UPSC Prelims 2025 CSAT Paper II · Q32 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 Maintaining an ecosystem just to conserve biodiversity will affect its commercial potential as well as the livelihoods dependent on the ecosystem. There is also a conflict between using an ecosystem only for livelihoods, for commercial exploitation, or strictly for conservation. Deforestation caused due to commercial exploitation will lead to indirect harm like floods, siltation problems and microclimatic instability, apart from adversely affecting livelihoods dependent on forests. These conflicts are particularly acute in developing countries where the dependence of people on the ecosystem is significant, and commercial exploitation has the potential to boost national income.

With reference to above passage, the following assumptions have been made : I. No country needs to depend on ecosystems to boost national income. II. Resource-rich countries need to share their resources with those of scant resources so as to prevent the degradation of ecosystems. Which of the above assumptions is/are valid ?

  1. (a) I only
  2. (b) II only
  3. (c) Both I and II
  4. (d) Neither I nor II ✓ UPSC's answer

Why the answer is (d)

• The passage states that in developing countries, commercial exploitation of ecosystems has the potential to boost national income, which directly contradicts Assumption I that no country needs to depend on ecosystems for this purpose.

• The passage highlights the conflict between conservation, livelihoods, and commercial exploitation, particularly in developing countries, but it does not mention resource-rich countries or the obligation to share resources with resource-scarce countries.

• Assumption II introduces a concept of international resource sharing that is not supported by any statement in the provided text.

• Since Assumption I is contradicted by the text and Assumption II is not mentioned or implied, neither assumption is valid based strictly on the passage.

• Therefore, the correct option is (d) Neither I nor II.

Why the other options are wrong

(a) I only
Assumption I is invalid because the passage explicitly states that commercial exploitation can boost national income in developing countries.
(b) II only
Assumption II is invalid because the passage does not discuss resource-rich countries or the sharing of resources between nations.
(c) Both I and II
Both assumptions are invalid; Assumption I is contradicted by the text, and Assumption II is not supported by the passage.

Asked in the CSAT Paper II of the UPSC Civil Services Preliminary Examination 2025, held on 25 May 2025. 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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