2013 CSAT, all questions

UPSC Prelims 2013 · CSAT

Question 6: Reading Comprehension

Passage – 3 · as printed by UPSC
Passage beginning “Malnutrition most commonly occurs between the ages…”

According to the author, poverty is not the main cause of malnutrition, but the fact that

  1. 1.taking care of younger ones is not a priority for working mothers.
  2. 2.awareness of nutritional needs is not propagated by the Public Health authorities.

Select the correct answer using the code given below :

a1 only
b2 only
cBoth 1 and 2
dNeither 1 nor 2

AnswerUPSC’s answer is (b).

The passage says malnutrition is usually blamed on poverty but is better explained by young children's dependence on others to feed them, together with low awareness of what they need. Its remedy is to raise awareness of children's food needs and how to meet them. So UPSC accepts statement 2: awareness of nutritional needs is lacking. Statement 1 is not supported: the passage says feeding is often left to an older sibling when the mother works, not that mothers give childcare a low priority.

  • 1. The passage says feeding gets left to an older sibling, not that mothers give it a low priority.
  • 2. The passage's remedy is more awareness of children's food needs, pointing to that gap.

How you could have got this

  1. If you were sure statement 1 is not correct, (a) and (c) go: each of them includes 1.

    What you needed to know: The passage says feeding gets left to an older sibling, not that mothers give it a low priority.

  2. Then, if you were sure statement 2 is correct, (d) goes: it leaves 2 out.

    What you needed to know: The passage's remedy is more awareness of children's food needs, pointing to that gap.

Only (b) is left. This one needs every statement.

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) Wrong. The passage describes feeding being left to an older sibling; it does not say mothers neglect it.
  • (b) Right per UPSC. Lack of awareness of the child's food needs is the gap the passage points to.
  • (c) Wrong, because statement 1 is not supported.
  • (d) Wrong per UPSC's key, which accepts statement 2.

Worth knowing: The passage never names public health authorities, so some solvers read neither statement as supported; UPSC's key accepts statement 2 on the strength of the call for awareness.

Answer: UPSC’s key. Explanation: written by UPSC Grade, not by UPSC.

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Source: UPSC, Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination 2013, General Studies Paper II (CSAT), Series A. The paper on upsc.gov.in.