By – Prasoon Kumar [JRF, PhD-BHU]

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UGC NET PAPER 1 PEOPLE DEVELOPMENT AND ENVIRONMENT COMPLETE MEGA

REVISION NOTES

1. DEVELOPMENT AND ENVIRONMENT

A. MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS MDG

Adopted by the United Nations in 2000.

Target Year is 2015.

Total 8 Goals and 21 Targets.

Goal 1. Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger.

Goal 2. Achieve universal primary education.

Goal 3. Promote gender equality and empower women.

Goal 4. Reduce child mortality.

Goal 5. Improve maternal health.

Goal 6. Combat HIV AIDS, malaria, and other diseases.

Goal 7. Ensure environmental sustainability.

Goal 8. Develop a global partnership for development.

B. SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS SDG

Adopted by the UN in 2015 as the Agenda 2030.

Target Year is 2030.

Total 17 Goals and 169 Targets.

Goal 1. No Poverty.

Goal 2. Zero Hunger.

Goal 3. Good Health and Well being.

Goal 4. Quality Education.

Goal 5. Gender Equality.

Goal 6. Clean Water and Sanitation.

Goal 7. Affordable and Clean Energy.

Goal 13. Climate Action (Most important for UGC NET).

Goal 14. Life Below Water.

Goal 15. Life on Land.

2. GREENHOUSE GASES AND GLOBAL WARMING POTENTIAL GWP

A. GLOBAL WARMING POTENTIAL GWP

Measures how much heat a greenhouse gas traps in the atmosphere over a specific time
period compared to Carbon Dioxide.

Order of GWP from Lowest to Highest.

1. Carbon Dioxide CO2. GWP is 1. This is the baseline or reference gas.

2. Methane CH4. GWP is approximately 25 to 28.

3. Nitrous Oxide N2O. GWP is approximately 265 to 298.

4. Chlorofluorocarbons CFCs. GWP is in the thousands.

5. Hydrofluorocarbons HFCs. GWP is in the thousands.

6. Sulfur Hexafluoride SF6. GWP is 22800. It has the absolute highest Global Warming
Potential.

B. ABUNDANCE OF GREENHOUSE GASES IN ATMOSPHERE

Sequence from highest to lowest quantity in the atmosphere.

1. Water Vapor H2O. Highest contributor to the greenhouse effect naturally.

2. Carbon Dioxide CO2.

3. Methane CH4.

4. Ground level Ozone O3.

5. Nitrous Oxide N2O.

6. ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES POLLUTION TYPES AND REMEDIES

A. AIR POLLUTION AND SMOG

Primary Pollutants. Emitted directly. Examples are Carbon Monoxide, Sulfur Dioxide,
Nitrogen Oxides, and Particulate Matter.

Secondary Pollutants. Formed by chemical reactions. Examples are Ground level Ozone,
Smog, and Acid Rain (Sulfuric and Nitric acids).

Classical Smog or London Smog. Occurs in cool, humid, winter climates. Primary
pollutants are Coal combustion, Smoke, Dust, and Sulfur Dioxide. Chemically reducing in
nature.

Photochemical Smog or Los Angeles Smog. Occurs in warm, dry, summer climates.
Primary pollutants are Nitrogen Oxides and Volatile Organic Compounds from vehicle
exhaust. Chemically oxidizing in nature. Components are Ozone, PAN, and Aldehydes.

Remedies. Electrostatic precipitators and scrubbers in factories, electric vehicles, BS VI

norms.

B. AIR QUALITY INDEX AND NAAQS

National Ambient Air Quality Standards NAAQS monitor 12 major pollutants. Sulfur
Dioxide, Nitrogen Dioxide, PM 10, PM 2.5, Ozone, Lead, Carbon Monoxide, Ammonia,
Benzene, Benzo Pyrene, Arsenic, and Nickel. Carbon Dioxide is NOT measured in NAAQS.

Air Quality Index AQI has 6 color coded categories and measures 8 pollutants.

C. WATER POLLUTION

Point Source. Single, identifiable source like a factory pipe.

Non Point Source. Diffuse sources like agricultural runoff.

Biochemical Oxygen Demand BOD. Oxygen required by bacteria to decompose organic

matter. High BOD means highly polluted water.

Eutrophication. Excessive nutrients like Nitrogen and Phosphorus cause rapid algal
blooms, blocking sunlight and depleting oxygen.

Remedies. Sewage treatment plants STP, organic farming to reduce fertilizer runoff.

D. SOIL POLLUTION

Causes. Chemical fertilizers, dumping of solid waste, mining.

Effects. Loss of soil fertility, toxic chemicals in food chain.

Remedies. Crop rotation, organic farming, proper solid waste segregation, bioremediation
(using microorganisms to degrade pollutants).
E. NOISE POLLUTION

Measured in Decibels dB.

WHO limits for residential areas. 55 dB daytime, 45 dB nighttime.

Industrial limits. 75 dB daytime, 70 dB nighttime.

Remedies. Silence zones, Green Muffler scheme (planting trees as sound buffers),
soundproofing.

F. E WASTE AND PLASTIC POLLUTION

Causes. Rapid technological obsolescence, single use plastics.

Effects. E waste releases heavy metals like lead and cadmium. Plastics cause choking of
drains and microplastics in oceans.

