With reference to the passage on ecosystem and biodiversity, the following assumptions have been made:

Question

With reference to the passage on ecosystem and biodiversity, the following assumptions have been made:

I. No country needs to depend on ecosystems to boost national income.

II. Resource-rich countries need to share their resources with those of scant resources so as to prevent the degradation of ecosystems.

Which of the above assumptions is/are valid?

1. A. I only
2. B. II only
3. C. Both I and II
4. D. Neither I nor II (Correct answer)

Correct Answer

Option D — Neither I nor II

Detailed Solution & Explanation

The correct answer is Neither I nor II.

Key Points

• Assumption I states no country needs ecosystems to boost national income — the passage explicitly says commercial exploitation can boost national income in developing countries, so I is invalid.
• Assumption II about resource-sharing is not mentioned anywhere in the passage, so II is also invalid. Hence Neither I nor II.