A new chapter on sustainable development and cliamate change was first introduced in the Economic Survey of:

The correct answer is B) 2011-12. The Economic Survey, prepared by the Economic Division of the Department of Economic Affairs and tabled before the Union Budget, added a dedicated chapter on sustainable development and climate change in its 2011-12 edition. This marked the government's economic review formally treating environmental sustainability as a macroeconomic concern rather than a sectoral side issue.

Why the others are wrong:

• A) 2004-05: Climate change was not yet a standalone chapter in the Survey at that stage; environment appeared only in passing within sectoral discussions.
• C) 2012-13 and D) 2013-14: These editions came after the chapter had already been introduced, so they cannot be the year of first introduction.

Core concept and syllabus link: This sits within the Economy and Environment sections of the syllabus. For Mains, link it to green growth, the National Action Plan on Climate Change (2008), and the tension between growth and environmental sustainability in GS-3.

Trap: Aspirants often pick a later year because the climate chapter became more prominent in recent Surveys. Remember the question asks for the first introduction, not the year it got the most attention.