IAS 2024 — CSAT Comprehension

Directions: Read the following passage and answer the items that follow. Your answers should be based solely on the passage. Passage: The key source of the battle for clean skies and clear lungs is the fuel we burn - from household Chulhas to the thermal power plants. In most cases, it is biomass or coal. The Supreme Court banned the use of pet coke - the dirtiest of such fuels. The Delhi Government banned the use of coal, which was later extended to the entire National Capital Region. It was also agreed that the thermal power plants would clean up or shut down. Action on this has been patchy to say the least. The lesson from the transition to CNG is that people need alternatives for a ban to be effective. When diesel buses were stopped, CNG supply had to be assured. It also had to be feasible in terms of cost. The Supreme Court agreed that fiscal measures were needed to keep clean fuel cheaper than dirty fuel. Now even as coal is banned, the price of natural gas makes industry uncompetitive. Which of the following statements is/are correct? 1. Thermal power stations in Delhi were required to summarily shut down. 2. CNG supplies had to be assured once diesel vehicles were prohibited from plying. 3. The Supreme Court banned the use of coal across the National Capital Region. Select the answer using the code given below.

Directions: Read the following passage and answer the items that follow. Your answers should be based solely on the passage. Passage: Cattle from the nearby villages came to the common ground to graze, and there was still a cool freshness in the air. Hori took several deep breaths and thought of sitting down for a while, since he'd be dying of heat in the scorching 'loo' wind the rest of the day. A number of farmers were eager to lease this bit of land and had offered a good price, but Rai Sahib - God bless him - had plainly told them it was reserved for grazing and would not be relinquished for any price. If he'd been one of those selfish Zamindars, he'd have said the cattle could go to hell, that there was no reason for him to miss the chance to make a little money. But the Rai Sahib still held to the old values, feeling that any landlord who didn't look after his tenants was less than human. Which of the following conclusions is/are correct? 1. All landlords essentially have some goodness trapped within them. 2. The common grazing grounds of a village are intended for use by the cattle of that village. 3. Landlords who believe in tradition tend to be more concerned about their tenants. 4. Winds later in the day tend to be cooler post the hot winds of the morning. Select the answer using the code given below.

Directions: Read the following passage and answer the items that follow. Your answers should be based solely on the passage. Passage: When SARS-CoV-2 was first detected in 2019, it was a truly novel virus for the world. At that time, no one in the world had been exposed to SARS-CoV-2 or had specific immunity against it. In contrast, people across the world have been exposed to HMPV for decades and the virus is well-studied. HMPV and SARS-CoV-2 belong to two very different virus families with fundamentally different characteristics and epidemiology, with strong seasonality seen in HMPV, unlike SARS-CoV-2. Both viruses cause different severity of symptoms, particularly over the long term, and the affected population segments do not fully overlap. In general, HMPV causes milder illness with deaths being very rare and with no long-term post-viral symptoms. Which of the following reflect the intent of the writer in the above passage? 1. To evolve methodologies for objective analysis of the two viruses 2. To establish the epidemiological similarities and differences between the two viruses 3. To offer a better understanding of the remedies of HMPV when analysed in conjunction with SARS-CoV-2 Select the answer using the code given below.

Directions: Read the following passage and answer the items that follow. Your answers should be based solely on the passage. Passage: India is starting to deploy AI for critical use cases such as weather forecasting, pest detection and control, and crop yield optimisation. However, penetration is limited to a small subset of tech-savvy farmers. In the US and in Europe, generative AI tools have started offering precision farming at scale, integrating large datasets to provide real-time agronomic insights. For at-scale integration and accessibility of AI tools in India, it would be helpful to develop Indian languages-based AI tools for smallholder farmers, partner with AgTechs to create affordable AI solutions, and disseminate AI-based advisory services through government programmes. Which of the following statements is/are not correct? 1. Tech-savvy farmers will drive the AgTech companies of the future. 2. The development of advisory services by the government programmes for the use of AI tools in agriculture would be helpful. 3. In the US and Europe, AI tools have replaced traditional agricultural practices. 4. The integration of large datasets for use in real-time agronomic analysis is already a reality. Select the answer using the code given below.

Directions: Read the following passage and answer the items that follow. Your answers should be based solely on the passage. Passage: Previous waves of customer-service technology, including email and those pesky voice menus, stoked concerns of job losses, only for them to fail to materialise. AI could yet prove different. And if it does, its effects may be salutary. Human agents could be freed up to spend more time on creative and rewarding tasks, like using feedback to make products and services better - and thereby spend less time listening to irate customers! Which one among the following statements most appropriately reflects the point of view of the given passage?