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UPSC Prelims Quiz: July 30, 2026

UPSC Prelims Quiz July 30 2026 feature graphic covering Environmental Governance, Agriculture Heat Risk, Neem-Coated Urea, and Constitutional Fundamental Duties under Article 51A.
01

With reference to environmental clearance in India, consider the following statements:

  1. The EIA Notification, 2006 was issued under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.
  2. Environmental clearance and consent under the Water Act are identical approvals.
  3. A statutory notification may derive legal force from its parent legislation.
  4. Retrospective clearance necessarily extinguishes every penalty for the original violation.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

Correct Answer: (a) 1 and 3 only

Statement-wise Assessment

Statement 1
Correct − The EIA Notification, 2006 derives its legal authority from the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.
Statement 2
Incorrect − Environmental clearance and pollution-control consent under the Water Act are distinct statutory approvals addressing different requirements.
Statement 3
Correct − Delegated legislation, including a statutory notification, derives legal authority from an enabling parent statute.
Statement 4
Incorrect − Regularisation or retrospective clearance may coexist with penalties, environmental compensation and restoration liability for the original violation.
02

With reference to environmental governance in India, consider the following statements:

  1. Registered AYUSH practitioners are exempted from giving prior intimation to State Biodiversity Boards to access biological resources.
  2. Wild animals listed under Schedule I of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 cannot be declared as vermin.
  3. The National Green Tribunal has the power to initiate suo motu proceedings on environmental issues.
  4. Obtaining Environmental Clearance automatically exempts an industrial unit from securing Consent to Operate under the Water Act.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

Correct Answer: (a) 1 and 3 only

Statement-wise Analysis

Statement 1
Correct − The Biological Diversity (Amendment) Act, 2023 exempts registered AYUSH practitioners, local vaids and cultivators from giving prior intimation to State Biodiversity Boards for commercial utilisation.
Statement 2
Incorrect − Under Section 62 of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972, the Central Government may declare specified wild animals as vermin, subject to the statutory restrictions governing protected species.
Statement 3
Correct − In Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai v. Ankita Sinha (2021), the Supreme Court held that the National Green Tribunal may initiate suo motu proceedings without a formal application.
Statement 4
Incorrect − Environmental Clearance under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 and Consent to Operate under the Water Act, 1974 are independent statutory approvals; one does not replace or exempt the other.
03

Consider the following principles:

  1. Precautionary principle
  2. Polluter-pays principle
  3. Public-trust doctrine
  4. Absolute parliamentary privilege

How many of the above are recognised principles of Indian environmental jurisprudence?

Correct Answer: (c) Only three

Principle-wise Assessment

Principles 1–3
Correct − The Precautionary Principle, Polluter-Pays Principle and Public-Trust Doctrine are recognised principles of Indian environmental jurisprudence and have been affirmed through judicial decisions.
Principle 4
Incorrect − Absolute parliamentary privilege relates to the functioning and privileges of legislatures and is not a principle of environmental law.
04

Consider the following principles and doctrines:

  1. Doctrine of Absolute Liability
  2. Principle of Non-Regression
  3. Principle of Intergenerational Equity
  4. Doctrine of Sovereign Immunity

How many of the above are recognised principles of environmental jurisprudence in India?

Correct Answer: (c) Only three (Statements 1, 2 and 3)

Principle-wise Assessment

Principle 1
Recognised − The Doctrine of Absolute Liability was formulated by the Supreme Court in the Oleum Gas Leak case (1987), making hazardous industries absolutely liable without the exceptions available under strict liability.
Principle 2
Recognised − The Principle of Non-Regression was affirmed in Hanuman Laxman Aroskar v. Union of India (2019), holding that environmental protection standards should not be diluted.
Principle 3
Recognised − The Principle of Intergenerational Equity is reflected in Section 20 of the NGT Act, 2010 and Article 21, requiring preservation of natural resources for future generations.
Principle 4
Not recognised − The Doctrine of Sovereign Immunity is not a principle of environmental jurisprudence, and courts have rejected it as a defence in cases of environmental harm and Article 21 violations.
05

With reference to the effect of heat on rice, consider the following statements:

  1. Rice may be particularly vulnerable to high temperature during flowering and grain filling.
  2. Field-warming experiments directly manipulate temperature around cultivated plants.
  3. A regional estimate of yield loss implies an identical loss in every field in the region.
  4. A crop model may underestimate damage if it inadequately represents short episodes of extreme heat.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

Correct Answer: (c) 1, 2 and 4 only

Statement-wise Assessment

Statement 1
Correct − Rice is particularly vulnerable to high temperature during flowering and grain filling because reproductive processes are highly heat-sensitive.
Statement 2
Correct − Field-warming experiments directly raise or manipulate temperature around cultivated plants to study crop responses under controlled field conditions.
Statement 3
Incorrect − Regional yield-loss estimates represent aggregated outcomes; losses vary across fields because of differences in crop varieties, local weather and farm management.
Statement 4
Correct − A crop model may underestimate damage when short episodes of extreme heat are inadequately represented or obscured by average-temperature values.
06

With reference to agricultural pollution caused by chemical fertilizers, consider the following statements:

  1. Continuous heavy application of synthetic nitrogenous fertilizers leads to soil acidification over time.
  2. Neem-coating of urea speeds up the rate of nitrification in soil, enabling faster absorption of nitrogen by plant roots.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Correct Answer: (a) 1 only

Statement-wise Analysis

Statement 1
Correct − Synthetic nitrogenous fertilizers undergo nitrification, during which soil microbes convert ammonium into nitrate while releasing H+ ions. Over time, this lowers soil pH, reduces microbial diversity and promotes the leaching of nutrients such as calcium and magnesium.
Statement 2
Incorrect − Neem-coated urea acts as a natural nitrification inhibitor. By slowing the conversion of NH4+ into NO3−, it retains nitrogen in the root zone longer, reducing nitrate leaching and nitrous oxide emissions rather than accelerating nitrification.
07

With reference to the national anthem and national song in India, consider the following statements:

  1. Article 51A expressly requires respect for the National Anthem.
  2. The Constitution expressly designates Vande Mataram as the national song.
  3. Freedom of speech and expression may include a right to remain silent.
  4. Respectfully declining to sing and intentionally preventing others from singing are constitutionally indistinguishable.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

Correct Answer: (b) 1 and 3 only

Statement-wise Assessment

Statement 1
Correct − Article 51A(a) makes it a fundamental duty of every citizen to respect the Constitution, its ideals and institutions, the National Flag and the National Anthem.
Statement 2
Incorrect − The Constitution does not expressly designate Vande Mataram as the national song.
Statement 3
Correct − In Bijoe Emmanuel v. State of Kerala, the Supreme Court recognised that freedom of speech and expression may include the right to remain silent when the conduct is respectful and does not disrupt others.
Statement 4
Incorrect − Respectful silence and deliberate obstruction are materially different forms of conduct; intentionally preventing others from singing may attract lawful restrictions.

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