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Reading Comprehension Shot 08
Directions: Read the following passage carefully and answer the
questions given below.
As a preventive measure against the COVID- 19 pandemic in India, the Indian
government imposed a nationwide 21-day lockdown on March 23, 2020,
restricting the movement of its entire population of 1.38 billion. The
nationwide lockdown continued until May 3, after which it was extended with
conditional relaxations until May 31. The economy slowly started reverting
with Unlock 1.0 being announced on June 1. Today, almost a year later, COVID-
19 vaccines are being rolled out across the nation. Nearly 105 million Indians
have been vaccinated so far. Priorities for vaccination in India have been
based on occupation, age and health conditions. Being a dynamic community
with no specific definitions based on any criteria, migrants have been dropped
from the priority list for vaccination. When Prime Minister Narendra Modi
declared “TeekaUtsav” from April 11-14 across the nation’s healthcare
centres, apartment complexes, residential colonies, traditional halls,
workplaces and more, the focus group for vaccinations were individuals over
the age of 45, not migrants. Even when the economy thrives on the value of
their essential services, why are migrants being kept off the priority list?
Even though we are gradually returning to the “new normal”, the distressing
images of hungry migrant workers walking back to their homes with small
children will remain in our minds. When factories and workplaces shut down,
and a lockdown was imposed, millions of migrant workers lost their jobs,
forcing them and their families to go hungry. With no jobs, no money, and a
bleak future ahead of them, they were seen walking or bicycling for hundreds
of kilometers to return to their hometowns. Many of them were even arrested
for breaking the lockdown, and some died from dehydration or road crashes.
It was the second-largest population displacement since Partition. The worst-
hit class of people during the pandemic was the “vulnerable circular
migrants”. They are “vulnerable” because of their weak position in the
job market and “circular” because they seasonally move between their urban
workplaces and their rural hometowns. Such migrants work in construction
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sites or in small factories or as rickshaw pullers in the city, but when such
employment avenues dwindle, they go back to their rural hometowns. They
are often denied adequate healthcare, nutrition, housing as well as sanitation
facilities as the majority of them operate informally. They come from rural
backgrounds, but live inside cities for work most of the year. The majority has
no savings and resides in broken-down houses, shut down factories,
dormitories or chawls. Migrants contribute significantly to India’s GDP.
Almost 90 percent of Indians work in the informal sector, 75 percent of whom
are migrants, while vulnerable circular migrants manage most of the
essential services. As of 2020, India has approximately 600 million internal
migrants. The COVID-19 crisis displaced nearly 200 million migrants, of which
140 million had migrated to make a living. Family members who migrate with
the population accounted for the rest of the migrant breadwinner. Many
schemes were formulated by the Indian government for the migrant
population. Soon after the nationwide lockdown was announced in late March
2020, Finance Minister NirmalaSitharaman announced a Rs 1.7 lakh crore
($24 billion) spending plan for the poor which consisted of cash transfers and
other measures to ensure food security. The average daily wages under the
MGNREGA were increased to Rs 202 from the earlier Rs 182. Nearly Rs 1,000
crore from the PM CARES Fund was allocated for the support of migrant
workers. Later on, free food grains for 80 million migrant workers were also
announced by the FM. Though it seems that the government did much for the
migrants and their families, only some of them could avail the intended
welfare. It was only on May 26, 2020, after the Supreme Court admitted that
the migrants’ issues had not been addressed and that there had been
“inadequacies and certain lapses” on the part of the governments that it
requested the central government and states to provide stranded migrant
workers with free food, shelter, and transportation. Only in the last week of
May last year were the state governments finally permitted to operate buses
for stranded migrants. Conditions in the buses were generally poor, with
social distancing being impossible due to overcrowding and higher fares being
charged than promised. Some of the migrants were unable to benefit from the
food security schemes as promised by the government through its public
distribution system. This was because ration cards were area-specific,
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required registration, and because fair-price stores were largely inaccessible
during the lockdown. Although One Nation, One Ration Card permitted
migrant workers to obtain free food grain anywhere, very few knew of the
scheme. Although the Centre issued an order instructing landlords not to
demand rent and employers to pay wages without deduction during the
lockdown period, the order regarding payment of wages was later withdrawn.
The Supreme Court denied a plea requiring payment of the minimum wage, as
labourers had already been supplied with free food at the relief camps. While
vaccinations have helped reduce COVID- 19 caseloads, the country fears
another lockdown situation and closure of borders between states just like the
previous year due to growing COVID-19 cases. It is painful to see that
migrants are still not being prioritized for vaccination drives even when
specialized drives for various age groups have started. It is true that the sick
and the elderly need to be vaccinated first, and this might take another
year, but the migrants should not be made to wait until then. They were the
most affected during the lockdown. Most of them live on meagre jobs they do
in the cities every day Without being vaccinated, they will not be able to
take up jobs. Developmental indicators such as the health and education of
migrant families would decrease dramatically if they are unable to
come back for work. They will never be able to survive this situation without
an adequate support system. Our failure to prioritize their vaccination will
lead the country to a major economic crisis, with not just low productivity and
increasing unemployment, but also a breakdown of the critical but informal
services sector.
1. Why some of the migrants were unable to benefit from the food
security schemes as promised by the government through its public
distribution system?
A) Lack of money
B) Lack of awareness about the schemes which are running by government
C) Because fair-price stores were largely inaccessible
D) Both (B) and (C)
E) (A), (B) and (C)
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2. Which of the following statements is FALSE as given in the passage?
A) “TeekaUtsav” from April 11-14 across the state’s healthcare centres,
apartment complexes, residential colonies, traditional halls, workplaces and
more.
