UPSC Prelims 2012·CSAT·Reading Comprehension·Passage Comprehension

Read the following passages and answer the items that follow each passage. Your answers to these items should be based on the passages only. The poor especially in market economies need the strength that collectivities offer for creating more economic, social and political space for themselves, for enhancing their socio-economic well-being and voice, and as a protection against free market individualism. It has been argued that a group approach to farming, especially in the form of bottom up agricultural production collectivities, offers substantial scope for poverty alleviation and empowering the poor as well as enhancing agricultural productivity. To realise this potential, however, the groups would need to be voluntary in nature, small in size, participative in decision making and equitable in work sharing and benefit distribution. There are many notable examples of such collectivities to be found in varied contexts, such as in the transition economies. All of them bear witness to the possibility of successful cooperation under given conditions. And although the gender impact of the family cooperatives in the transition economies are uncertain, the Indian examples of women-only groups farming offer considerable potential for benefiting women. Choose the appropriate phrase(s) in the context of the passage, to complete the given statement: "Agricultural collectivities such as group based farming can provide the rural poor ______." 1) empowerment. 2) increased agricultural productivity. 3) protection against exploitative markets. 4) surplus production of agricultural commodities

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  1. AAll 1, 2, 3 and 4
  2. BOnly 1, 2 and 3Correct
  3. COnly 2 and 4
  4. DOnly 1, 3 and 4

Explanation

The correct answer is B because statements 1, 2, and 3 are directly supported by the passage, while statement 4 is not. Analysis of statements: 1) empowerment: The passage states that group farming offers "substantial scope for... empowering the poor." This supports statement 1. 2) increased agricultural productivity: The passage mentions that group farming offers scope for "enhancing agricultural productivity." This supports statement 2. 3) protection against exploitative markets: The passage states collectivities offer "protection against free market individualism." In the context of the poor in market economies, "free market individualism" can lead to exploitative conditions, and collectivities provide a safeguard against such negative aspects. This supports statement 3. 4) surplus production of agricultural commodities: The passage mentions "enhancing agricultural productivity" but does not explicitly state or imply "surplus production of agricultural commodities" as a direct benefit. Increased productivity doesn't automatically mean surplus production, especially for the poor whose primary goal might be food security or increased income from their existing produce. This statement is not directly supported by the passage. Therefore, only 1, 2, and 3 are appropriate in the context of the passage.
Reading Comprehension: Read the following passages and answer the items that follow each passage. Your answers to these items should be based o

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