primarily handled through the Global Mechanism and the Global Environment Facility (GEF).

✅ Statement 3 – Correct: The UNCCD is unique among environmental conventions for its commitment to a bottom-up approach, emphasizing the participation of local communities, land users, and non-governmental organizations in designing and implementing programmes to combat land degradation.

Detailed Explanation:

Answer: Option 1 — 1 and 2 only

✅ Statement 1 – Correct: Kharai camels possess the unique ability to swim up to three kilometers in seawater, enabling them to reach offshore mangrove islands in the Gulf of Kutch for grazing.

✅ Statement 2 – Correct: The name 'Kharai' derives from the Gujarati word for 'salty,' reflecting their primary diet of saline-tolerant plants and mangroves. This adaptation allows them to survive in the harsh coastal ecosystem of Gujarat.

❌ Statement 3 – Incorrect: Kharai camels are semi-domesticated animals herded by the Maldhari pastoral communities in the Kutch region. They are used for milk production, and their male calves are often sold for commercial purposes.

Detailed Explanation:

Answer: Option 2 — 2 only

❌ Statement 1 – Incorrect: GIAHS does not focus on providing modern technology or training in modern farming methods to enhance productivity. Its goal is to conserve and support traditional agricultural systems and indigenous knowledge, not to replace them with modern intensive practices.

✅ Statement 2 – Correct: The core objective of GIAHS is to identify, safeguard and promote traditional agricultural systems that demonstrate sustainable practices, conserve agricultural biodiversity, preserve traditional landscapes, and protect the indigenous knowledge systems of local communities. It recognizes these systems as living, evolving heritage.

❌ Statement 3 – Incorrect: GIAHS designation does not automatically confer Geographical Indication (GI) status to agricultural products. GI is a separate intellectual property right granted under different legal frameworks and criteria. While some GIAHS products may independently qualify for GI, it is not an inherent feature of the GIAHS initiative.

Detailed Explanation:

Answer: Option 1 — 1 only

✅ Statement 1 – Correct: The International Solar Alliance (ISA) was launched by India and France on November 30, 2015, during the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 21) in Paris. The Alliance aims to promote solar energy deployment and reduce dependence on fossil fuels, particularly in developing countries.

❌ Statement 2 – Incorrect: Initially, ISA membership was limited to 121 countries located between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn. However, in 2018, the Alliance was expanded to include all UN member states through an amendment to its Framework Agreement. Despite this expansion, not all UN member countries have joined ISA; membership remains voluntary and countries must formally sign and ratify the Framework Agreement to become members.

Detailed Explanation:

Answer: Option 4 — Protection of Western Ghats

Both the Gadgil Committee Report (2011) and Kasturirangan Committee Report (2012) are specifically related to the conservation and protection of the Western Ghats, one of the world's biodiversity hotspots. The Gadgil Committee (Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel) recommended declaring the entire Western Ghats as an Ecologically Sensitive Area (ESA) with strict environmental regulations. However, facing resistance from state governments, the Kasturirangan Committee was formed to review these recommendations. It proposed a more moderate approach, designating only 37% of the Western Ghats as ESA, focusing on forested and uninhabited areas while allowing regulated development in other regions. Both reports address the balance between ecological conservation and developmental needs in the Western Ghats region.

Detailed Explanation:

Answer: Option 2 — 2 only

❌ Statement 1 – Incorrect: The Paris Agreement was adopted in December 2015 and signed in April 2016, but it entered into force on November 4, 2016 (not 2017) after 55 countries representing at least 55% of global emissions ratified it. Moreover, it was not signed by all UN member countries.

✅ Statement 2 – Correct: The Paris Agreement's central aim is to strengthen the global response to climate change by keeping the global temperature rise this century well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels and pursuing efforts to limit the increase to 1.5°C.

❌ Statement 3 – Incorrect: While developed countries acknowledged their historical responsibility under the principle of Common But Differentiated Responsibilities and Respective Capabilities (CBDR-RC), the financial commitment was $100 billion per year by 2020, not $1000 billion.

Detailed Explanation:

Answer: Option 4 — Maharashtra

Maharashtra became the first state in India to declare a state butterfly in 2015. The state designated the Blue Mormon (Papilio polymnestor) as its official butterfly. The Blue Mormon is a large, striking butterfly with black velvet wings adorned with bright blue spots, found in the Western Ghats and other forested regions of the state. This declaration was part of Maharashtra's biodiversity conservation efforts to raise awareness about native species.