UPSC Prelims 2020 CSAT Paper II · Q43 of 80 Comprehension medium

Passage

Passage—3 The pulse variety 'Pusa Arhar 16' has the potential to be grown in the paddy-growing regions of Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh and eventually in all of India. Its yield (about 2000 kg/hectare) will be significantly greater than those of the existing varieties and because its size will be uniform, it will be amenable to mechanical harvesting, an attractive feature for farmers in northern India who currently use this technology for paddy. Most important, Arhar straw, unlike paddy straw, is green and can be ploughed back into the soil. In paddy straw, the problem is the high silica content, which does not allow for easy decomposition. In the case of Arhar, the farmer, even after combine harvesting, just needs to run a rotovator to cut the leftover straw into pieces, which can be ploughed back and will decompose very fast. All this is difficult with leftover paddy stalks that cannot be easily salvaged or ploughed back. Farmers, therefore, choose the easiest option of simply burning it.

Which of the following are the most rational inferences that can be made from the passage? 1. Farmers' income will be higher with pulse cultivation than with paddy cultivation. 2. Pulse cultivation causes less pollution as compared to paddy cultivation. 3. Pulse straw can be used to improve soil quality. 4. In the context of northern Indian agriculture, paddy straw has no usefulness. 5. Mechanized agriculture is the main cause for stubble burning. Select the correct answer using the code given below.

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

Why the answer is (c)

• Statement 2 is a rational inference because the passage states that Arhar straw decomposes fast and is ploughed back, whereas paddy straw is burned due to high silica content, implying pulse cultivation causes less pollution from burning.

• Statement 3 is a rational inference because the passage explicitly mentions that Arhar straw is green, decomposes very fast, and can be ploughed back into the soil, which improves soil quality.

• Statement 1 is not a rational inference because the passage only compares the yield of the new pulse variety to existing pulse varieties, not to paddy cultivation, so no conclusion about relative income can be drawn.

• Statement 4 is not a rational inference because the passage states paddy straw is difficult to salvage or plough back, but does not claim it has 'no usefulness'; it only explains why farmers burn it.

• Statement 5 is not a rational inference because the passage attributes stubble burning to the difficulty of decomposing paddy straw (high silica), not to mechanized agriculture itself, which is merely a context for harvesting.

• Therefore, only statements 2 and 3 are supported by the text, making option (c) the correct answer.

Why the other options are wrong

(a) 2, 3 and 5
Statement 5 is incorrect because the passage attributes stubble burning to the high silica content of paddy straw, not to mechanized agriculture.
(b) 1, 4 and 5
Statements 1 and 4 are incorrect because the passage does not compare pulse income to paddy income, nor does it state paddy straw has no usefulness.
(d) 1 and 4 only
Statements 1 and 4 are incorrect because the passage does not support a direct income comparison with paddy or claim paddy straw is entirely useless.

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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