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UPSC CSE 2024 · PYQ · Reading Comprehension / Green Growth · medium

Passage: Green growth involves rethinking growth strategies with regard to the impacts on environmental sustainability and the environmental resources available to poor and vulnerable groups. In rethinking growth, we need to focus on the current reality of a resource-constrained world. Resource intensive and, in particular energy intensive processes will need to make way for more efficient and resource frugal development strategies if we are to avoid an economic dead end or a world in which only a small elite is able to enjoy affluence in the midst of a sea of poverty. Which one of the following statements best reflects the crux of the above passage?

  1. A.Environmental sustainability is inimical to our objective of achieving a high rate of GDP growth.
  2. B.Poverty eradication is not possible without a rapid economic growth and the consequent environmental degradation.
  3. C.Maintaining high environmental standards is now a prerequisite for achieving a steady, sufficient and inclusive growth.✓ Correct
  4. D.With large populations, rampant poverty and limited resources of today's world, environmental degradation cannot be prevented and inequalities are inevitable.

Explanation

The passage advocates green growth strategies that account for environmental sustainability and equitable access to environmental resources, urging a shift to resource-frugal and efficient development to avoid economic dead ends and severe inequality. The crux is that high environmental standards are a prerequisite for steady, sufficient and inclusive growth. Option (a) wrongly suggests sustainability is opposed to GDP growth. Option (b) contradicts the passage's call to avoid resource-intensive growth. Option (d) is fatalistic and contrary to the passage's optimistic prescription. Hence (c) best reflects the crux.
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