UPSC CSE Prelims
Reading Comprehension Previous Year Questions (PYQs)
Showing solved Previous Year Questions for Chapter: Reading Comprehension
Topic Breakdown: Scroll →
Which of the following inferences is/are correct?
- The source of the energy we consume is the key to the battle for cleaner air.
- Bans are effective where the will is strong and the people are convinced that such bans are for the greater good of society.
- There is judicial approval for a policy that intervenes fiscally to facilitate benevolent pricing for cleaner fuel.
Select the answer using the code given below.
Detailed Explanation:
The passage evaluates statements based on explicit textual evidence.
- Statement 1 is Correct: The passage opens: "The key source of the battle for clean skies and clear lungs is the fuel we burn"—directly confirming energy source as key to cleaner air.
- Statement 2 is Incorrect: The passage emphasizes "people need alternatives for a ban to be effective" (citing CNG availability, cost feasibility)—not public will or conviction.
- Statement 3 is Correct: "The Supreme Court agreed that fiscal measures were needed to keep clean fuel cheaper than dirty fuel"—explicit judicial approval for fiscal intervention.
- Therefore, only 1 and 3 are correct, making Option 3 the correct answer.
Which of the following conclusions is/are valid?
- Only a serious offence as categorised by the revised JJ Act, justifies the transfer of a case to the adult judicial system.
- The JJ Act, 2021, categorises an offence as a serious offence based on the maximum sentence it carries, rather than on the minimum sentence.
Select the answer using the code given below.
Detailed Explanation:
The passage clearly states that heinous offences (with a minimum punishment of seven years) allow trying adolescents as adults. The 2021 amendment introduced serious offences (no minimum, but maximum of seven years or more), which activists believe does not merit transfer to adult courts.
- Statement 1 is Incorrect: Only heinous offences, not serious offences, justify transfer to the adult judicial system according to the passage.
- Statement 2 is Correct: The 2021 JJ Act categorises a serious offence based on maximum sentence (seven years or more) when no minimum sentence exists.
- Therefore, only Statement 2 is valid, making Option 2 the correct answer.
Which of the following statements is/are correct?
- Thermal power stations in Delhi were required to summarily shut down.
- CNG supplies had to be assured once diesel vehicles were prohibited from plying.
- The Supreme Court banned the use of coal across the National Capital Region.
Select the answer using the code given below.
Detailed Explanation:
The passage explicitly states: "When diesel buses were stopped, CNG supply had to be assured." This directly validates Statement 2.
Statement 1 is incorrect because thermal power plants were required to "clean up or shut down"—shutting down was one option, not a mandatory summary action. Statement 3 is incorrect because the Supreme Court banned pet coke, while the Delhi Government banned coal (later extended to NCR).
Therefore, only Statement 2 is correct, making Option 3 the correct answer.
🧐 Not Sure What to Study Next?
Get a personalised study plan based on your goals, time and revision needs.
Which of the following assumptions is/are valid?
- Agricultural productivity has marched ahead in the West because of the economies of scale facilitated by the adoption of AI tools.
- Affordable AI tools rendered available in local languages can help AI-based solutions reach more and more small farmers.
- 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.
Detailed Explanation:
Evaluate each statement against the passage:
- Statement 1 is Invalid: The passage mentions AI tools have started offering precision farming in the West, but does not claim agricultural productivity "marched ahead" because of AI—this causal link is unsupported.
- Statement 2 is Valid: The passage explicitly recommends developing Indian language-based AI tools and affordable solutions to enable "at-scale integration and accessibility" for smallholder farmers.
- Statement 3 is Valid: The passage clearly states "India is starting to deploy AI for critical use cases" like weather forecasting and pest detection, though penetration remains limited.
- Therefore, only statements 2 and 3 are valid, making Option 4 the correct answer.
Which of the following statements is/are correct?
- The convergence model divides nations into three phases of economic progress.
- At the heart of the convergence theory is the closing of the gap between labour and productivity.
- Technology leaders typically have arrived earlier at different economic eras.
- The time period covered by the convergence theory presented herein encompasses, as mentioned, 4012200 years.
Select the answer using the code given below.
Detailed Explanation:
The passage states convergence theory explains how countries close the labour-productivity gap with technology leaders, making this central to the theory (Statement 2 is correct). The model divides economic eras into three phases, not nations (Statement 1 is incorrect).
Technology leaders advance first during the breakaway phase when their per capita income rises while followers' income remains unchanged, confirming leaders arrive earlier at different economic eras (Statement 3 is correct). The time periods mentioned (3 MYA, 1 MYA, 12,000 years ago, 200+ years ago) are separate historical reference points for different technologies, not a cumulative total (Statement 4 is incorrect).
