Minimalist IAS
CSAT 2016 paper

UPSC CSE CSAT 2016 · Question 5 · Reading comprehension

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

Passage—2

In general, religious traditions stress our duty to god, or to some universal ethical principle. Our duties to one another derive from these. The religious concept of rights is primarily derived from our relationship to this divinity or principle and the implication it has on our other relationships. This correspondence between rights and duties is critical to any further understanding of justice. But, for justice to be practiced; virtue, rights and duties cannot remain formal abstractions. They must be grounded in a community (common unity) bound together by a sense of common union (communion). Even as a personal virtue, this solidarity is essential to the practice and understanding of justice.

CSAT 2016 · Q5

Reading comprehension Medium

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

  1. 1.Human relationships are derived from their religious traditions
  2. 2.Human beings can be duty bound only if they believe in god
  3. 3.Religious traditions are essential to practice and understand justice

Which of these assumption(s) is/are valid?

Answer & explanation

Answer: (a) 1 only

The passage says our duties to one another derive from religious traditions' stress on duty to god or a universal principle, so assumption 1 holds. It allows 'some universal ethical principle' in place of god, and it calls community solidarity — not religion — essential to justice, so 2 and 3 fail.

  • ✓ 1. 'Our duties to one another derive from these', and the concept of rights shapes 'our other relationships' — relationships flow from religious traditions.
  • ✗ 2. 'Only if they believe in god' is too extreme; the duty may be to 'some universal ethical principle'.
  • ✗ 3. What is 'essential to the practice and understanding of justice' is solidarity in a community, not religious tradition.

Remember · Watch the qualifiers — 'only', 'essential', 'always'. An assumption carrying one must be backed by the passage's own words.

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). ·

More on Reading comprehension

All Reading comprehension questions →