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(a) 19 June 1905

Factors for the success of the British

1. Greater naval power.

2. Development of textile.

3. Scientific division of labour.

4. Economic prosperity and skilful diplomacy of the British.

5. Feelings of insecurity among the Indian merchants.

6. The inequality and ignorance of the Indian kings.

Dalhousie was a fierce imperialist ruler.

1. He wanted to expand the rule of the Company.
2. He wanted to make a supreme power in India.
3. Therefore, he implemented the policy of Annexation (Doctrine of Lapse).

(c) Munda Rebellion

This policy led to a South Indian rebellion (1800 – 01), Vellore Rebellion (1806) and the Great Rebellion (1857).

Correct Answer is: (d) Tilak

(b) Both A and R are wrong

A. (iii) 

B. (iv) 

C. (i) 

D. (v) 

E. (ii)

India was economically subjugated and transformed into a supplier of raw materials. It became a market to dump English manufactures and for the investment of British Capital. So the colonial economy was a continuous transfer of resources from India to Britain without any favourable returns back to India. This is referred as “the drain of wealth”.

There were nearly a hundred peasant uprisings during British rule. 

They can be classified into the following categories –

• Restorative rebellions
• Religious movements
• Social Banditry 
• Mass insurrection

(c) Both A and R are correct and R is the correct explanation of A

(a) Dina Bandhu Mitra

Under Constructive Swadeshi, the self-defeating modest approach of moderates was rejected and selfhelp was focused on through swadeshi industries, national schools, arbitration courts and constructive programmes in the village. It was totally non-political in nature.

Satara, Sambalpur, parts of Punjab, Jhansi and Nagpur.

Correct option is (d) Lord Dalhousie

Correct option is (b) Rangoon

After Delhi, the revolt spread in Lucknow, Allahabad, Kanpur, Banaras, Bareli and Jhansi.

The white man and Mara had accidentally discovered the miraculous properties of the medicinal creeper. The white man offered the entire plantation to Mara if he could show him the plant from which he plucked the leaf. However, despite searching for the medicinal creeper the entire day they could not locate it.

Led the revolt of Bhills in Khandesh is Kajarsingh.

With advent of irrigation farmers have resorted to new hybrid varieties of rice. The long duration crops are now replaced by short duration hybrids as they can plant two crops in one year. The traditional varieties have lost its existence as it requires more duration for its harvest and also will attract cattle for its pleasant aroma unlike the hybrid crops.

The author was not sure about planting moong in that season as he wanted to get familiar with the process of farming. But Moru Dada insisted that the season was right for planting moong seeds. He was right and the author was thankful for listening to his advice since he had a good harvest of moong.

1. The agricultural officer felt that the villagers were fooling the author as they had no rice by the name ‘Kasbai’ and offered to give him some latest hybrid seeds free of cost for a trial. 

2. The officer-in-charge of Adivasi Mahamandal at Kasa informed the author that he remembered buying Kasbai rice a few years ago. 

3. The second gentleman definitely had more knowledge of rice which he shared with the author.

1. The hybrid had given him low yield the previous year.

2. It is a long duration crop and farmers could grow two crops in that duration.

3. The agricultural officer had not heard of the traditional long duration varieties of rice. He was aware of only the hybrid varieties that gave quick yield. So visiting the agricultural office was not useful.

4. The market didn’t recognize Kasbai anymore as a variety of rice, it had lost its popularity. If they grew it they wouldn’t be able to sell it. So people didn’t grow it.

1. Kasbai – local long-grained scented variety 

2. Basmati – more aromatic than Kasbai 

3. Hybrids – the latest craze of the farmers.

The old lady, who, according to the write, represents real people of India, holding on to the biodiversity of Indian land. They have been able to do this as they have never heard of hybrids, fertilizers or pesticides.

The hybrid varieties had insatiable appetite for chemicals and fertilizers.

1. False. The old woman did not have a weighing scale.

2. True

3. False. The people at Boripada never heard of hybrids, fertilizers or pesticides.

4. False. She was very happy and nodded her head with a smile of approval.

The adivasis in a hamlet at the foothills of the mountains in the village Asarvari.

Devu Handa’s fond memories of Kasbai are as follows:

• It needs no protection from rain
• It has an alluring aroma 
• It has no hunger for chemicals like fertilizers and pesticides

1. It did not need very high variety of fertilizers 

2. This variety is quite strong and is able to resist pests.

The writer disagreed with Moru Dada because he suggested the use of some pesticides on the plants. The author was absolutely clear in his mind not to use any chemical which will be harmful for the soil, the plants and ultimately for human health. But for Moru Dada and his friends who were used to the conventional farming, this decision of the author was unthinkable.

(a) He had not heard of Kasbai. 

(b) He felt that the villagers were fooling the author. 

(c) He mentioned the names of the latest hybrids and also offered to give him some, free of cost.

