S1 UG Notes On Thoughts of Our Times

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Semester I
Thoughts of Our Times
Prepared and compiled by
Dr. J.Anjana
Vineetha Krishnan
Dr. Seetha Vijayakumar
Haritha Unnithan
Lekshmi Mohan
Revathy S.
Jithesh J. Nair
Lakshmi Prasannan
Parvathy Vijayan
P.G. Department of English, N.S.S College, Pandalam

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Chapter 1
Drug Abuse: Causes and Solutions.
Samudraneel Mukherjee.
A. Answer in a word or sentence.
1. What are neurotransmitters?
Ans: Neurotransmitters are chemical messengers naturally produced by the human
brain. Eg: Dopamine.
2. Name two NGOs mentioned in the article.
Ans: ‘Save the Children’ and ‘CharitarNirmanSewadar Trust’
3. What is DACS?
Ans: DACS or Delhi Aids Control Society is an organisation that trains medical
officers to rehabilitate patients of drug abuse.
B. Answer in about fifty words.

1. What is one of the major reasons for drug abuse as cited by the author?
The presence (or availability) of drugs, along with its glorification is one of the major
reasons for drug abuse as cited by the author.
2. What do studies on the street children of Delhi believe?
The studies on the street children of Delhi believe that out of the 50,923 children
living on the streets of Delhi, 46,411 children were addicted to drugs.
3. State section 64 of the NDPS Act.
“Immunity from prosecution to addicts volunteering for treatment,provided that the
said immunity from prosecution may be withdrawn if the addict does not undergo the
complete treatment for de-addiction.”
C. Answer in a paragraph of about a hundred words.
1. How does drug usage become drug abuse or drug addiction?
Drug usage soon becomes drug abuse due to several reasons.It can begin with several
factors, like the concerned person’s need to deal with stress, or his ‘her need to get a
momentary high or they may do it just to fit in with their peers. The occasional
dependence on drugs soon turns into a condition where the person believes that he
cannot live without it. This is when drug abuse or addiction begins.

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2. How do drugs affect the communication system of the brain?

Drugs are chemicals that affect the communication system of the brain. They disturb
the ways in which nerve cells send, process and receive information. They copy the
natural chemical messengers of the human brain and they over stimulate the brain’s
reward circuit.For eg: drugs such as heroin and marijuana are structured in the same
way as the neurotransmitters present in the human brain.
3. What is the best treatment for a drug user?
The best treatments for a drug user normally emphasize the phenomena related to the
individual’s life that prompted him/her to resort to drugs in the first place. The
doctors delve into the patient’s medical, psychological and work related needs as
well as into the problems he faces in his personal relationships. The treatment
sessions combine medication and behavioral therapies to lessen the urge of the
victims to do drugs, in the present and future.
4. Discuss briefly the scheme implemented by Haryana Government to curb the issue of
drug abuse?
The scheme implemented by the Haryana government titled, “The Central Sector
Scheme of Assistance for Prevention of Alcoholism and Substance (Drug) Abuse”
intends to curb the issue of drug abuse. The scheme provides financial assistance to
eligible NGOs, Panchayati Raj institutions and urban local bodies by the government,
which in turn will provide integrated services for the rehabilitation of the addicts.
D. Write an essay in about three hundred words.
1. Explain what Samudraneel Mukherjee describes in his article about the prevalence
and effects of drug abuse.
Mukherjee begins by demarcating the ideas of drug usage and abuse-moves on to the
reasons for drug abuse and then talks about the effects of drug abuse on the human
body. He then writes about the manifestations of drug abuse and discusses the
solutions for the same, including the ideas of prevention and sustained treatment. He
then tells us about the plight of street children in India who are easily introduced to
drugs and tells us about the various initiatives in India, that try to stave off the
menace of drug abuse.
2. What are the solutions offered by the author to the threat of drug abuse and various
initiatives to find it?

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Prevention and sustained treatment, if exposed to drug abuse, are the tangible
solutions for the menace, according to the author. For the details regarding the
initiatives, refer to pages 8 and 9 of your text book.
Chapter 2
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
Gareth Southwell
A. Answer in a word or a sentence.
1. What are the two questions that the author asks at the beginning of the extract?
“Can a computer think? Can a machine be conscious?”
2. Name the English Mathematician that Southwell refers to.
Alan Turing
3. What is the key concept that led to the development of modern computer?
Universal Turing Machine (UTM)
4. Who is the American philosopher mentioned in the extract?

John Searle
5. Expand UTM and AI?

Universal Turing Machine
Artificial Intelligence
B. Answer in about fifty words
1. What is the Turing Test?

In 1950 the great English mathematician Alan Turing proposed a single thought
experiment which later came to be known as the Turing Test. It was a test to check if a
computer or a machine has the capability of intellectual thinking. The test procedure
involved two unseen individuals conversing via texting. One of them would actually be a
computer. If the other person could not recognise that he was talking to a computer
throughout their chatting, the computer was supposed to pass the test.

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2. Why did the stock market crash of 2010 happen?
The stock market crash of 2010 was believed to happen due to over reliance on computer
programs that employed algorithmic trading, where stocks were bought and sold at a rate
that no human being could do. The process of marketing was given to computers as they had
passed all the mock-tests where they outperformed human beings in terms of speed,
accuracy and income generated. But in real contexts the programs failed to function
effectively which led to a huge stock market crash.
3. What is the physicist Roger Penrose’s arguments based on?
The British mathematical physicist Roger Penrose argued that just as mathematicians
acknowledge truths about mathematical systems that are not provable within those systems,
there are certain truths that a computer program cannot comprehend. Certain situations and
truths can be handled only by human beings who possess a complex conscience. Therefore
he rejected the notion that computers can think in the fullest sense.
C. Answer in a paragraph of about hundred words
1. “That I think is more humbling.” Explain the context.
Gareth Southwell asserts that human beings should not be surprised by the fact that
computers or machines outperform them. Machines and computers do possess a part of
human intelligence as they are created by humans. They are in fact made for outperforming
their creators. Southwell alludes to an event happened in 1997 to prove his argument. In
1997 the world chess champion Garry Kasparov was defeated by the computer Deeper Blue.
It was seen as a watershed moment in human history. Many scientists thought that computers
were more intelligent than human beings, who were considered as God’s best creation till
then. But Southwell points out that it was the same Kasparov who beat Deeper Blue’s
previous incarnation Deep Blue in 1996, proving that a single human being unaided could
defeat a machine. The updated version of Deep Blue was able to win Kasparov only after a
team of experts’ constant efforts to encode each movement of Kasparov into the computers
data banks. This Southwell regards as a humble realisation about the power of human
intelligence.
2. What is the difference between Weak AI and Strong AI?

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AI is the branch of computer science that aims to replicate or simulate human

intelligence in machines. Scientists and philosophers have been long debating over the
possibility of creating machines which can think like human beings. Southwell argues that a
machine’s intelligence is partly the intelligence of the person and the team of people who
developed it. Such machines are able to outperform human beings as well. Artificial
Intelligence in machines or computers can be classified into Strong AI, Weak AI and Super
AI depending upon the machine’ ability to replicate human thoughts and actions.
Strong Artificial Intelligence (AI) refers to machine intelligence that is equal to human
intelligence. Key characteristics of Strong AI include the ability to reason, solve puzzles,
make judgments, plan, learn, and communicate. It should also have consciousness, objective
thoughts, self-awareness, sentience, and sapiens. Strong AI is the theoretical next level of
artificial intelligence.
Weak Artificial intelligence (AI), also called narrow AI, is limited to a specific or narrow
area. Weak AI simulates human cognition. It has the potential to benefit society by
automating time-consuming tasks. Weak AI lacks human consciousness, although it may be
able to simulate it at times.
Many scientists and mathematicians like John Searle and Roger Penrose argue that strong
artificial intelligence is not possible since computers cannot think in the fullest sense. Since
the world of science has not been able to comprehend what human consciousness is, at
present it is not able to create Strong Artificial Intelligence.
3. Describe Searle’s objection to Strong Artificial Intelligence.
Many scientists and mathematicians like John Searle and Roger Penrose argues that
Strong artificial intelligence is not possible since computers cannot think in the fullest
sense. The Chinese room argument is a thought experiment proposed by John Searle,
an American Philosopher in1980s to counter the claims of Scientists who upheld the
possibility of Strong Artificial Intelligence.
Searle asks us to imagine that we are sitting in a closed room. From one side of the room
through a hatch, Chinese symbols written on some tiles are passed towards us. We are
given a book containing a set of instructions which allow us to perform certain functions
associated with each symbol. The tasks related to each symbol are described in the book

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which aids us to complete our work efficiently. Searle asks whether our successful
completion of tasks mean that we knew Chinese. Searle asserts that the computers are
not much different in their performance. They do things according to a set of instructions
encoded in them. Therefore a computer’s consciousness is nothing more that successful
rule following. Human consciousness is a complex entity which has not been
comprehended yet. Without understanding the mysterious workings of the human mind,
Strong AI cannot become a reality.
1. How does Southwell outline the philosophical arguments to explain how the notion of
artificial intelligence has changed what it means to be human?
Gareth Southwell, a British author and professional illustrator, in his essay

