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UPSC CSE CSAT 2016 · Question 25 · Reading comprehension

Which among the following is the most logical and critical inference that can be made from the…

Passage—2

We are witnessing a dangerous dwindling of biodiversity in our food supply. The green revolution is a mixed blessing. Over time farmers have come to rely heavily on broadly adapted, high yield crops to the exclusion of varieties adapted to the local conditions. Monocropping vast fields with the same genetically uniform seeds helps boost yield and meet immediate hunger needs. Yet high-yield varieties are also genetically weaker crops that require expensive chemical fertilizers and toxic pesticides. In our focus on increasing the amount of food we produce today, we have accidentally put ourselves at risk for food shortages in future.

CSAT 2016 · Q25

Reading comprehension Easy

Which among the following is the most logical and critical inference that can be made from the above passage?

Answer & explanation

Answer: (d) Green revolution can pose a threat to biodiversity in food supply and food security in the long run

The passage calls the green revolution a mixed blessing: reliance on uniform high-yield crops has caused a 'dangerous dwindling of biodiversity' in our food and has put us 'at risk for food shortages in future'. So it can threaten both biodiversity and long-run food security.

  • ✗ (a) 'Only due to green revolution' is too extreme; the passage links chemicals to high-yield varieties, not as the sole cause of dependence.
  • ✗ (b) A plain factual link that leaves out the risk the passage is warning about.
  • ✗ (c) 'The only way' runs against the passage, which says this practice risks future food shortages.
  • ✓ (d) 'Dangerous dwindling of biodiversity in our food supply' and 'at risk for food shortages in future'.

Remember · A 'critical inference' carries the author's warning; drop options with 'only' and neutral facts that miss the author's concern.

Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper II (2016, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). ·

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