Directions for questions 1 to 30: Each set of questions in this section is based on a single passage. Please
answer each question on the basis of what is stated or implied in the corresponding passage. In some instances,
more than one option may be the answer to the question; in such a case, please choose the option that most
accurately and comprehensively answers the question.
Passage – 1
Climate change is considered to be one of the most serious threats to sustainable development, with adverse
impact on the environment, human health, food security, economic activity, natural resources and physical
infrastructure. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the effects of climate change
have already been observed, and scientific findings indicate that precautionary and prompt action is necessary.
Vulnerability to climate change is not just a function of geography or dependence on natural resources; it also has
social, economic and political dimensions which influence how climate change affects different groups. Poor
people rarely have insurance to cover loss of property due to natural calamines i.e. drought, floods, super cyclones
etc. The poor communities are already struggling to cope with the existing challenges of poverty and climate
variability and climate change could push many beyond their ability to cope or even survive. It is vital that these
communities are helped to adapt to the changing dynamics of nature. Adaptation is a process through which
societies make themselves better able to cope with an uncertain future. Adapting to climate change entails taking
the right measures to reduce the negative effect of climate change (or exploit the positive ones) by making the
appropriate adjustments and changes. These range from technological options such as increased sea defences
or flood proof houses on stilts to behavioural change at the individual level, such as reducing water use in times of
drought. Other strategies include early warning systems for extreme events, better water management, improved
risk management, various insurance options and biodiversity conservation. Because of the speed at which climate
change is happening due to global temperature rise, it is urgent that the vulnerability of developing countries to
climate change is reduced and their capacity to adapt is increased and national adaptation plans are implemented.
Communities must build their resilience, including adopting appropriate technologies while making the most of
traditional knowledge, and diversifying their livelihoods to cope with current and future climate stress. Local coping
strategies and knowledge need to be used in synergy with government and local interventions. The need of
adaptation interventions depends on national circumstances. There is a large body of knowledge and experience
within local communities on coping with climatic variability and extreme weather events. Local communities have
always aimed to adapt to variations in their climate. Local coping strategies are an important element of planning
for adaptation. Traditional knowledge can help to provide efficient, appropriate and time tested ways of advising
and enabling adaptation to climate change in communities who are feeling the effects of climate changes due to
global warming.
Q. 1 To address the challenge of Climate Change, Developing countries urgently require:
Q. 2 Given below are the factors of vulnerability of poor people to climate changes. Select the option that contains
the correct answer.
(1) Their dependence on natural resources
(2) Geographical attributes
(3) Lack of financial resources
(4) Lack of Traditional knowledge
Directions for questions 1 to 30: Each set of questions in this section is based on a single passage. Please
answer each question on the basis of what is stated or implied in the corresponding passage. In some instances,
more than one option may be the answer to the question; in such a case, please choose the option that most
accurately and comprehensively answers the question.
Passage – 2
The uncovering of a private Instagram group styling itself ‘Bois Locker Room’ featuring students from some
prominent South Delhi schools discussing their female classmates in disturbingly violent ways including plans of
sexual assault is a wakeup call for parents and authorities. The group formed last month or so kicked up a social
media storm when screenshots surfaced. Police have questioned a 15 year old boy to identify other members.
Similar incidents involving minors discussing rape/gang rape of classmates have been reported on other digital
platforms like WhatsApp too, across cities. The exchanges in the now deleted group require precise responses
from police, parents and school authorities around whom the fates of the juveniles involved now revolve. It is
important to recognise where a teenager spouting objectification of his female counterparts is coming from. People
of all ages, not just children, are retreating deeper into the recesses of their online avatars during this lockdown.
But the heavy technological investment in children’s education, including flooding them with personal smartphones,
has not been matched by serious conversations centred on responsible internet usage and equality. Young,
impressionable minds absorb the normalisation of rape from the adults around them. When what they see, read
and hear is toxic masculinity, that is what they perform. That’s what peer pressure becomes about. But if this
youthful role play of macho dominance receives timely counselling, it can prevent far graver adult offences. Schools
and parents have a critical role to play in educating children on gender equality. Digital platforms which claim to
have zero tolerance towards content that violates community standards must also explain why such abuses go
undetected, despite boasts about Artificial Intelligence-driven technologies to stop them. They should play a more
proactive role in stopping the sexual harassment of real people in the guise of virtual sport.
[Editorial Published in Times of India, dated 6 May, 2020]
Q. 6 What is the Central Idea being conveyed by the Author in the passage above?
Directions for questions 1 to 30: Each set of questions in this section is based on a single passage. Please
answer each question on the basis of what is stated or implied in the corresponding passage. In some instances,
more than one option may be the answer to the question; in such a case, please choose the option that most
accurately and comprehensively answers the question.
Passage – 3
The snow was falling, and the Cat’s fur was stiffly pointed with it, but he was imperturbable. He sat crouched,
ready for the death-spring, as he had sat for hours. It was night but that made no difference, all times were as one
to the Cat when he was in wait for prey. Then, too, he was under no constraint of human will, for he was living alone
that winter. Nowhere in the world was any voice calling him; on no hearth was there a waiting dish. He was quite
free except for his own desires, which tyrannized over him when unsatisfied as now. The Cat was very hungry.
almost famished, in fact. For days the weather had been very bitter...and the Cat’s long hunt had availed him
nothing. But he waited with the inconceivable patience and persistency of his race; besides, he was certain. The
Cat was a creature of absolute convictions, and his faith in his deductions never wavered. The rabbit had gone in
there between those low-hung pine boughs. The Cat had seen her enter...so he sat down and waited, and he
waited still in the white night, listening angrily to the north wind starting in the upper heights of the mountains with
distant screams, then swelling into an awful crescendo of rage, and swooping down with furious white wings of
snow like a flock of fierce eagles into the valleys and ravines. The Cat was on the side of a mountain, on a wooded
terrace. Above him, a few feet away towered the rock ascent as steep as the wall of a cathedral. He had often
looked with wonder at the rock, and miauled bitterly and resentfully as man does in the face of a forbidding
Providence. At his left was the sheer precipice. Behind him...was the frozen perpendicular wall of a mountain
stream. Before him was the way to his home. When the rabbit came out she was trapped; her little cloven feet
could not scale such unbroken steeps. So the Cat waited. The tangle of trees and bushes clinging to the mountainside
with a stern clutch of roots, the prostrate trunks and branches, the vines embracing everything with strong
knots and coils of growth, had a curious effect, as of things which had whirled for ages in a current of raging water,
only it was not water, but wind, which had disposed everything in circling lines of yielding to its fiercest points of
onset. It was as if ice needles pricked his skin through his beautiful thick fur, but he never faltered and never once
cried. He had nothing to gain from crying, and everything to lose; the rabbit would hear him cry and know he was
waiting.
[Excerpts from a Short story, ‘The Cat’ by Mary E. Wilkins Freeman]
Q. 11 Which of the following suggests a synonymous meaning to the words ‘Providence’ and ‘Crescendo’
respectively?
Q. 15 The lines, “...but he never faltered and never once cried. He had nothing to gain from crying, and everything
to lose...”, suggest that the Cat is:
Directions for questions 1 to 30: Each set of questions in this section is based on a single passage. Please
answer each question on the basis of what is stated or implied in the corresponding passage. In some instances,
more than one option may be the answer to the question; in such a case, please choose the option that most
accurately and comprehensively answers the question.
Passage – 4
I am losing my interest in human beings; in the significance of their lives and their actions. Someone has said it is
better to study one man than ten books. I want neither books nor men; they make me suffer. Can one of them talk
to me like the night – the Summer night? Like the stars or the caressing wind?
The night came slowly, softly, as I lay out there under the maple tree. It came creeping, creeping stealthily out of the
valley, thinking I did not notice. And the outlines of trees and foliage nearby blended in one black mass and the night
came stealing out from them, too, and from the east and west, until the only light was in the sky, filtering through
the maple leaves and a star looking down through every cranny.
The night is solemn and it means mystery.