“Artificial Intelligence” discusses how the notion of artificial intelligence has changed
the concept of “human”. The essay is taken from his book 50 Philosophy of Science
Ideas You Really Need to Know. Southwell attempts to point out the limitations of
artificial intelligence and shows how various scientists and philosophers have looked at
its possibilities and imperfections. He begins his essay by questioning the ability of
computers and machines to think and be conscious like a human being. He states that this
has been the subject of a long debate among philosophers and scientists. The discourse
on Artificial Intelligence also precipitated discussions on what it means to be “human”.
In 1950 the great English mathematician Alan Turing proposed a single thought
experiment which later came to be known as the Turing Test. It was a test to check if a
computer or a machine has the capability of intellectual thinking. The test procedure
involved two unseen individuals conversing via texting. One of them would actually be a
computer. If the other person could not recognise that he was talking to a computer
throughout their chatting, the computer was supposed to pass the test. Turing’s initial test
was not a rigorous one since human beings were proven to be cheated in various
circumstances. But the test generated questions regarding the possibility of a machine’s
capacity to truly think, act and communicate. A key concept that led to the development
of modern computer was developed by Turing called the Universal Tiring Machine. It
was a machine that could simulate various Turing machines which are created to perform

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specific tasks. Hence a UTM could coordinate and perform the tasks of various
machines, like a human being.
Southwell speaks about the stock market crash of 2010 which happened due to
over reliance on computer programs that employed algorithmic trading, where stocks
were bought and sold at a rate that no human being could do. The process of marketing
was given to computers as they had passed all the mock-tests where they outperformed
human beings in terms of speed, accuracy and income generated. But in real contexts the
programs failed to function effectively which led to a huge stock market crash.
Gareth Southwell asserts that human beings should not be surprised by the fact
that computers or machines outperform them. Machines and computers do possess a part
of human intelligence as they are created by humans. They are in fact made for
outperforming their creators. Southwell alludes to an event that happened in 1997 to
prove his argument. In 1997 the world chess champion Garry Kasparov was defeated by
the computer Deeper Blue. It was seen as a watershed moment in human history. Many
scientists thought that computers were more intelligent than human beings, who were
considered as God’s best creation till then. But Southwell points out that it was the same
Kasparov who beat Deeper Blue’s previous incarnation Deep Blue in 1996. He proved
that a single human being unaided could defeat a machine. The updated version of Deep
Blue was able to win Kasparov only after a team of experts’ constant efforts to encode
each movement of Kasparov into the computers data banks. This Southwell regards as a
humble realisation about the power of human intelligence.
Scientists and philosophers have been long debating over the possibility of
creating machines which can think like human beings. Artificial Intelligence in machines
or computers can be classified into Strong AI, Weak AI and Super AI depending upon
the machine’s ability to replicate human thoughts and actions. Strong Artificial
Intelligence (AI) refers to machine intelligence that is equal to human intelligence which
imparts to the machine the ability to reason, solve puzzles, make judgments, plan, learn,
and communicate. Strong AI is the theoretical next level of artificial intelligence. Weak
Artificial intelligence (AI), also called narrow AI, is limited to a specific or narrow area.
Weak AI simulates human cognition. Though it has the potential to benefit society by
automating time-consuming tasks, it lacks human consciousness.

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Many scientists and mathematicians like John Searle and Roger Penrose argue
that Strong Artificial Intelligence is not possible since computers cannot think in the
fullest sense. Since the world of science has not been able to comprehend what human
consciousness is, at present it is not able to create Strong Artificial Intelligence. The
Chinese room argument is a thought experiment proposed by John Searle, an American
Philosopher in 1980s to counter the claims of Scientists who upheld the possibility of
Strong Artificial Intelligence.
Searle asks us to imagine that we are sitting in a closed room. From one side of
the room through a hatch Chinese symbols written on some tiles are passed towards us.
We are given a book containing a set of instructions which allow us to perform certain
functions associated with each symbol. The tasks relate to each symbol is described in
the book which aid us to complete our work efficiently. Searle asks whether our
successful completion of tasks mean that we knew Chinese. Searle asserts that the
computers are not much different in their performance. They do things according to a set
of instructions encoded in them. Therefore a computer’s consciousness is nothing more
that successful rule following.
Towards the end of the essay, Southwell argues that consciousness of machines is
a philosophical issue. If machines can become conscious, then it would mean that
consciousness is nothing, but a mechanical interrelation of physical parts in a
sophisticated way. Human consciousness is a complex entity which has not been
comprehended yet. Denial of the possibility of Strong AI may seem to be a challenge to
the community of Scientists, but at present we have to acknowledge the fact that more
research is required in the field of human psychology, for developing Strong AI. Without
understanding the mysterious workings human mind, Strong AI cannot become a reality.

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Chapter 3
What Secularism Is and Is Not
Romila Thapar
In speaking about Indian society and the secular, Romila Thapar says at the outset, that
secularism goes beyond just politics, although our political parties have attempted to reduce it to
a political slogan. So one party endorses it in theory but hesitates to apply it properly in practice,
the other makes fun of it since the party’s foundational ideology is anti-secular. Supporting
secularism or dismissing it, is not just a political slogan. It is deeply tied to the question of the
kind of society that we want. This is perhaps why it was widely discussed in the early years of
independence whereas now attempts are being made to scuttle it. Questioning the secular would
mean seriously changing the direction that we have intended to give to Indian society. If
secularism is removed from the constitution then democracy becomes a victim, with an
unthinkable future.
If however we want a secular society, then we would have to stop identifying ourselves
primarily by religion, caste or language, and start thinking of ourselves primarily as equal
citizens of one nation, both in theory and in practice. This involves mutual obligations between
the state and the citizens and between citizens, not just in theory as of now but in actuality. The
relationship of other identities such as religion, caste, language and region will inevitably
become secondary. These latter have to be adjusted so as to ensure that rights of citizenship
together with what they entail remain primary. Eventually the state will not be expected to
support any religious organisation, even those it is currently supporting.
She begins by trying to explain what she means by the terms secular, secularism and
secularising. Secular is that which relates to the world and is distinct from the religious.
Secularism involves questioning the control that religious organisations have over social
institutions. This is sought to be justified by arguing that it ensures morality. But the morality
fundamental to secularism goes beyond any single religion and extends to the functioning of the
entire society. Secularism does not deny the presence of religion in society, but demarcates the
social institutions over which religion can or cannot exercise control. This distinction is
fundamental. And finally, secularising is the process by which society changes and recognises
the distinction.

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When the term was first used in 1851, secular had only one basic meaning. It described laws
relating to morals and social values as having been created by human society in order to ensure
the well-being and harmonious functioning of the society. These laws were neither the creation
of divine authority nor did they require the sanction of divine authority. Authority lay in
working out – through reasoning and sensitivity – what was best for society in keeping with the
generally accepted values of tolerance and social responsibility, by those who constituted that
society. Authority was exercised through laws. Social values therefore grew out of rational
thinking, debate and discussion. This was needed to establish a moral code agreed to by the
entire society and was not linked to any particular religion, caste or class.
What this means is that the laws and social values that govern the society should be observed
as laws in themselves and not because they carry any divine sanctions. They have their own
authority distinct from religion or caste or whatever. Religion involving belief and faith in a
deity and in an afterlife continued to exist. However, the civil laws were sanctioned and upheld
by secular authority and did not require the sanction of any religion. Secularism therefore is not
what it is sometimes said to be – a denial of religion – but a curtailment of the control that
religious organisations have over social functioning.
This theory after it came to be widely discussed had various consequences. One was that it
allowed people the freedom to think beyond what was told to them as being religiously correct.
Again this did not mean throwing religion overboard but disentangling the codes of social
behaviour from religious control. This did not make people immoral as some had feared at that
time, since the threat of punishment for breaking laws was enforced, and punishment came
immediately in this life. It was not postponed to the next life as in most religious codes. So it
made people think about the purpose of their laws and such thinking is always extremely useful.
The observance of the law is strengthened when people understand its purpose.
Having to reason things out meant that people had to learn to think independently. The
thinking came from their education. Here too the explanation of everything being part of a
divine plan and requiring divine sanction was not always the answer to simple questions.
Therefore, education began to involve searching for explanations other than those based on faith
and religion, or possibly even honing these explanations if there was evidence to do so. But
preferably, social laws began to be drawn from rational enquiry into both the natural and the
human world in which we live. Occasionally there might even have been a small leap of

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imagination ultimately to be explained by reason. So the explanations for the laws and a
discussion of these, became an essential part of education, and of thinking about the implications
of being secularised.
Religion had originated as a personal emotional need. This was then extended to
explanations of how one experienced life and beyond that how the universe functioned. This was
all attributed to a supernatural power who was held in awe. Gradually however, this personalised
religion became a complex organised religion and took the form of institutions ambitious to
control society and politics. With this change, religion became powerful both as the focus of
belief and as an authority controlling social institutions through various religious organisations.
In some places, its power paralleled that of the governing authority – the state. It is this
particular aspect of religion – the control that religious organisations have over social
institutions – that the secular person wishes to keep separate from the state. The distinction is
important because we often overlook it, in saying that secularism denies religion altogether.
Secularism then takes on an additional meaning. The state having authority over the making
and observing of laws by human agencies should be distinct from religion since religion has its
sanction from faith and from deity. The authority of each was clearly different.
Social laws are the spine of a society. They should protect the right to live and they should
ensure that there should be no discrimination that affects life and work. This is crucial to
protecting the points of change in the human lifecycle for which laws are necessary, such as
registering birth, marriage, or even divorce, processes of education by which a child is socialised
into society, occupation and employment, and inheritance, generally of property. Actions linked
to these come under the jurisdiction of civil law. To make this link effective, social laws have
necessarily to provide the basic aspects of welfare in a modern state – the absolute minimum of
which are equal access to education and to health care for all members of society, and to
employment, and this is to be irrespective of religion and caste. If civil laws are to be universal
and uniform as they would be ultimately in a secular society, then we must guarantee this
endorsement by the state. Discrimination on any count would be completely unacceptable.
So religious authority continues in a secular system but is limited. It extends only to governing
religious belief and practice. It has been argued that there should be no rigid barrier between
religion and the state, but there can be a negotiated, principled distance between them. This can
allow for new alignments within the religion or between religions or between religion and the
state. The overall relationship would disallow the dominance of any single religion since each

