CTET Paper 2 Social Science 17th Jan 2022 (English-Hindi-Sanskrit) (Previous Year Paper)

There are some periods in the life of a child that are crucial for development and learning. 

Key Points A critical or sensitive period is one when the child is maturational ready to acquire a skill. During this period the child must have favorable experiences, which will help her to acquire the skill. If the favorable experiences come after the critical period is over, the child finds it difficult to learn.

• A critical or sensitive period is that time period in life when an environmental influence has its greatest impact on the development of the child.
• During these periods if the child has favorable experiences, her development will be fostered. If in these periods experiences are unfavorable, development suffers.
• During this period, specific experiences affect the development of the child more than they do at other times.
• Such periods are critical for development because during these periods the child is ready to learn a particular skill.
• At times, the damage done because of unfavorable experiences may be irreversible. These periods when a child is particularly sensitive to the conditions in her environment are referred to as critical periods or sensitive periods.

Thus by all these references, we can conclude that Sensitive periods represent a specific time when children are particularly susceptible to certain kinds of stimuli in their environment.

The term ‘development’ refers to qualitative changes in an individual such as a change in personality or other mental and emotional aspects. Development is governed by certain principles which are applicable to all individuals.

Key PointsComparisons among children can very accurately assess a child’s developmental progress:

• It is false as comparing children to assess their developmental progress is an inappropriate way as the development of all human beings follows the different rates of development.
• Comparing children can lead to low self-esteem and anxiety in them which could hinder their growth and development.

The pattern and sequence of development, as well as the rates of development, are the same, for all children universally:

• It is false as all development is sequential and orderly, yet the pace or rate at which development takes place may vary from person to person.
• For example, a 3-year-old child may be able to recognize the English alphabet, whereas another 5-year-old may not be able to do so. It means that the rate of acquisition or mastery of skill may vary from child to child.

Hence, it is clear that  Both (A) and (R) are false.

Socialisation can be defined as the process whereby the helpless infant gradually becomes a self-aware, knowledgeable person, skilled in the ways of the culture into which s/he is born. Indeed without socialisation, an individual would not behave like a human being. Socialisation is a life-long process even though the most critical process happens in the early years, the stage of primary socialisation. Secondary socialisation as we saw extends over the entire life of a person. 

Key Points

Characteristics of Socialization are- 

• The child is socialised by several agencies and institutions in which s/he participates, viz. family, school, peer group, neighbourhood, occupational group and by social class/caste, region, and religion.
• Secondary socialization developed in early childhood (2-6 years) are- imitation, approval, sympathy, empathy, rivalry, attachment friendship, etc
• Social behaviours developed in later childhood (6-12 years) are- social approval, competition, responsibility etc
• Social behaviours developed in Adolescence (14-18 years) are- contradictory tendencies, new thinking new social groups etc.
• Adaptation and adjustment are the primary objectives of socialization.
• Socialisation is at the origin of our very individuality and freedom. In the course of socialisation, each of us develops a sense of self-identity and the capacity for independent thought and action.

Thus by all these references, we can conclude that Secondary socialisation maps the period in early childhood when the child begins to attend formal institutions such as the school.

Hint

• Infancy period: During this stage, adjusting to the new non-uterine environment becomes the major goal or focus in the life of the neonate. Adjusting to room temperature. Breathing independently, sucking and swallowing the milk, eliminating body, and waste are prime areas that the newborn needs to master.
• Early childhood period: The period from birth to six years is a time for rapid development. In this stage, the absence of experience and deprivation can be detrimental to growth. Care and stimulation are critical during early childhood or the first three years.
• Later childhood: During this stage children develop marked negativism and because of their desire for independence seldom obey their parents. The child begins going to school and learns the rudiments of knowledge essential for successful adult life. The peer group assumes great significance and children of this age 'crowd together, thus earning the name gang age'.
• Adolescence: Adolescence literally means 'to grow to maturity. It is an intermediary stage between childhood and adulthood characteristically possessing qualities of both stages, although not fully in either of them. The age range is from 12-19 years. It is the threshold to adulthood. There are rapid physical changes taking place including sexual maturity which is attained during adolescence.

Important Points Socialization can be classified into two broad groups:

• Primary socialization
• Secondary socialization.
• Primary socialization- Inculcation of norms and values within the family is called primary socialization. Here children want to know themselves and try to find their identity and learn the daily routine tasks of humans.
• Example: Family.
• Secondary socialization- The process of imbibing norms, values, and behavior patterns of school may be called secondary socialization.
• Example: Church, School, Media, books, magazines, etc.

Cognitive Development Theory- Jean Piaget said that a child's power to reflect and discover the reality of life not only depends on the child's maturity level or on his or her experience but on the interaction of both.

Key Points Jean Piaget made a systematic study of cognitive development among children of different age groups and he categorized it into different developmental stages. These stages are- Sensory-motor stage (0 to 2 years), Pre-operational stage (2 to 6 years), Concrete operational stage (6 to 11 years), and Formal Operational stage (11+ years to adolescence).

• Formal Operational Stage- According to Jean Piaget, this is a stage for a child who belongs from the age group of 11 years till adolescence. Changes are as-
• Hypothetical- deductive logic begins.
• Divergent/Convergent thinking.
• Creative thinking.

Thus by all these references, we can conclude that children work with hypothetical statements and explore logical relationships between statements and have the ability to cope with abstractions such as proportions in the formal operational stage.

Important Points Other stages of Jean Piaget Cognitive development theory are:

• Sensory-motor stage - This is a stage of the child from just after birth to two years. In this stage-
• Senses are teachers.
• Reflex action shows in children.
• Intimate behavior by the child is shown.
• Pre-operational stage - This is a stage of the child from two years to 6 years. In this stage, there are many changes are shown in the child such as-
• ​Language development starts.
• Irreversibility in a child.
• Egocentrism
• Animism​
• Concrete operational stage- There are many changes found in the child during the concrete operation stage (6 to 11 years) such as:
• Reversibility: Reversibility comes in a child, he/she can change their views by thinking diversely.
• Logics mapping: Logical mapping begins in a child so they analyze the problem, then think critically about it then comes to conclusion.

There is no doubt that the Swiss cognitive theorist Jean Piaget revolutionized the study of cognitive development in children. Although his theory received criticisms and has undergone various revisions over the years, it definitely provides a set of basic cognitive principles guiding much research even today.

• Piaget’s theory tries to unify how biology and experience shape cognitive development. He believed that like our physical bodies which adapt to the world, we also build mental structures which help us in adapting to the world.

Key Points

• Like many other theories, Piaget’s theory has also not gone unchallenged and gets criticized for the fact that Piaget overlooked the effect of cultural and social groups while studying cognitive development in children.
• For instance, in many cultures such as Wolof in West Africa, central Australia, and New Guinea, many of 10–13-year-old is not able to attain conservation successfully.

Important Points

Some of the important ideas given in Jean Piaget’s theory of cognitive development include:

• Children are active beings:  Piaget saw the child as an active and independent learner. He believed that children actively and systematically try to make sense of their experiences to adapt to their environment.
• Children’s thinking is qualitatively different from that of adults: Piaget’s theory was born out of observations of children. When Piaget was analyzing the results of the intelligence test, he noticed that young children provide qualitatively different answers to older children. These observations reinforced his idea that young children and older children have qualitative differences in thinking.
• Development of children takes place by their acting upon the environment: Piaget stated that children construct their own understanding through interaction with their environment. He believed that the mind is the center of an organism changing and being changed by the environment.

From the above points, it is clear that the development of children is dependent on their socio-cultural context is a critique of Jean Piaget’s theory of cognitive development.

There are many different learning theories that can be used to help guide a teaching/ learning process. Constructivism is one theory that explains how people might acquire knowledge and learn.

• Constructivism theory suggests that people construct their own understanding and knowledge of the world by testing ideas and approaches based on their prior knowledge and experience. Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky are two eminent figures in cognitive development (development of constructivist theories).

Key Points

• Vygotsky’s is a social constructivist approach, which emphasizes the social context of learning and construction of knowledge through social interaction, unlike Piaget who adopted a cognitive constructivist approach as he believed that children themselves discover or construct all knowledge about their world through their own activity.
• Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky have shifted the understanding of learning from a passive process to an active process as constructivism recognizes that knowledge is actively produced by learners in response to interactions with their existing knowledge and environment.
• This implies that the teacher does not dispense knowledge, but provides students with opportunities and incentives to construct it. Knowledge is an active meaning-making process, in which learners construct their own meaning. It is not something that is imposed by the teacher on the learner.

From the above points, it is clear that Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky have shifted the understanding of learning from a passive process to an active process.

Lev Vygotsky is a Russian Psychologist who proposed the theory of Socio-cultural development. In this theory, Vygotsky emphasizes the role of society and culture in the development of the child. According to him, there are three main needs for the development of the child and these are- Social interaction, Culture, and Language.

Key Points According to Vygotsky, there are three main factors that affect the learning of the child and these are- Social interaction, Culture, and Language:

• Social interaction: ​​Children try to interact with people.
• Example: Peer groups, family members, etc.
• Culture: ​Children adopt the culture by interaction.
• Language: Children can easily intimate their primary language through interaction or communication.

Thus by all these references, we can conclude that social interaction is the main basis of learning according to Vygotsky.

Hint

• Reinforcement: Reinforcement is something that enhances the strength of the response and prompts repetitions of the behavior that preceded; reinforcement.
• Drill and practice: The term drill and practice are defined as a method of instruction characterized by systematic repetition of concepts,

Important Points Vygotsky also proposed three basic needs of students during learning, these are:

• ZPD (zone of proximal development):  The difference between the learning of a child by self and the learning of a child with the help of others(society, culture, etc).
• Scaffolding: Scaffolding is the term, given by Vygotsky, in which he proposed that the temporary help given by the teachers, family, friends, etc. to the children in his learning.
• MKO (more knowledgeable others)- Vygotsky defined the “More Knowledgeable Other” (MKO) as anyone who has a better understanding or a higher ability level than the learner, particularly in regards to a specific task, concept, or process. MKO could be teachers, parents, tutors, and even peers.

Lawrence Kohlberg, an American psychologist, has propounded the Theory of Moral Development.

• He defined three levels of moral development: pre-conventional, conventional, and post-conventional. Each level has two distinct stages.

Key Points 

Level 3: Post-Conventional Morality: During the post-conventional level, a person’s sense of morality is defined in terms of more abstract principles and values. People now believe that some laws are unjust and should be changed or eliminated. The last level consists of stages five and six of moral development. According to Kohlberg, very few people are able to reach this level. 

• Stage V (Social contract orientation)- In this stage, the individual or child understands that different people and communities may hold different views and laws**. Laws of society are not rigid and should be changed with the change in the time and needs of the society.**
• Stage VI (Universal Ethical Principles orientation) - Individuals judge morality based on some universal principles that transcend beyond society's rules and regulations. Individuals reason that human rights and justice is most important even if they go against societal laws.

Additional Information

• Stage I (Obedience and Punishment Orientation) -  An action is immoral if it is punished by the authority. Children in primary schools follow this stage. At this stage, children have the fear that if they are not following the obedience principle, they get punished by the teachers or parents.
• Stage II (Individualism and Exchange) - This stage is self-interest driven and children understood for the first time that different individuals may have different viewpoints. An action is considered morally correct if it is in the best interest of the individual.
• Stage IV (Authority and social-order maintaining orientation) - Judgment of morality is based on one's duty, law, and social order. actively maintaining the current social system ensures positive human relationships and societal order. Example: I am personally against the war, but would never publicly protest it on campus without the administration's permission.

Thus, it is concluded that at the Social–contract orientation stage of Lawrence Kohlberg’s moral development theory individuals believe that society needs to update the rules over time.

Howard Gardner proposed a theory of multiple intelligence. Gardner defines intelligence as "a biopsychological potential to process information that can be activated in a cultural setting to solve problems or create products that are of value in a culture.

Key Points The following are types of intelligence- 

Thus by all these references, "Intelligence: Logico-mathematical; End State Possibility: Account" is the correctly matched pair according to the theory of multiple intelligence proposed by Howard Gardner.

Learner or child-centered approach to education means planning and transacting curriculum in the classroom in a way that allows for flexibility in pace and style of learning to keep in mind that children in a classroom are widely different. It, therefore, suggests an approach to teaching different from the existing practice of having a uniform curriculum, uniform learning material and activities, uniform time, and uniform instructional and evaluation strategies for the whole class.

Key Points Roles of teachers in child-centered education:

• The teacher will be a friend, facilitator, guide, or intervener for the learners, so that learners can share everything easily and make their performance better.
• create a conducive learning environment for every child through planned activities.
• The teacher should provide opportunities to all the learners as per their needs and interest so that they can learn effectively.
• The teacher should have to connect with the soul of learners and tries to facilitate a socio-constructivist manner of learning.
• Both children and teachers participate as learners in a friendly atmosphere.
• Instead of one-way communication, the teacher involves students at every stage of the teaching-learning process and uses interactive styles of communication to facilitate his/her learning potential.

Thus by all these references, we can consider that the teacher understands the child and the process of learning in a socio-constructivist manner in a child-centered classroom.

Hint

• A rigid and standardized curriculum is not a characteristic of child-centered classrooms, classroom environment should be free for all the learners so that they can learn conceptually.
• Assessment of the learners is not on the basis of rank, marks, it is just done in a formative way to find the learning gaps of the learners.

National Education Policy 2020- According to NEP 2020, A good educational institution is one in which every student feels welcomed and cared for, where a safe and stimulating learning environment exists, where a wide range of learning experiences are offered, and where good physical infrastructure and appropriate resources conducive to learning are available to all students.

Key Points  Some important fundamental principles of the NEP 2020 are- 

• Full equity and inclusion as the cornerstone of all educational decisions to ensure that all students are able to thrive in the education system.
• It includes the overall development of the leader, it covers all three aspects as Cognitive domain, affective domain, and psychomotor domain.
• Emphasis on conceptual understanding rather than rote learning and learning-for-exams.
• Assessment of the students should be done by using different methods, by different activities including role play, portfolios, etc.
• The curriculum/instruction is in the native language or in the mother tongue of the primary students so that they can understand and imply it perfectly.
• Promoting self-assessment and the peer assessment done by the student in the classroom.
• Respect for diversity and respect for the local context in all curriculum, pedagogy, and policy, always keeping in mind that education is a concurrent subject.
• Establishment of the linkage of the concepts with the environment or we can say that the linkage of the school with the home.
• The teacher should promote or encourage the abilities of the learners, they should reflect on the unique abilities of the learners on their report card so that learner improves their unique abilities much better than now.
• Promoting multilingualism and the power of language in teaching and learning.
• Creativity and critical thinking encourage logical decision-making and innovation.
• It emphasizes group work as well as individual work, NEP 2020 links the study to the curriculum.

