Directions (1-10): In each of the following questions a short passage is given with one of the lines in the passage missing and represented by a blank. Select the best out of the five answer choices given, to make the passage complete and coherent (coherent means logically complete and sound).
Q1. A project proposal and a draft model concessionaire agreement (MCA), drawn up by NITI Aayog and the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) in June this year advocates adopting the PPP model in healthcare and health delivery services. The framework for such a partnership is outlined in a project which goes out of its way to accommodate and facilitate private players in the healthcare system in the name of augmenting select healthcare services for non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in tier 2 and tier 3 cities, which, as is commonly known, already have better infrastructure compared with smaller mofussil towns and cities. ______________________.
(a)The processes by which these formulations have been arrived at are equally revealing.
(b) The concessionaire agreement is to be drawn between State governments and selected private partners in the form of a PPP for the treatment of NCDs.
(c)The district hospitals to be short-listed for the project in tier 2 and tier 3 cities are expected to have not less than 250 functional beds.
(d)In order to give a direction to enhanced private sector engagement through PPPs to address the “growing burden of NCDs”, NITI Aayog’s project aims to “improve access to quality screening”.
(e) For the first time in independent India, it has been openly admitted in a national health policy document that critical gaps in healthcare would be filled by the private sector.
Q2. The Indian Army chief, Gen. BipinRawat, in a speech delivered in the first week of September, once again talked of a “two front war”, pitting India simultaneously against China and Pakistan. “We have to be prepared. In our context, therefore, warfare lies within the realms of reality,” he said in the speech just a day after Modi and Xi had a cordial meeting. _______________________________. But the Army chief again painted China as an “adversary” who was busy nibbling away at Indian territory.
(a)China had notified the Indian side about its road-building project in Doklam in the month of May but India preferred to send its troops to the part of the Doklam plateau to which the claimant is Bhutan.
(b)Indian diplomats more conversant with China and its politics were roped in to salvage the situation.
(c)Xi was busy making preparations to host the BRICS summit.
(d) The two leaders had agreed to establish a “forward looking” approach to bilateral ties.
(e)The Chinese side would have put forward their other complaints during the meeting between Xi and Modi.
Q3. In a recent study about criminal politicians in north India, the anthropologists Anastasia Piliavsky and Tommaso Sbriccoli document that these figures are often seen as ‘doers’. In fact, they are often not necessarily seen as ‘criminals’ but as ‘toughs’ who protect society and provide public goods, stepping in when the state machinery creaks to a halt. In a way, this motif of a local hero who steps out of convention to cater to immediate social needs reminds one of localised divinities who abound across India. These ‘small’ divinities — from Aiyyanaar in Tamil Nadu, Jhunjharji Maharaj in Rajasthan, Kail Bisht in Uttarakhand, Jasma Odan in Gujarat — who are often removed from the ‘high’ philosophical traditions also accrue their worth in the social imagination as prolific ‘doers’ who defend the social order. ___________________________________
(a) This is in contrast to the practice of politics that maximises ‘goods of effectiveness’, such as money, prestige, power — goods whose possession may allow for greater efficacy of action but are not ends in themselves.
(b) This compartmentalisation of ethical frameworks is neither uniquely Indian nor modern.
(c) These localised divinities stand often in contrast to the larger, homogenising, and transcendental categories of belief that the state calls ‘religion’.
(d) Our tolerance for goondas in politics is directly tied to our collective imaginary that thinks efficacy of action — of getting things done — is a virtue in itself.
(e) Our intellectual class views politics as a collective practice to produce citizens who value goods of internal excellence.
Q4. First of all, given that all corrupt politicians are humans and cows are incorruptible, it would, in one stroke, reduce corruption by 33%. Second, ______________________________. Third, it would lower the human capital costs of keeping the democratic machinery running. The cost to the country (CTC) of one bovine Member of Parliament is estimated to be one-thousandth the CTC of a human MP. Multiply that by 180 (33% of 545) and you get an idea of the astronomical savings that would accrue to the exchequer from the Lok Sabha alone. Do this calculation for the Rajya Sabha and all the State Assemblies, and you’re looking at thousands of crores in savings.
(a) since cows are typically female, it is a big step towards gender equality.
(b) all cows are vegetarian by birth.
