Correct answer: (a) Conveying a false impression that a company's products are eco-friendly and environmentally sound
Explanation
- A
Conveying a false impression that a company's products are eco-friendly and environmentally sound
A false impression that products are eco-friendly. That is greenwashing.
- B
Non-inclusion of ecological/environmental costs in the Annual Financial Statements of a country.
Leaving ecological costs out of national accounts. A genuine accounts issue, not the term.
- C
Ignoring the disastrous ecological consequences while undertaking infrastructure development.
Ignoring ecology in infrastructure. Bad practice, not the label.
- D
Making mandatory provision for environmental costs in a government project/programme.
Mandating environmental costs in government projects. The opposite of a wash.
Summary. Official key is (a). Greenwashing is marketing a company or product as greener than it is. It is not a national-accounts identity, a planning failure, or a mandatory eco-cost rule.
Same topic · past papers
UPSC has asked this before
These previous-year questions sit on the same topic. Open one to practise the earlier ask.
-
2026 · Q89 · General Studies · 2 marks
Which one of the following best describes the key objective of India's 'Open Network for Digital Commerce' (ONDC) initiative? -
2026 · Q94 · General Studies · 2 marks
Which one of the following best describes the 'Crowding Out Effect' in the context of fiscal policy? -
2020 · Q85 · General Studies · 2 marks
Which one of the following statements best describes the term 'Social Cost of Carbon'? It is a measure, in monetary value, of the -
2018 · Q6 · General Studies · 2 marks
Which one of the following best describes the term "Merchant Discount Rate" sometimes seen in news? -
2017 · Q64 · General Studies · 2 marks
Which of the following statements best describes the term 'Scheme for Sustainable Structuring of Stressed Assets (S4A)', recently seen in the news?