Given below are two statements, one is labelled as Assertion (A) and other as Reason (R) - Assertion (A) - Population control is necessary to maintain the environment of the country. Reason (R) - Due to the rapid increase in population, the environmental balance is maintained. Select the correct answer using the code given below -
- (a)Both (A) and (R) are true but (R) is not correct explanation of (A)
- (b)(A) is false but (R) is true
- (c)Both (A) and (R) are true and (R) is correct explanation of (A)
- (d)(A) is true but (R) is false
Correct — D, (A) is true but (R) is false. Assertion (A) is true: controlling population relieves pressure on finite resources (land, water, forests, air), which helps preserve environmental balance. Reason (R) is false — a rapid increase in population does NOT maintain environmental balance; it disturbs it, through greater consumption, deforestation, pollution, waste generation and resource depletion. Since A is true and R is false, the correct code is (d).
- (a)Both (A) and (R) are true but (R) is not correct explanation of (A) — R is not true at all — rapid population growth degrades rather than maintains environmental balance — so 'both true' is wrong.
- (b)(A) is false but (R) is true — Reversed: it is A that is true and R that is false, not the other way round.
- (c)Both (A) and (R) are true and (R) is correct explanation of (A) — Cannot be the explanation because R is false; a false reason can never correctly explain a true assertion.
In Assertion-Reason questions, judge the truth of each statement independently first, then ask whether the reason (if true) actually explains the assertion. Here the assertion (population control helps the environment) is sound, but the reason inverts reality — it claims rapid population growth 'maintains' the balance, when in fact rapid growth strains ecosystems.
The trap is that both sentences mention 'population' and 'environment', so a hurried reader may mark 'both true'. The tell is the verb in R: 'the environmental balance is maintained' by a rapid increase in population is factually backwards. Spotting that single inversion gives (d).
- Rapid population growth raises demand for food, water, energy and land — increasing deforestation, pollution and resource depletion.
- Population control (stabilisation) eases pressure on ecosystems and supports sustainable development.
- In an A-R question, a false reason cannot be the 'correct explanation' of the assertion.
- India's environment-population link underlies debates on carrying capacity and sustainable development.
- Marking 'both true' because both sentences share the words 'population' and 'environment'.
- Overlooking that R inverts the real relationship ('maintained' should be 'disturbed').
UPPSC/UPSC frame A-R questions where the reason quietly reverses a cause-effect link — always test each statement's truth on its own before judging explanation.
No directly related past PYQ was found.
- practice — not a real PYQ
Assertion (A): Rapid population growth increases pressure on natural resources. Reason (R): A larger population consumes more food, water and energy. Select the correct code:
- (a)Both true, R is the correct explanation of A
- (b)Both true, R is not the correct explanation of A
- (c)A true, R false
- (d)A false, R true
Answer(a) Both true and R correctly explains A — higher consumption is exactly why a growing population strains resources.
- practice — not a real PYQ
Which of the following is a direct environmental consequence of rapid, unmanaged population growth?
- (a)Rise in per-capita forest cover
- (b)Depletion of groundwater and increased deforestation
- (c)Fall in overall pollution levels
- (d)Automatic ecological balance
Answer(b) Depletion of groundwater and increased deforestation — greater demand strains land, water and forests.