Passage

Directions for the following 5 (five) items : Read the following three passages and answer the items that follow the passages. Your answers to these items should be based on the passages only. Passage – 1 In India, the segregation of municipal waste at source is rare. Recycling is mostly with the informal sector. More than three-fourths of the municipal budget goes into collection and transportation, which leaves very little for processing/resource recovery and disposal. Where does waste-to-energy fit into all this ? Ideally it fits in the chain after segregation (between wet waste and the rest), collection, recycling, and before getting to the landfill. Which technology is most appropriate in converting waste to energy depends on what is in the waste (that is biodegradable versus non-biodegradable component) and its calorific value. The biodegradable component of India's municipal solid waste is a little over 50 per cent, and biomethanation offers a major solution for processing this.

Based on the above passage, the following assumptions have been made : 1. Collection, processing and segregation of municipal waste should be with government agencies. 2. Resource recovery and recycling require technological inputs that can be best handled by private sector enterprises. Which of the assumptions given above is/are correct ?

(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2 ✓ UPSC's answer

Why the answer is (d)

• Assumption 1 is not supported: the passage describes where the municipal budget goes (collection and transport) but never says that collection, processing and segregation should be with government agencies.

• Assumption 2 is not supported: the passage says recycling is mostly with the informal sector; it says nothing about private enterprises being best placed to handle resource recovery.

• The passage is about where waste-to-energy fits in the chain and which technology suits India's waste, not about who should run each stage.

• Hence neither assumption is valid, option (d).

Why the other options are wrong

(a) 1 only: Assumption 1 is not supported by the passage, which does not mandate government agencies for collection, processing, or segregation.
(b) 2 only: Assumption 2 is contradicted by the passage, which states that recycling is mostly handled by the informal sector, not private sector enterprises.
(c) Both 1 and 2: Both assumptions are incorrect; Assumption 1 lacks textual support, and Assumption 2 is directly contradicted by the reference to the informal sector.

Asked in the CSAT Paper II of the UPSC Civil Services Preliminary Examination 2023, held on 28 May 2023. Question and answer key: Union Public Service Commission. Explanation: UPSC Answer Check.