Directions (Q.1-10): Read the following passage carefully
and answer the questions given below. Certain words/phrases have been printed
in bold to help you locate them.
The uneventful visit of the Afghanistan President Ashraf
Ghani to New Delhi last month has further strengthened the widespread belief
that India is losing strategic influence and geopolitical standing as far as
its northwestern frontier is concerned, especially Iran and Afghanistan. Just a
year ago, during the Karzai presidency, India was the “most favoured nation” in
Afghanistan. Today, there is a perceptible change in the new Afghan
government’s attitude towards India. For instance, no major agreements were
signed during Mr. Ghani’s visit and the India-Afghanistan Strategic Partnership
Agreement of 2011, hardly figured in the agenda. Indeed, India’s new
northwestern strategic environment, in which the relegation of the Indo-Afghan
strategic partnership is merely one element, is undergoing a grand geopolitical
transformation, but New Delhi seems to be clueless about how to engage with it.
Moreover, it is worrisome that while the most formidable challenges to India’s
national security invariably originate from its northwestern frontiers, both
historically and presently, the focus of the Bharatiya Janata Party-led
government has primarily been on the global stage and the country’s southern
and eastern neighbours.
The most important element of the new strategic landscape in
Southern Asia is the ongoing withdrawal of the United States from Afghanistan
and the resultant power vacuum, as well as the subsequent rebalancing of forces
in the region. China has begun the process of filling the post-American power
vacuum, albeit without military involvement for the moment. The withdrawal by
the U.S. and the attendant strategic uncertainty could also provide a
favourable environment for forces like the Taliban and the Islamic State (IS)
to enhance their influence in the region. This clearly worries Kabul. Given the
American withdrawal and India’s unwillingness to involve itself militarily in
Afghanistan, Mr. Ghani is left with no choice but to engage both Pakistan and
China. Moreover, he realises that Beijing is perhaps the only actor today that
has some traction in Islamabad. It is this that has led to a flurry of activity
among the three countries. On the one hand, China is enhancing its influence in
the region with the unveiling of its innovative ‘New Silk Road’ strategy and by
offering economic and developmental assistance to Pakistan, while on the other
Beijing is also increasingly engaged in regional “conflict management”
initiatives by mediating between Kabul and the Taliban, and organising
trilateral strategic engagements with Afghanistan and Pakistan. In November
2014, for instance, representatives of the Taliban from its Doha-based office
met in Beijing for talks. In February this year, China’s Deputy Foreign
Minister, Liu Jianchao, Pakistan’s Foreign Secretary Aizaz Chaudhry, and the
Afghan Deputy Foreign Minister, Hekmat Karzai, met in Kabul for the inaugural
round of a new trilateral strategic dialogue. New Delhi has been
disappointingly quiet in the face of these strategically significant
developments, unable and unwilling to contribute towards stabilising the
region.
The second significant component is the newfound warmth
between Kabul and Islamabad. Abandoning the trend of public spats, they are now
on a path of cooperation and friendship, or so it seems. Immediately after
assuming office, Mr. Ghani signalled a desire for reconciliation with Islamabad
and Rawalpindi. In his September 2014 “five-circle” foreign policy speech, not
only did he place Pakistan in the first circle of countries that are most
important to Afghanistan (with India in the fourth circle), but also took the
unprecedented step of visiting the Pakistan Army’s headquarters in Rawalpindi,
a gesture signifying the deep policy changes under way in Kabul. Pakistan has
also been making efforts to strengthen its relationship with Afghanistan; its
Army and the intelligence chiefs have already visited Kabul to discuss joint
counter-terrorism measures and to enhance the fight against terror. More
importantly, given Chinese concerns about terrorism and its increasing
influence on its borderlands, the Af-Pak rapprochement will most likely be
superintended by China. While this in itself need not concern New Delhi,
Islamabad is deeply suspicious of any cooperation between India and
Afghanistan. Therefore, the worry in New Delhi that the Af-Pak rapprochement
could have zero-sum implications for India is indeed a legitimate one. The
third major driver is the mainstreaming of radical Islamist terrorism in the
form of the rise of the IS and the resurgence of the Taliban. While the West
Asian region is currently the hotbed of Islamist terrorism, the Southern Asian
region would not only be a potential target of such forces but also a fertile
breeding ground. There are already reports of growing support for the IS in the
region and its focus there. The IS has reportedly made some inroads into
Pakistan and some Pakistan-based terror outfits have offered their allegiance
to the organisation. While there may not be any ideological unity among them,
the IS has the dangerous potential of providing a “wave of the future call” to
the disparate terror outfits in the region. The IS has also been making
recruitments from India; the speech by its leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, in July
last year specifically referred to the “atrocities against Muslims in Kashmir”.
For India in particular, the potential resurgence of the Taliban and the rise
of the IS have dangerous implications. The belief, in this context, that by
merely strengthening its borders, India would be able to survive the scourge of
terrorism is a mistaken one.
Q.1.Choose an appropriate title for the passage.
1) Discouraging Taliban
2) Afghanistan: The Home of Taliban
3) The Forgotten Frontier
4) Taliban and all
5) For a ‘Look Northwest’ Policy
Q.2.What is the reason mentioned in the passage for
Afghanistan to look forward to Pakistan and China?
1) Because Afghanistan was supported by both Pakistan and
China by the Govt.
2) Because Pakistan and China are one of the important
business partners of Afghanistan.
3) Because US is withdrawing forces from Afghanistan and
India will not engage its military in any kind of war.
4) All of the above
5) None
Q.3.Which of the following is not true according to the
passage?
1) The southern Asian region is a potential target for the
terrorism
2) The southern Asian region may also act as the breeding ground
for terrorist activities.
3) Pakistan is making efforts alone to eradicate terrorism
from Afghanistan and its neighbouring region.
4) All of the above
5) None of the above
Q.4. Which of the following is true according to the
passage?
1) The most important element of the new strategic landscape
in Southern Asia is the ongoing withdrawal of the United States from
Afghanistan.
2) PM Modi is on a three countries visit and will visit
China, Mongolia and South Korea.
3) PM Modi is going to sign many MoU with Afghanistan that
will benefit Afghanistan.
4) All of the above
5) None Of the Above
Q.5.What does the author mean by the phrase “The third major
driver is the mainstreaming”?
1) The third class fail is the driver of the mainstream
politician.
2) The third most important driving force is the
Gravitational force.
3) The major driver is the one who drives Mercedes.
4) The third main important factor is organizing the
Mainstream Countries.
5) None of the above
Q.6. What is the synonym of the word “innovative”?
1) Castigation
2) Unconventional
3) Chicanery
4) Cogent
5) None of the above
Q.7.Which of the following is the synonym of the word
“rapprochement”?
1) Delineate
2) Dichotomy
3) Equivocate
4) Detente
5) All of the above
Q.8.Which of the following is not the synonym of the word
“reconciliation”?
1) Estrangement
2) Ephemeral
3) Equanimity
4) Euphemism
5) None of the above
Q.9. Which of the following is not the synonym of the word
“perceptible”?
1) Foment
2) Frugality
3) Imperturbable
4) Inconspicuous
5) None of the above
Q.10. Which of the following is not the synonym of the word
“formidable”?
1) Malingerer
2) Comforting
3) Morose
4) Penchant
5) Paucity
ANSWERS:
1) 5
2) 3
3) 3
4) 1
5) 4
6) 2
7) 4
8) 1
9) 4
10)4
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