B) Almost a year later, COVID-19 vaccines are being rolled out across the
nation. Nearly 105 million Indians have been vaccinated so far.
C) Priorities for vaccination in India have been based on occupation, age and
health conditions.
D) The worst-hit class of people during the pandemic was the “vulnerable
circular migrants”.
E) The Indian government imposed a nationwide 21-day lockdown on March
23, 2020, restricting the movement of its entire population of 1.38 billion.
3. Which of the following statement(s) is/are TRUE as given in the
passage?
A) Being a dynamic community with no specific definitions based on any
criteria, migrants have been dropped from the priority list for
vaccination.
B) When factories and workplaces shut down, and a lockdown was imposed,
millions of migrant workers lost their jobs, forcing them and their families to
go hungry.
C) With no jobs, no money, and a bright future ahead of migrants, they were
seen walking or bicycling for hundreds of kilometers to return to their
hometowns.
D)Both (A) and (B)
E) All (A), (B) and (C)
4. According to the passage, how migrants contribute significantly to
India’s GDP?
(A) Almost 90 percent of Indians work in the formal sector, 75 percent of
whom are migrants, while vulnerable circular migrants manage most
of the essential services.
(B) Almost 90 percent of Indians work in the informal sector, 75 percent of
whom are migrants, while vulnerable circular migrants manage most of the
essential services.
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(C) Almost 80 percent of Indians work in the informal sector, 75 percent of
whom are migrants, while resilient circular migrants manage most of the
essential services.
(D) Almost 90 percent of Indians work in the informal sector, 75 percent of
whom are migrants, while resilient circular migrants manage most of the
essential services.
(E) None of these
5. Find the antonym of Dwindle.
A) Abate
B) Shrivel
C) Ascend
D) Wane
E) None of these
6. Find the correct meaning of the given phrasal verb “rolled out”.
A) To introduce
B) To be responsible for
C) To demand
D) To support
E) To rely on
7. Word swapping
The COVID-19 crisis displaced (A) nearly 200 million migrants (B), of which
140 million had migrated to make a living. Family members who migrate with
the population(C) accounted for the rest of the migrant breadwinner (D).
A) B-C
B) A-B
C) B-D
D) C-D
E) No improvement required
Solution Key
1. Answer: D
Both (B) and (C)
In the fifth paragraph, we talk about the problems of migrants for getting food.
(A) Lack of money is also the main problem for migrants but it not fits
according to the paragraph so option A is False Most of the migrants were
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unable to benefit from the food security schemes because ration cards were
area-specific, required registration, and because fair-price stores were largely
inaccessible during the lockdown. Although One Nation, One Ration Card
permitted migrant workers to obtain free food grain anywhere, very few knew
of the scheme. That’s why
Option D is the correct answer.
2. Answer: A
“Teeka Utsav” from April 11-14 across the state’s healthcare centres,
apartment complexes, residential colonies, traditional halls, workplaces and
more Option A is not true because in the paragraph first we talk about the
teekautsav which is declared by Prime Minister Narendra Modifrom April 11-
14 across the nation’s healthcare centres, apartment complexes, residential
colonies, traditional halls, workplaces and more, not the only state’s
healthcare centres, apartment complexes, residential colonies, traditional
halls, workplaces That’s why option A is false.
(B) In the first paragraph we talk about the rolled out vaccines after 1 year
and the approximate number of people who got vaccinated. Hence option B is
correct.
(C) In the first paragraph we also talk about the priority for vaccination in
India. Hence option C is correct.
(D) In the second paragraph we talk about the problems of migrants who are
faced due to lockdown and they are the worst hit class of
people during the pandemic. Hence option D is correct.
(E) In the first paragraph we talk about the date of imposing a lockdown and
restricting the movement of its entire population, Hence option
E is correct.
3. Answer: D
Both (A) and (B)
(A) In the first paragraph we talk about the date of imposing a lockdown and
restricting the movement of its entire population, we also talk about the
priority for vaccination and about the rolled out vaccines after 1 year and the
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approximate number of people who got vaccinated in India. Hence option A is
false.
(B) In the second paragraph we talk about the most affected sector after the
imposing of lockdown i.e., migrant workers When factories and workplaces
shut down, and a lockdown was imposed, millions of migrant workers lost
their jobs, forcing them and their families to go hungry. With no jobs, no
money, and a bleak future ahead of them, they were seen walking or bicycling
for hundreds of kilometers to return to their hometowns. Hence option B is
true.
(C) In paragraph second we also talk about their dark future instead of bright
future, that’s why option C is false.
4. Answer: B
Almost 90 percent of Indians work in the informal sector, 75 percent of whom
are migrants, while vulnerable circular migrants manage most of the essential
services. In the third paragraph we talk about the contribution of migrant
workers to India’s GDP.Almost 90 percent of Indians work in the informal
sector, 75 percent of whom are migrants, while vulnerable circular migrants
manage most of the essential services. Hence option B is correct.
5. Answer: C
Ascend
Dwindle: - to become smaller or weaker
(A) Abate: - to become less strong; to make something less strong
(B) Shrivel: - to become smaller, especially because of dry conditions
(C) Ascend: - to go up
(D) Wane: - to become gradually weaker or less important
6. Answer: A
To introduce
(A) Rolled out: - To introduce
(B) Answer for: - To be responsible for
(C)Ask for: - To demand
(D) Back up: - To support
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(E) Back upon/count on: - To rely on
7. Answer: D
C-D
The COVID-19 crisis displaced nearly 200 million migrants, of which 140
million had migrated to make a living. Family members who migrate with the
breadwinner accounted for the rest of the migrant population.
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