Comprehension : Comprehension

Q 453 / 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.’’
According to the passage, what could be the traditional obstacles to the education of girls?

  1. Inability of parents to fight a legal battle when the Right to Education is denied to their children.
  2. The traditional way of thinking about girl’s role in society.
  3. The prejudice against the intellectual potential of girls.
  4. Improper system of education.

Select the correct answer from the codes given below:

EXPLANATION

Correct Option (b)

The passage identifies several traditional obstacles to the education of girls.

  • Statement 2: The passage indicates that "our society permits them only a short childhood, if at all," and mentions a "deeper turmoil in society which compounding the traditional obstacles to the education of girls." This implies that the traditional societal views regarding girls' roles and opportunities constitute an obstacle.
  • Statement 3: The passage explicitly states, "Tenacious prejudice against the intellectual potential of girls runs across our cultural diversity." This directly identifies prejudice as a significant obstacle.
  • Statement 4: The passage further notes that "the system of education has not been able to address it," referring to the aforementioned prejudice. This indicates that the improper or ineffective system of education in addressing these deep-seated issues is also an obstacle.

Incorrect Options:

  • Statement 1: The passage states that "adult society which must act on behalf of the child" when the right to education is denied. While it acknowledges that a legal battle, if eventually won, may be of little use due to the fleeting nature of childhood, it does not present the "inability of parents to fight a legal battle" as a traditional obstacle. Rather, it highlights the challenge of timely redressal, not the inherent inability to initiate legal action. Therefore, this is not a traditional obstacle as described in the passage.