UPSC Prelims 2019 CSAT Paper II · Q6 of 79 Comprehension medium

Passage

Passage - 5 Climate change may actually benefit some plants by lengthening growing seasons and increasing carbon dioxide. Yet other effects of a warmer world, such as more pests, droughts, and flooding, will be less benign. How will the world adapt ? Researchers project that by 2050, suitable croplands for four commodities — maize, potatoes, rice and wheat — will shift, in some cases pushing farmers to plant new crops. Some farmlands may benefit from warming, but others won't. Climate alone does not dictate yields; political shifts, global demand, and agricultural practices will influence how farms fare in the future.

Which one of the following is the most logical and rational inference that can be made from the above passage ?

  1. (a) Farmers who modernize their methods and diversify their fields will be in an advantageous position in future. ✓ UPSC's answer
  2. (b) Climate change will adversely affect the crop diversity.
  3. (c) Shifting major crops to new croplands will lead to a great increase in the total area under cultivation and thus an increase in overall agricultural production.
  4. (d) Climate change is the most important factor affecting the agricultural economy in the future.

Why the answer is (a)

• The passage states that climate change has mixed effects, with some farmlands benefiting from warming while others suffer from pests, droughts, or flooding.

• It explicitly notes that 'Climate alone does not dictate yields' and that political shifts, global demand, and agricultural practices will also influence farm performance.

• Since suitable croplands for major commodities like maize, rice, and wheat will shift by 2050, farmers may need to plant new crops to remain viable.

• Therefore, farmers who adapt by modernizing methods and diversifying their fields to handle these shifts and non-climatic factors will be in a better position than those relying solely on current conditions.

• This makes option (a) the most logical inference, as it accounts for the need for adaptation to both climatic and non-climatic variables mentioned in the text.

Why the other options are wrong

(b) Climate change will adversely affect the crop diversity.
The passage states that suitable croplands will shift and farmers may plant new crops, but it does not infer that crop diversity itself will be adversely affected.
(c) Shifting major crops to new croplands will lead to a great increase in the total area…
The passage mentions that croplands will shift but does not claim this will lead to a great increase in total area under cultivation or overall production.
(d) Climate change is the most important factor affecting the agricultural economy in the…
The passage explicitly states that 'Climate alone does not dictate yields' and that political shifts, demand, and practices are also influential, contradicting the claim that climate is the most important factor.

Asked in the CSAT Paper II of the UPSC Civil Services Preliminary Examination 2019, held on 2 June 2019. Question and answer key: Union Public Service Commission. Explanation: UPSC Answer Check.

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