Human shapes flitted by like intangible things. Some stole up like little mice to peep at me. I did not mind. My whole
being was abandoned to the soothing and penetrating charm of the night. The katydids began their slumber song:
they are at it yet. How wise they are. They do not chatter like people. They tell me only: “sleep, sleep, sleep.” The
wind rippled the maple leaves like little warm love thrills. Why do fools cumber the Earth! It was a man’s voice that
broke the necromancer’s spell. A man came today with his “Bible Class.” He is detestable with his red cheeks and
bold eyes and coarse manner and speech. What does he know of Christ? Shall I ask a young fool who was born
yesterday and will die tomorrow to tell me things of Christ? I would rather ask the stars: they have seen him.
[Short Story by Kate Chopin]
Q. 16 Why has the author lost interest in human beings?
Directions for questions 1 to 30: Each set of questions in this section is based on a single passage. Please
answer each question on the basis of what is stated or implied in the corresponding passage. In some instances,
more than one option may be the answer to the question; in such a case, please choose the option that most
accurately and comprehensively answers the question.
Passage – 5
It was the strangest murder trial I ever attended, where the old woman was found battered to death. He was a
heavy stout man with bulging bloodshot eyes. All his muscles seemed to be in his thighs. The clock had just struck
two in the morning. Mrs Salmon in 15 Northwood Street had been unable to sleep: she heard a door click shut and
thought it was her own gate. So she went to the window and saw Adams (that was his name) on the steps of Mrs
Parker’s house. He had just come out and he was wearing gloves. He had a hammer in his hand and she saw him
drop it into the laurel bushes by the front gate. But before he moved away, he had looked up at her window. The
fatal instinct that tells a man when he is watched exposed him in the light of a streetlamp to her gaze-his eyes
suffused with horrifying and brutal fear, like an animal’s when you raise a whip.
Mrs Salmon was called in the Court.
‘And do you see the man here in court?’
[She looked straight at the big man in the dock, who stared hard at her with his Pekingese eyes without emotion.]
‘Yes,’ she said, ‘there he is.’
‘You are quite certain?’
She said simply, ‘I couldn’t be mistaken, sir.’
‘Thank you, Mrs Salmon.’
[Counsel for the defence rose to cross-examine.]
‘Now, Mrs Salmon, you must remember that a man’s life may depend on your evidence.’
‘I do remember it, sir.’
‘Is your eyesight good?’
‘I have never had to wear spectacles, sir.’
‘You are a woman of fifty-five?’
‘Fifty-six, sir.’
‘And the man you saw was on the other side of the road?’
‘Yes, sir.’
‘And it was two o’clock in the morning. You must have remarkable eyes, Mrs Salmon?’
‘No, sir. There was moonlight, and when the man looked up, he had the lamplight on his face.’
‘And you have no doubt whatever that the man you saw is the prisoner?’
‘None whatever, sir. It isn’t a face one forgets.’
Then he said, ‘Do you mind, Mrs Salmon, examining again the people in court?
No, not the prisoner. Stand up, please, Mr Adams!
And there at the back of the court with thick stout body and muscular legs and a pair of bulging eyes, was the exact
image of the man in the dock.
‘Now think very carefully, Mrs Salmon. Can you still swear that the man you saw drop the hammer in Mrs Parker’s
garden was the prisoner and not this man, who is his twin brother?’ Of course she couldn’t.
[Excerpts from ‘The Case for the Defence’ by Graham Greene]
Q. 21 Why do you think, has the Author called the trial, ‘strangest’ murder trial he ever attended?
Directions for questions 1 to 30: Each set of questions in this section is based on a single passage. Please
answer each question on the basis of what is stated or implied in the corresponding passage. In some instances,
more than one option may be the answer to the question; in such a case, please choose the option that most
accurately and comprehensively answers the question.
Passage – 6
The world has very few devices left to fight COVID-19 with, but technology remains one of them. Whether it is
employing the state-of-the-art technology in the discovery of cures or vaccines, or traditional technology services
to enhance health care and consultations, or even tools that keep people at home occupied/productive, it is clear
that technology will serve humanity at one of its darkest moments. The pandemic has contributed, in no small
measure, to the understanding of the myriad ways in which available technologies have not been put to better use,
and presented people with multiple opportunities to harness these devices, techniques and methods to get on with
life in the time of lockdown. Among the primary uses is telemedicine, rendered inexorable now, by the temporary
paralysis brought on by a freeze on movement. The Centre’s recent guidelines allowing for widespread use of
telemedicine services came as a shot in the arm for telehealth crusaders in the country, among them the
Telemedicine Society of India that has long been battling to use the technology in its complete arc to reach remote
areas in India. This move finds consonance with the rest of the world where several nations, also deeply impacted
by the pandemic, have deployed telemedicine to reach people who have been unable to come to hospital, to
reduce footfalls in hospitals, and to even provide medical and mental health counselling to countless people. It was
way back in 2000 that telemedicine was first employed in India, but the progress has been excruciatingly slow, until
the pandemic. However, it does seem as if the medical community was only held back by the lack of legislation to
enable tele consultations. For no sooner was the policy announced, than hospitals and clinicians hurried to jump
onto the bandwagon, advertising contact information for patients. The advantages are peculiar in the current
context, when putting distance between people is paramount, as tele consultations are not barred even when
health care professionals and patients may have to be quarantined. The advancement of telecommunication
capabilities over the years has made the transmission of images and sound files (heart and lung sounds, coughs)
faster and simpler. Pilot telemedicine experiments in ophthalmology and psychiatry have proven to be of immense
benefit to the communities. Telemedicine’s time is here, finally. While unleashing the full potential of telemedicine
to help people, experts and government agencies must be mindful of the possible inadequacies of the medium,
and securing sensitive medical information; such cognisance should guide the use of the technology.
[From an Editorial published in ‘The Hindu’ on April 17, 2020]
Q. 26 Which one of the following words from the passage means ‘unavoidable’?
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said major global firms are looking at India as a major investment
destination, which is reflected by a robust inflow of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) last financial year, and through
‘Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan’ (Self-Reliant India initiative) the country is shifting its focus from ‘Make in India’ to
‘Make for world’. He said Independent India should be “vocal for local” and asked citizens to glorify Indian products
to promote ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’. Unveiling his vision of a Self-Reliant India, the Prime Minister said that the
government has unveiled over Rs 110 lakh crore National Infrastructure Pipeline (NIP) to boost the economy and
create jobs. “In order to rapidly modernise India, there is a need to give a new direction to overall infrastructure
development,” he said, adding that over 7,000 projects under NIP have been already identified. “This will be, in a
way, a new revolution in the field of infrastructure. This is the time to end silos in infrastructure. There is a plan to
connect the entire country with multi-model connectivity infrastructure,” he said. NIP will play a crucial role in
overcoming the adverse impact of Covid-19 on the economy and catapult the economy in a higher growth trajectory,
he said. The government on December 31 last year unveiled the NIP with an aim to make India a $5 trillion
economy by 2024-25. The focus of the infrastructure pipeline is to accelerate growth and create employment in
both urban and rural areas.
Source: Excerpt from Hindustan Times, written by Rajeev Jayaswal. (Dated 15th August, 2020)
Q. 31 The Government announced a stimulus package under the Self Reliant India Scheme for the amount of
_____________.
Q. 35 Under the National Infrastructure Pipeline, the Government plans to invest more than Rs. 102 lakh crore on
infrastructure projects by 2024-25, with the Centre, States and the private sector to share the capital
expenditure. What is the ratio of such expenditure by each of the stake holders?
The central bank doesn’t disclose its foreign exchange management strategy, but it was evident in the last few
years that the rupee was not allowed to appreciate despite healthy inflows, resulting in a rapid build-up of foreign
exchange. From a low of $275 billion in September of 2013, when rupee came under severe pressure due to socalled
‘taper tantrums’ by the US Federal Reserve, India now has record foreign exchange reserves of [1] billion,
as on 21 August — a 95 per cent rise over seven years. Despite the Covid-19 pandemic, the foreign exchange kitty
swelled by $62 billion since March. In this seven-year period, rupee ended the year with an appreciation against the
dollar only once — in 2017. This year, the rupee is so far down by 2.04 per cent against the dollar. The latest RBI
statement suggested that it is not uncomfortable with the appreciation in rupee, confirming the speculation among
currency analysts that a departure was made in the exchange management policy.
