General Comprehension (UPSC) (Part-VI)

Total Questions: 50

1. With reference to the above passage, the following assumptions have been made: [2019-II]

1. Making equality of opportunity a reality is the fundamental goal of the Indian education system.

2. The present Indian school system is unable to provide egalitarian education.

3. Abolition of private schools and establishment of more government schools is the only way to ensure egalitarian education.

Which of the above assumptions is/are valid?

Access to schooling for those coming of school age is close to universal, but access to quality exhibits a sharp gradient with socio-economic status Quotas for the weaker sections in private schools is a provision introduced by the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009.

The quotas have imposed a debate on issues of social integration and equity in education that private actors had escaped by and large. The idea of egalitarian education system with equality of opportunity as its primary goal appears to be outside the space that private school principals inhabit. Therefore, the imposition of the quotas has led to resistance, sometimes justified.

(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 2 only
(c) 2 and 3 only
(d) 3 only

Correct Answer: (b) 2 only

Solution:According to the passage, the idea of egalitarian education system with equality of opportunity as its primary goal appears to be outside the space that private school principals inhabit. Hence, the present Indian school system is unable to provide egalitarian education.

2. Which one of the following is the most logical, rational and crucial message conveyed by the above passage? [2019-II]

A majority of the TB infected in India are poor and lack sufficient nutrition, suitable housing and have little understanding of prevention. TB then devastates families, makes the poor poorer, particularly affects women and children, and leads to Ostracisation and loss of employment.

The truth is that even if TB does not kill them, hunger and poverty will. Another truth is that deep-seated stigma, lack of counselling, expensive treatment and lack of adequate support from provider and family, coupled with torturous side-effects demotivate patients to continue treatment with disastrous health consequences.

(a) TB is not a curable disease in Indian circumstances.
(b) Curing TB required more than diagnosis and medical treatment.
(c) Government's surveillance mechanism is deficient; and poor people have no access to treatment.
(d) India will be free diseases like TB only when its poverty alleviation programmes are effectively and successfully implemented.

Correct Answer: (b) Curing TB required more than diagnosis and medical treatment.

Solution:The passage argues that diagnosis and medical treatment of TB is available in India, but hunger and poverty, lack of awareness as well as counselling, deep-seated stigma, inadequate support from family and providers, and expensive medical care forces patients to discontinue treatment.

3. With reference to the above passage, the following assumptions have been made: [2020-II]

1. Relying on foreign investment in the long run is not an economically sound policy.

2. Policies must be undertaken to reduce volatility in foreign private investment.

3. Policies must be undertaken to strengthen domestic private investment.

4. Public investment should be given priority over private investment.

5. Substantial public investment in education and health should be undertaken.

Which of the above assumptions is/are valid?

Private investment in general is volatile. Foreign private investment is more volatile because the available investment avenues are significantly greater (i.e., the entire world). Therefore, the responsibility of providing employment cannot be left to Foreign Direct Investment (FDI).

The current FDI inflows are volatile over time and across sectors and regions, which is a necessary consequence of their search for the highest returns. The adverse consequences are unstable employment and an accentuation of income and regional inequalities.

A probable positive consequence of foreign investment is the inflow of new technology and its subsequent diffusion. However, the technology diffusion is not at all certain because the existing state of physical and human capital in India may prove inadequate for the diffusion.

(a) 1, 2 and 4
(b) 1, 3 and 5
(c) 2, 4 and 5
(d) 3 only

Correct Answer: (b) 1, 3 and 5

Solution:Assumption I is correct as the passage clearly mentions the negative consequences of foreign private investment. Assumption 2 is incorrect as the state does not have the capacity to interfere and reduce foreign private investment; also the passage nowhere mentions about the ability of the state to reduce such volatility.

Since options (a) and (c) contain assumption 2, therefore they can be eliminated. The passage does mention about the inadequacy of physical and human capital in the last line. Therefore assumption 5 also sounds correct. Option (d) that only says assumption 3 as being valid can be eliminated. Hence the correct answer is option is (b).

