Paragraph: In our country, regrettably, teaching and learning for the examination have been our forte but..
In our country, regrettably, teaching and learning for the examination have been our forte but the new demands of society and the future of work require critical and independent thinking, learning through doing, asking questions from multiple disciplinary perspectives on the same issue, using evidence for building arguments, and reflecting and articulation. Higher education should not “either be a mere servant of the government policy or a passive respondent to public mood.” Higher learning is all about how to think rather than what to think. Teaching has to be re-invented.
Q1. Which one of the following statements best reflects the central idea conveyed by the passage?
(a) India does not have enough resources for promoting quality education in its universities.
(b) The institutions of higher learning in the country should not be under the control of the Government.
(c) Classroom approach to higher education should be done away with.
(d) Classroom needs to be reimagined and teaching needs to be re-invented.
Q2. With reference to the above passage, the following assumptions have been made:
I. Higher education is a constantly evolving subject that needs to align towards new developments in all spheres of society.
II. In our country, sufficient funds are not allocated for promoting higher education.
Which of the above assumptions is/are valid?
(a) I only
(b) II only
(c) Both I and II
(d) Neither I nor II
UPSC Prelims 2025 CSAT
Q1. Correct Option: (d) Classroom needs to be reimagined and teaching needs to be re-invented.
Explanation: The passage emphasizes that the traditional method of teaching and learning, which focuses primarily on examinations, is inadequate for meeting the demands of modern society and the future workplace. It argues for a shift towards critical thinking, independent thought, practical learning, interdisciplinary questioning, evidence-based reasoning, and reflective articulation. The author explicitly states that “Teaching has to be re-invented,” clearly indicating that the central idea is about reimagining classrooms and reinventing teaching methods. Thus, option (d) best captures the central idea conveyed by the passage.
Other options explained: (a) Incorrect – The passage does not discuss resources or funding issues explicitly. (b) Incorrect – The passage does not argue explicitly against government control; rather, it suggests higher education should not merely serve government policy or public mood passively. (c) Incorrect – The passage does not suggest completely doing away with classroom teaching, but rather rethinking and reinventing it.
Hence, option (d) is correct.
Q2. Correct Option: (a) I only
Explanation: Assumption I: “Higher education is a constantly evolving subject that needs to align towards new developments in all spheres of society.” This assumption is valid because the passage clearly indicates that the traditional methods of teaching and learning are insufficient for contemporary societal demands. It emphasizes the need for higher education to adapt to new societal and workplace requirements, thus implicitly assuming that higher education must evolve continuously.
Assumption II: “In our country, sufficient funds are not allocated for promoting higher education.” This assumption is invalid because the passage does not mention or imply anything about funding or financial resources. The passage focuses on the quality and approach of teaching rather than financial constraints.
Thus, only assumption I is valid.
Hence, option (a) is correct.
