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UPSC Environment & Ecology Previous Year Questions

UPSC consistently asks 10–15 environment questions per year in Prelims GS Paper I. Topics include biodiversity, climate change, pollution, and environment-related legislation. Find all previous year environment questions below, sorted by year.

62 questions found

Topics in Environment & Ecology

Plastic PollutionCoal GasificationActivated CarbonCement Industry EmissionsCOP28 Declaration on Climate and HealthEarth's Rotation and Climate ChangeParis Agreement Article 6Nature Solutions Finance HubDirect Air Capture (DAC)Peacock Tarantula (Gooty Tarantula)India's CO2 EmissionsOxygen Production on EarthCircular EconomyArtificial Rainfall (Cloud Seeding)Nature Restoration Law (NRL)Ethanol ProductionWet-Bulb TemperaturesAir Pollution (Sulphur Dioxide)International Environmental Initiatives (EU)Biodiversity - InsectsPollution - Plastic PollutionBiodiversity - Animal HabitatsAnimal Species CharacteristicsInternational Initiatives (Environment)Distributed Energy ResourcesPlant-Insect InteractionsPoisonous SpeciesNative Plant Species of IndiaTropical Peatlands and Carbon SequestrationPFAS (Forever Chemicals)Parasitoid SpeciesPlant Families (Fabaceae)Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) FeedstocksFuel Cell Electric Vehicles (FCEVs)Pumped-Storage HydropowerMembrane BioreactorsProtected Areas - Community ReservesAnimal Kingdom - MarsupialsConservation Organizations - Invasive SpeciesAnimal Behaviour - Nocturnal AnimalsAnimal Behaviour - CommunicationReading Comprehension - Logical ImplicationFungi - MushroomsAnimal Behaviour - SquirrelsMicroorganisms - ExtremophilesReading Comprehension - Logical InferenceAnimal Behaviour - Tool UsePollution - Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs)Reading Comprehension - Crucial MessageCarbon Markets and Climate ChangeGreen Hydrogen and DecarbonizationPassage Comprehension - Environmental Pollution & HealthPassage Comprehension - Environment & Climate ChangePassage Comprehension - Environment & AgricultureThermal Power Plants and Water StressCarbon Capture and Sequestration TechnologiesMetagenomics and Environmental DNABiofilters in AquacultureMercury PollutionGreen Hydrogen ApplicationsGroundwater Extraction in IndiaBiodiversity Management Committees and Nagoya Protocol

2025(17 questions)

Q4. Consider the following: I. Cigarette butts II. Eyeglass lenses III. Car tyres How many of them contain plastic?...

Plastic Pollution

C

Q5. Consider the following substances: I. Ethanol II. Nitroglycerine III. Urea Coal gasification technology can be used in t...

Coal Gasification

B

Q10. Consider the following statements: Statement I: Activated carbon is a good and an attractive tool to remove pollutants f...

Activated Carbon

A

Q11. Consider the following statements: Statement I: Studies indicate that carbon dioxide emissions from cement industry acco...

Cement Industry Emissions

A

Q12. Consider the following statements: Statement I: At the 28th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28), India refr...

COP28 Declaration on Climate and Health

C

Q13. Consider the following statements: Statement I: Scientific studies suggest that a shift is taking place in the Earth's r...

Earth's Rotation and Climate Change

B

Q14. Consider the following statements: Statement I: Article 6 of the Paris Agreement on climate change is frequently discuss...

Paris Agreement Article 6

A

Q15. Which one of the following launched the 'Nature Solutions Finance Hub for Asia and the Pacific'?...

Nature Solutions Finance Hub

A

Q16. With reference to 'Direct Air Capture', an emerging technology, which of the following statements is/are correct? I. It ...

Direct Air Capture (DAC)

C

Q17. Regarding Peacock tarantula (Gooty tarantula), consider the following statements: I. It is an omnivorous crustacean. II....

