Q. Pharmaceutical patents grant protection to the patentee for the duration of the patent term.

The patentees enjoy the liberty to determine the prices of medicines, which is time-limited to the period of monopoly, but could be unaffordable to the public. Such patent protection offered to the patentees is believed to benefit the public over the longer term through innovations and research and development (R&D), although it comes at a cost, in the nature of higher prices for the patented medicine. The patent regime and price protection through a legally validated high price for the medicine during the currency of the patent provide the patentee with a legitimate mechanism to get returns on the costs incurred in innovation and research.

Q. Based on the above passage, the following assumptions have been made: 
1. Patent protection given to patentees puts a huge burden on public’s purchasing power in accessing patented medicines.
2. Dependence on other countries for pharmaceutical products is a huge burden for developing and poor countries.
3. Providing medicines to the public at affordable prices is a key goal during the public health policy design in many countries.
4. Governments need to find an appropriate balance between the rights of patentees and the requirements of the patients.
Which of the above assumptions are valid?
(a) 1 and 2
(b) 1 and 4
(c) 3 and 4
(d) 2 and 3

Q. The paradox of choice is illustrated by the story of Buridan’s ass. Jean Buridan, the 14th century philosopher, wrote about free will and the inability to choose due to numerous choices and uncertainties.

In the story, a donkey stands between two equally appealing stacks of hay. Unable to decide which to eat, it starves to death. Changes in technology and innovations such as smart phones and tablets only exacerbate our glut of choices. Constant connectivity and overconsumption of real-time data and social media can leave little room for self-reflection and rest, making decisions more difficult. Life is about choices. Many people are overwhelmed with attractive life choices, yet find themselves unhappy and anxious.

Q. Which one of the following statements best reflects the most logical message implied by the above passage 
(a) Modern technology enfeebles societal structure and makes life difficult.
(b) Modern life is full of uncertainties and endless difficult choices.
(c) We are influenced by the opinion of others and have no courage to follow our own convictions.
(d) In our lives, having too few choices may not be a good thing, but having too many can be equally as difficult.

Q. Benefits of good quality school education accrue only when students complete and leave school after having acquired the gateway skills.

Like one learns to walk before running, similarly one picks up advanced skills only after picking the basic foundational skills. The advent of the knowledge economy poses new challenges, and one of the severe consequences of having an uneducated workforce will be our inability to keep pace with the global economy. Without a strong learning foundation at the primary level, there can be no improvement in higher education or skill development.

 Q. Which one of the following statements best reflects the crux of the passage?
(a) To become a global power, India needs to invest in universal quality education.
(b) India is unable to become a global power because it is not focussing or promoting knowledge economy.
(c) Our education system should focus more on imparting skills during higher education.
(d) Parents of many school children are illiterate and are unaware of the benefits of quality education.

Q. While awareness on use/misuse and abuse of antibiotics is common knowledge, as is the impact of dosing poultry with antibiotics, the environmental impact of companies not antibiotics-manufacturing treating their waste has scarcely been discussed at any length or seriousness thus far. Pollution from antibiotics factories is fuelling the rise of drug-resistant infections. The occurrence of drug-resistant bacteria surrounding the pharma manufacturing plants is well known.

Q. Which one of the following statements best reflects the most logical and practical message conveyed by the passage? 
(a) It is necessary to put proper effluent treatment protocols in place.
(b) It is necessary to promote environmental awareness among people.
(c) Spread of drug-resistant bacteria cannot be done away with, as it is inherent in modern medical care.
(d) Pharma-manufacturing companies should be set up in remote rural areas, away from crowded towns and cities.

Q. Sourcing food from non-agricultural lands (uncultivated systems such as forests, wetlands, pastures, etc) in addition to agricultural lands enables a systemic approach to food consumption.

It allows rural and tribal communities to sustain themselves for the whole year and steer clear of natural disasters and season-induced shortfalls of agricultural food. Since the productivity of trees is often more resilient to adverse weather conditions than annual crops, forest foods often provide a safety net during periods of food shortages caused by crop failure; forest foods also make important contributions during seasonal crop production gaps.

Q. Which one of the following statements best reflects the most logical and rational message conveyed by the author of the passage?
(a) Food yielding trees should replace other trees in rural and tribal areas and community owned lands.
(b) Food security cannot be ensured in India with the present practice of conventional agriculture.
(c) Wastelands and degraded areas in India should be converted into agroforestry systems to help the poor.
(d) Agroecosystems should be developed in addition to or along with conventional agriculture.

Q. Along with sustainable lifestyles, climate justice is regarded as a significant principle in environmental parlance.

Both the principles have bearings on political and economic choices of the nation. So far, in our climate change summits or compacts, both the principles have eluded consensus among nations. Justice, in the judicial sense, is well defined. However, in the context of climate change, it has scientific as well as socio-political connotations. The crucial question in the next few years will be how resources, technologies and regulations are used to support the victims of climate change. Justice in climate is not confined to actions relating to mitigation, but includes the wider notion of support for adaptation to climate change and compensation for loss and damage.

