2016 GS Paper I, all questions

UPSC Prelims 2016 · GS Paper I

Question 23: Environment and Ecology

Which of the following are the key features of ‘National Ganga River Basin Authority (NGRBA)’?

  1. 1.River basin is the unit of planning and management.
  2. 2.It spearheads the river conservation efforts at the national level.
  3. 3.One of the Chief Ministers of the States through which the Ganga flows becomes the Chairman of NGRBA on rotation basis.

Select the correct answer using the code given below.

a1 and 2 only
b2 and 3 only
c1 and 3 only
d1, 2 and 3

AnswerUPSC’s answer is (a).

The National Ganga River Basin Authority was set up in 2009 under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, with the Prime Minister as chairman. It treated the river basin as the unit of planning and management and spearheaded river conservation efforts at the national level. The Chief Ministers of the Ganga States were members, but none became chairman on rotation, so statement 3 is wrong.

  • 1. The river basin was the unit of planning and management.
  • 2. It led river conservation efforts at the national level.
  • 3. The Prime Minister chaired it; Chief Ministers were members, with no rotating chairmanship.

How you could have got this

  1. If you were sure statement 3 is not correct, (b), (c) and (d) go: each of them includes 3.

    What you needed to know: The Prime Minister chaired it; Chief Ministers were members, with no rotating chairmanship.

Only (a) is left. You didn’t need statements 1 or 2.

Which options go is worked out from UPSC’s key and the options, not by a model.

Why each option is right or wrong
  • (a) Right: statements 1 and 2 are correct, statement 3 is not.
  • (b) Statement 3 is wrong, and this leaves out statement 1, which is correct.
  • (c) Statement 3 is wrong, and statement 2 is correct.
  • (d) Statement 3 is wrong, so 'all three' fails.

Worth knowing: The NGRBA has since been dissolved (in 2016) and its work passed to the National Council for Rejuvenation, Protection and Management of River Ganga (National Ganga Council).

Answer: UPSC’s key. Explanation: written by UPSC Grade, not by UPSC.

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Source: UPSC, Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination 2016, General Studies Paper I, Series A. The paper on upsc.gov.in.