UPSC Prelims 2015 · CSAT

Question 41: Reading Comprehension

Passage beginning “Climate change is already making many…” — Passage – 1 · as printed by UPSC

Which among the following is the most logical corollary to the above passage ?

aGovernment should allocate more funds to poverty alleviation programmes and increase food subsidies to the poor communities.

bPoverty and climate impacts reinforce each other and therefore we have to re-imagine our food systems.

cAll the countries of the world must unite in fighting poverty and malnutrition and treat poverty as a global problem.

dWe must stop unsustainable agricultural practices immediately and control food prices.

AnswerUPSC’s answer is (b).

The passage says climate change hurts the poorest through falling crop yields, higher prices, scarcer nutrients and more hunger, while poverty in turn pushes desperate communities to use resources unsustainably, which feeds climate change. So the two reinforce each other, and the logical corollary is that food systems must be rethought with both in mind. The other options bring in prescriptions the passage never makes: more subsidies, a worldwide united front, or an immediate halt to all unsustainable farming along with price controls.

Why each option is right or wrong

(a) Wrong: more funds and food subsidies are specific remedies not mentioned in the passage.
(b) Right: poverty and climate impacts feed each other, so rethinking food systems follows.
(c) Wrong: a global united fight against poverty is not discussed.
(d) Wrong: stopping all unsustainable farming at once and controlling prices are extreme steps the passage does not support.

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

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Source: UPSC, Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination 2015, General Studies Paper II (CSAT), Series A. The paper on upsc.gov.in.