GATE — Environmental Science and Engineering (ES) · India · IITs and IISc on rotation (2026: IIT Guwahati)
Original practice questions written to the published syllabus · not past papersThe rules: principles of environmental law, the major multilateral agreements and how national laws implement them. India's Acts are examined in GATE ES and UGC NET; the manual uses them as the worked example and states where other countries differ. Trade and agricultural policy are in the Agribusiness track.
In the exams: GATE ES Section 9 (Water and Air Acts, EPA 1986, NGT Act, international treaties); ICAR AICE subject 71 Units 2–3; UGC NET Unit 8; UPSC CSE (heavily asked)
How our questions for GATE spread across the units of Environmental Law, Policy & International Agreements. Difficulty: 16 easy, 15 medium, 4 hard.
| Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions | 6 | |
| Principles: polluter pays, precautionary, prevention, sustainable development | 5 | |
| Montreal Protocol and its amendments | 5 | |
| Policy instruments: regulation, economic instruments, information, voluntary | 4 | |
| UNFCCC, Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement | 4 | |
| National framework laws: water, air and environment protection acts | 4 | |
| Environmental courts and tribunals | 3 | |
| Convention on Biological Diversity and its protocols | 1 | |
| UNCCD, Ramsar, CITES, CMS | 1 | |
| Forest, wildlife and biodiversity laws | 1 | |
| Environmental policy and national environment policies | 1 |
Choose an answer, then open the working. Each explanation says why the right answer is right and why the others are not.
In Vellore Citizens' Welfare Forum v. Union of India (1996), what did the Supreme Court of India hold?
B. The precautionary and polluter pays principles are part of Indian law
The Court held that precaution and polluter pays are part of the law of the land, in a case on tannery pollution in Tamil Nadu. The public trust doctrine was applied in M.C. Mehta v. Kamal Nath (1997).
Further reading: Vellore Citizens' Welfare Forum v. UoI, 1996
A national limit on the sulphur content of diesel is which kind of standard?
D. Product standard
Limits on what a product contains or how it performs are product standards. Ambient standards limit concentrations in the environment; emission standards limit discharges from sources; technology standards prescribe equipment.
Further reading: Perman et al., Natural Resource and Environmental Economics
At what level should a Pigouvian tax be set?
A. Equal to marginal external damage at the efficient output
A Pigouvian tax internalises the externality by charging the marginal external damage at the socially efficient level, so firms abate until marginal abatement cost equals the tax. Product price, profit or zero do not achieve efficiency.
Further reading: Perman et al.
In the same example (MAC_A = 2q, MAC_B = 6q, 100 t to abate), total cost with uniform 50 t each is 10000. What is the total cost with efficient trading?
A. 7500
Cost = area under MAC: A abating 75 t costs 75² = 5625; B abating 25 t costs 3 × 25² = 1875; total 7500, saving 2500. 10000 is the uniform case; 2500 is the saving, not the cost; 15000 is invented.
What was created by the London Amendment (1990) to help developing countries comply with the Montreal Protocol?
D. The Multilateral Fund
The Multilateral Fund for the Implementation of the Montreal Protocol pays the agreed incremental costs of developing countries' compliance. The others were created for climate or broader environmental finance.
Further reading: London Amendment 1990
In which city was the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance signed in 1971?
A. Ramsar, Iran
The Ramsar Convention was adopted in Ramsar, Iran, in 1971. Bonn gives its name to the CMS; Washington to CITES; Nairobi hosts UNEP.
Further reading: Ramsar Convention
Which convention controls transboundary movements of hazardous wastes?
B. The Basel Convention
Basel (1989) controls transboundary movements of hazardous wastes through prior informed consent. Rotterdam covers hazardous chemicals and pesticides in trade, Stockholm POPs and Minamata mercury.
Further reading: Basel Convention 1989
Which of the original 'dirty dozen' persistent organic pollutants was an insecticide later allowed for disease vector control?
B. DDT
DDT is listed in Stockholm Annex B (restriction), with an acceptable purpose for vector control. PCBs are industrial chemicals; dioxins and furans are unintentional by-products.
Further reading: Stockholm Convention 2001
Which Indian Act created the Central and State Pollution Control Boards?
D. The Water Act 1974
The Water Act 1974 established the CPCB and SPCBs; the Air Act 1981 later extended their functions to air pollution.
Further reading: Water Act 1974
The Environment (Protection) Act 1986 was enacted in the aftermath of which event?
C. The Bhopal gas disaster of 1984
The Bhopal methyl isocyanate leak in December 1984 led to the umbrella EP Act 1986. Chernobyl was a Soviet nuclear accident; Stockholm prompted the Water Act; Rio came later.
Further reading: EP Act 1986
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