निम्नलिखित में से कौन-सा, उपर्युक्त परिच्छेद का सर्वाधिक निर्णायक निष्कर्ष (इन्फरेंस) है?
Read this question in English
Which of the following is the most crucial inference from the above passage?
(a) More emphasis should be laid on the development of natural capital. · (b) The growth driven by GDP only is neither desirable nor sustainable. · (c) The economic performance of the countries of the world is not satisfactory. · (d) The world needs more human capital under the present circumstances.
उत्तर और व्याख्या · explanation in English
Answer: (b) केवल GDP-संचालित संवृद्धि न तो वांछनीय है, न ही धारणीय है।
World GDP grew by 50 per cent while inclusive wealth grew by only 6 per cent, and natural capital actually fell by 30 per cent. GDP-driven growth is eating into the wealth it rests on, so growth driven by GDP alone is neither desirable nor sustainable.
- ✗ (a) Natural capital is only one part of the story; the passage's criticism is of GDP-driven growth as a whole, which also held back human capital.
- ✓ (b) GDP rose sharply while inclusive wealth barely moved and natural capital shrank — growth measured by GDP alone harms human and natural capital, so it can neither last nor be welcomed.
- ✗ (c) The passage does not judge the countries' economic performance in general — GDP in fact grew by 50 per cent. It questions the kind of growth.
- ✗ (d) Human capital grew slowly, but the passage does not argue that the world needs more of it; its target is GDP-only growth.
Remember · For the 'most crucial inference', prefer the option that captures the whole contrast (here GDP versus inclusive wealth), not one fragment of the data.
Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper II (2017, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). ·