Remedies. Extended Producer Responsibility EPR, banning single use plastics, 3 R

approach (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle).

G. RADIOACTIVE POLLUTION

Causes. Nuclear accidents (Chernobyl, Fukushima), improper nuclear waste disposal.

Effects. Genetic mutations, cancer.

Remedies. Secure deep underground storage of nuclear waste, strict safety protocols.

4. IMPACT OF POLLUTANTS ON HUMAN HEALTH DISEASES

5. Carbon Monoxide. Binds with hemoglobin 200 times faster than oxygen, causes
asphyxiation and death.

6. Lead. Affects the central nervous system, reduces IQ in children, causes anemia.

7. Arsenic. Causes Black Foot Disease and skin lesions. Common in West Bengal and
Bangladesh groundwater.

8. Mercury. Causes Minamata Disease (severe neurological syndrome).

9. Cadmium. Causes Itai Itai Disease (softening of bones and kidney failure).

10. Nitrates in Water. Causes Blue Baby Syndrome or Methemoglobinemia (skin turns blue
due to lack of oxygen).

11. NATURAL AND ENERGY RESOURCES

12. Solar Energy. International Solar Alliance ISA launched in 2015 by India and France at
COP21. HQ in Gurugram, India. Towards 1000 strategy aims for 1000 GW solar capacity by
2030.

13. Wind Energy. Converts kinetic energy of wind into electrical energy. Tamil Nadu and
Gujarat are top states in India.

14. Geothermal Energy. Heat from the Earth core. Sites in India include Manikaran in
Himachal Pradesh and Puga Valley in Ladakh.

15. Biomass Energy. Biogas is produced from biomass and consists mostly of Methane
and Carbon Dioxide.

16. NATURAL HAZARDS AND DISASTERS

17. Earthquakes. The Focus or Hypocenter is the origin point inside the earth. The
Epicenter is the point directly above it on the surface. Measured by Richter scale
(magnitude) and Mercalli scale (intensity).

18. Tsunamis. Massive ocean waves caused by underwater earthquakes or volcanic

eruptions.

19. Mitigation. Pre disaster planning (zoning, building codes), early warning systems.

20. INTERNATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL AGREEMENTS AND CONVENTIONS

21. Stockholm Conference 1972. First major environment conference. Created United
Nations Environment Programme UNEP. Held on June 5 (World Environment Day).

22. Basel Convention 1989. Controls transboundary movement of hazardous wastes.

23. Rotterdam Convention 1998. Deals with Prior Informed Consent for hazardous
chemicals in international trade.

24. Stockholm Convention 2001. Aims to eliminate Persistent Organic Pollutants POPs.

25. Minamata Convention 2013. Protects human health and environment from mercury
emissions.

26. Montreal Protocol 1987. Protects Ozone Layer by phasing out CFCs. Kigali Amendment
2016 added HFCs to the phase down list because they are potent greenhouse gases.

27. Rio Earth Summit 1992. Resulted in Agenda 21, UNFCCC, and Convention on
Biological Diversity CBD.
 28. Kyoto Protocol 1997. Legally binding GHG reduction targets for developed countries.
Introduced Carbon Trading.

29. Paris Agreement 2015. Keep global average temperature rise well below 2 degrees
Celsius. Introduced Nationally Determined Contributions NDCs.

30. COP28 Dubai UAE 2023. Historic agreement to transition away from fossil fuels. Pledge
to triple global renewable energy capacity by 2030. Loss and Damage Fund
operationalized.

31. INDIAN GOVERNMENT ENVIRONMENTAL ACTS AND MISSIONS

A. CHRONOLOGY OF IMPORTANT ENVIRONMENTAL ACTS

1. Wildlife Protection Act 1972.

2. Water Prevention and Control of Pollution Act 1974.

3. Forest Conservation Act 1980.

4. Air Prevention and Control of Pollution Act 1981.

5. Environmental Protection Act EPA 1986. Passed after the 1984 Bhopal Gas Tragedy
(Methyl Isocyanate gas leak). Known as the Umbrella Act.

6. Biodiversity Act 2002.

7. National Green Tribunal NGT Act 2010.

B. NATIONAL ACTION PLAN ON CLIMATE CHANGE NAPCC 2008

Launched with 8 Core Missions.

1. National Solar Mission.

2. National Mission for Enhanced Energy Efficiency.

3. National Mission on Sustainable Habitat.

4. National Water Mission.

5. National Mission for Sustaining the Himalayan Ecosystem.

6. National Mission for a Green India.

7. National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture.

8. National Mission on Strategic Knowledge for Climate Change.

C. RECENT INDIAN INITIATIVES

1. National Clean Air Programme NCAP 2019. Time bound target to reduce particulate
matter pollution by 40 percent by 2026.

2. Swachh Bharat Abhiyan 2014. Aimed at eliminating open defecation and improving solid
waste management.

3. Namami Gange Programme 2014. Integrated conservation mission to abate pollution

and rejuvenate the National River Ganga.

4. BS VI Emission Norms. India skipped BS V and directly shifted to BS VI in 2020 to strictly

reduce vehicular emissions of sulfur and nitrogen oxides.

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All The Best,

Prasoon Kumar