ENGLISH 11

There is an old African proverb that says, “Until the lions have their own historians, histories of the hunt will glorify the hunter.”

As is common knowledge, while the male lion’s mane incites our imagination, it is actually the lionesses that bring in food and ensure survival of the species. As Renana Jhavwala of SEWA and member of UN Secretary General’s High Level Panel on Women’s Economic Empowerment aptly says, “Women's work is invisible … women are at the base of the economic pyramid. Women are stuck on a 'sticky floor' of low technology, low productivity, low skills, low earnings and low dignity.” Rural women in the Asia-Pacific region make critical contributions to household production and national food security, yet their contribution is hardly acknowledged.

The credit for the success of Brazil’s conditional cash transfer programme, Bolsa familia, goes to women. The programme rewards families for sending their children to school and taking them for regular health check- ups. This scheme has pulled millions out of poverty. The state tends to believe women are more reliable than men. In Mexico, a similar programme, Oportunidades, is available exclusively to women.

There is strong empirical evidence to suggest that money in the hands of the mother increases expenditure on children. There is a strong positive correlation between women’s status and economic/social development. Policy makers across the world have placed great emphasis on gender equality. The experience suggests that economic development alone is not enough to bring about equality. What is needed is policy action. This is where the importance of women’s political empowerment comes. Democracy in the 21st century is moving towards equity and inclusion. This is the underlying message of citizens’ movements across the world. And with increasing role of women at the policy level and in institutions of government, democracy can become ‘politics of difference’ and ‘politics of presence.’

Q. 'Democracy in the 21st century is moving towards equity and inclusion.' implies that

• Every citizen has the right to participate actively in the democracy in the 21st century.

• Women had no role in politics before 21st century.

• Democracy in the 21st century is accepting both men and women equally in the mainstream politics.

• None of the above

There is an old African proverb that says, “Until the lions have their own historians, histories of the hunt will glorify the hunter.”

As is common knowledge, while the male lion’s mane incites our imagination, it is actually the lionesses that bring in food and ensure survival of the species. As Renana Jhavwala of SEWA and member of UN Secretary General’s High Level Panel on Women’s Economic Empowerment aptly says, “Women's work is invisible … women are at the base of the economic pyramid. Women are stuck on a 'sticky floor' of low technology, low productivity, low skills, low earnings and low dignity.” Rural women in the Asia-Pacific region make critical contributions to household production and national food security, yet their contribution is hardly acknowledged.

The credit for the success of Brazil’s conditional cash transfer programme, Bolsa familia, goes to women. The programme rewards families for sending their children to school and taking them for regular health check- ups. This scheme has pulled millions out of poverty. The state tends to believe women are more reliable than men. In Mexico, a similar programme, Oportunidades, is available exclusively to women.

There is strong empirical evidence to suggest that money in the hands of the mother increases expenditure on children. There is a strong positive correlation between women’s status and economic/social development. Policy makers across the world have placed great emphasis on gender equality. The experience suggests that economic development alone is not enough to bring about equality. What is needed is policy action. This is where the importance of women’s political empowerment comes. Democracy in the 21st century is moving towards equity and inclusion. This is the underlying message of citizens’ movements across the world. And with increasing role of women at the policy level and in institutions of government, democracy can become ‘politics of difference’ and ‘politics of presence.’

Q. Which of the following is contrary to the facts mentioned in the passage about women in the Asia-Pacific region?

• They make a lot of contribution to household production and national food security.

• They are engaged mostly in household work, which is a piece of low-skill work.

• Their contribution is greatly acknowledged.

• None of the above.

There is an old African proverb that says, “Until the lions have their own historians, histories of the hunt will glorify the hunter.”As is common knowledge, while the male lion’s mane incites our imagination, it is actually the lionesses that bring in food and ensure survival of the species. As Renana Jhavwala of SEWA and member of UN Secretary General’s High Level Panel on Women’s Economic Empowerment aptly says, “Women's work is invisible … women are at the base of the economic pyramid. Women are stuck on a 'sticky floor' of low technology, low productivity, low skills, low earnings and low dignity.” Rural women in the Asia-Pacific region make critical contributions to household production and national food security, yet their contribution is hardly acknowledged.

