ICAR AIEEA-PG — Physical Science group (sub-subject 3.6 Environmental Science) · India · National Testing Agency for ICAR
Original practice questions written to the published syllabus · not past papersThe map of the whole field: the four spheres, natural resources and their status, human population and consumption, and the main environmental problems an agricultural graduate meets. Compulsory in most undergraduate degrees worldwide and the opening unit of ICAR AICE subject 71.
In the exams: ICAR AICE-JRF/SRF subject 71 Unit 1; ICAR AIEEA-PG 3.6; UGC NET Environmental Sciences Unit 1; CUET-UG Environmental Studies
How our questions for ICAR AIEEA-PG spread across the units of Principles of Environmental Science. Difficulty: 0 easy, 28 medium, 1 hard.
| Land degradation and wastelands: extent and reclamation | 4 | |
| Food resources and environmental problems of modern agriculture | 4 | |
| Atmosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere and biosphere | 3 | |
| Natural resources: land, soil, water, forest, mineral and energy | 3 | |
| Environmental effects of mining and large dams | 3 | |
| Environmental ethics and the role of citizens and NGOs | 3 | |
| Scope of environmental science and its links with agriculture | 2 | |
| Biotic, abiotic and social components of the environment | 2 | |
| Ecological footprint and carrying capacity | 2 | |
| Natural disasters: floods, droughts, cyclones, earthquakes, landslides | 2 | |
| Human population growth, consumption and the IPAT identity | 1 |
Choose an answer, then open the working. Each explanation says why the right answer is right and why the others are not.
Which outcomes are associated with the 1992 Rio Earth Summit?
B. Agenda 21, the Rio Declaration and the UNFCCC and CBD
Rio produced Agenda 21 and the Rio Declaration and opened the climate and biodiversity conventions for signature. Kyoto (1997), Paris (2015), Montreal (1987), UNEP (1972) and the SDGs (2015) came at other times.
Further reading: See the manual sources: standard environmental science textbooks and the UN, FAO, UNCCD and UNDRR documents named in the explanation
Which 1977 intergovernmental conference, organised by UNESCO and UNEP, set out the goals and principles of environmental education that many countries later built into compulsory courses?
B. The Tbilisi Intergovernmental Conference
The Tbilisi Declaration (1977) defined environmental education's goals of awareness, knowledge, attitudes, skills and participation. Stockholm (1972) launched UNEP; Rio (1992) adopted Agenda 21; the Brundtland Commission reported in 1987.
Further reading: See the manual sources: standard environmental science textbooks and the UN, FAO, UNCCD and UNDRR documents named in the explanation
How did the biosphere change the composition of the atmosphere over Earth's history?
B. Photosynthesis by early cyanobacteria added oxygen
Oxygenic photosynthesis, starting with cyanobacteria, built up atmospheric oxygen over billions of years. The other statements are false.
Further reading: See the manual sources: standard environmental science textbooks and the UN, FAO, UNCCD and UNDRR documents named in the explanation
A country has annual renewable freshwater of 1400 km³ and a population of 1.42 billion. Using the Falkenmark index, how is it classified?
A. Water scarce, at about 986 m³ per person
1400 × 10⁹ m³ ÷ 1.42 × 10⁹ people ≈ 986 m³ per person, below 1000 m³ (scarcity) but above 500 m³ (absolute scarcity). The other values result from arithmetic slips.
Further reading: See the manual sources: standard environmental science textbooks and the UN, FAO, UNCCD and UNDRR documents named in the explanation
Why is soil described as practically non-renewable on human time scales?
B. It forms over centuries but erodes away within years
Soil formation is very slow relative to accelerated erosion, so lost soil is effectively irreplaceable. Soils do form naturally, rainfall does not replace them, and they are not fossil deposits.
Further reading: See the manual sources: standard environmental science textbooks and the UN, FAO, UNCCD and UNDRR documents named in the explanation
A soil has a saturation extract electrical conductivity above 4 dS m⁻¹ and an exchangeable sodium percentage below 15. How is it classified, and what is the main reclamation step?
A. Saline; leaching with good-quality water and drainage
High ECe with low ESP indicates a saline soil, reclaimed by leaching and drainage. Sodic soils have ESP above 15; acid soils have low pH.
Further reading: See the manual sources: standard environmental science textbooks and the UN, FAO, UNCCD and UNDRR documents named in the explanation
Using I = P × A × T, population rises 20 per cent, affluence rises 50 per cent and technology cuts impact per unit of output by 30 per cent. By what factor does impact change?
A. 1.26
I factor = 1.2 × 1.5 × 0.7 = 1.26, a 26% increase. 1.40 adds the percentage changes; 0.42 multiplies 1.2 × 0.5 × 0.7; 2.52 uses 1.4 instead of 0.7 for technology.
Further reading: See the manual sources: standard environmental science textbooks and the UN, FAO, UNCCD and UNDRR documents named in the explanation
Humanity's ecological footprint is 2.7 global hectares per person and the Earth's biocapacity is 1.6 global hectares per person. How many Earths would be needed to sustain current consumption?
C. About 1.7
Earths needed = 2.7 ÷ 1.6 ≈ 1.7. 0.6 inverts the ratio; 4.3 adds the two; 1.1 subtracts them.
Further reading: See the manual sources: standard environmental science textbooks and the UN, FAO, UNCCD and UNDRR documents named in the explanation
Why does hunger persist even though global food production exceeds total calorie needs?
A. Poverty, inequality, conflict and waste limit access to food
Access, not global supply, is the main constraint; production has risen. The other statements are false.
Further reading: See the manual sources: standard environmental science textbooks and the UN, FAO, UNCCD and UNDRR documents named in the explanation
According to ICOLD, a dam counts as 'large' if it is
B. 15 m or more high, or 5–15 m high impounding over 3 million m³
ICOLD uses height (≥15 m) or height 5–15 m with >3 million m³ storage. Power capacity and length are not the criteria.
Further reading: See the manual sources: standard environmental science textbooks and the UN, FAO, UNCCD and UNDRR documents named in the explanation
Ten here, 29 in the app. The Laisha app has every practice question we have written to ICAR AIEEA-PG in this subject, marked as you go, with timed papers, a jump-to-unanswered list and a certificate when you pass at 70 per cent.
Free for ten days, then one subscription of US$10 a month. We would rather say so here than have you find it later.
An AI operating system for agriculture: free guides, manuals and tools written for every country.