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UPSC Prelims 2026 CSAT, question 55

Topic: Reading comprehension

Directions · Q54 to Q55

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 · Q54 to Q55

Cattle from the nearby villages came to the common ground to graze, and there was still a cool freshness in the air. Hori took several deep breaths and thought of sitting down for a while, since he'd be dying of heat in the scorching ‘loo’ wind the rest of the day. A number of farmers were eager to lease this bit of land and had offered a good price, but Rai Sahib—God bless him—had plainly told them it was reserved for grazing and would not be relinquished for any price. If he'd been one of those selfish Zamindars, he'd have said the cattle could go to hell, that there was no reason for him to miss the chance to make a little money. But the Rai Sahib still held to the old values, feeling that any landlord who didn't look after his tenants was less than human.

Q55

Which of the following statements are not correct?

  1. The landholdings of Rai Sahib were currently not being used for farming.

  2. Temperamentally, Rai Sahib was as greedy as other landlords.

  3. It cannot be ascertained that Rai Sahib could have made some money by leasing out the grazing land.

  4. It may be asserted that Rai Sahib valued his tenants and wanted to protect their livelihood.

Select the answer using the code given below.

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

Solution.

Answer: (d) 1, 2 and 3

  1. Statement 1 is incorrect: only that specific parcel of common grazing land was reserved against leasing, not all of Rai Sahib's landholdings.
  2. Statement 2 is incorrect: the passage explicitly contrasts Rai Sahib's traditional generosity with selfish Zamindars.
  3. Statement 3 is incorrect: the passage explicitly states that farmers had offered a good price to lease the land, so he clearly could have made money.
  4. Statement 4 is correct: the passage confirms that Rai Sahib valued his tenants and preserved their cattle's grazing ground.

Trap: Because the question asks which statements are not correct, Statements 1, 2, and 3 give option (d).