Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below the passage.

The role played by human rights organisations in documenting and questioning state functioning and excesses is a necessary component of civil society activism, which enhances democracy by securing accountability. The fact that Amnesty International, which won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1977, had to halt operations in India because of the freezing of its bank accounts and intrusive scrutiny from state agencies is therefore unfortunate. The government’s response to Amnesty’s decision, that it will not allow “interference in domestic political debates by entities funded by foreign donations”, suggests that this denouement is linked to the group’s critical reporting of decisions such as the abrogation of special status for Jammu and Kashmir in 2019. The group has maintained that it has raised financial resources lawfully. Amnesty has taken up human rights causes such as minority rights, ending torture, abolition of the death penalty and refugee rights, globally. Advocacy of these causes has led to the group being at loggerheads with regimes of various types — from the democratic to the authoritarian — across countries. India now joins the ranks of countries such as Russia where the group has stopped operations. There is no doubt that the pursuit of these objectives, even if it is not uniform across a lopsided world, has only enhanced and furthered the cause of human rights and their awareness for global citizens. Democratic regimes that are bound by constitutionalism should not consider critical activism by groups such as Amnesty as being adversarial, but instead view it as constructive critique of their functioning. If the critique is not reasoned, the state can rebut it through communiqués and responses, but should not restrict freedom of expression through intimidation or restraining actions.

Central governments in India have consistently registered discomfort with critical civil society organisations over the years, but the National Democratic Alliance-led government has taken steps to constrain groups even more, especially those that are trans-national in their functioning. This was exemplified in the monsoon session where amendments to the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Act drafted without consulting stakeholders were rushed through Parliament with little discussion. For India to aspire to become a developed and a just nation, it must build on its strengths such as its demographic dividend and the procedural institutions that have been built over decades. For it to reap benefits from these advantages, entrepreneurship, governmental actions, and other economic tools would be necessary but not sufficient. The country needs to allow for a vibrant civil society that has spearheaded several reforms related to accountability (the Right to Information Act), welfare (the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act), privacy rights, gender equality and rights of sexual minorities, environmental activism among others. Non-governmental organisations will continue to have a role to play in this. It is to be hoped Amnesty’s decision to halt operations is therefore temporary and that it would be able to function within India’s regulatory framework.

1) Which of the following is not an idea of the passage?

a)The fact that Amnesty International, which won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1977, had to halt operations in China because of the freezing of its bank accounts and intrusive scrutiny from state agencies is therefore unfortunate.

b)The role played by human rights organisations in documenting and questioning state functioning and excesses is a necessary component of civil society activism, which enhances democracy by securing accountability

c)The government’s response to Amnesty’s decision, that it will not allow “interference in domestic political debates by entities funded by foreign donations”, suggests that this denouement is linked to the group’s critical reporting of decisions such as the abrogation of special status for Jammu and Kashmir in 2019.

d) All of these

e) None of these

2) Find a suitable title for the passage.

a)Constraining critique: On WTO halting India operations

b)Constraining critique: On Amnesty halting India operations

c)Constraining critique: On Amnesty increasing India operations

d)Constraining critique: On the spread of the corona virus

e) None of these

3) Which of the following can be inferred from the passage?

A.Amnesty’s decision to close shop in India is unfortunate

B.Amnesty’s decision to close shop in India is a very good decision

C.Amnesty’s decision to close shop in India is encouraging

a) Both B & C

b) Both A & C

c) Only A

d) All of these

e) None of these

4) Which of the following is the meaning of the idiom “at loggerheads” given on bold in the passage?

a) at enmity

b)in agreement

c)in danger

d)in violent dispute or disagreement

e) None of these

5) which of the following statements matches the conclusion given in the passage?

a) It is to be hoped Amnesty’s decision to halt operations is therefore permanent and that it would be able to function within India’s regulatory framework.

b) It is to be hoped Amnesty’s decision to halt operations is therefore temporary and that it would not be able to function within India’s regulatory framework.

c) It is to be hoped Amnesty’s decision to halt operations is therefore temporary and that it would be able to function within China’s regulatory framework.

d) All of these

e) None of these

Answers :

1) Answer: A

Statement A is not an idea of the passage, refer to the 2^nd sentence of the passage “The fact that Amnesty International, which won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1977, had to halt operations in India because of the freezing of its bank accounts and intrusive scrutiny from state agencies is therefore unfortunate.”

Other two statements are mentioned in the 1st part of  the passage.

2) Answer: B

If we read the 1^st 3-4 sentences of the passage carefully , we will be able to understand that only (b) conveys the main theme of the passage, hence (b) is the correct answer.

Other options don’t match the context of the passage.

3) Answer: C

Only statement (A) matches the context of the passage, hence it can be inferred from the passage.

Refer to the 1^st part of the passage “The role played by human rights organisations in documenting and questioning state functioning and excesses is a necessary component of civil society activism, which enhances democracy by securing accountability. The fact that Amnesty International, which won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1977, had to halt operations in India because of the freezing of its bank accounts and intrusive scrutiny from state agencies is therefore unfortunate.”.

4) Answer: D

At loggerheads-in violent dispute or disagreement.

Hence (d) is correct.

5) Answer: E

None of the statements matches the conclusion given in the passage.

Conclusion in ther passage : “It is to be hoped Amnesty’s decision to halt operations is therefore temporary and that it would be able to function within India’s regulatory framework.