1
UPSC Civil Service Prelims Paper II 2025 (CSAT)
MCQ (Single Correct Answer)
+2.5
-0.883

It is hard to predict how changes in the climate and the atmosphere's chemistry will affect the prevalence and virulence of agricultural diseases. But there is a risk that such changes will make some plant infections more common in all climatic zones, perhaps catastrophically so. Part of the problem is that centuries of selective breeding have refined the genomes of most high-value crops. They are spectacular at growing in today's conditions but genetic variations that are not immediately useful to them have been bred out. This is good for yields but bad for coping with changes. A minor disease or even an unknown one could suddenly rampage through a genetically honed crop.

Which one of the following statements best reflects the central idea conveyed by the passage?

A

Global climate change adversely affects the productivity of crops.

B

Our total dependence on genetically honed crops entails possible food insecurity.

C

Our food security should not depend on agricultural productivity alone.

D

Genetically honed crops should be replaced with their wild varieties in our present cultivation practices.

2
UPSC Civil Service Prelims Paper II 2025 (CSAT)
MCQ (Single Correct Answer)
+2.5
-0.883

It is hard to predict how changes in the climate and the atmosphere's chemistry will affect the prevalence and virulence of agricultural diseases. But there is a risk that such changes will make some plant infections more common in all climatic zones, perhaps catastrophically so. Part of the problem is that centuries of selective breeding have refined the genomes of most high-value crops. They are spectacular at growing in today's conditions but genetic variations that are not immediately useful to them have been bred out. This is good for yields but bad for coping with changes. A minor disease or even an unknown one could suddenly rampage through a genetically honed crop.

With reference to the above passage, the following assumptions have been made:

I. Global climate change can result in the migration of several plant diseases to new areas.

II. Scientific understanding of the wild relatives of our present crops would enable us to strengthen food security.

Which of the above assumptions is/are valid?

A

I only

B

II only

C

Both I and II

D

Neither I nor II

3
UPSC Civil Service Prelims Paper II 2025 (CSAT)
MCQ (Single Correct Answer)
+2.5
-0.883

"A good statesman, like any other sensible human being, learns more from his opponents than from his fervent supporters. For his supporters will push him to disaster unless his opponents show him where the dangers are. So if he is wise he will often pray to be delivered from his friends, because they will ruin him. But, though it hurts, he ought also to pray never to be left without opponents; for they keep him on the path of reason and good sense. The national unity of free people depends upon a sufficiently even balance of political power to make it impracticable for the administration to be arbitrary and for opposition to be revolutionary and irreconcilable."

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

A

Without opposition parties, the administration in a democracy gets to become more responsible.

B

Democracy needs to have revolutionaries in opposition to keep the government alert.

C

Rulers in a democracy need the support of opposition for their political survival.

D

In a democracy, the opposition is indispensable for the balance of political power and good governance.

4
UPSC Civil Service Prelims Paper II 2025 (CSAT)
MCQ (Single Correct Answer)
+2.5
-0.883

"A good statesman, like any other sensible human being, learns more from his opponents than from his fervent supporters. For his supporters will push him to disaster unless his opponents show him where the dangers are. So if he is wise he will often pray to be delivered from his friends, because they will ruin him. But, though it hurts, he ought also to pray never to be left without opponents; for they keep him on the path of reason and good sense. The national unity of free people depends upon a sufficiently even balance of political power to make it impracticable for the administration to be arbitrary and for opposition to be revolutionary and irreconcilable."

With reference to the above passage, the following assumptions have been made:

I. In a democracy, a strong opposition is required only if the Head of Government is indifferent.

II. The more aggressive the opposition, the better is the governance in a democracy.

Which of the above assumptions is/are valid?

A

I only

B

II only

C

Both I and II

D

Neither I nor II

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