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CSAT 2026 paper

UPSC CSE CSAT 2026 · Question 54 · Reading comprehension

Which of the following conclusions is/are correct?

Directions for the next 2 (two) items: Read the following passage and answer the items that follow. Your answers should be based solely on the passage.

Passage

Cattle from the nearby villages came to the common ground to graze, and there was still a cool freshness in the air. Hori took several deep breaths and thought of sitting down for a while, since he’d be dying of heat in the scorching ‘loo’ wind the rest of the day. A number of farmers were eager to lease this bit of land and had offered a good price, but Rai Sahib—God bless him—had plainly told them it was reserved for grazing and would not be relinquished for any price. If he’d been one of those selfish Zamindars, he’d have said the cattle could go to hell, that there was no reason for him to miss the chance to make a little money. But the Rai Sahib still held to the old values, feeling that any landlord who didn’t look after his tenants was less than human.

CSAT 2026 · Q54

Reading comprehension Medium Provisional key

Which of the following conclusions is/are correct?

  1. 1.All landlords essentially have some goodness trapped within them.
  2. 2.The common grazing grounds of a village are intended for use by the cattle of that village.
  3. 3.Landlords who believe in tradition tend to be more concerned about their tenants.
  4. 4.Winds later in the day tend to be cooler post the hot winds of the morning.

Select the answer using the code given below.

Answer & explanation

Answer: (c) 3 only

Rai Sahib's care for his tenants is tied to his holding 'the old values', supporting statement 3. The passage mentions selfish zamindars, has cattle from several nearby villages sharing the ground, and says the hot 'loo' blows later in the day — so 1, 2 and 4 fail.

  • ✗ 1. The passage contrasts Rai Sahib with 'those selfish Zamindars'; it does not credit all landlords with goodness.
  • ✗ 2. 'Cattle from the nearby villages' graze on the common ground — not just one village's cattle.
  • ✓ 3. Rai Sahib 'still held to the old values', and that is why he felt a landlord must look after his tenants.
  • ✗ 4. It is the reverse: the morning had 'a cool freshness', and the scorching 'loo' would blow 'the rest of the day'.

Remember · Test each detail against the passage's exact words: 'nearby villages' is not 'that village'; 'rest of the day' tells you when it gets hot.

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

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