UPPSC 2023 Prelims GS Paper-I · Question 45 of 150

Correct — A, 10th (as marked in the official UPPSC 2023 SET-D answer key). India's greenhouse-gas emissions rank swings sharply with the measure used: by TOTAL (absolute) emissions India is the world's third-largest emitter, after China and the United States, whereas on PER-CAPITA emissions India ranks among the lowest of the major economies. For this item, lock the key's marked answer (10th) and remember the general rule — an 'emissions rank' means little until you know whether it is measured in absolute or per-capita terms.

• (b)9th — Not the rank marked by the official UPPSC key for this item; a different position on the emissions table.
• (c)11th — India is 3rd on ABSOLUTE emissions — a tempting confusion — but that is not the rank the key marks here.
• (d)12th — Not the value accepted by the key; India's per-capita rank is far lower, but the item is keyed to 10th.

India's greenhouse-gas footprint has two very different faces. By total (absolute) emissions India is the third-largest emitter in the world, because of its large population and coal-heavy energy mix. But when emissions are measured per person, India ranks very low among major economies — the average Indian emits far less than the average American or Chinese citizen. A 'rank' therefore depends entirely on which metric is used, which is why an exact single number is hard to state.

This is a recall current-affairs item where the safe move is to go with the official key (10th). For understanding, hold the two anchors firmly: India is the 3rd-largest emitter in absolute terms, but a low per-capita emitter — India uses this distinction to argue for climate equity ('common but differentiated responsibilities') in global negotiations.

• In absolute terms India is the world's 3rd-largest greenhouse-gas emitter (after China and the USA).
• India's per-capita emissions are among the lowest of the major economies.
• India's energy is coal-heavy, which drives up its total (not per-capita) emissions.
• At COP26 (Glasgow, 2021) India pledged net-zero emissions by 2070 and updated its NDCs.
• The exact '10th' rank in this question could not be tied to a standard metric — treat it as the key's answer, not a verified absolute-emissions rank.

• Equating 'largest emitter' with 'largest per-capita emitter' — India is high on the first, low on the second.
• Quoting a single 'rank' as settled: the number changes with the dataset and the metric used.

UPSC leans conceptual (absolute vs per-capita, treaties, India's stand), while UPPSC often asks a direct current-affairs 'rank/figure' recall — anchor to India = 3rd absolute, low per-capita.

No directly related past PYQ was found.

• practice — not a real PYQ

  In terms of total (absolute) annual greenhouse-gas emissions, India ranks approximately:

  • (a)1st
  • (b)3rd (after China and the USA)
  • (c)10th
  • (d)20th

  Answer(b) 3rd — after China and the United States, driven by its large population and coal use.

• practice — not a real PYQ

  At the COP26 summit (Glasgow, 2021), India announced a target to achieve net-zero emissions by:

  • (a)2050
  • (b)2060
  • (c)2070
  • (d)2047

  Answer(c) 2070 — part of India's 'Panchamrit' climate commitments.