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Directions : Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below it. Certain words/expressions are given in bold in the passage of help you locate them while answering some of the questions:
A few weeks ago, I ran into an old friend who is currently one of the mandarins deciding India’s economic and financial policies. He asked “And so, how is IIT doing?” As one can only indulge in friendly banter at such gatherings, I responded with ‘Not so well actually. Your market-friendly policies have forced up to raise the fee, so we have 50% fewer Ph.D. applicants this year’. Not batting an eyelid, he shot back: “Obviously. Your Ph.D. students don’t have any market value.” Taken aback, I shifted to a more serious tone and tried to start a discussion on the need for research in these globalised times. But he had already walked away. The last word on the imperatives of the ‘market’ had been spoken.
This view of higher education should not have surprised me. Worthies who look at everything as consumer products classify higher education as a ‘non-merit’ good. Non-merit goods are those where only the individual benefits from acquiring them and not the society as a whole. Multilateral agencies like The World Bank have too been pushing countries like India to stop subsidies to higher education.
When Ron Brown, former US commerce secretary visited India, a public meeting was organized at IIT Delhi. At that meeting I asked him: “I understand that since the 19th century all the way up to the 1970s, most land grant and State universities in the US virtually provided free education to State citizens. Was that good for the economy, or should they have charged high fees in the early 20th century? “He replied,” it was great for the economy. It was one of the best things that the US government did at that particular time in American history-building institutions of higher education which were accessible to the masses of the people. I think it is one of the reasons why our economy grew and prospered, one of the way in which the US was able to close some of its social gaps. So people who lived in rural areas would have the same kind of access to higher education as people living in other parts of the country. It was one of the reasons for making America strong.”
Our policy-makers seem unaware that their mentors in the US did not follow policies at home which they now prescribe for other countries. Ron Brown’s remarks summarise the importance policy-makers in the US place on higher education as a vehicle for upward mobility for the poorer sectors of their population. Even today, a majority of Americans study in State-run institutions. Some of these institutions, like Berkeley and the Universities of Michigan, Illinois, Ohio, Wisconsin and Taxas are among the best in the world. The annual tuition charged from State residents (about $5000 a year) is about a month’s salary paid to a lecturer. Even this fee is waived for most students. In addition, students receive stipends for books, food and hostel charges. The basic principle is that no student who gets admission to a university should have to depend on parental support if it is not available.
Ron Brown’s remarks went unnoticed in India. Every other day some luminary or the other opines that universities and technical education institutions should increase their charges and that such education should not be subsidized. Most editorials echo these sentiments. Eminent industrialists pontificate that we should run educational institutions like business houses. Visiting experts from the Bank and the IMF, in their newly emerging concern for the poor, advise us to divert funds from higher education to primary education.
Directions : Which of the following is MOST NEARLY THE SAME in meaning as the word printed in bold as used in the passage?
MASSES
  • a)
    Institutions
  • b)
    Groups
  • c)
    Students
  • d)
    Officers
  • e)
    Parents
Correct answer is option 'B'. Can you explain this answer?
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Verified Answer
Directions : Read the following passage carefully and answer the quest...
MASSES-the masses the body of common people
View all questions of this test
Most Upvoted Answer
Directions : Read the following passage carefully and answer the quest...
Masses
The word 'masses' in the passage refers to a large group of people. Let's find a word that is most nearly the same in meaning as 'masses':
- Options:
- a) Institutions
- b) Groups
- c) Students
- d) Officers
- e) Parents

Explanation:
- 'Institutions' refer to organizations or establishments, not people, so it is not the correct synonym for 'masses'.
- 'Students' specifically refers to individuals who are studying, not a large group of people in general.
- 'Officers' are individuals holding a position of authority, not a large group of people.
- 'Parents' specifically refer to individuals who have children, not a large group of people in general.
Therefore, 'Groups' is the most appropriate synonym for 'masses' as it refers to a collection of individuals forming a unit.
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Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below it. Certain words/phrases have been underlineto help you locate them while answering some of the questions.The modern world requires us to repose trust in many anonymous institutions. We strap ourselves in a flying tin can with two hundred other people not because we know the pilot but because we believe that airline travel is safe. Our trust in these institutions depends on two factors : skills and ethics. We expect that the people who run these institutions know what they are doing, that they build and operate machines that work as they are supposed to and that they are looking out for our welfare even though we are strangers.When one of these factors is weak or absent, trust breaks down and we either pay a high price in safety- as in the Bhopal tragedy -or a large ‘welfare premium’ such as the elaborate security measures at airports. Trust-deficient environments work in the favour of the rich and powerful, who can commandpremiumtreatment and afford welfare premiums. Poor people can command neither; which is why air travel is safer than train travel, which in turn is safer than walking by the road side.Every modern society depends on the trust in the skills and ethics of a variety of institutions such as schools and colleges, hospital and markets. If we stopped believing in theexpertiseof our teachers, doctors and engineers, we will stop being a modern society.As the Institution among institutions, it is the duty of the state to ensure that all other institutions meet their ethicalobligations. The Indian state has failed in its regulatory role. Consequently, we cannot trust our schools to turn out good graduates, we cannot ensure that our colleges turn out well trained engineers and we cannot guarantee that our engineers will turn out to be good products.Last year, I was invited to speak at an undergraduate research conference. Most of the participants in this conference were students at the best engineering colleges in the State. One student who was driving me back and forthrecounteda story about the previous year’s final exam. One of his papers had a question from a leading textbook to which the textbook’s answer was wrong. The student was in a dilemma : should he write the (wrong) answer as given in the textbook or should he write the right answer using his own analytical skills. He decided to do the latter and received a zero on that question. Clearly, as the student had suspected, the examiners were looking at the textbook answer while correcting the examination papers instead of verifying its correctness.The behaviour of these examiners is a breakdown of institutional morals, with consequences for the skills acquired by students. I say institutional morals, for the failure of these examiners is not a personal failure. At the same conference I met a whole range of college teachers, all of whom were drafted as examiners at some time or the other. Without exception, they were dedicated individuals who cared about the education and welfare of their students. However, when put in the institutional role of evaluating an anonymous individual, they fail in fulfilling their responsibilities. When some of our best colleges are run in this fashion, is it any wonder that we turn outunskilledengineers and scientists ? If, as we are led to expect, there is a vast increase in education at all levels and the regulatory regime is as weak as it is currently, isn’t it likely that the trust deficit is only going to increase ?We are all aware of the consequences of ignoring corruption at all levels of society. While institutional failures in governance are obvious, I think the real problem lies deeper, in the failure of every day institutions that are quite apart from institutions that impinge on our lives only on rare occasions. It is true that our lives are made more miserable by government officials demanding bribes for all sorts of things, but what about the everyday lying andcheating and breaking of rules with people who are strangers ?Let me give you an example that many of us have experienced. I prefer buying my fruits and vegetables from roadside vendors rather than chain stores. To the vendor, I am probably an ideal customer, since I do not bargain and I do not take hours choosing the best pieces, instead, letting the vendor do the selecting. The market near my house is quite busy; as a result, most vendors are selling their wares to strangers. It takes a while before a particular vendor realises that I am arepeatcustomer. In such a situation trust is crucial. I have a simple rule : if a vendorpalms offa bad piece whose defects are obvious, I never go back to that person again. It is amazing how often that happens.In my opinion, the failure of institutional ethics is as much about these little abuses of trust as anything else. Everyday thievery is like roadside trash; if you let it accumulate the whole neighbourhood stinks.Q. What is the meaning of the phrase ‘palms off’as used in the passage ?

Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below it. Certain words/phrases have beenunderlineto help you locate them while answering some of the questions.The modern world requires us to repose trust in many anonymous institutions. We strap ourselves in a flying tin can with two hundred other people not because we know the pilot but because we believe that airline travel is safe. Our trust in these institutions depends on two factors : skills and ethics. We expect that the people who run these institutions know what they are doing, that they build and operate machines that work as they are supposed to and that they are looking out for our welfare even though we are strangers.When one of these factors is weak or absent, trust breaks down and we either pay a high price in safety- as in the Bhopal tragedy -or a large ‘welfare premium’ such as the elaborate security measures at airports. Trust-deficient environments work in the favour of the rich and powerful, who can commandpremiumtreatment and afford welfare premiums. Poor people can command neither; which is why air travel is safer than train travel, which in turn is safer than walking by the road side.Every modern society depends on the trust in the skills and ethics of a variety of institutions such as schools and colleges, hospital and markets. If we stopped believing in theexpertiseof our teachers, doctors and engineers, we will stop being a modern society.As the Institution among institutions, it is the duty of the state to ensure that all other institutions meet their ethicalobligations. The Indian state has failed in its regulatory role. Consequently, we cannot trust our schools to turn out good graduates, we cannot ensure that our colleges turn out well trained engineers and we cannot guarantee that our engineers will turn out to be good products.Last year, I was invited to speak at an undergraduate research conference. Most of the participants in this conference were students at the best engineering colleges in the State. One student who was driving me back and forthrecounteda story about the previous year’s final exam. One of his papers had a question from a leading textbook to which the textbook’s answer was wrong. The student was in a dilemma : should he write the (wrong) answer as given in the textbook or should he write the right answer using his own analytical skills. He decided to do the latter and received a zero on that question. Clearly, as the student had suspected, the examiners were looking at the textbook answer while correcting the examination papers instead of verifying its correctness.The behaviour of these examiners is a breakdown of institutional morals, with consequences for the skills acquired by students. I say institutional morals, for the failure of these examiners is not a personal failure. At the same conference I met a whole range of college teachers, all of whom were drafted as examiners at some time or the other. Without exception, they were dedicated individuals who cared about the education and welfare of their students. However, when put in the institutional role of evaluating an anonymous individual, they fail in fulfilling their responsibilities. When some of our best colleges are run in this fashion, is it any wonder that we turn outunskilledengineers and scientists ? If, as we are led to expect, there is a vast increase in education at all levels and the regulatory regime is as weak as it is currently, isn’t it likely that the trust deficit is only going to increase ?We are all aware of the consequences of ignoring corruption at all levels of society. While institutional failures in governance are obvious, I think the real problem lies deeper, in the failure of every day institutions that are quite apart from institutions that impinge on our lives only on rare occasions. It is true that our lives are made more miserable by government officials demanding bribes for all sorts of things, but what about the everyday lying andcheating and breaking of rules with people who are strangers ?Let me give you an example that many of us have experienced. I prefer buying my fruits and vegetables from roadside vendors rather than chain stores. To the vendor, I am probably an ideal customer, since I do not bargain and I do not take hours choosing the best pieces, instead, letting the vendor do the selecting. The market near my house is quite busy; as a result, most vendors are selling their wares to strangers. It takes a while before a particular vendor realises that I am arepeatcustomer. In such a situation trust is crucial. I have a simple rule : if a vendorpalms offa bad piece whose defects are obvious, I never go back to that person again. It is amazing how often that happens.In my opinion, the failure of institutional ethics is as much about these little abuses of trust as anything else. Everyday thievery is like roadside trash; if you let it accumulate the whole neighbourhood stinks.Q.Choose the word/group of words which ismostoppositein meaning to the word/ group of words underline as used in the passage.UNSKILLED

Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below it. Certain words/phrases have beenunderlineto help you locate them while answering some of the questions.The modern world requires us to repose trust in many anonymous institutions. We strap ourselves in a flying tin can with two hundred other people not because we know the pilot but because we believe that airline travel is safe. Our trust in these institutions depends on two factors : skills and ethics. We expect that the people who run these institutions know what they are doing, that they build and operate machines that work as they are supposed to and that they are looking out for our welfare even though we are strangers.When one of these factors is weak or absent, trust breaks down and we either pay a high price in safety- as in the Bhopal tragedy -or a large ‘welfare premium’ such as the elaborate security measures at airports. Trust-deficient environments work in the favour of the rich and powerful, who can commandpremiumtreatment and afford welfare premiums. Poor people can command neither; which is why air travel is safer than train travel, which in turn is safer than walking by the road side.Every modern society depends on the trust in the skills and ethics of a variety of institutions such as schools and colleges, hospital and markets. If we stopped believing in theexpertiseof our teachers, doctors and engineers, we will stop being a modern society.As the Institution among institutions, it is the duty of the state to ensure that all other institutions meet their ethicalobligations. The Indian state has failed in its regulatory role. Consequently, we cannot trust our schools to turn out good graduates, we cannot ensure that our colleges turn out well trained engineers and we cannot guarantee that our engineers will turn out to be good products.Last year, I was invited to speak at an undergraduate research conference. Most of the participants in this conference were students at the best engineering colleges in the State. One student who was driving me back and forthrecounteda story about the previous year’s final exam. One of his papers had a question from a leading textbook to which the textbook’s answer was wrong. The student was in a dilemma : should he write the (wrong) answer as given in the textbook or should he write the right answer using his own analytical skills. He decided to do the latter and received a zero on that question. Clearly, as the student had suspected, the examiners were looking at the