Unit 6 — MCQ Practice Bank: 30 questions based on the official MGSU syllabus and PYQ analysis. Tap Show Answer to check yourself. 🔥 = high priority, ⭐ = important.
Q1. The term "sustainable development" was popularised by which 1987 report? PYQ 2022 🔥
- The Limits to Growth
- Our Common Future
- Agenda 21
- The Stockholm Declaration
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Answer: B — The Brundtland Commission's 1987 report "Our Common Future" gave the classic definition of sustainable development.
Q2. Which of the following is NOT one of the three pillars of sustainable development? Expected ⭐
- Environment
- Economy
- Technology
- Society
Show Answer
Answer: C — The three pillars are environment, economy and society; true sustainability lies where all three overlap.
Q3. The UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were adopted in 2015 under which global agenda? PYQ 2021 🔥
- 2030 Agenda
- Agenda 21
- Millennium Declaration
- Paris Agreement
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Answer: A — All 17 SDGs were adopted in 2015 under the 2030 Agenda — the number, year and agenda name are all exam favourites.
Q4. What is the "urban heat island" effect? Expected ⭐
- Melting of glaciers near cities
- Cooling of cities by rivers
- Heat generated by rural industries
- Cities becoming hotter than the surrounding countryside
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Answer: D — Concrete, asphalt and buildings trap heat, making cities measurably hotter than nearby rural areas.
Q5. Which of the following is NOT an urban environmental problem? Expected
- Transport emissions and traffic congestion
- Forest fires in protected areas
- Mountains of solid waste
- Growth of slums
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Answer: B — Urban problems include transport emissions, the heat island, waste and slums; forest fires are not an urban problem.
Q6. What is a watershed? Expected ⭐
- The entire drainage area that feeds one stream or river
- A tank used to store drinking water
- An underground aquifer in rocky terrain
- A dam built across a river
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Answer: A — A watershed is the area that drains into one stream or river; manage it and you automatically conserve both water and soil.
Q7. Johads — the traditional community-built ponds revived successfully in Alwar district — are associated with which state? Expected
- Gujarat
- Madhya Pradesh
- Rajasthan
- Punjab
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Answer: C — Johads are Rajasthan's traditional ponds that recharge groundwater; they were revived successfully in Alwar district.
Q8. What is the correct sequence in rooftop rainwater harvesting? Expected
- Storage → filter → rooftop
- Rooftop → storage → filter
- Filter → rooftop → recharge pit
- Rooftop → filter → storage or recharge
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Answer: D — Rain falls on the rooftop, flows through a filter, and is stored in tanks or sent to a recharge pit that refills groundwater.
Q9. The Sardar Sarovar Dam — whose displaced communities sparked a landmark rehabilitation movement — is built on which river? PYQ 2024
- Godavari
- Narmada
- Krishna
- Chambal
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Answer: B — The Sardar Sarovar Dam on the Narmada displaced lakhs of people, triggering the Narmada Bachao Andolan.
Q10. The Narmada Bachao Andolan, led by Medha Patkar, primarily fought for: PYQ 2024
- Fair rehabilitation of the dam-displaced
- A complete ban on all dams
- Privatisation of river water
- Export of surplus river water
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Answer: A — The movement is the classic development-vs-displacement case, demanding fair rehabilitation for the displaced communities.
Q11. The core idea of environmental ethics is that: Expected
- Nature's value comes only from human use
- Economic growth must always come first
- Nature has intrinsic value, worth protecting beyond human use
- Only human beings have moral rights
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Answer: C — Environmental ethics holds that nature has intrinsic value — it deserves protection even when it has no direct use for humans.
Q12. The "polluter pays" principle means: Expected ⭐
- The government pays all pollution costs
- Victims must pay for their own cleanup
- Pollution control is purely voluntary
- Those who pollute must bear the cost of the damage
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Answer: D — The polluter-pays principle is a core idea of environmental ethics: the one who causes pollution pays for the damage.
Q13. The precautionary principle says that we should: Expected
- Wait for full scientific proof before acting
- Act against possible harm even without full scientific proof
- Let markets alone decide environmental standards
- Always prioritise profit over protection
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Answer: B — The precautionary principle urges action against likely harm even when the science is not yet fully certain.
Q14. "Intergenerational equity" in environmental ethics means: Expected
- Future generations have rights to the resources we enjoy today
- Older people should control all natural resources
- Each generation may freely exhaust resources
- Equity applies only within a single generation
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Answer: A — It is the Brundtland spirit: development must not compromise future generations' ability to meet their own needs.
Q15. Which treaty, signed in 1987, is described as the most successful environmental treaty ever because it phased out CFCs? PYQ 2021 🔥
- Kyoto Protocol
- Paris Agreement
- Montreal Protocol
- Ramsar Convention
Show Answer
Answer: C — The Montreal Protocol (1987) phased out CFCs and is called the most successful environmental treaty ever. Careful: Kyoto (1997) is about carbon, not ozone.
