1998 General Studies, all questions

UPSC Prelims 1998 · General Studies

Question 33: Economy and Social Development

Assertion (A): The United States of America has threatened to ask the World Trade Organisation (WTO) to apply sanctions against the developing countries for the no observance of ILO conventions. Reason (R): The United States of America itself has adopted and implemented those ILO conventions.

aBoth A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A
bBoth A and R are true, but R is NOT a correct explanation of A
cA is true, but R is false
dA is false, but R is true

AnswerThe answer is (c).

A is true: in the 1990s the United States and some other rich countries pressed to link labour standards to trade rules (the 'social clause'), so that trade action could be taken against countries not observing ILO conventions; developing countries, India among them, opposed this as disguised protection. R is false: the United States has itself ratified only a handful of ILO conventions and not the core ones on freedom of association and collective bargaining (Nos. 87 and 98).

  • A. The US pushed for trade action over labour standards in the 1990s.
  • R. The US has ratified only a few ILO conventions and not core ones such as 87 and 98.

How you could have got this

If you were sure statement 1 is correct, (d) goes. Then judge the second statement; if it is correct too, decide whether it explains the first.

This follows an unofficial answer: UPSC has not published its key for this year, and if that answer is wrong, so is this path.

Which options go is worked out from UPSC’s key and the options, not by a model.

Why each option is right or wrong
  • (a) R is false, so it cannot explain A.
  • (b) R is false, not merely a poor explanation.
  • (c) Right: A is true; R is false because the US has ratified few ILO conventions.
  • (d) A is true, so this fails.

Explanation: written by UPSC Grade, not by UPSC.

Practise this paper timedPrevious questionNext question

Source: UPSC, Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination 1998, General Studies. UPSC's own paper isn't online; the words are from a published compilation. The paper on upsc.gov.in.