UPSC Prelims 2019 · CSAT

Question 28: Reading Comprehension

Passage beginning “A majority of the TB infected in India…” — Passage - 6 · as printed by UPSC

Which one of the following is the most logical, rational and crucial message conveyed by the above passage ?

aTB is not a curable disease in Indian circumstances.

bCuring TB requires more than diagnosis and medical treatment.

cGovernment's surveillance mechanism is deficient; and poor people have no access to treatment.

dIndia will be free from diseases like TB only when its poverty alleviation programmes are effectively and successfully implemented.

AnswerUPSC’s answer is (b).

The passage shows that TB patients in India are mostly poor, hungry and badly housed, and that stigma, lack of counselling, costly treatment, poor support and harsh side effects make them abandon treatment. The crucial message is that curing TB takes more than diagnosis and medicine: social, economic and support factors matter. The other options say TB is incurable, blame surveillance (not discussed) or tie freedom from TB wholly to poverty programmes, which overstates it.

Why each option is right or wrong

(a) Wrong: the passage speaks of treatment being abandoned, not of TB being incurable.
(b) Right: poverty, stigma, cost and support gaps mean medicine alone is not enough.
(c) Wrong: government surveillance is not discussed.
(d) Wrong: too sweeping; poverty is one factor among several.

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

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Source: UPSC, Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination 2019, General Studies Paper II (CSAT), Series A. The paper on upsc.gov.in.