E) bonus

24. The tramp was wearing very shabby clothes

and looked very _______.
A) down at heel B) down to earth
C) up to date D) up and coming
E) out of shape

25. It was very ________ in the cottage with the

comfortable armchairs by the fire.
A) snug B) gratifying
C) easy D) downy
Study Notes 23rd Jan E) refreshing

for 26. There were some black-faced sheep ________

SSC/BANK/CDS/NDA/CAT/CLAT about the hillside.
A) thrown B) arranged
C) scattered D) littered
The Hindu Editorial Series E) crumpled

Slick – made in a way that is clever and efficient 27. The news ________ that prices were going to
but not sincere चतरु ाईपण
ू rise next week.
A) got ahead B) got on
Demarcated – to mark the limits of sth सीमांकन C) got through D) got up
करना E) got out
Cut through – to get quickly and directly के बीच से
28. The child ________ his breath in wonder
होकर जाना when he saw the Christmas tree.
Adverse – negative and unpleasant बुरा A) kept B) blew
C) sighed D) held
Depleting – to reduce sth by a large amount कम E) gasped
होना
29. That man’s wife is terrible; he ________ him
Rampant – existing or spreading everywhere in a
all the time, nagging from morning till night.
way that can’t be controlled. सब जगह A) keeps in with B) keeps up with
Acute – very serious गंभीर C) keeps on at D) keeps away
E) keeps back from
Fell – to cut down a tree गराना
30. Don’t leave your things all over the room,
Vocab Fillers ________ up the place.
A) mixing B) cluttering
21. At the election you must mark your paper, C) filling D) huddling
fold it and drop it into the ________ box. E) breaking
A) voting B) ballot
C) nomination D) selection Basic Grammar
E) electoral
81. The detective asked the gangster where
22. When you return to your country, don’t ________ .
forget to ________ with me. A) the gun was B) was the gun
A) keep in hand B) keep time C) did he hide the gun D) the gun hidden
C) keep in touch D) keep in step
E) keep together 82. After Jack ________ his poem, he decided not
to show it to anybody.
23. The corrupt builder wanted to obtain the A) finishing B) had finished
contract so he offered a ________ to the civil C) was finishing D) has finished
servant.
A) bribe B) bait 83. He thought he ________ able to find more
C) stimulus D) tip information on British imperialism.
Page 1 of 7
9783238686, Jaipur
 A) will be B) would be will need to scale up its capabilities on several
C) is D) was fronts. Much of the trickle-down growth effect
for the industry will come from its ability to
84. If it ________ so expensive, Linda would often adapt to the increasing requirements for
eat out. resources, the most critical being capital
A) weren’t B) wasn’t needs—both for ongoing projects as well as
C) isn’t D) won’t be incremental needs for new projects. _____(4)____,
this will not be easy and will come with its own
85. American Indians ______ feel so unhappy if risks and challenges. The most critical of these
they were treated fairly. is the availability of adequate bank guarantees
A) will B) were (BGs) as these are required throughout the
C) won’t D) would not project life cycle, right from the bidding phase
till completion, even the _____(5)____ liability
86. It is easy to develop bad study habits, but it period. Thus, in the absence of adequate BGs,
is extremely difficult to rid ________ of them. bids for new projects can neither be made, nor
A) ourselves B) itself efficiently executed.
C) themselves D) yourselves
1. (a) herewith (b) therewith
87. We will probably have to work ________ (c) hereby (d) thereby
midnight today because the report should be 2. (a) flap (b) cusp
ready tomorrow. (c) point (d) peak
A) for B) until 3. (a) income (b) spent
C) under D) by (c) pay (d) outlay
4. (a) However (b) Although
88. ________ cause extensive damage to our city (c) Yet (d) Though
each year. 5. (a) bugs (b) defects
A) Because of the winds during hurricanes (c) flees (d) blots
B) The winds of hurricanes
C) The winds which Parajumble
D) That the winds of hurricanes 1.
A. The State governments that are mainly
89. Malaria ________ by the female mosquito. responsible for the Western Ghats, Kerala,
A) transmits B) transmitted Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Goa and
C) is transmitted D) to transmit Maharashtra,

90. Water, ________ , is also one of the most
abundant compounds on earth.
A) is necessary for human survival
B) one of the most critical elements for human
survival
C) it is necessary for human survival
D) for human survival
B. The catastrophic monsoon floods in Kerala
and parts of Karnataka have revived the
debate on whether political expediency
trumped science.
C. warned that Goa may also be in the line of
nature’s fury.

