Q.1-10.Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below it. Certain words have been printed in bold to help you locate them while answering some questions.
Agriculture has always been celebrated’as the primary sector in India. Thanks to the Green Revolution, India is now self-sufficient in food production. Indian agriculture has been making technological advancement as well. Does that mean everything is looking bright for Indian agriculture ? A superficial analysis of the above points would tempt one to say yes, but the truth is far from it. The reality is that Indian farmers have to face extreme poverty and financial crisis, which is driving them to suicides. What are the grave adversities that drive the farmers to commit suicide, at a time when Indian economy is supposed to be gearing up to take on the world ?
Indian agriculture is predominantly dependant on nature. Irrigation facilities that are currently available, do not cover the entire cultivable land. If the farmers are at the mercy of monsoons for timely water for their crops, they are at the mercy of the government for alternative irrigation facilities. Any failure of nature, directly affects the fortunes of the farmers. Secondly, Indian agriculture is largely an unorganised sector, there is no systematic planning in cultivation, farmers work on lands of uneconomical sizes, institutional finances are not available and minimum purchase prices of the government do not in reality reach the poorest farmer. Added to this, the cost of agricultural inputs have been steadily rising over the years, farmers’ margins of profits have been narrowing because the price rise in inputs is not complemented by an increase in the purchase price of the agricultural produce. Even today, in several parts of the country, agriculture is a seasonal occupation. In many districts, farmers get only one crop per year and for the remaining part of the year, they find it difficult to make both ends meet.
The farmers normally resort to borrowing from money lenders, in the absence of institutionalised finance. Where institutional finance is available, the ordinary farmer does not have a chance of availing it because of the “procedures” involved in disbursing the finance. This calls for removing the elaborate formalities for obtaining the loans., The institutional finance, where available is mostly availed by the medium or large land owners, the small farmers do not even have the awareness of the,existence of such facilities. The moneylender is the only source of finance to the farmers. Should the crops fail, the farmers fall into a debt trap and crop failures piled up over the years give them no other option than ending their lives.
Another disturbing trend has been observed where farmers commit suicide or deliberately kill a family member in order to avail relief and benefits announced by the government to support the families of those who have committed suicide so that their families could at least benefit from the government’s relief programmes. What then needs to be done to prevent this sad state of affairs There cannot be one single solution to end the woes of farmers.
Temporary measures through monetary relief would not be the solution. The governmental efforts should be targeted at improving the entire structure of the small farmers wherein the relief is not given on a drought to drought basis, rather they are taught to overcome their difficulties through their own skills and capabilities. Social responsibility also goes a long way to help the farmers. General public, NGOs, Corporates and other organisations too can play a part in helping farmers by adopting drought affected villages and families and helping them to rehabilitate.
The nation has to realise that farmers’ suicides are not minor issues happening in remote parts of a few states, it is a reflection of the true state of the basis of our economy.
Q.1. Which of the following statements is/are TRUE in context of the passage?
(1) In several parts of the country agriculture is still a seasonal occupation.
(2) The institutional finance is always availed by small farmers only.
(3) According to the passage, there is only one solution to the problems of all the farmers.
(4) The farmer’s suicides is a minor issue which could be dealt with some important measure by the government.
(5) All of the above
Q.2. What is the author’s main objective in writing the passage?
(1) Criticizing the policy of providing relief packages to the family of farmers who commit suicide.
(2) To appeal to the non-institutional moneylenders for providing loans to farmers in a hassle free manner
(3) To applaud the dauntless spirit of the farmers.
(4) None of the above
(5) All of the above
Q.3. What reasons has the author mentioned for farmer’s suicide in the passage?
(A) Farmers are at the mercy of nature.
(B) The minimum purchase price of government do not reach the poorest fo farmers in reality.
(C) The farmers’ margin of profit has been narrowing in the recent years.
(1) Only A (2) Only B (3) Only A and B (4) Only B and C (5) All A, B and C
Q.4. Why do farmers’ deliberately commit suicide according to the passage?
(1) So that the profits from the crop could be distributed amongst their family.
(2) So that the farmers is rescued from the debts.
(3) So that the farmers’ family members could avail the benefits announced by the government.
(4) So that they do not have to work when they derive no financial assistance out of it.
(5) All of the above
Q.5. What does the author mean by “procedures” when he says that ‘farmers do not get chance of availing institutional finance because of procedures involved in it’?
(1) He refers to the government guidelines of disbursing finance only to medium and large land owners.
(2) Refers to the strict government rule of providing loans to only such farmers who can guarantee a default free tenure.
(3) The formalities to avail these facilities are enormous and too difficult for an ordinary farmer to understand.
(4) Refers to the danger the farmers must face from the local moneylenders if they availed the loan from government instead.
(5) Refers to only the small farmers who are getting loans from the government free of cost.
Q.6. Which of the following statements is FALSE in context of the passage?
(1) Many farmers struggle to sustain themselves after reaping one crop in a year.
(2) The government has relieved the farmers from any elaborate formalities while availing loans.
(3) India was made self-sufficient in food production because of green revolution.
(4) Some farmers commit suicide in order to avail relief package from the government.
(5) All except 2
Q.7. What measures has the author suggested to help farmers and prevent them from taking extreme measures?
(A) To improve the entire structure of loans given to the farmers.
(B) The farmers are taught to deal with difficulties through their own talents and skills.
(C) Farmers to be given amount to pay for their agricultural inputs so that the profit margin for them is good.
(1) Only A (2) Only A and B (3) Only B (4) Only B and C (5) Only C
Q.8. Choose the word similar to the word ‘bright’ as used in the passage.
(1) Glowing (2) Dazzling (3) Dull (4) Radiant (5) Promising
Q.9. Choose the word opposite to the word ‘superficial’ as used in the passage.
(1) Careless (2) Profound (3) Extreme (4) Articulate (5) Fatal
Q.10. What are the adversities faced by the Indian farmers according to the passage?
(1) Lack of adequate irrigation facilities
(2) Ownership of only a small piece of land by a majority of farmers, which fails to generate any profit
(3) Lack of financial help to the farmers
(4) All of the above
(5) None of the above
Answer
Q.1.(1) Q.2.(4) Q.3.(5) Q.4.(3) Q.5.(3) Q.6.(2) Q.7.(2) Q.8.(5) Q.9.(2) Q.10.(4)
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MAHENDRA GURU