CAT 2019 Slot 2 VARC Question & Solution

Reading ComprehensionMedium

Passage

Comprehension:

British colonial policy . . . went through two policy phases, or at least there were two strategies between which its policies actually oscillated, sometimes to its great advantage. At first, the new colonial apparatus exercised caution and occupied India by a mix of military power and subtle diplomacy, the high ground in the middle of the circle of circles. This, however, pushed them into contradictions. For, whatever their sense of the strangeness of the country and the thinness of colonial presence, the British colonial state represented the great conquering discourse of Enlightenment rationalism, entering India precisely at the moment of its greatest unchecked arrogance. As inheritors and representatives of this discourse, which carried everything before it, this colonial state could hardly adopt for long such a self-denying attitude. It had restructured everything in Europe—the productive system, the political regimes, the moral and cognitive orders—and would do the same in India, particularly as some empirically inclined theorists of that generation considered the colonies a massive laboratory of utilitarian
or other theoretical experiments. Consequently, the colonial state could not settle simply for eminence at the cost of its marginality; it began to take initiatives to introduce the logic of modernity into Indian society. But this modernity did not enter a passive society. Sometimes, its initiatives were resisted by pre-existing structural forms. At times, there was a more direct form of collective resistance. Therefore the map of continuity and discontinuity that this state left behind at the time of independence was rather complex and has to be traced with care.

Most significantly, of course, initiatives for modernity came to assume an external character. The acceptance of modernity came to be connected, ineradicably, with subjection. This again points to two different problems, one theoretical, the other political. Theoretically, because modernity was externally introduced, it is explanatorily unhelpful to apply the logical format of the ‘transition process’ to this pattern of change. Such a logical format would be wrong on two counts. First, however subtly, it would imply that what was proposed to be built was something like European capitalism. (And, in any case, historians have forcefully argued that what it was to replace was not like feudalism, with or without modificatory adjectives.) But, more fundamentally, the logical structure of endogenous change does not apply here. Here transformation agendas attack as an external force. This externality is not something that can be casually mentioned and forgotten. It is inscribed on every move, every object, every proposal, every legislative act, each line of causality. It comes to be marked on the epoch itself. This repetitive emphasis on externality should not be seen as a nationalist initiative that is so well-rehearsed in Indian social science. . . .

Quite apart from the externality of the entire historical proposal of modernity, some of its contents were remarkable. . . . Economic reforms, or rather alterations . . . did not foreshadow the construction of a classical capitalist economy, with its necessary emphasis on extractive and transport sectors. What happened was the creation of a degenerate version of capitalism —what early dependency theorists called the ‘development of underdevelopment’.

Question 1

“Consequently, the colonial state could not settle simply for eminence at the cost of its marginality; it began to take initiatives to introduce the logic of modernity into Indian society.” Which of the following best captures the sense of this statement?

The cost of the colonial state’s eminence was not settled; therefore, it took the initiative of introducing modernity into Indian society.

The colonial enterprise was a costly one; so to justify the cost it began to take initiatives to introduce the logic of modernity into Indian society.

The colonial state’s eminence was unsettled by its marginal position; therefore, it developed Indian society by modernising it.

The colonial state felt marginalised from Indian society because of its own modernity; therefore, it sought to address that marginalisation by bringing its modernity to change Indian society.

Solution:

From the passage it can be inferred that though the British enjoyed political eminence in India, they felt that they were still marginalised from Indian society, and hence, to bring the Indian state to the same footing, they sought to introduce modernity, which they felt was the next logical step into Indian society.

It cannot be inferred from the passage that the British introduced modernity because they believed that the cost of their eminence was not settled. Hence, option A is incorrect.

The colonial enterprise tried to introduce the logic of modernity because it felt marginalized, rather than to justify the cost of colonization. Hence option B is incorrect.

Option C states that the introduction of modernity developed Indian society. However, the last paragraph states that the exercise proved counterproductive, and there was a development of underdevelopment. Option C is incorrect.

Option D best explains the reason for the author introducing the statement mentioned in the question. Hence, option D is the correct answer.