Thus by all these references, we can conclude that According to National Education Policy 2020, the progress card of the students communicated to the parents would be a reflection of the progress as well as the uniqueness of the student.

Hint

• Comparison between the learners should not mention in the NEP 2020, because comparison makes a negative impact on the learning, and thought-process, of the learners.

Education Policy lays particular emphasis on the development of the creative potential of each individual. It is based on the principle that education must develop not only cognitive capacities - both the ‘foundational capacities ’of literacy and numeracy and ‘higher-order’ cognitive capacities, such as critical thinking and problem solving – but also social, ethical, and emotional capacities and dispositions.

National Education Policy 2020-

According to NEP 2020, A good educational institution is one in which every student feels welcomed and cared for, where a safe and stimulating learning environment exists, where a wide range of learning experiences are offered, and where good physical infrastructure and appropriate resources conducive to learning are available to all students.

Key Points  Some important fundamental principles of the NEP 2020 are- 

• Full equity and inclusion as the cornerstone of all educational decisions to ensure that all students are able to thrive in the education system.
• It includes the overall development of the leader, it covers all three aspects as Cognitive domain, affective domain, and psychomotor domain.
• Emphasis on conceptual understanding rather than rote learning and learning-for-exams.
• Promoting self-assessment and the peer assessment done by the student in the classroom.
• Respect for diversity and respect for the local context in all curriculum, pedagogy, and policy, always keeping in mind that education is a concurrent subject.
• Establishment of the linkage of the concepts with the environment or we can say that the linkage of the school with the home.
• Promoting engaging and contextual pedagogy to ensure retention of students from socio-economically disadvantaged groups.
• Promoting multilingualism and the power of language in teaching and learning.
• Creativity and critical thinking encourage logical decision-making and innovation.
• It emphasizes group work as well as individual work, NEP 2020 links the study to the curriculum.

Thus by all these references, we can conclude that according to the NEP 2020 the engaging and contextual pedagogy ensures the retention of students from socio-economically disadvantaged groups.

Hint

• Standard curriculum: Standard curriculum should not be followed in the classroom, Curriculum should be flexible and based on the needs and abilities of the learners.
• Learning of the students should be done in multiple ways, such as observational learning, learning through interaction, etc. it should not be only textbook based.

Gender is the primary category that comes to our minds when we attempt to imagine any social/cultural life. We organize the world in terms of gender- the work people do, the clothes they wear, their behavior, their social groups, their tastes, and likes and dislikes.

Key Points

• The word gender is used as a conceptual category. This refers to an inter-related set of ideas about a man or a woman. Society differentiates men and women and allots to their different social roles.
• So in a society, there are different roles that men and women undertake. For instance, men become breadwinners for the family and women become the nurturers.
• Sex refers to the biological differences between male and female bodies, while gender refers to everything else that goes into making us “men” and “women”
• While our biological birth defines us as a man or a woman, society has differentiated the roles based on genders.

Thus by all these references, we can conclude that Sex is biological while gender is socially constructed.

Additional Information Gender-biased culture can be reduced by-

• Treating the girls and the boys equally.
• Gave the same and equal opportunity to all the students without making any difference between them.
• Promoting flexibility in the classroom.
• Presenting Non-stereotypical sex roles, such as a girl riding the bike, or a boy cooking in a kitchen.
• Engagement of every student in all the activities without distinguishing them.
• The sitting arrangement of all the boys and girls should not be separated.

Assessment: Assessing students’ performance is an integral part of the teaching-learning process. For this, you need to adopt various techniques of evaluation.

• The choice of evaluation techniques should be aligned with the learning objectives. Students learn information at a different pace. When you assess your students, you collect information about their level of performance.

Key PointsTools of assessment:

1. Portfolios: A portfolio is a systematically organized collection of a student’s work that covers a specific period of time. It proved to be an excellent vehicle for gathering together student writing and displaying the changes in proficiency over a period of time. A portfolio assessment represents a blend of the instructional process and the evaluation process.
2. Presentation: Through presentation, children express his\her opinions using verbal and written aids like speech, poems, worksheets, etc. It helps children to express their experiences and thoughts beautifully and to convey the information in the best way.
3. Classroom participation: Active participation of children is crucial in constructing and assessing knowledge. Every school needs to provide opportunities where each child learns and happily engages in classroom activities.
4. Work in groups/Group work: Group work serves as an important tool to make learning meaningful by working together. In groups, students work collaboratively and involve in active learning. It helps teachers to identify student's weaknesses and strengths.

From the above points, we can conclude that all four tools ((i), (ii), (iii), (iv)) should be used by the teachers to assess children.

Lev Vygotsky is a Russian Psychologist who proposed the theory of Socio-cultural development. In this theory, Vygotsky emphasizes the role of society and culture in the development of the child. According to him, there are three main needs for the cognitive development of the child and these are- Social interaction, Culture, and Language.

Key Points According to Vygotsky, there are three main factors that affect the cognitive development of the child and these are- Social interaction, Culture, and Language:

• Social interaction: ​​Children try to interact with people.
• Example: Peer groups, family members, etc.
• Culture: ​Children adopt the culture by interaction.
• Language: Children can easily intimate their primary language through interaction or communication.

Thus by all these references, we can conclude that, according to Lev Vygotsky, language plays an important role in the cognitive development of the child.

Additional Information  Vygotsky also proposed three basic needs of students during learning, these are:

• ZPD (zone of proximal development):  The difference between the learning of a child by self and the learning of a child with the help of others(society, culture, etc).
• Scaffolding: Scaffolding is the term, given by Vygotsky, in which he proposed that the temporary help given by the teachers, family, friends, etc. to the children in his learning.
• MKO (more knowledgeable others)- Vygotsky defined the “More Knowledgeable Other” (MKO) as anyone who has a better understanding or a higher ability level than the learner, particularly in regards to a specific task, concept, or process. MKO could be teachers, parents, tutors, and even peers.

The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 is the disability legislation passed by the Indian Parliament to fulfill its obligation to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which India ratified in 2007.

• The Act replaced the existing Persons With Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Act, 1995.

Key Points Objectives of Right of persons with disabilities act (2016) for disabled learners.:

• admit disabled learners without discrimination and provide education and opportunities in all aspects, equally with others.
• make building, campus, and various facilities accessible
• Provide reasonable accommodation according to the individual's requirements.
• provide necessary support individualized or otherwise in environments that maximize academic and social development consistent with the goal of full inclusion.
• ensure that the education to persons who are blind or deaf or both is imparted in the most appropriate languages and modes and means of communication.
• detect specific learning disabilities in children at the attainment levels and completion of the education in respect of every student with a disability.
• monitor participation, progress in terms of attainment levels, and completion of the education in respect of every student with a disability.
• provide transportation facilities to the children with disabilities and also the attendant of the children with disabilities having high support needs.

Thus by all these references, we can conclude that the Rights of persons with disabilities Act (2016) promotes Equality and non-discrimination in all spheres of life.

Hint

• There is no compulsory special education for disabled students, all the students learn under the same roof and it is promoted in the Rights of persons with disabilities Act (2016).
• Discrimination in opportunities and denial of the education affects the learning as well as the mental health of the learners, so discrimination and denial behavior is not promoted in the right of a person with disabilities act (2016).

Inclusive Education means meeting individual differences in the general classroom as It refers to the inclusion of all children in the education system, regardless of their differences and disabilities.

Key Points  Characteristics of inclusive education:

• The main objective of inclusive education is to educate and help them in learning every child not label them by different names on their performance.
• Inclusive education provides barrier-free access for all students.
• accepting all learners without imposing normative standards.
• Equitable education for all, including challenging, backwards, and disabled children.
• using diverse pedagogical strategies and respecting individual students’ pace of learning.
• All the students of different abilities, differences, and disabilities are treated equally.
• Creating an environment in which the child can learn with diversity, not creating a special environment for learning.
• Emphasis on their learning to read instead of emphasizing teaching.
• providing choices and options for learners amidst an array of activities and experiences.

Thus we can consider that Inclusive education helps in meeting the needs of each and every student.

Important Points Basic Principles of Inclusive Education:

• Equity and equal opportunities for all.
• Well-constructed educational plan.
• Sensitization towards individual differences.
• Use of multilingualism as a resource.
• Use of specific pedagogical strategies.

Learning disabilities mean a heterogeneous group of conditions wherein there is a deficit in processing language, spoken or written, that may manifest itself as a difficulty to comprehend, speak, read, write, spell, or do mathematical calculations and includes such conditions as perceptual disabilities, dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia, dyspraxia, and developmental aphasia’.

Key PointsDyscalculia is a mathematical disability. In this disability, the learner has difficulty in learning or comprehending mathematics. There are many signs which would indicate that the learner may have dyscalculia, these are:

• have trouble counting.
• have trouble arranging the things in order or sequence.
• shows the difficulty in understanding fractions.
• Does not understand how to use steps in a mathematical operation.
• have trouble understanding concepts of quantity, place value, and positive and negative values.
• have trouble understanding the concepts of months, weeks, days, etc.
• have trouble adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing.

Thus by all these references, we can conclude that Dyscalculia is a disability in which learner faces problems related to mathematics calculations.

Additional Information

 Some Other Common Learning Disabilities in Children:

Inclusive education is an approach to educating all children who are at risk for neglect in the education system. It expects that all learners learn together through access to common educational provisions. The crucial people in the system are the parents, community, teachers, administrators, and policymakers. All these people have to be supportive of the diverse needs of children.

• All the students of different abilities, differences, and disabilities are treated equally.

Key Points Dysphasia is a speech and language disorder, which is characterized by impairment in the ability to express by speech, write or use signs to communicate, the ability to comprehend spoken or written language is also impaired.

 Speech and language disorders can be cured by following these ways:

• Break the task related to the speech iintosmalls parts or chunks so that the learner can say it n small steps.
• providing them speech therapy so that they can not face this type of disability
• pre-planing for all the tasks in multiple ways for all the learners including speech and language disorder learners, so they can learn according to their comfort.
• The use of Visual and auditory aids for the learning of the learners will also be beneficial for the speech and language-related learners.

Thus by all these references, we can conclude that Discourage the use of visuals to support expressive language skills hinders the successful inclusion of students with speech the language disorders.

Important Points Basic Principles of Inclusive Education:

• It promotes Multiple ways of representation of content.
• Students can engage in the learning process in multiple ways.
• Flexibility in curriculum towards individual differences.
• The classroom is diverse and st Mandell as teachers can express their opinions in Multiple ways.
• It respects multiple languages and cultures.
• Use of specific pedagogical strategies.

Gifted students: Gifted students are those who display evidence of high-performance capabilities, in areas such as intellectual, creative, artistic, or leadership quality, or specific academic subjects, in comparison to others of the same age.

Key Points Ways to promote giftedness in students:

• Giving them reference books and asking them to read the same and make notes.
• Asking students to answer the examination papers for next year or next class.
• Providing them multi-directional curriculum so that they can learn by using their skills divergently.
• Enrichment materials can be given to them.
• Acceleration programs, whore students can progress academically faster than other students.
• Early admission to the school can be tried if she is found to be gifted.

Thus by all these references, we can say that to cater to the needs of students with giftedness, a teacher should avoid implementing a uni-dimensional curriculum.

Important Points Characteristics of gifted learners are-

• Finds pleasure in intellectual activities.
• Likes to create, invent, investigate, and conceptualize.
• Learns easily and readily.
• Displays great intellectual curiosity and inquisitiveness.
• Explores wide-ranging and special interests often in great depth.
• Uses vocabulary which is superior in both quantity and quality.
• The curriculum
• Demonstrates a richness of imagery in informal language and brainstorming

Learning is a continuous life-long process that is not inherited but can begin right from birth by providing constant interaction and stimulation received from the physical, social, and cultural environment and it does not stop till the end.

• Learning is considered meaningful when it is purposeful, goal-directed, progressive, and brings a permanent change in someone's behavior.

Key Points A teacher can improve learning by:

• Making the environment of the classroom according to the needs, abilities, and capacities of the learners.
• Teaching should not be instruction based, it should be done through different activities, experiments, and group discussions, that's why learners can enjoy their learning.
• Learning can be improved when the teacher analyzes the previous knowledge of the learner and starts linking the new concepts with the previous knowledge/experiences of the students, which helps the student to get the logic of the new concepts.
• Learning is more interesting by using TLMs for the students.
• Learning should be related to the real world and the surroundings of the students, which makes students familiar with the new concepts.

Hint

• Corporal punishment refers to the punishment that causes physical pain to the pupils for their unacceptable behavior. The statement that corporal punishments help in disciplining pupils is incorrect as students can't be disciplined by the punishment of physical pain rather it could lead to aggression, anxiety, and frustration in them.
• Corporal punishment should not be given to all the students, because it is not the best way of teaching, it impacts the mental ability of the learners negatively.

Hence we can conclude that Both (A) and (R) are true but (R) is not the correct explanation of (A).

The subject matter is defined as the precise information to be imparted to the students in the content.

Key PointsDisadvantages of considering the subject matter as an end-

• The students are passive participants in the learning process.
• Students learn the information, take notes, participate in a small amount of discussion, and then recall or retrieve the knowledge for assessment reasons.
• Considering the subject matter as an end in itself limits the learning process and also yields resistance to exploration among students.
• Children are naturally curious and learn through experience and social interaction, a subject matter-centered pedagogy will decrease their motivation to learn.

Hence, we conclude that any pedagogy which considers subject matter as an end in itself is likely to yield resistance to exploration among students.

Hint

• Considering subject matter as an end in itself will not yield a desire for innovation and appreciation for mastery in children as there is a limit to what they will learn.

‘Learning’ means a relatively permanent change in behavior that occurs as a result of experience with the environment. 

• Self-regulated learning refers to one’s ability to understand and control one’s learning. Self-regulation abilities include goal-setting, self-monitoring, self-instruction, and self-reinforcement.
• Self-regulation should not be confused with a mental ability or an academic performance skill. Instead, self-regulation is a self-directive process and set of behaviors whereby learners transform their mental abilities into skills and habits through a developmental process that emerges from guided practice and feedback.

Key Points

• Self-regulatory knowledge helps students in analyzing task requirements, setting productive goals, and selecting, adapting, or inventing strategies to achieve their objectives.
• These learners also monitor progress as they work thorough the task, managing intrusive emotions and waning motivation as well as adjusting strategies processed to foster success.
• Students should be taught self-regulatory knowledge about when, where, and why to use variations learning strategies because a learning strategy is more likely to be maintained and employed if students know when, where, and why to use it.
• Students with self-regulatory knowledge ask questions, take notes, and allocate their time and their resources in ways that help them to be in charge of their own learning.

Hence, it is clear that Both (A) and (R) are true and (R) is the correct explanation of (A).

Cognition is the mental processing of information, which is the function of the human mind that allows perceptions to grow into conceptions. When we have control over our own cognitive functions that are termed metacognition.

