UPSC Mains 2021 GS3 Q7 — Environmental pollution
Describe the key points of the revised Global Air Quality Guidelines (AQGs) recently released by the World Health Organisation (WHO). How are these different from its last update in 2005 ? What changes in India's National Clean Air Programme are required to achieve these revised standards ? (Answer in 150 words)
Question Decoded — examiner's intent
- Directive verbs
- DescribeHow are these differentWhat changes
- Scope keywords
- revised Global Air Quality Guidelines (AQGs)World Health Organisation (WHO)last update in 2005India's National Clean Air Programmerevised standards
- Implicit sub-parts
- Specific pollutant-wise threshold changes (PM2.5, PM10, NO2) between 2005 and 2021 guidelines.
- Health-based rationale for the stricter WHO norms.
- Gap analysis between India's National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) and the new WHO targets.
- Concrete policy modifications needed in NCAP beyond just 'reducing pollution' (e.g., source-apportionment, legal backing).
- Common pitfalls
- Vaguely stating 'pollution levels were lowered' without mentioning specific numbers like PM2.5 moving from 10 to 5 µg/m³.
- Failing to distinguish between WHO AQGs (recommendatory) and India's NAAQS (statutory).
- Focusing too much on the 'causes of pollution' rather than the 'changes required in the NCAP framework'.
- Ignoring the inclusion of new pollutants or the emphasis on nitrogen dioxide (NO2) in the 2021 update.
- Dimensions required
- Comparative (2005 vs 2021 standards)Scientific/Public Health (toxicological evidence)Policy/Regulatory (NCAP framework modifications)Global vs National (Standard alignment challenges)
- Marks allocation hint
Allocate 40-50 words to describe the new WHO guidelines and specific threshold shifts. Devote 30-40 words to the comparison with 2005 standards, highlighting the increased stringency. Use the remaining 60-70 words to provide 3-4 actionable changes for India's NCAP, ensuring the answer concludes with the implementation challenge in the Indian context.
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