The credit for the success of Brazil’s conditional cash transfer programme, Bolsa familia, goes to women. The programme rewards families for sending their children to school and taking them for regular health check- ups. This scheme has pulled millions out of poverty. The state tends to believe women are more reliable than men. In Mexico, a similar programme, Oportunidades, is available exclusively to women.

There is strong empirical evidence to suggest that money in the hands of the mother increases expenditure on children. There is a strong positive correlation between women’s status and economic/social development. Policy makers across the world have placed great emphasis on gender equality. The experience suggests that economic development alone is not enough to bring about equality. What is needed is policy action. This is where the importance of women’s political empowerment comes. Democracy in the 21st century is moving towards equity and inclusion. This is the underlying message of citizens’ movements across the world. And with increasing role of women at the policy level and in institutions of government, democracy can become ‘politics of difference’ and ‘politics of presence.’

Q. Which of the following is true about 'Bolsa familia' programme?

• This is a conditional cash transfer programme in Mexico.

• This programme failed in Brazil because of the non-cooperation of local people.

• This programme has provided employment opportunities to Brazilian women.

• This programme pulled millions out of poverty.

There is an old African proverb that says, “Until the lions have their own historians, histories of the hunt will glorify the hunter.”As is common knowledge, while the male lion’s mane incites our imagination, it is actually the lionesses that bring in food and ensure survival of the species. As Renana Jhavwala of SEWA and member of UN Secretary General’s High Level Panel on Women’s Economic Empowerment aptly says, “Women's work is invisible … women are at the base of the economic pyramid. Women are stuck on a 'sticky floor' of low technology, low productivity, low skills, low earnings and low dignity.” Rural women in the Asia-Pacific region make critical contributions to household production and national food security, yet their contribution is hardly acknowledged.

The credit for the success of Brazil’s conditional cash transfer programme, Bolsa familia, goes to women. The programme rewards families for sending their children to school and taking them for regular health check- ups. This scheme has pulled millions out of poverty. The state tends to believe women are more reliable than men. In Mexico, a similar programme, Oportunidades, is available exclusively to women.

There is strong empirical evidence to suggest that money in the hands of the mother increases expenditure on children. There is a strong positive correlation between women’s status and economic/social development. Policy makers across the world have placed great emphasis on gender equality. The experience suggests that economic development alone is not enough to bring about equality. What is needed is policy action. This is where the importance of women’s political empowerment comes. Democracy in the 21st century is moving towards equity and inclusion. This is the underlying message of citizens’ movements across the world. And with increasing role of women at the policy level and in institutions of government, democracy can become ‘politics of difference’ and ‘politics of presence.’

According to the author,

• Economic development alone is enough to bring about equality.

• Most of the policy makers across the world agree that there should be gender equality.

• Money in the hands of women makes them frugal.

• There is no relationship between women's status and socio-economic development.

Remote sensing and GIS are promising tools for handling spatial and temporal data and help in integrating them for successful planning of natural resources. It is the science of measuring the earth using sensors mounted on high-flying aircrafts or satellites. These sensors collect data in the form of images and provide insights for manipulating, analyzing and visualizing those images. Since natural resources are not uniformly distributed and are spatially varied, it is challenging to capture the correct picture. Management of natural resources calls for scientific tools for timely and accurate dissemination of information. In natural resource management, remote sensing and GIS are mainly used in the mapping process. These techniques are useful in management of land, soil, coastal, watershed, urban and many more.

