UPSC Prelims 2022 CSAT Paper II · Q11 of 78 Comprehension medium

Passage

Directions for the following 4 (four) items : Read the following two passages and answer the items that follow the passages. Your answers to these items should be based on the passages only. Passage—1 “In simple matters like shoe-making, we think only a specially trained person will serve our purpose, but in politics, we presume that everyone who knows how to get votes knows how to administer a State. When we are ill, we call for a trained physician, whose degree is a guarantee of specific preparation and technical competence—we do not ask for the handsomest physician, or the most eloquent one : well then, when the whole State is ill should we not look for the service and guidance of the wisest and the best?”

Which one of the following statements best reflects the message of the author of the passage?

  1. (a) We assume that in a democracy, any politician is qualified to administer a State.
  2. (b) Politicians should be selected from those trained in administration.
  3. (c) We need to devise a method of barring incompetence from public office. ✓ UPSC's answer
  4. (d) As voters select their administrators, the eligibility of politicians to administer a State cannot be questioned.

Why the answer is (c)

• The passage draws an analogy between medicine and politics, noting that we seek a trained physician for health, not just an eloquent one.

• It criticizes the current presumption that anyone who can get votes is qualified to administer a State.

• The author argues that just as medical degrees guarantee competence, public office requires specific preparation and technical skill.

• The rhetorical question at the end implies that society must ensure the 'wisest and best' are in charge, necessitating a mechanism to filter out unqualified candidates.

• Therefore, the core message is the need for a method to prevent incompetent individuals from holding public office, aligning with option (c).

Why the other options are wrong

(a) We assume that in a democracy, any politician is qualified to administer a State.
This option merely states the flawed assumption the author is criticizing, rather than the solution or message the author is advocating.
(b) Politicians should be selected from those trained in administration.
The passage argues for 'wisdom' and 'best' guidance, not strictly for those 'trained in administration,' making this option too narrow and specific compared to the broader call for competence.
(d) As voters select their administrators, the eligibility of politicians to administer a…
This option contradicts the passage, which explicitly questions the current system where voters select administrators based on vote-getting ability rather than administrative competence.

Asked in the CSAT Paper II of the UPSC Civil Services Preliminary Examination 2022, held on 5 June 2022. 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.

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