DEBATE

POINTS TO REMEMBER

Respected Chairperson, Members of the Jury and Dear Friends...

Or simple ”Good Morning Ladies & Gentlemen”

Present your argument by way of total agreement to or disagreement with the topic/subject matter as
the case may be according to the choice made by you. Express them forcefully and clearly.

Begin with a Quotation/Question/interesting statistics...

Develop 3-4 points in support of your stand and counter at least two points of your opponent.

Refer to the opponent’s views then and there and refute them strongly & challenge them.

Back and back up your arguments with relevant examples, supportive facts, information, statistical data
etc.,

“I’d like to make it a point...”, “In my opinion...”, “May I ask you dear friends in the audience/my dear
friend(opponent)....”, “I would like to enlighten my dear friend(opponent)......”

Very important: Stick to your view point till end either in favour or against...

Last Paragraph: Once again just sum up in a line your views and establish that you are right

Conclude with your strongest point and reiterate your stand.

End with

“Thank you one and all.”

SAMPLE

You are Kamala/Kamesh. You have to speak in a debate against the motion, ‘We do not need
Mathematics’. Prepare a speech about 150-200 words.

Respected Chairperson, Members of the Jury and dear friends,

I, Kamala/Kamesh, strongly oppose the motion that ‘We do not need Mathematics’. Does my
knowledgeable opponent believe that Mathematics means only working on complex mathematical
models? Or that it is an activity indulged in only by those with a lot of time at their disposal? Or that it is
of no use to those who, apparently, have better things to do?

On the contrary, Mathematics has always been-and will remain a part of our lives. I should like to draw
your attention to the fact that almost everything we do-from buying a chocolate bar to reaching the
movie hall in time-involves Mathematics. At a cricket or football match, what is score-keeping but the
arithmetical form of Mathematics? While building a house, right from the planning stage, we need
Mathematics in all forms - arithmetic, algebra, geometry and trigonometry. We need Mathematics to
keep track of our day-to-day expenses too. I therefore firmly reject the view that we do not need
Mathematics.

In my opinion Mathematics is an important and most interesting field of study that complements life.
Thank You One and all.

On the National Debate Forum, the topic given to the students is ‘Should college students or even Class
XII students be given unlimited freedom?’ Write a speech for or against the topic in about 200–250
words.

Good Morning, Ladies and Gentlemen !

Teenage proclaims itself near adulthood. So shouldn’t a teenager be allowed to probe the mysteries of
the world all on his/her own? The modern environment and educational facilities surely enable that.
However, I strongly feel that some kind of guidance is necessary for their young and reasonable minds.
Friends, I stand here to say a firm “NO”

It is true that the modern world offers a variety of opportunities for all age groups in all the fields of
knowledge, and everything is accessible at the click of a button. But, with one click on the wrong button,
one could drift towards harmful knowledge. Therefore, there needs to be control over the kind of
freedom handed out to youngsters, whose minds are easily influenced.

One could argue, “Aren’t teenagers, who are on the threshold of adulthood capable of deciphering the
good from the bad?” I agree with this thought but too much curiosity can lead to unwanted confusion,
and even chaos. Parental guidance is imperative on teenagers regarding the kind of movies they watch,
the books they read, friends they choose etc. This does not mean a 24 x 7 scanner, but that youngsters
should share their whereabouts and choices with elders for prudent opinions and guidance. Prudent
parents will never tie their young son or daughter to a post. Some of us may wonder why we can’t be
on our own and enjoy life. But the truth is that the world holds out both good and bad things and
teenagers are not mature enough to differentiate the grey areas. So parents’ guidance to a certain
extent is essential.

Therefore friends, while creative urges and the inquisitiveness of teenagers about the ongoings in the
world should not be suppressed with too much parental interference, teenagers, on their part should
not insist on complete freedom to act as they wish.

Thank you one and all.

ADVENTURE

LONG ANSWER QUESTIONS

1. What was the difference in the actual events of the Battle of Panipat

and the ones reported in the alternative universe?

Professor Gaitonde wanted to look for accounts of the battle itself, so

he went through the books and journals before him. At last, he found
Bhausahebanchi Bakhar'. There he found one now in a three-line account

of how close Vishwasrao had come to being killed but the 'merciful God

had saved him. A shot had brushed past his ear and he had missed death

by inches. However, in this world in which Gaitonde had written his

volumes of history, Bhausahebanchi Bakhar' reported that Vishwasrao

had died fighting. God had 'expressed His displeasure. He was hit by the

bullet'. The entire history seemed to have changed radically.

