UGC NET — Environmental Sciences (subject code 89) · India · National Testing Agency for the University Grants Commission
Original practice questions written to the published syllabus · not past papersEnergy systems and their environmental footprints, and the transition in agriculture: fossil and renewable sources, energy-environment nexus, energy efficiency and auditing, and agri-energy options. Solar, wind and bioenergy engineering is in the Agricultural Engineering track (renewable-energy-sources, bioenergy-systems); this subject covers the environmental assessment and policy.
In the exams: GATE ES Section 9 (energy and environment); ICAR AICE subject 71 Unit 6 (whole unit); UGC NET Unit 5; BEE energy auditor exam
UGC NET Environmental Sciences — Unit 5 (energy and environment)
Sun as energy source, fossil fuels, nuclear, hydro, wind, solar, geothermal, tidal and biomass energy and their environmental implications, energy use patterns and conservation.
How our questions for UGC NET spread across the units of Energy, Environment & Agri-energy Transitions. Difficulty: 11 easy, 16 medium, 1 hard.
| Nuclear, geothermal and tidal energy: environmental issues | 7 | |
| Global energy resources and reserves | 6 | |
| The energy-environment nexus | 5 | |
| Renewable and non-renewable sources and their impacts | 4 | |
| Just transition in energy | 3 | |
| Bioenergy sustainability: land use, food-versus-fuel, carbon debt | 2 | |
| Energy use in agriculture and food systems | 1 |
Choose an answer, then open the working. Each explanation says why the right answer is right and why the others are not.
How many megajoules are in one kilowatt-hour?
B. 3.6 MJ
1 kWh = 1000 W × 3600 s = 3.6 × 10⁶ J = 3.6 MJ.
Further reading: See the manual sources: IPCC AR5/AR6 WGIII energy chapters, IEA, FAO (2011), BEE guide books and the studies named in the explanation
A country has proved gas reserves of 48,000 units and produces 1,200 units a year. What is its reserves-to-production ratio?
B. 40 years
R/P = 48,000 ÷ 1,200 = 40 years at current production. The other values are slips of a factor of ten or an inverted ratio. R/P is a snapshot, not a forecast of exhaustion.
Further reading: See the manual sources: IPCC AR5/AR6 WGIII energy chapters, IEA, FAO (2011), BEE guide books and the studies named in the explanation
How do energy 'reserves' differ from 'resources'?
D. Reserves are the known part recoverable economically with current technology
Resources include all deposits thought to exist; reserves are the identified portion that is economically and technically recoverable now (McKelvey diagram). Stored fuel and renewable flows are different concepts.
Further reading: See the manual sources: IPCC AR5/AR6 WGIII energy chapters, IEA, FAO (2011), BEE guide books and the studies named in the explanation
What did Hubbert's peak theory predict for a region's oil production?
A. A bell curve peaking near the halfway point of recoverable resource
Hubbert modelled production as a bell-shaped curve; he predicted the US lower-48 peak around 1970. Shale later changed the trajectory.
Further reading: See the manual sources: IPCC AR5/AR6 WGIII energy chapters, IEA, FAO (2011), BEE guide books and the studies named in the explanation
Roughly what share of global primary energy has been supplied by fossil fuels for decades?
D. About 80 per cent
Fossil fuels have supplied around 80% of primary energy for decades, though renewables are growing quickly.
Further reading: See the manual sources: IPCC AR5/AR6 WGIII energy chapters, IEA, FAO (2011), BEE guide books and the studies named in the explanation
Why is fly ash management a particularly large issue for coal power in India?
D. Indian coal has high ash content, so plants produce very large volumes of ash
High-ash domestic coal produces large ash volumes; utilisation in cement, bricks and road fill is promoted. Fly ash comes from coal, not gas, and is not handled as high-level radioactive waste.
Further reading: See the manual sources: IPCC AR5/AR6 WGIII energy chapters, IEA, FAO (2011), BEE guide books and the studies named in the explanation
Which cooling system for thermal power plants withdraws the most water?
C. Once-through cooling
Once-through systems withdraw large volumes and return warmed water; recirculating systems withdraw less but evaporate more; dry cooling uses little water at an efficiency cost.
Further reading: See the manual sources: IPCC AR5/AR6 WGIII energy chapters, IEA, FAO (2011), BEE guide books and the studies named in the explanation
Household burning of solid fuels for cooking is a major health problem chiefly because it
C. causes indoor air pollution linked to millions of early deaths
WHO attributes millions of premature deaths a year to household air pollution from solid fuels, mostly among women and children. The other effects are not the main concern.
Further reading: See the manual sources: IPCC AR5/AR6 WGIII energy chapters, IEA, FAO (2011), BEE guide books and the studies named in the explanation
Which is the world's largest tidal barrage power station?
C. Sihwa Lake, South Korea, 254 MW
Sihwa Lake (254 MW) is the largest tidal plant; La Rance (240 MW, 1966) the oldest large one. Three Gorges and Itaipu are river hydropower dams.
Further reading: See the manual sources: IPCC AR5/AR6 WGIII energy chapters, IEA, FAO (2011), BEE guide books and the studies named in the explanation
Ground-source heat pumps differ from high-temperature geothermal power because they
D. use shallow ground as a heat source or sink and work almost anywhere
Heat pumps exchange heat with shallow ground at moderate temperatures and are not limited to volcanic areas. They do not use tides or burn coal.
Further reading: See the manual sources: IPCC AR5/AR6 WGIII energy chapters, IEA, FAO (2011), BEE guide books and the studies named in the explanation
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