Passage - 2
In our schools; we teach our children all that is there to know about physics, maths and history and what-have-you. But do we teach them about the bitter caste divide that plagues the country, about the spectre of famine that stalks large parts of our land, about gender sensitivity, about the possibility of atheism as a choice, etc. ? Equally important, do we teach them to ask questions, or do we teach them only to passively receive our wisdom ? From the cocooned world of school, suddenly, the adolescent finds himself/herself in the unfettered world of university. Here he/she is swept up in a turmoil of ideas, influences and ideologies. For someone who has been discouraged from asking questions and forming an opinion, this transition can be painful.

Which one of the following statements best reflects the central idea of the passage given above ?

Question

Passage - 2
In our schools; we teach our children all that is there to know about physics, maths and history and what-have-you. But do we teach them about the bitter caste divide that plagues the country, about the spectre of famine that stalks large parts of our land, about gender sensitivity, about the possibility of atheism as a choice, etc. ? Equally important, do we teach them to ask questions, or do we teach them only to passively receive our wisdom ? From the cocooned world of school, suddenly, the adolescent finds himself/herself in the unfettered world of university. Here he/she is swept up in a turmoil of ideas, influences and ideologies. For someone who has been discouraged from asking questions and forming an opinion, this transition can be painful.

Which one of the following statements best reflects the central idea of the passage given above ?

Accepted Answer

Correct Option: (d) To be a better citizen, the present world order demands societal and life-coping skills in addition to academic content. The passage criticizes the current education system for focusing solely on academic subjects like physics, maths, and history while ignoring vital societal issues like caste divide, gender sensitivity, and crucially, failing to teach students how to ask questions and think critically. When these students transition to university, they face difficulties because they were discouraged from forming opinions. Therefore, the central idea is that preparing children to be better, questioning, and socially conscious citizens should be the responsibility of the education system. Option (d) also captures this well: 'To be a better citizen, the present world order demands societal and life-coping skills in addition to academic content.' Wait, let's check UPSC official key between (c) and (d). Official UPSC key marks option (d) as the best reflection of the central idea because it encompasses both societal/life-coping skills and academic content mentioned in the passage.

Which one of the following statements best reflects the central idea of the passage given above ?

हिंदी में प्रश्न एवं आदर्श उत्तर