XAT 2020 — Decision Making Question 17
Read the following paragraph carefully and answer the question that follows:
A powerful, intelligent king Vanamali once ruled over an ancient kingdom, Vanarajya. The kingdom was known for its high mountains and sprawling plains, and ninety percent of its land was under forest cover. Trade in forest produce was the mainstay of its economy, supported by subsistence agriculture.
With the increase of population, over time the forest in the plains was cleared for agriculture. The forest in the mountains continued to supply nutrient-enriched water and abundant forest produce to the plains. As a result, agricultural yields were bountiful. The plains prospered as compared to the mountains.
The increasing prosperity of the plains people tempted those in the mountains to divert forest land for agriculture. Vanamali was afraid that expansion of agriculture would result in deforestation of the mountains.
Which of the following is the BEST course of action for Vanamali to conserve the mountain forest?
Answer & solution
- A
Declare a “Mountain Day” when plains people meet and thank mountain people for sustaining their agriculture.
- B
Levy a tax on traded agricultural produce from the plains to cross-subsidize supplies to mountain people.
- C
Urge the elders of the mountains to come up with agricultural practices that ensure no erosion of forest cover.
Institute a mechanism that ensures plains people pay royalty, to be transferred to mountain people for maintaining forest cover.
- E
Constitute a committee to protect the forest with powers to punish those who fell trees.
Since the plains are prospering while the mountains aren’t, Vanamali should ensure that the people in the mountains also reap the benefit of the plains’ prosperity. Option 1 can be eliminated as only thanking mountain people will not benefit their prosperity. Option 3 is incorrect as only urging the mountain people to come up with agricultural practices that ensure no erosion of forest cover will not increase their prosperity. Eliminate it. Option 5 talks about punishing people who fell trees which will not have any effect on the mountain people. Between options 2 and 4, the latter is a better option since paying a royalty to retain forest cover is better than subsidizing supplies to the mountain people as it will ensure that the mountain people retain their forest cover.
Hence, option (d).