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would have equal rights on the state and the state on them and equal status before the law.
Nevertheless, there is a degree of stipulated separation in this arrangement in as much as
religious authority would no longer be controlling social laws.
Chapter 4
LIVING IN THE PLANET OF THE APPS
KHYRUNNISA A.
1) What re-appears faithfully at the beginning of every year?
New Year resolutions re-appear faithfully at the beginning of every year.
2) Which ‘gizmo’ is the author wary of?
The smart phone is the gizmo that the author is wary of.
3) Who is the reluctant smart phone user mentioned in the article?
The author’s husband is the reluctant smart phone user mentioned in the article.
4) Why does the author describe herself as a computer junkie?
The author describes herself as a computer junkie as she used to spend quite a few hours
at her PC daily.
5) What was the doctor’s diagnosis?
The doctor diagnosed the pain on the author’s arm as Rotator Cuff Tendinitis.
6) What is nomophobia?
Nomophobia is the fear of being out of mobile phone contact.
7) What is the expansion of IoT?
The expansion of IoT is Internet of Things.

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Introduction
The article ‘Living in the Planet of the Apps ‘by Khyrunnisa A, talks about the simple
things in everyday existence, and about life, people and manners with wit, irony and humour. It
is a humorous article that discusses the world’s obsession with smart phones and apps. The
author talks about how apps have become the need of the hour in this digital age and her sharp
observations are narrated in a light-hearted manner. The title of the article ‘Living in the Planet
of the Apps’ is a parody of the title of a popular Hollywood movie Planet of the Apesand the
author says that ‘Planet of the Apps’ is a delightful coinage by her friend who deliberately
mispronounced ‘Apes’ as ‘Apps’ and stumbled upon an app-t need- of- the- hour phrase.
(Include these points while writing the paragraph questions and the essay questions).
1) Why is the smart phone an ‘appening place?
The title of the article ‘Living in the Planet of the Apps’ by Khyrunnisa A is a parody of
the title of a popular Hollywood movie Planet of the Apes and the author says that ‘Planet of the
Apps’ is a delightful coinage by her friend who deliberately mispronounced ‘Apes’ as ‘Apps’
and stumbled upon an app-t need- of- the- hour phrase. The smart phone is an ‘appening place
with apps for every need and every age like news, banking, education, travel, shopping, sports,
games etc and what you need is only an Android tablet, an iPad or a smart phone and an app is
just a tap away.
2) What made the author wary of the smart phone?
In the article, ‘Living in the Planet of the Apps’, the author Khyrunnisa A shares some of
her personal experiences and also the difficulties that some of her friends and relatives
confronted while using gadgets like smartphones and computer. The author says that apps have
not taken over her life as she doesn’t have a smart phone and continues that she is wary of it as
she has watched umpteen times the way users struggle with the smart phone’s strange antics.
She also explains how the super sensitive touch has added trouble by bringing in the experience
of one of her friends while using a smartphone.
3) Why does the author believe that her husband’s smart phone has a mischievous mind of its
own?
The author says that even though her husband is a reluctant smart phone user, he too has
one smartphone with a mischievous mind of its own. It hangs whenever he leaves the city and

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sometimes when he has not moved from his chair at home. Text messages get sent before he can
complete them and multiple times too. Often they disappear quixotically and much later make
unexpected re-appearances, calls get cut off mid-sentence, videos misbehave, photos vanish so
on and so forth. Once he lost the names of all his contacts and because of that he lost some of his
friends as well and that too can be counted as by the strange ways of smartphones. Hence the
author believes that her husband’s smart phone has a mischievous mind of its own.
4) Describe briefly the phantom cat incident
In the article, ‘Living in the Planet of the Apps’, the author Khyrunnisa A shares some of
her personal experiences and also the difficulties that some of her friends and relatives
confronted while using gadgets like smartphones and computer. When one of her friends heard
piteous meows at strange hours, she along with her dog began a frenzied hunting of that
phantom cat until she realized the fact that it was her phone’s ringtone changed to a cat’s
meowing by her son without her knowledge.
5) Why does the author argue that it’s not always smart to use the smart phone?
The author argues that it’s not always smart to use the smart phone as it is more sneaky
than smart. She elaborates on the problems that can occur while using smartphones like loading
glitches, network and wi-fi malfunctions, charging troubles, radiation fears, addiction,
nomophobiai.e, the fear of being out of mobile phone contact and the like.
C) Answer in a paragraph of about a hundred words.
1) What does the author say about apps?
The article ‘Living in the Planet of the App’ by Khyrunnisa A, talks about the simple
of the Apps’ is a parody of the title of a popular Hollywood movie Planet of the Apes and the
mispronounced ‘Apes’ as ‘Apps’ and stumbled upon an app-t need- of- the- hour phrase. In
2010, American Dialect Society chose ‘App’ as its word of the year and since then the word got
much attention. The smart phone is an ‘appening place with apps for every need and every age

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like news, banking, education, travel, shopping, sports, games etc and what you need is only an
Android tablet, an iPad or a smart phone and an app is just a tap away. Author says that apps
have not taken over her life as she doesn’t have a smart phone and continues that she is wary of
it as she has watched umpteen times the way users struggle with the smart phone’s strange
antics.
2) How did the author’s husband lose some of his friends?
The author says that even though her husband is a reluctant smart phone user, he too has
one smartphone with a mischievous mind of its own. It hangs whenever he leaves the city and
friends as well and that too can be counted as by the strange ways of smartphones.
3) How did the author develop a nagging pain in her arm?
The author says that apps have not taken over her life as she doesn’t have a smart phone
and continues that she is wary of it as she watched umpteen times the way users struggle with
the smart phone’s strange antics. She always preferred to have a phone which she can rely on; a
phone only for calls and messages. Even though she doesn’t have a smart phone, she is a great
computer junkie. She used to spend a quite few hours at her PC daily and her husband predicted
a few aches and pains which she could get because of her incorrect posture while using the
computer. Like the prediction, her addiction to the computer resulted in a nagging pain in her
arm which the doctor diagnosed as rotator cuff tendinitis, which in simple terms means muscle
tear.
4) Explain why the author mentions that ‘the internet was the bane of doctors’?
Even though the author doesn’t have a smart phone, she is a great computer junkie. She
used to spend a quite few hours at her PC daily and her husband predicted a few aches and pains
which she could get because of her incorrect posture while using the computer. Like the
prediction, her addiction to the computer resulted in a nagging pain in her arm which the doctor
diagnosed as rotator cuff tendinitis, which in simple terms means muscle tear. When she reached
home, she hurried towards the computer to do an intense Google search on Rotator cuff tear.
While doing the same, she remembered the words of a doctor friend that people diagnose what

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was wrong, knew the treatment, and what all medicines are required by searching for it on the
internet. Most of the patients came not for consultations but only to get a prescription for the
medicines from the doctor and hence the author mentions that the internet was the bane of
doctors.
5) Describe briefly some of the exercises the author had to do to overcome her arm pain.
The author says that apps have not taken over her life as she doesn’t have a smart phone
and continues that she is wary of it as she watched umpteen times the way users struggle with
the smart phone’s strange antics. She always preferred to have a phone which she can rely on; a
phone only for calls and messages. Even though she doesn’t have a smart phone, she is a great
computer junkie. She used to spend a quite few hours at her PC daily and her husband predicted
a few aches and pains which she could get because of her incorrect posture while using the
computer. Like the prediction, her addiction to the computer resulted in a nagging pain in her
arm which the doctor diagnosed as rotator cuff tendinitis, which in simple terms means muscle
tear. A few suggestions were given like don’t lift weight;don’t reach for things and also to do
computer work sensibly. The doctor also prescribed a few exercises too in order to relax her
arms and shoulder. She drew circles in the air like a low IQ wizard, she was told to do pendulum
movements with her arm by bending sideways and also the spider climbing exercises for the
fingers where her fingers crawled up and down like a zombie spider.
D. Write an essay in about three hundred words. (summary)
The article ‘Living in the Planet of the Apps ‘by Khyrunnisa A, talks about the simple
of the Apps’ is a parody of the title of a popular Hollywood movie Planet of the Apesand the
mispronounced ‘Apes’ as ‘Apps’ and stumbled upon an app-t need- of- the- hour phrase.
In 2010, American Dialect Society chose ‘App’ as its word of the year and since then the
word got much attention. The smart phone is an ‘appening place with apps for every need and
every age like news, banking, education, travel, shopping, sports, games etc and what you need
is only an Android tablet, an iPad or a smart phone and an app is just a tap away. Author says

