Prelims Solution

Q. Approximately 80 percent of all flowering plant species are pollinated by animals, including birds and mammals, but the main pollinators are insects.

CSAT 2021 /

Q. Approximately 80 percent of all flowering plant species are pollinated by animals, including birds and mammals, but the main pollinators are insects.

Pollination is responsible for providing us with a wide variety of food, as well as many plant-derived medicines. At least one-third of the world’s agricultural crops depend upon pollination. Bees are the most dominant taxa when it comes to pollination and they are crucial to more than four hundred crops. Pollination is an essential service that is the result of intricate relationship between plants and animals, and the reduction or less of either affects the survival of both. Effective pollination requires resources, such as refuges of pristine natural vegetation.

Q 1. On the basis of the passage given above, the following assumptions have been made:
1. Sustainable production of India’s cereal food grains is impossible without the diversity of pollinating animals.
2. Monoculture of horticultural crops hampers the survival of insects.
3. Pollinators become scarce in cultivated areas devoid of natural vegetation.
4. Diversity in insects induces diversity of plants.
Which of the above assumptions is/are valid?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2, 3 and 4 only
(c) 1 and 2 only
(d) 3 and 4 only

Question from UPSC Prelims 2021 CSAT Paper

Explanation : 

Q1: Correct Answer – (d) 3 and 4 only

Explanation – Based on the information given in the passage above, assumptions 3 and 4 are valid. The passage states that effective pollination requires resources such as refuges of pristine natural vegetation. This supports assumption 3 that pollinators become scarce in cultivated areas devoid of natural vegetation. The passage also mentions that pollination is an essential service that is the result of an intricate relationship between plants and animals and that the reduction or loss of either affects the survival of both. This supports assumption 4 that diversity in insects induces diversity in plants.

So, option (d) “3 and 4 only” is correct.

Q. Approximately 80 percent of all flowering plant species are pollinated by animals, including birds and mammals, but the main pollinators are insects. Read More »

Q. Researchers simulated street lighting on artificial grassland plots containing pea-aphids, sap-sucking insects, at night.

CSAT 2021 /

Q. Researchers simulated street lighting on artificial grassland plots contaaining pea-aphids, sap-sucking insects, at night.

These were exposed to two different types of light – a white light similar to newer commercial LED lights and an amber light similar to sodium street lamps. The low intensity amber light was shown to inhibit, rather than induce, flowering in a wild plant of the pea family which is a source of food for the pea-aphids in grasslands. The number of aphids was also significantly suppressed under the light treatment due to the limited amount of food available.

Q 1. Which one of the following statements best reflects the most critical inference that can be made from the passage given above?
(a) Low intensity light has more adverse effect on the plants as compared to high intensity light.
(b) Light pollution can have a permanent adverse impact on an ecosystem.
(c) White light is better for the flowering of plants as compare to the light of other colours.
(d) Proper intensity of light in an ecosystem is important not only for plants but for animals too.

Question from UPSC Prelims 2021 CSAT Paper

Explanation : 

Q1: Correct Answer – (b) Light pollution can have a permanent adverse impact on an ecosystem.

Explanation – The most critical inference that can be made from the passage given above is that light pollution can have a permanent adverse impact on an ecosystem. This is because the low intensity amber light was shown to inhibit flowering in a wild plant of the pea family which is a source of food for the pea-aphids in grasslands. The number of aphids was also significantly suppressed under the light treatment due to the limited amount of food available. This shows that light pollution can have a cascading effect on an ecosystem.

So, option (b) “Light pollution can have a permanent adverse impact on an ecosystem” best reflects the most critical inference that can be made from the passage given above.

Q. Researchers simulated street lighting on artificial grassland plots containing pea-aphids, sap-sucking insects, at night. Read More »

Q. A social and physical environment riddled with poverty, inequities, unhygienic and insanitary conditions generates the risk of infectious diseases.

CSAT 2021 /

Q. A social and physical environment riddled with poverty, inequities, unhygienic and insanitary conditions generates the risk of infectious diseases.