Q16. The ozone layer, which absorbs the sun's harmful ultraviolet rays, is located in the: PYQ 2023 ⭐
- Troposphere
- Mesosphere
- Thermosphere
- Stratosphere
Show Answer
Answer: D — The ozone layer sits in the stratosphere and absorbs UV rays; CFCs release chlorine that destroys it.
Q17. The well-known "ozone hole" has been observed over: Expected
- The Arctic
- Antarctica
- The Sahara
- The Himalayas
Show Answer
Answer: B — Chlorine released by CFCs destroys ozone fastest over Antarctica, creating the ozone hole.
Q18. Ozone Day is celebrated on 16 September to mark the signing of which treaty? PYQ 2024
- Montreal Protocol
- Kyoto Protocol
- Paris Agreement
- Ramsar Convention
Show Answer
Answer: A — Ozone Day (16 September) marks the signing of the Montreal Protocol — don't confuse it with World Environment Day (5 June).
Q19. Which nuclear accident is regarded as the worst in history? PYQ 2024
- Three Mile Island
- Fukushima
- Chernobyl (1986)
- Windscale
Show Answer
Answer: C — Chernobyl (1986, Ukraine/USSR) released massive radiation — the worst nuclear accident ever.
Q20. Arrange these nuclear accidents in chronological order: Expected
- Chernobyl → Three Mile Island → Fukushima
- Fukushima → Chernobyl → Three Mile Island
- Three Mile Island → Fukushima → Chernobyl
- Three Mile Island → Chernobyl → Fukushima
Show Answer
Answer: D — The year ladder is 1979 (Three Mile Island, USA) → 1986 (Chernobyl) → 2011 (Fukushima, Japan).
Q21. Which of the following is a wasteland reclamation technique? Expected
- Strip-mining the land for minerals
- Afforestation of degraded land
- Dumping industrial effluents on it
- Clearing forests to make farms
Show Answer
Answer: B — Reclamation brings degraded land back through afforestation, soil treatment, filling mine pits and agroforestry.
Q22. Which waste stream is described as the fastest-growing waste stream today? PYQ 2024
- E-waste
- Paper waste
- Agricultural residue
- Construction debris
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Answer: A — Buy-use-throw consumerism, fast fashion and excessive packaging drive e-waste, the fastest-growing waste stream.
Q23. The Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 — the umbrella legislation — was enacted mainly as a response to: PYQ 2022 🔥
- The Chipko Movement
- The Stockholm Conference
- The Bhopal gas tragedy (1984)
- The Chernobyl accident
Show Answer
Answer: C — The EPA 1986 is the umbrella act, passed after the Bhopal tragedy (1984); that cause→effect link is asked directly.
Q24. Which year-pair is correct? PYQ 2023 🔥
- Water Act — 1981, Air Act — 1974
- Water Act — 1986, Air Act — 1980
- Water Act — 1972, Air Act — 1974
- Water Act — 1974, Air Act — 1981
Show Answer
Answer: D — Water = 1974, Air = 1981; examiners love swapping these two years.
Q25. The Forest (Conservation) Act was passed in: Expected
- 1972
- 1980
- 1974
- 1986
Show Answer
Answer: B — Forest Conservation = 1980 (not 1972 — that is the Wildlife (Protection) Act); it restricts diversion of forest land for non-forest use.
Q26. Project Tiger was launched in 1973 at Jim Corbett National Park under which act? Expected 🔥
- Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972
- Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980
- Environment (Protection) Act, 1986
- Biological Diversity Act, 2002
Show Answer
Answer: A — Project Tiger (1973) was launched at Jim Corbett under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 — India's first tiger reserve.
Q27. The Chipko Movement (1973) began in which state? PYQ 2023
- Rajasthan
- Karnataka
- Uttarakhand
- Kerala
Show Answer
Answer: C — Chipko began in Uttarakhand in 1973, where villagers hugged trees to stop felling; it was led by Sunderlal Bahuguna.
Q28. The Ramsar Convention (1971) deals with the conservation of: Expected ⭐
- Tigers
- Forests
- Rivers
- Wetlands
Show Answer
Answer: D — The Ramsar Convention (1971, Iran) protects wetlands; World Wetlands Day is observed on 2 February.
Q29. The first major UN conference on the human environment was held in Stockholm in 1972; which day is celebrated to commemorate it? Expected
- 22 April
- 5 June
- 16 September
- 2 February
Show Answer
Answer: B — The Stockholm Conference (1972) gave us World Environment Day, celebrated on 5 June.
Q30. Which of the following statements about the NDMA is correct? PYQ 2021
- It is headed by the Prime Minister of India
- It is headed by the President of India
- It is an international body under the UN
- It manages only flood disasters
Show Answer
Answer: A — The NDMA (National Disaster Management Authority) is India's apex disaster-management body, headed by the Prime Minister.
