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1. Both India and the United States are democratic countries.

2. Inspite of having many similarities, there have been also a lot of ups and downs in the relationship.

3. The United States wanted India to join its power bloc but India did not. Rather, India adopted non-alignment policy and became a part of the Non-Alignment Movement. The US disliked it.

4. During India’s dispute with Pakistan on Jammu and Kashmir issue, US favoured Pakistan instead of India. India did not like this because Pakistan had joined power bloc of the US.

5. Treaties regarding nuclear weapons have been one of the most important reasons for disagreement between India and the US. United States has continuously pressurised India to sign the ‘Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty’ and ‘Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty’, but India always refused it.

6. The US highly disliked India’s nuclear test conducted at Pokhran in Rajasthan in 1998. It took strict actions to impose restrictions on financial and technical assistance that it used to give to the US.

7. The relation between India and the US strengthened after terrorist attack on New York’s World Trade Centre on September 11,2001.

8. The United States started accepting the fact that India is rapidly making economic progress.

9. Both the countries now wish to have a strong and a positive relation with each other.

10. In September 2014-15 India’s Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi visited America and even addressed the United Nations.

11. American President Barrack Obama is the first American President to be the Chief Guest in the 66th Celebration of India’s Republic Day Celebration.

12. Thus, now the relations between the two countries are quite cordial and strengthened.

1. India has significantly contributed in international politics both during its freedom struggle and even after it.

2. India has always opposed imperialism, colonialism and evils like racial discrimination at world level. Moreover, it had supported movements that oppose these evils.

3. India has played an active role in the formation of the United Nations as well as all its activities.

4. For example, India played an important role by sending its military to support the United Nation efforts in maintaining international peace and security.

5. India showed its keen support to the UN by sending military troops to countries like Gaza, Cyprus, Congo and Sri Lanka during their conflicts.

6. India has also helped UN and its organs to maintain world peace.

7. India has always emphasised on the need of disarmament as a means to world peace and security.

8. At many instances India has taken a leading role in debates and giving useful suggestions around the world for world peace and security.

9. India proposed that the world should follow total nuclear weapon disarmament in the United Nation’s General Assembly.

10. It further said that the countries rather than spending its money on nuclear weapons and excessive military should use the same to uplift the poor people of other countries.

11. World peace has always remained on the top of India’s foreign policy.

12. India has always remained active and played an important role to achieve an atmosphere of co-operation, trust and understanding among nations.

Armanent:

1. The Cold War which was meant for dominance over the world, gave rise to fierce competition among two superpowers and for the sake of dominance armament race was given high priority.
2. America had used atom bomb for the first time on two cities of Japan namely Hiroshima and Nagasaki and proved its supremacy. Soviet Union too proved its capacity of making atom bomb by conducting a nuclear test.
3. Apart from nuclear weapons and missiles the superpowers has developed chemical and biological weapons. These weapons of mass destruction can kill million of people without damaging any materialistic wealth people could dies miserably while subscribing various diseases.

Disarmanent:

1. After the Cuban Crisis communication between two super powers began due to clarification of misunderstanding the end of Cold War became easy.
2. America the Soviet Union and the Britain agreed on maintaining control over nuclear productions experiment and proliferation. This agreement is known as Partial Nuclear Test Ban Treaty.
3. France of course refused to sign this treaty. China conducted a nuclear test in 1964 and refused to sign the treaty. This treaty imposed ban on conducting a nuclear test on another country.
4. India has always welcomed this treaty but it is always a supporter of disamament. The world will be always in danger until the disarmament of lethal weapons is not done.

1. Mikhail Gorbachev became the Prime Minister from a socialistic side on 11 th March, 1989. He had a liberal attitude.

2. During the last decade of twentieth century, Soviet Union’s Prime Minister Mikhail Gorbachev’s liberal policy led to the disintegration of Soviet Union.

