Korkai is a serene village, nestled in a small island, separated from the mainland by a strait — the world forgot to name. Its inhabitants are mostly fishermen; a few are cattle-grazers too. A boat ride across the strait is the only mode of transport to the mainland.
Budugu, the boatman, ferries people, cattle, and bicycles across the strait in his boat for a living. The remoteness and the lack of connection to the mainland has served him well. He has a family of five. His two daughters are away studying in a city college and dream of corporate jobs in the cities. His ailing mother and wife complete his family.
Budugu sent his daughters to study in the city as there is only one school in Korkai, run by an NGO. The NGO prepares the village kids for higher studies. For those who cannot go to cities, the NGO teaches them about the virtues of the local way of life.
Budugu is a member of the village Panchayat that runs the village administration. At Korkai, hardly anyone remembers the local MLA or MP. Interestingly, the local MLA visited last week, and informed the islanders of major changes planned for the region: urgent construction of a bridge connecting the island to the mainland, and real estate development. She announced that the island will become a well-known eco-tourism destination in the state. She stressed that the local livelihood, dependent on fortunes at the sea, might enjoy the certainty in minimum wages, meted out by the eco-resort owners. Nevertheless, some villagers fear that the bridge will irreversibly change their lives and livelihoods.
Budugu fears that the proposed bridge will leave him jobless, and is determined to do something about it. He wants to gather effective support in order to get the construction of the proposed bridge delayed.
Which of the following will be the MOST feasible option for Budugu to gather effective support?
Which of the following will be the MOST feasible option for Budugu to gather effective support?
- Form a boat rowers' association and sit on a hunger strike to protest the proposed bridge
- Suspend his boat services till the villagers start supporting his cause
- Partner with the local NGO and campaign that the developments will ruin the local way of life
- Inform the environmental experts in the nearby cities that the strait is home to rare fish, frogs and turtles
- Get a resolution passed by the Panchayat that the bridge will ruin the local way of life
The Correct Option is
Solution and Explanation
Step 1: Budugu’s main concern is job security. The villagers also have a stake in whether the bridge affects their way of life. Hence, to delay the project, Budugu needs formal and collective support, not just individual protests.
Step 2: Let’s evaluate the options:
- Option 1: Hunger strike by boat rowers is drastic, risky, and may not attract wider support.
- Option 2: Suspending services punishes villagers, alienating them rather than gaining support.
- Option 3: NGO support may help, but outsiders alone cannot strongly influence local decision-making.
- Option 4: Environmental experts can raise concerns, but this is external and slower to have impact.
- Option 5: A Panchayat resolution represents the community’s collective voice, which carries legitimacy and is most likely to be recognized by authorities. It directly communicates that the village itself opposes the bridge.
Step 3: Therefore, the most feasible and impactful way for Budugu is to get the Panchayat resolution passed.
Final Answer: \(\boxed{\text{Option 5}}\)
The local MLA is worried about the resistance to the project. This project, like her other successful projects in nearby villages, was supposed to garner a significant amount of funding. Moreover, it would make her the face of development in the state; perhaps, even would land her a ministerial berth. However, Budugu’s activism has cast the project in a bad light among the popular minds. The MLA wants to protect her pro- development image.
Which of the following is the BEST course of action for the MLA?
Which of the following is the BEST course of action for the MLA?
- Create a fishermen and boat rowers’ cooperative in the island and donate generously to it
- Invite the village Panchayat for a discussion on a possible compromise solution
- Appoint a task force to find alternative land nearby for the project
- Discredit Budugu in a public meeting by announcing that he is putting his interests over and above the village development
- Publicise widely that the project will improve the socio-economic condition of the island
The Correct Option is
Solution and Explanation
The MLA’s primary concern is to protect her pro-development image. Among the given options, the most effective way is to highlight the project’s benefits and create a positive public perception.
- Option 1 (donating to a cooperative) may help a few people but does not address the larger resistance or protect her development image strongly.
- Option 2 (discussion with Panchayat) is a good democratic step, but it may not directly improve her public image immediately.
- Option 3 (finding alternative land) shows flexibility but could delay the project and weaken her image of decisiveness.
- Option 4 (discrediting Budugu) can backfire and may make her appear vindictive rather than development-oriented.
- Option 5 directly links her with development by communicating widely how the project will improve socio-economic conditions, thus aligning with her goal of being seen as a champion of progress.
Therefore, Option (5) is the BEST choice.
As the project gets delayed, Budugu becomes a well-known social activist with a lot of followers. When Pragati, his elder daughter, finishes her education and starts looking for employment, a few known corporates refuse her a job because of her father’s “anti-development” stand.
Which of the following options BEST communicates to the corporates that Pragati has an identity of her own?
Which of the following options BEST communicates to the corporates that Pragati has an identity of her own?
- Go all out on social media to explain how her father’s activism is misconstrued by certain corporates
- Stop using her last name in her job applications
- Showcase on social media the accolades and awards she received in her college
- Discuss in a social media post why she supports the proposed development in her island village
- Start a blog and update it regularly with views on current affairs
The Correct Option is C
Solution and Explanation
Step 1: Understand the problem
Pragati is being judged by corporates not for her own merits, but because of her father’s image as an "anti-development" activist. The key here is to establish her independent identity.
Step 2: Evaluate options
- Option 1: Going all out to defend her father’s activism shifts focus back to him, not her. This does not highlight her individuality.
- Option 2: Hiding her last name may avoid bias but does not positively establish her own achievements. It is more of concealment than identity-building.
- Option 3: Showcasing her accolades and awards presents clear evidence of her own talent and merits. This shifts focus from her father to her personal identity and accomplishments.
- Option 4: Publicly supporting development just to appear opposite to her father is opportunistic and may look artificial. It does not necessarily highlight her individuality through her skills.
- Option 5: Starting a blog with views on current affairs is useful, but it may again mix her with political opinions, rather than focusing on her personal achievements.
Step 3: Conclusion
The most effective and sustainable way for Pragati to communicate her independent identity is by highlighting her college accolades and awards. This shows corporates her own worth, separate from her father’s activism.
Final Answer: Option (3)
Top Questions on Reading Comprehension
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Trading centres may be divided into rural and urban marketing centres. Rural marketing centres cater to nearby settlements. These are quasi-urban centres. They serve as trading centres of the most rudimentary type. Here, personal and professional services are not well-developed. These form local collecting and distributing centres. Most of these have mandis (wholesale markets) and also retailing areas. They are not urban centres per se but are significant centres for making available goods and services which are most frequently demanded by rural folk.
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