Hygiene has different levels : personal, domestic and community hygiene. There is no doubt that personal cleanliness brings down the rate of infectious diseases. But the entry of the market into this domain has created a false sense of security that gets conditioned and reinforced by the onslaught of advertisements. Experience in Western Europe shows that along with personal hygiene, general improvements in environmental conditions and components like clean water, sanitation and food security have brought down infant/child death/infections rates considerably. The obsession with hand hygiene also brings in the persisting influence of the market on personal health, overriding or marginalizing the negative impact on ecology and the emergence of resistant germs.

Q 1. On the basis of the passage given above, the following assumptions have been made:
1. People who are obsessed with personal hygiene tend to ignore the community hygiene.
2. Emergence of multi-drug resistant germs can be prevented by personal cleanliness.
3. Entry of the market in the domain of hygiene increases the risk of infectious diseases.
4. Scientific and micro-level interventions are not sufficient to bring down the burden of infectious diseases.
5. It is community hygiene implemented through public health measures that is really effective in the battle against infectious diseases.
Which of the above assumptions are valid?
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 3 and 4 only
(c) 4 and 5 only
(d) 1, 2 and 4 only

Question from UPSC Prelims 2021 CSAT Paper

Explanation : 

Q1: Correct Answer – (c) (c) 4 and 5 only

Explanation – Based on the information given in the passage above, assumptions 4 and 5 are valid. The passage discusses how a social and physical environment riddled with poverty, inequities, unhygienic and insanitary conditions generates the risk of infectious diseases. It mentions that personal cleanliness can help bring down the rate of infectious diseases but that the entry of the market into this domain has created a false sense of security. The passage also discusses how experience in Western Europe shows that general improvements in environmental conditions such as clean water, sanitation and food security have brought down infant/child death/infection rates considerably.

Assumption 4 states that scientific and micro-level interventions are not sufficient to bring down the burden of infectious diseases. This is supported by the information in the passage which suggests that while personal hygiene can help reduce infection rates, it is not sufficient on its own and must be accompanied by general improvements in environmental conditions.

Assumption 5 states that it is community hygiene implemented through public health measures that is really effective in the battle against infectious diseases. This is also supported by information in the passage which discusses how general improvements in environmental conditions have been effective at reducing infection rates.

Assumptions 1, 2 and 3 are not supported by information given in the passage.

Therefore, based on this reasoning, option © 4 and 5 only would be my answer to this question.

Q. A social and physical environment riddled with poverty, inequities, unhygienic and insanitary conditions generates the risk of infectious diseases. Read More »

Q. Computers increasingly deal not just with abstract data like credit card details and databases, but also with the real world of physical objects and vulnerable human bodies.

CSAT 2021 /

Q. Computers increasingly deal not just with abstract data like credit card details and databases, but also with the real world of physical objects and vulnerable human bodies.

A modern car is a computer on wheels; an aeroplane is a computer on wings. The arrival of the “Internet of Things” will see computers baked into everything from road signs and MRI scanners to prosthetics and insulin pumps. There is little evidence that these gadgets will be any more trustworthy than their desktop counterparts. Hackers have already proved that they can take remote control of internet connected cars and pacemakers.

Q1 . Which one of the following statements best reflects the most critical inference that can be made from the passage given above?
(a) Computers are not completely safe.
(b) Companies producing the software do not take cyber security seriously.
(c) Stringent data security laws are needed.
(d) The present trend of communication technologies will affect our lives in future.

Question from UPSC Prelims 2021 CSAT Paper

Explanation : 

Q1: Correct Answer – (a) Computers are not completely safe.

Explanation – The passage discusses how computers are increasingly dealing with the real world of physical objects and vulnerable human bodies. It mentions that the arrival of the “Internet of Things” will see computers embedded into everything from road signs to insulin pumps. However, there is little evidence that these gadgets will be any more trustworthy than their desktop counterparts. The passage gives examples of hackers taking remote control of internet-connected cars and pacemakers.

Based on this information, the most critical inference that can be made from the passage is that (a) Computers are not completely safe. This option reflects the main concern raised in the passage about the trustworthiness and safety of computers embedded in physical objects.

