Comprehension : Comprehension

Q 9 / 466

UPSC CSE Prelims 2026

Directions: Read the following passage and answer the items that follow. Your answers should be based solely on the passage.
Passage: The process by which countries close their labour-productivity gap with the technology leader is based on convergence theory. The convergence model divides economic eras into three phases: the breakaway, the catch-up, and the fine-tuning phase. It also divides economic entities into two categories: the technology leaders and the technology followers. The process begins with the development of a new technology, such as scavenging three million years ago (MYA), hunting - one MYA, farming - 12 thousand years ago, and industrial technology - a little more than 200 years ago. During the breakaway phase, the per capita income of the technology leaders (e.g., Western Europe and North America in the industrial era) rises, but is unchanged for the technology followers. In the catch-up phase, the followers adopt the new technology and close their per capita income gap with the technology leaders. In the fine-tuning phase, where participants try to extract the remaining benefits from an increasingly exhausted technology, leaders and followers have similar per capita incomes.
Which of the following statements is/are correct?
  1. The convergence model divides nations into three phases of economic progress.
  2. At the heart of the convergence theory is the closing of the gap between labour and productivity.
  3. Technology leaders typically have arrived earlier at different economic eras.
  4. The time period covered by the convergence theory presented herein encompasses, as mentioned, 4012200 years.
Select the answer using the code given below.

EXPLANATION

The correct option is B - 2 and 3.

[as per provisional answerkey]

Why this is correct

The passage provides specific details regarding the convergence theory and its application across different economic eras. Let us evaluate the statements based on the text:

  • Statement 2: The passage explicitly states, "The process by which countries close their labour-productivity gap with the technology leader is based on convergence theory." This confirms that the closing of the gap between labour and productivity is the central theme of the theory.
  • Statement 3: The passage describes technology leaders as those who experience a rise in per capita income during the "breakaway phase" while followers remain unchanged. It lists leaders (e.g., Western Europe and North America) and notes that followers "adopt the new technology" later during the catch-up phase. This implies that leaders arrive at these economic eras earlier than followers.

Why the other options are incorrect

  • Statement 1 - The convergence model divides nations into three phases: This is a subtle misinterpretation. The passage states the model "divides economic eras into three phases" and "divides economic entities into two categories" (leaders and followers). It does not divide the nations themselves into three phases.
  • Statement 4 - The time period encompasses 4,012,200 years: This is a mathematical error based on a literal summation of the dates mentioned. The passage mentions distinct starting points for technologies (3 MYA, 1 MYA, 12,000 years ago, and 200 years ago). These are overlapping or nested timelines within human history, not a cumulative sum of years. Furthermore, "3 million years ago" already encompasses the subsequent dates mentioned.
  • Option (a) - 2 and 4: Incorrect because Statement 4 is logically and mathematically flawed based on the context of historical timelines.
  • Option (c) - 3 only: Incorrect because it ignores Statement 2, which is directly supported by the opening sentence of the passage.
  • Option (d) - 1, 3 and 4: Incorrect because it includes Statement 1 (misclassification of phases) and Statement 4 (incorrect temporal calculation).

Key Concept

Critical reading and precise attribute association: distinguishing between how a theory categorizes "eras" versus "entities" and identifying the core objective of a stated economic model.