18
that apps have not taken over her life as she doesn’t have a smart phone and continues that she is
wary of it as she watched umpteen times the way users struggle with the smart phone’s strange
antics. She also explains how the super sensitive touch has added trouble by bringing in the
experience of one of her friends while using a smartphone. She beautifully portrays with a tinge
of humor how the cave of spectacular hi-tech riches flew open like the effectiveness of the
magical phrase ‘open sesame’, that opens up a cave in which a hidden treasure is located in
Alibaba and the Forty thieves.
The author recollects an incident of getting a call from her son’s friend at about 3 o’clock
in the morning which alarmed them out of sleep. While explaining it she says that the best of
news like your mother has won the Nobel Peace Prize or your husband has managed a
successful triumph and become president of a banana republic will wait for a decent hour to be
communicated and a call at strange hours could mean only bad news. They tried to call back
Ajay but didn’t get any response and in the morning Ajay called and asked them why they made
a call and finally they realized that it could have been his smart phone’s fault which would call
random numbers at any time of the day or night and wouldn’t register the calls either.
Author says that even though her husband is a reluctant smart phone user, he too has one
smartphone with a mischievous mind of its own. It hangs whenever he leaves the city and
friends as well and that too can be counted as by the strange ways of smartphones.
In the article, the author shares some funny incidents in the lives of some of her friends
and one such was the phantom cat incident. Once when her friend heard the piteous meows of a
cat at strange hours; she along with her dog began a frenzied hunting of that phantom cat until
she realized the fact that it was her phone’s ringtone changed to a cat’s meowing by her son
without her knowledge.
Even though the author doesn’t have a smart phone, she is a great computer junkie. She used to
spend a quite few hours at her PC daily and her husband predicted a few aches and pains which
she could get because of her incorrect posture while using the computer. Like the prediction, her
addiction to the computer resulted in a nagging pain in her arm which the doctor diagnosed as
rotator cuff tendinitis, which in simple terms means muscle tear. A few suggestions were given

19
like don’t lift weight; don’t reach for things and also to do computer work sensibly. The doctor
also prescribed a few exercises too in order to relax her arms and shoulder. She drew circles in
the air like a low IQ wizard, she was told to do pendulum movements with her arm by bending
sideways and also the spider climbing exercises for the fingers where her fingers crawled up and
down like a zombie spider. Her husband teased her and suggested her to hold a dishcloth and
choose different surfaces each time while doing spider climbing exercise so that she can clean
the surfaces as well.
When she reached home, she hurried towards the computer to do an intense Google
search on Rotator cuff tear. While doing the same, she remembered the words of a doctor friend
that people diagnose what was wrong, knew the treatment, and what all medicines are required
by searching for it on the internet. Most of the patients came not for consultations but only to get
a prescription for the medicines from the doctor and hence it is said that the internet was the
bane of doctors. That tirade from the doctor never stopped her from doing her own cyber
consultations and she read an article that gave tips on how to sit at the computer. She makes a
marvelous picturisation of the instructions in the article; which will make a reader laugh. As per
the instructions on correct posture; she brought fat cushions and perched like a queen on them.
But another tip which says to sit with legs perpendicular to the floor stumped her because her
short legs were dangling down from the chair and could not touch the floor. Another suggestion
was to use an ergonomic mouse where she says she had heard only of chocolate mousse.
A friend who visited her became awestruck when she saw the elaborate seating
arrangements to work on personal computer and she raised a question with astonishment. Who
uses PC when there’s something as easy as the smart phone? The author protests and argues that
it’s not always smart to use the smart phone as it is more sneaky than smart. She elaborates on
the problems that can occur while using smartphones like loading glitches, network and wi-fi
malfunctions, charging troubles, radiation fears, addiction, nomophobiai.e, the fear of being out
of mobile phone contact and the like. She ends the essay with a pertinent question, once the
Internet of Things succeeds in linking everyone and everything, will science fiction become
fact? And she answers, Per apps. As the field of science and technology is growing day by day,
one may wonder what all inventions can surprise us in the immediate future.
In a humorous way, the article presents before us the pros and cons of using gadgets like
smartphones. In a simple language the author successfully drives the message clear and one can
easily relate with all the incidents that are depicted in the article which is truly and closely

20
related to our day to day life. The author is a well-known writer with a lot of books to her credit
especially books for children. The elements of humour in her writings make her works much
more adorable.
Chapter 5
UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF HUMANRIGHTS

-Leah Levin
A. Answer in a word or sentence.

1. What are three treaties signed before the First World War that talked of human rights ?
Treaties of Westphalia of 1648 (acceptance of freedom of religion ), Treaty of

Washington of 1862,Documents of the conference in Brussels of 1867 and 1890 and in Berlin
in 1885 (abolition of slavery)
2. When was the UN formed ?
The UN was formed on 24rth October 1945 ,SanFrancisco ,

California , United States. Headquarters of UN : New York
3. What was the League of Nations ?
League of Nations (LON) formed on 10th January 1920 is the first universal
intergovernmental organization created after the First World War.
4. Which organization was created to oversee changing labour and trade laws ?
International Labour Organization (ILO) created in 1919.
5. What does the first article of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights espouse ?
The first article of the Declaration expresses the universality of rights in

terms of the equality of human dignity.
1. Why do we say that the notion of human rights is universal?
Ans:All human beings are born equal in dignity and rights. There are moral claims which
are inalienable and inherent in all human individuals by virtue of humanity. And so
human rights are also universal. Human rights guarantee people the means necessary to
satisfy their basic needs such as food and education. So they can take full advantage of
all opportunities.

21
2. In spite of a character of human rights and a body enforcing it, discrimination does exist.
Why?
Ans: The principle of human rights was long accepted in many nations. But society tries to
categorize people on the basis of caste, religion, gender or the colour of skin.
Discrimination does exist mainly due to ignorance, prejudice and fallacious doctrines
which try to bring up inequality. These human rights have been used to defend slavery
and discrimination on the grounds of sex, colour, class or caste system.
3. List out the first attempts made at writing down human rights in the form of a document.
Ans: Even though there was an elaborate system of human rights from the beginning
of time, discrimination of several sorts also persisted and thus there came the need to
document them. Important landmarks that led the way were "Magna Carta(
1215,England), "The Petition of Rights( 1628 )", and the "Bill of Rights( 1689 )". In
the 18th century, Natural Rights were written in the natural constitution. So it reflected
as an almost contractual relationship between the state and the individual which
emphasised that the power of the State derived from the assent of the free individual.
These documents express support to the resolution that assesses the right to self-
determination.
4. Which were the two developments which indicated that strong international instruments
were needed to protect human rights?
Ans: The two important developments which indicated that strong international
instruments were needed to protect human rights were the two great world wars. Since
the end of the First World War, there has been a growing belief that governments alone
cannot safeguard human rights, which require international guarantees. The totalitarian
regimes established in 1920s and 1930s grossly violated human rights in their own
territories and the Second World War which brought about massive violations of human
rights also indicated the need for strong international instruments to protect human
rights.
5. What is the fundamental objective of the United Nations according to the 1945 Charter?
Ans: The Charter of the United Nations states that the fundamental objective of the
organization is 'to save the succeeding generations from the scourge of war and
'reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human

22
person and in equal rights of men and women'. It states that the primary aim of the
UN is to maintain world peace by respecting the rights and freedom of all without
any discrimination.

1. What are the stages Levin identifies in the development of an international understanding
of human rights ?
The League of Nations was the first universal intergovernmental organization created after
the First World War in order to create an international understanding of human rights. However,
its concerns were limited mainly to the protection of minorities in a few countries. The
International Labour Organization (ILO) created in 1919 set certain standards in determining
the conditions of industrial workers. Similarly, the International Slavery Convention signed in
Geneva on 25th September 1926 decided to move forward with the suppression of slavery and
the slave trade. Correspondingly, conventions for the protection of refugees were adopted in
1933 and 1938. Despite all these developments, human rights law did not emerge in the
interwar period. The totalitarian regimes established in the 1920s and 1930s violated human
rights in their own areas. In fact, the Second World War brought about massive abuse of human
life and dignity. Thus it became clear that international instruments were needed to codify and
protect human rights. The charter of the United Nations on 26th June 1945 was another landmark
in the development of an international understanding human rights. Last but not the least, the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights set a common standard of achievement for all people
and nations.
2. What are the civil and political rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human
Rights?
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights was adopted by the General Assembly on 10 th
December 1948. Its aim was to achieve a common standard for all people and nations. The
Declaration consists of several articles detailing an individual's basic rights and fundamental
freedom. All human beings are "born free and equal in dignity and rights" regardless of
"Nationality, place of residence, gender, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, language or
any other status.
Human rights are broadly divided into two kinds. The first referred to civil and political
rights. The second included economic, social and cultural rights. The civil and political rights
included the right to life, liberty, and security of all persons. Freedom from slavery and torture,

