Environmental Laws, Conventions and Policies: UPSC Previous Year Questions (Environment and Ecology)
3 previous year UPSC Prelims questions on Environmental Laws, Conventions and Policies (Environment and Ecology). Choose an option to see the answer and explanation.
Explanations state facts as of the year each question was asked; words like “recently” refer to that year.
Showing 1–3 of 3 questions
UPSC 2024Environment and Ecology · Environmental Laws, Conventions and Policies
Q1. Consider the following statements: Statement-I: The Indian Flying Fox is placed under the "vermin" category in the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972. Statement-II: The Indian Flying Fox feeds on the blood of other animals. Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?
Explanation
Note: Vermin category listed in Schedule V of the Wild-life Protection Act, 1972 has been removed after the Wildlife Protection Amendment Act 2022, as now there are only 4 schedules in WPA. Hence the answer is subject to considerations made by the Commission.
Statement 1 is correct: The Indian Flying Fox is placed under the "vermin" category in the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 due to its destructive tendencies towards fruit farms.
Statement 2 is incorrect: Bats are the only flying mammals in the world, and the Indian Flying Fox is one of the largest. The species, Pteropus giganteus, also called the Great Indian Fruit Bat, eats fruits, feeding on the juice, and helps in seed dispersion and pollination, making them an integral part of the ecosystem.
Additional insight:
The Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972, is an important environmental legislation in India aimed at protecting wildlife, conserving biodiversity, and regulating the trade of wild animals and their products. Some key changes done through Wild life (Protection) Amendment Act, 2022 are:
Aligned the Act with the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). Reduced the number of schedules for animals from six to four. The Wild Life (Protection) Amendment Act, 2022 removed the schedule listing vermin species from the original Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972. Previously, Schedule V of the Act designated certain species as vermin, allowing them to be hunted freely. The 2022 Amendment streamlined the schedules, eliminating the separate vermin category.
UPSC 2024Environment and Ecology · Environmental Laws, Conventions and Policies
Q2. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which one of the following is the largest source of sulphur dioxide emissions?
Explanation
Emissions that lead to high concentrations of SO₂ generally also lead to the formation of other SOx. The largest sources of SO₂ emissions are from fossil fuel combustion at power plants and other industrial facilities. EPA’s national ambient air quality standards for SO₂ are designed to protect against exposure to the entire group of sulfur oxides (SOx). SO₂ is the component of greatest concern and is used as the indicator for the larger group of gaseous sulfur oxides (SOx). Other gaseous SOx (such as SO₃) are found in the atmosphere at concentrations much lower than SO₂.
UPSC 2024Environment and Ecology · Environmental Laws, Conventions and Policies
Q3. Consider the following statements: Statement I: India does not import apples from the United States of America. Statement II: In India, the law prohibits the import of Genetically Modified food without the approval of the competent authority. Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?
Explanation
Statement-I is incorrect: Apples are one of the major imports from the USA. After India removed "retaliatory import duty" on US apples in September, imports of American apples have surged 40 times in three months, while traders are hopeful of regaining market share. In 2017-18, the import of US apples was a record of over 7 million boxes, which dropped to 50,000 boxes in the 2022-23. Statement-II is correct: In India, the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, prohibits import, manufacture, use or sale of GM food without FSSAI’s approval.
Additional insight:
Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is a statutory body established under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 (FSSA). It functions under the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India and is responsible for ensuring food safety and regulating food standards in India.
Exam tip:
For S1, "Import no apple from USA" is too extreme to be true. Even when someone brought a kg apple from USA, this statement will becomes false, hence option C is correct.
Answer key for these questions
Q
UPSC year
Correct answer
1
2024
(c) Statement -I is correct, but Statement-II is incorrect
2
2024
(d) Power plants using fossil fuels
3
2024
(d) Statement-I is incorrect, but Statement-II is correct.
Frequently asked questions
How many previous year UPSC questions are there on Environmental Laws, Conventions and Policies?
This page covers 3 previous year UPSC Prelims GS Paper-I questions on Environmental Laws, Conventions and Policies (Environment and Ecology), asked from 2011 to 2025. Each has the correct answer and an explanation.
How should I use previous year UPSC questions for Prelims?
Attempt each question first, then open the answer and read the explanation for every option. Repeat by chapter, and track which statements UPSC reuses across years. Previous year questions show the exam pattern and difficulty level.
Which years are covered for Environmental Laws, Conventions and Policies?
Questions on Environmental Laws, Conventions and Policies (Environment and Ecology) are available for 12 years, from 2011 to 2025. Use the Year filter to practise a single paper.
