UPSC Prelims 2018 CSAT Paper II · Q33 of 58 Comprehension medium

Passage

Passage—4 Some people believe that leadership is a quality which you have at birth or not at all. This theory is false, for the art of leadership can be acquired and can indeed be taught. This discovery is made in time of war and the results achieved can surprise even the instructors. Faced with the alternatives of going left or right, every soldier soon grasps that a prompt decision either way is better than an endless discussion. A firm choice of direction has an even chance of being right while to do nothing will be almost certainly wrong.

The author of the passage holds the view that

  1. (a) leadership can be taught through war experience only
  2. (b) leadership can be acquired as well as taught ✓ UPSC's answer
  3. (c) the results of training show that more people acquire leadership than are expected
  4. (d) despite rigorous instruction, very few leaders are produced

Why the answer is (b)

• The passage explicitly states that the belief that leadership is an innate quality is false.

• It directly asserts that 'the art of leadership can be acquired and can indeed be taught.'

• The reference to war is used to illustrate the context in which this discovery is made, not as the sole method of instruction.

• The text emphasizes that prompt decision-making and firm choices are learned skills that can be developed.

• Therefore, the author's central view is that leadership is a skill that can be both acquired and taught.

Why the other options are wrong

(a) leadership can be taught through war experience only
The passage mentions war as the context where the discovery was made, but does not claim it is the only way leadership can be taught.
(c) the results of training show that more people acquire leadership than are expected
The text states that results can 'surprise even the instructors,' but does not quantify the number of people acquiring leadership relative to expectations.
(d) despite rigorous instruction, very few leaders are produced
The passage argues that leadership can be taught and that results are surprising, contradicting the idea that very few leaders are produced despite instruction.

Asked in the CSAT Paper II of the UPSC Civil Services Preliminary Examination 2018, held on 3 June 2018. 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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