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) said that it will conduct liquidity operations worth Rs 20,000 crore in two tranches
through sale and purchase of government securities (G-Secs). The two open market operations (OMOs) of Rs
10,000 crore each will be conducted on September 10 and 17, the central bank said in an official release. This is
now the second such announcement in as many weeks. Last week, RBI had announced sale and purchase of GSecs
worth Rs 20,000 crore, in two tranches, slated to be conducted on August 27 and September 3. In another
move, RBI announced the infusion of Rs 1 lakh crore in mid-September through long-term repo operations (LTROs)
at floating rates, or the prevailing repo rate. Moreover, the central bank also gave an option to lenders who have
earlier availed funds through LTROs, to reverse their transactions before maturity.
Source: Excerpt taken from the Print.in, written by Manojit Saha. (Dated 2nd September, 2020.)
Q. 36 Which of the following has been replaced by [1] in the above passage?
The first batch of five Rafale jets flew out of France on July 25 and will arrive in India on Wednesday, July 29, when
the fighter jets will officially be inducted and join the Indian Air Force fleet in Haryana’s Ambala. The fighter jets, built
by French aviation firm [1], took off from the Merignac airbase in southern France’s Bordeaux today and landed
safely at Al Dhafra airbase in the UAE after a sortie of more than seven hours. The five aircraft will be the first
tranche of the 36 planes bought by India from France in a Rs. 59,000-crore inter-governmental deal in 2016.
“Delivery of ten aircraft has been completed on schedule. Five will stay back in France for training Mission. The
delivery of all thirty six aircraft will be completed on schedule by the end of 2021,” the Indian embassy in France
said in a statement.
The Rafale fighter jets are capable of carrying a range of highly effective weapons, including the Meteor air-to-air
missile and Scalp cruise missile. The Rafale jets will come with various India-specific modifications, including
Israeli helmet-mounted displays, radar warning receivers, low-band jammers, 10-hour flight data recording, infrared
search and tracking systems among others. The Air Force has readied the required infrastructure to welcome
the jets in its line-up.
Source: Excerpt taken from the NDTV, Reported by Vishnu Som,
Edited by Shylaja Varma. (Dated – 27th July, 2020)
Q. 41 The Rafale deal between India and France is seen to carry great strategic significance. Which of the following
is directly impacted by this deal?
Q. 42 The Indian Air Force is also in the process of procuring a new generation medium-range modular air-toground
weapon system Hammer to integrate with the Rafale jets. What does the term Hammer stands for?
On May 8, India’s Defence Minister virtually inaugurated a new 80 km-long road in the Himalayas, connecting to the
border with China, at the Lipulekh pass. The Nepali government protested immediately, contending that the road
crosses territory that it claims and accusing India of changing the status quo without diplomatic consultations.
Among the many escalatory moves since then, Nepal deployed police forces to the region, summoned the Indian
ambassador in Kathmandu, and initiated a constitutional amendment to formalise and extend its territorial claims over approximately 400 sq km. India, on the other hand, has conveyed its openness to a dialogue but does not
seem to share Nepal’s sense of urgency: its initial statement agreed to a dialogue, but only after the COVID-19
crisis. India has been in effective possession of this territory for at least sixty years, although Nepal claims it
conducted a census there in the early 1950s and refers to the 1815 Sugauli Treaty as legitimising its claims. But
India’s new road, up to the Lipulekh pass, is not an unprecedented change in the status quo. India has controlled
this territory and built other infrastructure here before, besides conducting its administration and deploying military
forces up to the border pass with China. The region is of strategic importance, and the new road is now one of the
quickest links between Delhi and the Tibetan plateau. In a 2015 statement, China also recognised India’s sovereignty
by agreeing to expand trade through the Lipulekh pass.
Source: Excerpt from the brookings.edu, written by Dr. Constantino Xavier. (Dated- 11th June, 2020)
Q. 46 Which of the following incidents can be seen as the direct cause of the border dispute between India and
Nepal?
One thing struck us as a major difference between the new National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and its
predecessor. The earlier national policies on education (NPE) from 1986 and 1992 presented themselves as
attempts to consolidate and build on earlier efforts, particularly the NPE, 1968. The new NEP 2020 policy, on the
other hand, is very keen to establish that it is different from everything in the past, including in its name. Nowhere
does this attitude come across as starkly as it does in the section on higher education.
It comes across fairly clearly on how the higher education ecosystem will be by 2040. By this time — if the policy
has its way — the Indian higher education ecosystem will be populated with higher education institutions (HEI).
These will comprise Universities and Colleges and the public and private sectors, all of which will be ‘multidisciplinary’,
with each populated by more than 3,000 students, with at least one “in or near every district”. Universities
will conduct research and post-graduate and under-graduate teaching, some research-intensive and others teachingintensive.
Colleges will largely teach at the under-graduate level, with a number of them having their medium of
instruction in either bilingual or local / Indian languages. The colleges can manifest in clusters around universities
as constituent colleges or may be standalone autonomous ones. Ideally, all HEIs will eventually become “independent self-governing institutions” with considerable “faculty and institutional autonomy”. They will have complied with a
series of regulatory exercises that are “light-but-tight” and will be operated by a large number of private accreditors,
overseen by a new set of regulatory institutions at the national level.
Source: Excerpt taken from downtoearth.org.in, written by Nitin Mehta & Gagan Mehta.
(Dated 14th August, 2020)
Q. 51 Which of the following statements are not true in relation to the changes envisioned by the NEP 2020?
Q. 52 The NEP 2020 aims to provide a holistic change to the current education system in India. Which of the
following is not related to the aim of NEP 2020?
Q. 53 Which of the following is proposed as a change in the structure of institutions responsible for affiliation and
accreditation under the NEP 2020?
Days after India-Pakistan tensions spilled over into a meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO),
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi are expected to
meet via a video conference at the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) meeting on
September 24. “All member countries have confirmed participation in the meeting, to be chaired by Pradeep
Kumar Gyawali, [1] of Nepal. The respective Foreign Ministers will take part,” sources familiar with preparations for
the meeting told The Hindu, referring to the eight members of SAARC, including [2], Bangladesh, [3], India, [4],
Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. A senior Indian official also confirmed that Mr. Jaishankar will attend despite the
incident at the SCO virtual meeting of National Security Advisors on Tuesday. During that meeting, National Security
Advisor Ajit Doval stormed out after he saw that the Pakistan Special Advisor on National Security Moeed Yusuf
had used a map of Pakistan that claimed Indian Territory.
“This was in blatant disregard to the advisory by the host [5] against it and in violation of the norms of the meeting.
After consultation with the host, the Indian side left the meeting in protest at that juncture,” the MEA had said about
the incident. When asked, the sources said that no specific guidelines on background or maps have been issued
by the SAARC Secretariat in Kathmandu that is also the Chair of the SAARC at present, but they hope it would go “smoothly”. A meeting of SAARC Finance Ministers, where an Additional Secretary represented India instead of
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, and Pakistan was represented by its Special Advisor on Finance, took place
on Wednesday without incident.
Source: Excerpt taken from The Hindu, written by Suhasini Haider. (Dated 17th September, 2020.)
Q. 56 Which of the following has been replaced by [1] in the passage?
Q. 59 India had not agreed to attend a summit hosted in Pakistan, but it remains an important promoter of the
SAARC process. In which of the following years the SAARC leaders’ summit was held lately?
Q. 60 The above passage mentions about Pakistan’s Special Advisor on National Security Moeed Yusuf using a
map of Pakistan claiming Indian Territory. Which of the following territory is in context here?
In the middle of a pandemic, the geopolitics of the world’s most troubled region took a historic turn this week, when
the UAE and Israel, under the benevolent gaze of US President Donald Trump, signed an agreement to “normalise”
relations. The deal opens up new opportunities for India to play a much larger role in the regional security and
stability in the Gulf, where New Delhi enjoys special relations with both Abu Dhabi and Jerusalem. The barebones
of the deal envisages establishing regular diplomatic relations between the UAE, the rising influential power in the
Gulf, and Israel, the “Incredible Hulk” of the region, but a country officially not on speaking terms with most of its
Arab neighbours. In his first tweet, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed said: ‘During a call with President Trump
and Prime Minister Netanyahu, an agreement was reached to stop further Israeli annexation of Palestinian territories.