4. With reference to the above passage, which of the following could be the most rational and practical implications for India? [2020-II]

1. Inter-linking of rivers should be undertaken.

2. A network of dams and canals should be built across the country for proper distribution of water.

3. Farmers should be provided easy loans for digging borewells.

4. Usage of water for agriculture should be regulated by law.

5. Distribution of river water among regions should be regulated by the Union Government.

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

Many opportunities to harness the highly skewed, seasonal and spatial distribution of monsoon flows, which occur in a four-month period from June to September annually, have been lost.

Since these few months account for most of the rainfall and consequent freshwater availability, the need for holding rainwater in reservoirs, for subsequently releasing it for use over the year, is a necessity nobody can afford to overlook.

Climate change will continue to affect weather conditions and create water shortages and excesses. While millions suffer from droughts and floods, waters in the country's many rivers flow unutilized, and are discharged into the sea every year.

(a) 1 and 2
(b) 2, 4 and 5
(c) 1, 3 and 4
(d) 2, 3 and 5

Correct Answer: (a) 1 and 2

Solution:The given passage stresses on the need of undertaking of inter-linking of rivers. It can also be assumed from the passage that for proper distribution of water, there should be a network of dams and canals across the country.

5. With reference to the above passage, the following assumptions have been made: [2020-II]

1. Lower tax rates in a country invariably translate into greater investments in higher education.

2. Investment in the education of children ensures their economic freedom.

3. Economic freedom has a positive impact on building up human capital.

Which of the above assumptions is/are valid?

People will invest in education whenever they are granted the economic freedom to fully enjoy its benefits. Again, this is for the obvious reason that the return on education increases as the level of economic freedom rises. When people, thanks to lower tax rates, are allowed to retain most of the higher income that they gain from each incremental level of education, it makes eminent sense to invest in education.

On the other hand, when the government decides to tax the higher income of educated individuals at even higher rates, it makes very little sense to invest in educating oneself further. The same incentives apply to parents who decide on whether to invest in their children's education.

(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3

Correct Answer: (c) 3 only

Solution:Assumption 1 is incorrect as the word 'invariably' makes it an extreme statement. This would eliminate option (a) and (d). Assumption 2 is incorrect as it is economic freedom from lower tax rates that leads to investment in higher education, and not the other way round.

Hence option (b) can be eliminated. Assumption 3 only sounds correct as economic freedom will lead to investment in education, thus having a positive impact on human capital. Hence option (c) is correct.

6. What is the most logical and crucial message conveyed by the passage? [2020-II]

Our urban bodies cannot possibly ensure sustainable delivery of water in our cities unless financing mechanisms are put in place. Water delivery requires heavy investment in collecting it from a natural source, treating it to make it potable, and laying a distribution network of pipes for delivery to the users.

It also requires investments in sewerage infrastructure and sewage treatment plants so that the sewers can carry the wastewater to these plants to ensure that no untreated sewage is discharged back into natural water bodies. If our cities were rich enough to meet the entire cost, water could be delivered free. They are not.

(a) Urban local bodies must recover costs through user charges.
(b) Urban local bodies are not efficient enough to meet the water requirements of our cities.
(c) Water shortage in our cities is a perennial problem that cannot be solved
(d) In view of the water crises in our cities, there is an urgent need to limit the population of cities by adopting an upper limit of population size.

Correct Answer: (a) Urban local bodies must recover costs through user charges.

Solution:Option (a) sounds logical and correct as the passage talks about putting financing mechanisms in place to ensure sustainable delivery of water. Levying user charges can be one such mechanism. Option (b) is incorrect as the passage does not talk about the inefficiency of urban local bodies as such but the inefficiency of the present state of financial mechanisms.

The passage does not mention about any shortage of water, rather talks about the possibility of its sustainable usage, hence option (c) is incorrect. Similarly, option (d) is incorrect as the passage does not talk about overpopulation being a reason for any water- woes.

7. Withe reference to the above passage, the following assumptions have been made: [2020-II]

1. Rich cities only can ensure sustainable delivery of water.

2. Sustainable delivery of water in cities means much more than supplying water to household.

Which of the above assumptions is/are valid?

(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Correct Answer: (b) 2 only

Solution:The assumption that only rich cities can ensure sustainable delivery of water is not adequate. However, sustainable delivery of water in cities does not mean just supplying water to households.

