Comprehension
Read the given passage carefully and attempt the questions that follow.
The work which Gandhiji had taken up was riot only regarding the achievement of political freedom but also the establishment of a new social order based on truth and nonviolence, unity and peace, equality and universal brotherhood and maximum freedom for all. This unfinished part of his experiment was perhaps even more difficult to achieve than the achievement of political freedom. In the political struggle, the fight was against a foreign power and all one could do was either join it or wish it success and give it his/her moral support. In establishing a social order on this pattern, there was a strong possibility of a conflict arising between diverse groups and classes of our own people. Experience shows that man values his possessions even more than his life because in the former he sees the means for perpetuation and survival of his descendants even after his body is reduced to ashes. A new order cannot be established without radically changing (he mind and attitude of men towards properly and, at some stage or the other, the 'haves' have to yield place to the 'havenots'. We have seen, in our time, attempts to achieve a kind o( egalitarian society and the picture of it after it was achieved. But this was done, by and large, through the use of physical force.
In the ultimate analysis it is difficult, if not impossible, to say that the instinct to possess has been rooted out or that it will not reappear in an even worse form under a different guise. if may even be that, like a gas kept confined within containers under great pressure, or water held back by a big dam, once the barrier breaks, the reaction will one day sweep back with a violence equal in extent and intensity to what was used to establish and maintain the outward egalitarian form. This enforced Egalitarianism contains, in its bosom, the seed of its own destruction.
The root cause of class conflict is possessive emeses or the acquisitive instinct. So long as the ideal that is to be achieved is one of securing the maximum material satisfaction, possessiveness is neither suppressed nor eliminated but grows on what it feeds. Nor does it cease to be possessiveness, whether it is confined to only a few or is shared by many. If egalitarianism is to endure, it has to be based not on the possession of the maximum material goods by a few or by all but on voluntary, enlightened renunciation of those goods which cannot be shared by others or can be enjoyed only at the expense of others. This calls for substitution of material values by purely spiritual ones. The paradise of material satisfaction, 'which is sometimes equated with progress these days, neither spells peace nor progress Mahatma Gandhi has shown us how the acquisitive instinct inherent in man can be transmuted by the adoption of the ideal of trusteeship by those who 'have' for the benefit of all those who 'have not' so that, instead of leading to exploitation and conflict, it would become a means and incentive for the amelioration and progress of society respectively.
Question: 1
According to the passage, egalitarianism will not survive if:
According to the passage, egalitarianism will not survive if:
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When a question focuses on the “survival” of an ideology or system, look for the option that reflects long-term acceptance and societal mindset change.
Updated On: Aug 11, 2025
- It is based on voluntary renunciation
- It is achieved by resorting to physical force.
- Underprivileged people are not involved in its establishment.
- People's outlook towards it is not radically changed.
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The Correct Option is D
Solution and Explanation
The passage emphasizes that for egalitarianism to sustain and thrive, a fundamental change in the way people perceive and accept it is necessary.
Let us examine each option:
(a) Voluntary renunciation, while not the most effective way, does not guarantee failure of egalitarianism; it may still work under idealistic conditions.
(b) Resorting to physical force may be undesirable, but it does not necessarily prevent the survival of egalitarianism; it depends on the context and implementation.
(c) Non-involvement of underprivileged people could affect the establishment, but not necessarily the survival, which is a long-term aspect.
(d) If people’s outlook towards egalitarianism is not radically changed, it means society is not fundamentally aligned with its principles. In such a case, egalitarianism cannot survive because it lacks the necessary ideological and cultural support. This is explicitly emphasized in the passage. Thus, option (d) directly addresses the sustainability of egalitarianism and is the correct choice.
Let us examine each option:
(a) Voluntary renunciation, while not the most effective way, does not guarantee failure of egalitarianism; it may still work under idealistic conditions.
(b) Resorting to physical force may be undesirable, but it does not necessarily prevent the survival of egalitarianism; it depends on the context and implementation.
(c) Non-involvement of underprivileged people could affect the establishment, but not necessarily the survival, which is a long-term aspect.