Option (b) Companies producing the software do not take cyber security seriously is not supported by information in the passage. Option © Stringent data security laws are needed may be a possible solution to address computer safety concerns but it is not an inference that can be made from the given information. Option (d) The present trend of communication technologies will affect our lives in future is a general statement that does not reflect a critical inference from the given information.

Q. Computers increasingly deal not just with abstract data like credit card details and databases, but also with the real world of physical objects and vulnerable human bodies. Read More »

Q. At the heart of agroecology is the idea that agroecosystems should mimic the biodiversity levels and functioning of natural ecosystems.

CSAT 2021 /

Q. At the heart of agroecology is the idea that agroecosystems should mimic the biodiversity levels and functioning of natural ecosystems.

Such agricultural mimics, like their natural models, can be productive, pest-resistant, nutrient conserving, and resilient to shocks and stresses. In ecosystems there is no ‘waste’, nutrients are recycled indefinitely. Agroecology aims at closing nutrient loops, i.e., returning all nutrients that come out of the soil back to the soil such as through application of farmyard manure. It also harnesses natural processes to control pests and build soil fertility i.e., through intercropping. Agroecological practices include integrating trees with livestock and crops.

Q 1. Consider the following:
1. Cover crops
2. Fertigation
3. Hydroponics
4. Mixed farming
5. Polyculture
6. Vertical farming
Which of the above farming practices can be compatible with agroecology, as implied by the passage?
(a) 1, 4 and 5 only
(b) 2, 3, 4 and 5 only
(c) 1, 2, 3 and 6 only
(d) 4 and 6 only

Question from UPSC Prelims 2021 CSAT Paper

Explanation : 

Q1: Correct Answer – (a) 1, 4 and 5 only

Explanation – Based on the information given in the passage, farming practices 1 (cover crops), 4 (mixed farming), and 5 (polyculture) can be compatible with agroecology. The passage mentions that agroecology aims to mimic the biodiversity levels and functioning of natural ecosystems and to close nutrient loops by returning all nutrients that come out of the soil back to the soil. It also mentions intercropping and integrating trees with livestock and crops as examples of agroecological practices. Cover crops can help build soil fertility and prevent erosion, mixed farming involves integrating crops with livestock, and polyculture involves growing multiple crops in the same area. All these practices can contribute to increasing biodiversity levels and closing nutrient loops in agroecosystems. So the correct answer is (a) 1, 4 and 5 only.

Fertigation (option 2) is a method of applying fertilizers through irrigation systems. While it can help improve nutrient use efficiency and reduce fertilizer runoff, it does not necessarily involve closing nutrient loops or mimicking natural ecosystems.

Hydroponics (option 3) is a method of growing plants without soil, using mineral nutrient solutions in water. While it can help conserve water and nutrients, it does not involve returning nutrients to the soil or mimicking natural ecosystems.

Vertical farming (option 6) involves growing crops in vertically stacked layers using artificial lighting and climate control. While it can help increase crop yields in urban areas with limited space, it does not necessarily involve closing nutrient loops or mimicking natural ecosystems.

Q. At the heart of agroecology is the idea that agroecosystems should mimic the biodiversity levels and functioning of natural ecosystems. Read More »

Q. Fig trees (genus Ficus) are considered sacred in India, East Asia and Africa and are common in agricultural and urban landscapes where other large trees are absent.

CSAT 2021 /

Q. Fig trees (genus Ficus) are considered sacred in India, East Asia and Africa and are common in agricultural and urban landscapes where other large trees are absent.

In natural forests, fig trees provide food for wildlife when other resources are scarce and support a high density and diversity of frugivores (fruit-eating animals). If frugivorous birds and bats continue to visit to fig trees located in sites with high human disturbances, sacred fig trees may promote frugivore abundance. Under favourable microclimate, plenty of seedlings of other tree species would grow around fig trees.

