Category: Class 11th

The Browning Version Extra Questions and Answers Short Answer Type

Question 1.
Where does Taplow meet Frank? What does Taplow feel about being there?
Answer:
Taplow meets Frank at Mr Crocker-Harris’s office, at school. Taplow had been given extra work to do as he had missed a day of school the previous week when he was ill. It was the last day of school and he wished to play golf instead.

Question 2.
What subjects does Taplow want to opt for and why?
Answer:
Taplow wishes to opt for science if he manages good grades. He claims to be really interested in science and feels it is more interesting than studying classics such as ‘The Agamemnon’, which he calls “muck” it had a lot of Greek words, and Mr Crocker-Harris punished them for not getting them right.

Question 3.
Why does Taplow feel that Mr Harris is “hardly human”?
Answer:
Taplow feels that putting in extra work would make no difference to Mr Harris. He had told Taplow that he had got what he deserved. Taplow suspects he might be awarded with fewer marks to make him do extra work. He feels Mr Harris is unfeeling worse than a sadist, and thus calls him “hardly human”.

Question 4.
What does Frank suggest to Taplow about waiting for Mr Harris?
Answer:
When Taplow tells Frank that he was supposed to meet Mr Crocker-Harris at six-thirty, Frank tells Taplow that Mr Crocker-Harris was already ten minutes late. He suggests that Taplow could go and play golf. But Taplow is shocked and expresses his apprehension if Mr Crocker-Harris should know. He was certain that nobody had ever done that with Mr Crocker-Harris.

Question 5.
Why does Taplow feel that Mr Harris has no feelings?
Answer:
Taplow calls Mr Harris worse than a sadist. One is required to admit to feelings if considered a sadist. Mr Harris’s inside, feels Taplow, is like a nut and he seems to hate people liking him. He did not appreciate Taplow appreciating his jokes and embarrassed him in return.

Question 6.
How did Taplow try to express his liking for Mr Harris? What was the outcome?
Answer:
Taplow admits to liking Mr Harris and realized he felt uncomfortable about people liking him. He recalls an episode, in class, where Mr Crocker-Harris made one of his jokes to which nobody laughed. Taplow knew that it was meant to be funny, and laughed. To which, Mr Crocker-Harris teased Taplow about his knowledge of Latin and asked him to explain the joke to the class.

Question 7.
Who was Millie Crocker-Harris? What was she like?
Answer:
Millie Crocker-Harris was the young wife of Mr Crocker-Harris. She was a thin woman in her late thirties, and was more smartly dressed than the other schoolmasters’ wives.

Question 8.
How does Millie Crocker-Harris send Taplow away?
Answer:
Millie learns from Taplow that he was waiting for her husband and suggests he leaves for quarter of an hour since Mr Harris might be a while. Taplow is hesitant; Millie assures him she would take on the blame if Mr Harris arrives before that. She finally sends Taplow off to the chemist.

The Browning Version Extra Questions and Answers Long Answer Type

Question 1.
Write a brief character sketch of Frank Hunter.
Answer:
Frank Hunter was the popular, young science teacher. He is liked by the students who feel he can understand them better than Mr Crocker-Harris. He is also popular because he teaches science which the students find easier to comprehend than Classics which they think is “muck”. He, however, feels students who take up science are slackers and don’t take much interest in the subject.

He is easy to talk to and approachable. His attitude puts them at their ease. Taplow finds he can confide his troubles to him. In fact, he forgets himself enough to refer to his teacher Mr Crocker-Harris as “the Crock”.

However, he encourages students to talk ill of other teachers. He probes the details of the relationship between Mr Crocker-Harris and Taplow. He also encourages Taplow to disobey the teacher’s orders and go off before meeting Mr Crocker-Harris.

Question 2.
What idea do you form of Taplow after reading the play ‘The Browning Version’?
Answer:
Taplow is a young boy of seventeen, studying in the lower fifth grade. He is an obedient and hard-working student. He has great liking for science. He was summoned for extra work by Mr Crocker-Ha Types 11 and 13 Questions rris for missing school for a day. the week before. Though he wishes to play golf on the last day before school closes, he obediently turns up to wait .for his teacher. He is devoted to Mr Crocker-Harris.

When Taplow comes across Mr Frank, the science teacher, Mr Frank, gets Taplow to discuss Mr Crocker- Harris and also encourages him to leave. Taplow replies that he cannot “cut” as Mr Harris would probably follow him home.

When Mr Frank insinuates that his teacher might award him with a fine result for doing extra work, Taplow refutes it calling Mr Harris a man of principles. He reiterates that Mr Crocker-Harris had told him that he had given him exactly what he deserved. Taplow is a sincere student who respected his teachers.