Q. Which one of the following statements best reflects the most logical, rational and crucial message conveyed by the passage? 
(a) Climate justice should be ingrained in detail in the rules of all the new climate compacts/agreements.
(b) Environmental resources are unevenly distributed and exploited across the globe.
(c) There is an impending issue of dealing with a huge number of climate change victims/climate refugees.
(d) Climate change in all its connotations is mostly due to developed countries and therefore their share of burden should be more.

Q. A global analysis of nitrogen use efficiency a measure of the amount of nitrogen a plant takes in to grow versus what is left behind as pollution says that using too much fertilizers will lead to increased pollution of waterways and the air.

Currently, the global average for nitrogen use efficiency is approximately 0.4, meaning 40 per cent of the total nitrogen added to cropland goes into the harvested crop while 60 per cent is lost to the environment, says a study. More than half of the world’s population is nourished by food grown with fertilizers containing synthetic nitrogen, which is needed to produce high crop yields. Plants take the nitrogen they need to grow, and the excess is left in the ground, water and air. This results in significant emissions of nitrous oxide, a potent greenhouse and ozone depleting gas, and other forms of nitrogen pollution, including eutrophication of lakes and rivers and contamination of river water.

Q. Which one of the following statements best reflects the most logical, rational and crucial message implied by the passage? 
(a) An enhanced efficiency of use of nitrogen is imperative for both food production and environment.
(b) Production of synthetic nitrogen fertilizers cannot be stopped as it will adversely affect global food security.
(c) Alternatives to crops that require excess of nitrogen should be identified and cultivated.
(d) Conventional agriculture using synthetic fertilizers should be replaced with agroforestry, agroecosystems and organic farming.

Q. Food consumption patterns have changed substantially in India over the past few decades.

This has resulted in the disappearance of many nutritious foods such as millets. While food grain production has increased over five times since independence, it has not sufficiently addressed the issue of malnutrition. For long, the agriculture sector focussed on increasing food production particularly staples, which led to lower production and consumption of indigenous traditional crops/grains, fruits and other vegetables, impacting food and nutrition security in the process. Further, intensive, monoculture agriculture practices can perpetuate the food and nutrition security problem by degrading the quality of land, water and food derived through them.

Q1. Based on the above passage, the following assumptions have been made: 
1. To implement the Sustainable Development Goals and to achieve zero-hunger goal, monoculture agriculture practices are inevitable even if they do not address malnutrition.
2. Dependence on a few crops has negative consequences for human health and the ecosystem.
3. Government policies regarding food planning need to incorporate nutritional security.
4. For the present monoculture agriculture practices, farmers receive subsidies in various ways and government offers remunerative prices for grains and therefore they do not tend to consider crop diversity.

Which of the above assumptions are valid?

(a) 1, 2 and 4 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 3 and 4 only
(d) 1, 2, 3 and 4

Q. There is a claim that organic farming is inherently safer and healthier.

The reality is that because the organic farming industry is still young and not well-regulated in India, farmers and consumers, alike, are not only confused about what products are best for them, but sometimes use products in ways that could harm them as well. For example, since organic fertilizers are difficult to obtain on a large scale in India, farmers often use farmyard manure, which may contain toxic chemicals and heavy metals. Certain plant sprays, such as Datura flower and leaf spray, have an element called atropine. If it is not applied in the right dose, it can act on the nervous system of the consumer. Unfortunately, how much and when to use it are not well-researched or regulated issues.

Q1. Based on the above passage, the following assumptions have been made:
1. Organic farming is inherently unsafe for both farmers and consumers.
2. Farmers and consumers need to be educated about eco-friendly food.
Which of the assumptions given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Q2. Which one of the following statements best reflects the most logical, rational and practical message conveyed by the author of the passage ?
(a) In India, organic farming should not be promoted as a substitute for conventional farming.
(b) There are no safe organic alternatives to chemical fertilizers.
(c) In India, farmers need to be guided and helped to make their organic farming sustainable.
(d) The aim of organic farming should not be to generate huge profits as there is still no global market for its products.

Q. In India, the segregation of municipal waste at source is rare.

Recycling is mostly with the informal sector. More than three-fourths of the municipal budget goes into collection and transportation, which leaves very little for processing/resource recovery and disposal. Where does waste-to-energy fit into all this? Ideally it fits in the chain after segregation (between wet waste and the rest), collection, recycling, and before getting to the landfill. Which technology is most appropriate in converting waste to energy depends on what is in the waste (that is biodegradable versus non-biodegradable component) and its calorific value. The biodegradable component of India’s municipal solid waste is a little over 50 per cent, and biomethanation offers a major solution for processing this.

Q. Based on the above passage, the following assumptions have been made : 
1. Collection, processing and segregation of municipal waste should be with government agencies.
2. Resource recovery and recycling require technological inputs that can be best handled by private sector enterprises.
Which of the assumptions given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Q. Which one of the following statements best reflects the crux of the passage?
(a) Generation of energy from municipal solid waste is inexpensive.
(b) Biomethanation is the most ideal way of generating energy from municipal solid waste.
(c) Segregation of municipal solid waste is the first step in ensuring the success of waste-to-energy plants.
(d) The biodegradable component of India’s municipal solid waste is not adequateto provide energy from waste efficiently/effectively.