Instructions: –
1. Attempt all the questions.
2. Once you have completed all the questions of a particular section click on the submit button for scores and explanations then move to the next sections.
3. For each correct answer, you receive 1 mark. For this mock, there is no negative marking.
English Language
Each set of questions in this section is based on a single passage. Please answer each question based on what is stated or implied in the corresponding passage. In some instances, more than one option may be the answer to the question; in such a case, please choose the option that most accurately and comprehensively answers the question.
The summit of the 21-member APEC in San Francisco was recently conducted which overshadowed by a bilateral meeting. US president Joe Biden had his second face-to-face meeting with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping. The strategic rivalry between the countries, which initially played out in the form of trade war, took a more serious turn last year when the US rolled out export control policies on semiconductors and AI. In addition, the US and China are backing rivals in the geopolitical conflicts that have broken out over the last two years.
The trajectory of the trade war offers a sense of their limitations and also ways to manage the rivalry without slipping into direct conflict. It’s been five years since the US began to impose tariffs on Chinese goods, which covered over 60% of imports from the country. Consequently, China’s share in the US imports declined by over 5 percentage points to 16.3% in 2022. Once the focus is broadened to look beyond bilateral trade to supply chains, the picture is different. A World Bank paper last month did just that and found a compression in the US-China direct trade linkage was offset by indirect linkages.
The decline in China’s share of US imports was filled by a handful of other countries, notably Vietnam. The spurt in exports of these countries was, in turn, related to their deep links to China through supply chains. Their increased exports to the US were accompanied by larger imports from China. As WTO pointed out, we have seen trade fragmentation linked to geopolitics but not broader de-globalisation. The US-China rivalry has some inbuilt checks because neither side can extricate itself from a trade relationship built on complex supply chains. It’s noteworthy that Australian PM Anthony Albanese this month visited China with trade on the top of the agenda.
The small impact of America’s Russia sanctions and other supply chain readjustments show that economic realities impose limitations on countries that aim to realise geopolitical goals through economic tools. The upside of this is that the US and China have an incentive to coordinate efforts to end hostilities in different theatres. There’s a lesson for India, which is rightly trying to capitalise on the trade fragmentation arising out of the US-China geopolitical rivalry. The biggest gainers so far have been countries that are part of deep supply chains.
CLAT previous year question paper
Quantitative Techniques
Three partners Kiran, Priya and Raman invested some money to start up two small scale industries S1 and S2. Kiran invested Rs. 60,000 for 7 years in S1, while Raman invested 10,000 more than what Kiran invested in S1 but he invested just for 5 years. Priya did not invest anything in S1. Kiran invested in S2 double the amount invested by Priya in S2. Raman invested 20,000 for 6 years in S2. The amount invested by Priya in S2 is double the amount invested by Raman in S2. However, Priya invested for 2 years and Kiran invested for 4 years in S2. The total profit earned from S1 is Rs. 3,30,000, while the total profit earned from S2 is Rs. 5,20,000.
Logical Reasoning
Multiple pieces of legislation and regulations prohibiting ragging on campuses have failed to end the dehumanising ordeals junior students are subjected to by their sadistic seniors. Nearly three months after a 17-year-old boy died due to ragging in West Bengal’s Jadavpur University, a second-year undergraduate student of the PSG College of Technology in Tamil Nadu has been left brutalised, physically and mentally, for refusing to yield to monetary extortion by his seniors. Both States were among the earliest to enact legislation banning ragging. That students undergo such traumatic experiences despite civil society being rudely awakened by spine-chilling cases of brutalisation and even the murder of victims of ragging, exposes the gaps in the system that allow a vicious cycle where victims one year become perpetrators the next.
From bullying and harassing freshers to ensure subservience to seniors, acts of ragging have taken perverse and cruel forms, including through sexual abuse, intended to dehumanise victims. An act of indiscipline has evolved into one that involves elements of criminality. While unlike earlier, ragging is no longer a given on campuses, it is evident that victims are not just the freshers and the harassment extends beyond the initial months of a new academic year, as seen above.
