Environment and Ecology: UPSC Previous Year Questions (Prelims)
259 previous year UPSC Prelims Environment and Ecology questions are on this page, from 1996 to 2025, in 10 chapters. Species, Pollution, Environmental Laws and Conventions and Climate Change are the largest, and recent papers lean on statement-pairs about news items: Direct Air Capture, the Nature Restoration Law, PFAS and the Peacock tarantula. Filter by chapter to revise one area, or by year for a single paper.
Explanations state facts as of the year each question was asked; words like “recently” refer to that year.
Showing 141–150 of 259 questions
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UPSC 2017Environment and Ecology · Environmental Organisations
Q141. Consider the following statements in respect of Trade Related Analysis of Fauna and Flora in Commerce (TRAFFIC): 1. TRAFFIC is a bureau under the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). 2. The mission of TRAFFIC is to ensure that trade in wild plants and animals is not a threat to the conservation of nature. Which of the above statements is/are correct?
Explanation
TRAFFIC’s mission aligns with the long-term goals of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, envision-ing a world in harmony with nature. By 2050, it aims to ensure that biodiversity is valued, conserved, restored, and sustainably used, safeguarding ecosystem services, supporting a healthy planet, and providing essential benefits for all.
Statement 1 is incorrect: TRAFFIC is an independent non-gov-ernmental organization and operates as a strategic alliance between the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). It is not a bureau under UNEP. TRAFFIC was established in 1976 as a specialist group of the Species Survival Commission of the IUCN. It later evolved into a strategic alliance between WWF and IUCN, focusing on monitoring wildlife trade to support conservation efforts.
Statement 2 is correct: TRAFFIC works to monitor the wildlife trade in the context of both biodiversity conservation and sustainable development. It operates globally, with a network of offices and projects around the world, working to monitor and influence wildlife trade policies and practices.
UPSC 2017Environment and Ecology · Protected Areas for the Biodiversity Conservation
Q142. From the ecological point of view, which one of the following assumes importance in being a good link between the Eastern Ghats and the Western Ghats?
Explanation
Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve (STR) is situated where the Western and Eastern Ghats converge. This region is home to a sizable tiger population and is adjacent to other landscapes dedicated to protecting tigers, including BRT, Bandipur, Mudumalai, and Nagarahole. The Nilgiri-Eastern Ghats Elephant Reserve includes this area as well. Due to its peculiar location, the tiger reserve offers a distinctive ecological landscape containing a wide variety and complex mix of vegetation and animals. The connectivity provided by Sathyamangalam also plays a crucial role in reducing human-wildlife conflict, preserving ecosystems, and supporting conservation initiatives.
UPSC 2017Environment and Ecology · Species
Q143. If you want to see Gharials in their natural habitat, which one of the following is the best place to visit?
Explanation
Option (a) is incorrect: Gharials inhabit deep fresh-water habitats, while crocodile species are found in both fresh-water and saltwater habitats. Bhitarkanika Mangroves is the home of saltwater crocodiles.
Option (b) is correct: Gharials (Gavialis gangeticus) are crocodiles native to the Indian subcontinent, recognized for their narrow snouts. They inhabit freshwater rivers, streams, and wet-lands, with the Chambal River in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh being a prime location to see them. The National Chambal Sanctuary was established to protect and conserve this species, which has a significant population in the river. The Chambal River and its tributaries which flows through the states of Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh are one of the best places to see gharials in their natural habitat. The Chambal River is home to a significant population of gharials, and the National Chambal Sanctuary has been established to protect and conserve these magnificent creatures.
Option (c) is incorrect: Pulicat Lake is the second largest brackish water lake or lagoon in India after Chilika Lake while Gharials inhabit deep freshwater habitats.
Option (d) is incorrect: Deepor Beel is one of the largest fresh-water lakes in Assam and the State’s only Ramsar site besides being an Important Bird Area by Birdlife International. Till date no credible information has been found regarding Gharial population in Deepor beel.