textbook answer while correcting the examination papers instead of verifying its correctness.The behaviour of these examiners is a breakdown of institutional morals, with consequences for the skills acquired by students. I say institutional morals, for the failure of these examiners is not a personal failure. At the same conference I met a whole range of college teachers, all of whom were drafted as examiners at some time or the other. Without exception, they were dedicated individuals who cared about the education and welfare of their students. However, when put in the institutional role of evaluating an anonymous individual, they fail in fulfilling their responsibilities. When some of our best colleges are run in this fashion, is it any wonder that we turn outunskilledengineers and scientists ? If, as we are led to expect, there is a vast increase in education at all levels and the regulatory regime is as weak as it is currently, isn’t it likely that the trust deficit is only going to increase ?We are all aware of the consequences of ignoring corruption at all levels of society. While institutional failures in governance are obvious, I think the real problem lies deeper, in the failure of every day institutions that are quite apart from institutions that impinge on our lives only on rare occasions. It is true that our lives are made more miserable by government officials demanding bribes for all sorts of things, but what about the everyday lying andcheating and breaking of rules with people who are strangers ?Let me give you an example that many of us have experienced. I prefer buying my fruits and vegetables from roadside vendors rather than chain stores. To the vendor, I am probably an ideal customer, since I do not bargain and I do not take hours choosing the best pieces, instead, letting the vendor do the selecting. The market near my house is quite busy; as a result, most vendors are selling their wares to strangers. It takes a while before a particular vendor realises that I am arepeatcustomer. In such a situation trust is crucial. I have a simple rule : if a vendorpalms offa bad piece whose defects are obvious, I never go back to that person again. It is amazing how often that happens.In my opinion, the failure of institutional ethics is as much about these little abuses of trust as anything else. Everyday thievery is like roadside trash; if you let it accumulate the whole neighbourhood stinksQ. Choose the word/group of words which is most similar in meaning to the work/group of words underline as used in the passage.RECOUNTED

Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below it. Certain words/phrases have beenunderlineto help you locate them while answering some of the questions.The modern world requires us to repose trust in many anonymous institutions. We strap ourselves in a flying tin can with two hundred other people not because we know the pilot but because we believe that airline travel is safe. Our trust in these institutions depends on two factors : skills and ethics. We expect that the people who run these institutions know what they are doing, that they build and operate machines that work as they are supposed to and that they are looking out for our welfare even though we are strangers.When one of these factors is weak or absent, trust breaks down and we either pay a high price in safety- as in the Bhopal tragedy -or a large ‘welfare premium’ such as the elaborate security measures at airports. Trust-deficient environments work in the favour of the rich and powerful, who can commandpremiumtreatment and afford welfare premiums. Poor people can command neither; which is why air travel is safer than train travel, which in turn is safer than walking by the road side.Every modern society depends on the trust in the skills and ethics of a variety of institutions such as schools and colleges, hospital and markets. If we stopped believing in theexpertiseof our teachers, doctors and engineers, we will stop being a modern society.As the Institution among institutions, it is the duty of the state to ensure that all other institutions meet their ethicalobligations. The Indian state has failed in its regulatory role. Consequently, we cannot trust our schools to turn out good graduates, we cannot ensure that our colleges turn out well trained engineers and we cannot guarantee that our engineers will turn out to be good products.Last year, I was invited to speak at an undergraduate research conference. Most of the participants in this conference were students at the best engineering colleges in the State. One student who was driving me back and forthrecounteda story about the previous year’s final exam. One of his papers had a question from a leading textbook to which the textbook’s answer was wrong. The student was in a dilemma : should he write the (wrong) answer as given in the textbook or should he write the right answer using his own analytical skills. He decided to do the latter and received a zero on that question. Clearly, as the student had suspected, the examiners were looking at the textbook answer while correcting the examination papers instead of verifying its correctness.The behaviour of these examiners is a breakdown of institutional morals, with consequences for the skills acquired by students. I say institutional morals, for the failure of these examiners is not a personal failure. At the same conference I met a whole range of college teachers, all of whom were drafted as examiners at some time or the other. Without exception, they were dedicated individuals who cared about the education and welfare of their students. However, when put in the institutional role of evaluating an anonymous individual, they fail in fulfilling their responsibilities. When some of our best colleges are run in this fashion, is it any wonder that we turn outunskilledengineers and scientists ? If, as we are led to expect, there is a vast increase in education at all levels and the regulatory regime is as weak as it is currently, isn’t it likely that the trust deficit is only going to increase ?We are all aware of the consequences of ignoring corruption at all levels of society. While institutional failures in governance are obvious, I think the real problem lies deeper, in the failure of every day institutions that are quite apart from institutions that impinge on our lives only on rare occasions. It is true that our lives are made more miserable by government officials demanding bribes for all sorts of things, but what about the everyday lying andcheating and breaking of rules with people who are strangers ?Let me give you an example that many of us have experienced. I prefer buying my fruits and vegetables from roadside vendors rather than chain stores. To the vendor, I am probably an ideal customer, since I do not bargain and I do not take hours choosing the best pieces, instead, letting the vendor do the selecting. The market near my house is quite busy; as a result, most vendors are selling their wares to strangers. It takes a while before a particular vendor realises that I am arepeatcustomer. In such a situation trust is crucial. I have a simple rule : if a vendorpalms offa bad piece whose defects are obvious, I never go back to that person again. It is amazing how often that happens.In my opinion, the failure of institutional ethics is as much about these little abuses of trust as anything else. Everyday thievery is like roadside trash; if you let it accumulate the whole neighbourhood stinks.Q. Which of the following is possibly the most appropriate title for the passage ?

Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below it. Certain words/phrases have been underlineto help you locate them while answering some of the questions.The modern world requires us to repose trust in many anonymous institutions. We strap ourselves in a flying tin can with two hundred other people not because we know the pilot but because we believe that airline travel is safe. Our trust in these institutions depends on two factors : skills and ethics. We expect that the people who run these institutions know what they are doing, that they build and operate machines that work as they are supposed to and that they are looking out for our welfare even though we are strangers.When one of these factors is weak or absent, trust breaks down and we either pay a high price in safety- as in the Bhopal tragedy -or a large ‘welfare premium’ such as the elaborate security measures at airports. Trust-deficient environments work in the favour of the rich and powerful, who can commandpremiumtreatment and afford welfare premiums. Poor people can command neither; which is why air travel is safer than train travel, which in turn is safer than walking by the road side.Every modern society depends on the trust in the skills and ethics of a variety of institutions such as schools and colleges, hospital and markets. If we stopped believing in theexpertiseof our teachers, doctors and engineers, we will stop being a modern society.As the Institution among institutions, it is the duty of the state to ensure that all other institutions meet their ethicalobligations. The Indian state has failed in its regulatory role. Consequently, we cannot trust our schools to turn out good graduates, we cannot ensure that our colleges turn out well trained engineers and we cannot guarantee that our engineers will turn out to be good products.Last year, I was invited to speak at an undergraduate research conference. Most of the participants in this conference were students at the best engineering colleges in the State. One student who was driving me back and forthrecounteda story about the previous year’s final exam. One of his papers had a question from a leading textbook to which the textbook’s answer was wrong. The student was in a dilemma : should he write the (wrong) answer as given in the textbook or should he write the right answer using his own analytical skills. He decided to do the latter and received a zero on that question. Clearly, as the student had suspected, the examiners were looking at the textbook answer while correcting the examination papers instead of verifying its correctness.The behaviour of these examiners is a breakdown of institutional morals, with consequences for the skills acquired by students. I say institutional morals, for the failure of these examiners is not a personal failure. At the same conference I met a whole range of college teachers, all of whom were drafted as examiners at some time or the other. Without exception, they were dedicated individuals who cared about the education and welfare of their students. However, when put in the institutional role of evaluating an anonymous individual, they fail in fulfilling their responsibilities. When some of our best colleges are run in this fashion, is it any wonder that we turn outunskilledengineers and scientists ? If, as we are led to expect, there is a vast increase in education at all levels and the regulatory regime is as weak as it is currently, isn’t it likely that the trust deficit is only going to increase ?We are all aware of the consequences of ignoring corruption at all levels of society. While institutional failures in governance are obvious, I think the real problem lies deeper, in the failure of every day institutions that are quite apart from institutions that impinge on our lives only on rare occasions. It is true that our lives are made more miserable by government officials demanding bribes for all sorts of things, but what about the everyday lying andcheating and breaking of rules with people who are strangers ?Let me give you an example that many of us have experienced. I prefer buying my fruits and vegetables from roadside vendors rather than chain stores. To the vendor, I am probably an ideal customer, since I do not bargain and I do not take hours choosing the best pieces, instead, letting the vendor do the selecting. The market near my house is quite busy; as a result, most vendors are selling their wares to strangers. It takes a while before a particular vendor realises that I am arepeatcustomer. In such a situation trust is crucial. I have a simple rule : if a vendorpalms offa bad piece whose defects are obvious, I never go back to that person again. It is amazing how often that happens.In my opinion, the failure of institutional ethics is as much about these little abuses of trust as anything else. Everyday thievery is like roadside trash; if you let it accumulate the whole neighbourhood stinks.Q. Why, according to the author, do people repose trust in Institutions they do not know ?

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Directions : Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below it. Certain words/expressions are given in bold in the passage of help you locate them while answering some of the questions:A few weeks ago, I ran into an old friend who is currently one of the mandarins deciding India’s economic and financial policies. He asked “And so, how is IIT doing?” As one can only indulge in friendly banter at such gatherings, I responded with ‘Not so well actually. Your market-friendly policies have forced up to raise the fee, so we have 50% fewer Ph.D. applicants this year’. Not batting an eyelid, he shot back: “Obviously. Your Ph.D. students don’t have any market value.” Taken aback, I shifted to a more serious tone and tried to start a discussion on the need for research in these globalised times. But he had already walked away. The last word on the imperatives of the ‘market’ had been spoken.This view of higher education should not have surprised me. Worthies who look at everything as consumer products classify higher education as a ‘non-merit’ good. Non-merit goods are those where only the individual benefits from acquiring them and not the society as a whole. Multilateral agencies like The World Bank have too been pushing countries like India to stop subsidies to higher education.When Ron Brown, former US commerce secretary visited India, a public meeting was organized at IIT Delhi. At that meeting I asked him: “I understand that since the 19th century all the way up to the 1970s, most land grant and State universities in the US virtually provided free education to State citizens. Was that good for the economy, or should they have charged high fees in the early 20th century? “He replied,” it was great for the economy. It was one of the best things that the US government did at that particular time in American history-building institutions of higher education which were accessible to the masses of the people. I think it is one of the reasons why our economy grew and prospered, one of the way in which the US was able to close some of its social gaps. So people who lived in rural areas would have the same kind of access to higher education as people living in other parts of the country. It was one of the reasons for making America strong.”Our policy-makers seem unaware that their mentors in the US did not follow policies at home which they now prescribe for other countries. Ron Brown’s remarks summarise the importance policy-makers in the US place on higher education as a vehicle for upward mobility for the poorer sectors of their population. Even today, a majority of Americans study in State-run institutions. Some of these institutions, like Berkeley and the Universities of Michigan, Illinois, Ohio, Wisconsin and Taxas are among the best in the world. The annual tuition charged from State residents (about $5000 a year) is about a month’s salary paid to a lecturer. Even this fee is waived for most students. In addition, students receive stipends for books, food and hostel charges. The basic principle is that no student who gets admission to a university should have to depend on parental support if it is not available.Ron Brown’s remarks went unnoticed in India. Every other day some luminary or the other opines that universities and technical education institutions should increase their charges and that such education should not be subsidized. Most editorials echo these sentiments. Eminent industrialists pontificate that we should run educational institutions like business houses. Visiting experts from the Bank and the IMF, in their newly emerging concern for the poor, advise us to divert funds from higher education to primary education.Directions : Which of the following is MOST NEARLY THE SAME in meaning as the word printed in bold as used in the passage?MASSESa)Institutionsb)Groupsc)Studentsd)Officerse)ParentsCorrect answer is option 'B'. Can you explain this answer?
