Correct answer: (c) Politics and Development
Explanation
- A
Degradation of natural resources
(a) Degradation of natural resources. Mid-1980s development critique put soil, forest and water loss at the centre. This was an important negative theme, so it is not the ‘NOT important’ answer.
- B
Environment pollution
(b) Environment pollution. Bhopal 1984 and the global environment debate made pollution a headline negative of development. It was important.
- C
Politics and Development
(c) Politics and Development. Among the listed themes, party-politics versus development was not the large mid-1980s negative-development discussion the paper has in mind. Resource loss, pollution and displacement were. Official key.
- D
Displacement and Rehabilitation of masses
(d) Displacement and Rehabilitation of masses. Big dams and industry-led displacement (Narmada debate taking shape) were a core negative. This was important.
Summary. Official key is (c) Politics and Development. The mid-1980s conversation on the dark side of development stressed ecological degradation, pollution and mass displacement-rehabilitation. ‘Politics and development’ is the odd theme out on this list. (a), (b) and (d) were the important negatives; (c) was not.