MAHARISHI VIDYA MANDIR, MOGAPPAIR

CLASS: 9 TO 12​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ SUBJECT: ENGLISH

ARTICLE WRITING
An article is an expression of one’s thought on an issue or a subject logically
and coherently written in meaningful paragraphs.

♦ Points to Remember:

●​ Give a title that catches the attention of the reader.

●​ Begin with a striking opening sentence which addresses the readers and
gets them interested in the topic.
●​ Present a strong argument for your ideas supporting it with evidence or
elaboration.
●​ Use linking devices (‘however’, ‘therefore’, ‘although’, ‘even though’, ‘in
order to’) to make the composition appear a whole.
●​ Introduce a new point at the beginning of each paragraph that follows to
strengthen your ideas.
●​ Develop your ideas as much as you can to make them interesting and
substantial.
●​ Conclude with your strongest point.
●​ Use passive voice, humour, emotive language, rhetorical questions to
provide a specific effect. Split-up of marks:

♦ Marks will be awarded for:

●​ Format (Title + Writer’s name)

●​ Content (logical organisation, relevance)
●​ Expression (Accuracy + Fluency)

Question 1.​
The number of women in the police force seems insufficient especially when we see
the increasing involvement of women in terrorist activities. Write an article in
150-200 words for The Hindustan Chronicle’, on the need of having more women in
the police force. (2010)

Answer:

Need Of Having More Women In The Police Force

Women empowerment and participation has seen a radical improvement in the

recent few decades. Women are no longer confined to their homes and have come
forward to excel in almost all fields, at par with men. But it has been observed that
the number of women in the police force seems insufficient especially when we
compare their increasing number in terrorist activities. Women are sure to prove their
worth in the police force as they are more committed to the cause they work for and
less corrupt, two qualities that are lacking in policemen. The government needs to
increase the reserved quota for recruitment of women in the police force. Women
need to be given incentives to join the police force and this is sure to prove
favourable as they bring with them a distinctly different and valuable set of skills that
is bound to change the way the police is perceived in our community. As the job
description of the police expands beyond crime-fighting into community service the
presence of more women in the police force is sure to help to burnish the tarnished
image of the police officers, improve community relations and foster a more flexible
and less violent approach to maintaining law and order.

Question 2.​
In many parts of our country girls are still discouraged from going to school.
Consequently, a sizable section of the population is deprived of education. Schemes
like Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, CBSE scholarship to the single girl child and the
Government’s policy of giving free education to girls have come as a boon to our
society. Write an article in 150-200 words on the education of the girl child in the
country. (Delhi 2010)

Education Of The Girl Child In The Country

Education of girls has been a high priority with the Government of India. In the new
millennium, India has consolidated its earlier educational reforms with increased
resources and stronger policy commitments for achieving elementary education,
particularly for girls. Reaching out to the girl child is primary to the efforts to
universalise elementary education. ‘Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan’ or ‘Education For All’
programme recognizes that ensuring the education of the girl child requires changes
not only in the education system but also in society’s norms and attitudes.

A two-pronged gender strategy has hence been adopted to make the educational
system responsive to the needs of the girls through targeted interventions which
serve as a pull-factor to enhance access and retention of girls in schools on the one
hand and generate community demand for girls’ education through training and
mobilisation on the other hand. The CBSE has also come up with the novel scheme
of providing free education from the sixth standard onwards to the single girl child.
The need of the times is that the government should further improve the educational
infrastructure and make it more accessible and meaningful for the girl child.

Question 3.​
Advertisements have become a big business. They are promoted by celebrities
drawn from various fields like films, sports, etc., leaving their influence on all people,
especially the young. Write an article in 150-200 words on ‘The Impact of
Advertisements on the younger generation’. (Delhi 2010)
 Impact Of Advertisements On The Younger Generation

The advertisement industry has a tremendous impact on the younger generation. As

citizens of the modern world, advertisements have become a part of the daily lives of
youngsters and they have got used to being bombarded with numerous
advertisements over the course of their day.

