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Unit 3 - Comprehension
UGC NET Paper 1 Previous Year Passages
Practice with authentic comprehension passages from previous UGC NET exams. Each passage includes original questions and answers.
The concept of sustainable development emerged in the late 20th century as a response to growing concerns about environmental degradation and social inequality. It seeks to balance economic growth with environmental protection and social equity. The Brundtland Report (1987) defined it as "development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs." This approach recognizes that long-term economic growth requires responsible stewardship of natural resources and attention to social justice issues.
Critics argue that sustainable development is an oxymoron, as continuous economic growth inevitably strains ecological systems. Proponents counter that technological innovation and policy reforms can decouple growth from environmental harm. The United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), adopted in 2015, represent the most comprehensive international effort to operationalize this concept across 17 interrelated areas.
In Indian classical music, the raga forms the melodic framework for composition and improvisation. Each raga consists of a set of five or more musical notes upon which a melody is constructed. Ragas are associated with specific times of day or seasons, and are believed to have the ability to affect the emotions of both performers and listeners. The performance of a raga typically moves through three stages: alap (unmetered exploration of notes), jor (introduction of rhythm), and jhala (fast-paced conclusion).
What distinguishes Indian classical music from Western traditions is its emphasis on microtones (shrutis) rather than fixed semitones. A skilled performer can produce dozens of subtle pitch variations within a single octave. This complexity requires years of dedicated training under the guru-shishya parampara (teacher-disciple tradition), where knowledge is transmitted orally rather than through written notation.
The Right to Information Act (RTI), enacted in 2005, revolutionized governance transparency in India. It empowers citizens to request information from public authorities, who are obliged to reply within 30 days. The Act covers all constitutional authorities including the executive, legislature and judiciary. Exceptions are made for information related to national security and cabinet papers.
Studies show RTI has been particularly effective at the local level, where citizens use it to monitor public works projects and welfare schemes. However, challenges remain, including delays in responses, poor record-keeping systems, and instances of violence against RTI activists. The law's success ultimately depends on an informed citizenry willing to hold authorities accountable and institutional mechanisms that support transparency.
Quantum computing represents a paradigm shift from classical computing by leveraging quantum mechanical phenomena like superposition and entanglement. While classical computers use bits (0s and 1s), quantum computers use qubits that can exist in multiple states simultaneously. This allows them to perform certain calculations exponentially faster.
Current applications include optimization problems in logistics, drug discovery simulations, and cryptography. However, significant challenges remain. Qubits are extremely sensitive to environmental interference (decoherence), requiring near-absolute zero temperatures. Error rates are high, necessitating complex error-correction algorithms. Despite these hurdles, both governments and private companies are investing heavily, recognizing quantum computing's potential to revolutionize fields from materials science to artificial intelligence.
The Indian education system has undergone significant transformations since independence. The National Policy on Education (1986, modified in 1992) emphasized universal access, retention, and quality improvement. More recently, the National Education Policy 2020 aims to make India a "global knowledge superpower" through multidisciplinary education, reduced curriculum content, and increased focus on critical thinking.
Despite policy improvements, challenges persist. The Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) consistently shows poor learning outcomes, with many grade 5 students unable to read grade 2 text. Socioeconomic disparities remain stark, with children from marginalized communities facing multiple barriers. The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated these inequalities as digital divides limited remote learning access for underprivileged students.