Content

• The Browning Version Chapter in Hindi Class 11th Chapter 7
• Summary of The Browning Version Class 11th Chapter 7
• Hindi Summary Of The Browning Version Role Class 11th Chapter 7
• NCERT Solutions of The Browning Version Class 11th Chapter 7
• Extra Questions Of The Browning Version Class 11th Chapter 7

Question 1:
Comment on the attitude shown by Taplow towards Crocker-Harris.
Answer:
Taplow is respectful towards Mr. Crocker-Harris and likes him for his principles. He criticises him for being a feelingless person yet regards him an extraordinary master. He is mortally afraid of him and dare not cut the extra work even on the last day of the term.

Question 2:
Does Frank seem to encourage Taplow’s comments on Crocker-Harris?
Answer:
Yes, Frank seems to encourage Taplow’s comments on Crocker-Harris. He shows appreciation for Taplow’s imitation of Mr Crocker-Harris and asks him to repeat it. On smother occasion, Frank tells Taplow not to keep a good joke (narrated in the style of Mr Crocker Harris) to himself but to tell it to others.

Question 3:
What do you gather about Crocker-Harris from the play?
Answer:
Mr Crocker-Harris appears as a stem master who is a man of principles and stickler to the rules. He believes in fair assessment of his students and is not swayed by emotions, as the man is hardly human. He is not a sadist, but strict in performance of his duties. Even on his last day at school, when he is over-busy in his own affairs, he does not neglect his duty towards his students.

Talking About the Text

Discuss with your partners.
Question 1:
Talking about teachers among friends.
Answer:
Commenting on their teachers is something that most students do. Students are quite intelligent and keen observers. Teachers are their role models and the students judge their performance not only on the basis of their mastery over the subject hut also by their method of teaching, communication skills, interaction with students and their general nature and behaviour. Teachers must not feel offended to learn the nick name their dear students have showered upon them. Teachers may sometimes think that the boys don’t understand anything, but this is wrong. Talking about teachers among friends is a favourite pastime of students. They appreciate their virtues and condemn their shortcomings. Even strict persons win the love and admiration of students if they are men of principles.

Question 2:
The manner you adopt when you talk about a teacher to other teachers.
Answer:
We should be respectful and polite when we talk about a teacher to other teachers.
Normal courtesy requires that we should add ‘Mr’ ‘Miss’ or ‘Mrs’ before the name of the teacher and use his/her full name. A teacher should never be mentioned by the nick name he/she has been given. In other words, our approach should be quite formal. The dignity of a teacher should not be lowered before another, even if the person being talked about lacks some qualities you like most. Our remarks should never be derogatory or rude. It is bad manners to run down our teachers and specially so if it is done in the presence of other teachers. We are judged by our actions as well as words. The other teachers may form a very low and unfavourable opinion about us on the basis of a lapse on our part. Hence we must be extra cautions during our interactions with our teachers.

Question 3:
Reading plays is more interesting than studying science.
Answer:
Science is based on the study of some facts, concepts, principles and their application. It demands cool reasoning and concentration of mind to solve numerical problems and to balance complicated equations. One has to be alert, regular, systematic and punctual. If we miss one class, we miss the link. On the other hand, reading plays provides us more amusement. Most of the plays contain a beautiful plot and a number of characters with diverse traits. Their actions, reactions and interactions provide a lot of fun and laughter and make the reading of the play quite interesting. Witty dialogues, irony of situations and intricacies of plots make the plays full of humanity and quite absorbing. We never feel bored while reading a play. Every dialogue or action unfolds something new and we eagerly wait for what is to follow next. The study of science proves dull and cold as compared to the interesting reading of plays.

C. Working with Words

A sadist is a person who gets pleasure out of giving pain to others.

Given below are some dictionary definitions of certain kinds of persons. Find out the words that fit these descriptions:

1. A person who considers it very important that things should be correct or genuine e.g. in the use of language or in the arts: P…
2. A person who believes that war and violence are wrong and will not fight in a war: P…
3. A person who believes that nothing really exists: N…
4. A person who is always hopeful and expects the best in all things: O….
5. A person who follows generally accepted norms of behaviour: C ….
6. A person who believes that material possessions are all that matter in life: M…

Answer:

1. purist
2. pacifist
3. nihilist
4. optimist
5. conformist
6. materialist

II. Notice the following words in the text. Guess the meaning from the context.

Answer:

• remove: a form/class or division (in a school)
• slackers: persons who are lazy and avoid work
• muck: dirt/mud : something very unpleasant
• kept in: made to study in classroom after school hours
• got carried away: got very excited; lost control of feelings
• cut: miss class
• sadist: a person who gets pleasure out of giving pain to others.
• shrivelled up: squeezed up

MORE QUESTIONS SOLVED

A. Short Answer Type Questions

Question 1:
What do you learn about Tap low from the initial conversation between him and Mr Frank?
Answer:
Tap low is a boy of sixteen. He is still in the lower fifth. He can’t specialise until the next term if he gets his form/division all right. Since his master, Mr Crocker-Harris has not told him the result, he will have to wait till the next day to learn his fate.