(c) no cow would ever try to make a point by rushing to the Well of the House — not unless you fill it with water and add hay.
(d) cows, by contrast, are known for simple living and high thinking.
(e) India is on the verge of reclaiming its rightful global status as the mother of human civilisation and the gau mata of any advanced alien civilisation that inter-galactic probes may discover in times to come.
Q5. Offers of admission are the product of much careful thought and hard work — both by the students who apply and by the universities that review the applications. Families also play an important, supportive role. At this time last year, our daughter, after many hours of working on her application essays and preparing for standardised admissions exams, was deciding which university to attend. It’s a big decision, but there are really no bad choices. __________________________
(a) The United States values diversity and actively supports students from varied backgrounds.
(b) Even a school that might not have been one’s first choice has a way of turning out to be the perfect fit.
(c) Sometimes, we don’t know what we should want.
(d) Thankfully, US universities pay careful attention to the safety and welfare of their students.
(e) In early autumn, the Education USA university tour will stop in all seven cities with advising centres.
Q6. That rural India was to be the focus of Budget 2018 was expected, indeed urgently needed. To this end, the finance minister’s budget speech made all the right noises. What is interesting, however, is the narrative of rural development that the government has constructed. Gone is the focus on jobs, skills, aspirations and empowerment. ____________________________________________. Improved rural infrastructure (particularly sanitation, housing, roads) and—the showstopper of this budget—health insurance are the key focus. Achievements against these schemes are likely to frame the political message that the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) is going to take to the people in 2019.
(a) And now to this budget’s showstopper—the National Health Protection Scheme to cover 100 million poor and vulnerable families with a coverage of up to Rs5 lakh per family.
(b) More importantly, the immediate concern of alleviating rural distress remains unaddressed.
(c) In the absence of increased allocations, this seems no more than an empty promise.
(d)These low allocations need to be considered in light of the fact that construction targets are high.
(e) The rural economy is to be strengthened through greater government welfare intervention.
Q7. The NDA government lost precious time in its first three years in initiating a health scheme that serves the twin purposes of achieving universal coverage and saving people from high health care costs. It announced two years ago in the Budget a health protection scheme offering a cover of ₹1 lakh per family, but ultimately that did not extend beyond ₹30,000. Fresh hopes have been raised with the announcement of Ayushman Bharat in Budget 2018. The plan has the components of opening health centres for diagnostics, care and distribution of essential drugs as envisaged in the National Health Policy, and a National Health Protection Scheme (NHPS) to provide a cover of up to ₹5 lakh each for 10 crore poor and vulnerable families for hospitalisation. __________________________.
(a) Such centres can dispense free essential medication prescribed by all registered doctors and procured through a centralised agency.
(b) These are challenging goals, given the fragmented nature of India’s health system.
(c) Determination of treatment costs by the government is therefore important.
(d) A national health system will also have to subsume all existing state-funded insurance schemes.
(e) Developing countries that launched universal health coverage schemes over a decade ago, such as Mexico, had to address some key challenges.
Q8. In October 2017, the results of a field study on Arctic sea ice, often considered a drab subject, received worldwide attention, especially in the media and among international ice scientists. The study by the Cryosphere Climate Research Group at the University of Calgary, Canada, found that satellite measurements of seasonal sea ice that formed over the Arctic every year were likely to be incorrect by a substantial degree. In a paper published in the academic journal Geophysical Research Letters, the researchers said the estimates so far failed to take into account the amount of salt in the layers of snow over the ice. _________________________________________________________.
(a) This is because as the ice cover melts quickly, the ocean gets exposed to sunlight for a longer period.
(b) There is no sun in the Arctic during the winter season and so, because of the cold atmosphere, the ocean freezes and forms what we call “sea ice”.
(c) When snow falls on top of sea ice, it will absorb some amount of salt and the snow cover also becomes partially or completely salty.
(d) As spring arrives, the sun comes out and the snow on top of the sea ice starts melting.
(e) The presence of salt distorted satellite readings and, as a result, scientists overestimated the thickness of Arctic sea ice.
