Reading Comprehension for CAT - 5 | Level-wise Tests for CAT PDF Download

All the above traits and factors contribute, and come in the way of India`s progress, as it takes all factors into consideration. This is the correct answer.

Ostrich is a bird that buries its head in sand when it sees a storm coming, hoping it will blow over without causing it any harm. The author is attributing the same attitude to Indians as according to the author Indians also ignore a problem and wait for someone else to come and solve it instead of taking a proactive attitude and doing something about it themselves.

According to the author we are not free to take our decisions by ourselves after a thousand years of being ruled by foreigners. Thus, we can consider ourselves as standing at the cross-road of past and future without an able leadership to look up to or guide us out of the trouble we are in now. Thus, this is the correct answer.

Indians are apathetic because they have become accustomed to taking orders from others repeatedly, like slaves take orders from their masters. Having been ruled for over thousand years by foreigners of all descriptions, Indians have lost the drive that makes one decisive. It is because of this that they are reluctant to take any decision of their own. To buttress the point author has quoted Aristotle, who said, "We are what we repeatedly do." This is the answer to the question.

Yes, if we continued to move at this slow pace like that of an idler, there are distinct possibilities of poverty over taking us as it moves faster than idleness. This is his fear to which our attention is drawn by way of that quote from Thomas Hunter.

This is absolutely true and the author minces no words in saying that we believe problems which do not exist, or even if they exist, they belong to someone else. This clearly shows that we have a tendency of disowning our own problems. This is the most appropriate answer.

The survival of India as a democratic nation will be ensured if the power of judicial review is exercised effectively and fearlessly. This is the prime condition. This apparently is the prime concern of the author - ''So long as this power is wielded by the courts effectively and fearlessly, democracy will remain ensured in India ...'' Option 4 is correct.

It is by effectively and fearlessly exercising the power of judicial review that the superior courts can ensure survival of democracy and of the Constitution of India. This is exactly what the author has averred - So long as this power is wielded by the courts effectively and fearlessly, democracy will remain ensured in India and, with all its shortcomings, the Constitution will survive.
Option D is the correct answer.

Option D is the correct answer as author wants to balance. He has no quarrel with emergency provisions, except when these powers tend to alter the basic features of the Constitution. It is mentioned in the passage - '...broadly speaking, if the application of the Emergency provisions overshadows the other features of the Constitution, the balance between the 'normal' and 'emergency' provisions is palpably destroyed.'

The author clearly mentions the fact that legislature is often overzealous in asserting its privileges not only against individual citizens, but also against judges. There is a strong possibility that it could lead to clashes between the two which would be hugely detrimental to the interest of democracy. Option 4 is the correct answer.

Option A is true. The author gives a clear indication of this as he points to the role played by the Supreme Court in upholding Fundamental Rights of individuals and striking down oppressive legislation. The answer can be inferred from, 'The Supreme Court has well performed its task of protecting the rights of the individual against the executive, against oppressive legislations and even against the Legislature itself, when it becomes overzealous in asserting its privileges not only against the individual citizens but even against the judges.'
Option B is also true. The passage states, 'So long as this power is wielded by the courts effectively and fearlessly, democracy will remain ensured in India and, with all its shortcomings, the Constitution will survive.'
Thus, option D is the answer.

Yes, author wants to strike a balance between normal and emergency provisions so that the basic features of the Constitution are not destroyed. This is the correct answer.