(d) If people’s outlook towards egalitarianism is not radically changed, it means society is not fundamentally aligned with its principles. In such a case, egalitarianism cannot survive because it lacks the necessary ideological and cultural support. This is explicitly emphasized in the passage. Thus, option (d) directly addresses the sustainability of egalitarianism and is the correct choice.
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Question: 2
According to the passage, why does man value his possessions more than his life?
According to the passage, why does man value his possessions more than his life?
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Look for keywords like "immortality," "legacy," or "after death" when evaluating why something is valued more than life itself.
Updated On: Aug 11, 2025
- He has inherent desire to share his possession with others.
- He is endowed with the possessive instinct.
- Only his possession helps him earn love and respect from his descendants.
- Through his possessions he can preserve his name even after his death
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The Correct Option is D
Solution and Explanation
The passage highlights that man attaches greater value to his possessions than to his life because possessions offer a sense of immortality or lasting legacy.
Let’s analyze the options:
(a) The desire to share possessions is altruistic, but it is not the reason man values possessions more than life. The passage does not mention this motivation.
(b) While the possessive instinct may drive ownership, it does not explain the higher value placed on possessions over life itself. This is more about instinct, not lasting legacy.
(c) Earning love and respect from descendants is related but limited; the passage goes beyond this to emphasize immortality through possession.
(d) This is the correct answer. According to the passage, possessions are valued because they allow a man to preserve his name and identity even after death. This notion of preserving legacy or being remembered is key to understanding why possessions are considered more valuable than life itself. Thus, the correct interpretation of the passage leads to option (d) as the most accurate.
Let’s analyze the options:
(a) The desire to share possessions is altruistic, but it is not the reason man values possessions more than life. The passage does not mention this motivation.
(b) While the possessive instinct may drive ownership, it does not explain the higher value placed on possessions over life itself. This is more about instinct, not lasting legacy.
(c) Earning love and respect from descendants is related but limited; the passage goes beyond this to emphasize immortality through possession.
(d) This is the correct answer. According to the passage, possessions are valued because they allow a man to preserve his name and identity even after death. This notion of preserving legacy or being remembered is key to understanding why possessions are considered more valuable than life itself. Thus, the correct interpretation of the passage leads to option (d) as the most accurate.
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Question: 3
According to the passage, which was the unfinished part of Gandhi's experiment?
According to the passage, which was the unfinished part of Gandhi's experiment?
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Focus on the concrete societal outcomes when identifying “unfinished” historical missions — in this case, the realization of a just and equal society.
Updated On: Aug 11, 2025
- Educating people to conflict.
- Achieving total political freedom for the country
- Establishment of an egalitarian society
- Radically changing the mind and attitude of men towards truth and non-violence.
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The Correct Option is C
Solution and Explanation
According to the passage, while Gandhi was successful in achieving political freedom for India, his deeper experiment aimed at the creation of an egalitarian society remained incomplete.
Let's break down each option for clarity:
(a) "Educating people to conflict" contradicts Gandhi’s principles of peace and non-violence. Gandhi never sought to promote conflict; thus, this option is incorrect.
(b) "Achieving total political freedom" was already accomplished during Gandhi’s lifetime. It was not the unfinished part of his mission.
(c) This is the correct answer. Gandhi envisioned a society where equality prevailed — both economically and socially. However, this egalitarian society was not realized, and hence, it remained the unfinished part of his broader social experiment.
(d) Although Gandhi did aim to transform people's attitudes towards truth and non-violence, the passage indicates that this change was part of his vision. The end goal or visible outcome was the establishment of a just and equal society — i.e., an egalitarian society. Therefore, (d) is not the best choice. In conclusion, the establishment of an egalitarian society was Gandhi’s ultimate, yet unfulfilled, social experiment.
Let's break down each option for clarity:
(a) "Educating people to conflict" contradicts Gandhi’s principles of peace and non-violence. Gandhi never sought to promote conflict; thus, this option is incorrect.
(b) "Achieving total political freedom" was already accomplished during Gandhi’s lifetime. It was not the unfinished part of his mission.
(c) This is the correct answer. Gandhi envisioned a society where equality prevailed — both economically and socially. However, this egalitarian society was not realized, and hence, it remained the unfinished part of his broader social experiment.
