Prelims 2021 - Special: Paper - Ii

UPSC CIVIL SERVICES EXAMINATION
PRELIMS 2021 - SPECIAL

CSAT
PAPER - II
ENGLISH
www.civilstap.com
CSAT
PAPER - II
ENGLISH
www.civilstap.com
H/W Passage CSAT | ENGLISH COMPREHENSIONS
In general, religious traditions stress our duty to god, or to some universal ethical principle. Our
duties to one another derive from these. The religious concept of rights is primarily derived
from our relationship to this divinity or principle and the implication it has on our other
relationships. This correspondence between rights and duties is critical to any further
understanding of justice. But, for justice to be practiced; rights and duties cannot remain formal
abstraction. They must be grounded in a community (common unity) bound together by a sense
of common union (communion). Even as a personal virtue, this solidarity is essential to the
practice and understanding of justice.
Q. With reference to the passage, the following assumptions have been made :
1. Human relationships are derived from their religious traditions

2. Human beings can be duty bound only if they believe in god
3. Religious traditions are essential to practice and understand justice
Which of these assumption(s) is/are valid?

(a) 1 only (b) 2 and 3 only (c) 1 and 3 only (d) 1, 2 and 3
H/W Passage CSAT | ENGLISH COMPREHENSIONS
Q. Which one of the following is the crux of this passage?
(a) Our duties to one another derive from our religious traditions
(b) Having relationship to the divine principle is a great virtue
(c) Balance between rights and duties is crucial to the delivery of justice in a society
(d) Religious concept of rights is primarily derived from our relationship to god
Passage-4 CSAT | ENGLISH COMPREHENSIONS
A number of empirical studies find that farmers are risk-averse, though only moderately in many cases. There is
also evidence to show that farmers' risk aversion results in cropping patterns and input use designed to reduce risk
rather than to maximize income. Farmers adopt a number of strategies to manage and cope with agricultural risks.
These include practices like crop and field diversification, non-farm employment, storage of stocks and strategic
migration of family members. There are also institutions ranging from share tenancy to kinship, extended family
and informal credit agencies. One major obstacle to risk sharing by farmers is that the same type of risks can affect
a large number of farmers in the region. Empirical studies show that the traditional methods are not adequate.
Hence there is a need for policy interventions, especially measures that cut across geographical regions.
Policies may aim at tackling agricultural risks directly or indirectly. Examples of risk-specific policies arc crop
insurance, price stabilization and the development of varieties resistant to pests and diseases. Policies which affect
risk indirectly are irrigation, subsidized credit and access to information. No single risk-specific policy is sufficient to
reduce risk and is without side-effects, whereas policies not specific to risk influence the general situation and
affect risks only indirectly. Crop insurance, as a policy measure to tackle agricultural risk directly, deserves careful
consideration in the Indian context and in many other developing countries because the majority of farmers
depend on rain-fed agriculture and in many areas yield variability is the predominant cause of their income
instability.
CSAT | ENGLISH COMPREHENSIONS
Q 1. The need for policy intervention to mitigate risks in agriculture is because
a) farmers are extremely risk-averse.
b) farmers do not know how to mitigate risks.
c) the methods adopted by farmers and existing risk sharing institutions are not adequate.
d) majority of farmers depend on rain-fed agriculture.
Q 2. Which of the following observations emerges from the above passage?

a) One can identify a single policy that can reduce risk without any side-effect.
b) No single risk-specific policy is sufficient to reduce agricultural risk.
c) Policies which affect risk indirectly can eliminate it.
d) Government's policy intervention can mitigate agricultural risk completely.
The poor especially in market economics need the strength that collectivities offer for creating more economic,
social and political space for themselves, for enhancing their socio-economic well-being and voice, and as a
protection against free market individualism. It has been argued that a group approach to farming, especially in
the form of bottom up agricultural production collectivities, offers substantial scope for poverty alleviation and
empowering the poor as well as enhancing agricultural productivity. To realize this potential, however, the groups
would need to be voluntary in nature, small in size, participative in decision making and equitable in work sharing
and benefit distribution. There are many notable examples of such collectivities to be found in varied contexts,
such as in transitions economies. All of them bear witness to the possibility of successful cooperation under given
conditions. And although the gender impact of the family cooperatives in the transition economies are uncertain,
the Indian examples of women-only groups farming offer considerable potential for benefiting women.
Q 1. Agricultural collectivities such as group-based farming can provide the rural poor:
1. Empowerment
2. Increased agricultural productivity.
3. Safeguard against exploitative markets.
4. Surplus production of agricultural commodities.
Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

a) 1, 2, 3 and 4 b) 1, 2 and 3 only c) 2 and 4 only d) 1, 3 and 4 only
Q 2. What does the author imply by “gender impact”?
a) Women are doubtful participants in cooperatives.
b) Family cooperatives may not include women
c) Women benefitting from group farming.
d) Women’s role in transition economies is highly restrictive.
Q 3. Consider the following assumptions:

1. It is imperative for transition economies to have agricultural collectivities.
2. Agricultural productivity can be increased by group approach to farming.

