Capital Charter
Nearly four months into her tenure as Chief Minister of the National Capital Territory (NCT), Rekha
Gupta seems to have more agency and resources to address Delhi’s infrastructure issues and
economic woes. The governance deficit seen during the previous government led by the Aam Aadmi
Party (AAP) due to political differences with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government at the
Centre is noticeably absent now. Interacting with a cross-section of society at The Hindu Mind, a
platform for leaders from all fields to converse with curious minds, Ms. Gupta said that she wanted
to be known as someone who is dedicated to resolving the daily problems of the people of Delhi.
Problems abound. From electricity to education, transportation to public infrastructure, and sewage
treatment to water availability, there is a litany of issues that plague the national capital. Ms. Gupta
blamed the previous AAP and Congress governments for the situation. It is true that the AAP’s style
of governance provided succour to the poorest segments, but shallowed out the promise of Delhi as
an investment destination and an enabler of the middle-class dream for housing facilities and jobs.
AAP used Delhi as a staging post of its chief Arvind Kejriwal’s electoral ambitions.
That said, no incumbent can succeed by blaming predecessors. The one in charge currently is the
one answerable. Ms. Gupta said the Minto Bridge underpass in Connaught Place in central Delhi
would no longer flood in the rains, and she was proved right this week when the city received a
heavy downpour. But numerous other places in the city were waterlogged, and this is just a small
part of the challenges. Ms. Gupta said all the water logging points in Delhi have been identified, and
a nodal officer has been put in charge for each of them, who will be accountable. This must be
enforced strictly. Haphazard and unpredictable land use regulations over the decades are one of the
main reasons for Delhi losing out to surrounding places as a destination for housing and office space.
The land pooling policy in the capital which has been meandering, now needs to be urgently
streamlined and implemented. Thousands of people who have invested their hard-earned money
with the dream of a house in Delhi cannot be punished for policy confusion that is not their fault.
Schooling in Delhi needs to have predictable regulation, and both private and public schools must
follow standards. Huge disparities in school educations can have cascading ill effects for the society.
Freeing up Delhi’s so-called agricultural land for planned development must be a priority, and the
Chief Minister seems to be cognisant of this. Ms. Gupta said a new Master Plan for the city will
account for all these, and the fact that the BJP is in power at the Centre, NCT and in all Municipal
Councils of Delhi will make things easy. It is a great chance for Ms. Gupta to lead a definitive
transformation of the national capital.
Which of the following best captures the central critique of the Aam Aadmi Party’s governance
model as described in the passage?
A. It prioritized electoral victories over welfare initiatives.
B. It offered populist welfare but lacked long-term developmental vision.
C. It excessively centralized power in the hands of Arvind Kejriwal.
D. It ignored the needs of the middle class in favor of the elite.
In the author’s view, Ms. Gupta's claims about resolving infrastructural issues like waterlogging:
A. Are dismissed as politically motivated exaggerations.
B. Are unsubstantiated and contradicted by recent events.
C. Show initial signs of success, but larger issues remain.
D. Represent the complete eradication of chronic civic problems.
The tone of the author towards Ms. Gupta’s leadership can best be described as:
A. Adulatory and uncritical
B. Dismissive and cynical
C. Cautiously optimistic
D. Harshly critical
The News Shift
The way people consume news is undergoing a quiet but profound transformation, one that
traditional media organisations can no longer ignore. In many developed countries, especially the
United States, the dominance of television channels and news websites as primary sources of
information has eroded rapidly. In their place stands the sprawling, chaotic universe of social media
platforms and video-sharing networks, now the preferred choice of over half the population for
news content.
This is not merely a technological shift; it is a cultural one that is changing the very nature of public
discourse. At the heart of this change lies the rise of personality-driven content. Influencers,
podcasters, and self-styled commentators with loyal digital followings are increasingly shaping the
narrative on pressing issues ~ from politics to public health ~ often more powerfully than seasoned
journalists. This phenomenon explains why figures like Joe Rogan command the attention of a
significant portion of the population each week, eclipsing the reach of many established news
outlets.
The era of the impartial anchor behind a desk is fading; in its place, audiences seek familiar voices
that share opinions rather than merely deliver facts. But this transformation is not without
consequence. While the democratisation of news production allows for a more diverse range of
voices to be heard, it also opens the flood gates to misinformation. Alarmingly, online influencers
and personalities are now regarded by nearly half the global population as key sources of misleading
or false information ~ matching the levels of distrust traditionally reserved for politicians.
The danger here is two-fold: not only is misinformation spreading faster, but it is also often accepted
uncritically because it is delivered by familiar, trusted digital figures rather than faceless institutions.
This shift in news consumption is not solely the result of audience preference; political actors have
actively adapted to this new reality. Populist leaders and political parties now routinely sidestep
traditional media gatekeepers, granting access to friendly online hosts who rarely offer rigorous
questioning. In such a media ecosystem, accountability weakens, and narratives are shaped in echo
chambers rather than through open, adversarial scrutiny. Curiously, even as people gravitate toward
these new, less formal sources of information, surveys indicate that trust in established news brands
remains high ~ through their actual usage is declining.
This paradox suggests that while credibility is still valued, convenience and familiarity have become
the decisive factors in news consumption choices. Younger audiences, in particular, show an
increasing comfort with AI-driven summaries and chatbot-generated news, despite doubts about
their reliability. The implications are clear. The information landscape is becoming fragmented,
personalised, and deeply subjective. Traditional media must urgently rethink its approach ~ not just
to platform distribution, but to the very form and style of its storytelling ~ if it hopes to remain
relevant in this fast-changing environment. In this new era, authority will no longer come from
legacy or scale, but from resonance and trust in individual voices. Whether this will lead to a more
informed or more divided society remains an open question.
What is the main argument the author is making about the changing nature of news consumption?
A. Social media has become a more trustworthy source of information than traditional outlets.
B. Traditional news organizations are being replaced by influencers due to lower production costs.
C. The cultural shift in news consumption emphasizes familiarity and subjectivity over objectivity and
depth.
D. Political actors now prefer online platforms because they allow for better journalistic scrutiny.
Which of the following best explains the paradox noted by the author regarding news trust and
usage?
A. People trust traditional news outlets highly but rarely engage with their content.
B. Audiences demand more in-depth reporting but prefer summarised content.
C. Political parties attack mainstream media even while relying on them for credibility.
D. Social media platforms have more credibility than they are given credit for.
In the sentence,
“This is not merely a technological shift; it is a cultural one that is changing the very nature of
public discourse.”
what is the most accurate contextual meaning of the word "discourse"?
A. A formal debate between opposing political ideologies
B. The structure and grammar of a language system
C. Written or spoken communication, especially on serious topics
D. Propaganda used to influence public opinion