(d) Although Gandhi did aim to transform people's attitudes towards truth and non-violence, the passage indicates that this change was part of his vision. The end goal or visible outcome was the establishment of a just and equal society — i.e., an egalitarian society. Therefore, (d) is not the best choice. In conclusion, the establishment of an egalitarian society was Gandhi’s ultimate, yet unfulfilled, social experiment.
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Question: 4
Which of the following statements is 'not true' in the context of the passage?
Which of the following statements is 'not true' in the context of the passage?
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When asked about ‘not true’ statements, always refer back to the exact assertion made in the passage.
Updated On: Aug 11, 2025
- True egalitarianism can be achieved by giving up one's possessions under compulsion.
- Man values his life more than his possessions.
- Possessive instinct is a natural desire of human beings
- In the political struggle, the fight was against alien rule.
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The Correct Option is B
Solution and Explanation
The passage explicitly mentions that man values his possessions more than his life, because possessions offer a sense of permanence and legacy. This contradicts statement (b), making it not true.
Let’s evaluate each statement:
(a) The passage discusses compulsion and voluntary renunciation, making this statement contextually plausible.
(b) Incorrect, as per the passage. Man values possessions more than life, not less.
(c) Correct. The possessive instinct is described as natural.
(d) Correct. The passage references alien rule in the political struggle.
Let’s evaluate each statement:
(a) The passage discusses compulsion and voluntary renunciation, making this statement contextually plausible.
(b) Incorrect, as per the passage. Man values possessions more than life, not less.
(c) Correct. The possessive instinct is described as natural.
(d) Correct. The passage references alien rule in the political struggle.
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Question: 5
According to the passage, true egalitarianism will last only if
According to the passage, true egalitarianism will last only if
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Always differentiate between the means to achieve a goal and the conditions for its sustainability.
Updated On: Aug 11, 2025
- It is thrust upon people.
- It is based on truth and non-violence.
- People inculcate spiritual values instead of material values.
- 'Haves' and 'have-nots' live together peacefully
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The Correct Option is C
Solution and Explanation
The passage emphasizes that for egalitarianism to be sustainable, people must undergo a radical change in values, shifting from materialism to spiritualism.
(a) Imposing egalitarianism is contrary to its principles.
(b) Truth and non-violence are means, not the key condition for longevity.
(c) Correct. Spiritual values are necessary for sustaining egalitarianism.
(d) Coexistence is a result, not the core requirement for survival.
(a) Imposing egalitarianism is contrary to its principles.
(b) Truth and non-violence are means, not the key condition for longevity.
(c) Correct. Spiritual values are necessary for sustaining egalitarianism.
(d) Coexistence is a result, not the core requirement for survival.
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Question: 6
According to the passage, people ultimately overturn a social order...
According to the passage, people ultimately overturn a social order...
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When analyzing social conflict, note whether rebellion is due to force or lack of moral/spiritual alignment.
Updated On: Aug 11, 2025
- Which is based on coercion and oppression
- Which does not satisfy their basic needs
- Which is based upon conciliation and rapprochement
- Which is not congenital to the spiritual values of the people
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The Correct Option is A
Solution and Explanation
The passage makes it clear that people resist and ultimately overthrow a social system that relies on coercion and oppression. Such systems lack legitimacy and sustainability.
(a) Correct. Coercive systems provoke rebellion.
(b) While relevant, the passage stresses oppression more strongly.
(c) Conciliation promotes peace, not revolt.
(d) Spiritual incongruence is important but secondary to coercion.
(a) Correct. Coercive systems provoke rebellion.
(b) While relevant, the passage stresses oppression more strongly.
(c) Conciliation promotes peace, not revolt.
(d) Spiritual incongruence is important but secondary to coercion.
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Question: 7
According to the passage, the root cause of class conflict is
According to the passage, the root cause of class conflict is
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Identify whether the statement refers to the cause or result of conflict — focus on human nature for root causes.
Updated On: Aug 11, 2025
- The paradise of material satisfaction
- Dominant inherent acquisitive instinct in man.
- Exploitation of the 'have-nots' by the 'haves'.
- A social order where the unprivileged are not a part of the establishment.
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The Correct Option is B
Solution and Explanation
The passage attributes class conflict to the acquisitive instinct — the natural desire of humans to possess more, creating inequality.
