RAS question
The National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) in India are set by:
Correct answer: (D) Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
India's National Ambient Air Quality Standards are set by the Central Pollution Control Board.
Explanation
The National Ambient Air Quality Standards are India's benchmark for ambient air quality, and the responsible body is the Central Pollution Control Board. The standards operate under the Air Act, 1981 and the Environment Protection Act, 1986. The official PIB release supports the identification of CPCB by stating that the Central Pollution Control Board notified the NAAQS in 2009 and that the measurement method for all notified pollutants is specified in the NAAQS. CPCB is therefore the responsible authority, not a policy think tank, a health ministry, or an international body. The 2009 NAAQS cover 12 pollutants.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) NITI Aayog is a policy think tank and is not the body that notifies India's ambient air quality standards.
- (B) WHO issues global air-quality guidelines, but India's NAAQS are notified by the Central Pollution Control Board.
- (C) The Ministry of Health may deal with public-health standards, but India's ambient air quality standards are notified by CPCB.
Concept
This tests institutional responsibility in environmental governance, especially which Indian authority sets pollution-control standards. RAS often repeats such questions because environmental law, regulators and standard-setting bodies are core prelims facts.