Q9. For about 90 kilometres of its course of 160 km, the Noyyal river, a tributary of the Cauvery, is dead. Effluents loaded with salt and dangerous chemicals, discharged by the textile dyeing industries in Tiruppur district of Tamil Nadu, have killed the river. From Murugampalayam in Tiruppur district to Noyyal village in Karur district, the broad, swift-flowing Noyyal has been reduced to a stricken stream of effluents. _____________________________________________.
(a) The river was nothing but a stagnant pool of effluents.
(b) Consequently, agriculture in lakhs of acres in Tiruppur, Erode and Karur districts has been ruined.
(c) Karuppannan’s remarks came after television channels and newspapers carried pictures of the river foaming up with effluents and reported that it happened when dyeing units let effluents into the river taking advantage of the rains.
(d) The dyeing units send the effluents by a pipeline to Common Effluent Treatment Plants (CETPs), where they are treated and converted into reusable water.
(e) The effluents generated from the dyeing process include sludge, chemical sludge, salt and solar residue.
Q10. Apart from the agriculture sector, there needs to be increased focus on agriculture-allied sectors if we want to improve overall rural income. The livestock sector, which contributes around 4% to India’s gross domestic product (GDP), is particularly critical. ______________________________. Small and marginal farmers have high dependence on the livestock sector. Hence, measures to boost livestock sector growth and productivity will have a significant impact in alleviating rural distress.
(a) The services sector contributes around 27% to rural output, as against 55% to India’s GDP.
(b) The rural workforce finds it difficult to get absorbed in the manufacturing sector.
(c) Improvement in employment in the manufacturing and services sectors will be critical in improving rural income.
(d) India has a mixed crop livestock farming system, with livestock becoming an important secondary source of income
(e) There has been a substantial growth in employment in the construction sector in rural areas.
Directions (11-15): In the passage given below there are blanks which are to be filled with the options given below. Find out the appropriate pair of words in each case which can most suitably complete the sentence without altering the meaning of the statement. Both the pair must fill the blank.
Q11. Prime Minister Narendra Modi appears to be under the (11)_____________ that most of us will accept his party’s Congress bashing uncritically and without judging it from a historical point of view. As one who continues to revel in (12) ______________ skills, Mr. Modi must honestly introspect whether he can (13)______________paint black the contributions of the Indian National Congress under the first Prime Minister in nation building. The goal of the Bharatiya Janata Party is stated to be creating a ‘Congress-less India’, which is a (14) ______________ and autocratic policy. It implies that the party does not want to recognise the Opposition and institutions to audit its governance. Mr. Modi must realise that there is nothing (15) ______________to show in terms of people-oriented policies.
(a) illusion / misconception
(b) ostentatious / tumid
(c) vision / aim
(d) mission / objective
(e) assignment / duty
Q12. Prime Minister Narendra Modi appears to be under the (11)_____________ that most of us will accept his party’s Congress bashing uncritically and without judging it from a historical point of view. As one who continues to revel in (12) ______________ skills, Mr. Modi must honestly introspect whether he can (13)______________paint black the contributions of the Indian National Congress under the first Prime Minister in nation building. The goal of the Bharatiya Janata Party is stated to be creating a ‘Congress-less India’, which is a (14) ______________ and autocratic policy. It implies that the party does not want to recognise the Opposition and institutions to audit its governance. Mr. Modi must realise that there is nothing (15) ______________to show in terms of people-oriented policies.
(a) dismissive / inordinate
(b) organizing / management
(c) diabolical / infernal
(d) oratorical / rhetorical
(e) unrestricted / unrestrained
Q13. Prime Minister Narendra Modi appears to be under the (11)_____________ that most of us will accept his party’s Congress bashing uncritically and without judging it from a historical point of view. As one who continues to revel in (12) ______________ skills, Mr. Modi must honestly introspect whether he can (13)______________paint black the contributions of the Indian National Congress under the first Prime Minister in nation building. The goal of the Bharatiya Janata Party is stated to be creating a ‘Congress-less India’, which is a (14) ______________ and autocratic policy. It implies that the party does not want to recognise the Opposition and institutions to audit its governance. Mr. Modi must realise that there is nothing (15) ______________to show in terms of people-oriented policies.