In India, the agriculture sector alone sustains the livelihood of around 50 percent of the population. Therefore, increase in crop productivity has been a major concern. Since, the scope for increasing area under agriculture is limited, advanced crop production forecasting is required for better policymaking. Indian Space Research Agency (ISRO) and Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) successful experiment-Agricultural Resource Inventory and Survey Experiment (ARISE) used aerial color photographs to estimate crop acreage in many states of India. Other Important uses of remote sensing include crop identification, stress detection, and crop yield modeling, drought monitoring, land degradation mapping and more. Urbanization is important and inevitable for development, but its proper planning and management is crucial for sustenance. One of the important features of GIS is multilayered mapping. This kind of mapping helps municipal corporations, town planning boards to build cities that are better organized. The information systems with socio-economic data overlaid upon satellite data makes urban planning cost-effective and accurate.

Coastal ecosystems have high ecological significance. GIS and remote sensing data are used to study coastal ecosystem and marine living resources which include habitats like mangroves, coral reefs and more. Apart from this, suspended shoreline dynamics can be studied and climatic changes leading to cyclone and sea level rise may be of special interest too. Geo-spatial data is effective in the analysis and determination of factors that affect the utilization of these resources. The technologies provide a platform through which we can generate information that can be used to make sound decisions for sustainable development of the natural resources of India.

Q. What can be the most appropriate title for the passage?

• Use of GIS and remote sensing in land management.

• GIS and remote sensing in natural resource management.

• Use of GIS and remote sensing in urban management.

• Use of GIS and remote sensing in coastal ecosystem management

Remote sensing and GIS are promising tools for handling spatial and temporal data and help in integrating them for successful planning of natural resources. It is the science of measuring the earth using sensors mounted on high-flying aircrafts or satellites. These sensors collect data in the form of images and provide insights for manipulating, analyzing and visualizing those images. Since natural resources are not uniformly distributed and are spatially varied, it is challenging to capture the correct picture. Management of natural resources calls for scientific tools for timely and accurate dissemination of information. In natural resource management, remote sensing and GIS are mainly used in the mapping process. These techniques are useful in management of land, soil, coastal, watershed, urban and many more.In India, the agriculture sector alone sustains the livelihood of around 50 percent of the population. Therefore, increase in crop productivity has been a major concern. Since, the scope for increasing area under agriculture is limited, advanced crop production forecasting is required for better policymaking. Indian Space Research Agency (ISRO) and Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) successful experiment-Agricultural Resource Inventory and Survey Experiment (ARISE) used aerial color photographs to estimate crop acreage in many states of India.

Other Important uses of remote sensing include crop identification, stress detection, and crop yield modeling, drought monitoring, land degradation mapping and more. Urbanization is important and inevitable for development, but its proper planning and management is crucial for sustenance. One of the important features of GIS is multilayered mapping. This kind of mapping helps municipal corporations, town planning boards to build cities that are better organized. The information systems with socio-economic data overlaid upon satellite data makes urban planning cost-effective and accurate.

Coastal ecosystems have high ecological significance.

GIS and remote sensing data are used to study coastal ecosystem and marine living resources which include habitats like mangroves, coral reefs and more. Apart from this, suspended shoreline dynamics can be studied and climatic changes leading to cyclone and sea level rise may be of special interest too. Geo-spatial data is effective in the analysis and determination of factors that affect the utilization of these resources. The technologies provide a platform through which we can generate information that can be used to make sound decisions for sustainable development of the natural resources of India.

Q. What is the tone of the author?

• Critical

• Ridiculing

• Dogmatic

• Informative

Remote sensing and GIS are promising tools for handling spatial and temporal data and help in integrating them for successful planning of natural resources. It is the science of measuring the earth using sensors mounted on high-flying aircrafts or satellites. These sensors collect data in the form of images and provide insights for manipulating, analyzing and visualizing those images. Since natural resources are not uniformly distributed and are spatially varied, it is challenging to capture the correct picture. Management of natural resources calls for scientific tools for timely and accurate dissemination of information. In natural resource management, remote sensing and GIS are mainly used in the mapping process. These techniques are useful in management of land, soil, coastal, watershed, urban and many more.In India, the agriculture sector alone sustains the livelihood of around 50 percent of the population. Therefore, increase in crop productivity has been a major concern. Since, the scope for increasing area under agriculture is limited, advanced crop production forecasting is required for better policymaking. Indian Space Research Agency (ISRO) and Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) successful experiment-Agricultural Resource Inventory and Survey Experiment (ARISE) used aerial color photographs to estimate crop acreage in many states of India.