Cloze Test D. Seven years ago, the Western Ghats Ecology

The Indian construction sector has a significant
role to play in infrastructure creation, and,
_____(1)____, economic development. With the
government’s thrust on infrastructure through
its key programmes in road, rail and urban
infrastructure, it would not be wrong to say that
the construction sector is on the ____(2)____ of a
major growth opportunity. We have been
witnessing a quantum increase in capital
____(3)___ for these key economic segments over
the past three-four years and the trend is likely
to continue over the medium term. To leverage
these opportunities, the construction industry
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9783238686, Jaipur
Expert Panel issued recommendations for the
preservation of the fragile western peninsular
region.
E. must go back to the drawing table with the
reports of both the Gadgil Committee and the
Kasturirangan Committee, which was set up
to examine the WGEEP report.
F. Madhav Gadgil, who chaired the Union
Environment Ministry’s WGEEP, has said the
recent havoc in Kerala is a consequence of
short-sighted policymaking, and
2.
 P. Both Amazon and Flipkart are being
investigated by the Competition Commission of 2. If the concern has access to transaction
India (CCI) for violating competition laws. data for regulatory purposes, then that is
where the RBI should focus its attention.
Q. But his visit has also intensified a debate on A. has access over
the pros and cons of the growing e-commerce B. is having access to
sector in India. C. is having access over
D. is had access to
R. Commerce minister Piyush Goyal went so far E. No Improvement
as to suggest that Amazon’s investments were
mostly to fund losses arising from predatory 3. There’s the possibility that the data
pricing. localization proposal will never materialize as
it may have been based upon political
S. When Jeff Bezos, the founder of global e- posturing for the run-off to local elections.
commerce giant, Amazon, visited India last A. in the run-on to
week, he promised to bring in a billion dollars in B. for the run-up to
investment and generate millions of jobs. C. to the run-up to
D. in the run-up to
a) RSQP b) PRSQ E. No Improvement
c) SQPR d) PSQR
Advanced Fillers
Common Error
1. When the house on the corner burned down,
1. I believe there are corporations and political the entire neighborhood ______ together to help
groups that (a)/ actually want to adhere to to the victims re-establish their lives.
minimal (b)/ moral standards but cannot,(c)/ a. rallied
for fear of losing everything.(d)/ No Error (e) b.recited
2. If there are just two companies in the sector, c. skulked
the one that (a)/ refuses to violate minimal d.disintegrated
labour standards risks (b)/ lose the entire e.expedited
market to (c)/ an immoral competitor, which
can ultimately sell its shoes more 2. The massage therapist’s ______ fingers quickly
cheaply.(d)/ No Error (e) eased the tension in Baljit’s back.
3. Sustainable development is (a)/ imperative in a. deft
times of (b)/ global warming and extreme b.furtive
weather occurrences; it (c)/ cannot be a mere c. listless
slogan.(d)/ No Error (e) d.tentative
4. The Indian construction sector has a e.blithe
significant role (a)/ to play in infrastructure
creation, (b)/ and, thereby, (c)/ economic 3. Jatin’s parents were in ______ about the
development.(d)/ No Error (e) decision not to allow her to drive the family car
5. Banks are demanding higher margin money to the stadium; they both agreed that it would
and collateral requirements, (a)/ in line with be unsafe.
the (b)/ increasing risk perception (c)/ a. affluence
associated with non-fund-based (NFB) b.redress
limits.(d)/ No Error (e) c. refraction
d.discord
Phrase Replacement e.unison

