5. What Makes a Nation
 |
| C Rajagopalachari |
Questions & Answers
1.What is Rajaji’s advice to the students of higher learning?C. Rajagopalachari gave an inspiring speech at Nagpur Institute of Technology in the year 1948. He was a statesman and an orator. He was very happy to listen to the speech made by a girl student. He thought that a new trend had emerged in the society. Girl students are competing with boys. The youth of India has to maintain good character. They should live up to the standards of India. The country had a great tradition. They should become good bricks in the construction of a nation. Honesty and hard work should be maintained by the students. Straight forwardness is needed at every stage. As we got independence we should accept our responsibility and should make the nation strong.
2.“Citizens of character are future of the nation” support your answer with views of Raja gopalachari.
C. Rajagopalachari, gave an inspiring speech at Nagpur Institute of Technology, in the 1948. He was a statesman and an orator. In his speech given to the students, he stressed upon the need of good character. Citizens with character only could build the nation. They should line up to the standards of India. As they got independence, they should become good bricks to construct a bright future. There should be no competition for positions. They should accept their responsibility as individuals. The path of rectitude should occupy the first place. Leadership is the need of the hour. India could grow like a natural organic body if everybody lived up to the mark. Universities should prepare the students to maintain honesty and straight forwardness. The future of India depends upon the people with character.
3.How can every home become a university according to Rajaji ?
C. Rajagopalachari gave an inspiring speech at Nagpur Institute of Technology, in the year 1948. He was a statesman and an orator. He was very happy with the students who participated in the meeting. He said that the girls were competing with the boys at the university level. According to Rajaji a girl student is equivalent to five boy students. Universities were being opened to give complete freedom of education. If mothers were educated they could educate the whole of the family and so there would be no need of universities. Mother would be the principal of the home and the family should become a university in itself. Character is built up at the house level itself. So according to Rajaji, youth of this country should maintain good character. This would enable the country to grow like an organic body, in future.
Annotations
1.Character is not merely a copy of book ideal. It is the wisest national policy that can be conceived by any statesman.Context: These lines are taken from the lesson “What Makes a Nation”. In his inspiring speech at the Nagpur Institute of Technology, in the year 1948, Rajaji gave a number of suggestions to the youth. One such advice is given here:
Explanation: According to Rajagopalachari, youth of India should maintain good character. If India has to develop, people should be straight forward in their attitude. Character is not simply a word to note but it depends upon the activity. Character should be with integrity and morality. A statesman has to stress upon it and should guide the people to follow the path of rectitude. It should be useful for the development of the nation. Freedom, which gave the people, a new way of life, should be saved. Thus a glorious future would be in store for the nation.
General Relevance: India’s independence should be guarded by each every citizen of the country. Character is the need of the hour. The real meaning of the word should be known and followed.
2.Mother India wants hard working good boys and good girls.
Context: This passage is taken from the lesson “What makes a nation”. C. Rajagopalachari made an inspiring speech at the Nagpur Institute of Technology in the 1948. While giving suggestions to the students, he spoke about some of the important points to be noted by the students.
Explanation: Rajaji was very happy to listen to the speech delivered by a girl student. He said that the girl students were competing with the boys. The curve of success was in favour of the girls. The speaker wished that both girls and boys should maintain good character. Mother India has to develop through the efforts of good boys and good girls.
General Relevance: Rajagopalachari’s speech has got important advice to the youth. In this sentence he exhorts the students giving valuable suggestions.
3.Unless we are very strenuous in our conduct and honest in our minds, we cannot make a glorious India.
Context: This passage is taken from the lesson “What makes a nation”. C. Rajagopalachari made an inspiring speech at the Nagpur Institute of Technology in the 1948. While giving suggestions to the students, he spoke about some of the important points to be noted by the students.
Explanation: While continuing the speech, the speaker made an appeal to the youth. He suggested that the independence, given recently, should be guarded. Character and conduct should be good. Everybody should understand the responsibility. There should be no selfish ends. We should be honest if we wanted to bring a glorious India. There should be no wrangling or competitive ambitions. We must strive to construct a powerful nation.
General Relevance: The speaker expected that there should be powerful effort by the youth. Then only we can have a glorious country. It becomes strong.
4.Universities are hopes of our national leaders.
Context: This passage is taken from the lesson “What makes a nation”. C. Rajagopalachari made an inspiring speech at the Nagpur Institute of Technology in the 1948. While giving suggestions to the students, he spoke about some of the important points to be noted by the students.
Explanation: While making a speech at the Nagpur Institute of Technology, in his concluding words he pointed out the importance of the universities. Leaders gave preference to education. They started universities to produce educated youth. India’s , independence could be safe guarded only when the culture of this country had been enriched. Honesty and hard work could be maintained by the university student. Everything shall be good and worthy only when the aims of our national leaders become true. Thus the importance of the universities is stressed.
General Relevance: India, at the time of the function, was simply a baby in Independence. Political leaders were trying to develop the country in all the spheres. Universities were also developed, to impart, discipline and to bring awakening in the minds of the people.
Reading Comprehension
I. Read the following passages and answer the questions that follow :
I am seldom considered, though I do more to influence everything about you that virtually any one thing in your life. I often control the time you get up in the morning, the time you go to sleep, what you eat and drink and the very thought that runs through your head. I can make you happy or sad, loving or hateful, cheerful or remorseful, congenial or spiteful and in doing so, control the very capacity that you have for success. Often at times unable to find anyone else to blame you look for shortcomings within yourself on which to lay the blame. When my impact on your life fully is considered in your every thought and action, when you are mindful of my awesome power, when you nurture and groom me for positive use in your life, I can become more contagious than the most prolific disease ever witnessed by man. My influence will spread to every person you come in contact with. Groomed and nurtured in a positive manner there will be no person or obstacle that can stand in the way of my success or fail to be impacted for the better. ‘I am Your Attitude’.Questions and Answers:
1. ‘I’ refers to whom?I refers to ‘Attitude’.
2. What do you seek when you fail to blame anyone?
Short comings within myself.
3. Write the antonym of the word ‘cheerful’.
Gloomy.
4. Find the word in the passage which means, 'infectious'.
‘Contagious’.
5. The tone of the passage is
a) Laudatory or positive appreciation
b) Nostalgic
c) Satirical
Answer: a) Laudatory or positive appreciation
II. Read the following passages and answer the questions that follow :
Whenever I hold a strategic planning session, the first value that all the executives agree on is integrity. Leaders know that honesty and integrity are the foundations of leadership. Leaders stand up for what they believe in. For example, Jon Huntsman is a multi-billionaire who started a chemical company from scratch and grew it into a $12 billion enterprise. His book, Winners Never Cheat, is filled with stories taken from his own experience in which he steadfastly refused to compromise his principles. Huntsman says that integrity is the reason that he has been as successful as he is. “There are, basically, three kinds of people, the unsuccessful, the temporarily successful, and those who become and remain successful. The difference is character” — he writes. Leaders with integrity are not afraid to face the truth. This is called the reality principle, or “seeing the world as it really is, not as you wish it to be.” It is perhaps the most important pirnciple of leadership and dependent on integrity because it demands truthfulness and honesty.Questions and Answers :
1. What are the foundations of leadership ?Honesty and integrity.
2. What is the title of the book written by Jon Huntsman ?
“Winners Never Cheat”
3. Name the three kinds of people mentioned in the passage.
The unsuccessful, the temporarily successful, those who become successful and remain successful.
4. Write the adjective form of the word ‘truth’.
True.
5. The author emphasizes the importance of ___(choose the right option)
a) honesty and integrity
b) success
c) leadership:
Answer: c) leadership
