The Adventure

NCERT Question Answer: True and False

Understanding the Text

I. Tick the statements that are true.

1. The story is an account of real events.

2. The story hinges on a particular historical event.

3. Rajendra Deshpande was a historian.

4. The places mentioned in the story are all imaginary.

5. The story tries to relate history to science.

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Ans: 1. False

2. True

3. False

4. False

5. True

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NCERT Question Answer
II. Briefly explain the following statements from the text.

1. “You neither travelled to the past nor the future. You were in the present
experiencing a different world.”

Ans: This statement was said by Rajendra to Professor Gaitonde. As he made a

transition from one world to another, he had a real-life experience for two
days in an alternative reality. It was one at a time experience for him. He
neither travelled to the past nor the future. He was in the present all the time.

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2. “You have passed through a fantastic experience: or more correctly, a catastrophic

experience.”
Ans: This statement was said by Rajendra to Professor Gaitonde. When he was hit by
the truck, he was thinking about Catastrophe theory and its role in the war. He was
unconscious in the hospital for the next two days but he was in an alternate world
having a real-life experience of many things which were not true in the real world
where he actually lives. He noticed that the scenario was different and facts about
history were different. So, he had passed a catastrophic experience.

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3. Gangadharpant could not help comparing the country he knew what he was witnessing
around him.
Ans: Gangadharpant Gaitonde had witnessed different facts of history which were the
decline of Marathas and British rule. But here in a different world, the reality was different.
Marathas had won the Battle of Panipat and there was no slavery under the white man.
India was free and here people had self-respect. When he compared two different facts of
the same country, he liked this different version of India more.

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4. “The lack of determinism in quantum theory!”

Ans: The lack of determinism means the inability of the scientist to know where
the electron would move. Quantum theory means in physics, it can be measured
how the energy is produced and in what direction electrons may move. This
happened when Professor saw two different sets of history in the case of the
Battle of Panipat. In one reality, Marathas had won the war and in other, they had
lost the battle. The same happened in the case of the Battle of Waterloo.

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5. “You need some interaction to cause a transition.”

Ans: Professor Gaitonde before the collision with the truck was thinking about
catastrophe theory and its role in the war. He was wondering what might happen
if the result was different in the Battle of Panipat. When he hit the truck, the
neurons in his brain made the transition. This was explained by Rajendra to the
professor when he failed to understand why only he made the transition.

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Previous Year Question Answer

1.What sort of 'Adventure' has been narrated by Jayant Narlikar?

Ans Ms. The adventure of Professor Gangadharpant was not real or physical. He
was a historian. He wanted to know what would have happened if the Marathas
had lost the Battle of Panipat. For two days during his unconsciousness, he visited
the new Bombay and had a bitter experience in Azad Maidan.

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Previous Year Question Answer

2. Who was Professor Gaitonde? What was his plan in Bombay?

Ans. Professor Gaitonde or Gangadharpant was a historian (एक इतिहासकार).
He had written five volumes on history. But his research work was still going
on. He was on his way to Bombay. He planned to go to a big library (बडा and
consult the history books there to find out how the present situation was
reached.

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Previous Year Question Answer

3. What was Gangadharpant's experience on way to Bombay?

Ans Ms. Gangadharpant travelled by the Jijamata express along the Pune-
Bombay route. His plan was to consult some history books at the library. At
Sarhad station, an Anglo-Indian checked the permits. That was the place where
the British Raj began. He got the company of one Khan Sahib on the train. He
noticed that the city was quite different from what he had known about it.

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Previous Year Question Answer

4. What was Gangadhar's experience when he reached a small station Sarhad?

Ans. It was Gangadhar's first visit to this new Bombay. Every blue carriage carried
the words Greater Bombay metropolitan railway and a small Union Jack painted
on it. It gently reminded him that he had entered the British territory. An Anglo-
Indian checked the train permits of the passengers.

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Previous Year Question Answer

5. What had Professor Gaitonde not expected in Bombay?

Ans. Professor Gaitonde was prepared for many shocks, but he had not expected
to see the domination of East India Company in Bombay. History books said that
the company had been wound up after 1857. But here in Bombay it still seemed
to be alive and flourishing . He found a different set of shops and departmental
stores and big bank buildings as in England.

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NCERT Question Answer

Why do you think Professor Gaitonde decided never to preside over meetings again?
Ans: When in a different world, the professor noticed the empty presidential chair on
the stage in the ongoing lecture. Later when he started talking on the mike , the
audience was not ready to listen to him. They threw many objects at him and asked
him to move aside. They physically lifted him from the stage. Such experiences
prompted Professor to never preside over meetings again.

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