2. But we live in a unique world which has a unique history. Why did

Professor say so?

Rajendra tried to rationalize Professor Gaitonde's experience on the basis

of two scientific theories known today. He had passed through a

catastrophic experience. He applied it to the Battle of Panipat. The

Maratha army was facing Abdali's troops on the field of Panipat. There was

no great disparity between the latter's troops and the opposing forces. So,

a lot depended on the leadership and the morale of the troops. In the

history known to us Vishwasrao, the son of and heir to the Peshwa, was

killed. This proved to be the turning pointing in the battle.

Whether Bhausaheb was killed in battle or survived is not known. The

soldiers lost their morale and fighting spirit and were defeated.

However, in the alternative universe the bullet missed Vishwasrao,

and it boosted the morale of the army and provided just that extra

force that made all the difference. But, Professor Gaitonde felt

comparable statements are made about the Battle of Waterloo, which

Napoleon could have won. But all this is assumption. we live in a

inimitable world which has a distinctive history. This idea of "it might

have been' is not acceptable for reality.

3. You have passed through a fantastic experience: or more correctly, a

catastrophic experience. Explain

Gaitonde had passed through a devastating experience. In the Battle of

Panipat, war was fought face to face on open grounds. The Maratha army

was facing Abdali's troops. There was no big disparity between them, so a

lot depended on the leadership and the morale of the troops. Hence the

death of Vishwasrao, the son of and heir to the Peshwa, proved to be the

turning point. His uncle, Bhausaheb, rushed into the encounter and was

never seen again. For the troops it was a great set-back to lose their leaders and they lost the battle
because of lack of confidence and fighting spirit. However, in the alternative world, the

bullet missed Vishwasrao by a whisker. The Marathas went on to win

the battle. The Maratha confederacy did not go into a decline. Professor

Gaitonde had experienced this alternative reality

4. ‘You neither travelled to the past nor the future. You were in the present

experiencing a different world. Explain

Rajendra Deshpande explains his theory to Professor Gangadharpant

who has had a strange experience. According to Rajendra, he had not

been transported but was merely experiencing a different reality and

that reality cannot be calculated. He explains this giving the example

of an atom or a bullet. If a bullet is fired from a gun in a given direction

at a given speed, we know where it will be at a later time. But such a

claim cannot be made for the electron. This is the lack of determinism

in the quantum theory. In one world the electron may be found at one

place and in the other at a different one. But all those alternative worlds

could exist just the same. The electron could be orbiting in any of a

large number of specific states. These states may be used to identify

the world. In state no. 1 we have the electron in a state of higher energy.

In state no. 2 it is in a state of lower energy. It can make a jump from

high to low energy and send out a pulse of radiation. Or a pulse of

radiation can knock it out of state no. 2 into state no. 1. Such transitions

are common in microscopic systems. But this time it had happened on

a macroscopic level. Disastrous situations offer very different

alternatives for the world to proceed. It seems that so far as reality is

concerned all alternatives are viable but the observer can experience only one of

them at a time. Gaintonde hadjust been in an alternative universe by making a

transition. He had experienced two worlds one at a time.

5. How does Rajendra apply the lack of determinism in quantum

theory to Gangadharpant’s experience?

Rajendra said according to the lack of determinism in quantum theory

that reality may not be unique has been found from experiments on

very small systems-of atoms and their constituent particles. The

behaviour of these systems cannot be predicted definitively even if all

the physical laws governing those systems are known. An electron fired

from a source may be found anywhere. The electron could be orbiting

in any of a large number of specified states. These states may be used

to identify the world the electron was in. In the first state we have the

electron in a state of higher energy. In the second it is in a state of

lower energy. It can make a jump from high to low energy and send

out a pulse of radiation. Or a pulse of radiation can knock it out of

second into the first. Such transitions are common in microscopic

systems

6. Why do you think Professor Gaitonde decided never to preside over

meetings again?

In his address Professor Gaitonde was to discuss what course history

would have taken if the result of the battle had gone the other way. It

would have been his thousandth presidential address. Yet, when

Rajendra joked that the next time he would be in a position to recount

his real life experience rather than just hypothesizing, Professor

Gaitonde decided never to preside over meetings again. His experience

in his thousandth address was made on the Azad Maidan when he was

so rudely interrupted. It was an experience that was horrifying and bewildering.

Short Answer Type Questions

1. ‘Facts can be stranger than fantasies, as I am beginning to realise’. What

are the facts considered by Rajendra Deshpande to be stranger than

fantasies?

