UPSC Prelims 2025 CSAT Paper II · Q74 of 78 Comprehension medium

Passage

Passage – 2 In only 50 years, the world's consumption of raw materials has nearly quadrupled, to more than 100 billion tons. Less than 9% of this is reused. Batteries of old vehicles contain materials such as lithium, cobalt, manganese and nickel that are pricey and can be hard to obtain. Supply chains are long and complicated. Buyers' risks are being aggravated by their suppliers' poor environmental and labour standards. Reusing materials makes sense. Once batteries reach the ends of their lives, they should go back to a factory where their ingredients can be recovered and put into new batteries.

With reference to the above passage, the following assumptions have been made : I. Automobile factories are examples of the circular economy. II. Economic growth is compatible with circular use of mineral resources. Which of the above assumptions is/are valid ?

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

Why the answer is (b)

• The passage states that raw material consumption has quadrupled in 50 years, indicating that economic growth has occurred alongside increased resource use.

• It argues that reusing materials, such as recovering lithium and cobalt from old batteries, makes sense to mitigate supply chain risks and environmental issues.

• This implies that economic activity (growth) can continue while adopting circular practices (reusing mineral resources), validating Assumption II.

• Assumption I is invalid because the passage describes a specific process of sending end-of-life batteries back to factories for recovery, which is a circular practice, but it does not state that all automobile factories are examples of a circular economy.

• Therefore, only Assumption II is valid, making option (b) the correct answer.

Why the other options are wrong

(a) I only
Assumption I is not supported as the passage does not claim that automobile factories in general are examples of the circular economy.
(c) Both I and II
Assumption I is invalid, so both assumptions cannot be valid.
(d) Neither I nor II
Assumption II is valid as the passage supports the compatibility of economic activity with circular resource use.

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.

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