Civil Services Preliminary examination 2014 –
Paper-2- Part 1
Civil Services Aptitude Test (CSAT) – 2014
PAPER-II- (Booklet Series- A)
Directions
for the following 5 (five) items Read the following two passages and answer the items that follow each passage. Your answers to these items should be based on the passages only.
Passage – 1
In recent times, India has grown fast not only compared to its own past but also in comparison with other nations. But there cannot be any room for complacency because it is possible for the Indian economy to develop even faster and also to spread the benefits of
this growth more widely than has been done thus far. Before going into details of the
kinds of micro-structural changes that we need to conceptualize and then proceed to implement, it is worthwhile elaborating on the idea of inclusive growth that constitutes the defining
concept behind this Government’s various economic
policies and decisions. A nation interested
in inclusive growth views the same growth differently depending on whether the gains of
the growth are heaped primarily on a small
segment or shared
widely by the population. The latter is cause for celebration but not
the former. In other words, growth must not
be treated as an end in itself but as an instrument for spreading prosperity to all. India’s own past
experience and the experience of other nations suggests
that it is not a sufficient condition. In other words, policies for promoting growth
need to be complemented
with policies to
ensure that more and more
people join in the
growth process
and, further, that there are mechanisms in place to redistribute some of the gains to those who
are unable to partake in the market process and, hence, get left behind.
A simple
way of giving this idea of inclusive growth a sharper form is to measure
a nation's
progress in terms of the progress of its poorest segment, for instance the bottom 20
percent of
the population. One could measure the per capita
income of the bottom quintile of the population and also calculate the growth rate
of
income; and evaluate our economic success in terms of these measures that pertain to the poorest segment. This approach is attractive because it does not ignore growth like some of the older heterodox criteria did. It simply looks at the growth of income of the poorest sections of the population. It also ensures that those who are outside of the bottom quintile do not get ignored. If that were done, then those people would in all likelihood drop down into the bottom quintile and so would automatically become a direct target of our policies. Hence the criterion being suggested here is a statistical summing up of the idea of inclusive growth, which, in turn, leads to two corollaries: to wish that India must strive to achieve high growth and that we must work to ensure that the weakest segments benefit from the growth.
income; and evaluate our economic success in terms of these measures that pertain to the poorest segment. This approach is attractive because it does not ignore growth like some of the older heterodox criteria did. It simply looks at the growth of income of the poorest sections of the population. It also ensures that those who are outside of the bottom quintile do not get ignored. If that were done, then those people would in all likelihood drop down into the bottom quintile and so would automatically become a direct target of our policies. Hence the criterion being suggested here is a statistical summing up of the idea of inclusive growth, which, in turn, leads to two corollaries: to wish that India must strive to achieve high growth and that we must work to ensure that the weakest segments benefit from the growth.
1. The author's central focus is on
(a) applauding
India's economic growth not only against its own past performance,
but against other nations.
(b) emphasizing
the need for
economic growth which is the sole determinant of a
country's prosperity.
(c) emphasizing inclusive growth where gains of growth are shared widely by the
population.
(d)
emphasizing high growth.
Answer: C
2.
The author supports
policies which will help
(a) Develop
economic growth
(b) Better distribution of incomes irrespective of rate of
growth.
(c) Develop economic growth and redistribute economic gains to those getting left behind.
(d) Put an emphasis on the development of the
poorest segments of society.
Answer: C
3. Consider the following statements
According
to the author, India's economy has grown but
there is no
room for complacency
as
1. growth
eradicates poverty.
2. growth
has resulted in prosperity for all.
Which of
the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1
and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
Answer: D
Passage - 2
It is easy
for the government to control State-owned
companies through nods
and winks. So what
really needs to be done as a first
step is to put petrol
pricing on a transparent formula - if the price of crude is
x and the
exchange rate y, then every month or fortnight, the government announces a maximum
price of petrol, which anybody can work out from the x and the y. The rule has to be worked out to
make
sure that the
oil-marketing companies can, in general, cover their costs.
This will mean that if one company can innovate and cut costs, it will make
greater profits. Hence, firms will be more prone to innovate
and be efficient under this system. Once the rule is announced, there should be
no interference
by the government. If this is done for a while, private companies will re-enter
this market. And once a sufficient number of them are in the
fray, we can remove the rule-based pricing and leave it truly to the market
(subject to, of course, the usual regulations of anti-trust and other
competition laws).
4. Consider the following statements:
According
to the passage, an oil company can make greater profits, if a transparent formula for
petrol pricing is announced every fortnight or month, by
1.
Promoting its sales.
2.
Undertaking innovation.
3. Cutting
costs.
4. Selling
its equity shares at higher prices.