23
equality before the law, protection against arbitrary arrest, and detention on exile also came
under this section. It also embraced the right to fair trial, the right to own property, political
participation and the right to marriage. The fundamental freedom of thoughts, conscience and
religion, opinion and expression also found a place in this section. Moreover, it incorporated
freedom of peaceful assembly and association.
3. What are the areas covered under the social, economic and cultural rights in the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights?
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights was adopted by the General Assembly on 10 th
December 1948. These rights were broadly divided into two kinds. The first refer to civil and
political rights. The second included economic, social and cultural rights. The right to work,
equal pay for equal work, the right to form and join trade unions; come under this section .1t
also contained the right to an adequate standard of living, the right to education and right to
participate freely in cultural life. The section ensured to everyone that there would not be
discrimination of any kind.
4. How does Leah Levin show that the provisions of the UN Charter and the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights are legally binding?
The provisions of the UN Charter have the force of positive inter-national law. It is so
because the charter is a treaty and therefore it is a legally binding document. All the United
Nations Member States have to fulfil the obligations they have assumed under the character of
the United Nations. It naturally includes the obligations to promote respect for human rights, to
promote observance of human rights to co-operate with the United Nations and other nations to
attain this aim. However, the Charter does not specify human rights and does not establish any
specific mechanism to ensure their implementation in Member States. The task of drawing up
an International Bill of Human Rights defining the human rights and freedom referred to in the
Charter, was charged upon the Commission on Human Rights. As a result of this, the General
Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as a common standard of
achievement for all peoples and nations.
5. Trace the formulation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Human rights have been translated into legal rights in almost all the nations. But they are
often violated by the States themselves. The ideas of elaboration and protection of human rights

24
have been transformed into written norms. After the First and Second World Wars it became
very clear that the governments alone couldn't safeguard human rights. International
instruments have been needed to codify and protect human rights. In fact respect for human
rights was one of the essential conditions for world peace and progress .The League of Nations,
for instance tried to protect human rights through international means. However its concerns
were limited to the establishment of certain conditions for the protection of the minorities. The
establishment of the International Labour Organization (ILO) in 1919 and the Slavery
Convention in 1926 were milestones. The Charter of the United Nations (UN) in 1945, states
the objectives of the universal organization. It aims at saving succeeding generations from the
scourge of war. The Charter stresses faith in fundamental human rights. 1n 1948 the General
Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as a common standard of
achievement for all peoples and nations. This declaration emphasises the inherent dignity and
equal rights of the all members of the human family.
D. Write an essay about three hundred words.
Q. Trace the development of international recognition for and information of a written body of
human rights?
Answer: In the essay "Universal Declaration of Human Rights", by Leah Levin, she reveals the
history, scope and meaning of international human rights law. She introduces the need for
emphasising the importance of human rights and takes us through the various stages of the
formulation of the Universal Declaration of Human rights. The essay is an extract adopted from
"Human rights; Questions and answers" by the famous British human right specialist Leah
Levin. She list out its fundamental objectives and the provisions of the charter that refer to a
wide range of issues ranging from slavery to more recent issues concerning refugees and their
rights.
Human beings are born equal in dignity and rights. These are moral claims which are
inalienable and inherent in all human individuals by virtue of their humanity alone. Their
claims are articulated and formulated as human rights, and have been translated into legal
rights. The legal rights are established in consonance with the law creating processes of
societies, both national and international. The basis of these legal rights is concerned with the
governed. The values of dignity and equality of all members of the human race like many other
basic principles are called as human rights. Natural law implies the concept of a body of rules
which ought to prevail in society. The principles of inequality in rights, recognised in natural

25
laws were long accepted in many societies. Yet discrimination continues to exist due to
ignorance, prejudice and fallacious doctrines which try to justify inequality. Such doctrines
have been used to defend slavery and discrimination on the grounds of sex, race, colour,
descent - national or ethnic origin or religious belief on the basis of class or caste systems,
throughout history and unfortunately in modern times. The ideas of elaborating and protection
of the rights of human beings have been gradually transformed into written norms. Many
important landmarks led the way such as in England the Magna Carta(1215), The Petition of
Rights (1628), and The Bill of Rights (1689). During the 18 th century, the early ideas of natural
law developed into an acceptance of natural rights as legal rights and these rights for the first
time were written into national constitutions. The "French Declaration of the Rights of Man and
of the Citizen" of 1789 and the "American Bill of Rights of 1791 was based on this premise.
During the 19th century the principle was adopted by a number of independent states and social
and economic rights also began to be recognised.
The first international treaties concerning human rights were linked with the acceptance of
freedom of religion and the abolition of slavery. Slavery had already been condemned by the
Congress of Vienna in 1815 and a number of international treaties on the abolition of slavery
were come forward. Another field of international co-operation was the elaboration of the laws
of war (eg: The Declaration of Rights of 1856, the first Geneva Convention of 1864 and the
second of 1906 and the Hague Conventions 1899 and 1907). The creation of the international
committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in 1864 contributed greatly to this development.
The League of Nations was the first universal intergovernmental organization created after
the First World War in order to create an international understanding of human rights. Its
concerns were limited mainly to the establishment of certain conditions for the protection of
minorities in a few countries. The "International Labour Organization" (ILO) in 1919 set certain
standards in determining the conditions of industrial workers. Similarly, the International
Slavery Convention signed in Geneva on 25 September 1926 decided to move forward with the
suppression of slavery and the slave trade. Correspondingly, conventions for the protection of
refugees were adopted in 1933 and 1938. The totalitarian regimes established in 1920's and
1930’s have violated human rights in their own areas. The Second World War brought about the
massive abuse of human life and dignity, and attempts to eliminate entire groups of people
because of their race, religion, or nationality. International instruments were needed to codify
and protect human rights because the respect for them was one of the essential conditions for
world peace and progress. The conviction was reflected in and reinforced by the charter of the

26
United Nations on 26 June 1945. The charter refers to the fundamental objective of the
Universal Organization, namely: "to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war and
'to reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person and
in the equal rights of men and women' Article 1 of the charter states that one of the aims of the
United Nations is to achieve international co-operation in promoting and encouraging respect
for human rights and for the freedom for all without distinction as to race, sex, language or
religion, thus ensuring the principle of non - discrimination.
The provisions of the UN charter have the force of positive international law. This is so
because the charter is a treaty and therefore it is a legally binding document. However, the
charter doesn't specify human rights. Similarly it does not establish any specific mechanism to
ensure their implementation in member states. The task of drawing up an International Bill of
Human Rights and freedom was charged upon the Commission of Human Rights. The
Universal Declaration of Human Rights was adopted by the General Assembly on December
10, 1948. Its aim was to achieve a common standard for all peoples and nations. These rights
are broadly classified into two, civil and political rights, economic, social and cultural rights.
The first one is civil and political rights include the right of life, liberty and security of person.
The second includes economic, social and cultural rights includes right to work, the right to
form and join trade unions came under these sections. As a result of the Universal Declaration
of Human Rights “common standard of achievement” for all peoples and nations was acheived.
The essay establishes Leah Levin's strong belief in the value of human rights
education. Citizens should always exercise and claim their rights. Moreover, they should
respect and defend the human rights of others too. For this, they must have sufficient
knowledge of human rights norms and mechanisms of protection. In brief, the essay
promotes the universality of all human rights which were reaffirmed in the Vienna
Conference in 1993.

27
Chapter 6
India’s Women: The Mixed Truth by Amartya Sen
1. What shows little sign of going away in India?

Ans: Preference for boys over girls
2. Where in the world would you see a distinct bias of "boy preference"?
Ans: It can be found in countries extending from North Africa and West Asia to South Asia,
including India and China.
3. What has the wide use of new techniques such as sonograms led to?
Ans: It leads to the determination of sex of the foetuses.
4. According to Sen, what can be called "natality discrimination?

Ans: The selective abortion of female foetuses is called 'natality discrimination'
5. What is meant by selective abortion of foetuses?

Ans: The selective abortion of female foetuses is called 'natality discrimination', that is a kind of
high tech manifestation of preference for boys.
6. Which Indian states show clear evidence of widespread sex-selective abortion?

Ans: The west and northern states, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh,
Rajastan, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Uttarakhand and Jammu and Kashmir.
1. Explain the phrase "natality discrimination".

Ans: The wide use of new techniques such as sonograms leads to the determination of sex of the
foetuses. The selective abortion of female foetuses is called 'natality discrimination', that is a
kind of high tech manifestation of preference for boys.
2. What caused Bangladesh's steep fall in total fertility

Ans: Bangladesh's steep fall in total fertility rate from nearly seven children to 2.2 now, which is
close to the replacement rate of 2.1, is strongly connected with the power of women to gain
more control of their lives. Factors such as girls' education and women's outside employment
have done much to achieve that result.

28
3. What is the focus of Adam Smith’s discussion in The Theory of Moral Sentiments?
Ans: Adam Smith in his The Theory of Moral Sentiments discusses about the willing acceptance
of the necessity of infanticide by intellectuals in ancient Greece. Smith quoted Plato and
Aristotle in defence of infanticide. He thought that the hold of parochial (narrow outlook) values
can be broken primarily by the knowledge of what happens elsewhere and how other people
think about the same problems. What is crucial here is not just freedom of action but also
freedom of thought and the ability to overcome parochial boundaries of thinking.
4. What is the sharp regional divide that Sen notices in India?

Ans: In the northern and western states, there is clear evidence of extensive use of selective
abortion of female foetuses. In the states in the south and east of India, we do not typically find
evidence of its widespread use. This is the sharp regional divide that Sen notices in India.
5. Mention the range of values for "normal" sex ratio at birth in European countries?
Ans: There are variations within the European countries that cannot be reasonably attributed to
the effects of presumed practices of sex-selective abortion. Among the larger European
countries, the female-male ratio at birth is 941 in Italy, 940 in Spain, 939 in Greece, and 935 in
Ireland. Here we can take the ratio of 935 per 1,000 (the ratio for Ireland) as a standard against
which to measure selective abortion of female foetuses.
6. In India, how are the ratios of girls to boys at birth calculated?