Other Important uses of remote sensing include crop identification, stress detection, and crop yield modeling, drought monitoring, land degradation mapping and more. Urbanization is important and inevitable for development, but its proper planning and management is crucial for sustenance. One of the important features of GIS is multilayered mapping. This kind of mapping helps municipal corporations, town planning boards to build cities that are better organized. The information systems with socio-economic data overlaid upon satellite data makes urban planning cost-effective and accurate.

Coastal ecosystems have high ecological significance.

GIS and remote sensing data are used to study coastal ecosystem and marine living resources which include habitats like mangroves, coral reefs and more. Apart from this, suspended shoreline dynamics can be studied and climatic changes leading to cyclone and sea level rise may be of special interest too. Geo-spatial data is effective in the analysis and determination of factors that affect the utilization of these resources. The technologies provide a platform through which we can generate information that can be used to make sound decisions for sustainable development of the natural resources of India.

Why, according to the passage, are GIS and remote sensing considered as promising tools?

I. They collect data in the form of graphs.

II. They provide scope for manipulating, analyzing and visualizing the images.

III. They disseminate data’s more accurately.

• Only I and II

• Only I and III

• Only II and III

• All of the above

Remote sensing and GIS are promising tools for handling spatial and temporal data and help in integrating them for successful planning of natural resources. It is the science of measuring the earth using sensors mounted on high-flying aircrafts or satellites. These sensors collect data in the form of images and provide insights for manipulating, analyzing and visualizing those images. Since natural resources are not uniformly distributed and are spatially varied, it is challenging to capture the correct picture. Management of natural resources calls for scientific tools for timely and accurate dissemination of information. In natural resource management, remote sensing and GIS are mainly used in the mapping process. These techniques are useful in management of land, soil, coastal, watershed, urban and many more.In India, the agriculture sector alone sustains the livelihood of around 50 percent of the population. Therefore, increase in crop productivity has been a major concern. Since, the scope for increasing area under agriculture is limited, advanced crop production forecasting is required for better policymaking. Indian Space Research Agency (ISRO) and Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) successful experiment-Agricultural Resource Inventory and Survey Experiment (ARISE) used aerial color photographs to estimate crop acreage in many states of India.

Other Important uses of remote sensing include crop identification, stress detection, and crop yield modeling, drought monitoring, land degradation mapping and more. Urbanization is important and inevitable for development, but its proper planning and management is crucial for sustenance. One of the important features of GIS is multilayered mapping. This kind of mapping helps municipal corporations, town planning boards to build cities that are better organized. The information systems with socio-economic data overlaid upon satellite data makes urban planning cost-effective and accurate.

Coastal ecosystems have high ecological significance.

GIS and remote sensing data are used to study coastal ecosystem and marine living resources which include habitats like mangroves, coral reefs and more. Apart from this, suspended shoreline dynamics can be studied and climatic changes leading to cyclone and sea level rise may be of special interest too. Geo-spatial data is effective in the analysis and determination of factors that affect the utilization of these resources. The technologies provide a platform through which we can generate information that can be used to make sound decisions for sustainable development of the natural resources of India.

In the given context of the passage, why are GIS and remote sensing tools crucial in the agriculture sector?

