Which one of the following statements best reflects the central idea conveyed by the passage?
Answer & explanation
Answer: (b) Low-carbon behaviour in people can be brought about by incentivising them.
The passage says household emissions must fall to almost nothing, that at best half of this can come from people changing their behaviour, and that even this needs companies and governments to make low-carbon options cheaper and easier to get. Its central idea is that incentives bring about low-carbon behaviour.
- ✗ (a) The passage says household emissions will have to be cut, not that net zero is possible 'only' through them. The word 'only' makes the option extreme.
- ✓ (b) Behavioural change by individuals and households 'would require companies and governments to provide more incentives to change' — the core idea is that incentives drive low-carbon behaviour.
- ✗ (c) This reverses the logic. The passage wants investment to make low-carbon options cheaper; it does not claim that low-carbon technology makes goods and services cheaper in general.
- ✗ (d) Subsidies to manufacturing industries are not mentioned; the passage speaks of incentives and supply-side investment in general.
Remember · Central idea = the author's main claim with its condition; reject options that add 'only' or name a tool (subsidies) the passage never names.
Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper II (2025, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). ·