Question 2

All of the following statements, if true, could be seen as supporting the arguments in the passage, EXCEPT:

throughout the history of colonial conquest, natives have often been experimented on by the colonisers.

modernity was imposed upon India by the British and, therefore, led to underdevelopment.

the change in British colonial policy was induced by resistance to modernity in Indian society.

the introduction of capitalism in India was not through the transformation of feudalism, as happened in Europe.

Solution:

".....empirically inclined theorists of that generation considered the colonies a massive laboratory of utilitarian
or other theoretical experiments." From the aforementioned lines, option A can be inferred.

"What happened was the creation of a degenerate version of capitalism —what early dependency theorists called the ‘development of underdevelopment’." From these lines it can be inferred that, because modernity was imposed upon India by the British, it led to the development of underdevelopment. Option B ca be inferred.

From the passage, it can be understood that feudalism underwent a transformative process into capitalism, unlike the Indian transition which happened inorganically through external factors. Hence, option D can be inferred as well.

The change in British colonial policy was not induced by resistance to modernity in Indian society, but due to the perception that the British were marginalised in the context of the Indian society. Hence, option C, which cannot be inferred is the correct answer.

Question 3

All of the following statements about British colonialism can be inferred from the first paragraph, EXCEPT that it:

allowed some to consider the colonies as experimental sites.

faced resistance from existing structural forms of Indian modernity.

was at least partly an outcome of Enlightenment rationalism.

was at least partly shaped by the project of European modernity.

Solution:

".....empirically inclined theorists of that generation considered the colonies a massive laboratory of utilitarian
or other theoretical experiments" From these lines option A can be inferred.

Consider the lines, "e British colonial state represented the great conquering discourse of Enlightenment rationalism, entering India precisely at the moment of its greatest unchecked arrogance. . As inheritors and representatives of this discourse, which carried everything before it, this colonial state could hardly adopt for long such a self-denying attitude." Option C can be inferred from it.

Consider the lines , " It had restructured everything in Europe—the productive system, the political regimes, the moral and cognitive orders—and would do the same in India, " Option D can be inferred from these lines.

It is nowhere mentioned in the passage, that British colonialism faces resistence from the existing structural forms of Indian modernity. Hence , option B is the correct answer.

Question 4

Which one of the following 5-word sequences best captures the flow of the arguments in the passage?

Colonial policy—Enlightenment—external modernity—subjection — underdevelopment.

Military power—colonialism—restructuring—feudalism—capitalism.

Military power—arrogance—laboratory—modernity—capitalism.

Colonial policy—arrogant rationality—resistance—independence—development.

Solution:

The first part of the passage talks about British colonial policy, which went through two policy phases.

Hence, the options B and C which have military power as the introductory idea are incorrect.

The second idea mentioned in the passage is about Enlightenment rationalism, of which the British colonizers were inheritors and representatives of.

The subsequent ideas are about how modernity was inorganically injected into India by subjecting it to external forces. The passage further talks about how these economic alterations did not give rise to the construction of a classical capitalist economy, but rather led to the development of underdevelopment.

Option A mentions all the ideas correctly and hence it is the correct answer.

Question 5

Which of the following observations is a valid conclusion to draw from the author’s statement that “the logical structure of endogenous change does not apply here. Here transformation agendas attack as an external force”?

Colonised societies cannot be changed through logic; they need to be transformed with external force.

The transformation of Indian society did not happen organically, but was forced by colonial agendas.

The endogenous logic of colonialism can only bring change if it attacks and transforms external forces.

Indian society is not endogamous; it is more accurately characterised as aggressively exogamous.

Solution:

". Theoretically,because modernity was externally introduced, it is explanatorily unhelpful to apply the logical format of the ‘transition process’ to this pattern of change."

From the given lines it can be understood that the general endogeneous method of the process of transition could not be accepted to British colonialisation of India, because modernity did not occur naturally but was externally introduced.

The passage only states that initiatives for modernity were introduced to India through external sources. It does not state that all colonised societies cannot be changed by logic. Hence this option is incorrect.

In the case of India, the transformational agents themselves are inorganic external forces. Hence, option C cannot be inferred.

The passage nowhere states that Indian society is exogamous. Hence option D is incorrect.

Option B best describes the conclusion that can be drawn from the author's statement. Hence it is the correct answer.