Consider the following statements : 1. The India Sanitation Coalition is a platform to promote sustainable sanitation and is funded by the Government of India and the World Health Organization. 2. The National Institute of Urban Affairs is an apex body of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs in Government of India and provides innovative solutions to address the challenges of Urban India. Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?
- (a) 1 only
- (b) 2 only ✓ UPSC's answer
- (c) Both 1 and 2
- (d) Neither 1 nor 2
Why the answer is (b)
• Statement 1 is wrong: the India Sanitation Coalition, launched in 2015, is a multi-stakeholder platform hosted by FICCI that brings together corporates, NGOs and financial institutions to promote sustainable sanitation; it is not funded by the Government of India and WHO.
• Statement 2 is correct: the National Institute of Urban Affairs (1976) is the apex research and capacity-building body of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, working on smart cities, urban planning and data.
• Hence 2 only, option (b).
Why the other options are wrong
- (a) 1 only
- Statement 1 is wrong: the Coalition is a FICCI-hosted platform, not Government-WHO funded.
- (c) Both 1 and 2
- Statement 1 is wrong, so both cannot be correct.
- (d) Neither 1 nor 2
- Statement 2 is correct: NIUA is the Ministry's apex urban body.
Asked in the GS Paper I of the UPSC Civil Services Preliminary Examination 2022, held on 5 June 2022. Question and answer key: Union Public Service Commission. Explanation: UPSC Answer Check.