Which of
the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1
only
(b) 2 and 3
(c) 3 and
4
(d) 1, 2
and 4
Answer: B
5.Consider the following statements: According
to the passage,
private oil companies
re-enter the oil producing market if
1. A transparent rule-based petrol pricing exists.
2.There is
no government interference in the oil producing market.
3.
Subsidies are given by the government.
4.
Regulations of anti-trust are removed.
Which of
the statements given above are correct?
(a) 1 and 2
(b) 2 and 3
(c) 3and 4
(d) 2 and 4
Answer
: A
6.Five
persons fire bullets at a target at an interval of 6,7,8,9 and 12seconds respectively.
The number of times they would fire the bullets together at the target
in an hour is
(a) 6
(b) 7
(c) 8
(d) 9
Answer
: C
7. A group of 630 children is seated in rows for
a group photo session.
Each row contains
three less children than the row in front of
it. Which one of the following number of
rows is not possible?
(a) 3
(b) 4
(c) 5
(d) 6
Answer: D
8. There
are seven persons up on a ladder, A, B, C, D,
E, F and G (not in that order). A is further up
than E but is lower than C. B is in the middle. G is between A and B.
E is between B
and F. If F is between E and D, the person on the bottom step
of the ladder will be
(a) B
(b) F
(c) D
(d) E
Answer
: C
9. Consider that:
1. A is
taller than B.
2. C is
taller than A.
3. D is
taller than C.
4. E is
the tallest of all.
If they are made to sit in the above order of their height,
who will occupy
the
mid position?
(a) A
(b) B
(c) C
(d) D
Answer:
C
10.
Consider the following statements:
There are six villages A, B, C, D, E and F.
F is 1 km
to the west of D.
B is 1 km to the east of E.
A is 2 km to the north of E.
C is 1 km to the east of A.
D is 1 km to the south of A.
Which
three villages are in a line?
(a) A, C,
B
(b) A, D, E
(c) C, B,
F
(d) E, B, D
Answer:
B
11. Four children are sitting in a row. A is occupying
the seat next to B but not next to C. If C is not sitting next to D, who
is/are occupying
seat/seats adjacent to D?
(a) B
(b) A
(c) B and
A
(d)
Impossible to tell
Answer:
B
12. Assume that
1. The
hour and minute hands of a clock move without jerking.
2. The clock shows
a time between 8 o'clock and 9 o'clock.
3. The two hands of the clock are one above the
other.
After how
many minutes (nearest integer) will the two hands be again lying one above
the other?
(a) 60
(b) 62
(c) 65
(d) 67
Answer:
C
Directions for the following 6 (six) items: Read the
following two passages and answer the
items that follow
each passage.Your answers to
these items should be based on the passages only.
Passage - 1
Climate change poses potentially
devastating effects of India's agriculture. While the overall parameters
of climate change are increasingly accepted - a 10C average
temperature increase over the next 30 years, sea level rise of less
than 10 cm in
the same period, and regional monsoon variations
and corresponding droughts - the impacts in India are likely to be quite site
and crop specific. Some crops may respond favourable
to the changing conditions, others may not.This emphasizes the need to promote agricultural research
and create maximum flexibility in the system to permit
adaptations.
The key
ingredient for “drought proofing” is the
managed recharge of aquifers. To ensure continued yield of important staple crops (e.g. wheat), it may also be necessary to shift the locations
where these crops
are grown, in response to temperature changes as well as
to water availability. The latter
will be key factor in making long
terms investment decisions.
For example,
water runoff from
the Himalayas is predicted to increase over the next 30
years as
glaciers melt, but then decline substantially
thereafter. It will be critical to provide incentives to plan for these
large-scale shifts in agro-ecological conditions.
India
needs to make long term investment in research and development in agriculture. India is likely to experience changed weather patterns in future.
13. Consider the following statements:
Climate
change may force the shifting of locations of the existing corps due to
1. Melting
of glaciers.
2. Water availability and
temperature suitability at other locations.
3. Poor
productivity of crops.
4. Wider
adaptability of crop plants.
Which of
the statements given above are correct?
(a) 1, 2 and 3
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 1 and 4
only
(d) 1, 2, 3 and 4
Answer:
B
14. According
to the passage,
why is it important
to promote agricultural research in India?
(a) To predict
variations in monsoon patterns
and to manage
water resources.