Peacock Tarantula (Gooty Tarantula)

D

Q18. Consider the following statements: I. Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in India are less than 0.5 t CO2/ capita. II. In te...

India's CO2 Emissions

C

Q20. With reference to the planet Earth, consider the following statements: I. Rain forests produce more oxygen than that pro...

Oxygen Production on Earth

B

Q39. Consider the following statements: Statement I: Circular economy reduces the emissions of greenhouse gases. Statement II...

Circular Economy

A

Q65. Artificial way of causing rainfall to reduce air pollution makes use of...

Artificial Rainfall (Cloud Seeding)

A

Q70. Which organization has enacted the Nature Restoration Law (NRL) to tackle climate change and biodiversity loss?...

Nature Restoration Law (NRL)

A

Q73. Consider the following statements : Statement I: Of the two major ethanol producers in the world, i.e., Brazil and the U...

Ethanol Production

D

Q74. The World Bank warned that India could become one of the first places where wet-bulb temperatures routinely exceed 35°C....

Wet-Bulb Temperatures

C

2024(19 questions)

Q30. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which one of the following is the largest source of sulphur diox...

Air Pollution (Sulphur Dioxide)

D

Q46. Consider the following statements : Statement-I : The European Parliament approved The Net-Zero Industry Act recently. S...

International Environmental Initiatives (EU)

C

Q61. The organisms "Cicada, Froghopper and Pond skater" are :...

Biodiversity - Insects

C

Q62. Consider the following statements : Statement-I : Many chewing gums found in the market are considered a source of envir...

Pollution - Plastic Pollution

A

Q63. Consider the following pairs : Country Animal found in its natural habitat 1. Brazil Indri 2. Indonesia Elk 3. Madagasca...

Biodiversity - Animal Habitats

D

Q65. Consider the following statements : 1. Lions do not have a particular breeding season. 2. Unlike most other big cats, ch...

Animal Species Characteristics

A

Q66. Which one of the following is the correct description of "100 Million Farmers" ?...

International Initiatives (Environment)

A

Q67. Consider the following: 1. Battery storage 2. Biomass generators 3. Fuel cells 4. Rooftop solar photovoltaic units How m...

Distributed Energy Resources

D

Q68. Which one of the following shows a unique relationship with an insect that has coevolved with it and that is the only in...

Plant-Insect Interactions

A

Q69. Consider the following : 1. Butterflies 2. Fish 3. Frogs How many of the above have poisonous species among them ?...

Poisonous Species

C

Q70. Consider the following plants 1. Cashew 2. Papaya 3. Red sanders How many of the above trees are actually native to Indi...

Native Plant Species of India

A

Q76. One of the following regions has the world’s largest tropical peatland, which holds about three years worth of global ca...

Tropical Peatlands and Carbon Sequestration

B

Q77. With reference to perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) that are used in making many consumer product, co...

PFAS (Forever Chemicals)

D

Q78. Consider the following : 1. Carabid beetles 2. Centipedes 3. Flies 4. Termites 5. Wasps Parasitoid species are found how...

Parasitoid Species

B

Q79. Consider the following plants 1. Groundnut 2. Horse-gram 3. Soybean How many of the above belong to the pea family ?...

Plant Families (Fabaceae)

C

Q86. Consider the following materials: 1. Agricultural residues 2. Corn grain 3. Wastewater treatment sludge 4. Wood mill was...

Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Feedstocks

C

Q97. Which one of the following is the exhaust pipe emission from Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles, powered by hydrogen?...

Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles (FCEVs)

D

Q98. Recently, the term "pumped-storage hydropower" is actually and appropriately discussed in the context of which one of th...

Pumped-Storage Hydropower

C

Q99. "Membrane Bioreactors" are often discussed in the context of:...

Membrane Bioreactors

D

2023(26 questions)

Q2. Consider the following statements: Once the Central Government notifies an area as a 'Community Reserve' 1. the Chief Wi...

