Mayank Mathur (M.A., PhD Geography. Geography & Disaster Management Faculty UPSC)

#UPSC #Mains #PYQs #Environment #Ecology #Collection Self Study UPSC

Environment Syllabus : UPSC Mains

Topic – Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment.

Environment Mains PYQs UPSC – Year wise Marks Weightage (2013 – 2024)

Environment Mains PYQs UPSC – Year wise & Topic wise Collection (2013 – 2024)

UPSC 2024

1. Industrial pollution of river water is a significant environmental issue in India. Discuss the various mitigation measures to deal with this problem and also the government’s initiatives in this regard. (Answer in 150 words) (10 Marks)
2. What role do Environmental NGOs and activists play in influencing Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) outcomes for major projects in India? Cite four examples with all important details. (Answer in 150 words) (10 Marks)

UPSC 2023

1. What is oil pollution? What are its impacts on the marine ecosystem? In what way is oil pollution particularly harmful for a country like India?  (Answer in 150 words) (10 Marks)
2. The adoption of electric vehicles is rapidly growing worldwide. How do electric vehicles contribute to reducing carbon emissions and what are the key benefits they offer compared to traditional combustion engine vehicles? (Answer in 250 words) (15 Marks)
3. Comment on the National Wetland Conservation Programme initiated by the Government of India and name a few India’s wetlands of international importance included in the Ramsar Sites. (Answer in 250 words) (15 Marks)
4. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has predicted a global sea level rise of about one metre by AD 2100. What would be its impact in India and the other countries in the Indian Ocean region? (Answer in 250 words) (15 Marks)

UPSC 2022

1. Each year a large amount of plant material, cellulose, is deposited on the surface of Planet Earth. What are the natural processes this cellulose undergoes before yielding carbon dioxide, water and other end products? (Answer in 150 words) (10 Marks)
2. Discuss in detail the photochemical smog emphasizing its formation, effects and mitigation. Explain the 1999 Gothenburg Protocol.  (Answer in 150 words) (10 Marks)
3. Do you think India will meet 50 percent of its energy needs from renewable energy by 2030? Justify your answer. How will the shift of subsidies from fossil fuels to renewables help achieve the above objective? (Answer in 250 words) (15 Marks)
4. Discuss global warming and mention its effects on the global climate. Explain the control measures to bring down the level of greenhouse gases which cause global warming, in the light of the Kyoto Protocol, 1997. (Answer in 250 words) (15 Marks)

UPSC 2021

1. Explain the purpose of the Green Grid Initiative launched at the World Leaders Summit of the COP26 UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow in November, 2021. When was this idea first floated in the International Solar Alliance (ISA)? (Answer in 150 words) (10 Marks)
2. Describe the key points of the revised Global Air Quality Guidelines (AQGs) recently released by the World Health Organisation (WHO). How are these different from its last update in 2005? What changes in India’s National Clean Air Programme are required to achieve these revised standards? (Answer in 150 words) (10 Marks)
3. Describe the major outcomes of the 26th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). What are the commitments made by India in this conference? (Answer in 250 words) (15 Marks)

UPSC 2020

1. How does the draft Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) Notification, 2020 differ from the existing EIA Notification, 2006? (Answer in 150 words) (10 Marks)
2. What are the salient features of the Jal Shakti Abhiyan launches by the Government of India for water conservation and water security? (Answer in 150 words) (10 Marks)
3. Describe the benefits of deriving electric energy from sunlight in contrast to conventional energy generation. What are the initiatives offered by our government for this purpose? (Answer in 250 words) (15 Marks)
4. What are the key features of the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) initiated by the Government of India? (Answer in 250 words) (15 Marks)

UPSC 2019

1. Coastal sand mining, whether legal or illegal, poses one of the biggest threats to our environment. Analyse the impact of sand mining along the Indian coasts, citing specific examples.  (Answer in 150 words) (10 Marks)
2. Define the concept of carrying capacity of an ecosystem as relevant to an environment. Explain how understanding this concept is vital while planning for sustainable development of a region. (Answer in 250 words) (15 Marks)

UPSC 2018

1. What are the impediments in disposing of the huge quantities of discarded solid wastes which are continuously being generated? How do we safely remove the toxic wastes that have been accumulating in our habitable environment? (Answer in 150 words) (10 Marks)
2. Sikkim is the first ‘Organic State’ in India. What are the ecological and economical benefits of Organic State? (Answer in 150 words) (10 Marks)
3. What is wetland? Explain the Ramsar concept of ‘wise use’ in the context of wetland conservation. Cite two examples of Ramsar sites from India. (Answer in 150 words) (10 Marks)
4. How does biodiversity vary in India? How is the Biological Diversity Act, 2002 helpful in conservation of flora and fauna? (Answer in 250 words) (15 Marks)

UPSC 2017

1. Not many years ago, river linking was a concept but it is becoming reality in the country. Discuss the advantages of river linking and its possible impact on the environment. (Answer in 150 words) (10 Marks)
2. ‘Climate Change’ is a global problem. How will India be affected by climate change? How Himalayan and coastal states of India are affected by climate change? (Answer in 250 words) (15 Marks)

UPSC 2016

1. Rehabilitation of human settlements is one of the important environmental impacts which always attracts controversy while planning major projects. Discuss the measures suggested for mitigation of this impact while proposing major developmental projects. (Answer in 200 words) (12.5 Marks)
2. Give an account of the current status and the targets to be achieved pertaining to renewable energy sources in the country. Discuss in brief the importance of the National Programme on Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs). (Answer in 200 words) (12.5 Marks)

UPSC 2015

1. To what factors can the recent dramatic fall in equipment costs and tariff of solar energy be attributed? What implications does the trend have for the thermal power producers and the related industry? (Answer in 200 words) (12.5 Marks)
2. The Namami Gange and National mission for clean Ganga (NMCG) programmes and causes of mixed results from the previous schemes. What quantum leaps can help preserve the river Ganga better than incremental inputs? (Answer in 200 words) (12.5 Marks)

UPSC 2014

1. Should the pursuit of carbon credit and a clean development mechanism set up under UNFCCC be maintained even though there has been a massive slide in the value of carbon credit? Discuss with respect to India’s energy needs for economic growth. (Answer in 200 words) (12.5 Marks)
2. Environmental impact assessment studies are increasingly undertaken before the project is cleared by the government. Discuss the environmental impacts of coal-fired thermal plants located at Pitheads. (Answer in 200 words) (12.5 Marks)

UPSC 2013

1. What are the consequences of illegal mining? Discuss the ministry of environment and forests’ concept of “GO AND NO GO” zones for coal mining. (Answer in 200 words) (10 Marks)
2. Write a note on India’s green energy corridor to alleviate the problems of conventional energy. (Answer in 200 words) (10 Marks)
3. What do you understand by run of the river hydroelectricity project? How is it different from any other hydroelectricity project? (Answer in 100 words) (05 Marks)
4. Enumerate the National Water Policy of India. Taking river Ganges as an example, discuss the strategies which may be adopted for river water pollution control and management. What are the legal provisions for management and handling of hazardous wastes in India? (Answer in 200 words) (10 Marks)

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