With reference to the above passage, the following assumptions have been made: I. There is no need for the State to be involved in any manner in the handloom sector. II. Handloom products are no longer appealing and attractive in the rapidly changing modern world. Which of the above assumptions is/are valid?

CSAT 2025 paper

UPSC CSE CSAT 2025 · Question 24 · Reading comprehension

With reference to the above passage, the following assumptions have been made:

Passage—2

In our country, handlooms are equated with a culture that ensures a continuity of tradition. This idea has become part of the public policy-framing and provides a legitimate basis for the State to support the sector. But the notion of tradition as a single, linear entity is being strongly contested today. The narratives dominant in defining culture/tradition in a particular way are seen to have emerged as the identities and histories of large sections. The discounted and, at times, forcibly stifled identities are fighting for their rightful place in history. Against this backdrop, when we promote handloom as a traditional industry, it is not surprising that large sections of our population choose to ignore it.

CSAT 2025 · Q24

Reading comprehension Medium

With reference to the above passage, the following assumptions have been made:

I.There is no need for the State to be involved in any manner in the handloom sector.
II.Handloom products are no longer appealing and attractive in the rapidly changing modern world.

Which of the above assumptions is/are valid?

Answer & explanation

Answer: (d) Neither I nor II

The passage criticises the narrative used to promote handloom, not State involvement or the products themselves. Both statements draw conclusions the author never makes.

✗ I The passage questions the basis on which the State supports handloom (tradition), not State support as such. 'No need … in any manner' is an extreme claim.
✗ II The passage explains that large sections ignore handloom because it is promoted as 'traditional' through a contested narrative, not because the products have lost their appeal in a changing world.

Remember · Separate the author's target (a narrative) from the thing described (the sector, its products); assumptions attacking the wrong target are invalid.

Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper II (2025, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). ·

With reference to the above passage, the following assumptions have been made:

Passage—2

CSAT 2025 · Q24

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