Question 2:
“You know that he’s like, sir” says Tap low. What leads him to say so? What light does this throw on the man talked about?
Answer:
Taplow does not know if he has got his form. It is because, his master, Mr Crocker-Harris does not tell them the results like the other masters. He is a bit different. When Frank says that a rule says that form results should only be announced by a headmaster on the last day of term, Tap low says that none else except Mr Crocker-Harris pays attention to it. This shows that the man is a stickler to the rules.

Question 3:
Which course of study does Tap low prefer and why?
Answer:
Tap low prefers science to literature. He finds it a good deal more exciting than his play which he considers quite unpleasant.

Question 4:
How does Tap low react to Mr Frank’s query? ‘And you considered view is that the Agamemnon is muck?’
Answer:
Tap low modifies his stand. He says that he doesn’t think the play is a muck. It has a good plot in fact, a wife murdering her husband and all that. His opinion is based on the way it is taught to them—just a lot of Greek words strung together and fifty lines if one gets them wrong. Thus Taplow draws a fine distinction between the study of science and literature.

Question 5:
For whom is Tap low waiting and why? How does he feel?
Answer:
Tap low is waiting for his master, Mr Crocker-Harris. He has come in to do extra work on the last day of term because he missed a day last week when he was ill. Since the weather is quite fine, he feels quite unhappy to be confined in a room. He might as well be playing golf.

Question 6:
How according to Tap low Mr Crocker-Harris is unlike other masters?
Answer:
Other masters would certainly give a chap, a form after his taking extra work, but Mr Crocker-Harris is unlike them. When Taplow asked him about his form, he told the boy that he had given him exactly what he deserved: no less; and certainly no more. Taplow is afraid that he might have marked him down, rather than up for taking extra work.

Question 7:
How does Tap low react to Frank’s suggestion, “Why don’t you cut? You could still play golf before lock-up”?
Answer:
Taplow is really shocked at this suggestion. He reacts strongly and says that he couldn’t cut Mr. Crocker-Harris. It has never been done during his stay there. If he did so, nobody could predict the consequences. Perhaps he would follow Tap low home or do some such extraordinary thing.

Question 8:
Why do you think, Frank envies Mr Crocker-Harris’? What possible reasons make him so unique?
Answer:
Frank envies Mr Crocker-Harris for the effect he seems to have on the boys in the form. They all seem scared to death of him. He wants to know what he does: whether he beats them all or does something else which is awe inspiring. Taplow informs Mr Frank that Mr Crocker-Harris is not a sadist.

Question 9:
How according to Taplow does Mr Crocker-Harris differ from other masters in his reactions towards others?
Answer:
Mr Crocker-Harries is not a sadist like some other masters. He does not get pleasure out of giving pain. If he were a sadist, he would not be so frightening. It would show he has some feelings, but he hasn’t any. He’s all dry like a nut. He seems to hate people to like him, but other masters like being liked.

Question 10:
What leads Mr Frank to comment “I’m sure you’re exaggerating”?
Answer:
Tap low says that Mr Crocker-Harris seems to hate people to like him. Yet, in spite of everything, Taplow does rather like him. He can’t help him. He thinks that sometimes Mr crocker-Harris notices it and that seems to shrivel him up even more. This observation of Tap low seems far-fetched. So Mr Frank remarks that he is exaggerating.

Question 11:
How does Tap low refute the charge that he is exaggerating?
Answer:
Tap low says that the other day Mr Crocker-Harris made one of his classical jokes in the class. Nobody understood it, so no one laughed. At last Tap low laughed because he knew the master had meant it as funny. He did so out of ordinary common politeness. Secondly he felt a bit sorry for him for having made a poor joke. Mr Crocker-Harris did not praise Tap low for it.

Question 12:
How did Mr Crocker-Harris react to Tap low’s action of laughing at his joke?
Answer:
He noticed that Tap low had laughed at his little joke. He confessed that he was pleased at the progress Taplow had made in his Latin. It was clear from the fact that he had understood so readily what the rest of the form did not. Then he asked Tap low to explain the joke to the rest of the class.

Question 13:
How do Tap low and Frank react to Millie‘s arrival?
Answer:
Frank seems infinitely relieved to see Millie. On the other hand Taplow is nervous. He is unable to control his emotions and whispers to Frank if he thinks she has heard their conversation. He is afraid that if she did so and tells her husband, he’ll lose his form.

Question 14:
What does Millie tell Tap low about her husband? What assignment does she offer the young boy?
Answer:
She tells Tap low that her husband is at the Bursar’s and might be there quite a long time. If she were him, she would go. Tap low remarks that Mr Crocker-Harris had especially asked him to come. She then asks him to run to the chemist and bring medicine according to the prescription. Thus he could do a job for him. She would take the blame if he came before Tap low returned.