3. He adopted two policies “Glasnost and Perestroika’. In this way Gorbachev introduced economic and political reforms in the place of single handed communist rule. Soviet socialistic republic union also desired for independence. Thus, process of disintegration of the Soviet Union began.

4. Russia had progressed tremendously in the field of science and technology. They also had acquired capability to compete with superpowers USA.

5. Rapid progress, political freedom, high life standard of values and desire for democracy created awareness in people. Thus, conflict between democratic group and communist group was removed.

6. As time passed the strong hold of communist party, the Soviet bureaucracy and the Red Army started weakening. Towards the end out of 15 states 14 states, became independent and disintegration of Soviet Union came to an end in December 1991.

7. Thus, after this event western countries approached Russia for development in many matters.

C. President

Due to constitutional emergency, the President can establish ‘President Rule’ by dissolving state cabinet ministry, such a situation is called President Rule.

Money Bill:

1. A bill that contains financial matters such as laying or lifting taxes, budget, etc. is called a Money Bill.
2. A Money Bill can be introduced only in the Lok Sabha.
3. It is the Speaker of Lok Sabha who decides if the Bill introduced is a Money Bill or not.
4. The budget of the centre is presented around last week of February in the Lok Sabha by the Finance Minister.

The Money Bill passes through the following process:

1. The Money Bill approved in the Lok Sabha is first sent to the Rajya Sabha for recommendations.
2. The Rajya Sabha needs to review it and send it to the Lok Sabha with necessary recommendations within 14 days.
3. If the Rajya Sabha does not send the Money Bill back to the Lok Sabha within 14 days, then Bill is considered to have been passed by the Rajya Sabha.
4. The Lok Sabha can either accept or reject all or a few recommendations of the Rajya Sabha.
5. If the Lok Sabha accepts the recommendations of the Rajya Sabha. the Bill is considered to have been passed by both the Houses of the Parliament.
6. Hence, in the matter of the Money Bill the Rajya Sabha has limited powers.
7. When the Money Bill is passed by both the Houses of the Parliament, it is sent to the President for his assent and President has to sign the Money Bill.

1. The main function of the Speaker is to observe the proceedings of the Lok Sabha.

2. He commands and presides over the meeting/ sessions of the Lok Sabha and maintains and controls their functioning.

3. The Speaker also sees that the members maintain discipline or not, and maintains order and dignity of the House. The decision of the Speaker with respect to these function is full and final.

4. Hence, on the basis of the duties and responsibilities of the Speaker, it can be said that he is protector of the dignity of the House.

C. Socialistic

A. Non-Aligned Policies

1. The Soviet Union started disintegrating in the year 1990.

2. The total process of disintegration of such a huge country took place without shedding a single drop of blood.

3. Moreover, the famous ‘Red Army’ did not play any role in this disintegration.

4. Soviet Union no more remained a superpower.

5. The bipolar world politics came to an end.

6. The Cold War also ended due to the disintegration of Soviet.

7. Hence, due to all the major changes and events that occurred in the world, the disintegration of Soviet Union is an epoch making event in the history.

1. America declared blockade of the communist Cuba which was on southeast against it Soviet Union sent ships loaded with nuclear missiles in the Caribbean ‘ Sea.

2. Both the superpowers threatened each other to use nuclear weapons. Thus, world was almost on the verge of nuclear war.

3. Finally leaders of America and the Soviet Union had a talk on the ‘Hotline’ for the first time. Both parties realised about the destruction by nuclear weapons. They pulled back their nuclear weapons with an aim to maintain peace and development of their countries.

4. The Soviet Union decided to withdraw its ships and America decided to curb nuclear weapons towards Cuba. The entire episode is known as Cuban Crisis.

5. It began communication between two superpowers. The misunderstanding between them was cleared. They did work of human welfare by not using nuclear weapons. So Cuban Crisis is also considered as the beginning of the end of the Cold War.

