UPSC CSE Prelims
Question 55
Consider the following statements :
The Environment Protection Act, 1986 empowers the Government of India to
- state the requirement of public participation in the process of environmental protection, and the procedure and manner in which it is sought
- lay down the standards for emission or discharge of environmental pollutants from various sources
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
View correct answer and explanation
Correct answer: B
Correct Option: B
Explanation:
The Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 expressly empowers the central government to set pollutant discharge/emission standards. Public hearings are prescribed under subordinate EIA notifications, but the Act’s enumerated powers do not specifically state the public-participation procedure alleged in statement 1.
Statement / Pair Analysis:
1 (Incorrect): The EPA does not itself explicitly prescribe the alleged public participation requirement and its procedure, although later EIA rules do provide hearings.
2 (Correct): Section 3(2)(iv) empowers the Centre to lay down emission and discharge standards.
Option-wise Analysis:
A (Incorrect): It includes false item 1 (The EPA does not itself explicitly prescribe the alleged public participation requirement and its…); omits true item 2 (Section 3(2)(iv) empowers the Centre to lay down emission and discharge standards).
B (Correct): Includes all and only the true statements/pairs.
C (Incorrect): It includes false item 1 (The EPA does not itself explicitly prescribe the alleged public participation requirement and its…).
D (Incorrect): It omits true item 2 (Section 3(2)(iv) empowers the Centre to lay down emission and discharge standards).
Review Note:
Some learning sites mark both statements true by invoking EIA notifications. The supplied key B follows the statute-focused reading; review if using a different official key.