Key Points Characteristics of metacognitive capabilities:

• Metacognition makes students' thoughts divergent and gives them control over their own functionalities.
• A teacher should have to promote the development of the metacognition of the students through different activities, experiments, and hand-on-performances.
• Metacognitive strategies include Self-correction by evaluating himself in solving the problem.
• It means processes designed for students to 'think' about their 'thinking'.
• Metacognitive capabilities as a way to access the process and learning. The metacognitive strategies provided teachers with concrete actions and thought processes to reflect upon.
• If a student is able to think about their thinking/way of thinking, it is much more beneficial for their learning, they can improve their learning by changing their thoughts.
• It deals with the individual's awareness of the self as a knower and processor of information.
• It is strategic or reflective knowledge about how to go about solving problems, and cognitive tasks, including contextual and conditional knowledge and knowledge of self.
• Metacognitive knowledge is directed towards achieving the learning outcome.

Thus by all these references, we can consider the Evaluating process used by oneself in solving a problem as an example of metacognitive skills.

Important Points  The required skills to develop metacognition abilities among the students are:

• taking conscious control of learning
• planning and selecting strategies
• monitoring the progress of learning
• correcting errors
• analyzing and evaluating the effectiveness of learning strategies.
• changing learning behaviors and strategies when necessary.

Knowledge is a highly organized intellectual product of humans that includes personal experience, skills, understanding of the different contexts in which we operate our activities, assimilation of all these, and recording all this in a form that could be communicated to others. 

• Anderson (1985) categorized knowledge into two distinct pigeonholes, declarative knowledge and procedural knowledge.

Key Points Procedural knowledge is the knowledge of how to perform a specific skill or task, it is considered as knowledge related to methods, procedures, or operation of equipment.

Procedural Knowledge

• It tells us how to do things.
• It is essentially skill-based; it however does not have the high rigor of declarative knowledge.
• It is largely based on the performance of the right action in the correct sequence.
• Procedural knowledge goes hand in hand with appropriate competencies in a particular area.
• Example: Riding a bicycle is a sequencing process in which a rider took correct action at the correct time, Sequences to solve an oxidation-reduction equation, etc.

Hence by all these references, we can conclude that a teacher intends to facilitate procedural knowledge among her students with the help of these types of questions how to solve an oxidation-reduction equation? 

Important Points

• Declarative knowledge enables a student to collect facts in memory. It is also called descriptive knowledge which explains the basic knowledge about something.

Learning is a continuous life-long process that is not inherited but can begin right from birth by providing constant interaction and stimulation received from the physical, social, and cultural environment and it does not stop till the end.

Meaningful learning: Meaningful learning results when a person consciously and explicitly ties new knowledge to relevant concepts they already possess. When meaningful learning occurs, it produces a series of changes within our entire cognitive structure, modifying existing concepts and forming new linkages between concepts.

Key Points Characteristics of Meaningful Learning:

• It stresses the ability of the learner to apply what is learned because of the involvement of the learners.
• Meaningful learning is possible only when learners make a deliberate effort to relate new knowledge to the relevant concept they already know or we can say that learning through their thoughts and experiences.
• It is the active creation of knowledge structures from personal experience.
• This type of learning encourages students to ask questions and the logic behind the concepts.
• Students have been involved directly so meaningful learning is a child-centered method of teaching in which the teacher feels the interest and values of the students.
• Meaningful learning is the human mechanism par excellence for acquiring and storing a vast quantity of ideas.

Hence, by all these references we can consider that to make learning meaningful for students, a teacher should provide opportunities to think and reflect on experiences.

Hint

• Rote Memorization: Rote memorization is the learning technique where students repeat certain facts or figures until it is instilled in their memory bank. The concept behind this strategy is that students will be able to quickly recall the meaning of the material the more they repeat it.

Problem-solving is a mental process and is part of the larger problem process that includes problem finding and problem shaping. Considered the most complex of all intellectual functions, problem-solving has been defined as a higher-order cognitive process that requires the modulation and control of more routine or fundamental skills.

• A teacher should facilitate the development of problem-solving strategies among students to help the children in becoming successful in life by solving real-life problems.
• Problem-solving strategies improve learning and foster critical thinking and allow a person to take necessary action against the source of problem generation.

Key Points

• The above-mentioned strategy is known as Verbalization.
• In this strategy, students verbalize their thoughts while solving a problem.
• Students are first instructed on how to use a strategy and are asked to verbalize their thoughts as they solve problems.
• Encouraging student verbalization allows teachers to determine the types of strategies students use, and the types of errors they make.

Hence, it is clear that Verbalization has helped the student in the above-mentioned case.

Additional Information

• Mnemonics: Mnemonics help us remember facts and are particularly useful when the order of things is important.  A mnemonic strategy that helps encode new information is to connect it with something else that you already are familiar with or know. This gives it meaning and makes it easier to remember.
• Functional fixedness is a characteristic where a person has a fixed mindset and is unable to visualize different functionalities of a particular object. It is not desirable for a problem solver.
• Response set comes when the solver relies heavily on the rule of thumb or common sense rather than making efforts to look for the best solution.
  

A response set is a human tendency to answer questions in ways that are the most complimentary, or flattering, to the respondent rather than telling the absolute truth.

Misconceptions refer to a wrong or inaccurate idea that takes place due to the mismatch in previously assimilated and newly accommodated knowledge. 

• misconceptions in students' life are playing important role in the teaching-learning process. They are necessary for the learning process to give insight into students' thinking.

Key Points Misconceptions in student's life are:

• a significant step in the teaching-learning process.
• helping the teacher to be aware of learners' learning styles, and to cater to them according to their needs.
• Very normal among children in the learning process because it is a natural thought process and no two minds can think alike exactly.
• Misconceptions are the formation of ideas by the previous knowledge and experiences of the learners, it is a part of the teaching-learning process.
• The misconception is an important topic among teachers because it can shape how students learn. It helps the teacher to be aware of learners' learning styles and to cater to them according to their needs.

Thus by all these references, we can conclude that "clearly indicate children’s inability to learn anything new and advanced" is not correct about the concept of misconceptions.

Important Points Views of teachers towards misconceptions should:

• Teachers should not ignore students' misconceptions rather they should identify misconceptions and try to clear them by examples, various methods of teaching, etc.
• Use various techniques such as discovery learning, which helps students to identify and correct their misconceptions.
• The teacher should have to provide opportunities related to the concepts so that student can understand their mistakes point and can fix them.
• Summative assignments that ask students to explain their reasoning are useful for detecting students' misconceptions.
• Teachers should provide a forum for students to confront their misconceptions and should help students reconstruct and internalize their knowledge.

The role of emotions is very important or significant in the process of learning. Emotions are the feelings that color our lives and allow us to experience all of the joys and sorrows of life. 

Key Points

• The connections between emotions and learning are bi-directional and complex. When we think about a happy incident, our mood improves. When we think about an angry incident, we are likely to feel angry.
• Also, being in a happy mood makes us think about happy thoughts; being in a sad mood brings sad and negative memories and images to mind. Hence, we may say that emotions can affect learning, in both positive and negative ways.
• When a learner experiences positive emotions, the learning process can be enhanced. When a learner experiences negative emotions, the learning process can be hindered.
• Anxiety, boredom, and fear are negative emotions and they negatively affect the learning process whereas hope is a positive emotion that can enhance the learning in a positive manner and can have a positive impact on learning. Having hope makes a person effective and productive in all aspects of life.

Hence, it is clear that hope is an emotion that positively impacts learning.

Motivation is based on your emotions and achievement-related goals. It is the basic drive for all of our attempts or actions. Motivation refers to the dynamics of our behavior, which involves our needs, desires, drives, motives, and ambitions in life. 

Key Points

• According to the 'attribution theory' it is normal for people to look for explanations or causes - that can be attributed to their own success or failure.
• In the above-mentioned situation, 'I didn’t put enough effort this time although I am capable of doing so' is the most suitable attribute for failure on a task that is likely to motivate a student for future attempts.
• It enhances students' self-confidence, their belief in themselves, and their attitude to life. It is how they feel about the future and how they react to the past.
• Such attribution motivates students to feel that success or failure is not beyond their control. It makes students attribute their failure in the examination to lack of ability, lack of preparation, etc., and not to luck.

From the above points, it is clear that 'I didn’t put enough effort this time although I am capable of doing so' is the most suitable attribute for failure on a task that is likely to motivate a student for future attempts.

Viceroy Hardinge said the above given statement on the choice of Delhi as capital.

Important Points

• In 1911, when King George V was crowned in England, a Durbar was held in Delhi to celebrate the occasion.
• The decision to shift the capital of India from Calcutta to Delhi was announced at this Durbar.
• Lord Hardinge II was the Viceroy of British India during that time.
• New Delhi was constructed as a 10-square-mile city on Raisina Hill, south of the existing city.
• Two architects, Edward Lutyens and Herbert Baker, were called on to design New Delhi and its buildings.
• New Delhi took nearly 20 years to build.
• The idea was to build a city that was a stark contrast to Shahjahanabad which is now designated as Old Delhi.
• The design of the city of New Delhi, and of the individual monumental buildings in it, embodied all the values of the “high noon” of British imperialism.
• In New Delhi, a whole new city had to be planned too, not just the monumental government buildings and memorials.
• The street layout, the built-up area, and even the avenue trees were meticulously planned.
• The architects wanted New Delhi to represent a sense of law and order, in contrast to the chaos of Old Delhi.
• The new city also had to be a clean and healthy space.
• Viceroy Hardinge explained the choice of Delhi as capital in the following way:
• The change would strike the imagination of the people of India … and would be accepted by all as the assertion of an unfaltering determination to maintain British rule in India.

Hence, the correct answer is - Viceroy Hardinge.

The correct answer is a - (iii), b - (i), c - (ii), d - (iv)

Key Points

• Linguist:
• Someone who knows and studies several languages is known as a linguist.
• For example, in 1783, a person named William Jones arrived in Calcutta.
• In addition to being an expert in law, Jones was a linguist.
• He had studied Greek and Latin at Oxford, knew French and English, had picked up Arabic from a friend, and had also learnt Persian.
• Munshi:
• A person who can read, write and teach Persian is known as munshi.
• It is a Persian word, originally used for a contractor, writer, or secretary.
• Orientalist:
• Those with a scholarly knowledge of the language and culture of Asia are known as orientalists.
• They are from the west who studies the language, culture, history, or customs of countries in eastern Asia.
• Vernacular:
• A term generally used to refer to a local language or dialect as distinct from what is seen as the standard language.
• In colonial countries like India, the British used the term to mark the difference between the local languages of everyday use and English – the language of the imperial masters.

Based on the above discussion, we can conclude that the correct matching is:

The statements B and C are true about the important pilgrims visit to India during ancient times.

Key Points

• Pilgrims are men and women who undertake journeys to holy places in order to offer worship.
• As traders journeyed to distant lands in caravans and ships, pilgrims often travelled with them.
• The best-known of these are the Chinese Buddhist pilgrims, Fa Xian, who came to the subcontinent about 1600 years ago, Xuan Zang (who came around 1400 years ago) and I-Qing, who came about 50 years after Xuan Zang.
• They came to visit places associated with the life of the Buddha as well as famous monasteries.
• Each of these pilgrims left an account of his journey.
• They wrote of the dangers they encountered on their travels, which often took years, of the countries and the monasteries that they visited, and the books they carried back with them.

Hence, we can conclude that the following statements are true about the important pilgrims visit to India during ancient times:

B. Xuan Zang visited India to see the places associated with the life of Buddha and famous monasteries.

C. Chinese Buddhist pilgrims wrote extensively about books they collected and monasteries they visited.

Mistake Points

• Fa Xian visited India to learn Sanskrit and establish trade links between Chinese and Indian Kings is not true because:
• ​Fa Xian visited India to see the places associated with the life of Buddha and famous monasteries.

The correct answer is - Both (A) and (R) are true and (R) is the correct explanation of (A).

Key Points

• Kings built temples to demonstrate their devotion to God and their power and wealth.
• It is not surprising that when they attacked one another’s kingdoms they often targeted these buildings.
• For example, in the early eleventh century, when the Chola king Rajendra I built a Shiva temple in his capital he filled it with prized statues seized from defeated rulers.
• The list of the items included:
• a Sun-pedestal from the Chalukyas
• a Ganesha statue and several statues of Durga
• a Nandi statue from the eastern Chalukyas
• an image of Bhairava (a form of Shiva) and Bhairavi from the Kalingas of Orissa
• a Kali statue from the Palas of Bengal

Thus, we can conclude that both the statements (A) and (R) are true and (R) is the correct explanation of (A).

Additional Information

• Rajendra I (1014-44 AD) is considered as the greatest Chola ruler.
• He completed the conquest of Sri Lanka in 1017 AD and captured the whole of Sri Lanka and made it a part of Chola empire.
• He maintained friendly relations with Chalukyas of Vengi.
• He launched on expedition to Orissa and maintained matrimonial relations with the Ganga dynasty of Orissa.
• He defeated the Pala ruler, Mahipala, in 1022 AD and assumed the tittle of Gangaikonda.
• He also sent two embassies to China for promoting trade and commerce.

The correct answer is a - (iii), b - (i), c - (ii), d - (iv)

Key Points

• Sufis were Muslim mystics.
• They rejected outward religiosity and emphasised love and devotion to God and compassion towards all fellow human beings.
• The Sufis believed that the heart can be trained to look at the world in a different way.
• They developed elaborate methods of training using following means under the guidance of a master or pir:
• zikr (chanting of a name or sacred formula)
• contemplation
• sama (singing)
• raqs (dancing)
• discussion of parables
• breath control
• Thus emerged the silsilas, a spiritual genealogy of Sufi teachers, each following a slightly different method (tariqa) of instruction and ritual practice.
• It is a chain between a pir or a teacher and murid or the disciples.
• The centre of activities of various sufi order is called as Khanqah which was led by a pir.

Based on the above given points, the correct matching is:

The correct answer is - Both (A) and (R) are true but (R) is not the correct explanation of (A).

Important Points

• Some of the earliest works in Tamil, known as Sangam literature, were composed around 2300 years ago.
• These texts were called Sangam because they were supposed to have been composed and compiled in assemblies (known as sangams) of poets that were held in the city of Madurai.
• Sangam literature is one of the main sources used for documenting the early history of the ancient Tamil country, be it the kings, rulers, poets, etc.
• The Sangam poets and the unknown Greeks were contemporaries.
• For example, one of the most detailed accounts of that time that has been found was by an unknown Greek sailor.
• He described all the ports that he visited in his accounts.

Based on the above discussion, we can conclude that both (A) and (R) are true but (R) is not the correct explanation of (A).

Akbar Nama mentions about the Gond Kingdom of Garha Katanga that had 70,000 villages.