B. Long Answer Type Questions

Question 1:
What do you learn about the system of education in old British schools from the play ‘The Browning Version’?
Answer:
1° old British schools much stress was laid on the study of classical languages—Latin and Greek. Students of the lower fifth form were made to learn a classic play like the Agamemnon. Since the stress was on the acquisition of language, the students found it dis-interesting and very unpleasant. They could specialise only after completing fifth form.
There was a system of punishment. For a simple error one had to repeat fifty lines. Students were also “kept in’ or called for ‘Extra work’. They were mortally afraid of teachers like Mr Crocker-Harris who would abide by rules and show no human feelings. At the same time, the school had teachers who were sadists and others who would break the rules and tell results to the students. Students like Tap low were afraid of hard masters like Mr Crocker-Harris, still they liked him.

Question 2:
What impression do you form about Mr Crocker-Harris on the basis of reading the play ‘The Browning Version’?
Answer:
Whatever we learn about Mr Crocker-Harris is through reactions of other characters and their comments on him. Even this method of indirect presentation helps us to gather a fair picture of the strict and stem middle-aged master. He is in a class by himself and is totally unlike the other teachers. He is a man of principles and sticks to the rules. Unlike other teachers, he does not divulge the results of the form to the students, since it is the domain of the headmaster. He is not a sadist. He does not beat the students. Even then the students are mortally afraid of him. It is because he is quite strict and shows no emotion, even of anger. He remains calm and composed. He teaches classical languages Greek and Latin. Even his jokes are classical. Students fail to understand them. He is duty conscious. He is leaving the school at the end of term and is quite busy on the last day in his own affairs, still he asks Tap low to come in for ‘extra work’. In short, he impresses us with his fine qualities of head and heart.

Question 3:
“This humorous piece is an extract from a play.” What according to you makes this extract humorous?
Answer:
The play presents a funny situation. Frank, a young science teacher, finds sixteen year old Tap low waiting for his master Mr Crocker-Harris. This lower fifth form student has been asked to come in to do extra work on the last day of the school. Mr Crocker-Harris is leaving the school for good the next day. Being quite busy in settling his own affairs, he has not yet arrived there. Tap low’s fears of adverse remarks about his result make us smile.
The interaction between Mr Frank and Tap low is quite amusing. The young science teacher encourages Tap low’s comments on Crocker-Harris. The manner is which Tap low imitates his master’s voice, manner of speaking and diction are quite amusing. The sudden arrival of Millie Crocker Harris in the midst of an imitation of a joke surprises Frank and makes Tap low nervous. Their reactions are quite amusing. Tap low’s unwillingness to leave the place and his fears of consequences in case his master returns before his arrival seem genuine but funny. He feels relieved only when Millie offers to take the blame. All these actions seen exaggerated and funny.

Content

• The Browning Version Chapter in Hindi Class 11th Chapter 7
• Summary of The Browning Version Class 11th Chapter 7
• Hindi Summary Of The Browning Version Role Class 11th Chapter 7
• NCERT Solutions of The Browning Version Class 11th Chapter 7
• Extra Questions Of The Browning Version Class 11th Chapter 7

“The Browning Version” is a play written by Terence Rattigan that tells the story of a middle-aged school teacher named Andrew Crocker-Harris. Crocker-Harris is a disillusioned and unhappy man who has been teaching classics at a boys’ school for many years. He is widely respected by his colleagues, but is unloved by his students and has a strained relationship with his wife.

The play opens on the day of Crocker-Harris’ retirement, and as he says goodbye to the school, he is given a copy of the “Browning Version” – a translation of Aeschylus’ play “Agamemnon” – by one of his students as a farewell gift. This small act of kindness touches Crocker-Harris deeply, and he begins to reflect on his life and the choices he has made.

Throughout the play, Crocker-Harris is visited by several characters who help shed light on his past and present circumstances. His wife, Millie, is revealed to be having an affair with a fellow teacher, and their relationship is further strained when Crocker-Harris discovers this. He also has an encounter with his former student, Taplow, who reveals that the other students did not respect Crocker-Harris because they could see that he was unhappy in his own life.

As the play progresses, Crocker-Harris begins to see the beauty and meaning in the “Browning Version,” and this newfound appreciation of literature helps him to come to terms with the mistakes he has made in his own life. He finally finds a sense of peace and closure as he moves towards a new chapter in his life.

“The Browning Version” is a poignant and thought-provoking play that explores themes of loneliness, regret, and the search for meaning in life. Through the character of Crocker-Harris, Rattigan shows how even the most respected and successful individuals can still feel unfulfilled and disconnected from the world around them. The play is a powerful reminder of the importance of finding meaning and purpose in life, and of the transformative power of art and literature.