1. If the RBI persists to its proposed Passage

requirement of firms store data locally, it
reveals that concerns about regulatory
oversight are simply cover for protectionism.
A. to its proposed requirement as
B. to its proposed requirement that
C. with its proposed requirement that
D. with its proposed requirement as
E. No Improvement
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9783238686, Jaipur
Even the majority of elders turn their homes into
hives of worry as they have too little to do in too
much time. Those who have retired thus find
retirement tiresome when hobbies, instead,
could have turned it into a period of creativity
and contentment.
 This common problem of inability to utilise
leisure pleasurably and profitably is not
restricted to Indians. In fact, Japanese are the
worse sufferers. Their weekends, rather than
increase their enjoyment of life, have wreaked
havoc on their health and happiness. Unable to
while away the long, unstructured hours, many
of them have become addicts to coffee or hard
liquor, and have even taken to gambling.\
How has this social malady come about?
Ironically, the syllabus-loaded education system
is the main culprit. It places a heavy work-load
on children and youth, laying emphasis as it
does on memory rather than intelligence.
1. Why do a majority of retired elders find
retirement tiresome?
a) Because their homes have been turned into
hives of worry.
b) Because they do not have hobbies to utilise
their free time.
c) Because they had nothing to do.
d) Because they had plenty of free time.
2. How have the Japanese benefitted from
their weekends?
a) They have increased enjoyment in life.
b) They enjoy health and happiness.
c) They use their free time to increase their
enjoyment.
d) They become addicts to coffee or hard liquor
and gambling.
3. The syllabus-loaded education system
a) Places a heavy burden on the youth.
b) Ensures that parents pay attention to the
development of children.
c) Lays emphasis on intelligence.
d) Gives students a lot of free time.
4. The author thinks that
a) Authorities are more appreciative of the
syllabus-loaded education system.
b) Hobbies play an important role in changing
the unfortunate situation.
c) Co-curricular activities are discouraged.
d) Only Indians suffer from inability to utilise
leisure.
5. The passage tells us that
a) Hobbies are a waste of time
b) Hobbies play a crucial role in physical and
mental development.
c) Hobbies wreak havoc on man's health and
happiness.
d) Hobbies can turn us into addicts of coffee,
liquor or gambling.
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9783238686, Jaipur
Answers
Vocab Fillers – 21-B 22-C 23-A 24-A 25-A 26-C
27-E 28-D 29-C 30-B
Basic Grammar - 81-A 82-B 83-B 84-A 85-D
86-A 87-B 88-B 89-C 90-B
Cloze Test - DBDAB
Parajumble – 1. BDFCAE 2. c- SQPR
Phrase Replacement – 1.C 2.B 3.D
Common Error –
1. (d) fearing – in place of - fear
2. (c) losing – in place of – lose
3. (b) add ‘an’ before imperative
4. (e) No Error
5. (c) increased – in place of - increasing
Advanced Fillers – 1. a. To rally (v.) means to
come together for a common purpose or as a
means of support; to recover or rebound.
2. a. Deft (adj.) means quick and skillful in
movement, adroit.
3. e. Unison (n.) means a condition of perfect
agreement and accord.
Passage – BDABB
The government has done well with the
Bru pact
On January 16, the central government, state
governments of Tripura and Mizoram, and the
Bru representative organisations signed a deal to
pave way for over 30,000 displaced Brus from
Mizoram to permanently settle in Tripura. The
Bru people, who are also known as Reangs, are
a predominantly Hindu tribe living in Christian-
majority Mizoram. They took refuge in Tripura in
1997, as a result of clashes with the largely
Christian Mizo tribes.
I am extremely happy with the signing of the
agreement. The Bru people have been living in
camps for the last 23 years. At different times,
different schemes were devised for them, but
only 6,500 people agreed to go back to Mizoram.
There are currently 34,000 people in camps. As
a result of this agreement, Tripura will do a
physical verification of Bru families currently
residing in the relief camps in Tripura, in order
to ascertain the number of families and persons
to be resettled in Tripura. Those who repatriated
to Mizoram in the earlier phases will not be
allowed to resettle in Tripura under this
agreement.
The total Bru population is about two lakh, out
of which one lakh are in Tripura. In fact, they
are the second largest tribal group in Tripura
and are listed among the 21 scheduled tribes
(STs) of Tripura state. These people are not, or
 may not be, originally from Mizoram. In fact,
there were hydroelectric projects in Tripura, and
as a result of which some shifted to Mizoram.
This means that the absorption of the Bru
people in Tripura will not be very difficult.
What is important for the Bru people is that they
are in three states, primarily Tripura, Mizoram,
and Assam. In Mizoram, there is an absence of
adequate housing, agriculture, medical and
education facilities. Obviously, there were also
inter-tribal tensions, which led to people shifting
to these camps.
There is also something strategically significant
about the Bru people. Along with Chakmas, and
Miris, they live along the India-Bangladesh
border. Governments in Bangladesh have not
always been very friendly to these tribes. In fact,
there were times when Bangladesh encouraged
armed insurgent groups to fight against India. In
such a scenario, the tribes living along the
border have served as India’s first line of
defence.
The rehabilitation plan is elaborate and will
succeed. The government has provided that each
family will receive ~4 lakh in fixed deposit for a
period of two years. The government will, then,
devise a scheme how should they invest it
further. Every resettled family will also have a
piece of land in clusters, measuring 30x40 ft,
which means 1,200 sq ft for the construction of