Question Description
Directions : Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below it. Certain words/expressions are given in bold in the passage of help you locate them while answering some of the questions:A few weeks ago, I ran into an old friend who is currently one of the mandarins deciding India’s economic and financial policies. He asked “And so, how is IIT doing?” As one can only indulge in friendly banter at such gatherings, I responded with ‘Not so well actually. Your market-friendly policies have forced up to raise the fee, so we have 50% fewer Ph.D. applicants this year’. Not batting an eyelid, he shot back: “Obviously. Your Ph.D. students don’t have any market value.” Taken aback, I shifted to a more serious tone and tried to start a discussion on the need for research in these globalised times. But he had already walked away. The last word on the imperatives of the ‘market’ had been spoken.This view of higher education should not have surprised me. Worthies who look at everything as consumer products classify higher education as a ‘non-merit’ good. Non-merit goods are those where only the individual benefits from acquiring them and not the society as a whole. Multilateral agencies like The World Bank have too been pushing countries like India to stop subsidies to higher education.When Ron Brown, former US commerce secretary visited India, a public meeting was organized at IIT Delhi. At that meeting I asked him: “I understand that since the 19th century all the way up to the 1970s, most land grant and State universities in the US virtually provided free education to State citizens. Was that good for the economy, or should they have charged high fees in the early 20th century? “He replied,” it was great for the economy. It was one of the best things that the US government did at that particular time in American history-building institutions of higher education which were accessible to the masses of the people. I think it is one of the reasons why our economy grew and prospered, one of the way in which the US was able to close some of its social gaps. So people who lived in rural areas would have the same kind of access to higher education as people living in other parts of the country. It was one of the reasons for making America strong.”Our policy-makers seem unaware that their mentors in the US did not follow policies at home which they now prescribe for other countries. Ron Brown’s remarks summarise the importance policy-makers in the US place on higher education as a vehicle for upward mobility for the poorer sectors of their population. Even today, a majority of Americans study in State-run institutions. Some of these institutions, like Berkeley and the Universities of Michigan, Illinois, Ohio, Wisconsin and Taxas are among the best in the world. The annual tuition charged from State residents (about $5000 a year) is about a month’s salary paid to a lecturer. Even this fee is waived for most students. In addition, students receive stipends for books, food and hostel charges. The basic principle is that no student who gets admission to a university should have to depend on parental support if it is not available.Ron Brown’s remarks went unnoticed in India. Every other day some luminary or the other opines that universities and technical education institutions should increase their charges and that such education should not be subsidized. Most editorials echo these sentiments. Eminent industrialists pontificate that we should run educational institutions like business houses. Visiting experts from the Bank and the IMF, in their newly emerging concern for the poor, advise us to divert funds from higher education to primary education.Directions : Which of the following is MOST NEARLY THE SAME in meaning as the word printed in bold as used in the passage?MASSESa)Institutionsb)Groupsc)Studentsd)Officerse)ParentsCorrect answer is option 'B'. Can you explain this answer? for Banking Exams 2025 is part of Banking Exams preparation. The Question and answers have been prepared according to the Banking Exams exam syllabus. Information about Directions : Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below it. Certain words/expressions are given in bold in the passage of help you locate them while answering some of the questions:A few weeks ago, I ran into an old friend who is currently one of the mandarins deciding India’s economic and financial policies. He asked “And so, how is IIT doing?” As one can only indulge in friendly banter at such gatherings, I responded with ‘Not so well actually. Your market-friendly policies have forced up to raise the fee, so we have 50% fewer Ph.D. applicants this year’. Not batting an eyelid, he shot back: “Obviously. Your Ph.D. students don’t have any market value.” Taken aback, I shifted to a more serious tone and tried to start a discussion on the need for research in these globalised times. But he had already walked away. The last word on the imperatives of the ‘market’ had been spoken.This view of higher education should not have surprised me. Worthies who look at everything as consumer products classify higher education as a ‘non-merit’ good. Non-merit goods are those where only the individual benefits from acquiring them and not the society as a whole. Multilateral agencies like The World Bank have too been pushing countries like India to stop subsidies to higher education.When Ron Brown, former US commerce secretary visited India, a public meeting was organized at IIT Delhi. At that meeting I asked him: “I understand that since the 19th century all the way up to the 1970s, most land grant and State universities in the US virtually provided free education to State citizens. Was that good for the economy, or should they have charged high fees in the early 20th century? “He replied,” it was great for the economy. It was one of the best things that the US government did at that particular time in American history-building institutions of higher education which were accessible to the masses of the people. I think it is one of the reasons why our economy grew and prospered, one of the way in which the US was able to close some of its social gaps. So people who lived in rural areas would have the same kind of access to higher education as people living in other parts of the country. It was one of the reasons for making America strong.”Our policy-makers seem unaware that their mentors in the US did not follow policies at home which they now prescribe for other countries. Ron Brown’s remarks summarise the importance policy-makers in the US place on higher education as a vehicle for upward mobility for the poorer sectors of their population. Even today, a majority of Americans study in State-run institutions. Some of these institutions, like Berkeley and the Universities of Michigan, Illinois, Ohio, Wisconsin and Taxas are among the best in the world. The annual tuition charged from State residents (about $5000 a year) is about a month’s salary paid to a lecturer. Even this fee is waived for most students. In addition, students receive stipends for books, food and hostel charges. The basic principle is that no student who gets admission to a university should have to depend on parental support if it is not available.Ron Brown’s remarks went unnoticed in India. Every other day some luminary or the other opines that universities and technical education institutions should increase their charges and that such education should not be subsidized. Most editorials echo these sentiments. Eminent industrialists pontificate that we should run educational institutions like business houses. Visiting experts from the Bank and the IMF, in their newly emerging concern for the poor, advise us to divert funds from higher education to primary education.Directions : Which of the following is MOST NEARLY THE SAME in meaning as the word printed in bold as used in the passage?MASSESa)Institutionsb)Groupsc)Studentsd)Officerse)ParentsCorrect answer is option 'B'. Can you explain this answer? covers all topics & solutions for Banking Exams 2025 Exam. Find important definitions, questions, meanings, examples, exercises and tests below for Directions : Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below it. Certain words/expressions are given in bold in the passage of help you locate them while answering some of the questions:A few weeks ago, I ran into an old friend who is currently one of the mandarins deciding India’s economic and financial policies. He asked “And so, how is IIT doing?” As one can only indulge in friendly banter at such gatherings, I responded with ‘Not so well actually. Your market-friendly policies have forced up to raise the fee, so we have 50% fewer Ph.D. applicants this year’. Not batting an eyelid, he shot back: “Obviously. Your Ph.D. students don’t have any market value.” Taken aback, I shifted to a more serious tone and tried to start a discussion on the need for research in these globalised times. But he had already walked away. The last word on the imperatives of the ‘market’ had been spoken.This view of higher education should not have surprised me. Worthies who look at everything as consumer products classify higher education as a ‘non-merit’ good. Non-merit goods are those where only the individual benefits from acquiring them and not the society as a whole. Multilateral agencies like The World Bank have too been pushing countries like India to stop subsidies to higher education.When Ron Brown, former US commerce secretary visited India, a public meeting was organized at IIT Delhi. At that meeting I asked him: “I understand that since the 19th century all the way up to the 1970s, most land grant and State universities in the US virtually provided free education to State citizens. Was that good for the economy, or should they have charged high fees in the early 20th century? “He replied,” it was great for the economy. It was one of the best things that the US government did at that particular time in American history-building institutions of higher education which were accessible to the masses of the people. I think it is one of the reasons why our economy grew and prospered, one of the way in which the US was able to close some of its social gaps. So people who lived in rural areas would have the same kind of access to higher education as people living in other parts of the country. It was one of the reasons for making America strong.”Our policy-makers seem unaware that their mentors in the US did not follow policies at home which they now prescribe for other countries. Ron Brown’s remarks summarise the importance policy-makers in the US place on higher education as a vehicle for upward mobility for the poorer sectors of their population. Even today, a majority of Americans study in State-run institutions. Some of these institutions, like Berkeley and the Universities of Michigan, Illinois, Ohio, Wisconsin and Taxas are among the best in the world. The annual tuition charged from State residents (about $5000 a year) is about a month’s salary paid to a lecturer. Even this fee is waived for most students. In addition, students receive stipends for books, food and hostel charges. The basic principle is that no student who gets admission to a university should have to depend on parental support if it is not available.Ron Brown’s remarks went unnoticed in India. Every other day some luminary or the other opines that universities and technical education institutions should increase their charges and that such education should not be subsidized. Most editorials echo these sentiments. Eminent industrialists pontificate that we should run educational institutions like business houses. Visiting experts from the Bank and the IMF, in their newly emerging concern for the poor, advise us to divert funds from higher education to primary education.Directions : Which of the following is MOST NEARLY THE SAME in meaning as the word printed in bold as used in the passage?MASSESa)Institutionsb)Groupsc)Studentsd)Officerse)ParentsCorrect answer is option 'B'. Can you explain this answer?.