Therefore, only statements 2 and 3 are correct, making Option 2 the correct answer.
Which of the following statements is/are correct?
- If an offence has no minimum prescribed punishment, it cannot be considered heinous as per the JJ Act, 2015.
- As per the JJ Act, 2021, an offence for which there is a provision for a maximum sentence of seven years or more, but no minimum sentence, is to be considered a serious offence.
Select the answer using the code given below.
Detailed Explanation:
The passage explicitly defines a heinous offence as one with a minimum punishment of seven years, and states that offences without a prescribed minimum punishment (like culpable homicide) are not heinous offences.
- Statement 1 is Correct: Absence of minimum prescribed punishment disqualifies an offence from being classified as heinous under JJ Act, 2015.
- Statement 2 is Correct: The 2021 amendment categorises offences with no minimum but maximum sentence of seven years or more as serious offences.
- Therefore, both statements are directly supported by the passage, making Option 3 the correct answer.
Which of the following conclusions are valid?
- Seven Sanskriti Angans, representing different regions of India, had been showcased in Kalagram.
- Regional artistry was recognised via the inspiration drawn from iconic temples.
- India's ancient history had been crafted by the contemporary craftsmanship of 230 artisans into creations to behold.
- Art forms from all regions of India had been showcased in these living galleries.
Select the answer using the code given below.
Detailed Explanation:
The passage states that Kalagram featured seven meticulously crafted Sanskriti Angans representing India's diverse regions, and that these thematic zones were inspired by iconic temples like Dakshineshwar Kali Temple and Brahma Mandir, showcasing regional artistry.
- Statement 1 is Valid: Seven Sanskriti Angans representing different regions of India were explicitly mentioned in the passage.
- Statement 2 is Valid: Regional artistry was recognized through zones inspired by iconic temples, as stated in the passage.
- Statement 3 is Invalid: The passage says artisans shaped India's ancient history into creations, not that they crafted ancient history itself—this overstates the text.
- Statement 4 is Invalid: Only examples from Bengal, Assam, Tamil Nadu, and Madhya Pradesh are given; the passage does not claim all regions were represented.
- Therefore, only statements 1 and 2 are valid, making Option 1 the correct answer.
Which of the following statements is/are correct?
- Real value should not change in the instance of static output cost and unchanged quantities against falling oil prices.
- Deflators are to be used separately for inputs and outputs, and this is a practice universally adopted by all economies.
Select the answer using the code given below.
Detailed Explanation:
The passage clarifies that under double deflation, if oil prices fall while output prices and quantities remain constant, real value added should remain unchanged—not merely "real value" as Statement 1 claims.
- Statement 1 is Incorrect: It states "real value" instead of "real value added," misrepresenting the passage's specific reference to deflation methodology.
- Statement 2 is Incorrect: The passage states "most countries" use double deflation, and explicitly mentions India uses a single deflator—proving the practice is not universal.
- Therefore, neither statement is correct, making Option 4 the correct answer.
Which of the following conclusions is/are valid?
- Though SARS-CoV-2 and HMPV are similar viruses with somewhat different epidemiology, the former became a pandemic because it was novel and people had not been exposed to it in the past.
- The two viruses have fundamentally different impacts on human populations and should not therefore be dealt with in a similar manner. Select the answer using the code given below.
Detailed Explanation:
The passage states HMPV and SARS-CoV-2 belong to "two very different virus families with fundamentally different characteristics and epidemiology."
- Statement 1 is Invalid: Calling them "similar viruses" directly contradicts the passage's assertion of fundamental differences.
- Statement 2 is Valid: The passage confirms different characteristics, epidemiology, severity, affected populations, and long-term impacts—supporting that they should not be dealt with similarly.
- Therefore, only Statement 2 is valid, making Option 2 the correct answer.
Which of the following conclusions are valid?
- Sport is more than just games; it is a way of life.
- Sport can help mitigate the problems of seclusion among the young.
- Earning laurels in sport can help one secure a job on the basis of an assigned quota.
- Standard corporate sector skills cannot be learnt through sport.
Select the answer using the code given below.
Detailed Explanation:
The passage explicitly states sport should be "seen as a way of life" (validates Statement 1) and that sport can "help tackle" problems of youth being "inactive and rarely leaving the house" (validates Statement 2, addressing seclusion).
The opening line acknowledges "getting jobs through a sports quota" as a reality of sport, even though it emphasizes sport offers more than this alone (validates Statement 3). However, the passage lists "time management, teamwork, coordination" as learnings from sport—these are standard corporate skills—so Statement 4 (claiming these cannot be learnt through sport) directly contradicts the passage and is invalid.
