Directions Q (1 - 6): 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 questions.
Recent events - the UP government's waiver of farmer loans, dramatic protests by Tamil Nadu farmers in Delhi and a warning from the RBI Governor against loan waivers - have once again brought farm loan to write-offs under public glare.
Farm loans may be crop loans or investment loans taken to buy equipment. Both farmers and banks reap a good harvest when all is well. But when there is a poor monsoon or natural calamity, farmers may be unable to repay loans. The rural distress in such situations often prompts States or the Center to offer relief - · reduction or complete waiver of loans. Essentially, the Center or States take over the liability of farmers and repay the banks. Waivers are usually selective - the only certain loan types, categories of farmers or loan sources may qualify.
Agriculture in India has been facing many issues - fragmented land holding, depleting water table levels, deteriorating soil quality, rising input costs, low productivity. Add to this vagary of the monsoon. Output prices may not be remunerative. Farmers are often forced to borrow to manage expenses. Also, many small farmers not eligible for bank credit borrow at exorbitant interest rates from private sources, When nature riders roughshod over debt-ridden farmers in the form of erratic monsoon and crop failures, they face grim options. Indebtedness is a key reason for the many farmer suicides in the country.
Loan waivers provide some relief to farmers in such situations, but there are debates about the long-term effectiveness of the measure. Critics demand to make agriculture sustainable by reducing inefficiencies, increasing income, reducing costs and providing protection through insurance schemes. They point out that farm loan waivers are at best a temporary solution and
entail a moral hazard -even those who can afford to pay may not, in the expectation of a waiver. Such measures can erode credit discipline and may make banks wary of lending to farmers in the future. It also makes a sharp dent in the finances of the government that finances the write-off. A blanket waiver scheme is detrimental to the development of credit markets. Repeated debt-waiver. programmes distort households' incentive structures, away from productive investments and towards unproductive consumption and willful defaults. These willful defaults, in turn, are likely to disrupt the functioning of the entire credit system.
The real crisis for Indian farmer is that he or she is not in control of the produce, unlike other businesses, and is dependent on a cartel of traders to fetch a decent price. The cartel makes money in case of good or bad crop season as their margins remain intact. In fact, in case of a crop failure, the trader profit margin rises whereas the farmer is in distress without a remunerative price. The Government - Center, and States - have repeatedly failed to break the cartelization and their effort to create farm infrastructure through cold stores have helped the corporate sector more than the farmers. Except for some farmers in Maharashtra and Punjab, most of the cold stores built with the help of the Government subsidy are owned by corporate. So, now these corporate the buying produce in farms at cheap rates, keep them in cold stores repackage them and sell them in malls in cities at thrice the purchase price. Neither the farmer gains nor the consumer.
To be sure, the agriculture sector needs government support but loan waivers are not the solution. On the contrary, expenditure on loan waivers will eventually leave less fiscal space for public expenditure in agriculture. India needs massive investment in areas such as irrigation, water conservation, better to rage facilities, market connectivity and agricultural research. The problems in Indian agriculture are structural. They need. long term solutions. Loan waivers will only end up complicating the problem, The Indian economy has suffered a lot due to competitive populism in the past. It's time parties and governments address the real issues.
1. According to the passing age, why there is a need for living the loans of the farmers?
A. So that the agricultural sector and economy do not get affected
B. Incapability of farmers to repay the loans due to natural disasters.
C. Private firms pressurize to repay the loans.
D. to meet the long term solutions of farmers.
E. All of the above
Answer: Option A
Explanation:
Refer to the fourth sentence of the second paragraph, "The rural distress in such situations often prompts States or the Center to offer relief - reduction or complete waiver of loans."
Hence B is the correct option in the context of the passage.
2. What are the disadvantages related to the loan waiver scheme?
A. It can abrade credit regulation and may make banks wary of lending to farmers in the future.
B. It leads to less involvement of farmers for credit benefit from banks in the future.
C. the loan waiver scheme perverts the house holds incentive structure and leads to unproductive consumption.
D. Both (B) and (C) are correct.
E. All are true.
Answer: Option B
3. According to the passage, what needs to be done in order to resolve the issue?
(i) Banks should lend the appropriate amount of credit to farmers.
(ii) There should be long term solutions of structural problems of agriculture.
(iii) Investment in areas like irrigation, water conservation, better storage facilities
A. Only i is correct
B. Only ii is correct
C. Both (i) and (ii) are correct
D. Both (ii) and (iii) are correct
E. All are correct
Answer: Option D
Explanation:
Refer to the sixth paragraph, "India needs massive investment in areas such as irrigation, water conserve ation, better storage facilities," and "The problems in Indian agriculture are structural. They need long-term solutions." Hence both the options (ii) and (iii) are correct.
4. Which is the most appropriate title of the passage?
A. Need for farmer loan write-offs.
B. The hazards of farm loan waivers.
C. The real crises of Indian farmers.
D. A Blanket waiver scheme.
E. A Dramatic protests by Tamil Nadu farmers.
Answer: Option D
Explanation:
the author in the passage emphasized on the disadvantages of loan waiving scheme to the economy and also he has mentioned the steps that need to be implemented. Hence the title "The hazards of farm loan waivers" is the most appropriate one.
5. Which of the following statements is false in context of the passage?
A. For the rural distress, The Center or States take over the culpability of farmers and repay the banks.
B. to regulate the expenses, farmers are forced to borrow.
C. A Blanket waiver scheme detrimental, to the development of debt markets.
D. Loan waivers will end up simplifying the problems of farmers and economy.
E. All are correct.
Answer: Option D
Explanation:
Refer to the last paragraph. Loan waivers will only end up complicating the problem". Hence statement D is false in the context of the passage.
6. According to the passage, what are the present bottlenecks faced by the indian farmers?
(i) Corporate buying the produce at ,cheap rates and selling them at higher price, hence affecting the farmers.
(ii) Lack of policy implementation by the government.
(iii) Corporate buying the produce at ,cheap rates and selling them at higher price, hence affecting the farmers.
A. Only (i) is true
B. Only (ii) is true
C. Both (i) and (iii) are true
D. Both (ii) and (iii) are true
E. All are true
Answer: Option D
Explanation:
Refer the second last paragraph, The governments -· Center and states - have repeatedly failed to break the categorization". and "So, now these corporate are buying produce in farms at cheap rates, keep them in cold stores, repackage them and sell them in malls in cities at thrice the purchase price. Neither the farmer gains nor the consumer. Hence both the statements (i) and (iii) are concert.
Directions Q (7 - 8): Choose the word/group of words which is most similar in meaning to the word/group of words printed in bold as used in passage.
7. Exorbitant?
A. Quirk
B. Unbounded
C. Prohibitive
D. Outrageous
E. Needless
Answer: Option D
Explanation:
Exorbitant means responsibly. Hence, it has similar meaning to Outrageous.
8. Vagaries?
A. Superfluous
B. Caprice
C. Caprice
D. Trivial
E. lavish
Answer: Option C
Explanation:
Vagaries means an unexpected change in a situation or in someones behavior. Hence, it has similar meaning to Caprice.