(a) cautiously / guardedly
(b) unscrupulously / immorally
(c) carefully / harmlessly
(d) friendly / pleasantly
(e) awfully / grody
Q14. Prime Minister Narendra Modi appears to be under the (11)_____________ that most of us will accept his party’s Congress bashing uncritically and without judging it from a historical point of view. As one who continues to revel in (12) ______________ skills, Mr. Modi must honestly introspect whether he can (13)______________paint black the contributions of the Indian National Congress under the first Prime Minister in nation building. The goal of the Bharatiya Janata Party is stated to be creating a ‘Congress-less India’, which is a (14) ______________ and autocratic policy. It implies that the party does not want to recognise the Opposition and institutions to audit its governance. Mr. Modi must realise that there is nothing (15) ______________to show in terms of people-oriented policies.
(a) communal / libertarian
(b) constitutional / egalitarian
(c) despotic / populist
(d) socialist / individualist
(e) dictatorial / totalitarian
Q15. Prime Minister Narendra Modi appears to be under the (11)_____________ that most of us will accept his party’s Congress bashing uncritically and without judging it from a historical point of view. As one who continues to revel in (12) ______________ skills, Mr. Modi must honestly introspect whether he can (13)______________paint black the contributions of the Indian National Congress under the first Prime Minister in nation building. The goal of the Bharatiya Janata Party is stated to be creating a ‘Congress-less India’, which is a (14) ______________ and autocratic policy. It implies that the party does not want to recognise the Opposition and institutions to audit its governance. Mr. Modi must realise that there is nothing (15) ______________to show in terms of people-oriented policies.
(a) definite / docile
(b) explicit / abstract
(c) concrete / factual
(d) corporeal / indefinite
(e) coagulate / pliable
Solutions
S1. Ans. (b)
Sol. The paragraph here talks about the project highlighting adoption of the Public private partnership (PPP) in healthcare services for non- communicable diseases. Hence the blank must be filled by the sentence talking about the agreement between the two ( public and private partnership). Hence we find that only sentence (b) is going in harmony with the paragraph as it talks about the concessionaire agreement between State governments and selected private partners. Hence option (b) is the right choice.
S2. Ans. (d)
Sol. The paragraph is giving the statement of Indian Army chief, Gen. BipinRawat, which was given a day after Modi and Xi cordial meet. The sentence before the blank talks about the meeting of Modi and Xi while sentence after the blank talks about China as rival by Army chief. Hence the blank must be filled by the sentence which states the relation between India and China. Going through all the sentences, we find that sentence (d) goes in agreement with the paragraph talking about the establishment of bilateral ties between the two nations by the two leaders. Hence option (d) is the correct choice.
S3. Ans. (c)
Sol. The paragraph is about the existence of criminal figures in politics and its subsequent prospects. Read the last two sentences of the paragraph carefully, it can be easily inferred from there that option (c) makes the most appropriate conclusion to the paragraph as it talks about those localized divinities whose names are mentioned in the penultimate sentence of the paragraph. Other options are irrelevant in context of the paragraph
S4. Ans. (a)
Sol. The paragraph is about the issue of cow which is politically motivated in India. The author has nicely combined the probable facts with sarcasm. He has pointed three important advantages, each being unique and in the positive interest of the socio-political environment. Among the given options, all the options look seemingly possible to fill the gap. However, if one goes by either of the other two points, it can be inferred from there that option (a) is the most apt choice as it provides the social advantage along with it. Other options fail to connect to a suitable reason required with the point mentioned in the paragraph.
S5. Ans. (b)
Sol. Read the paragraph, it emphasizes on the hard work of the students to attain a good university for admissions. Only sentence (b) fits into the paragraph and conclude the paragraph saying about the school that turn out to be a perfect fit despite of not having one’s first choice. All other sentences are telling us about US universities which are irrelevant to the paragraph. Hence sentence (b) is the right choice.
S6. Ans. (e)
Sol. The paragraph discusses finance minister’s 2018 budget speech. Sentences before the blank talks about the government’s focus on rural development. Sentences after the blank talks about the budget’s focus on the development in rural infrastructure (particularly sanitation, housing, roads). Hence the blank must be filled by the sentence talking about rural development. After reading the given sentences, we can infer that sentence (e) is going correctly with the theme of the paragraph talking about strengthening of rural economy. Hence option (e) is correct among other options.
