UPSC Prelims 2017 CSAT Paper II · Q21 of 79 Comprehension easy

Passage

Directions for the following 7 (seven) items : Read the following seven passages and answer the items that follow the passages. Your answers to these items should be based on the passages only. Passage—1 We have hard work ahead. There is no resting for any of us till we redeem our pledge in full, till we make all the people of India what destiny intends them to be. We are citizens of a great country, on the verge of bold advance, and we have to live up to that high standard. All of us, to whatever religion we may belong, are equally the children of India with equal rights, privileges and obligations. We cannot encourage communalism or narrow-mindedness, for no nation can be great whose people are narrow in thought or action.

The challenge the author of the above passage throws to the public is to achieve

  1. (a) a high standard of living, progress and privileges
  2. (b) equal privileges, fulfilment of destiny and political tolerance
  3. (c) spirit of adventure and economic parity
  4. (d) hard work, brotherhood and national unity ✓ UPSC's answer

Why the answer is (d)

• The passage opens by stating, 'We have hard work ahead,' directly identifying hard work as the primary challenge for the public.

• It emphasizes that all citizens, regardless of religion, are 'equally the children of India,' which establishes the foundation for brotherhood.

• The author explicitly warns against 'communalism or narrow-mindedness,' arguing that such divisions prevent a nation from being great, thereby calling for national unity.

• The combination of the call for 'hard work,' the recognition of equal status as 'children of India' (brotherhood), and the rejection of communalism (national unity) aligns perfectly with option (d).

Why the other options are wrong

(a) a high standard of living, progress and privileges
The passage mentions 'high standard' in the context of living up to the country's bold advance, not specifically a 'high standard of living' or economic progress as the primary challenge.
(b) equal privileges, fulfilment of destiny and political tolerance
While 'equal privileges' and 'destiny' are mentioned, the core challenge is framed around unity and effort, not 'political tolerance' specifically, and 'fulfilment of destiny' is a goal rather than the immediate behavioral challenge.
(c) spirit of adventure and economic parity
The text does not mention a 'spirit of adventure' or 'economic parity'; it focuses on civic duty, religious harmony, and national greatness.

Asked in the CSAT Paper II of the UPSC Civil Services Preliminary Examination 2017, held on 18 June 2017. 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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