SarkariPYQ

SSC Stenographer 2024 PYQ — Question 29

SSC Stenographer - 11/12/2024 (9:00 AM to 11:00 AM) • English • Q29

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In the following passage, some words have been deleted. Read the passage carefully and select the most appropriate option to fill in each blank.

With the aid of globalisation, the (1)________ planet can be viewed as a (2)________ marketplace. By viewing the world as a single market, merchants are able to expand their reach. Agricultural products, engineering goods, food items and toiletries that were already created in India were not permitted to be (3)_______ until the 1990s. But during the 1990s, the wealthy countries (4)________ pressure on the poor and emerging nations to open their markets so that the wealthy might more easily spread their industries. When India first began its liberalisation and globalisation process in 1991, it was a (5)______ step for the country.

Select the most appropriate option to fill in blank number 5.

Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: B

Explanation

The correct answer is option 2, i.e. significant.

The full sentence reads:

“When India first began its liberalisation and globalisation process in 1991, it was a (5) ______ step for the country.”

This refers to a major turning point—a foundational change in India’s economic direction. The word 'significant' precisely captures that meaning: a step that had wide-reaching, transformative effects on the nation.

After the crisis of 1991, India adopted the LPG (Liberalisation, Privatisation, Globalisation) reforms, which were widely described as a transformative or pivotal moment in economic history, ending decades of regulation and setting the country on a path of rapid growth. 

These reforms marked a shift from a inward-looking, controlled economy to a globally integrated, market-driven one—a change of fundamental magnitude.

Thus, “significant” succinctly conveys that this 1991 policy shift was far more than just a step—it was a watershed moment for India’s economy.

Other options:

abducted - Implies kidnapping—not relevant at all to policymaking or economics.

 emerged - Means “came into being”; here we need an adjective describing the step, not a verb.

engrossed - Means absorbed or occupied interest—completely unrelated to the context.
None of these fit the intended meaning of a major national policy milestone.