Which of the following is the most rational inference from the above passage?
Answer & explanation
Answer: (d) Relation between climate change and migration is not yet properly understood.
The passage keeps pointing to what is unsettled: no consensus on who a climate refugee is, gaps in understanding how climate change drives migration, and doubt over who will protect such migrants. The rational inference is that the link between climate change and migration is not yet properly understood.
- ✗ (a) The passage does not predict that the world cannot cope; it points to gaps in recognition and protection.
- ✗ (b) Stopping climate change is not discussed; the passage is about the migrants and their status.
- ✗ (c) 'The most important reason' goes beyond the passage, which says only that climate change is 'likely' to force migration.
- ✓ (d) 'There are still gaps in understanding how climate change will work as the root cause of migration' — the relation is not yet properly understood.
Remember · When a passage keeps pointing to gaps, lack of consensus and open questions, the inference is about incomplete understanding.
Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper II (2017, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). ·