Passage Cattle from the nearby villages came to the common ground to graze, and there was still a cool freshness in the air. Hori…

Reading Comprehension ·Previously asked in UPSC Civil Services Examination 2026

View the full solved paper: GS Paper II

Question

Passage:

Cattle from the nearby villages came to the common ground to graze, and there was still a cool freshness in the air. Hori took several deep breaths and thought of sitting down for a while, since he'd be dying of heat in the scorching 'loo' wind the rest of the day. A number of farmers were eager to lease this bit of land and had offered a good price, but Rai Sahib—God bless him—had plainly told them it was reserved for grazing and would not be relinquished for any price. If he'd been one of those selfish Zamindars, he'd have said the cattle could go to hell, that there was no reason for him to miss the chance to make a little money. But the Rai Sahib still held to the old values, feeling that any landlord who didn't look after his tenants was less than human.

Which of the following statements are not correct?

1. The landholdings of Rai Sahib were currently not being used for farming.

2. Temperamentally, Rai Sahib was as greedy as other landlords.

3. It cannot be ascertained that Rai Sahib could have made some money by leasing out the grazing land.

4. It may be asserted that Rai Sahib valued his tenants and wanted to protect their livelihood.

Select the answer using the code given below.

  1. A. 1 and 2 only
  2. B. 1 and 3 only
  3. C. 3 and 4
  4. D. 1, 2 and 3 (Correct answer)

Correct Answer

Option D — 1, 2 and 3

Detailed Solution & Explanation

The correct answer is Option D.

Key Points

  • The statements that are not correct are 1, 2 and 3.
  • 1 — the grazing land was reserved for cattle, i.e. it was being used (for grazing), so "not being used for farming" as an implied idleness is misleading.
  • 2 — Rai Sahib was not greedy; he refused a good price, unlike selfish Zamindars.
  • 3 — it can be ascertained he could have made money (farmers offered a good price), so this is incorrect.

Additional Information

  • Statement 4 is the only correct one (he valued tenants and their livelihood), so the *not-correct* set is 1, 2 and 3 → Option D.