UPSC Prelims 2021 CSAT Paper II · Q3 of 79 Comprehension medium

Passage

Passage - 3 A study conducted on the impacts of climate change over the Cauvery basin of Tamil Nadu using regional climate models showed an increasing trend for maximum and minimum temperatures, and a decrease in the number of rainy days. These climatic shifts will have an impact on the hydrological cycles in the region, lead to more run-off and less recharge, and affect the groundwater tables. Further, there has been an increase in the frequency of droughts in the State. This has driven farmers to increase dependency on groundwater resources to secure their crops.

Which one of the following statements best reflects the crux of the passage given above ?

  1. (a) Development of regional climate models helps in choosing climate-smart agricultural practices.
  2. (b) Heavy dependence on groundwater resources can be reduced by adopting dry-land cropping systems.
  3. (c) Climate changes increase the criticality of water resources while simultaneously threatening it. ✓ UPSC's answer
  4. (d) Climate changes cause the farmers to adopt unsustainable livelihoods and risky coping strategies.

Why the answer is (c)

• The passage states that climate change leads to rising temperatures and fewer rainy days, which alters hydrological cycles by increasing runoff and decreasing groundwater recharge.

• It further notes that an increase in drought frequency has driven farmers to rely more heavily on groundwater to secure their crops.

• This creates a dual impact: climate change threatens water resources by reducing their availability (less recharge) while simultaneously increasing their criticality as the primary source for agriculture.

• Therefore, the core argument is that climate change exacerbates the importance of water resources while endangering their sustainability.

• Option (c) accurately captures this dual dynamic of increased criticality and simultaneous threat to water resources.

Why the other options are wrong

(a) Development of regional climate models helps in choosing climate-smart agricultural…
The passage mentions regional climate models only as the tool used for the study, not as a method for choosing agricultural practices.
(b) Heavy dependence on groundwater resources can be reduced by adopting dry-land cropping…
The passage does not suggest that adopting dry-land cropping systems reduces dependence on groundwater; it only states that farmers are increasing this dependence.
(d) Climate changes cause the farmers to adopt unsustainable livelihoods and risky coping…
The passage does not characterize the farmers' reliance on groundwater as an 'unsustainable livelihood' or 'risky coping strategy,' but rather as a response to increased drought frequency.

Asked in the CSAT Paper II of the UPSC Civil Services Preliminary Examination 2021, held on 10 October 2021. 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.

Practise this paper free