The UAE and Israel also agreed to cooperation and setting a roadmap towards establishing a bilateral relationship.”
In return, Israel agreed to “suspend” its annexation plans for West Bank that would have been deeply destabilising.
Benjamin Netanyahu gets a diplomatic victory, which may be short-lived, given the nature of Israeli politics. But
Israel gets a diplomatic and economic opening with the big power in the Gulf that could open other doors, give its
security interests legitimacy and, perhaps, open the door to Middle East peace.
Many of the other Arab powers, such as Oman, Bahrain, Egypt and Jordan, apart from the big global powers, and
India, have welcomed the deal. Iran has slammed it, as have Turkey and Syria. Saudi Arabia has been very quiet.
Given the close ties between Mohammed bin Zayed and Mohammed bin Salman, it is unthinkable that KSA was
not consulted, particularly when the US is the third pole in this agreement. The deal gives UAE pole position as the
premier Gulf Arab power, with diplomatic leverage with Israel and the US. “This deal is about positioning in
Washington, DC,” said James Dorsey, Gulf and Middle East expert.
Source: Excerpt from the Economic Times, written by Indrani Bagchi. (Dated – 16th August, 2020)
Q. 61 The US is seen as a major role player in the peace deal between Israel and UAE. Which of the following is
not a reason for the involvement of US in the deal?
Q. 64 The peace deal between Israel and UAE can also be seen as a great opportunity for India in the Middle East
region. Which of the following is not related to strategic goals of India in the Middle East?
Direction for questions 67 to 105: You have been given some passages followed by questions based on each
passage. You are required to choose the most appropriate option which follows from the passage. Only the
information given in the passage should be used for choosing the answer and no external knowledge of law
howsoever prominent is to be applied.
Passage – 1
The COVID-19 pandemic has taken the entire world hostage in less than four months, and the global economy
has been hit the hardest with governments across the globe implementing stringent policies including lockdown to
control the coronavirus outbreak. The pandemic today presents unprecedented challenges and impediments to
businesses in conducting their normal operations. The lockdown across the world has caused delays in the
performance of contracts and transactions. Now, the question that arises is whether the current situation can
enable parties to a contract to alter their obligations with non-compliance of terms neither being regarded as a
“default committed by any party” nor a “breach of contract”? There are certain well-accepted practices for dealing
with such extraordinary situations in commercial transactions by the inclusion of force majeure & material adverse
effect (MAE) clauses. Determination of the types of circumstances so covered by the force majeure clause
contained in a contract is essential. Provisions of force majeure often cover natural disasters like hurricanes,
floods, and earthquakes as “acts of God.” Other covered events may include war, terrorism, civil disorder, fire,
disease medical epidemics or by reasons of applicable laws or regulations. Broadly, the Courts have interpreted
the term “Force Majeure” as an event that can neither be anticipated nor controlled by either of the contracting
parties. A force majeure clause applies in the context of ongoing contractual arrangements, whereas, an MAE or
material adverse change (MAC) clause applies to the allocation of risk in transactions before their closure or
completion. Pandemic and related consequences such as government action is a type of event covered by a
force majeure clause, however, its impact on the affected party’s ability to perform its contractual obligations may
vary depending upon contractual terms. It is common for force majeure clauses to specify the impact that the
event or circumstances in question must have, in order for the clause to be triggered. References may be made,
for example, to the event or circumstances having “prevented”, “hindered” or “delayed” performance. These terms
require different levels of impact on performance before a party can claim recourse to these clauses. In other
words, the force majeure and MAC clauses act as an exception to what would otherwise be treated as a breach of
contract. Certain contracts may state that, if a force majeure clause is applied, the contract may automatically be
terminated. On the other hand, some contracts may even state that the duty to fulfil the contractual obligation may
be suspended for a certain period of time and if the force majeure event is not curbed or treated even after such
time, then eventually the contract may be terminated. Though there cannot be a one-size-fits-all solution to this
question, and it depends upon how the force majeure clause is worded in a specific contract; and in the absence
of the same, applicable laws related to the same will be required to be taken into consideration.
[Excerpt from Business Today, by Ranjana Roy Gawai, April 17, 2020]
Q. 67 Based on the Author’s argument in passage above, which of the following is correct?
Q. 68 Imagine, there is a domestic commercial Contract for supply of certain goods for certain price between A
and B. However, in pursuance of the same, both A and B forget to negotiate and agree on the terms of a
Force Majeure event and the Contractual document does not contain the Force Majeure clause. In such a
situation, what would be the fate of the Contract in the event like that of COVID 19?
Q. 69 In the same fact situation as mentioned above with a modification that there is a Force Majeure Clause in the
Contract between A and B, let us suppose, that B, who was to supply goods to A on certain date and time,
faced issues in relation to procurement of goods due to mill strike and also because of rise in prices of
goods. In this case, can B claim the suspension of performance of Contract on the basis of the Force
Majeure Clause?
Q. 70 Typically, the MAE (Material Adverse Change) provision in an agreement contemplates events which if they
occur, or are likely occur, would have a “materially adverse change or effect on the assets, business,
property, liabilities, financial condition, results, operations of the target” or that “affects the ability of the
transacting parties to consummate the transaction” or the “validity or enforceability of the transacting parties
to its rights and remedies under the transaction documents”. Which of the following sample clauses in a
contract resembles an MAE clause?
Direction for questions 67 to 105: You have been given some passages followed by questions based on each
passage. You are required to choose the most appropriate option which follows from the passage. Only the
information given in the passage should be used for choosing the answer and no external knowledge of law
howsoever prominent is to be applied.
Passage – 2
The issue of Obscenity has vexed the Courts in India and abroad for a long time now. The intriguing question has
always been the same, i.e., what should be the standards to qualify something as obscene in the eyes of law? In
the United Kingdom, way back in 1868, the Court laid down the Hicklin test in Regina v. Hicklin (1868 L.R. 2 Q.B.
360), and held that: “The test of Obscenity is whether the tendency of the matter charged as Obscenity is to
deprave and corrupt those whose minds are open to such immoral influences and into whose hands a publication
of this sort may fall, Hicklin test postulated that a publication has to be judged for obscenity based on isolated
passages of a work considered out of context and judged by their apparent influence on most susceptible readers,
such as children or weak-minded adults. However, this test was later rejected by most of the jurisdictions. There
were many judgments where it was stipulated by the Indian Courts that, Obscenity has to be judged in the context of contemporary social mores, current socio-moral attitude of the community and the prevalent norms of
acceptability/ susceptibility of the community, in relation to matters in issue. [For example, in Ranjit D. Udeshi v.
State of Maharashtra AIR 1965 SC 881; Chandrakant Kalyandas Kakodar v. State of Maharashtra 1969 (2) SCC
687 etc.] These judgements indicated that the concept of Obscenity would change with the passage of time and
what might have been “obscene” at one point of time would not be considered as obscene at a later period. This
came to be known as “Community Standards Test”. In Bobby Art International & Ors. v. Om Pal Singh Hoon (1996)
4 SCC 1, the Court, upholding the Community standards test held that, complete message and context of the
objectionable scene/firm/picture etc., needs to be examined in order to find out whether the alleged material is
obscene or not.
Q. 71 A, daily local newspaper called ‘Ramanand Bazar Patrika’ having wide circulation in Anandnagar published,
on 1st July, 2019, an article with a picture of Boris Becker, a world renowned Tennis player, posing nude with
his dark-skinned fiancee by name Barbara Feltus, a film actress, which was photographed by none other
than her father. The article states that, in an interview, both Boris Becker and Barbara Feltus spoke freely
about their engagement, their lives and future plans and the message they wanted to convey to the people
at large, for posing to such a photograph. Article picturises Boris Becker as a strident protester of the
pernicious practice of “Apartheid”. Further, it was stated that the purpose of the photograph was also to
signify that love champions over hatred. Will the alleged picture classify as an Obscene Material in India?
