UPSC Prelims 2015 CSAT Paper II · Q43 of 74 Comprehension medium

Passage

Open defecation is disastrous when practised in very densely populated areas, where it is impossible to keep away human faeces from crops, wells, food and children's hands. Groundwater is also contaminated by open defecation. Many ingested germs and worms spread diseases. They prevent the body from absorbing calories and nutrients. Nearly one-half of India's children remain malnourished. Lakhs of them die from preventable conditions. Diarrhoea leaves Indians' bodies smaller on average than those of people in some poorer countries where people eat fewer calories. Underweight mothers produce stunted babies prone to sickness who may fail to develop their full cognitive potential. The germs released into environment harm rich and poor alike, even those who use latrines.

Which among the following is the most critical inference that can be made from the above passage ?

  1. (a) The Central and State governments in India do not have enough resources to afford a latrine for each household.
  2. (b) Open defecation is the most important public health problem of India.
  3. (c) Open defecation reduces the human capital of India's workforce. ✓ UPSC's answer
  4. (d) Open defecation is a public health problem in all developing countries.

Why the answer is (c)

• The passage details a causal chain: open defecation leads to contamination, which causes disease and prevents the absorption of calories and nutrients.

• This malnutrition results in nearly half of India's children being underweight and stunted, with underweight mothers producing babies prone to sickness.

• The text explicitly states that these stunted babies may fail to develop their full cognitive potential.

• Reduced cognitive potential and physical stunting directly diminish the quality and productivity of the future workforce.

• Therefore, the most critical inference is that open defecation negatively impacts the human capital of India's workforce.

Why the other options are wrong

(a) The Central and State governments in India do not have enough resources to afford a…
The passage does not mention government resources or the financial capacity to provide latrines.
(b) Open defecation is the most important public health problem of India.
The passage does not compare open defecation to other public health problems to establish it as the 'most important' one.
(d) Open defecation is a public health problem in all developing countries.
The passage specifically discusses the situation in India and does not generalize the issue to all developing countries.

Asked in the CSAT Paper II of the UPSC Civil Services Preliminary Examination 2015, held on 23 August 2015. Question and answer key: Union Public Service Commission. Explanation: UPSC Answer Check.

Reading the answer is not the same as getting it right under a clock. Practise this question with UPSC's negative marking, and anything you miss goes into an error notebook until you get it right twice.

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