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Q57 (IAS/2016) Environment & Ecology › Climate Change & Global Initiatives › Sustainable development framework Official Key

With reference to 'Agenda 21', sometimes seen in the news, consider the following statements : 1. It is a global action plan for sustainable development. 2. It originated in the World Summit on Sustainable Development held in Johannesburg in 2002. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Result
Your answer: —  ·  Correct: A
Explanation

The correct answer is option A (1 only).

**Statement 1 is correct:** Agenda 21 is a declaration signed by world leaders in 1992 at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) at Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, which aims at achieving global sustainable development.[1] It is an agenda to combat environmental damage, poverty, disease through global co-operation on common interests, mutual needs and shared responsibilities.[1] It was adopted as an unprecedented global plan of action for sustainable development at the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio.[2]

**Statement 2 is incorrect:** Agenda 21 originated at the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, not at the 2002 Johannesburg Summit. The Johannesburg World Summit on Sustainable Development (2002) merely affirmed UN commitment to "full implementation" of Agenda 21[3], which had already been established a decade earlier. The Johannesburg Summit reaffirmed commitment to an existing framework rather than originating it.

Therefore, only statement 1 is correct, making option A the right answer.

Sources
  1. [1] NCERT. (2022). Contemporary India II: Textbook in Geography for Class X (Revised ed.). NCERT. > Chapter 1: The Rise of Nationalism in Europe > Agenda 21 > p. 4
  2. [2] https://www.bbc.com/worldservice/people/features/ihavearightto/four_b/casestudy_art25.shtml
  3. [3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agenda_21
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Don’t just practise – reverse-engineer the question. This panel shows where this PYQ came from (books / web), how the examiner broke it into hidden statements, and which nearby micro-concepts you were supposed to learn from it. Treat it like an autopsy of the question: what might have triggered it, which exact lines in the book matter, and what linked ideas you should carry forward to future questions.
Q. With reference to 'Agenda 21', sometimes seen in the news, consider the following statements : 1. It is a global action plan for sustain…
At a glance
Origin: Books + Current Affairs Fairness: Moderate fairness Books / CA: 5/10 · 5/10
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This is a textbook 'Sitter' sourced directly from NCERT Class X Geography. It tests the fundamental timeline of environmental history. If you confuse Rio (1992) with Johannesburg (2002), you are missing the skeleton of the Environment syllabus.

How this question is built

This question can be broken into the following sub-statements. Tap a statement sentence to jump into its detailed analysis.

Statement 1
Is Agenda 21 a global action plan for sustainable development?
Origin: Direct from books Fairness: Straightforward Book-answerable
From standard books
NCERT. (2022). Contemporary India II: Textbook in Geography for Class X (Revised ed.). NCERT. > Chapter 1: The Rise of Nationalism in Europe > Agenda 21 > p. 4
Presence: 5/5
“It is the declaration signed by world leaders in 1992 at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), which took place at Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It aims at achieving global sustainable development. It is an agenda to combat environmental damage, poverty, disease through global co-operation on common interests, mutual needs and shared responsibilities. One major objective of the Agenda 21 is that every local government should draw its own local Agenda 21.”
Why this source?
  • Explicitly states Agenda 21 was signed by world leaders at the 1992 UNCED (Rio) and 'aims at achieving global sustainable development'.
  • Describes Agenda 21 as an agenda to combat environmental damage, poverty and disease through global cooperation, linking it directly to sustainable development goals.
Environment, Shankar IAS Acedemy .(ed 10th) > Chapter 28: International Organisation and Conventions > Agenda zr > p. 389
Presence: 5/5
“I Agenda zl is an action plan of the United Nations (UN) related to sustainable deveiopment and was an outcofiie ofthe United Nations Conference on All Rights Reserved. No part of this material may be reproduced in any form, without permission in writing. Eiiii .l”
Why this source?
  • Directly labels Agenda 21 as 'an action plan of the United Nations (UN) related to sustainable development'.
  • Identifies Agenda 21 as an outcome of the UN Conference, confirming its origin and purpose.
Environment and Ecology, Majid Hussain (Access publishing 3rd ed.) > Chapter 5: Biodiversity and Legislations > the Five Earth Summit agreements > p. 6
Presence: 5/5
“Agenda 21 (Sustainable Development): Tis non-binding action programme is an 800–page guide for all nations into the 21st Century. Te idea of 'sustainable development' as proposed in a business proposal of 'sustainable growth' is examined in Agenda 21. Agenda 21 covers many key topics: energy conservation and efciency to reduce consumption and related pollution, climate change, stratospheric ozone depletion, trans-boundary air-pollution, ocean and water resource protection; soil losses, and increasing desertifcation; deforestation, regulations for safely handling radioactive waste and disposal; hazardous chemicals exports for disposal in developing countries, and disparities of wealth and the plague of poverty. Agenda 21 also discusses the difcult question of fnancing sustainable development.”
Why this source?
  • Describes Agenda 21 as a non-binding action programme and a comprehensive guide for nations into the 21st century.
  • Lists sustainable-development topics covered (energy, climate change, poverty, financing), showing its substantive focus on sustainable development.
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