Key Points

• The Gonds lived in a vast forested region called Gondwana – or “country inhabited by Gonds”.
• The large Gond tribe was further divided into many smaller clans with each clan had its own raja or rai.
• When the power of the Delhi Sultans was declining, a few large Gond kingdoms were beginning to dominate the smaller Gond chiefs.
• The Akbar Nama, a history of Akbar’s reign, mentions the Gond kingdom of Garha Katanga that had 70,000 villages.
• Garha Katanga was a rich state which earned wealth by trapping and exporting wild elephants to other kingdoms.
• When the Mughals defeated the Gonds, they captured a huge booty of precious coins and elephants.
• They annexed part of the kingdom and granted the rest to Chandra Shah, an uncle of Bir Narain.
• Despite the fall of Garha Katanga, the Gond kingdoms survived for some time.

Hence, the correct answer is - Akbar Nama.

The correct answer is a - (i), b - (iii), c - (ii), d - (iv)

Key Points

• By the nineteenth century, tribal people in different parts of India were involved in a variety of activities.
• Some of them practised jhum cultivation ie shifting cultivation. or bewar.
• Bewar is a term used in Madhya Pradesh for shifting cultivation.
• Under shifting cultivation, a field that had been cultivated once was left fallow for several years.
• The word 'fallow' refers to a field left uncultivated for a while so that the soil recovers fertility.
• In many regions tribal groups lived by hunting animals and gathering forest produce.
• The Khonds were such a community living in the forests of Orissa.
• They ate fruits and roots collected from the forest and cooked food with the oil they extracted from the seeds of the sal (a tree) and mahua (a flower that is eaten or used to make alcohol).

Based on the above given points, the correct matching is:

The statement "Ishwara Chandra Vidyasagar used the ancient texts to suggest that widows could remarry" is true about widow remarriage in colonial time.

Key Points

• Ishwara Chandra Vidyasagar made significant contribution for the emancipation of women but he is best remembered for his support for widow remarriage.
• Ishwara Chandra Vidyasagar used the ancient texts to suggest that widows could remarry.
• His suggestion was adopted by British officials, and a law was passed in 1856 permitting widow remarriage.
• Those who were against the remarriage of widows opposed Vidyasagar, and even boycotted him.
• By the second half of the nineteenth century, the movement in favour of widow remarriage spread to other parts of the country.
• Yet, the number of widows who actually remarried remained low after passing of Widow Remarriage Act.
• Those women who married were not easily accepted in society and conservative groups continued to oppose the new law.

Based on the above given points, we can conclude that the correct statement is:

Ishwara Chandra Vidyasagar used the ancient texts to suggest that widows could remarry.

Among the given statements, only B is true.

Important Points

• The Indian society in the first half of the 19th century was caste-ridden, decadent and rigid.
• As a consequence, several individuals and movements sought to bring about changes in social and religious practices with a view to reform and revitalize society.
• Some of the social reformers also criticised caste inequalities in India.
• The reformers like Raja Rammohun Roy translated an old Buddhist text that was critical of caste.
• The Prarthana Samaj adhered to the tradition of Bhakti that believed in spiritual equality of all castes.
• In Bombay, the Paramhans Mandali was founded in 1840 to work for the abolition of caste.
• Many of these reformers and members of reform associations were people of upper castes.
• Often, in secret meetings, these reformers would violate caste taboos on food and touch, in an effort to get rid of the hold of caste prejudice in their lives.

Thus, we can conclude that, among the two given statements the following statement is true:

B. Some of the social reformers also criticised caste inequalities in India.

Mistake Points

• The statement "Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar translated an old buddhist text that was critical of caste" is not true because:
• ​Raja Rammohun Roy translated an old Buddhist text that was critical of caste.

The correct answer is - Both (A) and (R) are true and (R) is the correct explanation of (A).

Key Points

• Dr. B. R. Ambedkar was born into a Mahar family.
• As a child he experienced what caste prejudice meant in everyday life.
• In school he was forced to sit outside the classroom on the ground, and was not allowed to drink water from taps that upper -caste children used.
• After finishing school, he got a fellowship to go to the US for higher studies.
• On his return to India in 1919, he wrote extensively about upper-caste power in contemporary society.
• In 1927, Ambedkar started a temple entry movement, in which his Mahar caste followers participated.
• Brahman priests were outraged when the Dalits used water from the temple tank.
• Ambedkar led three such movements for temple entry between 1927 and 1935.
• His aim was to make everyone see the power of caste prejudices within society.

Hence, we can conclude that both (A) and (R) are true and (R) is the correct explanation of (A).

Among the given statements, only A and B are true about the Birsa movement.

Important Points

• Birsa Munda was born in a family of Mundas – a tribal group that lived in Chottanagpur.
• Birsa was deeply influenced by many of the ideas he came in touch with in his growing-up years.
• He started the Birsa Movement which aimed at reforming tribal society.
• Birsa also turned against missionaries and Hindu landlords as he saw them as outside forces that were ruining the Munda way of life.
• The political aim of the Birsa movement, for it wanted to drive out missionaries, moneylenders, Hindu landlords, and the government and set up a Munda Raj with Birsa at its head.
• The movement identified all these forces as the cause of the misery the Mundas were suffering.
• The land policies of the British were destroying their traditional land system, Hindu landlords and moneylenders were taking over their land, and missionaries were criticising their traditional culture.
• Under this movement, Birsa’s followers began targeting the symbols of diku and European power.
• They attacked police stations and churches, and raided the property of moneylenders and zamindars.
• They raised the white flag as a symbol of Birsa Raj.

Hence, we can conclude that the following statements are true about the Birsa movement:

A. Birsa movement was aimed at reforming tribal society.

B. Birsa later in his life turned against missionaries and Hindu landlords.

Mistake Points

The following statements are not true about the Birsa movement:

 

C. The British were trying to restore the traditional land system of the Mundas is false because:

• The land policies of the British were destroying their traditional land system of the Mundas.

D. The followers of Birsa raised red flag as a symbol of Birsa Raj is false because:

• The followers of Birsa raised white flag as a symbol of Birsa Raj.

The correct answer is -  Both (A) and (R) are true but (R) is not the correct explanation of (A).

Important Points

• In 1919, Gandhiji gave a call for a satyagraha against the Rowlatt Act that the British had just passed.
• The Act curbed fundamental rights such as the freedom of expression and strengthened police powers.
• Mahatma Gandhi, Mohammad Ali Jinnah and others felt that the government had no right to restrict people’s basic freedoms.
• They criticised the Act as “devilish” and tyrannical.
• Gandhiji asked the Indian people to observe 6 April 1919 as a day of non-violent opposition to this Act, as a day of “humiliation and prayer” and hartal (strike).
• Satyagraha Sabhas were set up to launch the movement.
• The Rowlatt Satyagraha turned out to be the first all-India struggle against the British government although it was largely restricted to cities.
• In April 1919 there were a number of demonstrations and hartals in the country and the government used brutal measures to suppress them.
• The Jallianwala Bagh atrocities, inflicted by General Dyer in Amritsar on Baisakhi day (13 April), were a part of this repression.
• On learning about the massacre, Rabindranath Tagore expressed the pain and anger of the country by renouncing his knighthood.

Based on the above discussion, we can conclude that both (A) and (R) are true but (R) is not the correct explanation of (A).

The correct answer is - (A) is true but (R) is false.

Key Points

• The 1950s and 1960s saw the emergence of the Cold War, that is, power rivalries and ideological conflicts between the USA and the USSR, with both countries creating military alliances.
• Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, who was also the foreign minister of newly independent India, developed free India’s foreign policy in this context.
• Non-alignment formed the bedrock of this foreign policy.
• Led by statesmen from Egypt, Yugoslavia, Indonesia, Ghana and India, the non-aligned movement urged countries not to join either of the two major alliances.
• But this policy of staying away from alliances was not a matter of remaining “isolated” or “neutral”.
• The former means remaining aloof from world affairs whereas non-aligned countries such as India played an active role in mediating between the American and Soviet alliances.
• They tried to prevent war — often taking a humanitarian and moral stand against war.
• By the 1970s, a large number of countries had joined the non-aligned movement.

Based on the above discussion, we can conclude that the statement  (A) is true but (R) is false.

Earth is the only known planet of the solar system which supports life.

• Earth has oxygen, water and temperature. Air water and temperature are in balanced proportions in our planet and support life.
• All these conditions which are supporting life, like presence of water and air in a good proportion, presence of life supporting gas and balanced temperature make earth a unique planet.

Additional InformationEarth-The earth is the third nearest planet to the sun.

• In size, it is the fifth largest planet.
• It is slightly flattened at the poles that is why, its shape is described as a Geoid.
• The radius of earth is about 3959 miles.
• Around seventy one percent of the surface of earth is covered with water and only twenty nine percent of the surface of the earth is land which consists of continents and islands.

When the Prime Meridian of Greenwich has the Sun at the highest Point in the sky, all the places along this meridian will have mid-day or noon.

Additional InformationPrime meridian is the imaginary line that divides Earth into two equal parts: the Eastern Hemisphere and the Western Hemisphere.

• The prime meridian is also called the Greenwich meridian.
• The meridian goes through Greenwich, where the British Royal Observatory is found.
• This meridian is viewed as the Prime Meridian.
• The estimation of these meridians is 0° longitudes and from it, we consider 180° toward the east as well as 180° toward the west.
• Since the earth rotates from west to east, the places east of Greenwich are ahead of Greenwich Mean Time and those to the west are behind it.
• All the places located on a particular meridian or a particular longitude have the same local time.

The equator represents the zero degree latitude. Since the distance from the equator to either of the poles is one-fourth of a circle round the earth, it will measure ¼th of 360 degrees, i.e. 90°. Thus, 90 degrees north latitude marks the North Pole and 90 degrees south latitude marks the South Pole.

Additional InformationEquator- imaginary line running on the globe divides it into two equal parts.

• The northern half of the earth is known as the Northern Hemisphere and the southern half is known as the Southern Hemisphere.
• They are both equal halves.
• The equator represents the zero degree latitude.reference point to locate places on the earth.
• All parallel circles from the equator up to the poles are called parallels of latitudes.

South Pole- is the southernmost point on the surface of the Earth and one of the coldest regions on Earth.

• It is one of the two points where the Earth’s axis of rotation intersects its surface and the other point is the North Pole which lies to the opposite side of the Earth.
• The South Pole lies almost at the center of the Antarctica continent.
• South pole latitude is 90 degrees south wherease North pole latitude is 90 degrees north.

Areas lying between the Arctic Circle and the North Pole in the Northern Hemisphere and the Antarctic Circle and the South Pole in the Southern Hemisphere, are very cold.

It is because here the sun does not rise much above the horizon.

Therefore, its rays are always slanting and provide less heat and this area is called frigid zone.

Additional InformationBased on the heat received from the Sun, the Earth is divided into three heat zones:

Torrid zone -is the zone between Tropic of Cancer( 23.5 degrees N) and tropic of Capricorn( 23.5 degrees S).

• This zone receives maximum heat from Sun as mid-day Sun is exactly overhead at least once a year on all latitudes

Temperate zone: This zone is located between the Tropic of Cancer and the arctic circle in the northern hemisphere and between the Tropic of Capricorn and the Antarctic circle .

• This zone receives less sunlight in comparison to the Torrid zone.
• This region receives the slanting sun rays.

Frigid zone- areas lying between the Arctic Circle and the North Pole and between the Antarctic Circle and the South Pole are the Frigid Zones.

• The sun does not rise much above the horizon in Frigid Zone and rays are always slanting and provide less heat.

Tundra vegetation of cold Polar Regions comprise of mosses and lichens.

• This vegetation is found in the polar areas of Europe, Asia and North America.
• The animals have thick fur and thick skin to protect themselves from the cold climatic conditions.
• Seal, walruses, musk-oxen, Arctic owl, Polar bear and snow foxes are some of the animals found here.

Tropical deserts are located on the western margins of the continents.

• The vegetation cover is scarce here because of scanty rain and scorching heat.
• Tropical deserts are located in regions between 5 and 30 degrees latitude.
• Tropical Deserts do not have vegetation cover. Only at few places thorny bushes and scrubs are found.

Tropical grasslands: These occur on either side of the equator and extend till the tropics.

• This vegetation grows in the areas of moderate to low amount of rainfall.
• The grass can grow very tall, about 3 to 4 metres in height.
• Savannah grasslands of Africa are of this type.
• Elephants, zebras, giraffes, deer, leopards are common in tropical grasslands.

Temperate grasslands: These are found in the mid latitudinal zones and in the interior part of the continents.

• Usually, grass here is short and nutritious.
• Wild buffaloes, bisons, antilopes are common in the temperate region.

Precipitation- the process of continuous condensation in free air helps the condensed particles to grow in size.

• When the resistance of the air fails to hold them against the force of gravity, they fall on to the earth’s surface.
• So after the condensation of water vapour, the release of moisture is known as precipitation

Convectional rainfall - occurs when the heated air from the earth's surface rises upwards along with the water vapour and gets condensed when it reaches a higher altitude.

• Such rain is common in the summer or in the hotter part of the day.
• It is very common in the equatorial regions and interior parts of the continents, particularly in the northern hemisphere.

Cyclonic rainfall - caused by cyclonic activity and it occurs along the fronts of the cyclone while Orographic rainfall occurs when moist air is formed to rise over a mountain range

Orographic rainfall - When the saturated air mass comes across a mountain, it is forced to ascend and as it rises, it expands; the temperature falls, and the moisture is condensed.

• The chief characteristic of this sort of rain is that the windward slopes receive greater rainfall.
• After giving rain on the windward side, when these winds reach the other slope, they descend, and their temperature rises. Then their capacity to take in moisture increases and hence, these leeward slopes remain rainless and dry.
• The area situated on the leeward side, which gets less rainfall is known as the rain-shadow area.
• It is also known as the relief rain.

Let's look at the statements mention above:

• 97% of water on earth is in oceans, which is salt water. Only 3% of water present on earth is freshwater, out of which 2% is frozen in the form of ice caps and glaciers. We can only use rest 1% water for our daily needs. Thus, statement A is true and statement B is false.
• If Earth’s water wasn’t formed along with the Earth, then, planetary scientists suspect, it must have been delivered later via extraterrestrial messenger.
• Both asteroids and comets visit the Earth and are known to harbor ice. (Not sure of the difference between an asteroid and a comet? Check out my earlier episode.)
• In fact, models of the compositions of asteroids and comets suggest that they even harbor enough ice to have delivered an amount of water equal to Earth's oceans.
• Thus, statement C is false.
• Freshwater is found in glaciers, lakes, reservoirs, ponds, rivers, streams etc. Freshwater habitats are less than 1% of the world’s total surface area. Thus, statement D is true.

From the above, it is clear that only statements A and D are correct.

Atmosphere is a blanket of air surrounding the Earth's surface.