1. After the Second World War, large scale unemployment, epidemics, crores of death and mines economy shook the world.

2. The countries of the world finally realised

3. a serious need to establish a world organisation which would maintain peace and harmony in the world.

4. The United Nations was established considering these objectives.

5. Since its establishment the UN has played a very important role in maintaining peace and security in the world, preventing wars and promoting world development.

6. Hence, establishment of the United Nations is considered as the starting point of the New World.

C. Finance Minister

1. One of the major tasks of the Parliament is to make the laws for the country.

2. The proposals for the laws are made in the Parliament, discussed and read thoroughly and it deemed properly the laws are drafted and implemented.

3. A country runs as per the laws existing in the country. So, the Parliament has vast powers.

4. However, the Parliament cannot frame laws that violate the guidelines of the Constitution.

5. In case if the Parliament has drafted and passed a law, the Constitution can overrule and reject it.

6. Thus, in spite of the Parliament being the supreme body in the country for making laws, but the Constitution is considered supreme.

1. A bicameral legislature divides the legislators in two separate houses or assemblies.

2. In India, we have two Houses at centre level. The Lower House is known as the Lok Sabha whereas the Upper House is known as the Rajya Sabha.

3. Similarly, at state level the legislative has two Houses.

4. The Lower House of the state is called the Vidhan Sabha (Legislative Assembly) whereas the Upper House is called the Vidhan Parishad (Legislative Council).

5. Since, India’s legislature is divided in two Houses at both central and state level, it is said that Indian Parliament is bicameral.

Eligibility for a candidate to become a member of the Lok Sabha:

The Candidate:

1. Must be a citizen of India having minimum age of 25 years.
2. Should not be mentally unstable, bankrupt or criminal.
3. Should not be a government employee.

Eligibility for a candidate to become a member of the Rajya Sabha:

The Candidate:

1. Must be a citizen of India.
2. Should be 30 years of age or more.
3. Must not be mentally unstable, bankrupt or criminal.
4. Should not be a government employee or holding a position or office that provide him profit.

1. The drafted proposal to create a desired law is called a Bill.
2. A Bill can be proposed in any House of the Parliament.
3. The Parliament does the important work amending the old laws, framing new laws and nullifying obsolete laws.
4. There are a very large number of Bills proposed under various categories in the Parliament. 

The three important types of Bill are:

• Ordinary Bill,
• Money and Financial Bill and
• Constitution Amendment Bill.

1. Any of these Bill needs to pass through various stages to become an Act of Law.
2. In case of disputes between the two House will respect to the Bill, the President calls a Joint Session of both the Houses to discuss and sort out the matter.
3. The Speaker works as the Chairman of the Joint Session.
4. The Bill can then be passed by majority.
5. When the majority of the members of both the Houses pass the, proposed Bill, then it becomes an Act (Law) after the assent of the President.

Legislative Assembly

1. Legislative Assembly is also called the Lower House or Vidhan Sabha.
2. Its term is of 5 years after which it gets dissolved.
3. Its term is of 5 years after which it gets
4. Members retire when their term ends.
5. To become a member, the candidate must have minimum age of 25 years.
6. There are 182 members in the Vidhan Sabha of Gujarat.

Legislative Council

1. It is also called the Upper House or Vidhan Parishad.
2. It is a permanent House i.e. it does not get dissolved.
3. Its members get elected for a term of 6 years
4. Its 1/3^rd members retire every 2 years.
5. To become a member, the candidate must have minimum age of 30 years.
6. Gujarat does not have Vidhan Parishad and so there is no question of number of members.

(a) National Emergency:

If the President is satisfied that the security of India or any part of its territory is threatened by a war or external aggression or armed rebellion, he can declare an Emergency for the whole of India or any of its parts. The declaration of Emergency cannot be challenged in court.

(b) Constitutional Emergency:

1. Based on report of the Governor, the President can declare constitutional emergency in that particular state.
2. He can establish ‘Presidential Rule’ by dissolving the state cabinet ministry.