Ans: Since birth registration is incomplete in India, the ratios of girls to boys at birth are
calculated by first looking at the actual numbers of girls and boys in the age group between zero
and six (counted by the census). Further it is worked backward to the female-male birth ratio by
adjusting the zero to six figures for differences in mortality rates at specific ages between birth
and age six. Using this method with the data provided by the 2011 census, it appears that all the
states in the north and west of India show absolutely clear evidence that sex-selective abortion is
taking place.
7. Why does Sen find it difficult to give a convincing clear-cut answer with regard to regional
differences in male-female ratios?
evidence of its widespread use. This is the sharp regional divide that Sen notices in India. He

29
says both gender specific differences with language groups and cultural practices offers further
study.
1. What are the advantages of women's education according to Amartya Sen?

Ans: Women’s education has been a powerful force in reducing mortality discrimination
against women. It also helped in achieving other social objectives such as the reduction of
fertility rates, natality discrimination. There is also empirical evidence that women’s literacy
and schooling cut down child mortality and work against selective neglect of the health of
girls. The expansion of women’s literacy empowers women to have stronger voices in
family decisions.
2. What are the attempts made by China and South Korea to empower women?
Ans: In China and South Korea, the standard routes of women’s empowerment, such as female
literacy and economic independence have resulted in major achievements. But with the new
techniques of sex determination of foetuses, discrimination through selective abortion of female
foetuses became common in both countries. This new problem was curbed through public
initiatives to make women aware of the value of having daughters.
3. How has the expansion of women's schooling contributed to a significant reduction in fertility
rates in India?
Ans: Women’s education has been a powerful force in reducing mortality discrimination against
women. It also helped in achieving other social objectives such as the reduction of fertility rates,
natality discrimination. There is also empirical evidence that women’s literacy and schooling cut
down child mortality and work against selective neglect of the health of girls. In India expansion
of women’s schooling has contributed to its significant reduction in fertility rates.
4. What are the regional differences in male-female ratios according to Sen?

evidence of its widespread use. This is the sharp regional divide that Sen notices in India. The
west and northern states, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Rajastan,
Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Uttarakhand and Jammu and Kashmir. These states show
clear evidence of widespread sex-selective abortion, with female-male ratios going below the cut
off line of 935 per 1000 males.

30
5. List some of the "necessary actions that are mentioned in the concluding section of Sen's
essay?
Ans: There are many necessary actions can be done along with further research. There is a need
for better policing and for greater media attention to neglected issues, including sexual
trafficking and marital rape. There is an extremely powerful need for paying much more
attention to schooling for girls, for more political and social discussion of the peculiarity - and
the moral strangeness and inequity - of "boy preference". More commitment by India's
mainstream political parties to address the issues central to gender inequality is also to be
exercised.
1. How does Amartya Sen outline his apprehensions about the moral strangeness and
inequity of "boy preference," which is a main cause for gender inequality in India?
OR
2. Why does Sen believe that education will empower women in India? Do you agree with
the author's views? Explain.
Ans: Amartya Sen, Nobel laureate in Economics (1998) was Professor of Economics at
many major universities including Cambridge and Harvard. He has made significant
contributions to social and political theory, philosophy, and economics. His economic
theories are known to be practical and provide keen insights. Sen has regularly voiced the
difficulties faced by women in patriarchal societies, arguing that certain societies have
created a massive gender issue by giving more privileges to the male child. He is considered
to be one of India's foremost intellectual and economist, and continues to be honoured as a
prominent intellectual of the modern world.
The essay, "India's Women: The Mixed Truth" (2013) was published in the New York
Review of Books. Sen discusses some of the possible reasons for violence against women in
India. He believes that female schooling is one of the most liberating factors in reducing gender
discrimination in general. Different aspects of gender inequality have shared links with a general
disrespect for women, existing in varying degrees across India. Gender bias often influences the
occurrence of rape and of sex selective abortion. There is a need to mobilise active public
support of gender equity; it has proved to be very effective where this has been tried.

31
The preference for boys over girls has always been an issue in India. A distinct bias of "boy
preference can be found in countries extending from North Africa and West Asia to South Asia,
including India and China. The wide use of new techniques such as sonograms led to the
determination of sex of the foetuses. The selective abortion of female foetuses is called 'natality
discrimination', that is a kind of high tech manifestation of preference for boys. In the northern
and western states, there is clear evidence of extensive use of selective abortion of female
foetuses. In the states in the south and east of India, we do not typically find evidence of its
widespread use. This is the sharp regional divide that Sen notices in India. In the northern and
western states, there is clear evidence of extensive use of selective abortion of female foetuses.
In the states in the south and east of India, we do not typically find evidence of its widespread
use. This is the sharp regional divide that Sen notices in India. Since birth registration is
incomplete in India, the ratios of girls to boys at birth are calculated by first looking at the actual
numbers of girls and boys in the age group between zero and six (counted by the census).
Further it is worked backward to the female-male birth ratio by adjusting the zero to six figures
for differences in mortality rates at specific ages between birth and age six. Using this method
with the data provided by the 2011 census, it appears that all the states in the north and west of
India show absolutely clear evidence that sex-selective abortion. Women’s education has been a
powerful force in reducing mortality discrimination against women. It also helped in achieving
other social objectives such as the reduction of fertility rates, natality discrimination. There is
also empirical evidence that women’s literacy and schooling cut down child mortality and work
against selective neglect of the health of girls. In India expansion of women’s schooling has
contributed to its significant reduction in fertility rates. There are many necessary actions that
can be done along with further research. There is a need for better policing and for greater media
attention to neglected issues, including sexual trafficking and marital rape. There is an extremely
powerful need for paying more attention to schooling for girls, for more political and social
discussion of the peculiarity - and the moral strangeness and inequity - of "boy preference".
More commitment by India's mainstream political parties to address the issues central to gender
inequality is also to be exercised.

32
Chapter 7
Ageing In India: Some Social Challenges to Elderly Care
Answer in a word or a sentence.
1. What is the herculean task for policy makers regarding elderly care in India?
To address geriatric care and aging population are the herculean tasks for policy makers
regarding elderly care in India.
2. Why are the elderly in India vulnerable?
The elderly in India are vulnerable because of low government spending on social
security system.
3. Why are elderly people less vulnerable in rural areas rather than urban areas?
Elderly people are less vulnerable in rural areas rather than urban areas, due to continued
existence of joint family System
4. What are the key challenges to access and affordability of healthcare for the elderly?
The key challenges to access and affordability for the elderly population include reduced
mobility, social and structural barriers, wage loss, familial dependencies, and declining social
engagement.
5. What is the single most pressing challenge to the welfare of an older person in our country?
The single most pressing challenge to the welfare of an older person in our country is
poverty
1. How does the lack of infrastructure affect old age care in India?
Many elder citizens need better access to physical infrastructure, both in their own
homes and in public spaces because of their unattended chronic disease, unaffordable medicines
and treatment and malnutrition. Lack of physical infrastructure is a major problem to the aged in
India and it affects the accessibility of aged persons to public health systems. With increasing
longevity and debilitating chronic diseases, many elder citizens will need better access to
physical infrastructure.

33
2. What are the differences in treatment of elderly people in the traditional family structure and
the emerging nuclear family structure?
The traditional norms of Indian society and our traditional joint family structure laid
stress on showing respect and providing care for the elderly. Traditional family structure
safeguards the social and economic security of the age old people. But in nuclear family set-ups
the elderly are likely to be exposed to emotional, physical and financial insecurity in the years to
come. Family care of the elderly seems likely to decrease in this new family structure.
3. How does the lack of social support affect old age care in India?
The elderly in India are much more vulnerable because of the lack of social support from
Government. Low government spending on social security systems has increased the problems
in elderly health care and concerns thus the aged groups suffer social isolation and loneliness.
The elderly in urban areas rely primarily on hired domestic help to meet their basic needs in an
increasingly chaotic and crowded city. Government system does not pay any proper attention to
the elderly group of unorganized sectors and financially backward communities. Pension and
social security is also restricted to those who have worked in the public sector or the organized
sector of industry.
4. How does the field of medicine and insurance treat the concept of geriatric care?
Medical suppliers are small, unorganized players who extend sub-optimal care. The
concept of geriatric care has remained a neglected area of medicine in the country. Despite an
ageing population, geriatric care is relatively new in many developing countries like India with
many practising physicians having little knowledge of the clinical and functional implications of
ageing. Not many institutes offer a geriatrics course, and takers are few.. Geriatric outpatient
department services are mostly available at tertiary care hospitals. Insurance cover that is elderly
sensitive is virtually non-existent in India. In our country health insurance coverage is
essentially limited to hospitalization. In addition, pre-existing illnesses are usually not covered,
making insurance policies unviable for the elders.
5. How does economic dependency affect geriatric care in India?

The elderly often do not have financial protection such as sufficient pension and other
forms of social security in India The single most pressing challenge to the welfare of older
persons is poverty which is a multiplier of risk for abuse. Also due to their financial dependence,
while elderly persons are the most vulnerable to infections, they are accord low priority for their

34
own health. Migration of the younger generation, lack of proper care in the family, insufficient
housing, economic hardship and break-up of the joint family are the other issues faced by
elderly group in India.
1. How does an increased elderly population affect the resources of a country?