• Atmosphere contains oxygen which is essential for animals to breathe and get energy from food.
• It also contains carbon dioxide which is used by the plants to make their own food.
• Nitrogen and oxygen are two gases which make up the bulk of the atmosphere.
• Carbon dioxide, helium, ozone, argon and hydrogen are found in lesser quantities.
• Apart from these gases, tiny dust particles are also present in the air.
• Nitrogen is the most plentiful gas in the air.
• When we inhale, we take some amount of nitrogen into our lungs and exhale it. But plants need nitrogen for their survival.

Additional InformationOur atmosphere is divided into five layers starting from the earth’s surface. These are Troposphere, Stratosphere, Mesosphere, Thermosphere and Exosphere

Troposphere: This layer is the most important layer of the atmosphere.

• Its average height is 13 km.
• Troposphere is the densest layer of all.
• The air we breathe exists here.
• Almost all the weather phenomena like rainfall, fog and hailstorm occur in this layer.

Stratosphere: Above the troposphere lies the stratosphere.

• It extends up to a height of 50 km.
• Temperature decrease with increasing altitude in Mesosphere.
• This layer is almost free from clouds and associated weather phenomena, making conditions most ideal for flying aeroplanes.
• One important feature of the stratosphere is that it contains a layer of ozone gas.
• We have just learnt how it protects us from the harmful effect of the sun's rays.

Mesosphere: This is the third layer of the atmosphere.

• It lies above the stratosphere.
• It extends up to the height of 80 km.
• Meteorites burn up in this layer on entering from the space.

Thermosphere: In the thermosphere, the temperature rises very rapidly with increasing height. The ionosphere is a part of this layer.

• It extends between 80-400 km.
• This layer helps in radio transmission.
• In fact, radio waves transmitted from the earth are reflected back to the earth by this layer.

Exosphere: The upper most layer of the atmosphere is known as the exosphere.

• This layer has very thin air.
• Light gases like helium and hydrogen float into the space from here.

The movement of air from high pressure area to low pressure areas is called wind.

• A wind is named after the direction from which it blows, e.g. the wind blowing from the west is called westerly.

 Additional Information

There are different types of winds which can be broadly divided into:

• Permanent winds : The trade winds, westerlies and easterlies are the permanent winds.
• These blow constantly throughout the year in a particular direction.
• They are also known as “Prevailing winds or Planetary winds”
• Seasonal winds : These winds change their direction in different seasons.
• The main cause of periodic winds is the unequal heating and cooling of the Earth’s surface.
• These winds change their direction periodically with the change in the seasons.
• For example monsoons in India.
• Local winds :These blow only during a particular period of the day or year in a small area.
• Local winds are unique to certain well-defined areas.
• They affect the local weather conditions of that place only.
• In different parts of the world, these winds are known by different names
• For example, Loo, Harmattan, Foehn, and Chinook.

Road transport- is the most economical for short distances compared to railways. Freight transport by road is gaining importance because it offers door-to-door service.

• They can be metalled (pucca) and unmetalled (kutcha).
• Manali-Leh highway in the Himalayan Mountains is one of the highest roadways in the world.

Railways- They carry heavy goods and people over long distances quickly and cheaply.

• It is the largest in Asia.
• The Trans-Siberian Railway is the longest railway system connecting St. Petersburg in Western Russia to Vladivostok on the Pacific coast.

Airways- The fastest way of transport developed in the early twentieth century. It is also the most expensive due to the high cost of fuels.

• Air traffic is adversely affected by bad weather like fog and storms.
• It is the only mode of transport to reach the most remote and distant areas especially where there are no roads and railways.
• Helicopters are extremely useful in most inaccessible areas and in time of calamities for rescuing people and distributing food, water, clothes and medicines.

Waterways- The cheapest for carrying heavy and bulky goods over long distances.

• They are mainly of two types – inland, waterways, sea routes.

The correct answer is Coal.

Key Points

Coal is an energy resource is used in most factories in India.

• This is the most abundantly found fossil fuel.
• It is used as a domestic fuel, in industries such as iron and steel, steam engines and to generate electricity.
• Electricity from coal is called thermal power.
• The coal which we are using today was formed millions of years ago when giant ferns and swamps got buried under the layers of earth.
• Coal is therefore referred to as Buried Sunshine.
• The leading coal producers of the world are China, USA, Germany, Russia, South Africa and France.
• The coal producing areas of India are Raniganj, Jharia, Dhanbad and Bokaro in Jharkhand.

 Additional Information

Hydroelectricity: is electricity made by generators that are turned by the movement of water.

• It is usually made with dams that partly block a river to make a reservoir of water.
• Water is released, and the pressure of the dam[potential energy stored in the dam] forces the water down pipes that lead to a turbine.
• The leading producers of hydel power in the world are Paraguay, Norway, Brazil, and China.
• Some important hydel power stations in India are Bhakra Nangal, Gandhi Sagar, Nagarjunsagar and Damodar valley projects.

Solar Energy: produced by the sun in the form of heat and light energy is called as solar energy.

• Solar radiations can be converted electricity through solar cells (Photovoltaic cells).
• Photovoltaic cells convert solar radiations directly into electricity through silicon solar cells

Nuclear power :is obtained from energy stored in the nuclei of atoms of naturally occurring radio active elements like uranium and thorium.

• These fuels undergo nuclear fission in nuclear reactors and emit power.
• The greatest producers of nuclear power are USA and Europe.
• In India Rajasthan and Jharkhand have large deposits of Uranium

​Conventional sources of energy are those which have been in common use for a long time.

• Firewood and fossil fuels are the two main conventional energy sources.

Additional InformationFirewood: It is widely used for cooking and heating.

• In our country more than fifty per cent of the energy used by villagers comes from fire wood.
• Remains of plants and animals which were buried under the earth for millions of years got converted by the heat and pressure into fossil fuels.
• Fossil fuel such as coal, petroleum and natural gas are the main sources of conventional energy.
• The reserves of these minerals are limited.
• The rate at which the growing world population is consuming them is far greater than the rate of their formation. So, these are likely to be exhausted soon.

Jute: It is known as the golden fibre.

• Jute grows well on well-drained fertile soils in the flood plains where soils are renewed every year.
• A high temperature is required during the time of growth.
• West Bengal, Bihar, Assam, Odisha and Meghalaya are the major jute producing states.
• The leading world's jute producing countries are India , Bangladesh , China and Thailand
• It is used in making gunny bags, mats, ropes, yarn, carpets and other artefacts.
• Due to its high cost, it is losing market to synthetic fibres and packing materials, particularly the nylon.

Cotton: One of the main raw materials for cotton textile industry.

• In 2008 India was second largest producer of cotton after China. Cotton grows well in drier parts of the black cotton soil of the Deccan plateau.
• It requires high temperature, light rainfall or irrigation, 210 frost-free days and bright sun-shine for its growth.
• It is a kharif crop and requires 6 to 8 months to mature.
• Major cotton-producing states are– Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.
• The United States is the third-largest producer of cotton after India and China.
• The United States is one of the major producers of oil in the world.
• Brazil is the fourth-largest producer of cotton in the world after the United States.

Tea: Tea cultivation is an example of plantation agriculture.

• The tea plant grows well in tropical and sub-tropical climates endowed with deep and fertile well-drained soil, rich in humus and organic matter.
• Tea bushes require warm and moist frost-free climate all through the year.
• Major tea producing states are Assam, hills of Darjeeling and Jalpaiguri districts, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
• Apart from these, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Meghalaya, Andhra Pradesh and Tripura are also tea-producing states in the country.
• China is the largest producer of tea in the world, followed by India which is the second-largest country in the production of tea

Coffee: Indian coffee is known in the world for its good quality.

• The Arabica variety initially brought from Yemen is produced in the country.
• This variety is in great demand all over the world.
• Intially its cultivation was introduced on the Baba Budan Hills and even today its cultivation is confined to the Nilgiri in Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
• Brazil is the world's largest coffee producer.

The correct answer is - Both (A) and (R) are true and (R) is the correct explanation of (A).

Important Points

• Our Constitution believes that diversity is our strength.
• Therefore, one of the fundamental rights is the right of the minorities to maintain their culture.
• This minority status is not dependent only upon religion. Linguistic and cultural minorities are also included in this provision.
• This provision made in the Indian Constitution to protect minorities reflects the nurturing of diversity by the States.
• All minorities, religious or linguistic, can set up their own educational institutions.
• By doing so, they can preserve and develop their own culture.
• Many States financially supports schools and colleges established and run by linguistic minorities.
• The government will not, while granting aid to educational institutions, discriminate against any educational institution on the basis that it is under the management of minority community.

Thus, we can conclude that -  Both (A) and (R) are true and (R) is the correct explanation of (A).

Creation of stereotypes prevents us from identifying special qualities and skills. It further discourages development of diverse qualities in individuals.

Key Points

• A stereotype is an over-simplified and unjustified opinion about others.
• Stereotypes are intentional because images are created and fixed on people.
• Stereotypes stop us from looking at each person as a unique individual with his or her own special qualities and skills that are different from others.
• It forcibly associates a pattern or type onto a large number of people.
• Stereotypes affect all of us as they prevent us from doing certain things, that we might otherwise be good at.
• It further discourages development of diverse qualities in individuals.

Therefore the correct answer is - stereotypes.

Among the given statements about the parliamentary form of government, A is true but B is false.

Key Points

• The parliamentary system of government is the one in which the executive is responsible to the legislature for its policies and acts.
• The Constitution of India provides for a parliamentary form of government, both at the Centre and in the states.
• Some of the features of a parliamentary form of government are:
• ​The Prime Minister along with the Council of Ministers form the executive and the Parliament is the legislature.
• The PM and the ministers are elected from the members of parliament, implying that the executive emerges out of the legislature.
• The executive is responsible to the legislature. There is a collective responsibility, that is, each minister’s responsibility is the responsibility of the whole Council.
• Most parliamentary democracies follow bicameral legislature.
• The term of the government depends on its majority support in the lower house. If the government does not win a vote of no confidence, the council of ministers has to resign. Elections will be held and a new government is formed.

Hence, in a parliamentary form of government:

A. The executive is formed by the legislature

Mistake Points

 B. The executive is not accountable to the legislature is not true because:

• the executive is accountable to the legislature in a parliamentary form of government.

Here, both the given statements A and B are true.

Important Points

• The equality plays a critical role in a democracy especially in India.
• The Constitution of India guarantees equality to all citizens.
• Despite this, the daily lives of people in India are far from equal.
• The alleviation of existing inequalities is a major part of the work that governments undertake.
• To achieve that, the government passes new laws and implement new policies.
• People also use various ways (writings, songs, poems) to express their demands for equality.
• Equality and democracy are dynamic and not static concepts.
• This dynamism is reflected in the government’s passing of new laws and launching new schemes and programmes.
• It is also reflected in people’s movements around various social and economic issues.

Based on the above discussion, we can conclude that the dynamism in a democracy is reflected in:

A. Government passing new laws and launching new schemes and programmes

B. People organizing movements around various social and economic issues.

Among the given features of casual wage labour work in India, only C and D are true.

Key Points

• Casual workers refer to those workers, who do not earn regular wages and do not have regular employment throughout the year.
• They work for a few months or days and earn wages for the work done.
• Casual workers are not hired by employers on a regular basis.
• They are required to come as and when the employer needs them.
• If workers complain about their pay or working conditions they are asked to leave.
• There is no job security or protection if there is ill treatment.
• They are also expected to work for very long hours.
• Casual labourers get their salary in cash or kind.
• Casual labours do not get salary for those days when they are sick.
• They do not enjoy social security benefits like provident fund, gratuity, etc.

Based on the above discussion on the features of casual wage labour work in India the following statements are correct:

C. At times, workers are expected to work for longer hours

D. There is little guarantee for regular employment opportunities

The correct answer is A - (iv), B - (iii), C - (ii), D - (i)

Key Points

• Government hospital doctor:
• A government hospital doctor gets a regular salary every month and is a permanent worker with the hospital.
• He/she can expect his/her job to continue for a long period of time.
• Being a permanent worker he/she also gets other benefits such as savings for the old age, paid holidays, free medical facilities etc.
• Roadside vegetable vendor:
• ​A roadside vegetable vendor is self-employed.
• He/she is not employed by anyone and therefore have to organise his/her own work.
• He/she does not have a fixed salary.
• Garment factory owner:
• A garment factory owner has its own business or factory.
• He/she is not employed by anyone.
• But, he/she do employ a number of other workers as supervisors and helpers.
• Agricultural  labourer:
• An agricultural labourer is a casual wage labour.
• Casual workers refer to those workers, who do not earn regular wages and do not have regular employment throughout the year.
• They work for a few months or days and earn wages for the work done.
• Casual workers are not hired by employers on a regular basis.

Hence, the correct matching about status of employment is:

The correct answer is - A, and B.

Key Points

• Democracy is a form of government in which the rulers are elected by the people.
• Democracy is the best form of government due to the following reasons:
• It is a representative government as the rulers of the nation are elected by the public.
• It is a government run by and for the people.
• It is accountable and responsive to the needs and expectations of the citizens.
• Democracy improves the quality of decision-making.
• Democracy provides a method to deal with differences and conflicts.
• Democracy enhances the dignity of citizens.
• It allows us to correct our own mistakes.

Thus, A and B statements are correct.

Additional Information

Democracy is accountable and responsive to the needs and expectations of the citizens because: 

• In a democracy people have the right to choose their representatives and the people will have control over them.
• Citizens have the right to participate in decision-making that affects them all. This ensures that the working of the government is .
• Everybody expect the government to be attentive to the needs and expectations of the people.
• It is expected that the democratic government develops mechanisms for citizens to hold the government accountable.
• The opposition parties can also question and criticize the government policies. They keep a check on the ruling party and make sure that it does not misuse the power.

The correct answer is - Both (A) and (R) are true but (R) is not the correct explanation of (A).

Important Points

• In a democracy, the media plays a very important role in providing news and discussing events taking place in the country and the world.
• It is on the basis of this information that citizens can, for example, learn how government works.
• And often, if they wish to, they can take action on the basis of these news stories.
• Given the role that the media plays in providing information, it is important that the information to be balanced.
• A balanced report is one that discusses all points of view of a particular story and then leaves it to the readers to make up their minds.
• Writing a balanced report, however, depends on the media being independent.
• An independent media means that no one should control and influence its coverage of news.
• No one should tell the media what can be included and what should not be included in a news story.
• An independent media is important in a democracy.
• It is on the basis of the information that the media provides that we take action as citizens, so it is important that this information is reliable and not biased.
• The different technologies that mass media use are expensive. 
• Due to this, the mass media needs a great deal of money to do its work.
• As a result, most television channels and newspapers are part of big business houses.

Based on the above discussion, we can conclude that - Both (A) and (R) are true but (R) is not the correct explanation of (A).

Among the given statements related to the doctrine of separation of power. both A and B are true.