2. How did Rajendra relate the lack of determinism in quantum theory to the

Professor’s experience?

3. How did Professor Gaitonde make the transition from one reality to the

other?

4. What aspects of the India he had seen, did Gangadharpant appreciate?

5. How did Rajendra explain ‘reality’?

6. How did the victory of the Peshwas in the Battle of Panipat help them?

7. What was the strange reality that Professor Gaitonde saw as he stepped out

of the station?

8. How did the Bakhar which Gangadharpant had absent mindedly shoved

into his pocket turn out to be a great help to the professor later?

Answers

1. Rajendra’s initial thought –Professor’s mind was playing tricks- – the copy

of Bhausahebanchi Bakhar and the torn page –the vital piece of evidence-

-Rajendra admits the experience has not been fantasy but a fact stranger

than fantasy.

2. The path of an electron fired from a source cannot be determined. In one

world, the electron is found here, in another there – Once the observer

finds where it is, we know which world we are talking about. - all those

alternative worlds could exist just the same- catastrophic situations offer

radically different alternatives for the world to proceed- all the alternatives

are viable but the observer can experience only one at a time.

3. At the time of collision, Professor Gaitonde was probably thinking about

the catastrophe theory and its role in wars. Perhaps he was wondering

about the Battle of Panipat and the neurons in his brain acted as a trigger.

4. A country that has not been subjected to slavery of the white man. It had

learnt to stand on its feet and knew what self- respect was. The British

was allowed to retain Bombay for purely commercial reasons

5. Rajendra said that reality was what we experience directly with our senses

or indirectly via instruments. It may not be unique as has been found from

experiments on atoms and their constituent particles. Physicists

discovered that the behavior of these systems couldn’t be predicted

definitely even if all the physical laws governing those systems are known.

6. Built their confidence; established their supremacy; the East India

company deferred its plan

7. Saw the impressive building of East India Company; shocked as it was

supposed to have had stopped operating soon after the events of 1857, but

now alive and flourishing.

8. He was later able to convince Rajendra that the story was not a figment of

his imagination. He produced this as a very important piece of evidence.

9.. What is the meaning of the statement, "The lack of determinism in quantum theory" ?

• The basic idea behind the quantum theory is that the energy exists in units and that can't be divided.
And determinism says that all events and actions are determined by external forces acting on the will.
Thus the theory means that the energy contained in electrons is not determined by the external forces
that fire it. .

CHILDHOOD

Question 1:

Identify the stanza that talks of each of the following:

Individuality,rationalism,Hypocrisy
Answer:

The stanzas that talk of each of the quality in questions are given below:

individuality: Third

stanza

rationalism:

First stanza

hypocrisy: Second stanza

Question 2:

What according to the poem, is involved in the

process of growing up?

Answer:

According to the poem, the loss of childhood is involved in the process of growing up.

This loss is compensated by some gains which come with adolescence. These are:

Development of rational thinking, the ability to understand and distinguish between the

true and the fake as well as a sense of individuality and self-confidence.

Question 3:

What are the poet’s feelings towards childhood?

Answer:

The poet regards childhood as an important stage in the process of growing up. Children live

in make-believe world of fairy tales and dreams and they readily accept whatever the elders

say. The poet does not feel any regret or sense of loss on losing his childhood though he

senses the absence of the innocence and wonders that marked it.

Question 4:

Which, do you think are the most poetic lines? Why?

Answer:
The following lines in the poem are most poetic:

It went to some forgotten place That’s hidden in

an infant’s face, That’s all I know.

These lines beautifully sum up the process of growth and transition. These lines have a

figurative or metaphorical meaning also. The child is father of the man and the man might

need the child at times. The infant’s face hides a world of innocence behind its smiles.

Perhaps buried deep within each of us is a child who was forgotten and left behind as we

grow.

THE VOICE OF THE RAIN

Question 1:

The poem begins in a conversational tone. Who are the two participants? What is the

advantage of this method?

Answer:

The two participants are the poet and the rain. The poet makes the rain relate its own story.

This direct presentation makes the narration more authentic, interesting and captivating.

Question 2:

“Behind the apparent simplicity, the poem hides a deep meaning.” What exactly does the

poem convey to the reader?

Answer:

The poem is not merely a description of life-cycle of rain. It has deeper meaning. Rain is a

poem or thing of beauty of Earth and so is song or music. The comparison between rain and

music .and their function: making the Earth pure and beautiful conveys the eternal role of

natural phenomenon and art in real life.