Q. 74 Consider the following situations. Choose the correct option as per the Hicklin’s Test.
1. A Movie scene where there are rows of Jewish naked men and women, shown frontally, being led into the
Gas Chambers of Nazi Concentration Camp. Not only they are about to die but they are stripped off their
basic dignity in the last moments of their life.
2. The controversial movie scene of Phoolan Devi, the Bandit queen where she is paraded naked and
made to draw water from the well within the circle of a hundred men.
Q. 75 An activist, while being semi-nude, allowed her body to be used as a canvas to paint on by her two minor
children who were properly clothed. She uploaded this video of hers on an online platform with a message
that she intended to normalise the female form for her children and not allow distorted ideas about sexuality
to pervade their mind. An advocate who sees the video, registers a case of Obscenity against her. Is it a
case of Obscenity as per the Community Standards Test?
Direction for questions 67 to 105: You have been given some passages followed by questions based on each
passage. You are required to choose the most appropriate option which follows from the passage. Only the
information given in the passage should be used for choosing the answer and no external knowledge of law
howsoever prominent is to be applied.
Passage – 3
On 7th May 2020, a major leakage of Styrene gas was reported from the plastics-manufacturing plant ‘LG Polymers’
located on the outskirts of the Visakhapatnam city. The accident took place when the cooling system of a polymers
plant got clogged due to the mismanagement of factory workers and resulted in turning the city into a gas chamber.
The gas which leaked was styrene gas, which is a ‘hazardous chemical’ under Rule 2(e) plus Entry 583 of
Schedule I of the Manufacture, Storage and Import of Hazardous Chemical Rules 1989. Principle 1: Polluter Pays Principle
The ‘Doctrine of Polluter Pays’ is a well-established principle of environmental law, which places an obligation of
compensating the damage to the people who ought to reimburse it and also have the capacity to disburse it. The
principle explicitly affirms that the person who damages or destructs the environment has the absolute obligation
to bear the cost of ameliorating the environment. In Enviro Legal Action v. Union of India case, the Apex Court of
India held that the polluter is legally responsible to reimburse the individual sufferers as well as pay for the revitalization
of the damaged environment. Principle 2: Principle of Strict Liability
The principle of Strict Liability was established in the year 1868 in the case of Rylands v. Fletcher, where the Court
held that any person who uses his/her land in an ‘unnatural manner’ and who keeps any ‘hazardous substance’ on
such premises would be held liable under the principle of strict liability for any ‘damage’ occurred on the ‘escape’
of such perilous substance. However, the person is liable only when there is non-natural use of land; the principle
also restricts liability when the escape is due to an act of strangers, Act of God, for example a natural calamity; due
to the person injured or when it happens with the consent of the person injured or with statutory authority. Principle 3: Principle of Absolute Liability
The absolute liability is a stringent form of Strict Liability as it is devoid of any exceptions that were mentioned
under the earlier principle. for the first time in the case of M.C. Mehta v. Union of India. This principle implies that
whenever an enterprise is engaged in any dangerous or hazardous activity that threatens the people working in the
enterprise and those living nearby, it owes an absolute and non-delegable duty to the community that no harm will
be caused. If harm is indeed caused, the enterprise will have to compensate for damages, and can’t use exceptions
provided in the case of strict liability. The enterprise can’t claim that the harm has not been caused due to negligence
(absence of due care) or that it had taken all reasonable precautions.
Q. 76 Under which of the following principles, will the company LG Polymers be liable?
Q. 78 A company ABC limited operates an industrial chemical plant in the city of Azadnagar. Due to an earthquake
on July 22, 2020, the valves of the reactors in the plant get damaged due to which the operators could not
properly transport the hazardous gas for chemical vaporisation, resulting in the gas leakage. The gas leakage
resulted in the death of 12 workers of the plant and also some people living nearby the Plant. In this situation,
in order to decipher the liability of ABC Limited, choose the best option:
Q. 80 XYZ is a company operating a Pesticide Factory in the city of Rampur. On one day, due to the negligence of
Factory staff, there is a leakage of the Pesticide gas as a result of which, many pests and insects which
feed on the plantation crops in the nearby farm are killed. There is no harm caused to the people living
nearby or the workers of the Pesticide Factory. However, the leakage was so humungous that it reduced the
quality of air in the city causing breathing problems for the people living around in the area. In this case,
Direction for questions 67 to 105: You have been given some passages followed by questions based on each
passage. You are required to choose the most appropriate option which follows from the passage. Only the
information given in the passage should be used for choosing the answer and no external knowledge of law
howsoever prominent is to be applied.
Passage – 4
Principle of Natural Justice is derived from the word ‘Jus Natural’ of the Roman law and it is closely related to
Common law and moral principles but is not codified. It is a law of nature which is not derived from any statute or
constitution. The principle of Natural Justice is adhered to by all the citizens of civilised State with Supreme
importance. Natural justice simply means to make a sensible and reasonable decision making procedure on a
particular issue. Sometimes, it doesn’t matter what is the reasonable decision but in the end, what matters is the
procedure and who all are engaged in taking the reasonable decision. It is not restricted within the concept of
‘fairness’ it has different colours and shades which vary from the context. Basically, natural justice consists of 3
rules.
The first one is “Hearing rule” which states that the person or party who is affected by the decision made by the
Panel of expert members should be given a fair opportunity to express his point of view to defend himself. Secondly,
“Bias rule ’generally expresses that Panel of expert should be free from bias while taking the decision. The decision
should be given in a free and fair manner which can fulfil the rule of natural justice. And thirdly, “Reasoned Decision”
which states that order, decision or judgement of the Court given by the Presiding authorities with a valid and
reasonable ground. The principles of Natural Justice have been adopted and followed by the judiciary to protect
public rights against the arbitrary decision by the administrative authority. One can easily see that the rule of
natural justice include the concept of fairness: they stay alive and support to safeguard the fair dealing.
Source: Excerpt taken from blog.ipleaders.in (Dated - 12th June, 2019)
Q. 81 “Nemo Judex in causa sua” or the principle that ‘No one can be a judge in his own case’, relates to which of
the following rule of the Natural Justice?
Q. 82 Mr. X is a Public Servant, employed in a PSU and Mrs Y who is the wife of Mr. X is also an employee of the
same PSU. Ms A files a complaint against Mr. X for sexual harassment at workplace before the ICC (Internal
Complaints Committee), which is headed by Mrs Y. After completing her inquiry she held that Mr. X is guilty
and recommended disciplinary proceedings against him. Now, on what grounds Mr. X may challenge her
findings?
Q. 83 Mr. A is a judge and he is also the landlord of Mr. B, who resides in an apartment owned by Mr. A. Due to nonpayment
of rent for 3 consecutive months, Mr. A served an eviction notice to Mr. B. Now, choose the most
appropriate option amongst the following.
Direction for questions 67 to 105: You have been given some passages followed by questions based on each
passage. You are required to choose the most appropriate option which follows from the passage. Only the
information given in the passage should be used for choosing the answer and no external knowledge of law
howsoever prominent is to be applied.
Passage – 5
Tension prevailed in the Jawahar area in Palghar district after three Mumbai residents, travelling in a Ford Ecosport
to Silvassa, were allegedly lynched late on Thursday night. The Kasa police said the incident occurred near
Gadakchinchale village under their jurisdiction. “Information received by us indicates that the three occupants of
the SUV hailed form Kandivali in Mumbai and were going to attend a funeral in Silvassa,” Superintendent of Police
Gaurav Singh, Palghar police said. A large mob of villagers surrounded the car within a matter of minutes and
started attacking it with sticks, irons rods and their bare hands, leading to the death of all three occupants. “One of
our patrolling vehicles later spotted the severely injured trio lying on the road and stopped to find out the matter.