(c) Financial Emergency

1. In case of this Emergency, the President can reduce salaries of all government officials, including judges of the Supreme Court and the High Court.
2. Thus, the President has vast executive and administrative powers and though all the administration can be considered in the hands of the President only and done in his name only.
3. Yet in reality, the Prime Minister and the Council of Ministers enjoy these powers.

1. The extremely tensed situation that arose between the two power blocs namely America and Soviet Union.

2. Till 1990 many important and far-fetching changes took place in international politics. Due to many reasons the intensity of the Cold War getting decreased between America and Soviet Union.

3. The competition of weapons declared between superpower blocs. The feeling of distrust and doubt decreased. Thus, Cold War came to the in 1990 A.D.

A. Berlin Blockade

It was during the Cuban Crisis that the two superpowers namely America and Russia first time thought of pulling back their nuclear weapons in the good faith of the whole world. Both the nations wanted to maintain peace and development of their countries.

1. Moreover, after the Cuban Crisis, America, the Soviet Union and the Britain agreed to control the nuclear production, experiment and proliferation.
2. These countries signed a treaty in this regard. This treaty imposed ban on conducting a nuclear test in open atmosphere. In the long run this treaty helped to end the Cold War.
3. All this began with the Cuban Crisis. Hence, Cuban Crisis is considered as the beginning towards the end of the Cold War.

Consequences of Cold War:

1. There was a basic change in relations among powerful nations of the world after the World War II.
2. Britain and France became victorious in the ware yet they lost the status of great powers due to terrible ruination caused by the ravages of war.
3. Germany, Italy and Japan axis states were economically, politically and militarily ruined due to defeat in war.
4. America and Russia emerged as leaders of two rival power blocs and military powers. Thus, the Cold War started between them.
5. Soviet Union captured the eastern areas of Germany and other eastern countries like Australia, Albania, Hungary, Yugoslavia, Czechoslovakia, Poland, Romania, Bulgaria and the Baltic States.
6. Meanwhile democratic system was gradually established in the Western European countries that were liberated by British and American forces.

1. The Parliament has two Houses – the Lok Sabha (the Lower House of the Parliament) and the Rajya Sabha (the upper House of the Parliament).

2. The Parliament controls, guides and informs the government.

3. he Question Hour with which the Parliament session begins is an important mechanism through which MPs (Members of Parliament) can elicit information about the working of the government. This is a very important way through which the Parliament controls the executive.

4. In all matters dealing with finance, the Parliament’s approval is crucial for the government.

5. The Parliament makes new laws for the entire country, and also amends or repeals them, if necessary.

6. It passes the budget of the Union Government. Also, it is empowered to vote a reduction in the budget or reject it altogether.

7. The Parliament can remove the President of India through impeachment.

8. It can also impeach the judges of the Supreme Court and the High Court, in case they are found violating the Constitution or misusing their status.

Legislative Powers:

1. He summons the sessions of both the Houses of the Parliament.
2. He can dissolve the Lok Sabha.
3. A Bill that Parliament has passed, can become law only after the President’s signature.
4. The President can also return the Ordinary Bill to the Parliament for reconsideration.
5. He permits the annual budget to be laid in the Lok Sabha.

Administrative Powers:

1. The President appoints the leader of the party who has gained majority in the general election as the Prime Minister.
2. Further, as per the advice of the Prime Minister, he appoints the other ministers in the Cabinet of the Prime Minister.
3. The President cannot dissolve the Cabinet as long as the Cabinet enjoys the support of the majority of Lok Sabha members.
4. He administers the oath of secrecy and distributes the portfolios to all the ministers.
5. The President is the head of the defence forces of the country.
6. The President has the power to declare war, cease the war or conclude treaties with other countries.
7. He appoints the judges of the Supreme Court and High Courts, Governors of the State, Attorney General, Comptroller and Auditor General.
8. He appoints the head of the defence forces, chairman of the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) and ambassadors to various nations.