Protected Areas - Community Reserves

C

Q7. Consider the following statements: Statement-I: Marsupials are not naturally found in India. Statement-II: Marsupials ca...

Animal Kingdom - Marsupials

C

Q8. Invasive species Specialist Group' (that develops Global Invasive Species Database) belongs to which one of the followin...

Conservation Organizations - Invasive Species

A

Q9. Consider the following fauna: 1. Lion-tailed Macaque 2. Malabar Civet 3. Sambar Deer How many of the above are generally...

Animal Behaviour - Nocturnal Animals

B

Q10. Which one of the following organisms perform waggle dance for others of their kin to indicate the direction and the dist...

Animal Behaviour - Communication

C

Q11. Which one of the following statements best reflects the most logical and rational implication conveyed by the passage?...

Reading Comprehension - Logical Implication

B

Q11. Consider the following statements: 1. Some mushrooms have medicinal properties. 2. Some mushrooms have psychoactive prop...

Fungi - Mushrooms

D

Q12. Consider the following statements regarding the Indian squirrels: 1. They build nests by making burrows in the ground. 2...

Animal Behaviour - Squirrels

B

Q13. Consider the following statements: 1. Some microorganisms can grow in environments with temperature above the boiling po...

Microorganisms - Extremophiles

C

Q13. Which one of the following statements best reflects the most logical and rational inference that can be drawn from the p...

Reading Comprehension - Logical Inference

B

Q14. Which one of the following makes a tool with a stick to scrap insects from a hole in a tree or a log of wood? (a) Fishin...

Animal Behaviour - Tool Use

B

Q15. Consider the following: 1. Aerosols 2. Foam agents 3. Fire retardants 4. Lubricants In the making of how many of the abo...

Pollution - Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs)

D

Q21. Which one of the following statements best reflects the crucial message conveyed by the author of the passage?...

Reading Comprehension - Crucial Message

C

Q43. Consider the following statements: Statement-I: Carbon markets are likely to be one of the most widespread tools in the ...

Carbon Markets and Climate Change

A

Q59. Consider the following heavy industries : 1. Fertilizer plants 2. Oil refineries 3. Steel plants Green hydrogen is expec...

Green Hydrogen and Decarbonization

C

Q62. Which one of the following statements best reflects the most logical and practical message conveyed by the passage?...

Passage Comprehension - Environmental Pollution & Health

A

Q71. With reference to the above passage, the following assumptions have been made: 1. Global warming is causing spring to co...

Passage Comprehension - Environment & Climate Change

D

Q72. Which one of the following statements best reflects the most logical, rational and crucial message implied by the passag...

Passage Comprehension - Environment & Agriculture

A

Q76. With reference to coal- based thermal power plants in India, consider the following statements : 1. None of them uses se...

Thermal Power Plants and Water Stress

D

Q78. Consider the following activities : 1. Spreading finely ground basalt rock on farmlands extensively 2. Increasing the al...

Carbon Capture and Sequestration Technologies

C

Q79. 'Aerial metagenomics' best refers to which one of the following situations?...

Metagenomics and Environmental DNA

A

Q85. With reference to the role of biofilters in Recirculating Aquaculture System, consider the following statements : 1. Bio...

Biofilters in Aquaculture

B

Q89. Consider the following statements regarding mercury pollution : 1. Gold mining activity is a source of mercury pollution...

Mercury Pollution

C

Q90. With reference to green hydrogen, Consider the following statements : 1. It can be used directly as a fuel for internal ...

Green Hydrogen Applications

C

Q96. Consider the following statements : Statement-I : According to the United Nation's 'World Water Development Report, 2022...

Groundwater Extraction in India

C

Q99. Consider the following statements : 1. In India, the Biodiversity Management committees are key to the realization of th...

Biodiversity Management Committees and Nagoya Protocol

C

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