UPSC Prelims 2020 CSAT Paper II · Q42 of 80 Comprehension medium

Passage

India is at once among the fastest growing global economies and home to the largest number of malnourished children in the world. There are regions where malnutrition is not the exception but the norm. And across the country, malnutrition is the cause of death for roughly half the 1·3 million children who die before their fifth birthday each year. Even those children who survive suffer permanently from the damage that has already been done to their bodies and minds from not getting enough of the right foods and nutrients. Around 44 million children under 5 are stunted. That makes it harder for them to learn in school and subsequently earn a living as adults. Their lifetime earnings potential is almost a quarter less than that of their healthy peers.

With reference to the above passage, which of the following is/are the most rational and practical implication/implications? 1. India's Public Distribution System should be monitored by the Union Government. 2. Girls should be encouraged to delay marriage and first pregnancy. 3. Mothers should be encouraged to breastfeed their children immediately after birth. 4. The supply of safe drinking water and proper sanitation facilities to all should be ensured. 5. Authorities should ensure the vaccination as prescribed. Select the correct answer using the code given below.

  1. (a) 1, 2, 3 and 4
  2. (b) 2, 3, 4 and 5 ✓ UPSC's answer
  3. (c) 1 only
  4. (d) 3 and 5 only

Why the answer is (b)

• The passage highlights that malnutrition causes death and permanent damage to children's bodies and minds, leading to reduced lifetime earnings.

• Statement 2 is rational because delaying marriage and first pregnancy allows for better maternal health and spacing, which are critical for reducing child malnutrition.

• Statement 3 is practical as immediate breastfeeding provides essential nutrients and immunity, directly addressing the 'right foods and nutrients' mentioned in the text.

• Statement 4 is necessary because safe water and sanitation prevent diseases that exacerbate malnutrition, a key factor in the high mortality rate of children under five.

• Statement 5 is crucial because vaccination prevents infectious diseases that cause malnutrition-related deaths, aligning with the goal of reducing the 1.3 million child deaths mentioned.

• Statement 1 is excluded because the Public Distribution System is a state subject and its monitoring is not the most direct or rational implication for the specific biological and health interventions required to combat malnutrition as described.

Why the other options are wrong

(a) 1, 2, 3 and 4
Option (a) includes Statement 1 (PDS monitoring) and excludes Statement 5 (vaccination), whereas vaccination is a direct health intervention to prevent disease-related malnutrition deaths, and PDS monitoring is a broader administrative issue not directly implied by the health-focused passage.
(c) 1 only
Option (c) selects only Statement 1, ignoring the direct health and nutritional interventions (breastfeeding, vaccination, sanitation, delayed pregnancy) that are the most rational and practical implications for reducing child malnutrition and mortality.
(d) 3 and 5 only
Option (d) excludes Statements 2 and 4, which are critical practical implications: delaying pregnancy improves maternal and child health outcomes, and safe water/sanitation prevents the diseases that worsen malnutrition.

Asked in the CSAT Paper II of the UPSC Civil Services Preliminary Examination 2020, held on 4 October 2020. Question and answer key: Union Public Service Commission. Explanation: UPSC Answer Check.

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