UPSC Prelims 2026 · CSAT
Question 31: Reading Comprehension
Which of the following assumptions is/are valid?
- 1.Agricultural productivity has marched ahead in the West because of the economies of scale facilitated by the adoption of AI tools.
- 2.Affordable AI tools rendered available in local languages can help AI-based solutions reach more and more small farmers.
- 3.Though penetration is as yet low, critical application areas deploying AI tools are already in use in India.
Select the answer using the code given below.
AnswerUPSC’s answer is (d).
Statement 2 matches the passage's advice to develop low-cost AI tools in Indian languages for small farmers so that they can be reached. Statement 3 matches its account that India already uses AI in areas such as forecasting weather, handling pests and improving yields, even though only a limited group of tech-savvy farmers benefits so far. Statement 1 goes too far: the passage says only that generative AI tools in the West have started providing large-scale, data-rich precision farming; it never credits them with productivity gains.
- 1. The passage mentions large-scale AI-driven farming in the West, not productivity gains from scale economies.
- 2. Affordable AI tools in Indian languages are recommended to reach smallholders.
- 3. Important uses already exist in India, though they reach only a limited group of farmers.
How you could have got this
- 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 mentions large-scale AI-driven farming in the West, not productivity gains from scale economies.
- Then, if you were sure statement 3 is correct, (b) goes: it leaves 3 out.
What you needed to know: Important uses already exist in India, though they reach only a limited group of farmers.
Only (d) is left. You didn’t need statement 2.
This follows UPSC’s provisional key; the final key could change it.
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: 1 claims productivity gains the passage never states.
- (b) Wrong: leaves out 3, which the passage supports.
- (c) Wrong: 1 is unsupported and 2 is missing.
- (d) Right: 2 and 3 are supported.
Only the provisional key (27 May 2026) was found; the final key replaces it when found.
Answer: UPSC’s key. Explanation: written by UPSC Grade, not by UPSC.
Source: UPSC, Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination 2026, General Studies Paper II (CSAT), Series A. The paper on upsc.gov.in.