8. With reference to the above passage, the following assumptions have been made: [2020-II]

1. Structural and rural transformation is impossible when farms are mainly small and marginal.

2. A good price incentive can trigger investments in agriculture.

3. India needs to build value chains for high-value agri-products like livestock and horticulture.

4. Higher global prices of agricultural commodities are essential for India's poverty reduction.

Which of the above assumptions are valid?

In India, agriculture still engages about half of its workforce, and about 85 percent of its farms are small and marginal. Compared to China and Vietnam, which have experienced fast structural and rural transformation, India's story is of slow transformation. As a result, poverty reduction in India was at a much slower pace during 1988-2014, compared to China and Vietnam.

India's poverty reduction was slow during 1988-2005, but during 2005-2012, it accelerated dramatically-almost three times faster than during the earlier period. What did India do during this period? Research reveals that the relative price scenario changed significantly (by more than 50%) in favour of agriculture in the wake of rising global prices.

This boosted private investments in agriculture by more than 50%. As a result, agri-GDP growth touched 4.1% during 2007-2012 as against 2.4% during 2002-2007. The net surplus of agri-trade touched $25 billion in 2013-2014; real farm wages rose by 7% per annum. All this led to unprecedented fall in poverty.

(a) 1 and 3
(b) 2 and 4
(c) 2 and 3
(d) 3 and 4

Correct Answer: (c) 2 and 3

Solution:The passage only mentions about small and marginal farmers being 85% of the agricultural population. It does not talk about that leading to structural and rural transformation. Hence statement is not correct. Statement 2 is valid as the passage says "Research reveals that the relative price scenario changed significantly (by more than 50%) in favour of agriculture in the wake of rising global prices.

This boosted private investments in agriculture by more than 50%." Statement 4 seems incorrect as the passage does mention about global rise in prices affecting the agriculture sector in two specific time periods, thus leading to poverty reduction but the word "essential" makes it a very strong statement. This may not always be the case. Statement 3 also seems correct as a logical corollary to boosting of investment in private sector. Hence correct answer option is (c).

9. Which one of the following statements best reflects the critical message of the passage? [2020-II]

(a) India should created large-scale off-farm rural employment to reduce poverty in the near future.
(b) India should create a large number of farmer producer companies.
(c) Private investment in agriculture should be given priority over public investment.
(d) Inclusive agricultural growth is key to reduce poverty in the near future.

Correct Answer: (d) Inclusive agricultural growth is key to reduce poverty in the near future.

Solution:Inclusive agriculture growth is key to reduce poverty in the near future.

10. Which one the following is best implied in the passage? [2020-II]

In India, over the last decade or so, labour has been departing agriculture, but is only going to construction and unregistered manufacturing which are not markedly better jobs. Services, where labour tends to be most productive, are not generating the additional jobs the country needs.

India will need 24 million or so jobs over the next decade. The new sector, e-commerce, can at best close only half the jobs gap. Only those sectors that drive domestic demand such as health and education can comfortably fill the other half

(a) Strong measures need to be taken to reduce the rural to urban migration of labour.
(b) The working condition in construction and unregistered manufacturing needs to be improved.
(c) Service sector has been reducing the problem of unemployment.
(d) Increased social sector spending is imperative for large-scale job creation.

Correct Answer: (d) Increased social sector spending is imperative for large-scale job creation.

Solution:Increased social sector spending is imperative for large-scale job creation.

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General Comprehension (UPSC) (Part-VI)

1. With reference to the above passage, the following assumptions have been made: [2019-II]

2. Which one of the following is the most logical, rational and crucial message conveyed by the above passage? [2019-II]

3. With reference to the above passage, the following assumptions have been made: [2020-II]

4. With reference to the above passage, which of the following could be the most rational and practical implications for India? [2020-II]

5. With reference to the above passage, the following assumptions have been made: [2020-II]

6. What is the most logical and crucial message conveyed by the passage? [2020-II]

7. Withe reference to the above passage, the following assumptions have been made: [2020-II]

8. With reference to the above passage, the following assumptions have been made: [2020-II]

9. Which one of the following statements best reflects the critical message of the passage? [2020-II]

10. Which one the following is best implied in the passage? [2020-II]

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