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CSAT 2021 paper

UPSC CSE CSAT 2021 · Question 22 · Reading comprehension

Which one of the following statements best reflects the critical message conveyed by the passage…

Passage—2

There are reports that some of the antibiotics sold in the market are fed to poultry and other livestock as growth promoters. Overusing these substances can create superbugs, pathogens that are resistant to multiple drugs and could be passed along humans. Mindful of that, some farming companies have stopped using the drugs to make chickens gain weight faster. Since Denmark banned antibiotic growth promoters in the 1990s, the major pork exporter says it is producing more pigs — and the animals get fewer diseases.

CSAT 2021 · Q22

Reading comprehension Easy

Which one of the following statements best reflects the critical message conveyed by the passage given above?

Answer & explanation

Answer: (d) Antibiotics should only be used to treat diseases.

The concern is antibiotics fed to livestock as growth promoters, which can breed superbugs; Denmark banned growth promoters and its pigs got fewer diseases. The message is to keep antibiotics for treating disease, not to ban them for animals altogether.

  • ✗ (a) Too extreme; the passage objects to one misuse of antibiotics, not to eating animal products.
  • ✗ (b) Plant versus animal foods is never discussed.
  • ✗ (c) Too broad: Denmark banned antibiotic 'growth promoters', not all antibiotic use; sick animals may still need treatment.
  • ✓ (d) The harm comes from using antibiotics 'as growth promoters'; stopping that worked, so antibiotics should be kept for treating disease.

Remember · Pick the option that targets exactly the misuse the passage criticises; blanket bans and lifestyle changes overshoot.

Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper II (2021, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). ·

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