However, our team was also attacked by the mob and the vehicle pelted with stones. Our personnel had to flee
and were unable to rescue to the victims,” an officer with the Kasa police said. A wireless alert was sent out later
apprising all police stations and units of the incident following which reinforcements were sent to the village and a combing operation was undertaken. “Prima facie information indicates that the trio were mistaken for thieves and
attacked. The villagers were on edge due to the ongoing lockdown and unavailability of essential supplies. For the
past few days, several rumours have been doing the rounds on social media about thieves and dacoits targetting
villages on the highway. As a result, villagers have been patrolling the highway and stopping late night travellers on
suspicion,” the officer said.
Source: Excerpt from The Hindu, written by Alok Deshpande (22/04/2020)
Q. 86 Which of the following statements given below justifies criminalisation of Mob Lynching?
Q. 88 The above passage states about the existence of rumours in the area regarding the thieves and dacoits
robbing the villagers or committing child lifting. In the light of this proposition which if the following statement
is correct?
Q. 90 Assertion (A): Mob Lynching can be justified only in circumstances where the religious sentiments or feelings
of a large group of people is associated.
Reason (R): Religious sentiments and feelings are of paramount consideration for the state and should not
be interfered with.
Direction for questions 67 to 105: You have been given some passages followed by questions based on each
passage. You are required to choose the most appropriate option which follows from the passage. Only the
information given in the passage should be used for choosing the answer and no external knowledge of law
howsoever prominent is to be applied.
Passage – 6
The bench of Dr DY Chandrachud and MR Shah, JJ has refused to transfer to CBI the criminal cases lodged
against Republic TV Editor in-Chief Arnab Goswami for alleged defamatory news show telecast on April 21 in
connection with the Palghar mob-lynching case. It also quashed all FIRs against Arnab Goswami except one
which was filed in Nagpur and which has been transferred to Mumbai via order dated 24.04.2020.
[Excerpt from SCC Online Blog, May 19, 2020]
Delivering the verdict, Justice Chandrachud said, “Article 32 of the Constitution constitutes recognition of the constitutional duty entrusted to this Court to protect the fundamental rights of citizens. The exercise of journalistic
freedom lies at the core of speech and expression protected by Article 19(1)(a). The petitioner is a media journalist.
The airing of views on television shows which he hosts is in the exercise of his fundamental right to speech and
expression under Article 19(1)(a). India’s freedoms will rest safe as long as journalists can speak truth to power
without being chilled by a threat of reprisal… Free citizens cannot exist when the news media is chained to adhere
to one position. Yuval Noah Harari has put it succinctly in his recent book titled “21 Lessons for the 21st Century”:
“Questions you cannot answer are usually far better for you than answers you cannot question.”
[Excerpt from Arnab Ranjan Goswami vs Union Of India on 19 May, 2020]
Q. 91 The above passage mentions about the Journalist’s request to transfer the case to the CBI (Central Bureau
of Investigation) for investigation. What could be the appropriate reason for such request?
Q. 92 The above passage quotes the observation of the Court in relation to freedom of speech and expression as,
“Questions you cannot answer are better than questions you cannot question.” Now, based on such
observation, chose the most appropriate option which describes the scope of such questions.
Q. 93 It is an established principle of law that the offence of defamation (harming the reputation) has many exceptions
and the imputation of truth is one of those, but the accused must prove that such imputation was true and
also for the public good. In the light of this statement which of the following questions/statements are not
defamatory?
Q. 94 In the above passage, the Court ordered for the merging of different FIRs into one and the investigation to be
conducted at Mumbai. What is the reason behind such order?
Direction for questions 67 to 105: You have been given some passages followed by questions based on each
passage. You are required to choose the most appropriate option which follows from the passage. Only the
information given in the passage should be used for choosing the answer and no external knowledge of law
howsoever prominent is to be applied.
Passage – 7
Common intention implies a pre-arranged plan and acting in concert pursuant to the plan. Common intention
comes into being prior to the commission of the act, which need not be a long gap. To bring common intention into
effect a pre-concert is not necessarily be proved, but it may well develop on the spot as between a number of
persons and could be inferred from facts and circumstances of each case. For example A and B caught hold of C
where only B stabbed C with a knife but A is also liable for murder as there was a pre concerted action. In the case
Pandurang v. State of Hyderabad, Supreme court emphasized on this point that prior concert need not be something
always very much prior to the incident, but could well be something that may develop on the spot, on the spur of
the moment. Common Intention and Similar Intention
Common intention does not mean similar intention of several persons. To constitute common intention it is necessary
that the intention of each one of them be known to the rest of them and shared by them. In the case of Dukhmochan
Pandey v. State of Bihar, the Supreme Court, held that: “Common intention which developed at the spur of the
moment is different from the similar intention actuated a number of person at the same time….the distinction
between a common intention and similar intention may be fine, but is nonetheless a real one and if overlooked,
may lead to miscarriage of justice….” The mere presence of accused together is not sufficient to hold that they
shared the common intention to commit the offence in question. It is necessary that the intention of each one of
‘several persons’ be known to each other for constituting common intention.
Q. 96 A gang of six members went to a bank, armed with weapons to commit a heist. While five of the gang
members went inside the bank, Mr. A (the sixth member) waited outside the bank to alert them on any threat.
During the heist one of the gang members fired a gun at the branch manager, as a result he died. All five
escaped but Mr. A was caught and arrested. Now, choose the most appropriate option as per the principle
stated in the above passage.
Q. 97 Raman and Raghav were riding on a motorcycle on a busy street, suddenly Aman (another biker) bumped
into their bike. A heated argument started between the three of them. While Raghav started abusing Aman,
Raman hit Aman with an iron rod lying on the road and as a consequence he died. Now, chose the correct
option.
Q. 99 Mr. X and Mr. Y entered into a house at night to commit theft, while committing theft Mr. Y committed sexual
assault on a minor girl of aged 11 years. Identify for which of the following offences Mr. X is liable for.
Direction for questions 67 to 105: You have been given some passages followed by questions based on each
passage. You are required to choose the most appropriate option which follows from the passage. Only the
information given in the passage should be used for choosing the answer and no external knowledge of law
howsoever prominent is to be applied.
Passage – 8
Article 20(1) of the Indian Constitution prohibits Ex Post Facto laws. The expression Ex Post Facto Law means a
law, which imposes penalties or convictions on the acts already done and increases the penalty for such acts. In
other words, Ex Post Facto Law, imposes penalties retrospectively. For example, The Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961
came into force from 20.5.1961. A person guilty of accepting dowry is punishable under the Act after 20.5.1961 and
not before 20.5.1961.
Ex post facto laws are of three kinds as follows:(a) A law which declared some act or omission as an offence for
the first time after the completion of that act or omission. (b) A law which enhances the punishment or penalty for
an offence subsequent to the commission of that offence. (c) A law which prescribes a new and different procedure
for the prosecution of an offence subsequent to the commission of that offence.
Clause (1) of Art. 20 provides protection only in respect of the above first two categories of expost facto laws i.e.
laws which declare acts as offences subsequent to the commission to those acts and laws which enhance the
penalty subsequently.
Article 20(1) provides: No person shall be convicted of any offence except for violation of a law in force at the time
of the commission of the act charged as an offence, nor be subjected to a penalty greater than that which might
have been inflicted under the law in force at the time of the commission of the offence. The first part of clause (1)
provides that no person shall be convicted of any offence except for violation of law in force at the time of the
commission of the act charged as an offence. The second part of clause (1) protects a person form a penalty
greater than that which he might have been subjected to at the time of the commission of the offence.
Q. 101 The Parliament of India legislated the Sexual Harassment at Workplace Act, in the year 2013 and
simultaneously some new offences were also added to the Indian Penal Code, 1860. Mr. A is an employee
of an institution, against whom departmental enquiry has been initiated for committing sexual harassment of
a female colleague in the year 2012. Now, choose the correct option.
