Daily Passage Test for CLAT - May 24 MCQs & solutions Free

The passage highlights that the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change has sought a reassessment of the sustainable mining plan for Saranda and Chaibasa forests in Jharkhand's Singhum district. Critics suspect that this reassessment might be aimed at facilitating mining. However, the passage primarily expresses concern about the absence of a new national forest policy in India. The current National Forest Policy dates back to 1988 and is no longer adequate to address contemporary challenges, especially the trade-off between economic growth and infrastructure development on one hand and the conservation of critical natural resources on the other. Therefore, the absence of an updated forest policy is a major concern in the context of forest conservation.

The passage implies that instead of seeking ways to facilitate mining, the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change should prioritize designing a new policy framework to protect forests. The passage emphasizes the need for a modernized national forest policy that can address the complex challenges of balancing economic growth and infrastructure development with the conservation of critical natural resources like the Saranda and Chaibasa forests. This alternative focus is aimed at safeguarding the environment and biodiversity of these forests and ensuring their long-term sustainability.

According to the passage, the existing National Forest Policy, established in 1988, is inadequate to confront contemporary challenges, particularly the escalating trade-off between promoting economic growth and infrastructure development on one side and the imperative of safeguarding crucial natural resources on the other. It is more probable that a new policy will effectively address these concerns. Consequently, the correct choice is option 3.

The necessity for a new policy would gain more support if the deficiencies of the existing policy were emphasized. Option 3 achieves this by underscoring that developers and industrialists exploit these shortcomings for their gain. A fresh policy will distinctly establish boundaries and will effectively reconcile the conflicting interests of "economic growth and infrastructure" with the imperative of conserving vital natural resources. The remaining options do not reinforce the rationale for the implementation of a new policy.

The statement asserting that "Saranda hosts a diverse array of animal, bird, and reptile species" serves as supporting evidence for the argument advocating the necessity of a new policy to tackle the issue of uncontrolled mining within the forests. Consequently, the accurate choice is option 1.