UPSC Prelims 2021— Question 25

Triclosan is an antimicrobial chemical historically used in some personal-care and toiletry products, including certain soaps and toothpastes. Its prolonged or high-level exposure has raised toxicological and environmental concerns. It is not primarily a food preservative, fruit-ripening agent or a component defined by reused plastic containers. Toiletries is therefore the relevant category. The final answer-key position for Set C identifies option D as the correct option. Option A — Food preservatives — is not correct because it does not satisfy the specific condition tested in the question; it represents an alternative that is contradicted, incomplete, or less precise than the accepted answer. Option B — Fruit-ripening substances — is not correct because it does not satisfy the specific condition tested in the question; it represents an alternative that is contradicted, incomplete, or less precise than the accepted answer. Option C — Reused plastic containers — is not correct because it does not satisfy the specific condition tested in the question; it represents an alternative that is contradicted, incomplete, or less precise than the accepted answer. Option D — Toiletries — is correct because it is the alternative that matches the constitutional, historical, geographical, scientific or economic principle established above. For PYQ interpretation, the distinction between the correct alternative and merely related facts is important. UPSC often places plausible distractors beside the precise statement that matches the underlying rule, chronology, definition or empirical relationship. The answer should therefore be read against the exact wording of the question rather than against a broadly related fact.