Indian Programs & Initiatives (NAPCC, NCAP, CAMPA, and ISA)

Attempt the quiz above first, then review every question with its correct answer and a short explanation below.

1. Q1.In June 2008, the Government of India launched the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC). How many core national missions are established under the NAPCC framework?

   • A.Five missions
   • B.Eight missions✓ Correct Answer
   • C.Ten missions
   • D.Twelve missions

   Explanation: The National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) was launched on June 30, 2008. It outlines a strategy to meet the challenge of climate change through eight core national missions, linking development goals with climate mitigation.

2. Q2.Which of the following is NOT one of the eight core national missions established under the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC)?

   • A.National Solar Mission
   • B.National Water Mission
   • C.National Mission on Sustainable Habitat
   • D.National Nuclear Energy Development Mission✓ Correct Answer

   Explanation: The eight missions of NAPCC are: (1) National Solar Mission, (2) National Mission for Enhanced Energy Efficiency, (3) National Mission on Sustainable Habitat, (4) National Water Mission, (5) National Mission for Sustaining the Himalayan Ecosystem, (6) National Mission for a Green India, (7) National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture, and (8) National Mission on Strategic Knowledge for Climate Change. Nuclear energy is not a core mission.

3. Q3.Under the National Mission for Enhanced Energy Efficiency (NMEEE), which market-based mechanism mandates energy audits and allows industries to trade energy savings certificates (ESCerts)?

   • A.Perform, Achieve and Trade (PAT) scheme✓ Correct Answer
   • B.Clean Development Mechanism (CDM)
   • C.Renewable Energy Certificate (REC) registry
   • D.Green Credit Programme

   Explanation: The Perform, Achieve and Trade (PAT) scheme is a flagship initiative under NMEEE. It sets specific energy consumption reduction targets for energy-intensive industries (designated consumers). Industries that exceed targets earn Energy Savings Certificates (ESCerts), which they can trade with underperforming industries.

4. Q4.The National Water Mission under the NAPCC set which primary quantitative target for improving water utilization efficiency across sectors in India?

   • A.Increase water use efficiency by 20 percent✓ Correct Answer
   • B.Decrease household water use by 50 percent
   • C.Convert all agricultural fields to drip irrigation by 2022
   • D.Eliminate industrial water discharge completely

   Explanation: A key goal of the National Water Mission is to increase water use efficiency by 20 percent across all sectors (agricultural, domestic, and industrial) through recycling, water harvesting, and promoting micro-irrigation.

5. Q5.Which national initiative was launched in January 2019 by the MoEFCC to tackle particulate air pollution in a comprehensive, time-bound manner across India?

   • A.National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC)
   • B.National Clean Air Programme (NCAP)✓ Correct Answer
   • C.Compensatory Afforestation Scheme (CAMPA)
   • D.National Green Corps (NGC)

   Explanation: The National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) was launched by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change in January 2019. It is a long-term, time-bound national-level strategy to reduce air pollution in major cities and towns.

6. Q6.What is the primary quantitative target set by the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) for reducing particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10) concentrations by 2024?

   • A.10 percent reduction using 2015 as the base year
   • B.20 to 30 percent reduction using 2017 as the base year✓ Correct Answer
   • C.50 percent reduction using 2019 as the base year
   • D.Complete elimination of PM2.5 in urban areas

   Explanation: NCERT/CPCB updates show that the NCAP initially targeted a 20% to 30% reduction in PM2.5 and PM10 concentration levels by 2024, taking 2017 as the base year for comparison. In 2022, the government updated the target to a 40% reduction by 2026.

7. Q7.Under the NCAP framework, cities that do not meet national ambient air quality standards continuously over a period of five years are classified as:

   • A.Polluted Zones
   • B.Non-attainment Cities✓ Correct Answer
   • C.Critical Habitats
   • D.Exclusion zones

   Explanation: Cities are classified as 'non-attainment cities' under NCAP if they do not consistently meet the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for PM10 or NO2 over a period of five years. Currently, 131 cities are covered under NCAP for targeted clean air action plans.

8. Q8.The Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) was established under a parliamentary Act of which year to manage forest diversion funds?

   • A.2002
   • B.2016✓ Correct Answer
   • C.1980
   • D.1972

   Explanation: CAMPA was established under the Compensatory Afforestation Fund (CAF) Act, 2016. It manages funds collected from user agencies when forest land is diverted for non-forest purposes (mining, infrastructure), ensuring the money is spent on afforestation and ecological restoration.

9. Q9.According to the Compensatory Afforestation Fund (CAF) Act 2016, how are the collected funds divided between the State CAMPA and the National CAMPA?

   • A.50% to National and 50% to State
   • B.10% to National and 90% to State✓ Correct Answer
   • C.90% to National and 10% to State
   • D.100% to State CAMPA only

   Explanation: The CAF Act 2016 mandates that 90% of the compensatory afforestation funds collected (including Net Present Value - NPV of diverted forests) must be transferred to the concerned State CAMPA, while the remaining 10% goes to the National CAMPA for administrative and monitoring purposes.

10. Q10.The International Solar Alliance (ISA), jointly launched by India and France in 2015, is headquartered in which Indian city?

    • A.New Delhi
    • B.Gurugram, Haryana✓ Correct Answer
    • C.Bengaluru, Karnataka
    • D.Gandhinagar, Gujarat

    Explanation: The International Solar Alliance (ISA) is headquartered in Gurugram (formerly Gurgaon), Haryana, India. It is the first treaty-based international intergovernmental organization to have its headquarters in India.

11. Q11.The International Solar Alliance (ISA) was launched at COP 21 in Paris with a focus on solar resource rich countries located between which latitudes?