S7. Ans. (b)
Sol. The paragraph revolves around the theme of implementation of the health schemes, discussed in the recent budget, which remained unfulfilled since previous budget. Sentences before the blank talks about the announcement of plan and schemes regarding improving health like opening health centres for diagnostics, care and distribution of essential drugs, in Budget 2018. Hence the sentence which is to be filled in the blank must satisfy the theme of the paragraph. Sentence (b) that has referred these plans as challenging, is making the sentence complete and meaningful. Other options are irrelevant here.
S8. Ans. (e)
Sol. Here the paragraph is all about the incorrect satellite measurement regarding thickness of ice in the Arctic sea, which is due to not considering the amount of salt over the ice. The sentences above the blank talk about the statement of researchers regarding reason behind the cause, hence the next sentence should be related to this. Sentence (e) which is giving further reasons behind the cause, is making the paragraph appropriately complete and meaningful. Hence option (e) is the correct choice
S9. Ans. (b)
Sol. The given paragraph is giving the causes regarding deceased Noyyal river, a tributary of the Cauvery. Dangerous chemicals have reduced the broad river to a stream of effluents. Sentence (b) talking about the effects in the Tiruppur, Erode and Karur districts, is making the paragraph complete. Hence option (b) is the correct choice.
S10. Ans. (d)
Sol. Here the paragraph discusses the need to improve the overall rural income through improving agriculture related sectors like livestock sector. Sentence above the blank is about the contribution of livestock sector on GDP, while sentence after the blank is about dependence of farmers on this sector. Hence the blank must be filled by the sentence giving the importance of livestock sector in rural income. Hence option (d) is the correct choice as compared to others.
S11. Ans. (a)
Sol. Option (a) is the correct choice. The tone of the paragraph is critical. The paragraph is describing about the future plans of Prime Minister Modi and forecasting the reactions and outcome of these plans. As the author is writing in a critical tone the pair of words “illusion / misconception” best fits the blank. These words are expressing a criticism towards Modi’s political strategies. “ostentatious” means to characterise by pretentious or showy display; designed to impress. “tumid” means (especially of a part of the body) swollen. Therefore, among all the given options, option (a) proves to be the most suitable one.
S12. Ans. (d)
Sol. Option (d) is the correct choice. Here, the paragraph is describing the oratorical skills of Prime Minister Modi while delivering speeches. “oratorical” is an adjective which means relating to the art or practice of public speaking. “oratorical” is similar in meaning to “rhetorical”. “dismissive” means feeling or showing that something is unworthy of consideration. “diabolical” is also an adjective which means the characteristic of the Devil, or so evil as to recall the Devil which is similar in meaning with “infernal”. Hence, among all the given words the only pair that satisfies the blank is oratorical/ rhetorical. Thus, creating option (d) the most suitable choice for answer.
S13. Ans. (b)
Sol. Option (b) is the correct choice. The paragraph is expressing about the Modi’s orating skills that can influence the citizens of the nation and can paint black [=Represent someone or something as evil or harmful] the contributions of Indian National Congress. “unscrupulously” is an adverb which means having or showing no moral principles; not honest or fair, it is similar meaning with “immorally”. “grody” is an adjective which means very unpleasant or disgusting. Thus, the most suitable choice to fill the blank is option (b).
S14. Ans. (e)
Sol. Option (e) is the correct choice. “dictatorial” is an adjective which means of or typical of a ruler with total power which is similar in meaning with “totalitarian”. “communal” means shared by all members of a community; for common use. “libertarian” means a person who believes in free will. Thus, the most suitable pair of words is dictatorial/ totalitarian. However, “despotic” means of or typical of a despot; tyrannical which can fill the blank but “populist” means a member or adherent of a political party seeking to represent the interests of ordinary people. Therefore, the pair despotic / populist cannot be used to make the paragraph coherent.
S15. Ans. (c)
Sol. Option (c) is the correct choice. “concrete” is an adjective which means specific; definite. “docile” means ready to accept control or instruction; submissive. “corporeal” means relating to a person’s body, especially as opposed to their spirit. “coagulate” means change to a solid or semi-solid state. “pliable” means easily bent; flexible. Thus, the only pair of words that justifies the blank to make the paragraph coherent is concrete / factual i.e., option (c).
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