Content

• The Browning Version Chapter in Hindi Class 11th Chapter 7
• Summary of The Browning Version Class 11th Chapter 7
• Hindi Summary Of The Browning Version Role Class 11th Chapter 7
• NCERT Solutions of The Browning Version Class 11th Chapter 7
• Extra Questions Of The Browning Version Class 11th Chapter 7

“द ब्राउनिंग वर्जन” टेरेंस रैटिगन द्वारा लिखित एक नाटक है जो एंड्रयू क्रोकर-हैरिस नाम के एक मध्यम आयु वर्ग के स्कूल शिक्षक की कहानी कहता है। क्रोकर-हैरिस एक मोहभंग और दुखी आदमी है जो कई सालों से लड़कों के स्कूल में क्लासिक्स पढ़ा रहा है। उनके सहयोगियों द्वारा उनका व्यापक रूप से सम्मान किया जाता है, लेकिन उनके छात्रों द्वारा उन्हें पसंद नहीं किया जाता है और उनकी पत्नी के साथ तनावपूर्ण संबंध हैं।

नाटक क्रोकर-हैरिस की सेवानिवृत्ति के दिन शुरू होता है, और जैसे ही वह स्कूल को अलविदा कहता है, उसे “ब्राउनिंग संस्करण” की एक प्रति दी जाती है – एशेकिलस के नाटक “एगेमेमोन” का अनुवाद – उसके छात्रों में से एक के रूप में एक विदाई उपहार। दयालुता का यह छोटा सा कार्य क्रोकर-हैरिस को गहराई से छूता है, और वह अपने जीवन और अपने द्वारा किए गए विकल्पों पर विचार करना शुरू कर देता है।

पूरे नाटक के दौरान, क्रोकर-हैरिस के पास कई पात्र आते हैं जो उसके अतीत और वर्तमान परिस्थितियों पर प्रकाश डालने में मदद करते हैं। उनकी पत्नी, मिल्ली का एक साथी शिक्षक के साथ संबंध होने का पता चला है, और जब क्रोकर-हैरिस को यह पता चलता है तो उनका रिश्ता और तनावपूर्ण हो जाता है। उसका अपने पूर्व छात्र टैपलो से भी सामना होता है, जो बताता है कि अन्य छात्र क्रोकर-हैरिस का सम्मान नहीं करते थे क्योंकि वे देख सकते थे कि वह अपने जीवन में नाखुश था।

जैसे-जैसे नाटक आगे बढ़ता है, क्रोकर-हैरिस को “ब्राउनिंग वर्जन” में सुंदरता और अर्थ दिखाई देने लगता है, और साहित्य की यह नई सराहना उन्हें अपने जीवन में की गई गलतियों के संदर्भ में आने में मदद करती है। जैसे ही वह अपने जीवन में एक नए अध्याय की ओर बढ़ता है, उसे अंत में शांति और बंद होने का एहसास होता है।

“द ब्राउनिंग वर्जन” एक मर्मस्पर्शी और विचारोत्तेजक नाटक है जो अकेलेपन, अफसोस और जीवन में अर्थ की खोज के विषयों की पड़ताल करता है। क्रोकर-हैरिस के चरित्र के माध्यम से, रैटिगन दिखाता है कि कैसे सबसे सम्मानित और सफल व्यक्ति अभी भी अपने आसपास की दुनिया से अतृप्त और डिस्कनेक्ट महसूस कर सकते हैं। नाटक जीवन में अर्थ और उद्देश्य खोजने के महत्व और कला और साहित्य की परिवर्तनकारी शक्ति का एक शक्तिशाली अनुस्मारक है।

Content

• The Browning Version Chapter in Hindi Class 11th Chapter 7
• Summary of The Browning Version Class 11th Chapter 7
• Hindi Summary Of The Browning Version Role Class 11th Chapter 7
• NCERT Solutions of The Browning Version Class 11th Chapter 7
• Extra Questions Of The Browning Version Class 11th Chapter 7

The Browning Version

by Terence Rattigan

Content

• The Browning Version Chapter in Hindi Class 11th Chapter 7
• Summary of The Browning Version Class 11th Chapter 7
• Hindi Summary Of The Browning Version Role Class 11th Chapter 7
• NCERT Solutions of The Browning Version Class 11th Chapter 7
• Extra Questions Of The Browning Version Class 11th Chapter 7

The Ailing Planet: The Green Movement’s Role

By Nani Palkhivala

Content

• The Ailing Planet: The Green Movement’s Role Chapter in Hindi Class 11th Chapter 6   
• Summary of The Ailing Planet: The Green Movement’s Role Class 11th Chapter 6  
• Hindi Summary Of The Ailing Planet: The Green Movement’s Role Class 11th Chapter 6  
• NCERT Solutions of The Ailing Planet: The Green Movement’s Role Class 11th Chapter 6
• Extra Questions Of The Ailing Planet: The Green Movement’s Role Class 11th Chapter 6

The Ailing Planet: The Green Movement’s Role Important Questions- 

Short Answer Type Questions

Q1. Why is the earth said to be an ailing planet?
 