The Supreme Court-appointed R.K.Raghavan Committee had captured the causes, and suggested actionable remedies, in its 2007 report, ‘The Menace of Ragging in Educational Institutions and Measures to Curb It’. The panel rightly categorised ragging as a form of “psychopathic behaviour and a reflection of deviant personalities”. In 1999, a University Grants Commission (UGC) Committee had recommended a “Prohibition, Prevention and Punishment” approach to curb ragging. Yet, as the Raghavan Committee pointed out, many State laws only seek to prohibit, and not prevent, ragging. In its words, “while prevention must lead to prohibition, the reverse need not be true.” Despite ‘The UGC Regulations on Curbing the Menace of Ragging in Higher Educational Institutions 2009’, except for formalities such as conducting freshers’ parties, mandating undertakings from students and parents against indulging in ragging, and putting up ‘no-ragging’ notices, the stakeholders have done little to prevent it. Institutions must create an encouraging atmosphere where teachers and hostel wardens, and not parents living in a distant place, are the first point of contact for victims. There must be greater accountability by educational institutions to prevent ragging. As the Raghavan panel recommended, regulatory authorities must ensure a ragging-free campus. This has a direct bearing on the maintenance of academic standards in individual institutions. Governments too must be earnest in implementing regulations, failing which campuses would not be safe for students.
Legal Reasoning
Statutory Rape is defined in Section 375 of Indian Penal Code, (amendment of 2013) which states that “any male, who does an intercourse with any female who is below the age of 18, with or without her consent will constitute a Statutory Rape”. This offence is created to save the exploitation of the minor by the adults since they are incompetent to take decisions for themselves. In this kind of rape, the adult will get punished if he had any kind of physical interaction with a woman/girl, in the age of 18 years or below, no matter if she has voluntarily participated in the act or not. Statutory Rape is always in a shadow as the voice of victims goes unheard or they will not get any support from the society and our system. The age of consent and the legal age of marriage in India is 18 years old. The age of consent is the minimum age at which an individual is considered legally old enough to consent to participate in sexual activity. The Statute for this offence is The Protection of Children against Sexual offences Act, 2012 (POCSO) but it is regulated by the Section 375 of IPC. The consent of the victim is immaterial in these types of offences. The aim of statutory rape laws is to protect young minor females from males who might exploit them and do not take responsibility by giving support for the child. This rationale is to preserve the marriageability of the minor girl and to stop their unwanted teenage pregnancy.
Current Affairs & General Knowledge
India and Italy began an ambitious five-year strategic partnership on November 18, 2024, during the G20 summit in Brazil. The Prime Ministers of both countries, Narendra Modi and Giorgia Meloni, agreed on a multi-sectoral roadmap for the 2025-2029 period with defense, technology, economic growth, and cultural exchange being key areas of cooperation. This strategic partnership signifies their collective intent to work towards ensuring peace worldwide, technological innovation, and sustainable development.
The defence partnership is the core of the agreement. Both aim to strengthen cooperation between their ministries of defence and industry regarding cooperation in co-production and technology transfer. This cooperation encompasses the guarantee of the exchange of classified information and heightened military interaction. The October naval exercise between the two showcased their desire to deepen defence and maritime relations. Enhanced maritime cooperation also seeks to address critical issues like pollution and conduct joint search-and-rescue operations, prioritizing environmental sustainability and maritime safety.
Economically, the partnership will tap into the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEEC), with special focus upon strong industrial collaborations. Both nations are looking into manufacturing avenues in semiconductors, automotive industries, and infrastructure, marking their commitment to industrial innovation and self-reliance. The IMEEC is one of the geostrategic initiatives designed to streamline connectivity across continents and improve trade as well as infrastructural integration.
Co-development of next-generation defence equipment and research and innovation ecosystems in each country; that, indeed, marks a different dimension of cooperation in the field of technology. Notable among these is the cooperation between India’s ISRO and Italy’s Space Agency (ASI) focusing on projects dealing with Earth observation, heliophysics, and lunar exploration. These have the potential to deliver scientific advancements but also contribute to bilateral cooperation in emerging technological domains.
The two broad socio-economic aspects that emerge through this partnership are migration and workforce development. The legal migration channels for skilled workers are being created, while Indian health professionals will be trained for the healthcare sector of Italy to bridge skill gaps as well as to create employment opportunities. While at the same time, both the countries promise to combat illegal migration within a safe and controlled framework of workforce exchange. This strategic partnership is a promising step forward for the redrawing of India-Italy relations, mutual growth, and responses to global challenges. The co-operation in defence, economics, and technology exemplifies a sophisticated diplomacy and sustainable development-oriented approach.