In India, 'extended producer responsibility' was introduced as an important feature in which of the following?
- A.The Bio-medical Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 1998
- B.The Recycled Plastic (Manufacturing and Usage) Rules, 1999
- C.The e-Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 2011
- D.The Food Safety and Standard Regulations, 2011
Correct answer
Explanation
The correct answer is C, The e-Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 2011. These rules, notified under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 and in force from May 2012, made extended producer responsibility, or EPR, their central feature. Under EPR the company that makes or sells an electrical or electronic product stays responsible for it after the sale: it must arrange to collect the product at the end of its life and send it to authorised dismantlers and recyclers, and it must make consumers aware of how to return it. The idea is that the producer, not the city or the buyer, bears the cost of safe disposal. The rules were later replaced by the E-Waste (Management) Rules of 2016 and 2022, which kept and tightened EPR with collection targets. Option A is wrong because the 1998 bio-medical waste rules placed duties on hospitals and other waste generators, not on producers. Option B is wrong because the 1999 recycled plastic rules dealt mainly with carry bag thickness and labelling. Option D is wrong because food safety regulations deal with food standards, not product take-back. Exam tip: EPR first came as a key feature in the e-waste rules of 2011, effective 2012.
Practice Questions
View allThe Partnership for Action on Green Economy (PAGE), a UN mechanism to assist countries transition towards greener and more inclusive economies, emerged at
- A.The Earth Summit on Sustainable Development 2002, Johannesburg
- B.The United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development 2012, Rio de Janeiro
- C.The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change 2015, Paris
- D.The World Sustainable Development Summit 2016, New Delhi
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PAGE was launched in 2013 as a direct response to the call made at the Rio+20 conference of June 2012, whose outcome document, 'The Future We Want', recognised the green economy as a tool for sustainable development and poverty eradication.
Read the full explanation →With reference to Indian laws about wildlife protection, consider the following statements : 1. Wild animals are the sole property of the government. 2. When a wild animal is declared protected, such animal is entitled for equal protection whether it is found in protected areas or outside. 3. Apprehension of a protected wild animal becoming a danger to human life is sufficient ground for its capture or killing. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- A.1 and 2
- B.2 only
- C.1 and 3
- D.3 only
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Under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, wild animals belong to the government and a protected animal is protected everywhere, but mere fear of danger does not justify killing it.
Read the full explanation →Which of the following is/are the possible consequence/s of heavy sand mining in riverbeds? 1. Decreased salinity in the river 2. Pollution of groundwater 3. Lowering of the water-table Select the correct answer using the code given below :
- A.1 only
- B.2 and 3 only
- C.1 and 3 only
- D.1, 2 and 3
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Heavy sand mining lowers the water table and exposes groundwater to pollution, but it does not reduce river salinity. Riverbed sand acts as a sponge and a filter: it stores water, recharges the aquifers along the river and cleans water as it seeps down.
Read the full explanation →The term 'M-STrIPES' is sometimes seen in the news in the context of
- A.Captive breeding of Wild Fauna
- B.Maintenance of Tiger Reserves
- C.Indigenous Satellite Navigation System
- D.Security of National Highways
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M-STrIPES stands for Monitoring System for Tigers: Intensive Protection and Ecological Status. It was introduced by the National Tiger Conservation Authority around 2010, with technical support from the Wildlife Institute of India, for use in tiger reserves.
Read the full explanation →Which one of the following best describes the term "greenwashing" ?
- A.Conveying a false impression that a company's products are eco-friendly and environmentally sound
- B.Non-inclusion of ecological/ environmental costs in the Annual Financial Statements of a country
- C.Ignoring the disastrous ecological consequences while undertaking infrastructure development
- D.Making mandatory provisions for environmental costs in a government project/programme
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Greenwashing is misleading green marketing. The word joins "green" with "whitewashing", which means covering up faults.
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