Key Points

• The doctrine of separation of powers divides the mechanism of governance into three branches i.e. Legislature, Executive and the Judiciary.
• In general, we can list three features of this doctrine. These are:
• Each organ should have different persons in capacity, i.e., a person with a function in one organ should not be a part of another organ.
• One organ should not interfere in the functioning of the other organs.
• One organ should not exercise a function of another organ (they should stick to their mandate only).
• In a democracy, the doctrine of separation of power is very important because:
• Keeps away autocracy
• Safeguards individual liberty
• Helps create an efficient administration
• Judiciary’s independence is maintained
• Prevents the legislature from enacting arbitrary or unconstitutional laws

Based on the above discussion, we can conclude that the doctrine of separation power means:

A. one organ of the government should not undertake the function of the others.

B. one organ of the government should not interfere with the function of another organ.

The correct answer is - A 

Key Points

• A secular state in the Indian context is one that allows individuals the freedom to live by their religious beliefs and practices.
• This is important for a country to function democratically.
• The Indian Constitution mandates that the Indian State be secular.
• According to the Constitution, only a secular State can realise its objectives to ensure the following:
• that one religious community does not dominate another.
• that some members do not dominate other members of the same religious community.
• that the State does not enforce any particular religion nor take away the religious freedom of individuals.

Hence, we can conclude that a secular state in the indian context is one when:

A. allows individuals the freedom to live by their religious beliefs and practices.

Article 39 A of the Constitution places a duty upon state to provide a lawyer to any citizen who is unable to engage on due to poverty or any other disability.

Key Points

• Article 39 A of the Constitution of India deals with the provisions of equal justice and free legal aid.
• Furthermore, it provides free legal aid to the poor and weaker sections of society and ensures justice for all on the basis of equal opportunity.
• It provides free legal aid, by suitable legislation or schemes or in any other way, to ensure that opportunities for securing justice are not denied to any citizen by reason of economic or other disabilities.
• Therefore, Article 39 A of the Constitution places a duty upon the State to provide a lawyer to any citizen who is unable to engage one due to poverty or other disability.

Hence, the correct answer is - Article 39 A.

Additional Information

• Article 44:
• ​Article 44 corresponds with Directive Principles of State Policy stating that State shall endeavour to provide for its citizens a uniform civil code (UCC) throughout the territory of India.
• Article 51:
• ​Article 51 is one of the Directive Principles of State Policy based on Liberal-Intellectual principles. It deals with the Promotion of international peace and security.
• Article 32:
• ​Article 32 in the Indian Constitution deals with constitutional remedies that an Indian citizen can seek from the Supreme Court of India and High Court against the violation of his/her fundamental rights.​​

The issue which could best be discussed by using the given passage is - Sharp differences in safety standards across countries.

Important Points

• The companies sometimes use various dangerous means for cost cutting.
• Lower working conditions including lower safety measures are used as ways of cutting costs.
• In the UC plant of Bhopal, every safety device was malfunctioning or was in short supply.
• Between 1980 and 1984, the work crew for the MIC plant was cut in half from 12 to 6 workers.
• The period of safety training for workers was brought down from 6 months to 15 days.
• The post of night-shift worker for the MIC plant was abolished.
• From the above given passage, we can see that there are sharp differences in safety standards across countries.
• The main reason for this sharp difference is the worth of an Indian worker as one worker can easily replace another.
• Since there is so much unemployment, there are many workers who are willing to work in unsafe conditions in return for a wage.
• Making use of the workers’ vulnerability, employers ignore safety in workplaces.
• Thus, even so many years after the Bhopal gas tragedy, there are regular reports of accidents in construction sites, mines or factories due to the callous attitude of the employers.

Based on the above discussion we can conclude that, sharp differences in safety standards across countries is the issue discussed by using the above passage.

If a social science teacher wants to discuss on the theme 'minimum wages', then the concept of 'Protection of workers' interest' is most likely to find a place in her discussion.

Important Points

• Private companies, contractors, and businesspersons normally want to make as much profit as they can.
• In the drive for profits, they might deny workers their rights and not pay them wages, for example.
• In the eyes of the law, it is illegal or wrong to deny workers their wages.
• Similarly to ensure that workers are not underpaid, or are paid fairly, there is a law on minimum wages.
• A worker has to be paid not less than the minimum wage by the employer.
• The minimum wages are revised upwards every few years.
• Minimum Wages Act specifies that wages should not be below a specified minimum.
• This law is meant to protect the interests of all workers; particularly, farm labourers, construction workers factory workers, domestic workers, etc.

Hence, it is concluded that the correct answer is  Only A.

Photographs and Pictures in the textbook help the readers see what they're reading and imagine. It combines more than one type of medium, typically in digital form. They help the reader clarify the meaning of the text. 

Key Points

• Students learn better when presented with actual images as they relate the situation to their real life. So we can say that the visuals explain concepts better.
• The visuals evoke the curiosity and attention of the learner as they find them more attractive than the textual information. This leads to the student reading the content to know what it's trying to impart.
• Also,  visuals provide a depiction of concepts better than words.

​ Hence, it is concluded that A, B, and D is the correct option.

Social sciences comprise a branch/field of knowledge which basically studies human society or human relationships. At the school or junior school level, different social science subjects are taught to the learners under a single and composite instructional area/ subject i.e. social studies (or social sciences).

Key Points

• Civics appeared in the Indian school curriculum in the colonial period against the background of increasing ‘disloyalty’ among Indians towards the Raj. Emphasis on obedience and loyalty were the key features of civics.
• Whereas, political science suggests dynamism that involves the process that produces structure of dominations and their contestations by social forces. Political science imagines civil society as the sphere where more informed, receptive and responsible citizens could be produced.

Thus, it is concluded that Both A and B are false.

A society comprises males and females. Gender division, gender biases, and gender stereotypes are common ill practices in a society.

Key Points 

Gender stereotyping is an unfair idea that refers to a generalized view or characteristics that ought to be possessed by women and men.

• To avoid gender stereotyping in class, a teacher should try to put both boys and girls in non-traditional roles.
• This activity will remove the stereotype from the mind of students that certain activities are only meant to be done by the girls and not by the boys and vice versa.
• It will also promote a sense of gender equality among them.

Hence, we conclude that to avoid gender stereotyping in class, a teacher should try to put both boys and girls in non-traditional roles.

Students learn best when given exposure to experiential learning situations. The concept of democratic culture can be best taught by giving students an experience of a democratic environment in the classroom and discussing examples from other situations of daily life.

Key Points

Following are the best approaches to the teaching of Social Science that is most suited for developing a democratic culture in the classroom:-

• Making learning a participatory process through debates and discussions in the classroom would develop understanding and reinforce a democratic culture in the classroom.
• Working on the self-awareness of both the teacher and the students to mitigate prejudices arising from cultural, social, and class differences will emphasize the development of democratic culture in the classroom.

Thus, it is concluded that Both B and C statements are correct.

Hint

• ​Imparting information given in the textbooks to students is completely textual information. It does not provide experiential learning. So, this procedure will fail to develop democratic values in the classroom.
• Giving students projects, which are easily available in the market makes them rote memorize the concept.

History is the study of life in society in the past, in all its aspects, in relation to present developments and future hopes. History aims at helping students to understand the present existing social, political, religious, and economic conditions of the people.

Key Points

• Since everything changes with time so do society and monuments reflect a major development of society. In order to study the evolution of the present with respect to the past, we can find out monuments in the nearby areas and discuss their historic significance and heritage value.
• Asking children to list five things that they buy from the market and categorizing them into things which are made in the city/village they live and which are bought by traders from other areas will also give us a brief idea about the evolution of things available in the past and present.
• Asking children to make a list of what Harappans ate is not an appropriate activity as the Harappan people no more exist, so there is no evolutionary data.

​Thus, it is concluded that statements A and C are the most suitable activities to be conducted to emphasize that 'history helps us to understand how to present evolved and it tells about past of the present.

An urban area is a human settlement with a high population density and infrastructure. They are categorized as cities and towns.

• Urban administration is required to provide basic amenities like street lights, garbage collection, and water supply.

Key Points​Following activities would be highly suitable to teach the topic 'urban administration':-

• Visit to a municipal corporation/town panchayat.
• Doing a project on sanitation facilities in their locality.
• These two activities help the students to understand urban administration and they came to know about how municipal corporation works. These both are real-life activities that help them in learning better.

Thus, it is concluded that A and D is the correct answer.

A debate is a formal argument or discussion of a question expressing different opinions in a gathering. For a debate to be conducted, the necessary condition is a question that arises from different opinions from different groups.

Key PointsFollowing topic is suitable for debate in social science:-

• Government initiatives on poverty alleviation are a topic for discussion since it raises questions in the minds of the citizens and people might have different views on it.
• Role of technology in employment generation might provide people with viewpoints based on their experiences and analysis.

Thus, it is concluded that statements B and D are correct.

Hint

• ​ The topic of Major landforms on earth is a static topic and does not arrive questions in the mind to be discussed, so it cannot be a part of the discussion.
• Universal Adult Franchise states that the right to vote should be given to all adult citizens without the discrimination of caste, class, color, religion, or sex. So, it cannot be considered for a debate as there are no situations involved.​

Constructivism represents a view that emphasizes the active role of the learner in building, understanding, and making sense of information. Constructivism represents an approach embedded with the central principle that learners can only make sense of new situations in terms of their existing understanding. 

Key PointsFollowing classroom activities facilitate constructivist teaching-learning processes:-

• Students taking the initiative in providing solutions to classroom problems are actively involved in the learning process. Hence constructivist learning is taking place.
• Expecting students to answer from their own words and contextual examples also involves the active involvement of the learners. Hence constructivist learning is taking place.

Thus, it is concluded that Only A and C are the correct options.

Hint

• Using textbooks as the only teaching-learning material in the class does not include students actively in the construction of knowledge.
• Choosing assessment activities mainly centered around board examination patterns does not include any engagement by students. So, constructivist learning is not taking place.​

Additional InformationConstructivist learning includes :          

• Reciprocal teaching/learning. Allow pairs of students to teach each other.
• Inquiry-based learning (IBL) Learners pose their own questions and seek answers to their questions via research and direct observation.
• Problem-based learning (PBL).
• Cooperative learning.

Critical Thinking is the ability to apply reasoning and logic to new or unfamiliar situations, ideas, and opinions. It refers to the process of judging or analyzing facts, events, etc.

Key Points

• Encourage students to answer each other for questions related to textbook topics.
• Provide more than one explanation for the same phenomena or event.
• These activities symbolize critical thinking among students as while doing these activities students try to think in multiple ways and provide the solution by analyzing it.

​Thus, it is concluded that A and B only is the correct answer.

Critical Thinking is the ability to apply reasoning and logic to new or unfamiliar situations, ideas, and opinions. It refers to the process of judging or analyzing facts, events, etc.

Key PointsCritical thinking in children can be promoted by asking questions in which children start divergent thinking and try to find different answers and assess positive and negative aspects. 

• Here, Why did Mahatma Gandhi want to teach children handicrafts? and Why do you think we need the government to find solutions to many disputes or conflicts? questions provide opportunities to assess critical thinking skills.
• As, in these questions, students think in multiple ways and analyze the facts.

Thus, it is concluded that A and C only is the correct answer.

Evidence is proof that a piece of information is true. While referring to the information regarding wages in rural India, we need authentic data and figures as evidence. This data can be obtained through primary or secondary sources.

Key Points

• Referring to nation- wide surveys conducted by the government is the best and most authentic source to find out about the wages in rural India.
• Conducting a survey of households in a few sample villages will help us collect the real data through primary data collection. Hence, this can be used as evidence of the wages in rural India.
• Talking to a few neighborhood farming households will not give us information about wages as farming households are involved in their own farms rather than working for an employer.
• Talking to a few agricultural laborer households are also involved in the farms and do not serve our purpose.

​ Thus, it is concluded that statements A and B  would be required as evidence to make an argument that wages in rural India have fallen.

 

 Additional Information         

Evidence  for obtaining any information can be obtained through two sources : 

A) Primary data

• It is the first-hand information collected by the investigator.
• The investigator is present at the site during the incidence and collects the information.
• For example, the population census conducted by the government of India after every ten years is primary data.

B) Secondary data

• It refers to second-hand information.
• It is not originally collected and rather obtained from primary data sources.

Social and Political Life (SPL) is a new subject area in middle school social science that has replaced the earlier subject of Civics.

• The National Curriculum Framework (NCF) 2005 strongly argues that Civics should be discontinued and its focus on government institutions and functioning should be tempered in the new subject that replaces it. SPL, as its name suggests, focuses on topics related to social, political, and economic life in contemporary India.
• The textbook Social and Political Life is all about the social and political life in India and it consists of information about different communities of India since India is a diverse country.

Key Points

• Students in a classroom are from different communities. There is a possibility that some of them belong to minority communities such as Dalits or Muslims etc. So it is the teacher's responsibility to be sensible while dealing with such situations in a classroom.
• Transacting issues in these communities with sensitivity is the first step that teachers must adapt.
• Showing high commitment to respecting the dignity of all students is also the responsibility of the teacher so that students who belong to that particular community do not feel insecure.
• Avoiding discomfort in the classroom by giving weightage to other topics shows irresponsibility on the part of the teacher as she is not transacting the curriculum properly.
• Skipping using these terms and letting the students themselves read these sections is not appropriate.

​ Thus, from the above-mentioned points, it is clear that Only C and D  is the correct option.

Interdisciplinary approach to teaching is different in many ways from the traditional approach to teaching like the disciplinary approach to teaching.

• The interdisciplinary approach helps to integrate knowledge from different disciplines by using a real process of synthesis. This approach tries to create holistic knowledge by integrating knowledge from different disciplines. This approach facilitates crossing the traditional boundary among academic disciplines or schools of thought in order to create integrated knowledge.

Key Points 

• The teaching of Social Science involves an interdisciplinary approach as the subject under it are interwoven with each other. So, teaching social sciences in an interdisciplinary manner is challenging for teachers as it requires more effort from the teacher.
• Also, the textbooks and chapters in social science textbooks are mostly written from the disciplinary perspective of history or geography.
• It is the interrelationship between different subjects such as history, geography, and civics that makes it interdisciplinary and makes it more challenging for teachers to adopt a different approach to teaching.

​ Hence, it is concluded that **Both (A) and (R) are true and (R) is the correct explanation of (A).**​ ​

The primary sources that have been used to understand the plight of Indian weavers when cotton industries started to grow in Britain are - Only A and B.

