Comprehension Questions for SSC CHSL

The Indian Space Research Organisation, popularly known as ISRO, has established itself as one of the world's most cost-effective and reliable space agencies. Founded in 1969 under the visionary leadership of Dr. Vikram Sarabhai, ISRO has grown from conducting sounding rocket experiments to launching sophisticated missions to the Moon and Mars. The Chandrayaan programme has been a source of immense national pride. Chandrayaan-1, launched in 2008, discovered water ice on the Moon's surface — a finding of global scientific significance. Chandrayaan-3, launched in 2023, achieved a historic soft landing near the Moon's south pole, making India only the fourth country in the world to successfully land on the Moon, and the first to do so at the south polar region. The Mangalyaan mission, India's Mars Orbiter Mission, became a global success story when it reached Martian orbit in its very first attempt in 2014, at a fraction of the cost of comparable missions by other space agencies. ISRO also operates a wide range of earth observation, communication, and navigation satellites that support agriculture, disaster management, weather forecasting, and defence. The NavIC navigation system, developed indigenously, provides precise positioning data across the Indian subcontinent and surrounding regions. ISRO's commercial arm, NewSpace India Limited, has attracted international clients for satellite launches, generating foreign exchange for the country. India's space programme reflects a broader ambition: to leverage science and technology for national development while positioning the country as a respected player in the global space economy. Which inference can BEST be drawn from the passage about ISRO's Mangalyaan mission?

Climate change is no longer a distant threat — its effects are being felt across every continent and ocean. Rising global temperatures, driven primarily by the emission of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and methane, are causing glaciers to melt at an alarming rate. This melting contributes to rising sea levels, which threaten low-lying coastal nations and cities around the world. India, despite being a developing nation with significant energy needs, has committed to ambitious climate targets under the Paris Agreement, pledging to achieve net zero emissions by 2070 and to meet 50 percent of its energy requirements from non-fossil fuel sources by 2030. The country has made rapid strides in solar and wind energy, with installed renewable capacity crossing 200 GW in recent years. However, coal still accounts for a large share of India's power generation, reflecting the tension between development imperatives and environmental responsibility. Extreme weather events — such as unseasonal rainfall, prolonged droughts, and intense cyclones — are becoming more frequent, affecting agriculture, water supply, and livelihoods, especially in rural areas. Scientists warn that without immediate and sustained global action, average temperatures could rise by more than 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, triggering irreversible ecological damage. International cooperation, green technology transfer, and climate financing for developing nations are seen as essential components of any effective global response. Grassroots movements and youth activism have also helped elevate climate change on the political agenda worldwide. According to the passage, which of the following BEST describes India's current energy situation?

India's banking sector has undergone a significant transformation over the past decade. The introduction of Jan Dhan Yojana in 2014 marked a turning point in financial inclusion, bringing millions of previously unbanked citizens into the formal financial system. Under this scheme, zero-balance savings accounts were opened for individuals who had never had access to banking services before. By 2023, over 50 crore accounts had been opened under this initiative, with a substantial portion belonging to women in rural areas. These accounts also came linked with RuPay debit cards, accidental insurance cover, and overdraft facilities, making them far more than simple savings vehicles. The Reserve Bank of India has played a pivotal role in regulating and expanding digital payment infrastructure, enabling platforms like UPI to process billions of transactions monthly. Financial literacy campaigns have been run simultaneously to ensure that new account holders understand how to use banking services effectively and safely. Despite these achievements, challenges remain. Many accounts opened under Jan Dhan Yojana were initially dormant, meaning account holders deposited no money and made no transactions. Over time, government benefit transfers — such as subsidies and pensions — directed into these accounts have helped activate them. Experts argue that mere account ownership does not constitute genuine financial inclusion; regular usage, access to credit, and insurance are equally vital components. The journey from account opening to meaningful financial participation is long, and India continues to work toward bridging this gap through a combination of technology, policy, and grassroots outreach. What is the PRIMARY argument the author makes about financial inclusion in India?

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has steadily built a reputation as one of the world's most cost-effective and reliable space agencies. From its modest beginnings in the 1960s under the vision of Dr. Vikram Sarabhai, ISRO has grown into an organisation capable of launching satellites, conducting interplanetary missions, and developing indigenous cryogenic rocket technology. The Chandrayaan-3 mission, which successfully landed a rover near the Moon's south pole in August 2023, made India the first country in the world to achieve this feat and only the fourth nation overall to soft-land on the Moon. This achievement was celebrated not merely as a scientific success but as a symbol of national capability and indigenous technological development. ISRO's launches are carried out at a fraction of the cost compared to those of agencies like NASA or the European Space Agency, making India an attractive partner for commercial satellite launches. The PSLV (Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle) rocket has become a workhorse of the global launch industry, having successfully deployed satellites for dozens of countries. Beyond exploration, ISRO's applications directly benefit Indian citizens — remote sensing satellites monitor crop health and disaster situations, communication satellites support rural connectivity, and navigation satellites underpin systems like NavIC. India's space ambitions continue to grow, with the Gaganyaan human spaceflight programme underway and plans for a space station and a mission to Venus in the coming years. ISRO's journey reflects how strategic investment in science and technology can yield both national pride and practical development dividends. What is the TONE of the author in this passage?

Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly reshaping the way humans live, work, and interact. From virtual assistants and recommendation algorithms to advanced medical diagnostics and autonomous vehicles, AI applications are becoming embedded in nearly every sector of society. The technology works by processing vast amounts of data to identify patterns and make predictions, often performing tasks with speed and accuracy that surpass human capability. In the field of healthcare, AI has shown tremendous promise. Machine learning models can analyse medical images such as X-rays and MRIs to detect diseases like cancer at early stages, sometimes with greater precision than trained radiologists. AI-powered tools are also being used to accelerate drug discovery, predict patient outcomes, and personalise treatment plans based on individual genetic profiles. Despite these advances, AI also raises significant ethical and social concerns. Questions about data privacy, algorithmic bias, and the displacement of workers due to automation are hotly debated among policymakers, technologists, and civil society. For instance, algorithms trained on historically biased data may produce discriminatory outcomes in areas such as hiring, lending, or law enforcement. Governments around the world are attempting to regulate AI through legislation and policy frameworks. The European Union's AI Act, adopted in 2024, is considered one of the most comprehensive attempts to govern AI systems based on their level of risk. India is also working on a national AI strategy that balances innovation with ethical safeguards. What does the word 'bias' most likely mean as used in the context of the passage?