UPSC 2016Environment and Ecology · Biodiversity
Q144. ‘Gadgil Committee Report’ and ‘Kasturirangan Committee Report’, sometimes seen in the news, are related to
Explanation
The Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel (WGEEP), also known as Gadgil Committee was chaired by Prof. Madhav Gadgil. It was established by the Ministry of Environment & Forests in 2010 and submitted its report in 2011. The panel was constituted to primarily demarcate ecologically sensitive areas in the Western Ghats and recommended measures for the management of these ecologically sensitive areas. The Kasturirangan committee was constituted to examine the WGEEP report in 2012. The key recommendations were:
Declaring the entire Western Ghats as an Ecologically Sensitive Area (ESA). Dividing the region into three zones (Ecologically Sensitive Zones 1, 2, and 3), with strict regulations on mining, industries, and land-use changes. Implementing bottom-up democratic decision-making by involving local communities in conservation efforts. Banning large-scale developmental projects in sensitive zones.
UPSC 2016Environment and Ecology · Pollution
Q145. Which of the following best describe/ describes the aim of the ‘Green India Mission’ of the Government of India? 1. Incorporating environmental benefits and costs into the Union and State Budgets thereby implementing the ‘green accounting’ 2. Launching the second green revolution to enhance agricultural output so as to ensure food security to one and all in the future 3. Restoring and enhancing forest cover and responding to climate change by a combination of adaptation and mitigation measures Select the correct answer using the code given below.
Explanation
Green India Mission is one of the eight missions launched under the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) with the aim to maintain, restore, and improve India’s dwindling forest cover and combating climate change through a combination of adaptation and mitigation strategies.
Statement 1 and 2 are incorrect: Green accounting is an approach that incorporates environmental costs into financial assessments. The primary goal of green accounting is to help businesses balance economic objectives with environmental considerations. It is not part of the Green India Mission. Facing serious challenges like overproduction of crops like rice and wheat, soil degradation, and food price volatility, the country would need the Second green revolution to focus on the interconnectedness of agriculture, water, and energy to make farming more climate-resilient and environmentally sustainable. Both the statements are irrelevant to the Green India Mission.
Statement 3 is correct: The mission intends to increase forest/ tree cover; improve/enhance ecosystem services and increase the forest-based livelihood income of about 3 million households.
UPSC 2016Environment and Ecology · Pollution
Q146. In the cities of our country, which among the following atmospheric gases are normally considered in calculating the value of the Air Quality Index? 1. Carbon dioxide 2. Carbon monoxide 3. Nitrogen dioxide 4. Sulfur dioxide 5. Methane Select the correct answer using the code given below.
Explanation
There are six AQI categories, namely Good + Satisfactory, Moderately polluted, Poor, Very Poor, and Severe. Each of these categories is decided based on ambient concentration values of air pollutants and their likely health impacts (known as health breakpoints). AQ sub-index and health breakpoints are evolved for eight pollutants, namely:
Ground-level Ozone or O₃ Particulate Matter (PM10 and PM 2.5) Carbon Monoxide or CO Sulphur Dioxide or SO₂ and Nitrogen Dioxide or NO₂ Ammonia (NH₃) Lead (Pb)
UPSC 2016Environment and Ecology · Climate Change
Q147. The term ‘Intended Nationally Determined Contributions’ is sometimes seen in the news in the context of
Explanation
Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (IN-DCs) are planned reductions in greenhouse gas emissions outlined by countries under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). NDCs are at the heart of the Paris Agreement and embody efforts by each country to reduce national emissions and adapt to the impacts of climate change. The UNFCCC, in its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) Synthesis Report, has called for more ambitious climate action plans by the countries in order to achieve the Paris Agreement target of containing global temperature rise to 2°C by the end of the century (ideally it is 1.5°C).
UPSC 2016Environment and Ecology · Climate Change
Q148. What is ‘Greenhouse Gas Protocol’?
Explanation
GHG Protocol is developing standards, tools and online training that helps countries to measure and manage greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from private and public sector operations, value chains and mitigation actions. The GHG Protocol arose when the World Resources Institute (WRI) and World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) recognized the need for an international standard for corporate GHG accounting and reporting in the late 1990s.
UPSC 2016Environment and Ecology · Environmental Laws, Conventions and Policies
Q149. With reference to the Agreement at the UNFCCC Meeting in Paris in 2015, which of the following statements is/are correct? 1. The Agreement was signed by all the member countries of the UN and it will go into effect in 2017. 2. The Agreement aims to limit greenhouse gas emissions so that the rise in average global temperature by the end of this century does not exceed 2 degrees C or even 1.5 degrees C above pre-industrial levels. 3. Developed countries acknowledged their historical responsibility in global warming and committed to donate $1000 billion a year from 2020 to help developing countries to cope with climate change. Select the correct answer using the code given below.