Key Points

• The development of cotton industries in Britain affected textile producers in India in several ways:
• Indian textiles now had to compete with British textiles in the European and American markets.
• Exporting textiles to England also became increasingly difficult since very high duties were imposed on Indian textiles imported into Britain.
• By the beginning of the nineteenth century, English-made cotton textiles successfully ousted Indian goods from their traditional markets in Africa, America and Europe.
• Thousands of weavers in India were now thrown out of employment.
• English and European companies stopped buying Indian goods and their agents no longer gave out advances to weavers to secure supplies.
• Distressed weavers wrote petitions to the Company government in India to help them.
• By the 1830s British cotton cloth flooded Indian markets.
• In fact, by the 1880s two-thirds of all the cotton clothes worn by Indians were made of cloth produced in Britain.
• This affected the weavers a lot and they also published newspaper reports of that time depicting the hardships faced by them.

Therefore, we can conclude that the following primary sources have been used to understand the plight of Indian weavers when cotton industries started to grow in Britain:

A. Petitions received by the Company government in India from weavers, describing their situation.

B. Newspaper reports of that time depicting the hardships faced by weavers.

The bibliography is a systematic list of documents prepared for a particular purpose on the basis of some criteria. These criteria may be documents on a subject, of a country, or of the whole of available knowledge.

Key Points

Following is the use of bibliography:-

• It helps the users in locating the required information source in the fastest possible manner.
• It gives the details of documents learners referred to prepare the projects.
• It is attached with the report to give credit to works done in the field while citing the details.
• It locates a title on a given subject and identifies the bibliographical details on it (author, publisher, date, place of publication, etc.).
• It is a compulsory requirement for a project report and a part of the format of publishing a report. Without Bibliography, a project report is considered incomplete.

Thus, it is concluded that A, C, and D is the correct option.​

Assessment plays an important role in the teaching-learning process. Today there are many new approaches to assessment that emphasize the process of learning as well as the product of learning. 

Key Points

• The portfolio is a systematic and organized collection of student work that covers a specific period of time.
• Portfolios encourage teachers and schools to focus on important student outcomes, and provide parents and the community with credible evidence of student achievement.
• A portfolio is a deliberate collection of learner's work that demonstrates his or her competance or range of effort.
• Rubrics can be used as an assessment tool to assess learners' competence available in the portfolio.
• A rubric is a multi-purpose scoring guide for assessing student products and performances. Rubrics help improve teaching, contribute to sound assessment, and serve as a source of information for program improvement.
• Rubrics serve as a guide to both students and teachers. For students, for example, it serves as a guide for self-assessment of their performance and also know what to expect on how a teacher will be grading their assignment.

Thus, it is concluded that Both (A) and (B) are true.

The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act 2009 represents the legislation envisaged under Article 21A. This means that every child has a right to full-time elementary education of satisfactory and equitable quality.

Key Points 

• Section 29(1) of the RTE Act provides that the curriculum and evaluation procedure for elementary education shall be laid down by an academic authority specified by the appropriate Government.
• Principles are to be followed while developing evaluation procedures for students studying up to class 8 as per RTE Act 2009:-
• Conformity with Constitutional values.
• All-round development of the child.
• Building up the child’s knowledge, potentiality, and talent.
• Development of physical and mental abilities to the fullest extent.
• Learning through activities, discovery, and exploration in a child-friendly and child-centered manner.
• Making the child free of fear, trauma, and anxiety and helping the child to express views freely.
• Comprehensive and continuous evaluation of the child’s understanding and knowledge and the ability to apply it.

Thus, it is concluded that B and C is the correct option.

Assessment tools are materials that enable you to collect data for your chosen method of assessment. Such tools provide information that is used to determine whether a planned learning outcome has been achieved or not.

Key Points

• Classroom questioning:- The technique of classroom questioning in teaching can be used best for arousing curiosity in the learners. It provides remedial measures as by asking questions, teachers get to know where students are lacking.
• Peer evaluation:- It is a process in which teachers use their own direct knowledge and experience to examine and judge the merit and value of another teacher's practice. Peer evaluation means, for example, that a class tenth teacher is evaluated by another tenth class teacher of similar experience and training, who knows the students and school conditions of the teacher being assessed. The purpose of peer evaluation is to know one's own performance vis-à-vis others.
• Term-end examination:- It is typically held at the end of a teaching and learning process and typically involves standard tests. It uses for certifying judgment. It is also used for the purpose of certification.
• Written examination:- Written examination is a test that can be half-yearly, yearly. They are designed for some designated time. It is conducted under the supervision of the teacher. It is used for assessing learners on a large scale.

​Thus,it is concluded that A - (iii), B - (iv), C - (ii), D - (i) is the correct answer.

A portfolio is a purposeful, systematic collection and evaluation of student work that documents progress towards meeting learning objectives.

Key Points

• A portfolio is
• artistic pieces or written work of the student.
• purposeful collection of students' work.
• an authentic means to assess students' growth over a long period.
• The student might also include letters in the portfolios describing each entry and its importance. They may include graphs, diagrams, pictures or digital slideshows, PowerPoint presentations, etc.

Thus, it is concluded that Both B and D are the correct options.

Evaluation is a process of finding the strengths and/or weaknesses of any activity.

Key Points

• Evaluating skills generally refer to the skills, abilities, knowledge, experience, and qualifications that an evaluator is expected to have depending on their role in the evaluation process.
• Here, Jan Dhan Yojana helped rural people to come out of their poverty. Do you agree with this view? Justify. This question asses the evaluating skills as here, the learner will justify the question with his skills or abilities.

Thus, it is concluded that Only A is the correct answer.

The correct answer is a skill to do a number of different tasks simultaneously

Key Points 

• Multitasking generally means 'the performance of multiple tasks at one time (एक समय में कई कार्यों का प्रदर्शन)
• Example: Multitasking while driving can be dangerous and can result in severe accidents.
  

Therefore, the correct answer is option 1).

Additional Information

• Another meaning of Multitasking is the ability of a computer to operate several programs at the same time (कंप्‍यूटर की एक ही समय में अनेक प्रोग्रामों को परिचालित करने की क्षमता; बहु-कार्य निष्‍पादन)

The correct answer is the discussion is still ongoing

Key Points 

• Let's refer to the following line of the passage:
• "While the human capacity for simultaneously handling multiple tasks has been discussed and studied for centuries, the book is far from closed on how well we can or can't do it"
• From the above, it is clear that the human capacity for multitasking is being discussed for centuries but there is no conclusion yet and the discussion is still going on.
  

*Therefore, it can be inferred that the correct answer is option 3)*​

Additional Information 

• Comprehension questions can be answered easily by:
• Reading the passage carefully.
• Identifying the purpose of the passage.
• Going through the questions correctly and comprehending the correct meaning.

The correct answer is multi-tasking issue

Key Points 

• Let's refer to the following line of the passage:
• "When you turn your attention back to the computer, you then suspend the etiquette of conversation (which may leave your co-worker to ask, "Are you still there?")." 
  

*Therefore, it can be inferred that the correct answer is option 2)*​

Additional Information 

• Comprehension questions can be answered easily by:
• Reading the passage carefully.
• Identifying the purpose of the passage.
• Going through the questions correctly and comprehending the correct meaning.

The correct answer is doing one task and then another almost immediately

Key Points 

• Let's refer to the following line of the passage:
• "So we are not really doing these things simultaneously. "It looks like multitasking is not taking place. We do one task, then we do another," says Pierre Jolicoeur".
  

*Therefore, it can be inferred that the correct answer is option 4)*​

Additional Information 

• Comprehension questions can be answered easily by:
• Reading the passage carefully.
• Identifying the purpose of the passage.
• Going through the questions correctly and comprehending the correct meaning.

The correct answer is (a) is true and (b) false

Key Points 

• Let's refer to the following line of the passage:
• "As we try to do more and more things in less and less time," often error creeps in, we call that a speed-accuracy trade-off", says Jolicoeur."
  

*Therefore, it can be inferred that the correct answer is option 1).*​

Additional Information 

• Comprehension questions can be answered easily by:
• Reading the passage carefully.
• Identifying the purpose of the passage.
• Going through the questions correctly and comprehending the correct meaning.

The correct answer is adjective. 

Key Points 

• Cognitive is an adjective.
• Cognitive generally means 'of, relating to, being, or involving conscious intellectual activity (such as thinking, reasoning, or remembering) ( बोध-प्रक्रिया से संबंधित, संज्ञानात्मक )'
• Ex: There are many cognitive benefits associated with learning new things.
• ​Adjectives are describing words, which make the meaning of a noun or pronoun more precise.
  

Therefore, the correct answer is option 1).

Additional Information

• Adverb: a word that adds more information about a place, time, manner, cause or degree to a verb, an adjective, a phrase or another adverb, for example, speak slowly, arrive late, etc. ( समय, स्थान, कारण आदि के संबंध में अधिक जानकारी देने या क्रिया, विशेषण, वाक्यांश या अन्य क्रियाविशेषण की श्रेणी को दर्शानेवाला शब्द )
• Noun: a word that is the name of a thing, an idea, a place, or a person, for example, water, happiness, India, etc. ( वस्‍तु, विचार, स्‍थान या व्‍यक्ति के नाम का सूचक शब्‍द; संज्ञा )
• Verb: a word or group of words that is used to indicate that something happens or exists, for example, bring, happen, be, do, etc. ( क्रिया (ऐसा शब्‍द या वाक्‍यांश जो किसी घटना के घटने या किसी वस्‍तु के अस्तित्व में होने का अर्थ दे )

The correct answer is time loss in each switch over process

Key Points 

• Let's refer to the following line of the passage:
• "Task switching" is probably a more accurate description, and though the switch may occur in a fraction of a second, there is an associated task-switch cost, the amount of time lost with each switch.
  

*Therefore, it can be inferred that the correct answer is option 1).*​

Additional Information 

• Comprehension questions can be answered easily by:
• Reading the passage carefully.
• Identifying the purpose of the passage.
• Going through the questions correctly and comprehending the correct meaning.

The correct answer is idiom

Key Points 

• Jargon generally means 'the special terms or expressions of a particular group or field ( किसी विशेष समूह या क्षेत्र के विशेष शब्द या भाव )'.
• *Ex: He doesn't understand a lot of computer ***jargon.
• Marked word idiom means 'the language or words peculiar to a people or to a district, community, or class ( किसी व्यक्ति या किसी जिले, समुदाय या वर्ग के लिए विशिष्ट भाषा या शब्द)
• ​Ex: Since she used a strange idiom, the young kids did not understand her.
  

Therefore, the correct answer is option 3).

Additional Information

Let's understand the meaning of other words given in the options:

• Magic: the art or skill of performing tricks or illusions for entertainment ( मनोरंजन के लिए चाल या भ्रम करने की कला या कौशल )
• Mystery: something hard to understand or explain ( कुछ समझना या समझाना मुश्किल )
• Explanation: a statement that makes something clear ( एक बयान जो कुछ स्पष्ट करता है )

The correct answer is suspend

Key Points 

• 'Put on hold' generally means 'temporarily stopped ( अस्थायी रूप से रोकना )'
• Ex: The services have been temporarily put on hold.**
• The marked word suspend means 'to cause to stop temporarily ( अस्थायी रूप से रो��� )'
• ​Ex: All facilities have been suspended till further notice.
  

Therefore, the correct answer is option 2).

Additional Information 

• Let's understand the meaning of other words given in the options:
• Manipulate: to manage or utilize skillfully ( कुशलता से प्रबंधन या उपयोग करना )
• Handle: to touch or hold something with your hand(s) ( हाथ से छूना या सँभालना )

The correct answer is 'a court singer'.

Key Points

• Baraj is a court singer.
• According to the lines from the poem,

Baraj says with hands clasped, Master our days are gone-

New men have come now, new styles and customs in the world.

Don't ask anyone to listen to me now, I beg you at your feet, my lord.

• From the above lines, it can be concluded that Baraj is having conversation with his lord i.e. the king.
• Therefore, it can be concluded that Baraj is a court singer.

 

Hence, the correct answer is option (3).

The correct answer is 'there are new fashions in singing now'.

Key Points

• According to lines from the poem,

Baraj says with hands clasped, Master our days are gone-

New men have come now, new styles and customs in the world.

• Poet refers that, Baraj days of singing are gone as new styles and fashions in singing has replaced his older style of singing.
• Therefore, it can be concluded that the speaker means to say that there are new fashions in singing now.

 

Hence, the correct answer is option (4).

The correct answer is '(b) is right and (c) is wrong'.

Key Points

• According to the lines from the poem,

Baraj says with hands clasped, Master our days are gone-

New men have come now, new styles and customs in the world.

• Poet refers that, Baraj singing days are over as new listeners have come and new styles and customs have replaced his older style of singing.
• Thus, it can be said that now people have developed new tastes.
• According to the lines from the poem,

The singer alone does not make a song, there has to be someone who hears:

One man opens his throat to sing, the other sings in his mind 

• Poet refers that, the singer alone does not make a song but there has to be someone who listens. As singer open his throat to sing , the listeners not only listen but also sing in their mind.
• Thus, it can be said that the statement 'A singer sings and listeners only listen' is wrong.
• Upon perusal of the above lines, it can be concluded that '(b) is right and (c) is wrong'.

 

Hence, the correct answer is option (2).

The correct answer is '(a) - (iii); (b) - (i); (c) - (ii)'.

Key Points

• According to the line : Only when waves fall in the shore, do they make a harmonious sound.
• Thus, it can be concluded that there is a relationship between waves and shore.
• Hence, the right combination is (b) - (i).
• According to the line: Only when breezes shake the woods do we hear a rustling in the leaves.
• ​ There is a relationship between breezes and woods.
• Hence, the right combination is (a) - (iii).
• According to the line: The singer alone does not make a song, there has to be someone who hears
• ​Above line refers that, to make a song there has be a cordial relationship between singer and listener.
• Hence, the right combination is (c) - (ii).
• Upon perusal of the above lines, it can be concluded that the right combinations are '(a) - (iii); (b) - (i); (c) - (ii)'.

 

Hence, the correct answer is option (4).

The correct answer is 'Metaphor'.

Key Points

• Metaphor - An expression, that describe a person or object by referring to something that is considered to have similar characteristics to that person or object.
• ​Example - The camel is the ship of the desert.
• Refers to the line, **'from a marriage of two forces'**​
• As the marriage is a formally recognized union of two people as partners in a personal relationship, so the word marriage here is used to describe the relation between a singer and a listener for the formation of music.
• Thus, the figure of speech used here is 'Metaphor'.

 

Hence, the correct answer is option (2).

Additional Information

• Personification - A statement in which a thing, an idea or an animal is given human attributes. 
• Example - Death lays his icy hand on kings.
• Simile - a figure of speech involving the comparison of one thing with another thing of a different kind, the Simile is usually introduced by words as Like, As or So.
• ​Example - Life is as tedious as a twice-told tale.
• Symbol - used when an author wants to create a certain mood or emotion in a work of literature. 
• ​Example - Black is often used to represent death or evil.

The correct answer is '(b) is right and (a) is wrong'.

Key Points

• According to the lines from the poem,

Don't ask anyone to listen to me now, I beg you at your feet, my lord.