Ans. Due to the insensitive exploitation by humans for their survival and development, the earth has lost almost all its vital resources. With drying rivers, depleted and polluted environment and deteriorated forests and greenery, the earth is now breathing hard for its survival and thus it is an ailing planet.

Q2. What is the significance of Green Movement in the modern world?
 
Ans. The Green Movement that was found in New Zealand in the year 1972 brought a great awareness to the humanity. It taught us that we are just partners on the earth having equal rights to inhabit this planet as any other living organism has. Having learnt this, human beings worldwide stopped large amount of destruction that it used to cause upon the earth. People realized that the earth’s existence was threatened and began to do whatever was possible by each individual and each nation.

Q3. What did the most dangerous animal on the earth learn in the recent time?
 
Ans. Man is the most dangerous animal on the earth. He has learnt in the recent years a new lesson that he is not the master of the planet but just one among the rest of the animals and trees, plants and insects, who should live like a partner in survival on the earth.

Q4. What was the question raised by the First Brandt Commission? What does it suggest? What is the significance of this question?
 
Ans. The first Brandt Report raised the question, “Are we going to leave behind for our successors a scorched planet of advancing deserts, impoverished landscapes and ailing planet?” This question finds an answer in our minds but we quite conveniently forget this answer. It has been proved in the recent years that the earth is becoming hotter planet every year and another ice-age is under way. This question is still significant and will remain significant until the only schooled animal of the earth stops his war against the planet.

Q5. “What goes under the pot now costs more than what goes inside it.” Explain.
 
Ans. With a growing population and the pace of the global developments taking wings, the cost of food touched a new height, all time high. Amazingly, the cost of cooking-gas overtook that of food-grains, fish, meat and vegetables, thus the fuel to cook – gas, firewood and electricity – now costs more than the raw-food.

Q6. Why is it said that forest precedes mankind?
 
Ans. No animal on the planet earth ever caused damage to it but humans have been causing serious destruction upon the earth ever since he had evolved. By cutting down trees for his survival and development humans have established their monopoly over the other species. Thus, with the coming of humans, the existence of forest was threatened.

Q7. What did Lester Brown mean when he said that we have not inherited this earth from our forefathers, we have borrowed it from our children?
 
Ans. Lester Brown believes that the present population of the earth has no right to think that the earth is its property. Each one has to believe that he is having full responsibility to keep the earth protected from all kinds of misuse. He has to feel that the earth is place that he has to return to the generations to come. Brown further furnishes that human beings have no right to misuse the earth because we are accountable to the new generations after us.

Q8. How is human population explosion the biggest threat to the existence of the ailing earth?
 
Ans. Human population is the biggest threat to the existence of the earth. Though it reached a billion in a million years, another billion was added to the world population in just another hundred years. Every four or five days the world population increases by one million. The effects of this dangerous increase in world population are endless yet the most catastrophic one is our present struggle for existence.

Q9. What does the empty cage and the board in the zoo in Lusaka mean?
 
Ans. In a zoo in Lusaka there is a mirror kept in one of the cages that is said to be the cage of the most dangerous animal in the world. The visitor sees his own face in the mirror and realizes that he is that most dangerous animal. The message is that human beings have won the infamous other than that of a zoo animal. The board message conveyed is a warning to the most dangerous animal to come in terms with the earth.

Q10. What are the four principal biological systems? How are they the foundation of the global economic system?
 
Ans. The four principal biological systems of the earth are fisheries, forests, grasslands and croplands. In addition to supplying our food, these four systems provide virtually all the raw materials for industry except minerals and petroleum-derived synthetics.

Q11. Why is tropical forest called the powerhouse of evolution?
 
Ans. It is in the heart of the tropical forests where newer plants and animals evolve to more adaptable forms.

Q12. How is population responsible for the environment degradation?
 
Ans. With rising population, space that nature assigned for forests and animals. More population means less forests and animals. Unfortunately man’s first choice is nature and it is sadly vulnerable and an easy prey. When cities and megacities occupy the major portion of the earth, the ecological balance is said to be lost.

Q13. What does more children mean to the poor section of people of India?
 
Ans. Poverty is directly caused by illiteracy and lack of education. The illiterate and uninformed poor people of India believe that more children is more income. In fact more children means more responsibility and more poverty and an unhealthy family and individual.

Q14. What does Mr. Edgar S Woolard mean by assuming the post of his company’s Chief Environment Officer?
 
