English: Cloze Test for Upcoming Exams – Set 167 (New Pattern)

Direction: Read the following passage and answer the question that follows.

A lot has been written since the government launched the Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana (Saubhagya) for universal household electrification in September 2017 and subsequently announced the electrification of all villages in April 2018. In fact, ____(A)____ progress has been made with respect to village electrification and providing electricity connections to rural households, for over a decade. (B) ”During this period, rural electrification has evidence a paradigm shift from demand-driven village electrification programmes of the 1950s to the 1990s, to small targeted household electrification drives” between the 1980s and 2005. But, concerted efforts began with the Rajiv Gandhi Grameen Vidyutikaran Yojana (RGGVY) in 2005 that aimed to provide free electricity connections to rural households below the poverty line (BPL), besides creating rural electricity infrastructure. This was followed by successive central government schemes, which were based on similar programme design. (C) The ”provide” (1) behind these schemes was to ”vision” (2) quality, reliable, and affordable power to ”enable” (3) livelihood and ”productive” (4) activities, such that electrification catalyses development. This has been the vision for electrification the world over and has been central to electrification drives in the United States, China, Thailand, Brazil and South. This article takes stock of the achievements of rural electrification in India till date, and discusses ____(D)____ towards reliable and affordable power for all made by various successive governments. The state electricity boards (SEBs) set up immediately after independence had the ____(E)____ to supply electricity beyond the major cities. Rural electrification was then a by-product of electrifying towns, and villages near the grid benefited. With the (F) ”virtuosity” of the green revolution, the focus of rural electrification was also to provide impetus to the use of electric pump sets among farmers, especially in Punjab, Haryana, Maharashtra, Gujarat and the southern states. A lot of these efforts were also strengthened and sustained due to farmers’ demands. The pace of rural electrification slowed down during the power sector reforms initiated in the 1990s where the focus was on efficiency improvement and financial health of the sector. (G) During this period, rural electrification departments in many SEBs were neglected or even removed, and only households close to electricity lines that could afford connection charges benefited. By 2001, many states with high village electrification levels had low household access. (H) Concerted focus on rural electrification ”contemporary” (1) network expansion was ”initiated” (2) by the National Common Minimum Programme of the UPA (United Progressive Alliance) government whose main electoral ”agenda” (3) for coming to power was the ”beyond” (4) rural distress. RGGVY, launched in 2005, was driven and financed by the central government and focused on giving free connections to BPL households. It also had provisions for capital investment in rural distribution networks. This was also the first programme to provide required funds directly to the project implementers (Distribution Companies [DISCOMs] or Central Public Sector Utilities) on a turnkey basis, instead of the state governments. (I) ”Between 2005 and 2014, about 2.16 crore BPL households were provided connections under RGGVY and capital investment worth Rs. 33,800 crore were made to strengthen rural networks”. However, there were several challenges in planning, implementation and sustainability of this rural electrification programme one such being the exclusion of non-BPL households, ____(J)____ that more than half of the non-electrified households were not eligible for free connections by 2011–12.

1. Which of the following word given in the options should come at the place marked as (A) in the above paragraph to make it grammatically correct and meaningful? Also, the word should fill in the two sentences given below to make them contextually correct and meaningful.

   I. In order to support the theory of evolution, many ________ facts can be adduced so that nobody is left with any kind of doubt regarding this.

   II. Though a lot was expected of the new President, there has been no ________ change in the political situation of the country since his election.

   Pathetic
   Excessive
   Significant
   Statistical
   Tragedy
   Option C
   

    

2. In the passage given, a sentence (B) is given in quotation. There may or may not be an error in one part of the sentence. Choose the part which has an error in it as your answer. If there is no error then choose option (E) as your answer.
   During this period, rural electrification has evidence a paradigm shift.
   from demand-driven village electrification programmes
   of the 1950s to the 1990s, to small targeted household electrification
   drives between the 1980s and 2005.
   No error
   Option A
   The correct statement would be:

   During this period, rural electrification has evidenced a paradigm shift from demand-driven village electrification programmes of the 1950s to the 1990s, to small targeted household electrification drives between the 1980s and 2005.

    

3. The sentence given in (C) has four words given in quotation. Amongst the given bold words which of the following must replace each other to make the sentence contextually correct and meaningful?
   1-3
   2-4
   1-4
   1-2
   3-4
   Option D

   The correct statement would be:

   The vision behind these schemes was to provide quality, reliable, and affordable power to enable livelihood and productive activities, such that electrification catalyses development.

    

4. Which of the following phrases should fill the blank in (D) to make it contextually correct and meaningful?
   the next many goalposts to meet the political commitment
   just with village electrification
   can be attributed to programme design, planning and implementation
   going by the pace of rural electrification reported
   crucial to the sustainability of electrification
   Option A
   

    

5. Which of the following word given in the options should come at the place marked as (E) in the above paragraph to make it grammatically correct and meaningful? Also, the word should fill in the two sentences given below to make them contextually correct and meaningful.

   I. The right-wing party got the clear ________ in the general elections conducted in the country after almost a century.

   II. Nobody knows if the ________ allows the IAS Officers to declare holidays in case of emergency situations in a district.

   Traditional
   Directional
   Uniformity
   Terrifying
   Mandate
   Option E
   

    

6. A word is given in quotation in (F). Choose the word which should replace the word given in bold to make the sentence correct and meaningful. If no change is required, choose option E as your answer.
   Accreditation
   Accession
   Accusation
   Advent
   No change required
   Option D
   

    

7. Two sentences are given on both sides of (G). Which of the following statements can come in between the two sentences in place of (G) and maintain the continuity of the paragraph?
   The expectation perhaps was that improvements in access to electricity will automatically follow.
   It also shows disbursal of connections, which was highest towards the end of the Eleventh Five Year Plan followed by a slump in new connections, which has been rising steadily in the recent years.
   Many of these supply and service quality issues, crucial to the sustainability of electrification efforts, have also been identified in successive government-led evaluations of the rural electrification programmes.
   As policies perceive “electrification” to be synonymous with “access to connections” alone, there have been no concerted efforts to improve the quality of supply.
   Thus, if adequate attention is not given, such issues could impede the progress towards meaningful access to electricity, increase the possibility of the networks being disused or consumers resorting to power theft.
   Option A
   

    

8. The sentence given in (H) has four words given in quotation. Amongst the given bold words which of the following must replace each other to make the sentence contextually correct and meaningful?
   2-4
   3-4
   1-4
   1-2
   1-3
   Option C
   The complete statement would be:

   Concerted focus on rural electrification beyond network expansion was initiated by the National Common Minimum Programme of the UPA (United Progressive Alliance) government whose main electoral agenda for coming to power was the contemporary rural distress.

    

9. In the passage given, a sentence (I) is given in quotation. There may or may not be an error in one part of the sentence. Choose the part which has an error in it as your answer. If there is no error then choose option (E) as your answer.
   Between 2005 and 2014, about 2.16 crore BPL households were
   provided connections under RGGVY and
   capital investment worth Rs. 33,800 crore were
   made to strengthen rural networks.
   No error
   Option C
   The correct statement would be:

   Between 2005 and 2014, about 2.16 crore BPL households were provided connections under RGGVY and capital investment worth Rs. 33,800 crore was made to strengthen rural networks.

    

10. Which of the following words should fill the blank given in (J) to make it contextually correct and meaningful?
    Interrogating
    Investigating
    Rectifying
    Utilizing
    Implying
    Option E