UPSC Prelims 2018 CSAT Paper II · Q54 of 58 Comprehension medium

Passage

India's educational system is modelled on the mass education system that developed in the 19th century in Europe and later spread around the world. The goal of the system is to condition children as 'good' citizens and productive workers. This suited the industrial age that needed the constant supply of a compliant workforce with a narrow set of capabilities. Our educational institutes resemble factories with bells, uniforms and batch-processing of learners, designed to get learners to conform. But, from an economic point of view, the environment today is very different. It is a complex, volatile and globally interconnected world.

With reference to the above passage, the following assumptions have been made : 1. India continues to be a developing country essentially due to its faulty education system. 2. Today's learners need to acquire new-age skill-sets. 3. A good number of Indians go to some developed countries for education because the educational systems there are a perfect reflection of the societies in which they function. Which of the above assumptions is/are valid?

  1. (a) 1 and 3 only
  2. (b) 2 only ✓ UPSC's answer
  3. (c) 2 and 3 only
  4. (d) 1, 2 and 3

Why the answer is (b)

• The passage states that the current educational system is designed for the industrial age to produce compliant workers with narrow capabilities, which no longer suits the complex, volatile, and globally interconnected world of today.

• This mismatch implies that the existing system is inadequate for the current economic environment, suggesting that learners need to acquire new-age skill-sets to thrive in this modern context, making Assumption 2 valid.

• Assumption 1 is invalid because the passage does not attribute India's status as a developing country to its education system; it only discusses the mismatch between the system's design and the current economic environment.

• Assumption 3 is invalid because the passage does not mention Indians studying abroad or claim that foreign educational systems are a 'perfect reflection' of their societies; it only notes that the mass education model originated in Europe.

• Therefore, only Assumption 2 is supported by the logic of the passage, leading to option (b).

Why the other options are wrong

(a) 1 and 3 only
Assumption 1 is not supported by the passage, which does not link India's developing status to its education system, and Assumption 3 is not mentioned in the text.
(c) 2 and 3 only
Assumption 3 is invalid as the passage does not discuss Indians studying abroad or the perfection of foreign educational systems.
(d) 1, 2 and 3
Assumptions 1 and 3 are invalid because the passage does not attribute India's development status to education or discuss the quality of foreign educational systems.

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.

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