Ans. Mr. Edgar S Woolard, chairman of DuPont, an international manufacturer, by co-assuming the post of the company’s Chief Environmental Officer (CEO), stands a model for the owners and chairpersons of all the industries worldwide. He implies that the chief motive of an industry is to preserve the stability and life of the earth and profit comes next.

Q15. What are our ethical obligation to the ailing planet?
 
Ans. Human beings have the greatest obligation to the earth to safeguard this planet from all advancing deterioration and keeping it safe so that it can be handed over to the coming generations to inhabit here peacefully and in the midst of abundance.

Q16. How do you explain the concept of sustainable development?
 
Ans. Sustainable development is the kind development activities that meet the needs of the present, without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs. This kind of development is expected to be undertaken without stripping the natural world of resources that the future generations would need.

Q17. How do fisheries, forests, grasslands and croplands form the foundation of global economic system?
 
Ans. A majority of the world population depends on sea food for their survival while forests provide firewood, raw materials for production and timber for construction. Grasslands are the destination of cattle and herds of animals and without them, domestic and wild animals, the global economic system cannot survive. Each one is depending on the other while it help the other to survive. There are nations, except the gulf countries that depend on petroleum, that solely depend on forests and fisheries and croplands for trade and sustenance.

Q18. Is Indian constitution capable of safeguarding its forests?
 
Ans. So far, with all the measures adopted, the government has not been able to safeguard its forests effectively. India’s constitution is ostentatiously rich and effective but when it comes to enforcement, it miserably fails or it is not entirely successful.

Q19. Margaret Thatcher says, “No generation has a freehold on this earth. All we have is a life tenancy – with full repairing lease.” How is this statement significant today?
 
Ans. Everyone says, “it is my land” and “that is your land.” People fight for other territories and encroach the neighbor’s land. It is here what British Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher’s observation gains importance. We are not supposed to occupy the earth considering that the planet belongs to us and that we can exploit the planet any way we like. We, on the contrary, have to extract the resources so carefully that the generation that comes after us will have a better land and sea, a less dense forest, cleaner water and clearer sky.

Long Answer Questions

Q1. How has the growth of world population affected the environment? Support your answer with suitable arguments?
 
Ans. The author Nani Palkhivala enumerates some alarming statistics to suggest how the growth of world population has tremendously affected the environment. The population which took a million years to reach the first billion took just another hundred years to reach the second billion. Another century passed it and reached the alarming figure of 3.7 million. Presently it is over 6 million and there is a huge demand on resources, natural or man-made. The resources worldwide are under a lot of stress and pressure. The four principal biological systems i.e. fisheries, forests, grasslands and croplands which form the foundation of the global economic system and provide raw materials to the industry are facing a lot of stress. The human demands on these systems are increasing at a rapid speed. Hence, sustainability and productivity are both hampered. When this happens, fisheries collapse, forests disappear, grasslands become wastelands and croplands deteriorate. The need of the hour is to become sensitive towards the needs of the environment to get affected; we will leave behind nothing but an ailing planet for our future generations.

Q2. We have not inherited this earth from our forefathers; we have borrowed it from our children. Discuss.
 
Ans. Earth’s resources are limited and will not last forever. In the twentieth century, there has been a revolutionary change in human perception. We cannot take the planet for granted. We are mere custodians. We have to take a holistic view of the very basis of our existence. The earth is a living organism of which we are parts. It has its own metabolic needs to stay alive and must be respected and preserved for the future generation. What is required is sustainable development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the destiny of future generation. There are four biological systems, namely fisheries, forests, grasslands and croplands. They form the foundation of the global economic system. They supply us food and raw materials for industry. In larger areas of the world, these systems are reaching unsustainable levels. Their productivity is being damaged. The growth of world population is another factor distorting the future of our children. Development is not possible if population increases. In this era of responsibility towards our future generation, population must be controlled. Industries must become environmental friendly. Now many industrialists, politicians and writers have realized their responsibility in preserving the non-renewable natural resources for the future generation.

About the Author

Nani Palkhivala was born in 1920 in Bombay to middle-class Parsi parents. His family name derives from the profession of his forefathers who had been manufacturers of palanquins. He was educated at Masters Tutorial High School, and later at St. Xavier’s College in Bombay. He was a dedicated scholar. At college, he earned a master’s degree in English literature.

Upon graduating, Palkhivala applied for a position as lecturer at Bombay University but was not awarded the post. Soon found himself trying to obtain admission to institutions of higher learning to further his academic career. It is late in the term, most courses were closed, and he enrolled at Government Law College, Bombay, where he discovered that he had a gift for unraveling the intricacies of jurisprudence. He was an excellent barrister at his time.

Nani was taken critically ill on December 7, 2002, and taken to Jaslok Hospital in Mumbai. He died on Wednesday, December 11, 2002.

