80. Which pair of actions most directly advances sustainable development?
[RRB Group D, 10 Aug 2026, Shift 1]
- A. Expansion of renewable energy and afforestation
- B. Fossil-fuel dependence and forest clearance
- C. Industrial growth with uncontrolled waste disposal
- D. Groundwater overuse and non-recyclable plastics
Answer: A. Expansion of renewable energy and afforestation
Explanation: Renewable sources lower dependence on exhaustible fuels, while afforestation helps maintain carbon sinks, biodiversity and soil stability. Both support present welfare without needlessly weakening ecological resources available to future generations. The remaining combinations actively intensify environmental degradation.
79. Which three broad achievements form the Human Development Index?
[RRB NTPC (UG), 15 Jun 2026, Shift 3]
- A. Longevity, educational attainment and income
- B. Exports, savings and inflation
- C. Population, trade balance and defence spending
- D. Tax collections, output and employment
Answer: A. Longevity, educational attainment and income
Explanation: The HDI summarizes a long and healthy life, access to knowledge, and a decent living standard. Its operational indicators include life expectancy at birth, two schooling measures, and purchasing-power-adjusted gross national income per person, rather than production alone.
78. What was India’s position in the 2025 Sustainable Development Report’s SDG Index?
[RRB NTPC (UG), 16 Jun 2026, Shift 1]
- A. 120th
- B. 85th
- C. 110th
- D. 99th
Answer: D. 99th
Explanation: The Sustainable Development Report 2025 placed India 99th in its global SDG Index. This index assesses progress towards the 17 goals. Its ranking must not be confused with the UNDP Human Development Index, which measures a different set of development outcomes.
77. In which year was the Rangarajan expert group on poverty measurement constituted?
[RRB NTPC (UG), 20 Jun 2026, Shift 3]
- A. 2008
- B. 2010
- C. 2014
- D. 2012
Answer: D. 2012
Explanation: The Planning Commission set up the expert group chaired by C. Rangarajan in 2012. Its 2014 report proposed a revised consumption basket and higher poverty thresholds than the Tendulkar methodology, allowing comparison of poverty estimates under alternative methods.
76. Which set correctly names the five Ps associated with the 2030 Agenda?
[RRB JE CBT-I, 25 Feb 2026, Shift 2]
- A. People, Planet, Prosperity, Peace and Partnership
- B. Population, Power, Production, Peace and Partnership
- C. People, Pollution, Profit, Power and Policy
- D. Poverty, Productivity, Protection, Planet and Politics
Answer: A. People, Planet, Prosperity, Peace and Partnership
Explanation: The 2030 Agenda is organized around five interconnected themes: People, Planet, Prosperity, Peace and Partnership. They connect social inclusion and economic opportunity with ecological protection, effective institutions and international cooperation. These themes underpin the integrated character of the Sustainable Development Goals.
75. What position did India hold in the UNDP Human Development Report 2025 ranking?
[RRB Group D, 09 Jan 2026, Shift 3]
- A. 138th
- B. 125th
- C. 130th
- D. 141st
Answer: C. 130th
Explanation: The Human Development Report 2025 placed India at rank 130 out of 193 countries and territories, using 2023 data. This position concerns HDI, not the Sustainable Development Goals Index, and reflects combined health, schooling and income outcomes.
74. Which two measures represent the education dimension in the contemporary HDI?
[SSC CGL 2025 Tier-II, 19 Jan 2026]
- A. Adult literacy and primary enrolment
- B. Mean years of schooling and expected years of schooling
- C. Teacher-pupil ratio and school buildings
- D. University numbers and research grants
Answer: B. Mean years of schooling and expected years of schooling
Explanation: Modern HDI uses mean years of schooling for adults and expected schooling years for children entering education. The older literacy-and-enrolment combination was replaced in the revised index methodology, so the correct indicators must be understood in their historical context.
73. Assertion: Poverty lines differ across countries and periods. Reason: Essential needs vary by place and over time. Which is correct?
[UPPSC PCS Prelims 2025, GS-I]
- A. Both true, and the reason explains the assertion
- B. Both true, but the reason does not explain it
- C. Assertion true; reason false
- D. Assertion false; reason true
Answer: A. Both true, and the reason explains the assertion
Explanation: A poverty threshold reflects the cost of meeting accepted minimum needs. Prices, infrastructure, climate and expectations differ by region and period. Consequently, identical nominal income levels do not guarantee similar living conditions everywhere, making both statements causally connected.
72. Consider the Multidimensional Poverty Index:
(1) It was introduced in 2010.
(2) It identifies poverty solely by an income line of one dollar a day.
Which is correct?
[UPPSC PCS Prelims 2025, GS-I]
- A. Statement 1 only
- B. Statement 2 only
- C. Both statements
- D. Neither statement
Answer: A. Statement 1 only
Explanation: The global MPI began in 2010 through work by OPHI and UNDP. It identifies overlapping deprivations in health, education and living standards. Dollar-per-day thresholds instead belong to monetary poverty measurement, not the multidimensional index.
71. Choose the correct chronological sequence of Indian poverty-estimation studies and committees: Dandekar–Rath, Lakdawala, Tendulkar and Rangarajan.
[UPPSC PCS Prelims 2025, GS-I]
- A. Dandekar–Rath → Lakdawala → Tendulkar → Rangarajan
- B. Lakdawala → Dandekar–Rath → Rangarajan → Tendulkar
- C. Tendulkar → Dandekar–Rath → Lakdawala → Rangarajan
- D. Rangarajan → Tendulkar → Lakdawala → Dandekar–Rath
Answer: A. Dandekar–Rath → Lakdawala → Tendulkar → Rangarajan
Explanation: Dandekar and Rath published their influential analysis in 1971. The Lakdawala group followed in the early 1990s, the Tendulkar expert group was created in 2005, and the Rangarajan group in 2012. Their approaches progressively reviewed Indian poverty measurement.