Read the following text:
India’s economy is doing well and we have a right to celebrate that. But what we do not
like to acknowledge, let alone address, is another fact: our economy and society, is still
extremely biased against women. Perhaps paying attention to such inconvenient truths
would distract us as we march towards superpower status. In the latest gender gap index
report released by the World Economic Forum (WEF), India keeps company with the worst
in the world. Among the 128 countries that have been evaluated by the WEF, India is
ranked 114, followed among others by Yemen, Chad, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. Even
China, Philippines, Sri Lanka and Botswana fare much better than us. The survey considers
the proportion of resources and opportunities made available to women on educational,
economic, political and health fronts. It is only in the realm of political empowerment that
we seem to have done somewhat OK, ranking 21st. That’s also thanks to a long spell of
Prime Ministership by Indira Gandhi. It raises the question why women are so badly off in
our country if they are politically empowered. To begin with, we are still largely a feudal
and patriarchal society. In many parts of our country – especially in UP, Bihar, Rajasthan,
Haryana and Punjab – women are often treated as if they were a piece of property. In these
parts, the sex ratio is most skewed because families often snuff out the lives of girl children
before, or immediately after, they are born. In many parts of India, women are viewed as an
economic liability despite contributing in several ways to our society and economy. The
state has not covered itself with glory either in bridging the gender divides. Its policies and
projects for women are woefully inadequate. For instance, the literacy rate for females is a
mere 48 per cent against 73 per cent for males. Unless we put more of our girl children in
school and equip them with quality education – as opposed to making them merely literate
– we can forget about sustainable progress. Public health is another area of failure.
Hundreds of women in rural India die every year during childbirth for want of medical
attention. There are thousands more who do not even have access to a primary health
centre. Importantly, reforming property laws more rigorously so that gender parity becomes
a reality must rank among the government’s priorities. While these changes are necessary,
they will amount to nothing if we, as a society, continue to deny our women the dignity,
liberty and opportunities that are rightfully theirs. No society will ever prosper as a whole
as long as half of it is constantly treated as somehow less that the other half.
1. On the basis of your understanding of this passage answer the following questions with
the help of the given options:
a) Write out the correct option:
i) India’s economy is unbiased.
ii) India’s economy is doing poorly
iii) India’s economy is biased against human species
iv) India’s economy is biased against women.
b) The most important rights of women are .................................
i) dignity and society
ii) dignity and literacy
iii) dignity and liberty
iv) dignity and health
c) A society can prosper only if ...........................................
i) half of it is given its special rights
ii) it recognizes the importance of women
iii) it treats men and women differently
iv) it constantly treats women no less than its other half
d) Hundreds of women in rural India die every year during childbirth
i) due to lack of finances.
ii) due to lack of literacy.
iii) for want of awareness.
iv) for want of medical attention.
2. Answer the following questions briefly:
a) Why is India ranked 114 by the World Economic Forum?
b) In which fields are the women in India empowered?
c) What has killing of girl children before or after birth affected the most?
d) What is the reason behind the failure of public health?
3. Find a word from the passage having opposite meaning to “asset”. (Para-3)
4. Find a word from the passage having similar meaning to “continuously”. (Para -4)
a) (iv) India's economy is biased against women.
b) (iii)The most important rights of women are dignity, liberty, and opportunities.
c) (iv)A society can prosper __________ _______ ____ _____ _______ __________.
________ ______ __________ __________ _______ _______ _____ ____ _____.
________ ____ __________ ___ ___ ________ ______.
___ _________ _________ _________ ________ _______ ________ _________ __________ __________ ____.
_____ __________ ________ ______ ___ __________ ________ _____ ________.
_____ ___ _________ _____ __________.
__________ ____ ________ _________ ___ ______ ____.
_____ ____ ___ ________ _________ _____ ______ _______ ________ _____ ________.
________ ________ __________ _____ ____ ____ ___ _____ __________ ____ ____.
___ ______ _______ ________ _____.
_____ _______ __________ _____ _____ __________.
_________ _________ ______ ________ __________ ____ _______ __________ ___.
________ ______ ________ ____ _____ ______ ___ ______ _______ ___ _______.
___ ______ __________ _____ ________ ___ ____.
___ ________ ___ _________ _________ __________ ____ ___ ____ ______ __________.
______ ________ _______ ____ _______ ________ ___ ____ ________.
_______.
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