Natural resources should be used by the present generation in such a way that if there is minimum degradation of natural resources, then what kind of development would it be called?
- (a)Organic Development
- (b)Sustainable Development
- (c)Social Development
- (d)Economic Development
Correct — B, Sustainable Development. This is exactly the classic Brundtland Commission idea (Our Common Future, 1987): 'development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.' Using natural resources so that degradation is kept to a minimum — i.e., not drawing them down faster than they can regenerate — is the defining feature of sustainable development, which balances the environmental, economic and social dimensions.
- (a)Organic Development — Not a standard development-studies term for inter-generational resource use; 'organic' usually refers to chemical-free farming or to slow, unforced growth — it does not name the present-vs-future resource principle described.
- (c)Social Development — Concerns improvement in human well-being — health, education, equity and social institutions — rather than the conservation of natural resources for future generations.
- (d)Economic Development — Refers to a rise in real income, output and living standards; it can occur even while natural resources are being depleted, so it does not require the 'minimum degradation' condition in the stem.
Sustainable development is development that satisfies present needs without eroding the resource base future generations will depend on. It rests on three interlocking pillars — environmental protection, economic viability and social equity — and is tied to the idea of an ecosystem's carrying capacity: resources should be used at or below the rate at which nature can replenish them.
The stem's key phrase is 'minimum degradation of natural resources' used by the 'present generation' — that inter-generational, resource-conserving angle points only to sustainable development. Economic and social development describe growth in output or human welfare and say nothing about preserving resources for the future, which is why they are traps here.
- Brundtland Report 'Our Common Future' (1987) gave the canonical definition of sustainable development.
- Three pillars: environmental protection, economic growth and social equity.
- Core idea: use resources within the environment's carrying capacity so future generations are not deprived.
- Operationalised globally by the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (2015), to be met by 2030.
Only sustainable development is defined by conserving natural resources across generations.
- Equating economic growth with sustainable development — growth can deplete resources.
- Reading 'organic' as a technical development category; it is not.
UPPSC/UPSC ask this as a one-line definition ('development that meets present needs without compromising future generations') or by linking it to carrying capacity, the Brundtland Report or the SDGs.
Sustainable development is described as the development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. In this perspective, inherently the concept of sustainable development is intertwined with which of the following concepts?
- (a) Social justice and empowerment
- (b) Inclusive Growth
- (c) Globalization
- (d) Carrying capacity
Answer(d) Carrying capacity
Same concept — the Brundtland definition of sustainable development, here linked to using resources within the environment's carrying capacity (the 'minimum degradation' idea in this UPPSC stem).
Consider the following statements: 1. The Sustainable Development Goals were first proposed in 1972 by a global think tank called the 'Club of Rome'. 2. The Sustainable Development Goals have to be achieved by 2030. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- (a) 1 only
- (b) 2 only
- (c) Both 1 and 2
- (d) Neither 1 nor 2
Answer(b) 2 only
Same theme — the global framework that operationalises sustainable development (the SDGs, to be achieved by 2030).
- practice — not a real PYQ
The definition 'development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs' was popularised by:
- (a)The Stockholm Declaration, 1972
- (b)The Brundtland Report (Our Common Future), 1987
- (c)The Kyoto Protocol, 1997
- (d)The Paris Agreement, 2015
Answer(b) The Brundtland Report (Our Common Future), 1987 — it gave the classic definition of sustainable development.
- practice — not a real PYQ
The 17 Sustainable Development Goals adopted by the UN are to be achieved by which year?
- (a)2025
- (b)2030
- (c)2040
- (d)2050
Answer(b) 2030 — the SDGs form the core of the UN's 2030 Agenda.