Q. 103 Mr. A is a student of Law, aged 19 years. He is socially active and expresses his opinion on every social and
political event of the nation through social media platforms. In one of his blog, he severely criticised the
policy of a state government of changing names of cities and towns. He also stated that the government is
biased towards a particular religion. The said blog was posted on 19th April, 2020 and subsequently, an
amendment was made to Indian Penal Code whereby ‘Hate Speech’ was made a distinct offence and
punishment was prescribed. An action was brought against him under the said provision for the blog. Now,
choose the most appropriate option amongst the following
Q. 104 Considering the fact situations given in the above question, the Parliament passes a legislation in September
2020, whereby an amendment is made to the Juvenile Act and now a person below the age of 20 would be
a Juvenile and special procedure would be followed for his trial. Choose the most appropriate option amongst
the following
Q. 105 Considering the fact situation in the third question to this passage, the Parliament passes a legislation for
the Probation of Offenders, under which any offender below the age of 21 will not serve the sentence of
imprisonment in a prison, instead he will serve the sentence in a probation house. Now, choose the most
appropriate option.
Directions for questions 106 to 135: Each set of questions in this section is based on the reasoning and
arguments set out in the preceding passage. Please answer each question on the basis of what is stated or
implied in the corresponding passage. Do not rely on any information or facts other than the ones supplied to you.
In some instances, more than one option may be the answer to the question; in such a case, please choose the
option that most accurately and comprehensively answers the question.
Passage – 1
Some readers wondered whether my reading of the crisis in the news media is about journalism or about the
news industry. Though the fortunes of the news industry have a bearing on journalism, there is, indeed, a difference
between looking at issues that govern journalism and the factors that contribute to the financial stress of the media
industry. Over the last few years, I have been discussing the impact of digitalisation on journalism. The pandemic
has accelerated the process of digital transformation of the news media. Therefore, these issues need close
scrutiny. One of the defining elements of analog journalism was the way two crucial functions of journalism —
bearing witness and making sense — complemented each other and helped people make informed choices.
When I talk about the strength of analog, I am neither romanticising the past nor am I a Luddite. Most importantly,
I do not believe in nostalgia. Many scholars have established “how rose-coloured glasses always leads to an unfair
distortion — looking back on the best of the past while comparing it to the worst of the present.” Hence, when I talk
about the digital information news environment, I am talking about how there needs to be a conducive atmosphere
for credible information to resonate with the people. Literature on misinformation, disinformation and malinformation
reveals a new distinction in the minds of the citizens. Editors and journalists have to contend with a new breed of
sceptics. These are the people who trust social media forwards more than evidence-based, data-driven journalism.
Their confirmation bias flows from encrypted social media platforms that are full of conspiracy theories.
[Excerpt from an Article by A.S. Panneerselvan, The Hindu, dated August 10, 2020]
Q. 106 Which of the following conveys the main idea expressed in the passage?
Q. 107 In this line, “Hence, when I talk about the digital information news environment, I am talking about how there
needs to be a conducive atmosphere for credible information to resonate with the people” the Author assumes
that:
Directions for questions 106 to 135: Each set of questions in this section is based on the reasoning and
arguments set out in the preceding passage. Please answer each question on the basis of what is stated or
implied in the corresponding passage. Do not rely on any information or facts other than the ones supplied to you.
In some instances, more than one option may be the answer to the question; in such a case, please choose the
option that most accurately and comprehensively answers the question.
Passage – 2
In 1985, Mikhail Gorbachev, launched an ill-fated anti-alcohol campaign in the then Soviet Union. The anti-alcohol
campaign had some beneficial public health consequences: Crime fell and life expectancy rose. But the campaign
was a political and economic disaster. Gorbachev forgot that the addiction of the state to alcohol revenue was
even more incurable than the addiction of some citizens to alcohol itself. The budgetary losses created an economic
crisis. Historians suspect that more than the loss of the Soviet Empire, it was this campaign that delegitimised
Gorbachev. An old Soviet joke went like this: A disaffected and angry citizen, fed up of standing in lines for vodka,
decided to go assassinate Gorbachev. He soon came back and ruefully reported that the lines to assassinate
Gorbachev were even longer than the lines for Vodka. As the lockdown eased in India, and social distancing went
for a toss at alcohol outlets, we were reminded of how difficult an issue alcohol is to rationally discuss in India. The
stampede was caused by the ineptness with which the opening was handled in most cities. Alcohol has also
migrated from being a question of personal freedom and choice to an issue in broader cultural wars, an odd site on
which we measure progressivism in India. It is also a window on how liberalism has been misunderstood. Liberals
should, rightly, be suspicious of prohibition on moral and practical grounds. Government grossly exceeds its
legitimate power when it interferes with the rights of individuals to lead their lives as they please, and fashion their
selves after their own ideals, interests and preferences. And certainly, moralism or puritanism on alcohol cannot
be the basis of state policy. That moralism has no basis, and it violates the dignity and freedom of individuals.
[Excerpt from an Opinion by Bhanu Pratap Mehta, The Indian Express, May 7, 2020]
Q. 111 In the above passage, the author uses a/an__________ to strengthen his argument.
Q. 115 According to the passage, which of the following could be part of State’s policy to regulate Alcohol use in
India?
I. Ban on Alcohol shops.
II. Education on Intelligent Drinking.
III. Regulating Outlet density of Alcohol shops
IV. Community Intervention Policy
Directions for questions 106 to 135: Each set of questions in this section is based on the reasoning and
arguments set out in the preceding passage. Please answer each question on the basis of what is stated or
implied in the corresponding passage. Do not rely on any information or facts other than the ones supplied to you.
In some instances, more than one option may be the answer to the question; in such a case, please choose the
option that most accurately and comprehensively answers the question.
Passage – 3
Don’t miss the cloud behind the silver lining. The Class XII CBSE pass result has soared to an all-time high of
88.8%. The number of students scoring 95% and above has more than doubled. If only these higher marks were
a reflection of students getting more skilled and more competitive. Instead, the odds are they simply mirror an
assessment scheme relaxed to compensate students for the many disruptions originating in the pandemic. The
goal of reducing student stress levels during this turbulent time is excellent and laudable. But it is a fallacy that high
marks can accomplish this by themselves. The real stressor, after all, is shortage of opportunities. When every
bout of grade inflation raises cut-offs for higher education even higher, it is no succour. That India’s Gross Enrolment
Ratio is only 27% compared to Indonesia’s 36%, Thailand’s 49% and the US’s 88% is just one measure of the toll
taken by our failure to build adequate colleges and universities. Licence raj continues to suppress autonomy and
expansion in this sector. For example, a new national education policy is reportedly mulling at least 20% of students
being able to attend private higher educational institutions through freeships and another 30% through scholarships,
besides fee caps. On top of the stasis already wreaked by reservations, this would be disastrous. Browbeating the
private sector to make up for public sector deficiencies is counterproductive. As the pandemic has underlined the
key role of good government services in healthcare, so too is raising the standard of publicly funded schools and
universities essential. What the students need is an ecosystem where government institutions deliver quality
education and private options are plentiful. It is better prospects alone that will best alleviate students’ stress.
Meanwhile, crudely chopping syllabi will only worsen their disorientation and should be reconsidered.
[TOI Edit, Times of India Editorials, Dated July 15, 2020]
Q. 116 What is the ‘cloud behind the silver lining’ in the passage above?
Q. 117 Which of the following statements weakens the argument that chopping the syllabi in the times of Pandemic
will only worsen a student’s disorientation and hence should be reconsidered?
Q. 118 The number of students scoring 95% and above in XII class board exams has more than doubled. Which of
the following statements serves as a plausible explanation for the same?
Q. 119 For developing a student friendly ecosystem of education, which of the following serve as need of the hour,
as per the Author?
I. Increasing the Syllabi in School education.
II. Building adequate number of public colleges and universities.
III. Eliminating Reservation in admissions to Higher education system.
IV. Creating a quality based education system
Directions for questions 106 to 135: Each set of questions in this section is based on the reasoning and
arguments set out in the preceding passage. Please answer each question on the basis of what is stated or
implied in the corresponding passage. Do not rely on any information or facts other than the ones supplied to you.
In some instances, more than one option may be the answer to the question; in such a case, please choose the
option that most accurately and comprehensively answers the question.