I. This sector alone sustains the livelihood of around 50 percent of the population.

II. GIS and remote sensing would help in advanced crop production forecasting.

III. Drought monitoring can be done using GIS and remote sensing tools.

• Only I and III

• Only II and III

• All I, II and III

• None of the above

Remote sensing and GIS are promising tools for handling spatial and temporal data and help in integrating them for successful planning of natural resources. It is the science of measuring the earth using sensors mounted on high-flying aircrafts or satellites. These sensors collect data in the form of images and provide insights for manipulating, analyzing and visualizing those images. Since natural resources are not uniformly distributed and are spatially varied, it is challenging to capture the correct picture. Management of natural resources calls for scientific tools for timely and accurate dissemination of information. In natural resource management, remote sensing and GIS are mainly used in the mapping process. These techniques are useful in management of land, soil, coastal, watershed, urban and many more.In India, the agriculture sector alone sustains the livelihood of around 50 percent of the population. Therefore, increase in crop productivity has been a major concern. Since, the scope for increasing area under agriculture is limited, advanced crop production forecasting is required for better policymaking. Indian Space Research Agency (ISRO) and Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) successful experiment-Agricultural Resource Inventory and Survey Experiment (ARISE) used aerial color photographs to estimate crop acreage in many states of India.

Other Important uses of remote sensing include crop identification, stress detection, and crop yield modeling, drought monitoring, land degradation mapping and more. Urbanization is important and inevitable for development, but its proper planning and management is crucial for sustenance. One of the important features of GIS is multilayered mapping. This kind of mapping helps municipal corporations, town planning boards to build cities that are better organized. The information systems with socio-economic data overlaid upon satellite data makes urban planning cost-effective and accurate.

Coastal ecosystems have high ecological significance.

GIS and remote sensing data are used to study coastal ecosystem and marine living resources which include habitats like mangroves, coral reefs and more. Apart from this, suspended shoreline dynamics can be studied and climatic changes leading to cyclone and sea level rise may be of special interest too. Geo-spatial data is effective in the analysis and determination of factors that affect the utilization of these resources. The technologies provide a platform through which we can generate information that can be used to make sound decisions for sustainable development of the natural resources of India.

Q. How effective are remote sensing and GIS in managing urban growth?

I. GIS and remote sensing are helpful in building cities that are better organized.

II. The system makes urban planning cost-effective and accurate.

III. They help the government disseminate people living in extremely densed areas to less populated ones

• Only II and III

• Only III

• Only I and II

• Only I and III

The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has kicked off the process to set new standards to measure quality of services offered to consumers across different sectors, including telecom, aviation, e-commerce and healthcare. The BIS, which sets the quality regulations for various products from gold to bottled water, on Friday called a meeting of industry bodies to “persuade them to be part of the process and give their inputs.”

“Service sector is one of the key sectors of the Indian economy with a huge potential to grow into one of the largest markets of the world. Standards can play a major facilitative role in this regard. It is important that the standardization needs and priorities of the sector are determined,” a senior official said.

During the meeting, the BIS pointed out that the initial focus will be the 12 champion services sectors identified by the government. These include IT, tourism and hospitality, transport and logistics, accounting and finance services, legal services, communication services and construction.

The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) standards is set to formulate a framework for quality services that should be provided to consumers and also talk about the benchmarks to deal with consumer complaints or after sales service in an effort to ensure quality in the services sector.

At a meeting with industry bodies on Friday, it has been decided that the BIS will set up a separate ‘divisional council’ for services in a month’s time. Under this, different technical committees will be set up — one for each service. The committees will have various stakeholders such as government officials, experts and industry representatives. The process was initiated after concerns over lack of standardization, particularly with regards to after-sales service, in their feedback to the Ministry of Consumer Affairs.

In a poll, online community network LocalCircles found that in the absence of defined customer service standards in the country, a majority of consumers were not happy with after-sales services. As per the poll, 43% feel that mobile handset and computer manufacturers are the worst in after-sales services, followed by white goods firms (38%) and automobile companies (11%). About 93% of respondents said brands should at least acknowledge complaints from users within 72 hours. “Many consumers complained that customer service numbers of many companies do not work,” according to Local Circles.

Q. Which among the following is the main reason of initiating the standardization drive of the Bureau of Indian Standards for the services sector?

• The government wants the BIS to focus on the services sector so that other sectors can also understand the standardization drive of the government.

• The services sector is not growing according to the expectations of the government and there is some thrust required from outside.

• The services sector is becoming very important in terms of growth in the country and customers should be given the best of quality.

• The services sector is one of the most important sectors in the economy and most of the GDP contribution comes from this sector only.