Comprehension : Comprehension

Q 432 / 466

UPSC CSE Prelims 2011

Read the following passage and answer the items that follow. Your answers to these items should-be based on the passage only.
Now India’s children have a right to receive at least eight years of education, the gnawing question is whether’ it will remain ‘on paper’ or ‘become a reality. One hardly needs a reminder that this right is different from the others enshrined in the Constitution, that the beneficiary—a six year old child cannot demand it, nor can she or height a legal battle when the right is denied or violated. In all cases, it is the adult society which must act on behalf of the child. In another peculiarity, where a child’s right to education is denied, no compensation offered later can be adequate or relevant. This is so because childhood does not last. If a legal battle fought on behalf of a child is eventually won, it may be of little use to the boy or girl because the opportunity missed at school during childhood cannot serve the same purpose later in life. This may be painfully true for girls because our society permits them only a short childhood, if at all. The Right to Education (RTE) has become law at a point in India’s history when the ghastly practice of female infanticide has resurfaced in the form of foeticide. This is ‘symptomatic of a deeper turmoil’ in society which compounding the traditional obstacles to the education of girls. ‘Tenacious prejudice against the intellectual potential of girls runs across our cultural diversity and the system of education has not been able to address it.’’

On the basis of the passage, consider the following statements:

  1. Right to Education is a legal right and not a fundamental right.
  2. For realizing the goal of universal education, the education system in the country must be made identical to that of developed countries.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

EXPLANATION

Correct Option (D)

Neither statement 1 nor statement 2 can be inferred from the provided passage.

  • Statement 1 asserts that the Right to Education is a legal right and not a fundamental right. The passage states that this right is "enshrined in the Constitution" and is "different from the others enshrined in the Constitution." However, the passage does not explicitly define the Right to Education as exclusively a legal right or differentiate it from a fundamental right in the manner stated. The text provides insufficient information to confirm or deny this specific classification.
  • Statement 2 proposes that the education system in the country must be made identical to that of developed countries to achieve universal education. The passage discusses the challenges and peculiarities of the Right to Education in India, including societal issues like female foeticide and prejudice against girls' intellectual potential. It does not, however, make any comparison with the education systems of developed countries or suggest that an identical model is necessary for universal education. This statement introduces an external comparison not supported by the text.

Incorrect Options:

Options A, B, and C are incorrect because neither of the statements is supported by the passage.

  • Option A (1 only) is incorrect because statement 1 cannot be definitively concluded from the passage. While the passage mentions the right is "enshrined in the Constitution" and discusses "legal battle," it does not explicitly classify it as solely a legal right and not a fundamental right.
  • Option B (2 only) is incorrect because statement 2 is an assertion not present or implied in the passage. The passage focuses on the internal challenges and nature of the Right to Education in India, without reference to or comparison with developed countries' education systems.
  • Option C (Both 1 and 2) is incorrect as both statements are unsubstantiated by the information provided in the passage.