UPSC Prelims 2016 · GS Paper I
Question 98: Economy and Social Development
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?
AnswerUPSC’s answer is (b).
The Sustainable Development Goals were proposed at the Rio+20 conference in 2012, replaced the Millennium Development Goals and were adopted by the UN in 2015 with a target date of 2030. The Club of Rome's 1972 report, The Limits to Growth, warned about growth and resource limits but did not propose the SDGs.
- 1. The SDGs were proposed in 2012 at Rio+20; the Club of Rome's 1972 report did not propose them.
- 2. The goals are to be achieved by 2030.
How you could have got this
- If you were sure statement 1 is not correct, (a) and (c) go: each of them includes 1.
What you needed to know: The SDGs were proposed in 2012 at Rio+20; the Club of Rome's 1972 report did not propose them.
- Then, if you were sure statement 2 is correct, (d) goes: it leaves 2 out.
What you needed to know: The goals are to be achieved by 2030.
Only (b) is left. This one needs every statement.
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) Statement 1 is wrong: the SDGs were proposed in 2012, not 1972.
- (b) Right: only the 2030 target in statement 2 is correct.
- (c) Statement 1 is wrong, so 'both' fails.
- (d) Statement 2 is correct, so 'neither' fails.
Answer: UPSC’s key. Explanation: written by UPSC Grade, not by UPSC.
Source: UPSC, Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination 2016, General Studies Paper I, Series A. The paper on upsc.gov.in.