(a) Material satisfaction is a result, not the root cause.
(b) Correct. The innate urge to acquire creates social divisions.
(c) Exploitation is a symptom of this instinct, not the root cause.
(d) Exclusion is a consequence, not the fundamental cause.
(a) Material satisfaction is a result, not the root cause.
(b) Correct. The innate urge to acquire creates social divisions.
(c) Exploitation is a symptom of this instinct, not the root cause.
(d) Exclusion is a consequence, not the fundamental cause.
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Question: 8
Which of the following statements is 'not true' in the context of the passage?
Which of the following statements is 'not true' in the context of the passage?
Show Hint
Look for contradictions between materialism and spiritual focus when evaluating ideal systems.
Updated On: Aug 11, 2025
- A new order can be established by radically changing the outlook of people towards it.
- Adoption of the ideal of trusteeship can minimize possessive instinct.
- Enforced egalitarianism can be the cause of its own destruction
- Ideal of new order is to secure maximum material satisfaction.
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The Correct Option is D
Solution and Explanation
The passage argues that a new, ideal order should focus on spiritual values, not material satisfaction. Hence, statement (d) is not true.
(a) Correct — changing people's outlook is essential.
(b) Correct — trusteeship helps reduce materialism.
(c) Correct — forced equality can be unstable.
(d) Incorrect. The new order seeks spiritual growth, not material gains.
(a) Correct — changing people's outlook is essential.
(b) Correct — trusteeship helps reduce materialism.
(c) Correct — forced equality can be unstable.
(d) Incorrect. The new order seeks spiritual growth, not material gains.
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Question: 9
Which of the following conclusions can be deduced from the passage?
Which of the following conclusions can be deduced from the passage?
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When asked for a conclusion, look for a statement that reflects the ultimate outcome or result of the passage’s ideas.
Updated On: Aug 11, 2025
- A social order based on truth and nonviolence alone can help the achievement of political freedom.
- After establishing the social order of Gandhiji pattern, the possibility of a conflict between different classes of society will hardly exist.
- It is difficult to change the mind and attitude of men towards property.
- In an egalitarian society, material satisfaction can be enjoyed only at the expense of others.
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The Correct Option is B
Solution and Explanation
The passage discusses how Gandhi's model of social order is based on truth, non-violence, and spiritual values, which aim to remove class distinctions and conflicts.
Let’s assess the conclusions:
(a) The passage recognizes truth and non-violence but says they are insufficient alone; achieving political freedom also needs deeper societal change.
(b) Correct. Gandhiji's social order promotes harmony, reducing class conflict. The passage supports this deduction.
(c) While possibly true, this is a challenge, not a deduced conclusion from the passage’s core message.
(d) The passage promotes shared satisfaction in an egalitarian society, not exploitation, making this incorrect. Thus, the conclusion that reflects the passage accurately is (b).
Let’s assess the conclusions:
(a) The passage recognizes truth and non-violence but says they are insufficient alone; achieving political freedom also needs deeper societal change.
(b) Correct. Gandhiji's social order promotes harmony, reducing class conflict. The passage supports this deduction.
(c) While possibly true, this is a challenge, not a deduced conclusion from the passage’s core message.
(d) The passage promotes shared satisfaction in an egalitarian society, not exploitation, making this incorrect. Thus, the conclusion that reflects the passage accurately is (b).
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Question: 10
According to the passage, what does "adoption of the ideal of trusteeship" mean?
According to the passage, what does "adoption of the ideal of trusteeship" mean?
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Trusteeship = Moral ownership by the wealthy for the benefit of the poor — a key Gandhian social philosophy.
Updated On: Aug 11, 2025
- Equating peace and progress with material satisfaction.
- Adoption of the ideal by the 'haves' for the benefit of 'have-nots'.
- Voluntary enlightened remuneration of the possessive instinct by the privileged class.
- Substitution of spiritual values by material ones by those who live in the paradise of material satisfaction.
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The Correct Option is B
Solution and Explanation
The concept of trusteeship in Gandhian thought implies that the wealthy ('haves') hold their wealth in trust for the welfare of the less privileged ('have-nots').
Evaluating the options:
(a) Incorrect. Material satisfaction is not equated with peace in Gandhian philosophy.