1. After the First World War, the countries of the world established an organisation called ‘The League of Nations’ with an aim to maintain world peace and prevent wars.

2. However, the League could not stop the power hungry nations and it failed when the Second World War broke out in 1939.

3. After the Second World War, large scale unemployment, epidemics, crores of death and ruined economy shook the world.

4. The countries of the world finally realised a serious need to establish a world organisation which would maintain peace and harmony in the world.

5. Owing to this need, United Nations Organisation (UNO) was established on 24th October 1945. It was later renamed as United Nations.

1. The period between 1945 to 1962 AD is described as ‘The Era of Cold War ’ because America and Russia became superpowers and there was strong competition between these two superpowers to establish supremacy over the world.

2. India did not sign on the two treaties Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty because, the both treaties were based on discrimination and being harmful to national interest. Thus, India did not sign two treaties.

3. Difference of opinion arose between India and China because, the McMohan border showing the border region between India and China was rejected by China and it led further discomfort in the relations.

1. SEATO a military organization was formed because to protect south-eastern countries from the on slaught on the Soviet Union. America and England established military organisation namely SEATO.

2. The Soviet Union sent ships loaded with nuclear missiles in the Caribbean Sea because America declared blockade of communist Cuba, which was on southeast. To defend Cuba the Soviet Union sent ships loaded with nuclear missiles in Caribbean sea.

Position of the Prime Minister:

• The Prime Minister is the real head of the Central Government.
• He is also the Chairman of NITI Aayog.
• He is the member of any one house of the Parliament.

Executive Powers:

1. The Prime Minister selects the ministers of his choice who can assist him in his work. This group of ministers is called Council of Ministers.
2. The President appoints these council of Ministers as per the advice of the Prime Minister.
3. He distributes the portfolios to these ministers i.e. which minister will supervise which work of the country.
4. The Prime Minister has got the power to decide which minister to select, remove or allow to continue in the Cabinet.
5. He presides over the meeting of the Cabinet and also supervises the functioning of various departments of the Cabinet.
6. The Prime Minister also takes decisions on crucial matters brought to him by the Cabinet.

1. NATO military organisation was formed because of feeling of distrust created between, two power groups. So military groups were formed. Led and inspired to
America western democratic countries on north Atlantic Ocean established a military organisation and named it NATO in 1949.

2. The Soviet Union carried out the Berlin blockade because America and Western European countries established ‘Federal Republic of Germany’. This was administered jointly by America, Britain and France. As Germany’s three western segments were united three administrative segments of Berlin also united.

• Military Blocs: After Second World War Europe and other countries of the world joined with power groups and the power was centralised between two poles. So, atmosphere of distrust created between both power groups, so military groups were formed.
• NATO: Led and inspired by America, Western democratic countries on the North Atlantic Ocean established a military organization NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organisation) in April 1949.
• SEATO: To protect south-eastern countries from the onslaught on the Soviet Union communism. America and England established one more military organization in 1945 SEATO (South Eastern Asiatic Treaty Organisation).
• WARSAW PACT: Against all these treaties Russia created a military organization named “WARSAW Pact”. The members of the organization are Albania, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, East Germany, Hungary, Poland, Rumania and Russia.

D. America threw nuclear bombs on cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki

B. Russia conducted Nuclear Test.

A. NATO military organization was formed.

C. America declared Cuban Blockade.

B. President

She grabs hold of his sleeve and tags along. She continues to hobble along and tightens her grip on the speaker’s shirt.

The old woman

In ‘An Old Woman’ the narrator presents a very common incident most tourists experience when they visit a historical shrine. Such tourist places are usually crowded out by beggars, vendors and tourist guides pestering tourists to give them alms or buy toys and trinkets or to hire them as guides respectively. The first four stanzas portray the old woman as ‘a burr’. The first stanza describes the narrator’s reaction. The sixth and seventh stanzas describe the narrator’s reaction and also signal a change in his attitude as well as his perspective towards old women.

