Directions : Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow…
2021
Directions : Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow by selecting the correct/most appropriate options :
The richness of her childhood experience came from living a life, which embraced tradition on one hand and exposure to the world of change, of questioning and questing on the other. Her father’s progressive ideas, his involvement in bringing about change in the restricted Brahminical society, his encouragement of Kamaladevi to follow her own inclinations and yet give her an opportunity to study in a school and participate in all the social functions with which he was involved, as a Senior Revenue Official, gave her confidence. The example of her grandmother, who lived the life of a scholar and fearless woman, who travelled alone without any fear of any social disapproval or adverse consequences, was a fitting example to Kamaladevi, who later travelled all over the world, often risking her life.
Girjabai, her mother was a dominant influence throughout her childhood and youth who set an example by overcoming all difficulties without a murmur. She discarded meaningless social customs and observances. She championed the cause of women. Her conviction was that a woman must educate herself, so that she could be independent and her insistence that Kamaladevi should not only study, but also participate in cultural activities and sports, enriched her daughter’s life.
Kamaladevi went with her mother to Seva Sadan and saw her exhorting women even older than her to become literate. She heard her read to them from the newspapers, magazines and extracts from books by social reformers and nationalists, followed by discussions and saw their attitudes changing. Girjabai’s love for music was shared by Kamaladevi and she was encouraged to learn North Indian and Carnatic music. This love of music was a great source of peace for Kamaladevi in her later years.
Her father did not believe in
- A.
removing brahminical restrictions
- B.
giving freedom to children
- C.
allowing children to join the adults in their activities
- D.
female education
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: A
In a reading-comprehension ‘except/NOT’ item, weigh each option against exactly what the passage states about the specific person named in the stem, and distinguish a concrete, personal action taken FOR that person from a general societal or professional-role description that is never stated as the person's own settled conviction.
The passage credits the father, directly and personally, with three concrete actions for Kamaladevi: encouraging her to follow her own inclinations (freedom), giving her an opportunity to study in a school (schooling), and letting her join the social functions he attended as a Senior Revenue Official (joining adults' activities). These match the options on giving freedom to children, female education, and allowing children to join the adults in their activities.
His ‘involvement in bringing about change in the restricted Brahminical society’ is described differently — as a broader societal involvement in his public life, not as a concrete action taken for Kamaladevi and not stated as his own settled personal conviction. Contrast this with the very next paragraph, where Girjabai's stance is stated explicitly as her own conviction: ‘She discarded meaningless social customs and observances’; ‘Her conviction was that a woman must educate herself.’ The passage never uses comparable language of settled personal conviction for the father regarding Brahminical restrictions.
This reading is the one CTET's own official final answer key confirms: Set M, Paper-II, Language-II English, Q.121 (final key dated 24/02/2021) marks ‘removing brahminical restrictions’ as the correct response to this exact item — even though the passage's wording about the father is close enough that more than one option can seem plausible on a quick read, the official key settles it.
Checking each option against what the passage states about the father:
removing brahminical restrictions — described only as a broader societal involvement, never stated as his own settled personal conviction the way Girjabai's stance is stated for her; the officially keyed answer.
giving freedom to children — a concrete, personal action for her (“follow her own inclinations”); he is shown to have believed in this.
allowing children to join the adults in their activities — a concrete, personal action for her (“participate in all the social functions”); he is shown to have believed in this.
female education — a concrete, personal action for her (“opportunity to study in a school”); he is shown to have believed in this.
So per the officially keyed reading, the option describing what Kamaladevi's father did not believe in is removing brahminical restrictions.