Explanation
Paris Summit COP21-2015 is a legally binding Inter-national Treaty on Climate Change. It was adopted by 195 Parties at COP 21 in Paris, on 12 December 2015 & entered into force on 4 November 2016. It requires all parties to put forward their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) which are voluntary in nature.
Statement 2 is correct: Paris Summit COP21 aims to limit global warming due emission of green house gas emissions to below 2 degree Celsius, preferably to 1.5 degrees Celsius, compared to pre-industrial levels. It requires all parties to put forward their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) which are voluntary in nature. Statements 1 and 3 are incorrect: The Treaty was only "agreed" by 195 Parties in Paris at the conference. The agreement will en-ter into force only after 55 countries that account for at least 55% of global emissions have deposited their instruments of ratification. Developed countries will work to define a clear roadmap on ratcheting up climate finance to USD 100 billion (not USD 1000 billion) by 2020.
Exam tip:
For S1, "All members of UN" is too extreme to be true and For S3, $1000bn is too impractical to be true, hence both are likely false.
UPSC 2016Environment and Ecology · Environmental Laws, Conventions and Policies
Q150. Consider the following statements: 1. The Sustainable Development Goals were first proposed in 1972 by a global think tank called the ‘Club of Rome’. 2. The Sustainable Development Goals have to be achieved by 2030. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Explanation
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a set of 17 global objectives established by the United Nations in 2015 as part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. These goals address various global challenges, including poverty, inequality, climate change, environmental degradation, peace, and justice, with a target to achieve them by 2030. The SDGs replaced the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in 2015, which started a global effort in 2000 to tackle the indignity of poverty.
Statement 1 is incorrect: The Club of Rome, established in 1968, is known for its 1972 report titled "The Limits to Growth," which discussed the potential consequences of unchecked economic and population growth. While this report highlighted the need for sustainable practices, it did not propose the SDGs. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were born at the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Devel-opment in Rio de Janeiro in 2012. The SDGs were formulated through a United Nations-led process, culminating in their adoption in 2015.
Statement 2 is correct: In 2015, the United Nations General Assembly approved 17 sustainable development goals (SDGs) with 169 associated targets which are to be achieved by 2030.
Answer key for these questions
Q
UPSC year
Correct answer
141
2017
(b) 2 only
142
2017
(a) Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve
143
2017
(b) Chambal River
144
2016
(d) protection of Western Ghats
145
2016
(c) 3 only
146
2016
(b) 2, 3 and 4 only
147
2016
(b) plan of action outlined by the countries of the world to combat climate change
148
2016
(a) It is an international accounting tool for government and business leaders to understand, quantify and manage greenhouse gas emissions.
149
2016
(b) 2 only
150
2016
(b) 2 only
What UPSC has tested in Environment and Ecology
Species questions ask for classification and habitat: which is an insect, a filter feeder, or not a bird, and where an animal is found.
Law and convention questions ask which body or instrument covers what, such as the Wildlife Protection Act’s schedules, the e-Waste Rules and the Ramsar Convention.
Climate questions in 2025 covered Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, COP28, Direct Air Capture and wet-bulb temperatures.
Protected-area questions combine locations with distinctive features, such as the swamp park of Keibul Lamjao and Critical Tiger Habitats.
Frequently asked questions
How many previous year UPSC questions are there on Environment and Ecology?
This page covers 259 previous year UPSC Prelims GS Paper-I questions on Environment and Ecology, asked from 1996 to 2025. Each has the correct answer and an explanation.
Which Environment chapters have the most questions?
Species has the most with 43 questions, followed by Pollution and Environmental Laws, Conventions and Policies with 39 each, and Climate Change with 30. Environmental Organisations and Miscellaneous are the smallest.
How can I revise Environment and Ecology using these questions?
Take a chapter at a time with the Chapter filter, attempt the questions and read the facts UPSC has tested. Revise Species and Protected Areas with a map and a list of national parks at hand.
Are the 2025 Environment questions included?
Yes. The 2025 paper’s Environment questions on activated carbon, cement emissions, COP28, Article 6, Direct Air Capture, the Gooty tarantula, plastics and the Nature Restoration Law are included with full explanations.
