By signing in you confirm you are 18 or older, or have your parent’s or guardian’s consent.

UPSC Prelims 2026 CSAT, question 31

Topic: Reading comprehension

Directions · Q31 to Q32

Directions for the next 2 (two) items :
Read the following passage and answer the items that follow. Your answers should be based solely on the passage.

Passage · Q31 to Q32

India is starting to deploy AI for critical use cases such as weather forecasting, pest detection and control, and crop yield optimisation. However, penetration is limited to a small subset of tech-savvy farmers. In the US and in Europe, generative AI tools have started offering precision farming at scale, integrating large datasets to provide real-time agronomic insights. For at-scale integration and accessibility of AI tools in India, it would be helpful to develop Indian languages-based AI tools for smallholder farmers, partner with AgTechs to create affordable AI solutions, and disseminate AI-based advisory services through government programmes.

Q31

Which of the following assumptions is/are valid?

  1. Agricultural productivity has marched ahead in the West because of the economies of scale facilitated by the adoption of AI tools.

  2. Affordable AI tools rendered available in local languages can help AI-based solutions reach more and more small farmers.

  3. Though penetration is as yet low, critical application areas deploying AI tools are already in use in India.

Select the answer using the code given below.

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

Solution.

Answer: (d) 2 and 3 only

  1. Statement 1 is incorrect: the passage only states that generative AI tools have started offering precision farming at scale in the US and Europe, not that Western agricultural productivity historically advanced due to AI.
  2. Statement 2 is correct: the recommendation to develop Indian-language AI tools and partner with AgTechs for affordable solutions assumes that affordability and local languages will expand reach among smallholder farmers.
  3. Statement 3 is correct: the opening sentences confirm that although penetration is currently low, India is already deploying AI in critical use cases such as weather forecasting, pest control, and yield optimisation.

Trap: If Statement 3 is excluded as an explicit restatement of the first sentence rather than an unstated assumption, option (b) 2 only is the narrower reading.