2019 Prelims Paper 2 UPSC Question Paper

Directions for the following 7 (seven) items:
Read the following six passage and answer the items that follow. Your answers to these items should be based on the passage only.

Passage-1
What stands in the way of the widespread and careful adoption of Genetic Modification (GM) technology is an 'Intellectual Property Rights' regime that seeks to create private monopolies for such technologies. If GM technology is largely corporate driven, it seeks to maximize profits and that too in the short run. That is why corporations make major investments for herbicide-tolerant and pest-resistant crops. Such properties have only a short window, as soon enough, pests and weeds will evolve to overcome such resistance. This suits the corporations. The National Farmers Commission pointed out that priority must be given in genetic modification to the incorporation of genes that can help impart resistance to drought, salinity and other stresses.

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

On the basis of the above passage, the following assumptions have been made:
1. The issue of the effects of natural calamities on agriculture is not given due consideration by GM technology companies.
2. In the long run, GM technology will not be able to solve agricultural problems arising due to global warming.
Which of the above assumptions is/are valid?

Passage-2
Most invasive species are neither terribly successful nor very harmful. Britain's invasive plants are not widespread, not spreading especially quickly, and often less of a nuisance than vigorous natives such as bracken. The arrival of new species almost always increases biological diversity in a region; in many cases, a flood of newcomers drives no native species to extinction. One reason is that invaders tend to colonise disturbed habitats like polluted lakes and post-industrial wasteland, where little else lives. They are nature's opportunists.

Which one of the following is the most logical and rational inference that can be made from the above passage?

Passage-3
Diarrhoeal deaths among Indian children. are mostly due to food and water contamination. Use of contaminated groundwater and unsafe chemicals in agriculture, poor hygiene in storage and handling of food items to food cooked and distributed in unhygienic surroundings; there are myriad factors that need regulation and monitoring. People need to have awareness of adulteration and ways of complaining to the relevant authorities. Surveillance of food-borne diseases involves a number of government agencies and entails a good training of inspection staff. Considering the proportion of the urban population that depends on street food for its daily meals, investing in training and education of street vendors is of great significance.

On the basis of the above passage, the following assumptions have been made:
1. Food safety is a complex issue that calls for a multipronged solution.
2. Great investments need to be made in developing the manpower for surveillance and training.
3. India needs to make sufficient legislation for governing food processing industry.
Which of the above assumptions is/are valid?

Passage-4
The interests of working and poor people have historically been neglected in the planning of our cities. Our cities are increasingly intolerant, unsafe and unlivable places for large numbers of citizens and yet we continue to plan via the old ways the static Development Plan that draws exclusively from technical expertise, distanced from people's live experiences and needs, and actively excluding large number of people, places, activities and practices that are an integral part of the city.

The passage seems to argue

Passage-5
A vast majority of Indians are poor, with barely 10 percent employed in the organised sector. We are being convinced that vigorous economic growth is generating substantial employment. But this is not so. When our economy was growing at 3 percent per year. employment in the organised sector was growing at 2 percent per year. As the economy began to grow at 7 8 percent per year, the rate of growth of employment in the organised sector actually declined to 1 percent per year.

The above passage seems to imply that:
1. most of modern economic growth is .based on technological progress.
2. much of modern Indian economy does not nurture sufficient symbiotic relationship with labour-intensive,natural resource-based livelihoods.
3. service sector in India is not very labour-intensive.
4. literate rural population is not willing to enter organised sector.
Which of the statements given above are correct?

Passage-6
India has banking correspondents, who help bring people in the hinterland into the banking fold. For them to succeed, banks cannot crimp on costs. They also cannot afford to ignore investing in financial education and literacy. Banking correspondents are way too small to be viewed as a systemic risk. Yet India's banking regulator has restricted them to serving only one bank, perhaps to prevent arbitrage. Efforts at banking outreach may succeed only if there are better incentives at work for such last-mile workers and also those providers who ensure not just basic bank accounts but also products such as accident and life insurance and micro pension schemes.

Which one of the following is the most logical, rational and crucial inference that can be derived from the above passage?

What is X in the sequence
132, 129, 124, 117, 106, 93, X?