Environmental Laws & Institutions MCQs for UPSC Prelims

109 practice questions on Environmental Laws & Institutions from the Environment & Ecology section of the UPSC Prelims syllabus. 109 come with a written explanation and 30 are actual previous year questions. Try the sample set below - the answer stays hidden until you ask for it.

9 Easy 68 Medium 32 Hard 30 from past papers

Sample questions

Q1
Previous year question hard

Consider the following statements: 1. 36% of India's districts are classified as "overexploited" or "critical" by the Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA). 2. CGWA was formed under the Environment (Protection) Act. 3. India has the largest area under groundwater irrigation in the world. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. A 1 only
  2. B 2 and 3 only
  3. C 2 only
  4. D 1 and 3 only
Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: B - 2 and 3 only

Statement 2 is correct because the Central Ground Water Authority was constituted under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 to regulate and control groundwater development. Statement 3 is correct because India has the world's largest area under groundwater irrigation, exceeding even China and the United States. Statement 1 is wrong on the figure; the share of districts in the overexploited or critical category is around 29 percent, not 36 percent. Hence only statements 2 and 3 are correct.

Q2
Previous year question medium

With reference to the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), which of the following statements is/are correct? 1. IUCN is an organ of the United Nations and CITES is an international agreement between governments. 2. IUCN runs thousands of field projects around the world to better manage natural environments. 3. CITES is legally binding on the States that have joined it, but this Convention does not take the place of national laws. Select the correct answer using the code given below.

  1. A 1 only
  2. B 2 and 3 only
  3. C 1 and 3 only
  4. D 1, 2 and 3
Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: B - 2 and 3 only

Statement 1 fails on its first half: IUCN is a membership union of government and civil society organisations founded in 1948 and holds only observer status at the UN; it is not a UN organ. CITES, on the other hand, is indeed an intergovernmental agreement, but since the statement must be wholly true, it is marked incorrect. Statement 2 correctly describes IUCN's extensive field project portfolio across the world. Statement 3 is correct because CITES binds its parties yet only provides a framework; each country must enact domestic legislation to implement it, and the Convention never substitutes for national law. Therefore 2 and 3 only.

Q3
Previous year question hard

Consider the following statements: Once the Central Government notifies an area as a 'Community Reserve' 1. the Chief Wildlife Warden of the State becomes the governing authority of such forest 2. hunting is not allowed in such area 3. people of such area are allowed to collect non-timber forest produce 4. people of such area are allowed traditional agricultural practices How many of the above statements are correct?

  1. A Only one
  2. B Only two
  3. C Only three
  4. D All four
Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: B - Only two

The answer is Only two. Hunting is prohibited in a community reserve and local people are permitted to collect non-timber forest produce, so statements 2 and 3 are correct. Statement 1 is wrong because a community reserve is managed by a Community Reserve Management Committee, not by the Chief Wildlife Warden. Statement 4 is treated as incorrect since traditional practices like shifting cultivation are not freely permitted, leaving only two correct statements.

Q4
Previous year question medium

Consider the following statements in respect of Trade Related Analysis of Fauna and Flora in Commerce (TRAFFIC) : 1. TRAFFIC is a bureau under United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). 2. The mission of TRAFFIC is to ensure that trade in wild plants and animals is not a threat to the conservation of nature. Which of the above statements is/are correct?

  1. A 1 only
  2. B 2 only
  3. C Both 1 and 2
  4. D Neither 1 nor 2
Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: B - 2 only

TRAFFIC is a wildlife trade monitoring network established jointly by WWF and IUCN, not a bureau under UNEP, so statement 1 is wrong. Its stated mission is to ensure that trade in wild plants and animals does not threaten the conservation of nature, making statement 2 correct. Thus only statement 2 is correct.

Q5
Previous year question medium

With reference to ‘Eco-Sensitive Zones’, which of the following statements is/are correct? 1. Eco-Sensitive Zones are the areas that are declared under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. 2. The purpose of the declaration of Eco-Sensitive Zones is to prohibit all kinds of human activities in those zones except agriculture. Select the correct answer using the code given below.

  1. A 1 only
  2. B 2 only
  3. C Both 1 and 2
  4. D Neither 1 nor 2
Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: D - Neither 1 nor 2

Neither statement is correct. Eco-Sensitive Zones are declared by the central government under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, not under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. Their aim is to act as shock absorbers around protected areas by regulating, not totally prohibiting, activities, and many uses including agriculture continue with regulation rather than a blanket ban. So the answer is Neither 1 nor 2.

Q6
Previous year question medium

Which of the following are the key features of 'National Ganga River Basin Authority (NGRBA)'? 1. River basin is the unit of planning and management. 2. It spearheads the river conservation efforts at the national level. 3. One of the Chief Ministers of the States through which the Ganga flows becomes the Chairman of NGRBA on rotation basis. Select the correct answer using the code given below.

  1. A 1 and 2 only
  2. B 2 and 3 only
  3. C 1 and 3 only
  4. D 1, 2 and 3
Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: A - 1 and 2 only

The NGRBA adopted the river basin as the unit of planning and management (statement 1) and was the apex body created to spearhead Ganga conservation at the national level (statement 2), so both are correct. However, the Prime Minister of India was the ex-officio Chairperson of the NGRBA, not a rotating Chief Minister, so statement 3 is wrong. Hence '1 and 2 only' is the answer.

Q7
Previous year question medium

Which one of the following has been constituted under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986?

  1. A Central Water Commission
  2. B Central Ground Water Board
  3. C Central Ground Water Authority
  4. D National Water Development Agency
Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: C - Central Ground Water Authority

The Central Ground Water Authority was constituted under Section 3(3) of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 to regulate and control groundwater development. The Central Water Commission and Central Ground Water Board are administrative or technical bodies under the water resources ministry, and the National Water Development Agency is a registered society for river-linking studies, none created under the 1986 Act. Hence the Central Ground Water Authority is correct.

Q8
Previous year question hard

With reference to India, consider the following Central Acts: 1. Import and Export (Control) Act, 1947 2. Mining and Mineral Development (Regulation) Act, 1957 3. Customs Act, 1962 4. Indian Forest Act, 1927 Which of the above Acts have relevance to/bearing on the biodiversity conservation in the country?

  1. A 1 and 3 only
  2. B 2, 3 and 4 only
  3. C 1, 2, 3 and 4
  4. D None of the above Acts
Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: C - 1, 2, 3 and 4

All four Acts bear on biodiversity conservation. Import and export controls (1) and the Customs Act (3) can restrict trade in wildlife, plants and their products, helping check biopiracy and illegal trade. The Mines and Minerals (Regulation and Development) Act (2) governs mining, whose regulation protects habitats from destruction. The Indian Forest Act (4) directly governs forests, the principal repository of biodiversity. Since each one has a bearing, the correct answer is 1, 2, 3 and 4.

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More Environment & Ecology topics

Ecology & Ecosystems 168 Pollution 160 Wildlife & Species 140 Biodiversity 133 International Conventions & Protocols 132 Climate Change 121 Wetlands & Marine Ecology 111 Protected Areas & Conservation 110 Agriculture & Environment 68 Renewable Energy & Sustainability 60 Forests & Forestry 54