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UPSC CSE CSAT 2024 · Paper II (CSAT) · Question 62 · Reading comprehension

Which one of the following statements best reflects the most logical, rational and practical…

UPSC Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination 2024, General Studies Paper II (CSAT), Question 62 — Reading comprehension.

Passage—2

Now-a-days there is a growing trend to use interconnected home devices. As consumers increasingly network their homes, the connected home device manufacturers and service providers will seek to overcome “thin profit margins by gathering more of our personal data—with or without our agreement—turning the home into a corporate storefront”. Corporate marketers will have powerful incentives to observe consumer behaviour to understand the buying needs and preferences of the device owners.

Which one of the following statements best reflects the most logical, rational and practical message implied by the passage?

Answer & explanation

Answer: (d) Interconnected devices can be at security risk and home users may have privacy risk.

Makers of connected devices will gather personal data ‘with or without our agreement’ and turn the home into ‘a corporate storefront’. The practical message is that such devices carry privacy and security risks for their users.

  • ✗ (a) Capital expenditure in manufacturing is not discussed.
  • ✗ (b) The passage is wary of this data gathering; it does not praise it as a driver of trade or national development.
  • ✗ (c) Comfort and quality of life are not mentioned; the passage dwells on the downside.
  • ✓ (d) Personal data gathered ‘with or without our agreement’ and constant observation of consumer behaviour point to privacy and security risks for home users.

Remember · Read the tone: phrases like ‘with or without our agreement’ signal a warning, so pick the cautionary option.

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). ·

Cite this question: UPSC CSE CSAT 2024, Q62 — minimalistias.com/pyqs/csat/2024/q62

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