Which one of the following statements best reflects the central idea of the above passage?
Answer & explanation
Answer: (a) Parents in general may not be of much help when children are on their way to becoming adults.
Because parents tend to be possessive and dogmatic, adolescents ‘seldom confide in them’ and go their own way in secret. The central idea is that parents often cannot help much as children move towards adulthood.
- ✓ (a) The young ‘seldom confide in them, and usually go their own way in secret’, so parents, as they usually behave, are of little help at this stage. ‘In general’ and ‘may not’ keep the claim suitably soft.
- ✗ (b) The passage criticises how parents get involved, not whether they should be; calling their involvement ‘unnecessary’ goes too far.
- ✗ (c) Nuclear families are not mentioned.
- ✗ (d) The passage blames parental dogmatism; it does not label adolescents stubborn, disobedient or careless.
Remember · Prefer the option with soft words (‘may not’, ‘in general’) over absolutes like ‘unnecessary’ or ‘not capable’.
Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper II (2024, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). ·