Passage - 111 Spanish ships in the late 16th century first brought the potato tuber from South America to Europe whereby in the early 19th century, it had become a reliable backup to cereal crops, particularly in the cold, rain-soaked soils of Ireland. The Irish were soon almost wholly dependent on the potato as their staple food. And they were planting primarily one prodigious variety, the 'Lumper' potato, whose genetic frailty would be cruelly exposed by the fungus Phytophthora infestans. In 1845, spores of the deadly fungus began spreading across the country, destroying nearly all the Lumpers in its path. The resulting famine killed or displaced millions. 151. Which one of the following statements best reflects the critical message of the passage? [UPSC CSE Pre. 2020] (a) For introducing any foreign plant into a country, the soil and climate conditions of that country should be suitable. (b) As a staple food of a country, tuber crops like potato cannot replace cereal crops. (c) Some of the fungal infections of plants cannot be prevented or stopped from spreading across large areas. (d) Relying on a homogeneous food source is not desirable. Passage - 112 India is at once among the fastest growing global economies and home to the largest number of malnourished children in the world. There are regions where malnutrition is not the exception but the norm. And across the country, malnutrition is the cause of death for roughly half the 1.3 million children who die before their fifth birthday each year. Even those children who survive suffer permanently from the damage that has already been done to their bodies and minds from not getting enough of the right foods and nutrients. Around 44 million children under 5 are stunted. That makes it harder for them to learn in school and subsequently earn a living as adults. Their lifetime earnings potential is almost a quarter less than that of their healthy peers. 152. With reference to the above passage, which of the following is/are the most rational and practical implication/implications? 1. India's Public Distribution System should be monitored by the Union Government. 2. Girls should be encouraged to delay marriage and first pregnancy. 3. Mothers should be encouraged to breastfeed their children immediately after birth. 4. The supply of safe drinking water and proper sanitation facilities to all should be ensured. 5. Authorities should ensure the vaccination as prescribed. Select the correct answer using the code given below. [UPSC CSE Pre. 2020] (a) 1, 2, 3 and 4 (b) 2, 3, 4 and 5 (c) 1 only (d) 3 and 5 only Passage - 113 The pulse variety 'Pusa Arhar 16' has the potential to be grown in the paddy-growing regions of Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh and eventually in all of India. Its yield (about 2000 kg/hectare) will be significantly greater than those of the existing varieties and because its size will be uniform, it will be amenable to mechanical harvesting, an attractive feature for farmers in northern India who currently use this technology for paddy. Most important, Arhar straw, unlike paddy straw, is green and can be ploughed back into the soil. In paddy straw, the problem is the high silica content, which does not allow for easy decomposition. In the case of Arhar, the farmer, even after combine harvesting, just needs to run a rotavator to cut the leftover straw into pieces, which can be ploughed back and will decompose very fast. All this is difficult with leftover paddy stalks that cannot be easily salvaged or ploughed back. Farmers, therefore, choose the easiest option of simply burning it. 153. Which of the following are the most rational inferences that can be made from the passage? 1. Farmers' income will be higher with pulse cultivation than with paddy cultivation. 2. Pulse cultivation causes less pollution as compared to paddy cultivation. 3. Pulse straw can be used to improve soil quality. 4. In the context of northern Indian agriculture, paddy straw has no usefulness. 5. Mechanized agriculture is the main cause for stubble burning. Select the correct answer using the code given below. [UPSC CSE Pre. 2020] (a) 2, 3 and 5 (b) 1, 4 and 5 (c) 2 and 3 only (d) 1 and 4 only Passage - 114 In India, authorities always look to store the maximum amount of water in reservoirs during the monsoon season, which is then used for irrigation and generation of electricity during the summer months. It is an internationally accepted practice that the water level of a reservoir should be kept below a certain level before the onset of monsoon season. This is so that when monsoon rains come, there is space to store the excess rainwater and also so that water can be released in a regulated manner. But the authorities store the maximum amount of water in reservoirs even before the close of the monsoon, only to ensure greater electricity generation and irrigation. 154. With reference to the above passage, the following assumptions have been made: 1. High risks involved in holding maximum water in reservoirs are due to our over-dependence on hydro power projects. 2. Storage capacity of dams should not be fully used before or during monsoon season. 