Ageing in India is exponentially increasing due to the impressive gains that society has
made in terms of increased life expectancy. An ageing population puts an increased burden on
the resources of a country and has raised concerns at many levels for the government in India.
The ageing population is both a medical and sociological problem. The elderly population
suffers high rates of morbidity and mortality due to infectious diseases. The demographic
transition in India shows unevenness and complexities within different states and their resources.
This has been attributed to the different levels of socio-economic development, cultural norms,
and political contexts. Hence it will be a herculean task for policy makers to address geriatric
care.
2. What are some of the differences between caring for the elderly in a rural versus an urban
setting?
The elderly are a heterogeneous section with an urban and rural divide. Most of the
government facilities such as day care centres, old age residential homes, counselling and
recreational facilities are urban based and these facilities are affordable only to the elite class.
The elderly in urban areas rely primarily on hired domestic help to meet their basic needs and
thus due to the absence of close family members, the aged ones in urban India feel loneliness
and social isolation..Elderly groups are less vulnerable in rural areas as compared to their urban
counterparts, due to the continued existence of the joint family system. Geriatric outpatient
department services are mostly available at tertiary care hospitals. So reaching 75% of the
elderly that reside in rural areas with geriatric care will be challenging.
3. What are the three factors that hamper accessibility to care for elderly people?
Managing home care for the elderly, negligence in geriatric care and the stigma of ageing
are three factors that hamper accessibility to care for elderly people. multiple service providers
nursing agencies, physiotherapists and medical suppliers are small, unorganized players who
extend sub-optimal care create severe issues in the home care management for the

35
elderly. geriatric care is relatively new in many developing countries like India with many
practising physicians having little knowledge of the clinical and functional implications of
ageing. Not many institutes offer a geriatrics course, and takers are few. The stigma of ageing is
another social barrier to access of health in addition to the health and social conditions the
elderly commonly face such as dementia, depression, incontinence and widowhood.
4. How has the government responded to the increase in an ageing population?

The government should prepare to meet the growing challenge of caring for its elderly
population. All social service institutions in the country need to address the social challenges to
elderly care in order to improve their quality of life. There is a need to initiate requisite and more
appropriate social welfare programmes to ensure life with dignity for the elderly. In addition,
there is also a need to develop an integrated and responsive system to meet the care needs and
challenges of the elderly in India.
5. Do you agree with the author's assessment of the situation and the solutions he provides? Why
or why not?
Yes. The author here explains the true conditions of the elderly in India. His observations
regarding the problems and challenges that the aged group faces and their effective and positive
solutions are very relevant in Indian context .Most of his suggestions are practical and
applicable.
Discuss the social challenges faced by elderly people in India.
Dr. Abhay B Mane’s article “Ageing in India: Some Social challenges to Elderly Care’’
talks about the social challenges in the elderly care in the twenty- first century. Rise of elderly
population, puts an increased burden on the resources of a country and has raised concerns at
many levels for the government. The ageing population is both a medical and sociological
problem. The elderly population suffers high rates of morbidity and mortality due to infectious
diseases. The demographic transition in India shows unevenness and complexities within
different states. This has been attributed to the different levels of socio-economic development,
cultural norms, and political contexts. Hence it will be a difficult task for policy makers to
address geriatric care.

36
Dr.Mane describes the major challenges such as lack of infrastructure, changing family
structure, lack of social support, social inequality, affordability of health care and economic
dependency in the field of geriatric care. Limited manpower, poor quality of care and
overcrowding of facilities due to insufficient focus on elderly care are the other issues in this
area. Lack of physical infrastructure is a major deterrent to providing comfort to the aged. Many
elder citizens need better access to physical infrastructure, both in their own homes and in public
spaces. Unattended chronic disease, unaffordable medicines and treatment and malnutrition are
part of old age life in a country like India as there is poor system of health care.
The traditional norms and values of Indian society also laid stress on showing respect
and providing care for the elderly. But the emergence of nuclear family set-ups in recent years,
the elderly are likely to be exposed to emotional, physical and financial insecurity in the years to
come. Low government spending on a social security system negatively affects the elderly life
in India. The elderly in urban areas rely primarily on hired domestic help to meet their basic
needs in an increasingly chaotic and crowded city. Thus social isolation and loneliness of the
elderly group has increased in recent India. It was found that a major proportion of the elderly
women were poorer; received the lowest income per person; had the greatest percentage of
primary level education; recorded the highest negative affective psychological conditions; were
the least likely to have health insurance coverage and recorded the lowest consumption
expenditure.
Managing home care for the elderly, negligence in geriatric care and the stigma of ageing
are three major factors that hamper accessibility to care for elderly people. multiple service
providers nursing agencies, physiotherapists and medical suppliers are small, unorganized
players who extend sub-optimal care create severe issues in the home care management for the
elderly. Geriatric care is relatively new in many developing countries like India with many
practising physicians having little knowledge of the clinical and functional implications of
ageing. Not many institutes offer a geriatrics course, and takers are few. The stigma of ageing is
another social barrier to access of health in addition to the health and social conditions the
elderly commonly face such as dementia, depression, incontinence and widowhood. The other
key challenges to access and affordability for the elderly population include reduced mobility,
social and structural barriers, wage loss, familial dependencies, and declining social
engagement.

37
The elders living with their families are largely contingent on the economic capacity of
the family unit for their economic security and well-being. The elderly often do not have
financial protection such as sufficient pension and other forms of social security in India The
single most pressing challenge to the welfare of older person is poverty which is a multiplier of
risk for abuse. Also due to their financial dependence, while elderly persons are the most
vulnerable to infections, they accord low priority for their own health. Migration of the younger
generation, lack of proper care in the family, insufficient housing, economic hardship and break-
up of joint family have made old-age homes seem more relevant even in the Indian context. It is
important to understand the social aspects concerning the aged in the country as they go through
the process of ageing. Increased life expectancy, rapid urbanization and lifestyle changes have
led to the emergence of varied problems for the elderly in India. It must be remembered that
comprehensive care to the elderly is possible only with the involvement and collaboration of
family, community and the Government.
The government should prepare to meet the growing challenge of caring for its elderly
population. All social service institutions in the country need to address the social challenges to
elderly care. There is a need to initiate requisite and more appropriate social welfare
programmes to ensure life with dignity for the elderly. In addition, there is also a need to
develop an integrated and responsive system to meet the care needs and challenges of the elderly
in India .
Chapter 8
The Globalisation of Inequality
P. Sainath
Summary
This is an excerpt from P Sainath’s article ‘The Globalisation of Inequality.’ In the

opening statement itself he brings out the main concern of the essay that the planet is not
balanced because wealth is not equally divided and power lies in the hands of only a few people.
This has resulted in many problems including wars and disorder all over the world.
Sainath points out that inequality is the biggest problem that the world is facing today.
He states that this has grown much over the past 15 years. The article was written in 2004 thus
the 1990 decade is what he refers to. This inequality can be seen between the rich and the poor,
levels of income, resource availability, and even access to healthcare, clean water, education and

38
employment. He places the blame on corporate globalism, which gives importance to profits
and greed rather than what is good for humankind. He says that there are no restrictions on these
global giants in any continent and that they are all powerful. He uses figures to prove that the
gap between the top twenty percent and the last twenty percent has become more than double.
To illustrate this he tells us that the wealth of the richest three people in the world is more than
the combined GNP (Gross National Product) of all the least developed countries and their
people!
This period that is celebrated as that of great economic growth is one in which the rich
have become richer and poor much poorer. Countries like America have celebrated ‘economic
recovery’ but they also have widespread unemployment in the same period. While the salary of
CEOs of huge companies reaching all time highs, the number of people living in terrible poverty
has also increased greatly. In a country like Russia which was once a superpower also became
economically weak with market reforms and lost 42% of its GDP (Gross Domestic Product).
Poverty and mortality rates rose rapidly. As it is a very cold country, the poor cannot afford to
keep warm and many die due to hyperthermia. In 2000-01 in Moscow alone about 300 people
died but that year the winter sales of Mercedes Benz rose and the international luxury designer
Giorgio Armani opened a new store there. China which has long prided itself on being an
egalitarian state (classless) now has many millionaires and the rich poor divide has grown even
wider. There are two major problems that China is facing and both of them originate in misery,
one is corruption and the other prostitution.
India too is in the same circumstances. It has both the richest and the poorest people
living in the country and living conditions of the poor are so bad that they are estimated to be
worse than that of Botswana or even occupied Palestine. Although many people are shown
visiting malls during weekends, the situation of the poor has only worsened. India has slipped
three places in the human development rankings of the UN and stood at rank 127 in 2004 when
the article was published. (In 2020 India is at rank 131) The agriculture sector in India is going
through a lot of problems. Small farms are closing and there is very little investment in
agriculture. People are losing their land as rural finance has collapsed and per person availability
of food grains is extremely low. In Anantapur, a single district in Andhra Pradesh 2400 farmers
have committed suicide in just 8 years according to the author. He also points out that people are
losing jobs in the industry as well and they form the bulk of citizens involved in riots and
growing religious fundamentalism.