The poem is a recollection of the narrator’s experience when he visited a historical place on the barren hills of Jejuri town, which houses the famous legendary ‘Horseshoe’ shrine for Khandoba, the presiding deity at Jejuri. The poet presents his experience dramatically helping the reader visualize it instantly. As soon as he had landed in the place, an old beggar woman grabbed hold of his sleeve and hobbled along with him, pestering him to give her a fifty paise coin in return for which she would guide him to the horseshoe shrine. Though he told her that he had already seen it, she persisted and did not let him go. At that moment, the poet’s previous experience of dealing with old women coupled with that incident makes the narrator express his annoyance and scorn for such old women saying that they are like ‘a burr’ which cannot be brushed off easily.

The narrator, then turned around to face her and send her away with a decisive look. Immediately, the old woman expressed her predicament stating that there was nothing else to do on those wretched hills except begging. Her statement shocked the narrator slightly. The old woman’s words triggered the moment of transformation in him. This made him look at her eyes sunk deep inside her face like two bullet holes and look right at the sky clearly through them. Her skin is wrinkled and cracks begin to appear around her eyes and spread beyond her skin. He feels that everything is falling apart. Everything is cracked and in ruins. The cracks spread beyond her skin to the hills and the sky. There is a catastrophe. The hills crack, the temples crack and the sky falls and shatters like a sheet of glass except for the “shatterproof crone who stands alone”. At this moment the poet realizes his own value. He has been reduced to a fifty paise coin in the hands of poverty. It is at this moment that the poet’s scorn for the old woman changes to respect.

Arun Kolatkar’s poem, ‘An Old Woman’, begins with a commonplace experience, but ends in a revelation. At every tourist place, you will meet a self-appointed tourist guide like the old woman in the poem. They need the money and will pester you. They even promise to give you some service in lieu of the money you give them.

Generally, tourists give them something to get rid of them. But a few are firmer and refuse to be influenced by the persuasive attempts of the guides. But what is to be understood is that they do what they do because they have no other means of earning their livelihood. If they don’t do what they do, perhaps the only option left for them is to beg. The very fact that they don’t beg, but offer their services shows that somewhere deep within them there is some self-respect and hence treating them as burr is inappropriate. Though they are irritating, one should remember that it is the circumstance that has reduced them to this. Especially in the case of an old woman like the one found on the hills, what else would you expect them to do for their living? When the speaker realises that he has no answer for the question posed by the woman, “What else can an old woman do on hills as wretched as these?’, his perception of the old woman undergoes a sudden change. Her eyes which are like bullet holes become a sign of her suffering. The cracks on her face become symbolic of the cracks in a society which do not care for the old and the meek. That is why the speaker says that her cracks extend beyond her skin, and the hills, temples and the sky crack. In other words, everything around her indicates the cracks in the life of such helpless-people. Yet she stands shatterproof, continuing with life doggedly whereas many others would have cracked under the blows of poverty.

Suddenly the speaker has a new-found respect for the old woman. She becomes a sign of her heritage – the land from which she comes. It is people who dismiss her with a fifty paise coin or shoo her away without giving even that who become as cheap as the fifty paise coin. Kolatkar describes this transformation in a tourist by placing before the readers the tourist’s experience at a pilgrim centre.

In ‘An Old Woman’ the narrator presents a very common incident most tourists experience when they visit a historical shrine. Such tourist places are usually crowded out by beggars, vendors and tourist guides pestering tourists to give them alms or buy toys and trinkets or to hire them as guides respectively. The first four stanzas portray the old woman as ‘a burr’. The first stanza describes the narrator’s reaction. The sixth and seventh stanzas describe the narrator’s reaction and also signal a change in his attitude as well as his perspective towards old women.