Q 1. On the basis of the passage given above, the following assumption have been made:
1. Fig trees can often be keystone species in natural forests.
2. Fig trees can grow where other large woody species cannot grow.
3. Sacred trees can have a role in biodiversity conservation.
4. Fig trees have a role in the seed dispersal of other tree species.
Which of the above assumptions is/are valid?
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 3 only
(c) 2 and 4 only
(d) 1, 3 and 4 only

Question from UPSC Prelims 2021 CSAT Paper

Explanation : 

Q1: Correct Answer – (d) 1, 3 and 4 only

Explanation – Based on the information given in the passage, assumptions 1, 3 and 4 are valid. The passage states that fig trees provide food for wildlife when other resources are scarce and support a high density and diversity of frugivores. This suggests that fig trees can often be keystone species in natural forests (assumption 1). The passage also mentions that sacred fig trees may promote frugivore abundance and that under favorable microclimate, plenty of seedlings of other tree species would grow around fig trees. This suggests that sacred trees can have a role in biodiversity conservation (assumption 3) and that fig trees have a role in the seed dispersal of other tree species (assumption 4). However, the passage does not provide any information to support assumption 2. So the correct answer is (d) 1, 3 and 4 only.

Q. Fig trees (genus Ficus) are considered sacred in India, East Asia and Africa and are common in agricultural and urban landscapes where other large trees are absent. Read More »

Q. A central message of modern development economics is the importance of income growth, by which is meant growth in Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

CSAT 2021 /

Q. A central message of modern development economics is the importance of income growth, by which is meant growth in Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

In theory, rising GDP creates employment and investment opportunities. As incomes grow in a country where the level of GDP was once low, households, communities, and governments are increasingly able to set aside some funds for the production of things that make for a good life. Today GDP has assumed such a significant place in the development lexicon, that if someone mentions “economic growth”, we know they mean growth in GDP.

Q 1. With reference to the above passage, the following assumptions have been made:
1. Rising GDP is essential for a country to be a developed country.
2. Rising GDP guarantees a reasonable distribution of income to all households.
Which of the above assumptions is/are valid?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Question from UPSC Prelims 2021 CSAT Paper

Explanation : 

Q1: Correct Answer – (d) Neither 1 nor 2

Explanation – The correct answer is (d) Neither 1 nor 2. The passage states that rising GDP creates employment and investment opportunities and allows households, communities, and governments to set aside funds for the production of things that make for a good life. However, it does not state that rising GDP is essential for a country to be a developed country or that it guarantees a reasonable distribution of income to all households. These are assumptions that are not supported by the information given in the passage.

Q. A central message of modern development economics is the importance of income growth, by which is meant growth in Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Read More »

Q. Policy makers and media have placed the blame for skyrocketing food prices on a variety of factors, including high fuel prices, bad weather in key food producing countries, and the diversion of land to non-food production.

CSAT 2021 /

Q. Policy makers and media have placed the blame for skyrocketing food prices on a variety of factors, including high fuel prices, bad weather in key food producing countries, and the diversion of land to non-food production.

Increased emphasis, however, has been placed on a surge in demand for food from the most populous emerging economies. It seems highly probable that mass consumption in these countries could be well poised to create a food crisis.

Q 1. With reference to the above passage, the following assumptions have been made:
1. Oil producing countries are one of the reasons for high food prices.
2. If there is a food crisis in the world in the near future, it will be in the emerging economies.
Which of the above statements is/are valid?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Question from UPSC Prelims 2021 CSAT Paper

Explanation : 

Q1: Correct Answer – (d) Neither 1 nor 2

Explanation – The passage describes various factors that have been blamed for the increase in food prices, including high fuel prices, bad weather in key food producing countries, and the diversion of land to non-food production. It also mentions that increased emphasis has been placed on a surge in demand for food from the most populous emerging economies and that mass consumption in these countries could potentially create a food crisis.

Based on this information provided in the passage, neither assumption 1 nor assumption 2 is valid. Assumption 1 states that “Oil producing countries are one of the reasons for high food prices,” but the passage only mentions high fuel prices as a factor and does not specifically mention oil producing countries. Assumption 2 states that “If there is a food crisis in the world in the near future, it will be in the emerging economies,” but while the passage does mention that mass consumption in emerging economies could potentially create a food crisis, it does not state that this will necessarily happen or that it will only happen in emerging economies.

