In the following passage on peaceful uses of nuclear energy, a blank is indicated. Select the most appropriate word to fill the blank: “Policies of non alignment, peaceful co existence, economic and cultural cooperation, disarmament and peaceful _____ of nuclear energy support India’s commitment to world peace.”

Introduction / Context:
This cloze test question is taken from a passage describing how India seeks world peace through various policies. One of the key phrases in international diplomacy is “peaceful uses of nuclear energy”, which refers to applying nuclear technology for power generation, medicine, and research rather than for weapons. The blank in the sentence must be filled with a word that completes this familiar phrase accurately.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The sentence is: “Policies of non alignment, peaceful co existence, economic and cultural cooperation, disarmament and peaceful _____ of nuclear energy support India’s commitment to world peace.”
• The options are “uses”, “disruption”, “sources”, and “negotiation”.
• The context is positive and peaceful use of nuclear technology.
• We assume the writer is using standard terminology found in international treaties and agreements.

Concept / Approach:
The internationally recognised phrase, seen in many treaties and discussions, is “peaceful uses of nuclear energy”. It highlights that nuclear technology should be used for constructive purposes like electricity, medical treatment, and scientific study. Out of the options, only “uses” fits the phrase both grammatically and conceptually. “Disruption of nuclear energy” would suggest causing problems, which goes against the positive tone. “Sources of nuclear energy” is grammatically possible but does not match the fixed expression after the word “peaceful”. “Negotiation of nuclear energy” is unidiomatic. Therefore, “uses” must be the correct answer.

Step-by-Step Solution:

Verification / Alternative check:
We can read the full sentence with “uses”: “Policies of non alignment, peaceful co existence, economic and cultural cooperation, disarmament and peaceful uses of nuclear energy support India’s commitment to world peace.” This flows naturally and matches vocabulary found in many international documents. Trying other options quickly shows problems: “peaceful disruption of nuclear energy” is self contradictory, “peaceful sources of nuclear energy” is descriptive but not idiomatic in this list of policy approaches, and “peaceful negotiation of nuclear energy” is unclear and awkward. Therefore, the phrase “peaceful uses of nuclear energy” is clearly the intended one.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

• Option B: “disruption” is negative and means disturbance or destruction, which clashes with the idea of peaceful policies.
• Option C: “sources” might fit grammatically in another context, but the established collocation in international affairs is “uses of nuclear energy”, not “sources of nuclear energy”, when talking about peace.
• Option D: “negotiation” does not combine naturally with “of nuclear energy” in this structure. We can negotiate treaties, not nuclear energy itself.

Common Pitfalls:
Some candidates may overanalyse the word “peaceful” and think of “peaceful negotiation”, because negotiation is often associated with peace. However, the object of “negotiation” would be treaties or agreements, not nuclear energy directly. Another pitfall is ignoring fixed phrases. In cloze tests, writers frequently use language taken directly from real world legal or diplomatic documents. Learning such standard combinations like “peaceful uses of nuclear energy”, “arms control and disarmament”, and “confidence building measures” helps candidates solve questions quickly and accurately.

Final Answer:
The correct word to complete the phrase is “uses”, giving “peaceful uses of nuclear energy”.