a house. Families shifting to Tripura will be
given a housing building assistance of ~1,
50,000 per family. This money will be given in
instalments, and 50% will be released to them
only after the construction of the house.
The government has also come forward with a
relief of ~5,000 per month as cash assistance to
these families for two years from the date of their
shifting to their new location. The families will
also be given free ration for two years from the
date of their resettlement in Tripura. The free
ration will be given because the moment they
shift, they will not find the land ready. It will
take them some time to set up a small vocation
— agriculture, piggery or poultry farming, and
these ventures do not yield immediate results.
Families need support, and the government has
done something very humane by giving them
this relief.
An additional point to note is that people have
been provided a cushion from what could have
ended up becoming a long process, subject to
bureaucratic whims. The agreement makes it
mandatory for the government of Tripura to give
the Bru people ST certificates because they
figure among the 21 STs of Tripura.
The most prominent aspect, from my point of
view, is that the government has not only
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9783238686, Jaipur
promised them schools. It has promised them
Eklavya tribal residential schools in villages. So
these are not schools but residential schools,
which will ensure education to their children
and equip them with greater exposure and life-
skills.
The government of India, as well as the state
governments concerned, have taken a huge step
by arriving at this agreement. I just wish this
had been done earlier. The kind of insurgencies
that we have seen in the region over the decades
may not have happened. Providing a solution to
the Bru issue is laudable, both from a humane
and from a national security prism.
‘We should definitely adopt new
technology … Higher or lower yield
depends on how we manage our crops’
Is CICR investigating the use of unapproved
variety of GM cotton seeds by farmers?
We had first reports on illegal cultivation of HTBt
cotton in 2017 and CICR has been voluntarily
collecting samples since then from farmers’
fields in Maharashtra, Gujarat and Telangana.
We tested these samples in our Bt referral lab
and found 15-17% of it were of HTBt variety in
2017-18. Nearly 12-15% of the samples were
found to be positive in 2018-19 in these states.
The percentage, however, reduced to 5-7% in
current year (2019-20). We had analysed more
than 200 samples. Though I cannot say how
much of the cotton areas are under HTBt, it is
certainly not 20-30% as claimed by many
observers. CICR has kept on sending its reports
to Indian Council of Agricultural Research
(ICAR).
What would you advise farmers who are
forced to use HTBt as their cost of
production has increased substantially due to
weeding problem with the authorised Bt?
Since Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee
(GEAC), which takes a call on genetically
modified organism (GMO), has not approved the
HTBt variety, I would suggest farmers not to go
for this. It’s illegal. Besides, there are chances
that the farmers may get cheated by the persons
who may be supplying seeds to them. They may
not be providing pure HTBt variety. Since it is
not approved, there won’t be a legal remedy if
crops fail due to natural calamities or due to any
adverse situation in farms. Farmers must go
only for approved variety so that liability can be
fixed for any wrong claim.
Farmers planted HTBt seeds in June-July and
started harvesting it in October. Wasn’t there
any direction from the government?
 GEAC had a series of meetings on the issue with areas under cotton crop, production and
state governments, CICR, ministry of agriculture productivity have increased substantially. Now,
and public representatives. It instructed that the we have noticed that even the legally available Bt
illegal cultivation of HTBt should not be allowed. has become vulnerable to pink bollworm
It also asked for punitive action against those infestation in Gujarat, Maharashtra and
who planted it. Couple of FIRs have been southern states. On the other hand, Punjab,
registered [against seed suppliers] and Haryana and Rajasthan don’t have this problem
authorities even tried to prevent illegal as these states could go for second crop after
cultivation. That’s why the percentage of positive terminating cotton in October due to assured
samples reduced this year compared to 2017-18 irrigation.
and 2018-19.
CICR has a mandate to develop new varieties Optimise India’s renewable energy and
of seeds. Can’t you provide farmers with reforestation projects, by making land
alternatives as global seed companies seem planning a key part of the policy mix
reluctant to bring in new GM technology?
Of course, we can. Besides developing 33 non-
As a nation seeking to achieve rapid economic
GM varieties over the years, CICR had in 2017
growth in an era of climate change, India has
developed seven Bt varieties which are approved
committed itself to advancing renewable energy
for commercial cultivation. Significant point is and promoting reforestation. Both these
that the farmers can retain and reuse our seeds
approaches provide multiple benefits for our
for two-three years unlike the currently used Bt
people and environment, and they will also
variety (developed by a multinational company)
contribute to the effort to keep global average
where farmers have to buy seeds every year. temperatures under 2°C. Further, some analysts
Besides, our seeds will be cheaper than the
have projected that renewable energy can
current Bt variety as the farmers need not pay
generate an additional 2,30,000 jobs by 2022
any royalty.
and improve air quality – two critical issues for
How soon will it reach cotton farmers? our country.
We multiplied the seeds in first two years and
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has not only