(b) Correct. The 'haves' adopt trusteeship to support the 'have-nots'. This aligns with the passage.
(c) Overly complex and not clearly expressed in the passage.
(d) Incorrect. Trusteeship promotes spiritual over material values, not the reverse. Therefore, trusteeship is about moral responsibility and equitable distribution for social harmony.
Evaluating the options:
(a) Incorrect. Material satisfaction is not equated with peace in Gandhian philosophy.
(b) Correct. The 'haves' adopt trusteeship to support the 'have-nots'. This aligns with the passage.
(c) Overly complex and not clearly expressed in the passage.
(d) Incorrect. Trusteeship promotes spiritual over material values, not the reverse. Therefore, trusteeship is about moral responsibility and equitable distribution for social harmony.
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Top Questions on Reading Comprehension
As of 2009, there are 890 World Heritage Sites that are located in 148 countries (map). 689 of these sites are cultural and include places like the Sydney Opera House in Australia and the Historic Center of Vienna in Austria. 176 are natural and feature such locations as the U.S.’s Yellowstone and Grand Canyon National Parks. 25 of the World Heritage Sites are considered mixed i.e. natural and cultural Peru’s Machu Picchu is one of these. Italy has the highest number of World Heritage Sites with 44. India has 36 (28 cultural, 7 natural and 1 mixed) World Heritage Sites. The World Heritage Committee has divided the world’s countries into five geographic zones which include (1) Africa, (2) Arab States, (3) Asia Pacific (including Australia and Oceania), (4) Europe and North America and (5) Latin America and the Caribbean.
WORLD HERITAGE SITES IN DANGER
Like many natural, historic and cultural sites around the world, many World Heritage Sites are in danger of being destroyed or lost due to war, poaching, natural disasters like earthquakes, uncontrolled urbanization, heavy tourist traffic and environmental factors like air pollution and acid rain.- Maharashtra Class X Board - 2025
- English
- Reading Comprehension
- I give the biggest credit of this honour to my movement’s Kaalu Kumar, Dhoom Das and Adarsh Kishore from India and Iqbal Masih from Pakistan who made the supreme sacrifice for protect ing the freedom and dignity of children. I humbly accept this award on behalf of all such martyrs, my fellow activists across the world and my countrymen. My journey from the great land of Lord Buddha, Guru Nanak and Mahatma Gandhi; India to Norway is a connect between the two centres of global peace and brotherhood, ancient and modern. Friends, the Nobel Committee has generously invited me to present a “lecture.” Respectfully, I am unable to do that. Because, I am representing here — the sound of silence. The cry of innocence. And, the face of invisibility. I represent millions of those children who are left behind and that’s why I have kept an empty chair here as a reminder. I have come here only to share the voices and dreams of our children– because they are all our children– (gesture to everyone in the audience). I have looked into their frightened and exhausted eyes. I have held their injured bodies and felt their broken spirits.
- Maharashtra Class X Board - 2025
- English
- Reading Comprehension
- Read the following extract and do the given activities :
- Maharashtra Class X Board - 2025
- English
- Reading Comprehension
- Read the following passage and do the given activities :
- Maharashtra Class X Board - 2025
- English
- Reading Comprehension
- Complete the concluding sentence of the following paragraph with one of the options given below. In the 1960s, Jane Goodall observed chimpanzees removing termites from hides with stripped twigs. Initially, researchers were unable to determine whether the animals viewed a group of tasks as a single problem requiring a general tool set or used individual tools to solve specific tasks. The question was finally resolved when chimps were observed selecting tools to carry with them in anticipation of particular difficulties. Research, therefore, concluded that not only are chimpanzees capable of using tools in a sophisticated way, but they ________________
- CUET (PG) - 2025
- General Management
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Questions Asked in CLAT exam
- The "Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam", 2023 Act received near-unanimous support in both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha. The legislation mandates the reservation of one-third of all seats in the Lok Sabha, state legislative assemblies, and Delhi (as a union territory with an elected assembly) for women. This linking of the implementation of the Act to the implementing of two long-term exercises of census and delimitation, makes little sense to many, and sounds quite like empowerment delayed for now.