39
Sainath points out that women are harder hit through inequality because when the family
has less to eat, the women who eat only after their husbands and children have eaten, may have
nothing left to eat. There is a lot of strain on both their bodies and health and medical care is also
very expensive.
The author asks some important questions. He asks what kind of India is being
developed as the public sector seems to be taking a backseat and the private sector booming.
Health centres are giving way to multispeciality hospitals, primary schools, public libraries and
bus services are all fast disappearing and luxury colleges, multiplexes and airports are growing.
While the rich are trying to lose weight the poor have nothing to eat. While CEOs are earning
huge salaries, the common man is struggling to survive. There is a huge shortage of drinking
water but there is a rise in golf courses as well as water parks. He points out that a single golf
course requires 1.8 to 2,3 million litres of water a day whereas 1,00,000 villagers could survive
on the same quantity for two or three months! Through all this P Sainath is illustrating the
enormous gap between the haves and the have-nots.
The author talks about how as healthcare is becoming more expensive diseases like the
SARS are taking over humanity. This is especially significant in the current Covid 19 situation.
He says that diseases do not have class divides but affect everyone even if they are rich.
P Sainath also suggests that this divide is evident in the military dimension as well. The
world super power America has military bases in countries like Japan and Guam and this does
not suggest peace but rather war. Military prowess rests only with a chosen number of nations.
According to the author one of the greatest evils of globalization is privatization. He

explains how this in Russia has lead to gangster capitalism where the means of production and
capital lies in the hands of the mafia and they are in constant conflict with the government. He
points out that privatization of basic services has caused misery in many countries. He also
states that Japan has not been affected by privatization and the lowest 20 percent in Japanese
society is much better off than the rest of the world. But he also believes that Japan too will fall
prey to privatization in the future.
In the future i.e thirty years from the present, the author believes that 1/3 rd of the world’s
population will be living in slums and he states that this will be especially rampant in Asia.
The author argues that it will only take 28 billion dollars a years to provide basic
education, proper sewage, clean drinking water and basic health and nutrition for all the people

40
on earth and this amount is far less than the amount spent by Europeans and Americans on
cosmetics, ice cream and pet food. This amount is also only a small amount of the combined
wealth of the richest people in the world.
He also says that slowly reactions are happening among the downtrodden and he cites
various examples of people in Bolivia and Venezuela reacting against corruption. There are
people from all corners of the world protesting against the inequality that is rampant. He says
that this amount of protest can bring about change, provides hope and is capable of creating a
new world.
Question Answers
1. Answer in a word or sentence.
1. What is ‘shock therapy?’

Ans. It is trade liberalization within a country resulting in the lifting of currency and
price controls, and government subsidies. This also results in widespread
privatization.
2. Mention one reason for religious fundamentalism in our country.
Ans. The industrial sector is facing many problems and a large number of people
have lost their jobs. The majority of these people are involved in rioting and the
growth of religious fundamentalism.
3. What is ‘gangster capitalism?’
Ans. The former Soviet Union is the best example for this where the means of
production are controlled by the mafia and there is very little the government can do
to influence the market as all the control is in the hands of the ‘gangsters.’
4. Why does SARS get a lot of attention?
Ans. SARS gets a lot of attention as it affects those in the upper segments of society.
Unlike other diseases, the brunt of which is borne by the poor, while diseases like
SARS affects everyone across classes.
5. What does the IMF do?
Ans. The IMF or the International Monetary Fund has 190 member countries and it
works towards financial stability, monetary cooperation on an international level,
facilitation of international trade and the eradication of poverty worldwide.
2. Answer in about fifty words.

41
1. What effect has globalization had on Russia and China?

Ans. In Russia ‘gangster capitalism’ has occurred and the mafia controls the
economy. The means of production are all owned by the mafia and there is a constant
conflict with the government. In China there have been a steady rise in the number of
millionaires and the rich poor divide has become very wide. The two major problems
that have arisen in Chinese society as a result are corruption and prostitution.
2. What is ‘corporate globalism?’
Ans. Corporate globalism is a phenomenon that is seen rampantly all over the world.
Global giants control the economies of most of the world and they are fuelled only by
greed and an increase in their profit margins. The holistic development of economies
and boosting the downtrodden are not their concerns.
3. How does hunger affect women more than men in Indian households?
Ans. In India a sharp decline has been seen in the per person availability of food
grain. Thus the food availability of a family has come down. As women always eat
after their husbands and children have eaten, this affects them the most as they often
have very little left to eat.
4. How has privatization affected healthcare in India?
Ans. Privatization of health care has made it more expensive and unaffordable for the
common man. Many small health centres have shut down and made way for multi
specialty hospitals which cater only to the rich. Thus in times of illness, the poor man
has no facility that he can afford.
5. What changes are now seen in the purposes for which water is used?
Ans. The world is facing a great water crisis. Despite this, water is used to build
water theme parks and golf courses that pander to the rich. Both these forms of
amusement take up huge quantities of water. In fact the author points out that a single
golf course requires 1.8 to 2,3 million litres of water a day whereas 1,00,000 villagers
could survive on the same quantity for two or three months!
3. Answer in a paragraph of about a hundred words.
1. How does privatization dominate our lives?
Ans. Privatization has touched everyone’s lives in a very debilitating manner. It has
taken over every aspect of our existence. Common amenities like education and
healthcare have moved into the hands of corporate players making them unaffordable
for the common man. Public schools, health centres and libraries are fast
disappearing. Access to clean drinking water has been denied the common man as

42
the water that he needs is diverted to cater to the rich. The markets are all controlled
by huge corporate that are not bothered about developing a country rather only about
their profit margins and greed for more.
2. Discuss the author’s ideas on ‘engineered inequality’ in India.
Ans. The author comments that India is celebrating a section of its population that
enjoys weekends at malls. He points out that this represents a very small section of
Indian society and the poor have only become even worse. India has slipped three
places in the human development rankings of the UN. He writes about how the media
celebrates good monsoons as a boost for agriculture but that the Indian agricultural
scenario is facing a severe crisis. Thus the author says that the inequality created and
sharpened in India has been made from the government not recognizing the needs of
the people and acting upon them but rather catering to the needs of global giants.
3. What effect does ‘the privatization of everything’ have on the common person?
Ans. Privatization has touched everyone’s lives in a very debilitating manner more so
the common man. Common amenities like education and healthcare have moved into
the hands of corporate players making them unaffordable for the common man.
Public schools, health centres and libraries are fast disappearing. Access to clean
drinking water has been denied the common man as the water that he needs is
diverted to cater to the rich. Many people are losing jobs as the industrial and
agricultural sectors are collapsing. Farmer suicides are at an all time high.
4. What are the ‘energies unleashed in the global arena’ described by the author
and what are the future prospects of these energies?
Ans. The energies that have been released in the global arena in recent times are
varied. They range from anti war protests to social justice movements. The author
feels that these movements are truly global as they focus on the redistribution of
wealth and resources. They severely criticize the current state of the world where too
much is owned by too few. The author hopes that these energies from different parts
of the world can come together for great results. They provide hope in the creation of
a new world, one that believes in equality rather than mere profiteering.
Explain P Sainath’s view on globalization as expressed in the article.

Ans. Please refer to summary.

43

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1

P.G. Department of English, N.S.S College, Pandalam

B. Answer in about fifty words.

P.G. Department of English, N.S.S College, Pandalam

2. How do drugs affect the communication system of the brain?

P.G. Department of English, N.S.S College, Pandalam

A. Answer in a word or a sentence.

2. Name the English Mathematician that Southwell refers to.

Universal Turing Machine (UTM)

4. Who is the American philosopher mentioned in the extract?

5. Expand UTM and AI?

1. What is the Turing Test?

P.G. Department of English, N.S.S College, Pandalam

2. Why did the stock market crash of 2010 happen?

3. What is the physicist Roger Penrose’s arguments based on?

C. Answer in a paragraph of about hundred words

1. “That I think is more humbling.” Explain the context.

2. What is the difference between Weak AI and Strong AI?

P.G. Department of English, N.S.S College, Pandalam

AI is the branch of computer science that aims to replicate or simulate human

3. Describe Searle’s objection to Strong Artificial Intelligence.

P.G. Department of English, N.S.S College, Pandalam

D. Write an essay in about three hundred words.

Gareth Southwell, a British author and professional illustrator, in his essay

P.G. Department of English, N.S.S College, Pandalam

P.G. Department of English, N.S.S College, Pandalam

P.G. Department of English, N.S.S College, Pandalam

P.G. Department of English, N.S.S College, Pandalam

P.G. Department of English, N.S.S College, Pandalam

P.G. Department of English, N.S.S College, Pandalam

1) What re-appears faithfully at the beginning of every year?

New Year resolutions re-appear faithfully at the beginning of every year.

2) Which ‘gizmo’ is the author wary of?

3) Who is the reluctant smart phone user mentioned in the article?

4) Why does the author describe herself as a computer junkie?

5) What was the doctor’s diagnosis?

Nomophobia is the fear of being out of mobile phone contact.

7) What is the expansion of IoT?

The expansion of IoT is Internet of Things.

B. Answer in about fifty words.

P.G. Department of English, N.S.S College, Pandalam

1) Why is the smart phone an ‘appening place?

2) What made the author wary of the smart phone?

P.G. Department of English, N.S.S College, Pandalam

4) Describe briefly the phantom cat incident

C) Answer in a paragraph of about a hundred words.

1) What does the author say about apps?

P.G. Department of English, N.S.S College, Pandalam

2) How did the author’s husband lose some of his friends?

3) How did the author develop a nagging pain in her arm?

P.G. Department of English, N.S.S College, Pandalam

D. Write an essay in about three hundred words. (summary)

P.G. Department of English, N.S.S College, Pandalam

P.G. Department of English, N.S.S College, Pandalam

P.G. Department of English, N.S.S College, Pandalam

UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF HUMANRIGHTS

A. Answer in a word or sentence.