With reference to 'Agenda 21', sometimes seen in the news, consider the following statements:
- 1.It is a global action plan for sustainable development.
- 2.It originated in the World Summit on Sustainable Development held in Johannesburg in 2002.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Answer & explanation
Answer: (a) 1 only
Agenda 21 is the global plan for sustainable development adopted at the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, so statement 1 is correct. It did not originate at the 2002 Johannesburg summit, so statement 2 is wrong.
- ✓ 1. Agenda 21 aims at global sustainable development and is meant to combat environmental damage, poverty and disease through global co-operation.
- ✗ 2. It was signed by world leaders in 1992 at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), the Rio Earth Summit, ten years before the Johannesburg summit.
Remember · Agenda 21 = the 1992 Rio Earth Summit (UNCED) action plan for sustainable development in the 21st century; Johannesburg 2002 was a later summit.
📘 Read it in NCERT: Class 10 Contemporary India – II, Ch 1 (practise this chapter) · Class 12 Contemporary World Politics, Ch 6 (practise this chapter)
Sources
- NCERT Class 10 · Contemporary India – II, Chapter 1 “Agenda 21 It is the declaration signed by world leaders in 1992 at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), which took place at Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It aims at achieving global sustainable development.”
- NCERT Class 12 · Contemporary World Politics, Chapter 6 “The Rio Summit produced conventions dealing with climate change, biodiversity, forestry, and recommended a list of development practices called 'Agenda 21'.”
Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper I (2016, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). ·