1. In spite of his regular visits to the villages around in search of a good desi variety, he was not successful, 

2. Most of the farmers, especially the younger generation, in and around the village of Peth had switched over to hybrids and looked down upon the ‘desi’ variety, as they called the local scented variety of rice.

“An awful lot” is an Idiom meaning ‘a very large amount’. Everyone known to the writer did not expect a good yield of moong since he refused to spray any chemical on the plants. In spite of that, Nature did her job and the writer could get three hundred kilograms of moong which was not only ‘awful’, that means ‘large number’ but also a confidence-builder for a first-timer.

Definitely planting and growing more crops a year need to be the target of the farmers but that should not be done at the cost of health hazards due to spraying of chemicals on the plants, using hybrid seeds and most importantly, forgetting our own tradition. Progress is always welcome but it should go hand in hand with safety of health and environment, importance of tradition and sentiment and last but not the least care for the rich biodiversity of our land.

(a) False.

The quality of the crop is more important than growing in abundance a lesser variety of crop.

(b) True

(c) False.

 The author was successful in finding Kasbai from an Adivasi woman at Boripada, a remote village.

(d) True

(e) True

(f) True (‘Reverse Migration’ is a new trend of shifting from bigger cities to nearby smaller towns or suburbs)

The reasons for the importance of keeping records of our indigenous agricultural practices are: 

(i) (a) Reducing environmental stress by channelling water from mountain peaks to areas of demand and this practice has been going on for centuries.

(b) Using natural fertilizers made from cow dung, cow urine, evaporated cane juice of raw sugar and water to save sick plants. This practice has been mentioned in the vedas. 

(ii) Traditional techniques like crop rotation, erosion prevention, systematic use of composts and manures lead to natural agricultural practices and promise better yields. 

(iii) (a) Chemical fertilizers lead to degraded soil condition, deterioration in the health of quality of crops and livestock. 

(b) Organic agriculture combined with tradition, innovation and science, benefits the health of the soil, people and the environment.

1. Moong (green gram), looked around me 

2. Chikoo trees, foliage of moong

1. The Agricultural officer didn’t know Kasbai existed. So he couldn’t help the author in procuring it. 

2. He couldn’t get the seeds as farmers resorted to hybrid varieties which gave quick yield.

(i) The word ‘Scent’ in the subtitle ‘Scent of Rice’ has a deeper meaning than its usual meaning of‘fragrance’ or ‘perfume’ in the context of the text and for the author because he was trying to revive the tradition of Kasbai rice which everyone agreed had an alluring aroma. The modern farmers are forgetting conventions and have fallen a prey to hybrids. The natural ‘scent’, that is ‘flavour’ of Kasbai had drawn the writer towards real India, unspoilt by progress. The ‘scent’ was largely responsible for his quest.

(ii) Phrases 

(a) In pursuit of : a quest in order to achieve something 

(b) To smell a rat: to believe something wrong is happening 

(c) To be keen : interested in some activity one often does and enjoys 

(d) On the trail of: Trying to find someone or something by getting information about it 

(e) To feel under the water : feel emotionally overwhelmed 

The phrases having a similar meaning of ‘A Scent of Rice’ are: 

(i) In pursuit of 

(ii) On the trail of

Reason 1: The trees are cut to clear the land for construction of buildings. 

Reason 2: The growing industries also demand deforestation.

1. Disappear 

2. Crazy 

3. Long duration 

4. Traditional

1. Most of the farmers in and around the village of Peth had switched over to hybrids. 

2. Kasbai which is a traditional long grained rice variety with distinct aroma being a long duration crop is not preferred by the farmers

Organic Farming – A Blessing or Curse 

Early 20th century saw the birth of organic farming which is an alternative to agricultural system in reaction to rapidly changing farming practices. It encourages the use of naturally occurring substances and strictly prohibits synthetic substances. Organic farming allows organically made fertilizers like compost manure, green manure and bone meal manure. Though they do not stop the use of some naturally occurring pesticides but synthetic fertilizers and pesticides are strongly prohibited. They are in favour of techniques like crop rotation, biological pest control, mixed cropping and nurturing insect killers.

Organic farming methods are internationally regulated since it has proved advantageous for health and food safety, food security, soil fertility and most importantly sustainability and biodiversity. That is why, the demand for organic farming has been steadily growing and is being encouraged all over the world. Organic farmers believe that agriculture was practised for thousands of years without the use of chemicals. If it was possible then, nothing should be impossible now.

I find it very strange that a person can actually want to enter prison, whatever be the reason. At least, from what I know of prisons, they are terrible places, and one has a very difficult time there. However, Soapy has obviously been to prison before, and probably enjoys the free food and protection from the winter that he gets there.

When Soapy came near his old home, he remembered his old days and his childhood life. He saw his worthless days, his wrong desires, his dead hopes, the lost power of his mind. These made sudden and wonderful change in his soul. His heart answered this change in his soul. He would fight to change his life, pull himself up, out of the mud and make a man of himself again.