UPSC Prelims 2026 · CSAT
Question 63: Reading Comprehension
Which of the following conclusions are correct?
- 1.In the breakaway phase, economic progress is slow for the technology followers.
- 2.In the catch-up phase, leaders stagnate and followers, therefore, close the gap between them and the leaders.
- 3.In the fine-tuning phase, technology is exhausted, as it were, and both leaders and followers attempt to extract leftover benefits, leading to more or less similar per capita income levels.
- 4.Industrial technology followed scavenging, which preceded hunting, which itself was followed by farming.
Select the answer using the code given below.
AnswerUPSC’s answer is (a).
Statement 3 matches the passage: in the fine-tuning phase the technology is nearly exhausted, and leaders and followers draw out the remaining gains and end with similar per capita incomes. Statement 4 matches the order of eras: scavenging, then hunting, then farming, then industrial technology. Statement 1 is wrong: followers' incomes are unchanged in the breakaway phase, not slowly rising. Statement 2 is wrong: leaders are not said to stagnate; followers close the gap by adopting the technology.
- 1. Followers' incomes are unchanged in the breakaway phase, not slowly growing.
- 2. Followers close the gap by adopting the technology; leaders are not said to stagnate.
- 3. Both groups extract leftover gains and end with similar incomes.
- 4. The eras run scavenging, hunting, farming, industrial.
How you could have got this
- If you were sure statement 2 is not correct, (b), (c) and (d) go: each of them includes 2.
What you needed to know: Followers close the gap by adopting the technology; leaders are not said to stagnate.
Only (a) is left. You didn’t need statements 1, 3 or 4.
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) Right: 3 and 4 hold.
- (b) Wrong: 1 and 2 misstate the phases.
- (c) Wrong: 1 and 2 are both inaccurate.
- (d) Wrong: 2 says leaders stagnate, which the passage does not.
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.