Therefore, statement (d) “Neither 1 nor 2” is correct.

Q. Policy makers and media have placed the blame for skyrocketing food prices on a variety of factors, including high fuel prices, bad weather in key food producing countries, and the diversion of land to non-food production. Read More »

Q. There are reports that some of the antibiotics sold in the market are fed to poultry and other livestock as growth promoters.

CSAT 2021 /

Q. There are reports that some of the antibiotics sold in the market are fed to poultry and other livestock as growth promoters.

Overusing these substances can create superbugs, pathogens that are resistant to multiple drugs and could be passed along humans. Mindful of that, some farming companies have stopped using the drugs to make chickens gain weight faster. Since Denmark banned antibiotic growth promotes in the 1990s, the major pork exporters say it is producing more pigs – and the animals get fewer diseases.

Q 1. Which one of the following statements best reflects the critical message conveyed by the passage given above?
(a) People should avoid consuming the products of animal farming.
(b) Foods of animal origin should be replaced with foods of plant origin.
(c) Using antibiotics on animals should be banned.
(d) Antibiotics should only be used to treat diseases.

Question from UPSC Prelims 2021 CSAT Paper

Explanation : 

Q1: Correct Answer – (d) Antibiotics should only be used to treat diseases.

Explanation – The passage describes the issue of antibiotics being used as growth promoters in poultry and other livestock. It mentions that overusing these substances can create superbugs that are resistant to multiple drugs and could be passed along to humans. The passage also mentions that some farming companies have stopped using antibiotics to make chickens gain weight faster and that Denmark has banned antibiotic growth promoters in the 1990s, resulting in more pigs being produced and fewer diseases among the animals.

Based on this information provided in the passage, statement (d) “Antibiotics should only be used to treat diseases” best reflects the critical message conveyed by the passage. This statement acknowledges the potential negative consequences of overusing antibiotics as growth promoters while also recognizing that antibiotics can still play an important role in treating diseases.

Q. There are reports that some of the antibiotics sold in the market are fed to poultry and other livestock as growth promoters. Read More »

Q. India faces a challenging immediate future in energy and climate policy-making.

CSAT 2021 /

Q. India faces a challenging immediate future in energy and climate policy-making.

The problems are multiple: sputtering fossil fuel production capability; limited access to electricity and modern cooking fuel for the poorest; rising fuel imports in an unstable global energy context; continued electricity pricing and governance challenges leading to its costly deficits or surplus supply; and not least, growing environmental contestation around land, water and air. But all is not bleak: growing energy efficiency programmes; integrated urbanisation and transport policy discussions; inroads to enhancing energy access and security; and hold renewable energy initiatives, even if not fully conceptualized, suggest the promise of transformation.

Q 1. Which one of the following statements best reflects the critical message conveyed by the passage given above?
(a) India’s energy decision-making process is ever more complex and interconnected.
(b) India’s energy and climate policy is heavily tuned to sustainable development goals.
(c) India’s energy and climate actions are not compatible with its broader social, economic and environmental goals.
(d) India’s energy decision-making process is straightforward supply-oriented and ignores the demand side.

Question from UPSC Prelims 2021 CSAT Paper

Explanation : 

Q1: Correct Answer – (a) India’s energy decision-making process is ever more complex and interconnected.

Explanation – The passage describes the challenges that India faces in energy and climate policy-making. These challenges include sputtering fossil fuel production capability, limited access to electricity and modern cooking fuel for the poorest, rising fuel imports in an unstable global energy context, continued electricity pricing and governance challenges leading to its costly deficits or surplus supply, and growing environmental contestation around land, water and air. However, the passage also mentions some positive developments such as growing energy efficiency programmes; integrated urbanisation and transport policy discussions; inroads to enhancing energy access and security; and hold renewable energy initiatives.

Based on this information provided in the passage, statement (a) “India’s energy decision-making process is ever more complex and interconnected” best reflects the critical message conveyed by the passage. This statement acknowledges the multiple challenges that India faces in its energy decision-making process while also recognizing that there are positive developments taking place.

Q. India faces a challenging immediate future in energy and climate policy-making. Read More »