Solutions for Directions : Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below it. Certain words/expressions are given in bold in the passage of help you locate them while answering some of the questions:A few weeks ago, I ran into an old friend who is currently one of the mandarins deciding India’s economic and financial policies. He asked “And so, how is IIT doing?” As one can only indulge in friendly banter at such gatherings, I responded with ‘Not so well actually. Your market-friendly policies have forced up to raise the fee, so we have 50% fewer Ph.D. applicants this year’. Not batting an eyelid, he shot back: “Obviously. Your Ph.D. students don’t have any market value.” Taken aback, I shifted to a more serious tone and tried to start a discussion on the need for research in these globalised times. But he had already walked away. The last word on the imperatives of the ‘market’ had been spoken.This view of higher education should not have surprised me. Worthies who look at everything as consumer products classify higher education as a ‘non-merit’ good. Non-merit goods are those where only the individual benefits from acquiring them and not the society as a whole. Multilateral agencies like The World Bank have too been pushing countries like India to stop subsidies to higher education.When Ron Brown, former US commerce secretary visited India, a public meeting was organized at IIT Delhi. At that meeting I asked him: “I understand that since the 19th century all the way up to the 1970s, most land grant and State universities in the US virtually provided free education to State citizens. Was that good for the economy, or should they have charged high fees in the early 20th century? “He replied,” it was great for the economy. It was one of the best things that the US government did at that particular time in American history-building institutions of higher education which were accessible to the masses of the people. I think it is one of the reasons why our economy grew and prospered, one of the way in which the US was able to close some of its social gaps. So people who lived in rural areas would have the same kind of access to higher education as people living in other parts of the country. It was one of the reasons for making America strong.”Our policy-makers seem unaware that their mentors in the US did not follow policies at home which they now prescribe for other countries. Ron Brown’s remarks summarise the importance policy-makers in the US place on higher education as a vehicle for upward mobility for the poorer sectors of their population. Even today, a majority of Americans study in State-run institutions. Some of these institutions, like Berkeley and the Universities of Michigan, Illinois, Ohio, Wisconsin and Taxas are among the best in the world. The annual tuition charged from State residents (about $5000 a year) is about a month’s salary paid to a lecturer. Even this fee is waived for most students. In addition, students receive stipends for books, food and hostel charges. The basic principle is that no student who gets admission to a university should have to depend on parental support if it is not available.Ron Brown’s remarks went unnoticed in India. Every other day some luminary or the other opines that universities and technical education institutions should increase their charges and that such education should not be subsidized. Most editorials echo these sentiments. Eminent industrialists pontificate that we should run educational institutions like business houses. Visiting experts from the Bank and the IMF, in their newly emerging concern for the poor, advise us to divert funds from higher education to primary education.Directions : Which of the following is MOST NEARLY THE SAME in meaning as the word printed in bold as used in the passage?MASSESa)Institutionsb)Groupsc)Studentsd)Officerse)ParentsCorrect answer is option 'B'. Can you explain this answer? in English & in Hindi are available as part of our courses for Banking Exams. Download more important topics, notes, lectures and mock test series for Banking Exams Exam by signing up for free.
