UPSC Prelims 2016 · Question 48 of 98

UPSC Prelims 2016 question on Ganga River Basin Authority

Which of the following are the key features of ‘National Ganga River Basin Authority (NGRBA)’?

1. River basin is the unit of planning and management.

2. It spearheads the river conservation efforts at the national level.

3. One of the Chief Ministers of the States through which the Ganga flows becomes the Chairman of NGRBA on rotation basis.

Select the correct answer using the code given below.

  1. 1 and 2 only
  2. 2 and 3 only
  3. 1 and 3 only
  4. 1, 2 and 3
Show answer

Answer: A. 1 and 2 only

Verdict

The answer is 1 and 2 only. NGRBA used the river basin as the planning unit and led national river conservation, but it was chaired by the Prime Minister, not by a rotating Chief Minister.

Analysis

Statement 1 is CORRECT. The Authority was mandated to adopt a river basin approach for comprehensive planning and management, which was its principal innovation over earlier action plans. Statement 2 is CORRECT. It spearheaded river conservation at the national level, with the National Mission for Clean Ganga as its implementation wing. Statement 3 is INCORRECT. The Authority was chaired by the Prime Minister, with the Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation as nodal ministry.

Source

National Mission for Clean Ganga material and Press Information Bureau releases.

How to crack it

The examiner's own analysis lists this among the questions solvable by eliminating a single statement, and statement 3 is that statement. A body with a national mandate spanning five States cannot be chaired by one State's Chief Minister on rotation, because national coordination requires an authority above all the States. Ask whether the chairmanship matches the scope of the mandate, and mismatches of scale reveal themselves without any recall.

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