UPSC Prelims 2022 · CSAT

Question 13: Reading Comprehension

Passage beginning “The poverty line is quite unsatisfactory…” — Passage—2 · as printed by UPSC

Why is income poverty only one measure of counting the ‘poor’ ?

aIt talks of only one kind of deprivation ignoring all others.

bOther deprivations in a human life have nothing to do with lack of purchasing power.

cIncome poverty is not a permanent condition, it changes from time to time.

dIncome poverty restricts human choices only at a point of time.

AnswerUPSC’s answer is (a).

The passage says poverty is really about the many ways a person's well-being can be cut short, and that income poverty captures only one aspect of it. So income poverty is only one measure because it covers a single kind of deprivation and leaves the rest out. Option (b) overstates: the passage links low income to restricted capabilities, so other deprivations are not unrelated to money. Options (c) and (d) bring in time, which the passage never raises.

Why each option is right or wrong

(a) Correct: income poverty reflects only one kind of deprivation and ignores the others.
(b) Overstated: the passage links low income to curtailed capabilities, so it does not say there is no connection.
(c) Not stated: the passage does not discuss whether poverty is temporary.
(d) Not stated: the passage does not limit the effect to a point in time.

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

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Source: UPSC, Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination 2022, General Studies Paper II (CSAT), Series A. The paper on upsc.gov.in.