Therefore, statements 1, 2, and 3 are valid conclusions, making Option 4 the correct answer.
Which one of the following statements is not correct?
Detailed Explanation:
The passage mentions art forms from four states: Bengal's Pattachitra paintings, Assam's bamboo crafts, Tamil Nadu's Thanjavur paintings, and Madhya Pradesh's tribal sculpture. Only two are paintings—Pattachitra and Thanjavur—while bamboo crafts and tribal sculpture are not paintings.
Options B, C, and D accurately reflect the passage: stepping into Kalagram is likened to another world, Angans are called "living galleries," and thematic zones are inspired by iconic temples like Dakshineshwar Kali Temple and Brahma Mandir.
Therefore, Option 1 incorrectly states four paintings were mentioned, making it the correct answer (as the question asks for the incorrect statement).
Which of the following statements is/are correct?
- Parents are not encouraging enough when it comes to children playing sport.
- Participation in sporting activities can help develop life skills.
- Sport as a way of life can help evolve the very nature of society itself.
Select the answer using the code given below.
Detailed Explanation:
The passage must be analyzed for direct support of each statement.
- Statement 1 is Incorrect: The passage mentions parents observing that children are inactive, not that parents lack encouragement—this inference is unsupported.
- Statement 2 is Correct: The passage explicitly states "from sport you can learn time management, fitness, teamwork, coordination"—these are life skills.
- Statement 3 is Correct: The passage concludes: "sport is seen as a way of life—a path to building a healthier, happier society"—clearly indicating sport can reshape society itself.
- Therefore, only statements 2 and 3 are correct, making Option 2 the correct answer.
Which of the following assumptions is/are valid?
- Deflation strategies can be used to make manufacturers appear to be doing better than they actually are.
- When input and output prices are both deflated against a single input price, it is referred to as 'double deflation'.
Select the answer using the code given below.
Detailed Explanation:
Double deflation uses separate deflators for input and output prices. The passage explicitly states that if India uses the same deflator for both inputs and outputs (instead of double deflation), falling oil prices would make manufacturers appear more productive than they actually are.
- Statement 1 is Valid: Using a single deflator when input prices fall can overestimate real value added, making manufacturers appear better than reality.
- Statement 2 is Invalid: Double deflation means deflating inputs and outputs separately, not using a single input price for both.
- Therefore, only Statement 1 is valid, making Option 1 the correct answer.
Which of the following statements reflect the logical and rational inferences that can be drawn from the passage?
- HMPV has, historically, had longer documentation of studies when compared with SARS-CoV2
- The two viruses are different from each other and this results in markedly different outcomes amongst those affected.
- Long-term impacts of the two viruses are dissimilar and this is an important differentiator between them.
- One of the common factors between the two viruses is seasonal specificity. Select the answer using the code given below.
Detailed Explanation:
Evaluate each statement against passage evidence:
- Statement 1 is Correct: HMPV has been studied "for decades" and is "well-studied," while SARS-CoV-2 was "truly novel" in 2019—clearly longer documentation for HMPV.
- Statement 2 is Correct: Passage states "different severity of symptoms" and "affected population segments do not fully overlap"—fundamental differences result in markedly different outcomes.
- Statement 3 is Correct: Passage explicitly notes symptoms differ "particularly over the long term" and HMPV has "no long-term post-viral symptoms"—making long-term impact a key differentiator.
- Statement 4 is Incorrect: Passage states "strong seasonality seen in HMPV, unlike SARS-CoV-2"—seasonality is a difference, not a common factor.
- Therefore, statements 1, 2, and 3 are valid inferences, making Option 2 the correct answer.
Which of the following reflect the intent of the writer in the above passage?
- To evolve methodologies for objective analysis of the two viruses
- To establish the epidemiological similarities and differences between the two viruses
- To offer a better understanding of the remedies of HMPV when analysed in conjunction with SARS-CoV-2 Select the answer using the code given below.
Detailed Explanation:
The passage contrasts HMPV and SARS-CoV-2 to show that HMPV is not a novel threat like COVID-19 was. It highlights key differences: HMPV has been known for decades, shows strong seasonality, causes milder illness, and rarely leads to deaths or long-term symptoms—unlike SARS-CoV-2.
Statement 1 is incorrect—the passage describes existing knowledge, not methodologies for analysis. Statement 2 partially captures the intent (establishing differences), but no option offers "2 only." Statement 3 is incorrect—the passage does not discuss remedies or treatment frameworks.
Therefore, since none of the given statements accurately reflect the writer's intent in isolation or combination, Option 4 is the correct answer.
Showing 1 to 15 of 23 questions