Passage – 4
If anything, the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has taught us to rethink our lifestyles and question
our need to travel to work every day. After all, in the age of internet, zoom meetings and webinars can be virtually
conducted and physical distancing is possible. A large nature of work in cities is of tertiary nature, a major part of
which can be done from home. This can affect the way offices function and reduce the need for all employees to
be physically present every day. Information Technology companies are already contemplating a move of making
many of its employees work from home and make this a ‘new normal’. If more firms follow suit, the need for huge
office buildings and central business districts would change. Apartments cannot get bigger at the same rate, and
people may not have the space or atmosphere to work from home. This would mean that more people would opt
for co-working spaces close to their homes. This could be a game changer, for it would provide the cities to better
distribute their activities throughout the spaces and rid themselves of the idea of zoning. Only a handful of
professionals are allowed to function from residential zones, including doctors, lawyers, architects, etc. This
needs serious rethinking. Many more professions of similar nature that do not disturb surrounding residence and
have no requirements of special services should be added to the list. This new work culture would bring associated
demand for food joints, cafés, stationary shops, etc.
[Excerpt from ‘Down to Earth’ Magazine, Blog authored by Sugeet Grover, August 17, 2020]
Q. 121 Which of the following is the main idea behind the passage?
Directions for questions 106 to 135: Each set of questions in this section is based on the reasoning and
arguments set out in the preceding passage. Please answer each question on the basis of what is stated or
implied in the corresponding passage. Do not rely on any information or facts other than the ones supplied to you.
In some instances, more than one option may be the answer to the question; in such a case, please choose the
option that most accurately and comprehensively answers the question.
Following is an array of questions to test your reasoning ability in different situations. Answer each of them according
to the question asked in each of them respectively:
Q. 126 If highways were restricted to cars and only those trucks with capacity of less than 8 tons, most of the truck
traffic would be forced to run outside highways. Such a reduction in the amount of truck traffic would reduce
the risk of collisions on highways. The conclusion drawn in the first sentence depends on which of the
following assumptions?
Q. 127 Read the debate between Harry and Potter and identify the main issue:
Harry: Within democracies, voters are entitled to know the down-side to a candidate and the other side is
obviously well placed to voice it. To stifle one’s ability to voice negative things about a candidate would be to
obstruct democracy and limit free speech.
Potter: Negative advertisements produce the politics of the personal, since an easiest advert is an attackadvert
which focuses on the personality or personal qualities of one’s opponent. A negative advertisement is
one that focuses upon a rival product, in this case, a rival election candidate or party in order to point its flaws
and to persuade the public to not vote for it.
Q. 128 Which alternative applies to the following Statement and Assumption?
Statement: Go by Aeroplane to reach Delhi from Chennai quickly.
Assumptions:
I. Chennai and Delhi are connected by Air service.
II. There is no other means to commute from Chennai to Delhi.
III. The Air distance between Delhi and Chennai is less.
Q. 129 Ananya and Krishna can speak and follow English. Bulbul can write and speak Hindi as Archana does.
Archana talks with Ananya also in Bengali. Krishna cannot follow Bengali. Bulbul talks with Ananya in Hindi.
Who can speak and follow English, Hindi and Bengali?
Q. 130 If ‘367’ means ‘I am happy’; ‘748’ means ‘you are sad’ and ‘469’ means ‘happy and sad’ in a given code, then
which of the following represents ‘and’ in the code?
Directions for questions 106 to 135: Each set of questions in this section is based on the reasoning and
arguments set out in the preceding passage. Please answer each question on the basis of what is stated or
implied in the corresponding passage. Do not rely on any information or facts other than the ones supplied to you.
In some instances, more than one option may be the answer to the question; in such a case, please choose the
option that most accurately and comprehensively answers the question.
Passage – 5
One of the biggest casualties of the Covid-19 pandemic and the resultant lockdown has been institutionalised
education. Schools have been shut to prevent the spread of the virus and this has given way to online classrooms,
a very new concept in India even for the most sophisticated schools. It is commendable how easily some educational
institutions have moved to virtual classrooms, all thanks to tools such as Zoom, Google Hangouts and Microsoft
Teams. But there are some still struggling to get online. The online classes, whatever the enabling technology, is
only as good as the teachers and the ability of the students to grasp the new teaching technique. One of the
teachers felt students are actually more responsive and active in online classrooms, compared to when they are
in physical ones. “This could be because this is a new concept and they are excited to explore it with the teachers.
They also don’t get distracted by their classmates, which frequently happens in a regular class.” Teachers do find
the absence of a blackboard a disadvantage and network connectivity a constant problem. “We miss the clarity
that a blackboard gives us, we are kind of making do with the virtual whiteboard on Zoom. Shweta Kawatra, a
parent who teaches in a New Delhi school, highlights that many students have not been able to take advantage of
the virtual platform because they do not have a suitable device at home or lack a good internet connection. “It has
its own share of disadvantages too. Too much screen time can be perilous for health. Prolonged online sessions can
be overwhelming and may lead to problems related to vision, body posture and sleep disorder,” Kawatra adds.
[Excerpt from an Article by Sneha Saha, The Indian Express, dated April 18, 2020]
Q. 131 What is the Central Idea of the passage above?
Q. 133 Which of the following is an implicit assumption in the observation that students are more active and responsive
in online classrooms as compared to that in physical ones?
I. Students are not serious while studying in physical classrooms.
II. Online classrooms inculcate more interest in students towards studies than the physical classrooms.
III. Students don’t like physical classrooms at all.
IV. Students sleep in physical classrooms.
Q. 135 Consider this statement: ‘Virtual education provides for various online seminars, opportunities to interact
with learned experts, pro-bono education classes etc., for students across India irrespective of their economic
status and background.’
Which of the following statements weakens the statement?
I. Many students in remote areas do not have access to internet facilities.
II. Many students in rural areas do not have devices to take advantage of the Virtual classrooms.
III. Online Seminars and pro bono classes are not interesting and do not cater to the needs of students
across India.
IV. The mobile phone data packages to access such heavy online contents are not enough and participation
in such events involves costly data packages which is dependent upon the economic status of those
students.
Directions for questions 136 to 140: The following data presents the cases of Japanese Encephalitis in five
states of India.
Q. 136 Number of females affected by Japanese encephalitis in West Bengal are what percentage (up to 1 decimal)
more or less than that of females affected in Odisha?
Q. 138 If the total number of males affected by Japanese Encephalitis in other states are 87 % more than the
average number of males in Odisha, West Bengal, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand, the total number of males
affected in India is:
Q. 139 By what percentage is the average of males in Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Andhra Pradesh together
more or less than the average of females in West Bengal, Jharkhand and Odisha together who are affected
by Japanese encephalitis
Directions for questions 141 to 145: A room having the dimensions as mentioned in the chart below has a
table, a bed and a chair. There are three books kept on the table (side by side) and also a lamp having radius, 3.5
inch. Now, on the basis of information given below answer the following?
Q. 141 What would be the area of the room which is not covered by any object as mentioned above?
Directions for questions 146 to 150: In the figure given below, a goat is tied to a pole (at point O) which is the
center of the semi -circular plot. The area of the plot is equal to its perimeter. BO is the length of the rope through
which the goat is tied to the pole. Answer to the closest decimal.
[Note : None of the options in the actual paper matched, so the options have been changed appropriately.]
Directions for questions 146 to 150: In the figure given below, a goat is tied to a pole (at point O) which is the
center of the semi -circular plot. The area of the plot is equal to its perimeter. BO is the length of the rope through
which the goat is tied to the pole. Answer to the closest decimal.
[Note : None of the options in the actual paper matched, so the options have been changed appropriately.]
Directions for questions 146 to 150: In the figure given below, a goat is tied to a pole (at point O) which is the
center of the semi -circular plot. The area of the plot is equal to its perimeter. BO is the length of the rope through
which the goat is tied to the pole. Answer to the closest decimal.
[Note : None of the options in the actual paper matched, so the options have been changed appropriately.]
Q. 148 If a triangle is created by joining points A, B, and C. What will be the length of AB?
Directions for questions 146 to 150: In the figure given below, a goat is tied to a pole (at point O) which is the
center of the semi -circular plot. The area of the plot is equal to its perimeter. BO is the length of the rope through
which the goat is tied to the pole. Answer to the closest decimal.
[Note : None of the options in the actual paper matched, so the options have been changed appropriately.]