In a 2012 article 'Holding Up Half the Sky: Reservations for Women in India', Rudolf C Heredia breaks down the common misconceptions that cloud our understanding of women's political participation- "When women do attain a national leadership role it is often because they have inherited the mantle from their fathers ophusbands, rather than as persons in their own right and are then projected as matriarchs, part of the joint family, complementary to the patriarchy rather than a challenge to it."
In 'Equality versus Empowerment: Women in Indian Legislature', 2023, Soumya Bhowmick makes the case for going a step beyond quotas, and to turn our attention to the complexities that shape women's agency in the country. This, he argues, would require a bottoms-up approach, rather than merely handing out reservations in a top-down manner. "In a country like India with a considerably large heterogeneous population, the dissemination of legislative power would be insufficient to protect the interests of minority groups such as women, Scheduled Castes, and Scheduled Tribes." He concludes that "implementing the idea of reservation for women would bring about descriptive representation, but its transformation into substantive representation would depend on the change in the attitudes of the people."
While the reservation of one-third of seats for women belonging to the scheduled castes and tribes under the amendment to article 330a and 332 of the constitution is a welcome step, it remains to be seen whether it fully acknowledges the complex interplay of hierarchies, socio-political relationships which also affect the extent and nature of complications that surround effective realisation of women's politics for Indian politics to emerge as a truly emancipatory space.- CLAT - 2025
- National Affairs
- In keeping with the slogan for this year's Olympics, "Games Wide Open," the opening ceremony took place outside a stadium setting by the river, for the first time. In many respects, the Paris Games turned out to be one of the most elaborate cultural rituals since Covid swept across the world beginning in late 2019. Health restrictions forced the organizers of Tokyo 2020 and Beijing 2022 to sharply limit the scale of the festivities, with events largely closed to the public. Paris 2024, powered in part by pent-up demand for communal experiences, symbolized an international post-pandemic vibe shift.
The International Olympic Committee and French officials managed strict security measures in place. Yet the recent history of violence in France - including the 2015 terror attack in Paris that left 138 people dead and at least 416 injured - stalked public consciousness prior to the games. The geopolitical backdrop for the Paris Games was no less troubling. The war between Israel and Hamas which had crossed the six-month mark, raised fears of a protracted conflict and wider regional instability. The devastation in the Gaza Strip has provoked international outrage, isolating Israel on the global stage. Meanwhile, Russia continues to gain ground in its military offensive against Ukraine as some Western nations worry about the rise of authoritarianism. These international crises raised serious concerns that could come into play during the Games in the form of protests and other political demonstrations.
Nevertheless, Olympics organizers put up a show that stunned the throngs assembled on the boulevards of Paris, not to mention the millions of people who watched the Games unfold on their televisions and mobile devices. At the Paris 2024 Olympics, India secured a total of six medals; one silver and five bronze which was one down from the highest haul of medals from the previous Olympics. Neeraj Chopra earned a silver in men's javelin with an 89.45 throw, narrowly missing gold to Pakistan's Arshad Nadeem. Shooter Manu Bhaker made history by clinching bronze in the women's 10'm air pistol, becoming the first Indian woman to win a medal in Olympic shooting. The men's hockey team achieved a second consecutive bronze, defeating Spain 2-1, with captain Harmanpreet Singh scoring both goals.
(Extracted, with edits and revision, from "The Olympics are nearly here. For a weary world, they can't come soon enough", NBCNEWS)- CLAT - 2025
- Sports and Physical Education
- During the First World War, Indian merchants and industrialists wanted protection against imports of foreign goods, and a rupee-sterling foreign exchange ratio that would discourage imports. To organise business interests, they formed the Indian Industrial and Commercial Congress in 1920 and the Federation of the Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industries (FICCI) in 1927. The industrialists attacked colonial control over the Indian economy and supported the Civil Disobedience Movement when it was first launched. They gave financial assistance and refused to buy or sell imported goods. After the failure of the Round Table Conference, business groups were no longer uniformly enthusiastic. They were apprehensive of the spread of militant activities, and worried about prolonged disruption of business, as well as of the growing influence of socialism amongst the younger members of the Congress.