Question 3:

How does the rain justify its claim: “I am the Poem of Earth’”?

Answer:

The rain narrates the journey of its life—from birth to return to origin in mythical terms. The

facts are scientific but the phrases that convey them are metaphoric and literary. The whole
journey has a beauty and charm associated with a poem.ew. It is the image of the infant face that makes
these lines so appealing.

Question 4:

How is the cyclic movement of rain brought out in the poem “The Voice of the Rain”? What

points of similarity do you notice between rain and music?

Answer:

The rain calls itself the poem of earth. It is everlasting and perpetual. It is something that

cannot be touched. It originates from the land and the deep sea. Then it rises upward to

heaven where it changes its form into a cloud, yet remains the same in quality. From the sky

it pours down on earth to wash the dry tiny particles and dust layers of the earth. The rain

helps the unborn seeds to sprout. These seeds lay hidden and unborn under the layers of

earth. Rain gives back life to its origin making it pure and beautiful. Rain and music are both

beautiful and life-giving. They are eternal sources of joy and go on perpetually. They inspire

even dormant objects and persons with life and activity.

Mother’s Day (Snapshots)

Competency level questions

Question 1: The play ‘Mother’s Day’ is a humorous and satirical depiction of the status of the

woman in a family. Bring out briefly the elements of humour and satire.

Answer: The play ‘Mother’s Day’ treats a serious theme in a light-hearted manner. The humour

in the play springs from an unusual situation where the personalities of two ladies change

bodies. Their subsequent behaviour, which is in total contrast to their previous one, is a very

powerful source of laughter. The ignorance of the characters about the personality they are

facing also creates humour. Suggestive dialogues also provide a lot of fun. For example,

consider the following:

“Mrs. Pearson if you had to live my life it wouldn’t be so bad. You’d have more fun as me than

you’ve had as you.”

“It’s that silly old bag from next door—Mrs. Fitzgerald.”

“Ticking her off now, are you, Annie? ”They call you Pompy-Ompy Pearson because they think

you’re so slow and pompous. “The actions, gestures and reactions of the characters also

provide humour. The housewife being given orders, treated like dirt and forced to stay home

every night while other members go out to amuse themselves is sharply contrasted with the

position at the end of the play where she is the mistress of the house. Then play also satirises

the eight hour work culture and threats to go on strike. Even the housewife adopts this

weapon.

Question 2: If you were to write these issues today, what are some of the incidents, examples

and problems that you would think of as relevant?

Answer: Various responses are possible. One such response is given below:

The incidents of unfair treatment to the fair sex at home, at work, in public transport and

elsewhere will prove handy. The examples of exploitation of female workers with lower wages,

harassment by seniors, indecent remarks, eve-teasing and molestation can highlight the

problems of social inequality that women face in practice. Even in the twenty first century

women face the same problems in spite of the talk of women empowerment. The poor

housewives have to bear the physical torment and mental anguish at the hands of bullish

husbands who boast of their masculinity by inflicting physical violence, barbs and taunts on the

defense less women. Examples of rapes and sexual harassments appearing in daily newspapers

can also be included to highlight the problems of insecurity of women in modem society.

Question 3: Is drama a good medium for conveying a social message? Discuss.

Answer: Yes, drama is certainly a good medium for conveying a social message. Direct

moralising is often resented and usually ignored. Drama is a presentation of a slice of life

through characters placed in various situations. The attention of the spectators centres round

their actions and reactions. Most of them feel fully involved with the protagonists. The working

out of the theme generally leaves a message—sometimes obvious and explicit but in most of

the cases, indirect and implicit. The social message of these plays seems to come out of the

interactions of the characters and their traits of character. The victory of evil over good is

usually portrayed indirectly. Now a days we find many plays centred around themes creating
social awareness such as evils of drinking and smoking; dangers of pollution, child labour, the

decreasing female ratio and need to empower women.

Question 3: Write a note on the title of the play ‘Mother’s Day’.

Answer: The title of the play is quite appropriate. It sums up the theme of the play. It suggests

that the action of the play revolves round a mother. The playwright confronts us at the outset

with the problems the mother faces from her grown up children and their father. The novel

technique employed to tackle the spoilt children and the grown up man is quite amusing and

thought provoking. The bold and dominating mother acts tough with the children and makes

them realise the need of proper attention towards their mother. They are made to learn a

lesson in courtesy and polite behaviour not only towards the mother but also towards the

visiting neighbour. The mother certainly has her day as the children learn to treat her properly.