(b) To make long
term investment decisions
for economic growth
(c)
To facilitate wider adaptability of crops
(d)
To predict drought conditions and to recharge aquifers
Answer:
C
Passage - 2
It
is essential that
we mitigate the emissions of greenhouse gases and thus avoid some of
the worst impacts of climate change
that would take place in coming years and decades. Mitigation would require a major shift in the way we produce and consume energy. A shift away from overwhelming dependence on fossil fuels is now ,long overdue, but unfortunately, technological development has been slow and inadequate
largely because government policies have not promoted investments in research and development, myopically as a result of relatively low prices of oil. It is now, therefore, imperative for a country like India treating the opportunity of harnessing renewable energy on a large scale as a national imperative. This country is extremely well endowed with solar, wind and biomass sources of energy. Where we have lagged, unfortunately, is in our ability to develop and to create technological solutions for harnessing these resources.
that would take place in coming years and decades. Mitigation would require a major shift in the way we produce and consume energy. A shift away from overwhelming dependence on fossil fuels is now ,long overdue, but unfortunately, technological development has been slow and inadequate
largely because government policies have not promoted investments in research and development, myopically as a result of relatively low prices of oil. It is now, therefore, imperative for a country like India treating the opportunity of harnessing renewable energy on a large scale as a national imperative. This country is extremely well endowed with solar, wind and biomass sources of energy. Where we have lagged, unfortunately, is in our ability to develop and to create technological solutions for harnessing these resources.
One particular trajectory for carrying out stringent mitigation
of greenhouse gas emissions
assessed by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) clearly shows the need
for ensuring that global emissions of greenhouse gases peak no later than 2015 and reduce
rapidly thereafter. The cost associated
with such a trajectory is truly modest and would amount, in the estimation of IPCC, to not more than 3 percent of the global GDP in 2030. In other words, the level of prosperity that the world would have reached without mitigation would at worst be postponed by a few months or a year at the most. This is
clearly not a very high price to pay for protecting hundreds of millions of people from the worst risks associated with climate change. Any such effort, however, would require lifestyles to change appropriately also. Mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions is not a mere technological fix, and clearly requires
changes in lifestyles and transformation of a country’s economic structure, whereby effective reduction in emissions is brought about, such as through the consumption of much lower quantities of animal protein. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has determined that the emissions from the livestock sector amount to 18 percent of the total. The reduction of emissions from this source is entirely in the hands of human beings, who have never questioned the impacts that their dietary habits of consuming more and more animal protein are bringing about. Mitigation overall has huge co-benefits, such as lower air pollution and health benefits, higher energy security and greater employment.
with such a trajectory is truly modest and would amount, in the estimation of IPCC, to not more than 3 percent of the global GDP in 2030. In other words, the level of prosperity that the world would have reached without mitigation would at worst be postponed by a few months or a year at the most. This is
clearly not a very high price to pay for protecting hundreds of millions of people from the worst risks associated with climate change. Any such effort, however, would require lifestyles to change appropriately also. Mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions is not a mere technological fix, and clearly requires
changes in lifestyles and transformation of a country’s economic structure, whereby effective reduction in emissions is brought about, such as through the consumption of much lower quantities of animal protein. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has determined that the emissions from the livestock sector amount to 18 percent of the total. The reduction of emissions from this source is entirely in the hands of human beings, who have never questioned the impacts that their dietary habits of consuming more and more animal protein are bringing about. Mitigation overall has huge co-benefits, such as lower air pollution and health benefits, higher energy security and greater employment.
15.
According to the passage, which of the following
would help in the mitigation of greenhouse
gases?
1.
Reducing the consumption of meat
2. Rapid
economic liberalization
3.
Reducing the consumerism
4. Modern management
practices of livestock.
Select the
correct answer using the code given below:
(a) 1, 2 and 3
(b) 2, 3 and 4
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 2 and 4 only
Answer:
C
16. Why
do we continue to depend on the fossil fuels
heavily?
1.
Inadequate technological development.
2.
Inadequate funds for
research and development.
3. Inadequate availability of alternative sources of
energy.
Select the
correct answer using the code given below:
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
Answer:
A
17. According to the passage, how does the mitigation of greenhouse gases help us?
1. Reduces
expenditure on public health
2. Reduces
dependence on livestock
3. Reduces
energy requirements
4. Reduces
rate of global climate change
Select the
correct answer using the code given below:
(a) 1, 2
and 3
(b) 1, 3 and 4
(c) 2, 3
and 4
(d) 1 and 4 only
Answer:
D
18. What is
the essential message of the passage?
(a) We continue to depend on fossil fuels heavily
(b) Mitigation of the greenhouse gases
is imperative
(c) We must
invest in research and development
(d) People
must change their lifestyle
Answer:
B
19. There
are 50 students admitted to a nursery class. Some students can speak only English and some can speak only Hindi. 10 students
can speak both English and Hindi. If the number
of students who can speak English is
21, then how many students can speak Hindi,
how many can speak only Hindi and how
many can speak only English?
(a) 21, 11
and 29 respectively
(b) 28,
18 and 22 respectively
(c) 37, 27
and 13 respectively
(d) 39, 29 and 11 respectively
Answer:
D
20. A gardener
increased the area
of his rectangular garden by increasing its length by 40% and decreasing its width by 20%. The area of the new garden
(a) has increased by 20%
(b)
has increased by 12%
(c) has increased by 8%
(d) is exactly the same as the old area.
Answer:
B
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