Q.Define Sustainable Development as per the Brundtland Commission. Explain the two ideas embedded in this definition.

The most widely quoted definition of sustainable development packs two distinct ideas into one sentence — both matter equally.

The Brundtland Commission defined Sustainable Development as: "development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs."

This single sentence embeds two distinct ideas:

1. Development must address genuine present needs — the definition is not an argument against development or growth; the present generation's real needs (poverty reduction, employment, infrastructure) must be met.
2. Development must not compromise the future — meeting today's needs cannot be done in a way that permanently depletes the resources or degrades the environmental quality that future generations will themselves need to meet their own needs. …

Quoting only half the definition (just 'meeting present needs' or just 'protecting the future') — both halves must be stated together, sinc …