Here you can find the meaning of Directions : Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below it. Certain words/expressions are given in bold in the passage of help you locate them while answering some of the questions:A few weeks ago, I ran into an old friend who is currently one of the mandarins deciding India’s economic and financial policies. He asked “And so, how is IIT doing?” As one can only indulge in friendly banter at such gatherings, I responded with ‘Not so well actually. Your market-friendly policies have forced up to raise the fee, so we have 50% fewer Ph.D. applicants this year’. Not batting an eyelid, he shot back: “Obviously. Your Ph.D. students don’t have any market value.” Taken aback, I shifted to a more serious tone and tried to start a discussion on the need for research in these globalised times. But he had already walked away. The last word on the imperatives of the ‘market’ had been spoken.This view of higher education should not have surprised me. Worthies who look at everything as consumer products classify higher education as a ‘non-merit’ good. Non-merit goods are those where only the individual benefits from acquiring them and not the society as a whole. Multilateral agencies like The World Bank have too been pushing countries like India to stop subsidies to higher education.When Ron Brown, former US commerce secretary visited India, a public meeting was organized at IIT Delhi. At that meeting I asked him: “I understand that since the 19th century all the way up to the 1970s, most land grant and State universities in the US virtually provided free education to State citizens. Was that good for the economy, or should they have charged high fees in the early 20th century? “He replied,” it was great for the economy. It was one of the best things that the US government did at that particular time in American history-building institutions of higher education which were accessible to the masses of the people. I think it is one of the reasons why our economy grew and prospered, one of the way in which the US was able to close some of its social gaps. So people who lived in rural areas would have the same kind of access to higher education as people living in other parts of the country. It was one of the reasons for making America strong.”Our policy-makers seem unaware that their mentors in the US did not follow policies at home which they now prescribe for other countries. Ron Brown’s remarks summarise the importance policy-makers in the US place on higher education as a vehicle for upward mobility for the poorer sectors of their population. Even today, a majority of Americans study in State-run institutions. Some of these institutions, like Berkeley and the Universities of Michigan, Illinois, Ohio, Wisconsin and Taxas are among the best in the world. The annual tuition charged from State residents (about $5000 a year) is about a month’s salary paid to a lecturer. Even this fee is waived for most students. In addition, students receive stipends for books, food and hostel charges. The basic principle is that no student who gets admission to a university should have to depend on parental support if it is not available.Ron Brown’s remarks went unnoticed in India. Every other day some luminary or the other opines that universities and technical education institutions should increase their charges and that such education should not be subsidized. Most editorials echo these sentiments. Eminent industrialists pontificate that we should run educational institutions like business houses. Visiting experts from the Bank and the IMF, in their newly emerging concern for the poor, advise us to divert funds from higher education to primary education.Directions : Which of the following is MOST NEARLY THE SAME in meaning as the word printed in bold as used in the passage?MASSESa)Institutionsb)Groupsc)Studentsd)Officerse)ParentsCorrect answer is option 'B'. Can you explain this answer? defined & explained in the simplest way possible. Besides giving the explanation of Directions : Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below it. Certain words/expressions are given in bold in the passage of help you locate them while answering some of the questions:A few weeks ago, I ran into an old friend who is currently one of the mandarins deciding India’s economic and financial policies. He asked “And so, how is IIT doing?” As one can only indulge in friendly banter at such gatherings, I responded with ‘Not so well actually. Your market-friendly policies have forced up to raise the fee, so we have 50% fewer Ph.D. applicants this year’. Not batting an eyelid, he shot back: “Obviously. Your Ph.D. students don’t have any market value.” Taken aback, I shifted to a more serious tone and tried to start a discussion on the need for research in these globalised times. But he had already walked away. The last word on the imperatives of the ‘market’ had been spoken.This view of higher education should not have surprised me. Worthies who look at everything as consumer products classify higher education as a ‘non-merit’ good. Non-merit goods are those where only the individual benefits from acquiring them and not the society as a whole. Multilateral agencies like The World Bank have too been pushing countries like India to stop subsidies to higher education.When Ron Brown, former US commerce secretary visited India, a public meeting was organized at IIT Delhi. At that meeting I asked him: “I understand that since the 19th century all the way up to the 1970s, most land grant and State universities in the US virtually provided free education to State citizens. Was that good for the economy, or should they have charged high fees in the early 20th century? “He replied,” it was great for the economy. It was one of the best things that the US government did at that particular time in American history-building institutions of higher education which were accessible to the masses of the people. I think it is one of the reasons why our economy grew and prospered, one of the way in which the US was able to close some of its social gaps. So people who lived in rural areas would have the same kind of access to higher education as people living in other parts of the country. It was one of the reasons for making America strong.”Our policy-makers seem unaware that their mentors in the US did not follow policies at home which they now prescribe for other countries. Ron Brown’s remarks summarise the importance policy-makers in the US place on higher education as a vehicle for upward mobility for the poorer sectors of their population. Even today, a majority of Americans study in State-run institutions. Some of these institutions, like Berkeley and the Universities of Michigan, Illinois, Ohio, Wisconsin and Taxas are among the best in the world. The annual tuition charged from State residents (about $5000 a year) is about a month’s salary paid to a lecturer. Even this fee is waived for most students. In addition, students receive stipends for books, food and hostel charges. The basic principle is that no student who gets admission to a university should have to depend on parental support if it is not available.Ron Brown’s remarks went unnoticed in India. Every other day some luminary or the other opines that universities and technical education institutions should increase their charges and that such education should not be subsidized. Most editorials echo these sentiments. Eminent industrialists pontificate that we should run educational institutions like business houses. Visiting experts from the Bank and the IMF, in their newly emerging concern for the poor, advise us to divert funds from higher education to primary education.Directions : Which of the following is MOST NEARLY THE SAME in meaning as the word printed in bold as used in the passage?MASSESa)Institutionsb)Groupsc)Studentsd)Officerse)ParentsCorrect answer is option 'B'. Can you explain this answer?, a detailed solution for Directions : Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below it. Certain words/expressions are given in bold in the passage of help you locate them while answering some of the questions:A few weeks ago, I ran into an old friend who is currently one of the mandarins deciding India’s economic and financial policies. He asked “And so, how is IIT doing?” As one can only indulge in friendly banter at such gatherings, I responded with ‘Not so well actually. Your market-friendly policies have forced up to raise the fee, so we have 50% fewer Ph.D. applicants this year’. Not batting an eyelid, he shot back: “Obviously. Your Ph.D. students don’t have any market value.” Taken aback, I shifted to a more serious tone and tried to start a discussion on the need for research in these globalised times. But he had already walked away. The last word on the imperatives of the ‘market’ had been spoken.This view of higher education should not have surprised me. Worthies who look at everything as consumer products classify higher education as a ‘non-merit’ good. Non-merit goods are those where only the individual benefits from acquiring them and not the society as a whole. Multilateral agencies like The World Bank have too been pushing countries like India to stop subsidies to higher education.When Ron Brown, former US commerce secretary visited India, a public meeting was organized at IIT Delhi. At that meeting I asked him: “I understand that since the 19th century all the way up to the 1970s, most land grant and State universities in the US virtually provided free education to State citizens. Was that good for the economy, or should they have charged high fees in the early 20th century? “He replied,” it was great for the economy. It was one of the best things that the US government did at that particular time in American history-building institutions of higher education which were accessible to the masses of the people. I think it is one of the reasons why our economy grew and