Sustainable Development And Conservation

The Green Revolution, while boosting food production, led to excessive use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, causing soil degradation and water pollution. Bio-pesticides offer an eco-friendly alternative:
Non-toxic to Environment: Bio-pesticides are derived from natural materials like animals, plants, bacteria, and certain minerals, making them less harmful to soil and water bodies.
Preserve Soil Fertility: Unlike chemical pesticides, they do not kill beneficial microorganisms, helping maintain the soil’s health.
Decomposable: They decompose quickly and do not leave harmful residues, thus protecting aquatic life and water quality.
Target-Specific Action: Bio-pesticides are specific to pests, reducing the risk to non-target organisms and human health.
Sustainable Agriculture: Use of bio-pesticides aligns with sustainable agricultural practices, ensuring long-term productivity and ecological balance. Therefore, bio-pesticides play a critical role in mitigating the negative impacts of the Green Revolution and promote sustainable development.

Pakistan has followed various developmental strategies since its independence to promote economic growth and improve living standards. The path of development includes:
Mixed Economy Model: Pakistan adopted a mixed economy with both private and public sector participation.
Planning through Five-Year Plans: Like India, Pakistan implemented several Five-Year Plans to guide economic policies and priorities.
Green Revolution: It focused on agricultural development through high-yielding varieties of seeds, fertilizers, and irrigation.
Industrialization Drive: Pakistan promoted industries by offering subsidies, protecting domestic firms, and establishing industrial zones.
Structural Reforms: During the 1980s and 1990s, Pakistan introduced structural adjustment programmes under the IMF and World Bank to liberalize trade and privatize state-owned enterprises.
Social Sector Initiatives: Efforts were made to invest in health and education, although progress was relatively slower compared to economic reforms.
Vision 2025: A recent comprehensive plan aiming to transform Pakistan into an upper-middle-income country by focusing on infrastructure, energy, and human capital. Despite these initiatives, Pakistan has faced challenges such as political instability, low human development indicators, and fiscal deficits.

India is not a member of the G-7, which includes major advanced economies like USA, UK, France, Germany, etc. Correct answer: (D)

Correct matches:
(a) – (i): Human Development Indicator relates to Rule of Law
(b) – (ii): Demographic Indicator relates to Constitutional Protection
(c) – (iii): SEZs are for generating additional economic activities
(d) – (iv): Commune system relates to collective industrialisation Thus, correct option is: (C) (c) – (iii)

Both the assertion and reason are true. Public investment in health and education in China before economic reforms helped raise HDI, and this led China to perform better than India and Pakistan on most HDI indicators. Hence, Reason (R) correctly explains Assertion (A).

The correct answer is: (B) Use of fossil fuel for transportation Fossil fuels contribute to pollution and are not sustainable. The other options are environmentally friendly and promote sustainable development.

The correct answer is: (B) Environmental crisis The image shows heavy pollution and industrial waste, indicating an environmental crisis due to overuse and mismanagement of natural resources.

The correct answer is: (B) Industrial The Great Leap Forward in China primarily focused on the industrial sector, especially rural industrialization through the establishment of communes and backyard furnaces to boost steel production.