The singer alone does not make a song, there has to be someone who hears:

One man opens his throat to sing, the other sings in his mind 

Only when waves fall in the shore, do they make a harmonious sound.

Only when breezes shake the woods do we hear a rustling in the leaves.

Only from a marriage of two forces does music arise in the world.

 

• Poet refers that, A king cannot persuade his courtiers to enjoy a song as the singer alone does not make a song, there has to be someone who listens. Therefore, there must be a cordial relationship existed between singer and his listeners like the relationship that existed between the waves and shore, breezes and woods.
• Upon perusal of the above lines, it can be concluded that '(b) is right and (a) is wrong'.

 

Hence, the correct answer is option (2).

Vocabulary refers to the set of words an individual uses as a tool for communication. It is a collection of familiar words used or understood by an individual or group of people. There are mainly two types of vocabulary which include Active/Productive and Passive/Receptive vocabulary.

Key Points 

• Productive vocabulary refers to a set of words that we use in different contexts and understand their meanings and usages. These words are regularly used and clearly understood by the learners while speaking and writing.
• Productive vocabulary consists of words that are used frequently and are easy to use confidently. These are the words that one can use appropriately when one says or writes something.
• Our productive vocabulary is more limited (smaller) than our receptive vocabulary. Students try their best to increase the repertoire of both productive and receptive vocabulary and gradually try to convert their receptive into their productive vocabulary.

Hence, it could be concluded that Productive vocabulary is words which we use when we speak or write.

Additional Information

• Receptive vocabulary refers to the set of words that we recognize when we hear or see as these words can't be recalled and used easily and frequently.
• One can recognize these words in a text or when spoken by others and can guess the meaning of these words but cannot use them confidently.

Language in education is the basis for the learning and development of children during the formative years of school. It is equally important for learning in general and learning the content subjects in particular in later years.

Key Points 

• The three-language formula is an attempt to address the challenges and opportunities of the linguistic situation in India. It is a strategy that serves as a launching pad for learning of 3 languages: Hindi, English, and a regional language.

The Three-Language Formula as stated in the 1968 Policy is: 

• The First language: It has to be studied must be the mother tongue, home language, or the regional language.
• The Second language: In Hindi-speaking States, the second language will be English or some other modern Indian language. In non-Hindi-speaking States, the second language will be Hindi or English.
• The Third language: The third language is taught at a later stage in school, and that too for a shorter time, as it is needed only in a limited context i.e. in a social situation where neither first nor second language could help the child to communicate.

Hence, it could be concluded that India's language-in-education policy is known as the Three-language formula.

English is a second language, irrespective of its standard of teaching and availability of English in the ambiance and exposure and access to the language.

• Methods of language teaching have been influenced by a variety of extant social, political, and psychological factors. There are several methods of English language teaching and the Audiolingualism/Audio Lingual Method is one of them.

Key Points 

• Audiolingualism was one of the methods which were based on the Behaviorist – Structuralist Paradigm. This method focused on oral/aural work and pronunciation taught through drills as well as dialogue practice in small groups of motivated learners and native language teachers.
• Audiolingualism relied heavily on drilling as a strategy for internalizing the pattern as this method stressed the need for oral drilling, pronunciation, and “mastery of the formal properties of language”, which implies good grammatical habits or ‘structure’.
• Dialogues were the main aspect of the audio-lingual approach as they provided the learners an opportunity to mimic/imitate, practice, and memorize bits of language considered to be relevant to their situations.
• Based on the principle that language learning is habit formation, the method encourages imitation and memorization of set phrases.

Hence, it is clear that drilling as a strategy for internalizing the pattern is advocated by audiolingualism.

Additional Information

• The communicative language teaching method in English lays stress on giving opportunities to learners to participate in a purposeful talk in the classroom as it aims to strengthen fluency, not accuracy.
• Total physical response comes under communicational teaching where the teacher gives commands, encourages the students to act, and communicates with them in a rhythmic way. It is a fun and pleasure-giving activity.
• A constructive approach to language teaching is based on the foundation that knowledge is constructed. It gives primacy to collaborative learning by involving learners in discussions and projects.

Language learning is the process of learning to speak and understand a foreign language. It helps children to acquire practical commands of language. It is a result of deliberate and conscious effort for a better understanding of foundational skills of language learning.

• 'Lev Vygotsky', a Soviet psychologist, has propounded the "Socio-cultural Theory". This theory implies the idea that social interaction plays a crucial role in the learner's development.

Key Points

Scaffolding hypothesis:

• As per Vygotsky, 'scaffolding' refers to a process through which meaningful substantive is provided through social interaction, that helps students in the study.
• Through scaffolding required assistance and temporary support are imparted to children according to their individual needs and to enhance their learning skills.
• Providing support to studnets to bridge the learning gaps is a scaffolding strategy as it increases their learning boundaries by providing individualized support.
• For example, Providing students with sentence starters to begin their sentence or idea. I will help students to express their thoughts easily and effectively.

Hence, it is clear that 'Scaffolding hypothesis' believes that social interaction provides the substantive means by which learning occurs.

Language learning is the process of learning to speak and understand a foreign language. It helps children to acquire practical commands of language. It is a result of deliberate and conscious effort for a better understanding of foundational skills of language learning.

• Error: When a learner can’t master a language or a topic, he/she is vulnerable to make errors. Errors are nothing but incorrectness made by a child during learning.

Key Points

• The above-mentioned practice of the teaching-learning process is known as providing 'feedback' as feedback refers to the process of providing information to the learners by the teachers to make them aware of their performance, strengths, and weaknesses.
• Feedback is an essential part of the language learning process which:
• helps learners to maximize their potential at different levels.
• guides students to adapt and adjust their diverse learning styles.
• determines learners' understanding level in order to achieve learning goals.
• enables learners to rectify their errors and improve their learning strategies effectively.

Hence, it could be concluded that the above-mentioned phenomenon is known as feedback.

Additional Information  

• Error analysis refers to the process of detecting and correcting errors committed by learners in the teaching-learning process.
• Remedial teaching is used for giving additional help to learners who have fallen behind the rest of the class in any topic or subject.
• Post-assessment activities allow the teacher and learners to assess their understanding of the content covered. It is aligned directly with the learning outcomes.

Language learning is the process of learning to speak and understand a foreign language. It helps children to acquire practical commands of language. It is a result of deliberate and conscious effort for a better understanding of foundational skills of language learning.

• Language activities ensure the growth of learners' knowledge and assess their level of understanding. It is an authentic source to determine that the classroom teaching is resulting in actual knowledge enhancement of the learners.

Key Points

• Language Task is an approach that implies the idea that language learning takes place by using the target language meaningfully and contextually for a (communicative) purpose.
• It is an approach in which students use language to complete a task. In this approach, activities focus on having students use the authentic target language in order to complete meaningful tasks.
• Task refers to a piece of work or activity that exposes learners to language. Task enables learners to do an activity. It is a 'piece of work' undertaken for oneself or others, freely or for some reward.

From the above points, we can conclude that 'The activities where the target language is used by the learner for a (communicative) purpose in order to achieve an outcome.' are known as tasks.

Additional Information

• Group work serves as an important tool to make learning meaningful by working together. In groups, students work collaboratively and involve in active learning.
• A pair is a collection of two individuals who work together so as to contribute towards a common aim or goal under the direction of a leader.

Language learning is the process of learning to speak and understand a foreign language. It helps children to acquire practical commands of language. It is a result of deliberate and conscious effort for a better understanding of foundational skills of language learning.

• Language strategies and activities ensure the growth of learners' knowledge and assess their level of understanding. It is an authentic source to determine that the classroom teaching is resulting in actual knowledge enhancement of the learners.

Key Points 

• The above-mentioned phenomenon could be described as scaffolding. This term was proposed by Vygotsky in his "Socio-cultural Theory".
• As per Vygotsky, 'scaffolding' refers to a process through which meaningful substantive is provided through social interaction, that helps students in the study.
• Through scaffolding required assistance and temporary support are imparted to children according to their individual needs and to enhance their learning skills.
• Providing support to studnets to bridge the learning gaps is a scaffolding strategy as it increases their learning boundaries by providing individualized support.

Hence, it is clear that the above-mentioned phenomenon could be described as scaffolding. 

Additional Information

• Group work serves as an important tool to make learning meaningful by working together. In groups, students work collaboratively and involve in active learning.
• Communicative language teaching method in English lays stress on giving opportunities to learners to participate in a purposeful talk in the classroom as it aims to strengthen fluency, not accuracy.

Reading is an integral part of academic affairs and it is equally important outside academic contexts. Apart from the essential linguistic requirements of the reading process (e.g. vocabulary and grammar), there are some so-called reading comprehension strategies that are attested to improve reading.

Key Points 

• 'Inferring meaning' is to deduce meaning based on evidence and reasoning as the term 'inference' means something derived by reasoning-something, that is not directly stated but only suggested in the text.
• 'Inferring meaning' is demonstrated by the learner when he\she successfully synthesizes, the content of the selected reading matter. His\her personal knowledge and imagination are the bases for conjectures or hypotheses in such a case.
• The skill of inferring is a skill we do all day long, similar to “reading” people or “reading” a situation. If it has been snowing outside and some cars have snow on them and some cars do not, we infer that those without snow have been parked in the garage.
• Inferring is not only about reading expressions, tones, and body language, it is about “reading” text, often said as, “reading between the lines” where the answers are not explicitly stated.

Thus, it is concluded that 'Inferring meaning' is to deduce meaning based on evidence and reasoning.

Reading is one of the skills among the four skills of language learning. Reading skills are the skills acquired through reading, such as comprehension, fluency, and independence. These skills give people the ability to give clear meaning to the turn words on a page.

Key Points 

• Reading is a multifaceted process involving word recognition, comprehension, fluency, and motivation. Reading with a purpose helps the reader to direct information towards a goal and focuses their attention.
• Reading is a creative enterprise because the reader does not merely decode the written text as it is but decodes the meaning of letters or words in the text based on her experiences.
• There are different kinds of reading sub-skill and 'prediction' is one of them. Prediction is a strategy in which the readers use previous knowledge of the subject and the ideas in the text as clues to the meaning of unknown words.
• It is the process of constructing meaning from written texts. It does not necessarily take longer to read a text which has more symbols rather it requires the coordination of a number of interrelated sources of information.
• Readers bring their backgrounds, their experiences, as well as their emotions into play in order to derive meaning and draw inferences from a text. It refers to the practice of comprehending and interpreting the written text to perceive the text meaningfully.

Thus, it is concluded that mere decoding of the text is NOT advocated as a goal of developing reading among learners.

Vocabulary refers to the set of words an individual uses as a tool for communication. It is a collection of familiar words used or understood by an individual or group of people. There are mainly two types of vocabulary which include Active and Passive vocabulary.

Key Points

• Passive vocabulary refers to the set of words that we recognize when we listen to them and read them as these words can't be recalled and used easily and frequently.
• One can recognize these words in a text or when spoken by others and can guess the meaning of these words but cannot use them confidently.
• Our active vocabulary is more limited (smaller) than our passive vocabulary. Students try their best to increase the repertoire of both active and passive vocabulary and gradually try to convert their passive into their active vocabulary.

Hence, it could be concluded that the above-mentioned type of vocabulary is known as Passive Vocabulary.

Additional Information 

• Active vocabulary refers to a set of words that we use in different contexts and understand their meanings and usages. These words are regularly used and clearly understood by the learners while speaking and writing.

There are two major aspects of language proficiency that must be acquired by second language learners. Jim Cummins has identified these as Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills (BICS), or conversational proficiency, and Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency (CALP), or academic proficiency.

Key Points 

BICS:

• BICS stands for Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills. These language skills are needed in social situations.
• It refers to the language that is necessary for day-to-day living, including conversations with friends, and informal interactions. For example, the language used in the playground or to interact with peers in class activities.
• It is context embedded. Context embedded means that the conversation is often face-to-face, and offers many cues to the listener such as facial expressions, gestures, and concrete objects of reference.
• It is a cognitively undemanding language, i.e. it is easy to understand, deals with everyday language and occurrences, and uses a simple language structure.

Hence, it is clear that the teacher is attempting to promote Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills (BICS).

Hint 

• CALP stands for 'Cognitively Advanced Language Proficiency'. It refers to the idea of developing second language skills is essential for academic learning. CALP refers to formal academic learning. It includes listening, speaking, reading, and writing about subject area content material.
• Group Discussion is the most important factor for effective language class learners as the discussion is a teaching methodology that facilitates meaningful learning by emphasizing upon sharing ideas and experiences with peers and teachers.
• Discourse competency studies larger chunks of language as they flow together. It can also be defined as an analysis of speech units larger than the sentence and of their relationship to the contexts in which they are used.

Assessment is a process of collecting, receiving, and using data for the purpose of improvement in the learning process.

• Assessment is a systematic way of collecting information to make a judgment about student learning.
• It is integral to the teaching-learning process which helps in facilitating student learning and improving instruction.

Key Points

• Assessment for learning is, generally, formative in nature and helps teachers to monitor and improve their students’ progress and to modify the instruction accordingly.
• It also helps students to monitor their own progress as they get feedback from their peers and the teacher and find opportunities to revise and refine their thinking.
• The goal is to increase students’ motivation and learning which requires productive feedback that will tell what they are doing right, pin pointing their strengths, and help them to develop their strengths even further.

Thus, it is concluded that Assessments are designed to monitor and improve students' progress during the teaching-learning process is assessment for learning.

Additional Information

• Assessment of learning is generally summative in nature occurring at the end of a class, course, semester, or academic year, and intended to measure learning outcomes and report these outcomes to students, parents, and administrators.
• Assessment as learning builds the capacity of students to absorb new ideas and place them in larger contexts, evaluate their own and their peers’ work against well-defined criteria or learning goals.

National Education Policy is an ambitious and futuristic policy that ensures opportunities for children to hone their talents by fixing the lacunae in the education system.

• NEP 2020 is the third education policy in the history of independent India after the policy of 1968 and the second policy of 1986.
• The main goal of the school education regulatory system is to improve educational outcomes so that children can learn to implement the acquired knowledge and skills in their practical life.

Key Points Classical language:

• The importance, relevance, and beauty of the classical languages and literature of India cannot be overlooked.'  India has extremely rich literature in other classical languages, including classical Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, and Odia.
• In addition to these classical languages Pali, Persian, and Prakrit; and their works of literature too must be preserved for their richness and for the pleasure and enrichment of posterity.
• For the enrichment of the children, and for the preservation of these rich languages and their artistic treasures, all students in all schools, public or private, will have the option of learning at least two years of a classical language of India and its associated literature, through experiential and innovative approaches, including the integration of technology, in Grades 6-12, with the option to continue from the middle stage through the secondary stage and beyond.

Thus, it is clear that National Education Policy 2020 recommends the study of classical languages as an additional option.