now we have given our varieties to the
committed India to the goal of 175 GW of
Maharashtra State Seeds Corporation
renewable energy by 2022 during the Paris
(Mahabeej) for further multiplication. It takes at
Conference of Parties in 2015, he has also stated
least three years for multiplying the seeds. We
at the UN Climate Action Summit in New York
have also been in touch with the National Seed
last year that the country would seek to achieve
Corporation as we have limited farms and we
450 GW of renewable energy. This aspiration is
cannot take up large scale multiplication to meet
built on the solid work that has gone into adding
the demand. We have already demonstrated it to
approximately 45 GW of renewable energy
farmers in our farms. Our varieties are not
capacity in the country since the Paris
inferior to the currently available options. We announcement. India currently ranks fourth in
have been telling farmers to grow our seeds on
the world in renewable energy capacity
one acre. If other farmers see the result, they
(excluding large hydropower), after China, the
will definitely adopt it.
US and Germany.
Is the yield in HTBt more than the legally However, in order to continue making significant
available Bt cotton?
progress on our renewable energy ambitions,
It’s not the case. The only difference between Bt
India will need to address several barriers. One
and HTBt is that the latter has herbicide-
critical aspect that is only now starting to get
tolerant gene. HTBt cotton is not yield increasing attention, is land. Solar and wind power have 3-
technology. It makes a difference only by way of
12 times the land intensity of coal for every
reducing cost of weeding. Higher or lower yield
megawatt-hour. Anyone who has travelled
depends on how we manage our crops. The Bt is
across India and seen solar farms would
only a support system for plant protection. If we immediately understand this. Given that land is
take plant protection measures, even the non-Bt
one of the scarcest commodities in India, if we
will get us higher yield. The Bt however has an
do not plan the use of land for our renewable
advantage in terms of crop protection.
energy infrastructure carefully, we will witness
What’s your view as a scientist on GM
conflicts.
varieties?
We are a densely populated country and about
We should definitely adopt new technology like
60% of our people depend on agriculture and
what we did by introducing Bt legally in 2002. It
natural resources for their livelihoods and basic
could effectively control bollworm. As a result,
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9783238686, Jaipur
 needs. The case of Charanka solar park in carbon dioxide equivalent by 2030, primarily
Gujarat where the Maldhari pastoral through forest and tree cover. This too requires
communities have been affected is an indication land. If proactive land planning is not done,
of what may lie ahead. Similarly, the plight of states may establish renewable energy projects
the Great Indian Bustard in Rajasthan has also where reforestation potential is high and vice
drawn attention to the impact of renewable versa, which would not be efficient.
energy on important wildlife and biodiversity. Access to energy is a fundamental requirement
For this critically endangered bird – less than for India to achieve its development goals.
150 of whom survive in the country today – Ensuring that it comes from greener sources
death from collision with wind turbines and and without putting poor communities or
power lines is emerging as a major threat that natural heritage at risk will help India achieve
could decimate them. better outcomes. Managing development and
We thus need strategies to mitigate social and environment as complementary goals and
ecological conflicts. A recent research analysis finding win-win solutions that policy makers and
carried out by The Nature Conservancy and other stakeholders can adopt at scale is possible
published in the international in many situations.
journal Sustainability (https://www.mdpi.com/2
071-1050/12/1/281), draws attention to the
potential for conflict that renewable energy
faces, and the need for land planning to avoid
this. It has concluded that if India pursues
business as usual to achieve its RE goal of 175
GW by 2022, it will impact ecologically sensitive
and productive agricultural land equivalent to
the land represented by the states of Himachal
Pradesh and Chhattisgarh respectively.
However, the good news is that the analysis also
shows that India has 10 times the land needed
for meeting its goal that is of low social and
ecological value.
Instead of identifying land for one renewable
energy project at a time, high solar and wind
potential states should proactively map out
areas where they can meet their longer-term
renewable energy targets. Doing so has several
co-benefits: states can avoid the use of lands
that are needed to assure ecological (including
water) security, national food sufficiency and
people’s livelihoods. What’s more, the potential
to encounter opposition reduces. Such conflicts,
we know, cause delays in advancing
development projects, which then increases their
costs. Hence, from a business perspective too,
such land planning should be a welcome move.
Such landscape-scale plans for siting
infrastructure can be created relatively easily
because of recent technological advances that
allow planners to marry predictive modelling
with Geographic Information Systems (GIS). An
additional advantage of such plans is that they
can facilitate land planning for multiple
objectives. In Madhya Pradesh, for example, our
analysis focussed on identifying land for
reforestation, in addition to renewable energy.
India has a national policy goal for covering a
third of our land with forests. At a global level,
India has also committed to creating an
additional carbon sink of 2.5 to 3 billion tons of
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