Q.1-5. Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below it certain words are given in bold to help you locate them while answering some of the questions.
While most of India sweltered this extended summer, the people charged with delivering electricity to the country barely broke a sweat. Power outages through June and July averaged over 36,000 MW - roughly 18% of India’s installed generating capacity of 2,02,980 MW. Outages across the country routinely cause 16-hour blackouts in cities. Nearly 25% of India’s population (over 300 million) still has no access to electricity. That contrasts sharply with those in power. The VIP precinct of Lutyens’ Delhi, for example, never suffers power outages.
Unbridled power theft, often with official connivance, is a major cause for the chronic electricity shortage that bedevils India - hurting farmers, industrialists and traders alike. The other cause is bad governance. Transmission and distribution (T&D) losses are over 32% of installed generating capacity compared to the global average of 10%.
Shortage of coal - again a direct result of misgovernance of our natural resources - has worsened the crisis. Mumbai’s island city is one of the few urban areas in India where there have been no power cuts stretching back decades. The reason: a unique “islanding system” pioneered by Tata Power. If the Western Regional Power Grid breaks down, the system is automatically isolated from the rest of the grid, ensuring uninterrupted power to the island city. The Tatas (along with Reliance) supply power to Delhi as well but, in the absence of an “islanding system” and Delhi’s higher incidence of power theft, outages remain endemic in the capital.
The key to solving India’s power crisis lies in four areas. First, rapidly adding more generating capacity across the country. Two, reducing T&D losses (including theft) from 32% to nearer the 10% global average. Three, reforming the coal-mining sector to ensure steady fuel supply to power plants. Four, refinancing bankrupt state electricity boards who today don’t have the funds to even maintain their equipment - a primary cause of unscheduled power outages.
Q.1. What is the major cause for chronic electricity shortage in India ?
(1) India’s low capacity of generating power.
(2) Uncontrolled power theft in which the officials of the electricity department also co-operate secretly.
(3) Heavy blackouts in cities.
(4) Lack of resources producing electricity
(5) None of these
Q.2. Who among the following are affected by the shortage of electricity in India ?
(1) Common people (2) Middle class families (3) Industrialists, farmers and traders
(4) 25 % of the population of Mumbai (5) People residing in urban areas
Q.3. How is Mumbai’s island city different from other urban areas of India ?
(1) It is the home of all the VIPs
(2) It is a hub of all the major industries
(3) It experiences heavy power cuts everyday
(4) It has never experienced power cuts
(5) There have been no power cuts here for decades
Q.4. Why doesn’t Mumbai’s island city experience power cuts ?
(1) The officials do not support power cuts in the area
(2) It has ample supply of power and electricity
(3) 36,000 MW of electricity is being supplied here everyday
(4) It observes a unique islanding system managed by Tata Power
(5) All of the above
Q.5. Which of the following is TRUE in context of the passage?
(1) India’s power crisis can be solved if we follow an islanding system in all our cities.
(2) One of the reasons of Delhi facing power crisis is higher incidences of power theft.
(3) Bad governance has also led to the shortage of electricity
(4) Over 300 million people of India do not have access to electricity
(5) Rural India doesn’t receive even 18 % of the total electricity.
(1) Only 1 and 2 (2) Only 2, 3 and 4 (3) All except 5 (4) Only 2. (5) Only 3
Q.6. Which of the following is NOT TRUE in context of the passage ?
(1) Shortage of coal is the only result of misgovernance of our natural resources.
(2) Reducing T & D losses from 32 % to nearly 10 % global average can help in solving the problem of power crisis in India.
(3) The VIP precinct of Lutyens’ Delhi never suffers power outages.
(4) Tatas along with Reliance supply power to Delhi.
(5) All of the above
Q.7-8. Choose the word most SIMILAR in meaning to the word printed in bold, as used in the passage.
Q.7. Endemic
(1) Dangerous (2) deadly (3) prevalent (4) contagious (5) native
Q.8. Theft
(1) Blackmail (2) stealing (3) benevolence (4) supply (5) deficiency
Q.9-10.Choose the word most nearly the opposite in meaning to the word printed in bold, as used in the passage.
Q.9. Delivering
(1) Retaining (2) distributing (3) producing (4) bearing (5) maintaining
Q.10. Pioneered
(1) Admitted (2) mismanaged (3) entered (4) introduced (5) wasted
Answers
Q.1.(2) Q.2.(3) Q.3.(5) Q.4.(4) Q.5.(2) Q.6.(1) Q.7.(3) Q.8.(2) Q.9.(1) Q.10.(2)
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