SSC CGL 2025 Tier-I · 20 September 2025, Shift 1 · General Awareness · Question 24 of 100

We transcribed this text from the pictures on a candidate's response sheet for this shift; the answer is the key SSC colour-marked on that sheet. Solution last reviewed 13 September 2026.

Where this paper and its answers come from

SSC does not publish CGL question papers or a public answer key. From 2025 the candidate response sheet prints every question and option as a picture, so the text here is transcribed from those pictures for this shift and checked against them independently; where the layout carries meaning, the picture is shown as well. Each answer is the key SSC colour-marked on that sheet. SSC released a tentative key for challenge and later its final one, both only to candidates behind a login, and the sheet does not say which of the two it carries. The solutions are written by UnlockIAS.

The "Green Credit Programme" launched under the Environment Ministry rewards individuals and companies for which activity?

(a)Water conservation only
(b)Planting trees and ecosystem restoration
(c)Air pollution monitoring
(d)Solar panel installation

Answer

Why

Correct — B. The Green Credit Programme is a voluntary scheme framed under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, and its rules were notified on 12 October 2023.

It rewards individuals and entities with green credits for listed environmental actions. Its portal presents it as a way to encourage voluntary tree plantation, the planting and restoration work the key describes → option (b).

Why the others are wrong

(a)
Water conservation only — Water management is one of the activity types in the 2023 rules, but the word only makes this wrong. The rules list tree plantation and other activities beside it.
(c)
Air pollution monitoring — The rules list air pollution reduction as an activity type. Monitoring measures pollution but does not reduce it, so it is not the rewarded activity.
(d)
Solar panel installation — Solar panel installation is not one of the activity types named in the 2023 rules, which begin with tree plantation and water management.

Concept

The Green Credit Programme works by reward rather than penalty: an individual or an entity that carries out a listed environmental activity can earn green credits.

The 2023 rules name eight types of activity, including tree plantation, water management, sustainable agriculture and waste management. The Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE) administers the programme.

Key facts

The Green Credit Rules were notified by the Government of India on 12 October 2023.
The programme is framed under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.
The Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE) administers the programme.
Participation is voluntary: individuals and entities earn credits for listed environmental actions.

Study next

India's Carbon Credit Trading Scheme and how it differs from green creditsMission LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment)

Common traps

Choosing 'Water conservation only' because water management is a listed activity: the word 'only' makes it wrong.
Confusing green credits with carbon credits: green credits reward a wider range of environmental actions, not only emission cuts.

Here the programme is tested by the activity it rewards. At 19 Sep 2025, 09:00, GA Q.20 it is tested by its objective, where the key is rewarding voluntary environmental actions by individuals or entities.

Related PYQs

No directly related past PYQ was found.

Topic: Current events — all 232 SSC CGL questions on it, every solved shift.