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UPSC Prelims 2025 CSAT, question 22

Topic: Reading comprehension

Directions · Q21 to Q24

Directions for the following 4 (four) items :
Read the following two passages and answer the items that follow the passages. Your answers to these items should be based on the passages only.

Passage · Q21 to Q22

One of the dismal realities of the agricultural sector in independent India has been that it never experienced a high-growth phase, unlike the non-agricultural economy. The highest decadal growth (compound annual growth rate or CAGR) for agriculture has been just 3.5%3.5\% in the 1980s. Also, after experiencing a spurt in decadal growth during the 1980s, agricultural growth suffered relative stagnation thereafter. This is in sharp contrast to non-agricultural growth, which consistently increased from the 1980s to 2000s.

Q22

With reference to the passage, the following assumptions have been made :

The growing divergence between the fortunes of the agricultural and non-agricultural economy in India could have been reduced/contained by :

I. adapting large-scale cultivation of commercial crops and viable corporate farming.

II. providing free insurance for all crops and heavily subsidizing seeds, fertilizers, electricity and farm machinery at par with developed countries.

Which of the above assumptions is/are valid ?

  1. (a) I only
  2. (b) II only
  3. (c) Both I and II
  4. (d) Neither I nor IICorrect answer

Solution.

Answer: (d) Neither I nor II

  1. Statement I is incorrect: the passage does not mention commercial crop monoculture or corporate farming.
  2. Statement II is incorrect: the passage makes no reference to free crop insurance or matching developed-country input subsidies.