3. Role of dams in flood control is underestimated in India. Which of the above assumptions is/are valid? [UPSC CSE Pre. 2020] (a) 1 and 2 only (b) 2 only (c) 3 only (d) 1, 2 and 3 Passage - 115 Economic liberalization in India was shaped largely by the economic problems of the government than by the economic priorities of the people or by the long-term development objectives. Thus, there were limitations in conception and design which have been subsequently validated by experience. Jobless growth, persistent poverty and rising inequality have mounted as problems since economic liberalization began. And all these years later, four quiet crises confront the economy: agriculture, infrastructure, industrialization and education as constraints on the country's future prospects. These problems must be resolved if economic growth has to be sustained and transformed into meaningful development. 155. Which of the following is/are the most rational and logical inference/inferences that can be made from the passage? 1. It is essential to rethink and redefine the economic role of the State in the quest for development. 2. India has not made effective implementation of its policies in social sectors nor made sufficient investments in them. Select the correct answer using the code given below. [UPSC CSE Pre. 2020] (a) 1 only (b) 2 only (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2 156. With reference to the above passage, the following assumptions have been made: 1. India's economy needs to be greatly integrated with global economy so as to create large number of jobs and to sustain its growth momentum. 2. Economic liberalization would cause large economic growth which would reduce poverty and create sufficient employment in the long run. Which of the above assumptions is/are valid? [UPSC CSE Pre. 2020] (a) 1 only (b) 2 only (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2 Passage - 116 Bank credit to the industrial sector has started shrinking. Its decline has been a serious concern as credit growth is essential to revive investment. The problem's origins lie in the incomplete reforms of the last 25 years. An institutional change that should have followed the 1991 reforms should have been setting up of a resolution corporation for banks. In a market economy with booms and busts, banks should be allowed to be set up and to fail. Today, we cannot shut down banks because there is no proper system to shut them down. Weak loss-making banks continue to need more capital. 157. Which one of the following is the most logical and rational inference that can be made from the above passage? [UPSC CSE Pre. 2020] (a) Indian banking system is not able to help the country in its economic growth. (b) Economic reforms that started in 1991 have not helped in improving the economy to expected levels. (c) India lacks the institutional mechanism to deal with the failure of banks. (d) Encouraging foreign investments in our industrial sector is a good alternative to this sector's dependence on banks for credit. Passage - 117 India has tremendous potential for solar energy. We all realize that we have to stop burning fossil fuels to meet our energy needs. But certain renewable resources are still going through their cost curves and learning curves to get the required amount of output. The Indian Government has strongly committed to its targets of reducing emissions by 33 percent by 2030, and towards this it has initiated a strong push towards a gas-based economy and has also invested heavily in renewable energy. However, business houses are wary of investing too heavily in renewable energy at a time when the technology is not yet ready. 158. Which one of the following is the most logical and rational inference that can be made from the above passage? [UPSC CSE Pre. 2020] (a) India's commitment to reduce emissions by 33% is unlikely to be achieved. (b) India should import gas rather than invest in renewable resources. (c) Getting renewable resources to market too soon may be costly. (d) India should put in more efforts in the exploration of natural gas. 159. With reference to the above passage, the following assumptions have been made: 1. Governments often provide inefficient and costly subsidies for technologies that may not be ready in the near future. 2. India's commitment of reducing emissions by 33% by 2030 shall be on the basis of gas-based economy. Which of the above assumptions is/are valid? [UPSC CSE Pre. 2020] (a) 1 only (b) 2 only (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2 Passage - 118 Genome editing is different from genome modification. Genome editing typically involves finding the part of a plant genome that could be changed to render it less vulnerable to disease, or resistant to certain herbicides, or to increase yields. Researchers use 'molecular scissors' to dissect the genome and repair it, which is a process that occurs naturally when plants are under attack from diseases and can throw up new mutations that enable the plant to survive future attacks. This evolutionary process can effectively be speeded up now that it is possible to examine plant genomes in detail in laboratories, and create mechanisms through which the relevant genes can be altered very precisely. 160. With reference to the above passage, the following assumptions have been made: 1. Genome editing does not require the transfer of genes from one plant to another. 2. Through genome editing, the chosen genes can be altered precisely in a manner akin to the natural process that helps plants to adapt to environmental factors. Which of the above assumptions is/are valid? [UPSC CSE Pre. 2020] (a) 1 only (b) 2 only (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2