With reference to the above passage which of these assumptions is/are valid?
a) 1 only b) 2 only c) Both 1 and 2 d) Neither 1 nor 2

In a typical Western liberal context, deepening of democracy invariably leads to consolidation of ‘liberal values’. In
the Indian context, democratization is translated into greater involvement of people not as ‘individuals’ which is a
staple to liberal discourse, but as communities or groups. Individuals are getting involved in the public sphere not
as ‘atomized’ individuals but as members of primordial communities drawn on religious or caste identity.
Community-identity seems to be the governing force. It is not therefore surprising that the so-called peripheral
groups continue to maintain their identities with reference to the social groups {caste, religion or sect} to which
they belong while getting involved in the political processes despite the fact that their political goals remain more
or less identical. By helping to articulate the political voice of the marginalized, democracy in India has led to ‘a
loosening of social strictures’ and empowered the peripherals to be confident of their ability to improve the socio
economic conditions in which they are placed. This is a significant political process that had led to a silent
revolution through a meaningful transfer of power from the upper caste cities to various subaltern groups within
the democratic framework of public governance.
Q 1. According to the passage, what does “deepening of democracy” mean in the Western context?
a) Consolidation of group and class identities.

b) Democratization translated as greater involvement of people.
c) Democratization as greater involvement of ‘atomized’ individuals in the public sphere.
d) None of the statements a, b and c given above is correct in this context.
Q 2. Greater democratization in India has not necessarily led to:
a) The dilution of caste and communal identities in the public sphere.
b) Irrelevance of community identity as governing force in Indian politics.
c) Marginalization of elite groups in society.
d) Relative unimportance of hereditary identities over class identities.
Q 3. What is the “silent revolution” that has occurred in the Indian democratic process?
a) Irrelevance of caste and class hierarchies in political processes
b) Loosening of social strictures in voting behavior and patterns.
c) Social change through transfer of power from upper caste elites to subaltern groups.
d) All the statements a), b) and c) given above are correct in this context.
The need for Competition Law becomes more evident when foreign direct investment (FDI) is liberalised. The
impact of FDI is not always pro-competitive. Very often FDI takes the form of a foreign corporation acquiring a
domestic enterprise or establishing a joint venture with one. By making such an acquisition the foreign investor
may substantially lessen competition and gain a dominant position in the relevant market, thus charging higher
prices. Another scenario is where the affiliates of two separate multinational companies (MNCs) have been
established in competition with one another in a particular developing economy, following the liberisation of FDI.
Subsequently, the parent companies overseas merge. With the affiliates no longer remaining independent,
competition in the host country may be artificially inflated. Most of these adverse consequences of mergers and
acquisitions by MNCs can be avoided if an effective competition law is in place. Also, an economy that has
implemented an effective competition law is in a better position to attract FDI than one that has not. This is not
just because most MNCs are expected to be accustomed to the operation of such a law in their home countries
and know how to deal with such concerns but also that MNCs expect competition authorities to ensure a level
playing field between domestic and foreign firms.
Q 1. With reference to the passage, consider the following statements:
1. It is desirable that the impact of Foreign Direct investment should be pro-competitive.

2. The entry of foreign investors invariably leads to the inflated prices in domestic markets.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

a) 1 only b) 2 only c) Both 1 and 2 d) Neither 1 nor 2
Q 2. According to the passage, how does a foreign investor dominate the relevant domestic market?
1. Multinational companies get accustomed to domestic laws.
2. Foreign companies establish joint ventures with domestic companies.
3. Affiliates in a particular market/sector lose their independence as their parent companies overseas merge.
4. Foreign companies lower the cost of their products as compared to that of products of domestic companies.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
a) 1 and 2 only b) 2 and 3 only c) 1, 2 and 3 only d) 1, 2, 3 and 4
Q 3. What is the inference from this passage?

a) Foreign investors and multinational companies always dominate domestic market.
b) It is not in the best interest of domestic economy to allow mergers company.
c) With competition law, it is easy to ensure a level playing field between domestic and foreign firms.
d) For countries with open economy Foreign Direct investment is essential for growth.
CSAT
PAPER - II
ENGLISH
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UPSC CIVIL SERVICES EXAMINATION

PRELIMS 2021 - SPECIAL

1. Human relationships are derived from their religious traditions

Which of these assumption(s) is/are valid?

Q 2. Which of the following observations emerges from the above passage?

Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

b) Family cooperatives may not include women

c) Women benefitting from group farming.

d) Women’s role in transition economies is highly restrictive.

Q 3. Consider the following assumptions:

2. Agricultural productivity can be increased by group approach to farming.

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

a) Consolidation of group and class identities.

a) The dilution of caste and communal identities in the public sphere.

b) Irrelevance of community identity as governing force in Indian politics.

c) Marginalization of elite groups in society.

d) Relative unimportance of hereditary identities over class identities.

a) Irrelevance of caste and class hierarchies in political processes

b) Loosening of social strictures in voting behavior and patterns.

1. It is desirable that the impact of Foreign Direct investment should be pro-competitive.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

2. Foreign companies establish joint ventures with domestic companies.

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

Q 3. What is the inference from this passage?

b) It is not in the best interest of domestic economy to allow mergers company.

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