prospered, one of the way in which the US was able to close some of its social gaps. So people who lived in rural areas would have the same kind of access to higher education as people living in other parts of the country. It was one of the reasons for making America strong.”Our policy-makers seem unaware that their mentors in the US did not follow policies at home which they now prescribe for other countries. Ron Brown’s remarks summarise the importance policy-makers in the US place on higher education as a vehicle for upward mobility for the poorer sectors of their population. Even today, a majority of Americans study in State-run institutions. Some of these institutions, like Berkeley and the Universities of Michigan, Illinois, Ohio, Wisconsin and Taxas are among the best in the world. The annual tuition charged from State residents (about $5000 a year) is about a month’s salary paid to a lecturer. Even this fee is waived for most students. In addition, students receive stipends for books, food and hostel charges. The basic principle is that no student who gets admission to a university should have to depend on parental support if it is not available.Ron Brown’s remarks went unnoticed in India. Every other day some luminary or the other opines that universities and technical education institutions should increase their charges and that such education should not be subsidized. Most editorials echo these sentiments. Eminent industrialists pontificate that we should run educational institutions like business houses. Visiting experts from the Bank and the IMF, in their newly emerging concern for the poor, advise us to divert funds from higher education to primary education.Directions : Which of the following is MOST NEARLY THE SAME in meaning as the word printed in bold as used in the passage?MASSESa)Institutionsb)Groupsc)Studentsd)Officerse)ParentsCorrect answer is option 'B'. Can you explain this answer? has been provided alongside types of Directions : Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below it. Certain words/expressions are given in bold in the passage of help you locate them while answering some of the questions:A few weeks ago, I ran into an old friend who is currently one of the mandarins deciding India’s economic and financial policies. He asked “And so, how is IIT doing?” As one can only indulge in friendly banter at such gatherings, I responded with ‘Not so well actually. Your market-friendly policies have forced up to raise the fee, so we have 50% fewer Ph.D. applicants this year’. Not batting an eyelid, he shot back: “Obviously. Your Ph.D. students don’t have any market value.” Taken aback, I shifted to a more serious tone and tried to start a discussion on the need for research in these globalised times. But he had already walked away. The last word on the imperatives of the ‘market’ had been spoken.This view of higher education should not have surprised me. Worthies who look at everything as consumer products classify higher education as a ‘non-merit’ good. Non-merit goods are those where only the individual benefits from acquiring them and not the society as a whole. Multilateral agencies like The World Bank have too been pushing countries like India to stop subsidies to higher education.When Ron Brown, former US commerce secretary visited India, a public meeting was organized at IIT Delhi. At that meeting I asked him: “I understand that since the 19th century all the way up to the 1970s, most land grant and State universities in the US virtually provided free education to State citizens. Was that good for the economy, or should they have charged high fees in the early 20th century? “He replied,” it was great for the economy. It was one of the best things that the US government did at that particular time in American history-building institutions of higher education which were accessible to the masses of the people. I think it is one of the reasons why our economy grew and prospered, one of the way in which the US was able to close some of its social gaps. So people who lived in rural areas would have the same kind of access to higher education as people living in other parts of the country. It was one of the reasons for making America strong.”Our policy-makers seem unaware that their mentors in the US did not follow policies at home which they now prescribe for other countries. Ron Brown’s remarks summarise the importance policy-makers in the US place on higher education as a vehicle for upward mobility for the poorer sectors of their population. Even today, a majority of Americans study in State-run institutions. Some of these institutions, like Berkeley and the Universities of Michigan, Illinois, Ohio, Wisconsin and Taxas are among the best in the world. The annual tuition charged from State residents (about $5000 a year) is about a month’s salary paid to a lecturer. Even this fee is waived for most students. In addition, students receive stipends for books, food and hostel charges. The basic principle is that no student who gets admission to a university should have to depend on parental support if it is not available.Ron Brown’s remarks went unnoticed in India. Every other day some luminary or the other opines that universities and technical education institutions should increase their charges and that such education should not be subsidized. Most editorials echo these sentiments. Eminent industrialists pontificate that we should run educational institutions like business houses. Visiting experts from the Bank and the IMF, in their newly emerging concern for the poor, advise us to divert funds from higher education to primary education.Directions : Which of the following is MOST NEARLY THE SAME in meaning as the word printed in bold as used in the passage?MASSESa)Institutionsb)Groupsc)Studentsd)Officerse)ParentsCorrect answer is option 'B'. Can you explain this answer? theory, EduRev gives you an ample number of questions to practice Directions : Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below it. Certain words/expressions are given in bold in the passage of help you locate them while answering some of the questions:A few weeks ago, I ran into an old friend who is currently one of the mandarins deciding India’s economic and financial policies. He asked “And so, how is IIT doing?” As one can only indulge in friendly banter at such gatherings, I responded with ‘Not so well actually. Your market-friendly policies have forced up to raise the fee, so we have 50% fewer Ph.D. applicants this year’. Not batting an eyelid, he shot back: “Obviously. Your Ph.D. students don’t have any market value.” Taken aback, I shifted to a more serious tone and tried to start a discussion on the need for research in these globalised times. But he had already walked away. The last word on the imperatives of the ‘market’ had been spoken.This view of higher education should not have surprised me. Worthies who look at everything as consumer products classify higher education as a ‘non-merit’ good. Non-merit goods are those where only the individual benefits from acquiring them and not the society as a whole. Multilateral agencies like The World Bank have too been pushing countries like India to stop subsidies to higher education.When Ron Brown, former US commerce secretary visited India, a public meeting was organized at IIT Delhi. At that meeting I asked him: “I understand that since the 19th century all the way up to the 1970s, most land grant and State universities in the US virtually provided free education to State citizens. Was that good for the economy, or should they have charged high fees in the early 20th century? “He replied,” it was great for the economy. It was one of the best things that the US government did at that particular time in American history-building institutions of higher education which were accessible to the masses of the people. I think it is one of the reasons why our economy grew and prospered, one of the way in which the US was able to close some of its social gaps. So people who lived in rural areas would have the same kind of access to higher education as people living in other parts of the country. It was one of the reasons for making America strong.”Our policy-makers seem unaware that their mentors in the US did not follow policies at home which they now prescribe for other countries. Ron Brown’s remarks summarise the importance policy-makers in the US place on higher education as a vehicle for upward mobility for the poorer sectors of their population. Even today, a majority of Americans study in State-run institutions. Some of these institutions, like Berkeley and the Universities of Michigan, Illinois, Ohio, Wisconsin and Taxas are among the best in the world. The annual tuition charged from State residents (about $5000 a year) is about a month’s salary paid to a lecturer. Even this fee is waived for most students. In addition, students receive stipends for books, food and hostel charges. The basic principle is that no student who gets admission to a university should have to depend on parental support if it is not available.Ron Brown’s remarks went unnoticed in India. Every other day some luminary or the other opines that universities and technical education institutions should increase their charges and that such education should not be subsidized. Most editorials echo these sentiments. Eminent industrialists pontificate that we should run educational institutions like business houses. Visiting experts from the Bank and the IMF, in their newly emerging concern for the poor, advise us to divert funds from higher education to primary education.Directions : Which of the following is MOST NEARLY THE SAME in meaning as the word printed in bold as used in the passage?MASSESa)Institutionsb)Groupsc)Studentsd)Officerse)ParentsCorrect answer is option 'B'. Can you explain this answer? tests, examples and also practice Banking Exams tests.
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