"A recent High Court judgement has sought to dispel the idea of begging as a disease — which leads to its stigmatization and criminalization — and to regard it as a symptom. The underlying disease is the failure of the state to protect citizens who fall through the social security net."
Which one of the following statements can be inferred from the given passage?
A. Beggars are lazy people who beg because they are unwilling to work.
B. Beggars are created because of the lack of social welfare schemes.
C. Begging is an offence that has to be dealt with firmly.
D. Begging has to be banned because it adversely affects the welfare of the state.
GATE 2019 · General Aptitude · Verbal Reasoning · medium
Answer: Option B: Beggars are created because of the lack of social welfare schemes — this directly reflects the passage's conclusion that begging is a symptom of the state's failure to maintain the social security net.
Identify the core argument of the passage: The passage argues: begging is NOT a disease of the individual; it is a symptom of the state failing to provide social security. Responsibility lies with the state, not the beggar.
Evaluate option A: Option A blames beggars for being lazy and unwilling to work. This is the opposite of the passage's stance, which explicitly seeks to remove blame from the beggar.
Evaluate option B: Option B says beggars are created by a lack of social welfare schemes. This is a direct paraphrase of 'the failure of the state to protect citizens who fall through the social security net'. A missing or inadequate social security net = lack of social welfare schemes.
Evaluate option C: Option C treats begging as an offence requiring firm action. The passage explicitly criticises the criminalization of begging and aims to dispel it.
Evaluate option D: Option D claims banning begging benefits the state. The passage argues the state has failed its citizens; framing a ban as good for the state inverts the logic of the passage.