Question 1

Consider the following statements with reference to India's response to climate change:
I. India's Long-Term Low Emission Development Strategy (LT-LEDS) is a crucial tool for achieving net-zero emissions by 2070.
II. India's 4th Biennial Update Report (BUR-4) submitted in December, 2024 recorded around 8% decrease in Greenhouse gas emissions in 2020 over 2019.
III. Climate-resilient development necessarily depends on quick and short-term achievement of emission reduction targets.
Which of the following relationships among the above statements is/are correct?
1. Statement I is empirically supported by statement II.
2. Statement III contradicts the approach implicit in statement I.
3. Statement I and statement III together establish the premise of long-term sustainability.

Accepted Answer

1 only. * Relationship 1 is correct: Statement I defines India's long-term plan to achieve net-zero by 2070, and Statement II empirically tracks this reduction pathway (India's BUR-4 reported a 7.93% drop in GHG emissions in 2020 compared to 2019). * Relationship 2 is correct: Statement III demands quick, short-term reduction mandates, which directly contradicts the systematic, mid-to-late century phasing implicit in a Long-Term Low Emission Strategy (LT-LEDS). * Relationship 3 is incorrect: Statement III's short-term focus does not build the core foundation for long-term sustainability, which favors structured transitions over disruptive short-term mandates.

Question 2

Consider the following statements:
Statement I: Activated carbon is a good and an attractive tool to remove pollutants from effluent streams and to remediate contaminants from various industries.
Statement II: Activated carbon exhibits a large surface area and a strong potential for adsorbing heavy metals.
Statement III: Activated carbon can be easily synthesized from environmental wastes with high carbon content.

Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?

Accepted Answer

Both Statement II and Statement III are correct and both of them explain Statement I. * (a) is correct: Activated carbon can be easily manufactured from cheap, carbon-dense environmental wastes (like coconut shells or wood), satisfying Statement III. * It possesses an extensive surface area, microporous structures, and external chemical complexity that gives it an outstanding potential to adsorb heavy metals, satisfying Statement II. * Because it possesses these physical traits (Statement II) and is easily synthesized from common wastes (Statement III), it serves as a highly effective and popular tool to filter out industrial effluent pollutants (Statement I). Thus, both statements are correct and provide the rationale for Statement I.

Question 3

Consider the following statements:
Statement I: Studies indicate that carbon dioxide emissions from cement industry account for more than 5% of global carbon emissions.
Statement II: Silica-bearing clay is mixed with limestone while manufacturing cement.
Statement III: Limestone is converted into lime during clinker production for cement manufacturing.

Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?

Accepted Answer

Both Statement II and Statement III are correct and both of them explain Statement I. * (a) is correct: The high-temperature calcination process used in clinker manufacturing heats limestone and silica-bearing clay to roughly $1,450^{\circ}C$, which consumes significant energy and drives CO2 release, satisfying Statement II. * This chemical reaction converts limestone (calcium carbonate) into lime (calcium oxide), releasing large volumes of process CO2 into the atmosphere, satisfying Statement III. * Together, these combined manufacturing stages (Statements II and III) explain why the cement industry accounts for approximately 8% (more than 5%) of global anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions (Statement I). Thus, both statements are correct and explain Statement I.

Question 4

Consider the following statements:
Statement I: Circular economy reduces the emissions of greenhouse gases.
Statement II: Circular economy reduces the use of raw materials as inputs.
Statement III: Circular economy reduces wastage in the production process.

Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?

Accepted Answer

Both Statement II and Statement III are correct and both of them explain Statement I. * (a) is correct: Circular economy strategies focus on retaining product value for as long as possible, which actively minimizes manufacturing waste (Statement III). * This approach systematically reduces the demand for virgin inputs or raw materials (Statement II). * Because it curbs raw material extraction and processing (Statement II) and manages waste out of the industrial cycle (Statement III), a circular economy directly mitigates associated greenhouse gas emissions (Statement I). Both statements provide the explanation for Statement I.

Environment: Statement-I, II & III (Multi-Assertion Style) PYQ.

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