Question

Assertion (A) : Health epidemics such as HIV-AIDS, Bird Flu and Coronavirus are the new threats to security.

Reason (R) : Security goes beyond military threats to include a wide range of threats affecting the human life.

• A. Both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true and Reason (R) is the correct explanation of the Assertion (A).
• B. Both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true, but Reason (R) is not the correct explanation of the Assertion (A).
• C. Assertion (A) is true, but Reason (R) is false.
• D. Assertion (A) is false, but Reason (R) is true.

Hint:

Epidemics are non-traditional threats, and security now covers all dangers to human life. So both are true and R explains A.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

Step 1: Check the Assertion:
NCERT lists health epidemics such as HIV-AIDS, bird flu and coronavirus among the new or non-traditional threats to security.
These diseases cross borders quickly and kill large numbers of people, so a state cannot stop them by military force alone.
So the Assertion is true.

Step 2: Check the Reason:
The traditional idea of security looks only at military threats to the state.
The non-traditional idea widens security to include threats to human life, such as hunger, disease, poverty and the environment.
So the Reason is true.

Step 3: Link the two statements:
Epidemics are counted as security threats because security is no longer limited to wars. It covers all dangers to human life.
So the Reason explains why the Assertion is correct.

Step 4: Why the other options are wrong:
(B) says R is not the explanation. This is wrong, as the wide meaning of security is exactly why epidemics count.
(C) says R is false. This is wrong, because R is a correct statement.
(D) says A is false. This is wrong, because epidemics are accepted as new threats.

Final Answer:
Both statements are true and R explains A, which is option (A).