The poem is a recollection of the narrator’s experience when he visited a historical place on the barren hills of Jejuri town, which houses the famous legendary ‘Horseshoe’ shrine for Khandoba, the presiding deity at Jejuri. The poet presents his experience dramatically helping the reader visualize it instantly. As soon as he had landed in the place, an old beggar woman grabbed hold of his sleeve and hobbled along with him, pestering him to give her a fifty paise coin in return for which she would guide him to the horseshoe shrine. Though he told her that he had already seen it, she persisted and did not let him go. At that moment, the poet’s previous experience of dealing with old women coupled with that incident makes the narrator express his annoyance and scorn for such old women saying that they are like ‘a burr’ which cannot be brushed off easily.

The narrator, then turned around to face her and send her away with a decisive look. Immediately, the old woman expressed her predicament stating that there was nothing else to do on those wretched hills except begging. Her statement shocked the narrator slightly. The old woman’s words triggered the moment of transformation in him. This made him look at her eyes sunk deep inside her face like two bullet holes and look right at the sky clearly through them. Her skin is wrinkled and cracks begin to appear around her eyes and spread beyond her skin. He feels that everything is falling apart. Everything is cracked and in ruins. The cracks spread beyond her skin to the hills and the sky. There is a catastrophe. The hills crack, the temples crack and the sky falls and shatters like a sheet of glass except for the “shatterproof crone who stands alone”. At this moment the poet realizes his own value. He has been reduced to a fifty paise coin in the hands of poverty. It is at this moment that the poet’s scorn for the old woman changes to respect.

The speaker had associated only ugliness and annoyance with the old woman until he had the awareness of her strength as well as her helplessness. With this realisation, she becomes the very symbol of the Indian heritage, and the other things, which had until then been considered monuments of heritage, begin to crack. The poet seems to suggest that it is the Indian heritage in flesh and blood that we have to value.

The reference to the hills, temples and sky cracking and falling could also mean the radical change in the hitherto held opinion of the speaker. The shock the man receives in looking at the sky, perhaps as blue as the woman’s eyes which are like bullet holes leads to his enlightened perception of the woman and her connection to this old land. The man notes that as he looks at the woman, and the cracks around her eyes, the cracks seem to spread to the landscape around her: to the hills, the temples and even the sky. But he sees that even though the sky may fall and shatter around her, she is untouched: ‘shatterproof’.

In the midst of the life that has reduced her to trying to earn some money as a guide for tourists, and seen only as an old woman to the tourists – not worth their time and barely worth their notice – her resolve is strong. She is a part of the land, as old as it is: she is as immovable. She lives, the man realises, with what is made available to her. With the man’s realization, he feels as if he has been reduced to nothing more than his money, for he does not have that kind of connection to his land or his heritage. And perhaps, in light of the trials and tribulations of life, he is really the unimportant one – beyond the small change in his pocket – but she stands, unbreakable and strong.

Take the speaker to the horseshoe shrine.

(d)   anyone.

D) USA, England, China

(a) one is reduced to an insignificant position.

(b)  180 crore

1. We wear cotton clothes during summer to avoid heat. We feel cool after wearing the cotton clothes.

2. We buy and wear woolen clothes specially for winter.

1. It is because frequent washes may loosen the firmness of knitting resulting in loss of shape of fabric. 

2. Even after washing, woolen clothes should not be squeezed.

1. Chandani was attracted towards the hill.

2. Chandani liked the beautiful hills, with refreshing breeze and green fields.

3. Chandani could not go to the hills because she was tied with a rope.

4. Chandani hated the rope around her neck.

5. Every morning, Chandani watched the hilltops shining in the tender sunlight.

1. We get colourful woolen clothes by the process of Dyeing. 

2. Fleece can be bleached to remove colours and then dyed in various colours.

Wool is derived from animals like sheep, goat, yak and camel.