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CSAT 2019 paper

UPSC CSE CSAT 2019 · Question 24 · Reading comprehension

What is the most logical and rational corollary to the above passage?

Passage—3

The rural poor across the world, including India, have contributed little to human-induced climate change, yet they are on the frontline in coping with its effects. Farmers can no longer rely on historical averages for rainfall and temperature, and the more frequent and extreme weather events, such as droughts and floods, can spell disaster. And there are new threats, such as sea level rise and the impact of melting glaciers on water supply. How significant are small farms? As many as two billion people worldwide depend on them for their food and livelihood. Small-holder farmers in India produce 41 percent of the country’s food grains, and other food items that contribute to local and national food security.

CSAT 2019 · Q24

Reading comprehension Easy

What is the most logical and rational corollary to the above passage?

Answer & explanation

Answer: (a) Supporting small farmers is an important part of any agenda regarding environmentally sustainable development.

Small farms feed about two billion people and grow 41 percent of India's food grains, yet their farmers bear the brunt of climate change. Any agenda for environmentally sustainable development must therefore support them.

  • ✓ (a) Their importance ('two billion people', '41 percent') and their exposure to climate shocks together make support for them central to sustainability.
  • ✗ (b) The passage says the rural poor contributed little to climate change; it says nothing about poor countries having no role in mitigation.
  • ✗ (c) The passage points to threats facing the farmers who grow the food — the opposite of assured food security.
  • ✗ (d) 41 percent is a large share, not all; 'only' contradicts the passage's own figure.

Remember · Build the corollary from the passage's central tension — here, vital small farms exposed to climate risk; drop options with 'only' or 'will not'.

Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper II (2019, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). ·

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