    • A.Between the Equator and the Tropic of Cancer only
    • B.Between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn✓ Correct Answer
    • C.Across polar circles only
    • D.In the Northern Hemisphere only

    Explanation: The ISA initially targeted 'sunshine countries' (Suryaputras) lying completely or partly between the Tropic of Cancer (23.5° N) and the Tropic of Capricorn (23.5° S) where solar insolation is high. Membership has since been opened to all UN member states.

12. Q12.Which of the following schemes was launched in India in 2015 under the National Electric Mobility Mission Plan to subsidize the purchase of electric and hybrid vehicles?

    • A.FAME India Scheme✓ Correct Answer
    • B.EV India Mission
    • C.Green Mobility Plan
    • D.Clean Fuel Incentives

    Explanation: FAME India (Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Hybrid and Electric Vehicles) Scheme was launched in 2015 to promote eco-friendly electric mobility. It provides subsidies to buyers of electric two-wheelers, three-wheelers, and buses to reduce petroleum dependency.

13. Q13.Under the National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA), which scheme was launched in 2015 to test soil nutrients and recommend tailored fertilizer dosages to farmers?

    • A.PM-KISAN Scheme
    • B.Soil Health Card Scheme✓ Correct Answer
    • C.Green Revolution Program
    • D.Organic India Initiative

    Explanation: The Soil Health Card Scheme was launched in February 2015. It provides farmers with a printed card containing status of their soil across 12 parameters (macronutrients, micronutrients, pH, electrical conductivity), along with crop-wise fertilizer recommendations.

14. Q14.Which NAPCC mission focuses specifically on studying glacier melt, ecological changes, and mapping biodiversity in the Himalayan mountain range?

    • A.National Mission for a Green India
    • B.National Mission for Sustaining the Himalayan Ecosystem (NMSHE)✓ Correct Answer
    • C.National Water Mission
    • D.National Mission on Sustainable Habitat

    Explanation: The National Mission for Sustaining the Himalayan Ecosystem (NMSHE) is the only site-specific mission under NAPCC. It aims to develop scientific capacity to monitor glacier health, protect forest cover, and safeguard the biodiversity of the fragile Himalayan region.

15. Q15.What is the primary target of the 'National Mission for a Green India' (Green India Mission - GIM) under the NAPCC?

    • A.To convert all deserts into farmlands.
    • B.To increase forest/tree cover on 5 million hectares of degraded lands and improve forest quality on another 5 million hectares.✓ Correct Answer
    • C.To completely ban all plastic packaging.
    • D.To replace coal with solar panels inside forests.

    Explanation: The Green India Mission (GIM) aims to respond to climate change by enhancing carbon sinks through forestry. Its goal is to afforest 5 million hectares of degraded lands and restore canopy quality in another 5 million hectares of degraded forests, supporting local communities.

16. Q16.Under the Compensatory Afforestation Fund (CAF) Act 2016, what does 'Net Present Value' (NPV) of a forest refer to?

    • A.The market price of timber wood inside the forest.
    • B.The monetary value of ecological services (carbon sequestration, water recharge, soil conservation, biodiversity) lost when a forest is diverted.✓ Correct Answer
    • C.The price of the land if converted to real estate.
    • D.The cost of planting grass on the area.

    Explanation: Net Present Value (NPV) is a one-time payment made by user agencies for diverting forest land. It represents the monetary value of lost ecosystem services (timber, carbon stock, water cycle support, soil retention) over a long period, which is paid into the CAMPA fund to finance compensatory afforestation.

17. Q17.The 'Perform, Achieve and Trade' (PAT) scheme is administered primarily by which statutory body in India?

    • A.Central Pollution Control Board
    • B.Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE)✓ Correct Answer
    • C.National Green Tribunal
    • D.Forest Survey of India

    Explanation: The Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE), a statutory body under the Ministry of Power established in 2002, is the nodal agency for implementing the PAT scheme under the National Mission for Enhanced Energy Efficiency (NMEEE).

18. Q18.Which of the following is a primary objective of the National Mission on Strategic Knowledge for Climate Change (NMSKCC) under the NAPCC?

    • A.To build solar panels inside schools.
    • B.To fund scientific research, set up climate modeling centers, and build a strategic knowledge network on climate change impacts.✓ Correct Answer
    • C.To directly construct coastal protection walls.
    • D.To ban weather forecasting by private channels.

    Explanation: The NMSKCC aims to build a vibrant research network. It funds climate science research, supports data collection, and fosters cooperation among research laboratories and academic institutions to draft science-based policies.

19. Q19.In India, which major program was launched in 2015 to ensure clean cooking fuel (LPG) access to rural households, reducing dependency on fuelwood and improving indoor air quality?

    • A.Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY)✓ Correct Answer
    • B.FAME India Scheme
    • C.Green Cooking Initiative
    • D.Saubhagya Scheme

    Explanation: The Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) was launched in May 2016 (often grouped with 2015-16 developmental schemes) by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas. It provides deposit-free LPG connections to women from below poverty line (BPL) households, reducing respiratory illness caused by burning biomass.

20. Q20.Under the National Solar Mission, what is India's revised target for grid-connected solar power capacity to be achieved?

    • A.20 GW (20,000 MW)
    • B.100 GW (100,000 MW)✓ Correct Answer
    • C.500 GW (500,000 MW)
    • D.10 GW (10,000 MW)

    Explanation: The National Solar Mission originally targeted 20 GW of solar capacity by 2022. In 2015, the target was revised upward to a highly ambitious 100 GW (100,000 MW) of solar capacity, consisting of 40 GW rooftop and 60 GW utility-scale solar projects.