UPPCS Prelims 2020 · GS Paper I: National Clean Air Programme has been launched by the Central Government in the year
National Clean Air Programme has been launched by the Central Government in the year
Answer (d) & explanation
Option (d), 2019, is correct. The Environment Ministry launched the National Clean Air Programme on 10 January 2019 as India's first time-bound national plan for air quality. It first aimed to cut PM10 and PM2.5 levels by 20-30% by 2024 against a 2017 baseline in 102 non-attainment cities, later widened to 130-131 cities and revised to up to 40% reduction in PM10 by 2025-26. Options (a) 2018 and (b) 2017 are too early: the draft was released in 2018. Option (c) 2020 is too late. Concept: funding is linked to performance through city action plans and the Fifteenth Finance Commission air-quality grants. Progress is tracked on the PRANA portal, with Swachh Vayu Survekshan city rankings.
NCAP was announced in 2018 drafts but launched on 10 January 2019.
Question as printed in UPPSC's official question booklet. Source: uppsc.up.nic.in
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In the news: current affairs on this topic
GOBARdhan Central Sector Scheme (₹23,731 crore) launched for compressed biogas
On 1 October 2026 the Petroleum Minister launched GOBARdhan, a Central Sector Scheme for compressed biogas (CBG) approved by the Cabinet on 6 August 2026 with ₹23,731 crore. It runs from 2026-27 to 2035-36 and aims to raise domestic CBG output nearly 10-fold to about 5 MMSCMD through assured offtake, a fixed price, capital aid and pipeline support.
1 Oct 2026Related questions from other years
Which of the following statements with regard to Green Hydrogen is/are correct ?
- 1. It is decarbonized hydrogen obtained from natural gas reforming combined with carbon capture and storage (CCS).
- 2. It is produced using electrolysis of water with electricity generated by renewable energy.
- 3. National Green Hydrogen Mission of India aims for abatement of nearly 50 MMT of annual greenhouse gas emissions by 2030.
Select the answer using the code given below :
Answer (b) & explanation
Statements 2 and 3 are correct (b). Statement 2 is right: green hydrogen comes from splitting water by electrolysis, using renewable power. Statement 3 is right: the National Green Hydrogen Mission (2023) targets 5 MMT of green hydrogen a year by 2030 and about 50 MMT of avoided CO₂-equivalent emissions each year. Statement 1 is wrong: hydrogen from natural gas with carbon capture is blue hydrogen. So options (a), (c) and (d) fail.
Notice the colours: grey hydrogen from gas without capture (most hydrogen today), brown from coal, and pink from nuclear power. The mission's SIGHT programme supports electrolyser making. Uses include fertilisers, refineries, steel and shipping fuel.
1 says "decarbonized", which sounds green. Gas with CCS is blue.
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Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Which of the following statements in relation to NIRANTAR (National Institute for Research and Application of Natural Resources to Transform, Adapt and Build Resilience), a platform of institutions under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, is/are correct ?
- 1. Ecosystem Survey and Analysis is a vertical under this platform, the lead institute of which is Botanical Survey of India, Kolkata.
- 2. Research and Management of Ecosystem Service is a vertical under this platform, the lead institute of which is Central Zoo Authority, New Delhi.
- 3. Capacity Development Support is a vertical under this platform, the lead institute of which is Indian Institute of Forest Management, Bhopal.
Select the answer using the code given below :
Answer (b) & explanation
Statements 1 and 3 are correct (b). NIRANTAR groups the Environment Ministry's institutes into verticals. Statement 1 is right: Ecosystem Survey and Analysis is led by the Botanical Survey of India, Kolkata, with bodies like the FSI and ZSI. Statement 3 is right: Capacity Development Support is led by the Indian Institute of Forest Management, Bhopal. Statement 2 is wrong: Research and Management of Ecosystem Service is led by ICFRE, Dehradun; the Central Zoo Authority is only a member. So options (a), (c) and (d) fail.
Notice the purpose: pooling institutes avoids duplicate work and links research to climate adaptation and resilience. Other Ministry bodies include the Wildlife Institute of India (Dehradun) and GBPNIHE for the Himalaya.
the Central Zoo Authority does sit in that vertical, but as a member, not the lead.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
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.
Select the answer using the code given below :
Answer (b) & explanation
Relationships 1 and 2 are correct (b). Relationship 1 is right: the LT-LEDS (2022) lays out India's path to net zero by 2070, and BUR-4 reported a fall of about 7.9% in 2020 emissions over 2019, real data in line with that path. Relationship 2 is right: Statement III wants quick, short-term cuts, while the LT-LEDS is a long, gradual plan, so III contradicts I. Relationship 3 is wrong: two contradicting statements cannot together set a premise. So options (a), (c) and (d) fail.
Notice the cause of the 2020 fall: the COVID-19 lockdowns, not a lasting trend. India's updated NDC (2022) targets cutting emissions intensity of GDP by 45% from 2005 levels by 2030. Biennial Transparency Reports now replace BURs.
"together establish" sounds positive, but two statements that clash cannot form one premise.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
With respect to the Western Hoolock Gibbons, which of the following statements is/are correct ?
- 1. A Sanctuary in North-east India is home to this ape species listed as Endangered in the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List.
- 2. They have specialized brachiation and can easily swing between trees.
- 3. They possess a strong and heavy build like gorillas, yet are remarkably agile tree climbers.
Select the answer using the code given below :
Answer (b) & explanation
Statements 1 and 2 are correct (b). Statement 1 is right: India's only ape, the western hoolock gibbon, is Endangered on the IUCN Red List and gives its name to the Hollongapar Gibbon Sanctuary in Assam. Statement 2 is right: gibbons move by brachiation, swinging arm over arm through the canopy. Statement 3 is wrong: they are "lesser apes", slim and light, about 6–9 kg, nothing like a heavy gorilla. So options (a), (c) and (d) fail.
Notice their habits: they live in pairs with their young and sing loud duets at dawn. They are found south of the Brahmaputra in the North-East. Rail lines cutting through Hollongapar have raised concern, and canopy bridges were proposed to help them cross.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.