The industrial working classes did not participate in the Civil Disobedience Movement in large numbers, except in the Nagpur region. As the industrialists came closer to the Congress, workers stayed aloof. But inspite of that, some workers did participate in the Civil Disobedience Movement, selectively adopting some of the ideas of the Gandhian programme, like boycott of foreign goods, as part of their own movements against low wages and poor working conditions. There were strikes by railway workers in 1930 and dockworkers in 1932. In 1930, thousands of workers in Chotanagpur tin mines wore Gandhi caps and participated in protest rallies and boycott campaigns. But the Congress was reluctant to include workers' demands as part of its programme of struggle. It felt that this would alienate industrialists and divide the anti-imperial forces.
Another important feature of the Civil Disobedience Movement was the large-scale participation of women. During Gandhiji's salt march, thousands of women came out of their homes to listen to him. They participated in protest marches, manufactured salt, and picketed foreign cloth and liquor shops. Many went to jail.
[Excerpt from Chapter II - Nationalism in India, India and the Contemporary World, NCERT]- CLAT - 2025
- Historical Events
- Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi used a BRICS summit in Russia recently to showcase ambitions for a more harmonious relationship between the world's two most populous countries after years of animosity.
The meeting between Xi and Modi, who have not held formal talks for five years, was one highlight of a summit. BRICS also gave an opportunity to the Russian President Vladimir Putin for showcasing that the West had failed to isolate Russia over the Ukraine war.
A final communique listed a number of projects aimed at facilitating trade between BRICS nations including an alternative payment system to the dollar but did not include details or timelines.
Just two days after New Delhi announced that it had reached a deal with Beijing to resolve a four-year military stand-off on their disputed Himalayan frontier, Xi told Modi that they should enhance communication and cooperation and effectively manage differences.
BRICS - an idea thought up inside Goldman Sachs two decades ago to describe the growing economic clout of China and other major emerging markets - is now a group that accounts for 45% of the world's population and 35% of the global economy.
Former Goldman Sachs economist Jim O'Neill, who coined the BRIC term in 2001, told Reuters that he had little optimism for the BRICS club as long as China and India remained so divided.
"It seems to me basically to be a symbolie annual gathering where important emerging countries, particularly noisy ones like Russia, but also China, can basically get together and highlight how good it is to be part of something that doesn't involve the U.S. and that global governance isn't good enough,"
The 43-page final communique from the summit ranged from geopolitics and narcoties to artificial intelligence and even the preservation of Big Cats, but lacked detail on some major issues. It mentioned Ukraine just once.
(Excerpts from "Putin scores a BRICS win with rare Xi and Modi show of harmony" By Vladimir Soldatkin and Guy Faulconbridge, Reuters, October 23, 2024)- CLAT - 2025
- International Affairs
- According to the estimates of the World Inequality Report 2022, in India, men earn 82 percent of the labour income, whereas women earn 18 percent of it. A woman agriculture field labourer makes Rs. 88 per day lesser than her male counterpart, according to the Ministry of Agriculture’s data for 2020-21. While a man is paid Rs. 383 a day on an average, a woman makes a mere Rs. 294 a day. The gap in their daily wages is more than the cost of two kilograms of rice. This gap differs from State to State. Field laborers, for instance, make the most money in Kerala. While a man gets Rs. 789 per day, a woman is paid Rs. 537. While this is the highest amount paid to a woman labourer in a State, it is also Rs. 252 lesser than what her male counterpart was paid. As of 2020-21, Tamil Nadu has the highest gender wage gap among agriculture field laborers at 112 percent. It is followed by Goa (61 percent) and Kerala. The wage gap is the lowest in Jharkhand and Gujarat (6 percent each), but the women laborers there get paid just Rs. 239 and Rs. 247 per day, respectively.
Men earn more than women across all forms of work, the gap greatest for the self-employed. In 2023, male self-employed workers earned 2.8 times that of women. In contrast, male regular wage workers earned 24% more than women and male casual workers earned 48% more. The gender gap in earnings is still a persistent phenomenon. However, there are differences in trends. The gender gap has increased for self-employed workers, while falling for regular wage workers. Male regular wage workers earned 34% more than women from 2019 to 2022, with the gap falling to 24% in 2023.- CLAT - 2025
- Statistical Estimation
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