Insta–DART (Daily Aptitude and Reasoning Test) 6 March 2021

Our urban bodies cannot possibly ensure sustainable delivery of water in our cities unless financing mechanisms are put in place. Water delivery requires heavy investment in collecting it from a natural source, treating it to make it potable and laying a distribution network of pipes for delivery to the users. It also requires investments in sewerage infrastructure and sewage treatment plants so that the sewers can carry the wastewater to these plants to ensure that no untreated sewage is discharged back into natural water bodies. If our cities were rich enough to meet the entire cost, water could be delivered free. They are not.

What is the most logical and crucial message conveyed by the passage?

Our urban bodies cannot possibly ensure sustainable delivery of water in our cities unless financing mechanisms are put in place. Water delivery requires heavy investment in collecting it from a natural source, treating it to make it potable and laying a distribution network of pipes for delivery to the users. It also requires investments in sewerage infrastructure and sewage treatment plants so that the sewers can carry the wastewater to these plants to ensure that no untreated sewage is discharged back into natural water bodies. If our cities were rich enough to meet the entire cost, water could be delivered free. They are not.

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

1. 1. Rich cities only can ensure sustainable delivery of water.
   2. Sustainable delivery of water in cities means much more than supplying water to households.

Which of the above assumptions is/are valid?

In India, agriculture still engages about half of its workforce, and about 85% of its farms are small and marginal. Compared to China and Vietnam, which have experienced fast structural and rural transformation, India’s story is of slow transformation. As a result, poverty reduction in India was at a much slower pace during 1988 – 2014, compared to China and Vietnam. India’s poverty reduction was slow during 1988-2005, but during 2005-2012, it accelerated dramatically almost three times faster then during the earlier period. What did India do during this period? Research reveals that the relative price scenario changed significantly (by more than 50%) in favour of agriculture in the wake of rising global prices. This boosted private investments in agriculture by more than 50%. As a result, agri-GDP growth touched 4.1% during 2007-2012 as against 2.4% during 2002-2007. The net surplus of agri-trade touched $25 billion in 2013-2014; real farm wages rose by 7% per annum. All this led to unprecedented fall in poverty.

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

1. 1. Structural and rural transformation is impossible when farms are mainly small and marginal.
   2. A good price incentive can trigger investments in agriculture.
   3. India needs to build value chains for high value agri-products like livestock and horticulture
   4. Higher global prices of agricultural commodities are essential for India’s poverty reduction.

Which of the above assumptions are valid?

In India, agriculture still engages about half of its workforce, and about 85% of its farms are small and marginal. Compared to China and Vietnam, which have experienced fast structural and rural transformation, India’s story is of slow transformation. As a result, poverty reduction in India was at a much slower pace during 1988 – 2014, compared to China and Vietnam. India’s poverty reduction was slow during 1988-2005, but during 2005-2012, it accelerated dramatically almost three times faster then during the earlier period. What did India do during this period? Research reveals that the relative price scenario changed significantly (by more than 50%) in favour of agriculture in the wake of rising global prices. This boosted private investments in agriculture by more than 50%. As a result, agri-GDP growth touched 4.1% during 2007-2012 as against 2.4% during 2002-2007. The net surplus of agri-trade touched $25 billion in 2013-2014; real farm wages rose by 7% per annum. All this led to unprecedented fall in poverty.

Which one of the following statements best reflects the critical message of the passage?

In India, over the last decade or so, labour has been departing agriculture, but is only

construction and unregistered manufacturing which are not marked better jobs. Services where labour tends to be must productive, are not generating the additional jobs the country needs. India will need 24 million or so jobs over the next decade. The new sector, e-commerce, can at best close only half the jobs gap. Only those sectors that drive domestic demand such as health and education can comfortably fill the other half.

Which one of the following is best implied in the passage?