Introduction

More than ever the planet earth is losing its vitality and freshness. Due to human development activities, our earth has become highly polluted, highly irreparable and highly damaged. We have taken out petroleum, coal and a lot of natural resources from the earth. We have removed more than half of world’s vegetation and emitted a large quantity of carbon and a lot of other chemicals. We have destroyed marine life and made rivers dry. Moreover, our greed for more and more wealth resulted in depleting the protective ozone layer and invited all harmful rays to the earth’s surface. Besides, we have brought out a great imbalance between humans and the other species of the earth.

Summary in Points

1. First Nation-wide Green Party: established 1972, New Zealand

2. Worldview shifted from mechanistic to holistic and ecological

3. The realization that the planet is a living organism in declining health due to human impact on its natural resources

4. Sustainable development – Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of the future generations to meet their needs – the key to human survival and prosperity in the future

5. We, today is known as the ‘world’s most dangerous animal’, are custodians of the future.

6. Undiscovered species exist in large numbers but we may never discover their identity if we do not conserve their habitats

7. Lester R. Brown’s book ‘The Global Economic Prospect’ identifies four principal biological systems of the earth as fisheries, forests, grasslands, and croplands. They provide food supply and raw material for our survival.

8. Over-fishing and deforestation, coupled with the uncontrolled population explosion, has led to the collapse of fisheries, the disappearance of forest cover, conversion of grasslands to barren wastelands and the deterioration of crops.

9. We lose an acre and a half of forests every second and the World Bank estimates a five-fold increase in the rate of forest planting to cope with the demand for fuelwood.

10. Article 48 A of the Constitution – “The State shall endeavor to protect and improve the environment and to safeguard the forests and wildlife of the country”. The author laments that laws are never respected or enforced in India.

11. Fertility falls as incomes rise, education spreads, and health improves. Thus development which may ensure raised incomes is the best contraceptive. But development itself is not possible without a control over our population explosion. More children mean more hungry mouths which imply poverty as well as increased demand on our natural resources.

12. India’s current population is estimated to be 1.3 billion while the world population is about 7.5 billion. Hence, we hold the major chunk of the world. The author questions whether we recognize this fact and are at least now willing to make a change in our awareness of the human impact on the environment.

13. The era of responsibility – the awareness of our role and the need for sustainable development

14. The author claims that the industry must join the cause and work towards becoming eco-friendly just as Du Pont under the leadership of Mr. Edgar S Woolard.

15. We are tenants of the planet and are required to keep it repaired and well-maintained for generations to come – Margaret Thatcher, Lester Brown

Summary

Our Earth is an enormous living organism, of which we are parts. This is our planet, its destruction will make us all homeless. We are dependent on Earth and not the other way round. However, the thankless creature, man, is unconcerned about the dangers that pose threats to our survival. The article by Nani Palkhivala deals with the concerns of the environmentalists at this eleventh hour and talks about the new awareness that has dawned upon our race. A holistic and ecological view of the world has been brought into consideration. The Green Movement launched in 1972 has never looked back. There is a growing need of sustainable development, which was popularised by World Commission on Environment and Development in 1987.

Man is the most dangerous creature, as it was declared by a Zoo in Lusaka, Zambia. Human beings are taking too much time to realize the need of the hour. One of the members of Brandt Commission, Mr.L.K.Jha, raised a vital question, are we to leave our successors a scorched planet of advancing deserts, impoverished landscapes, and ailing environment? Mr. Lester R. Brown expressed his worry over the fact that our four biological systems are reaching an unsustainable level. The tropical forests, the powerhouse of evolution, as Dr. Meyers called them, are being destroyed causing the extinction of several species.

The fear hovers, what if the words, forests precede mankind and deserts follow, come true. And the reality is that India is losing its forests at the rate of 3.7 million acres a year. The Article 48A of the Indian Constitution provides that the State shall endeavor to protect and improve the environment and safeguard the forest and wildlife of the country. To conserve the environment and to bring down the population of the world, which is 5.7 billion, Palkhivala suggests that development is the only solution. Fertility falls as the income rises, education spreads, and health improves. Nani supports compulsory sterilization and defends it by saying that there is no other alternative but coercion.

The population of India today is 920 million, which is more than the entire population of Africa and South America. What is happening today is that rich are getting richer and poor are begetting children, which begets them to remain poor. Now the folks have realized what endangers our race. It is not about the survival of human race but the survival of the planet Earth.

It is an Era of Responsibility. The industrialists have to understand the present concern with most consideration. The view of the Chairman of Du Pont, Mr. Edgar S. Woolard is much appreciable, our continued existence as a leading manufacturer requires that we excel in environmental performance. Let us be grateful to mother nature and keep Margaret Thatcher’s felicitous words, No generation has a freehold on this earth. All we have is a life tenancy with a full repairing lease. In the words of Mr. Lester Brown, We have not inherited this earth from our forefathers; we have borrowed it from our children.