Advertisements have become so common for them that they often do not even
realize that they are hearing or viewing them. So they have a pervasive influence on
the youth. In the ever-expanding world of consumerism and advertising, companies
are constantly looking for new ways to sell their products to the youngsters by
making their commercials and campaigns more memorable, to leave an impact on
their minds. The younger generation has become their prime target because they
have more spending power than ever before and increased avenues at their disposal.
Therefore companies spend enormous amounts of money to rope in popular film
stars, cricketers, musicians etc. to endorse their products.

This helps to ensure popularity and early brand loyalty. In the last decade many
superbrands have looked towards new and outrageous ways to capture young
audiences through appealing campaigns as these youngsters are cognitively and
psychologically quite defenceless against advertisements. Clearly, advertisements
represent ‘big business’ and have a significant effect on young people who need to
be educated about the effects of advertising, that is, media literacy. This will prove to
be helpful in mitigating the harmful effects of advertising on youngsters.

Question 4.​
The present-day youth are greatly stressed due to cut-throat competition and
consumerist culture. Write an article in 150-200 words on the causes of the stress on
the modem generation suggesting suitable solutions. (Delhi 2010)​
Answer:

Causes Of Stress On The Modern Generation

The main cause of stress on the modern generation is the cut-throat competition
and consumerist culture prevalent in our society. This always puts them under
pressure of efficiency and productivity. The modern environment is highly
competitive and calls for relentless effort on the part of each youngster. To achieve
the goals they have to devote all their time and capacity, without rest. So they have
no time to care even for their own selves. They have no time for relaxing or to pursue
something of their own interest sounds like a luxury to them. The effects of this
stress on the youth are also visible in their physical being whereby they have
increased pulses and a lot of tension in their muscles.

With increased professionalism and specialisation there seems no practical and

suitable solution for this stress due to the competition. In this age of consumerism, it
is not surprising that the youth of today are also constantly vying to outdo each other
in acquiring material things. But now it is high time each one of us sat back in quiet
introspection to contemplate where we are actually heading in this high-speed pace.
Our health and well-being will have to be our primary concern for, as they say, “a
healthy mind lies in a healthy body”. Let us stop living like robots. We are humans
and have to behave likewise and not like machines which are our own creation.

Question 5.​
As compared to the older generation the youth of today are greatly inclined to pursue
adventurous activities either for money or for fun. There is a latest craze for joining
reality shows, rafting, rock climbing, mountaineering etc. Write an article in 150-200
words on which life you would prefer—safe or adventurous. (All India 2010)

Answer:

Live Life, Don’t Just Exist

To lead a life of adventure is certainly very exciting and amazing. It involves breaking
free of certain social conditioning and challenging yourself to work upon your mental
fears, which are mostly in your mind, and discovering unlimited freedom and
opportunities. We, therefore, need to be willing to undertake adventure as it is a
necessary part of a happy existence. It is important to spend your limited time on
earth doing some of those things that make a difference and give one enjoyment
rather than simply sinking all the time playing the normal routine game of “delayed
gratification”.

Taking action helps one to build a more enriching life and enables you to embrace
life with more passion each day. The desire for sameness never contributes to
anything exciting but makes our life and spirit dull. A variety of sports and recreation
are adventurous to a lot of people today. Some people race cars, skydivers jump out
of a 5 aeroplane, mountain-climbers scale peaks etc. This helps them to escape their
daily stress and gives them a ‘high’. So it is important to live life to the fullest and it is
also surely worth making the effort to ‘live’ with an adventurous spirit.

Question 6.​
India is standing at the threshold of joining the developed nations but that is not
possible till we achieve complete literacy in the country. The contribution of students
may be very significant in achieving our goals. Write an article in 150-200 words on
‘The Role of the Students in Removing Illiteracy’. (All India 2010)​
Answer:

The Role Of Students In Removing Illiteracy

Illiteracy is still a major blot on India, after more than sixty years of its achieving
independence. To an extent it exemplifies India’s failure to reach out to its masses.
The removal of illiteracy has to be tackled on a priority basis and students can play
an important role in achieving this goal. Since they are in the process of receiving
education themselves they are most appropriate for also putting forth their services
to achieve the goal of educating the illiterate masses. Students should be
encouraged to carry the lamp of knowledge by organizing events such as, ‘Each One,
Teach One’.

If every student resolves to teach two illiterate persons in a year during his vacations,
it will in the long run help to eradicate illiteracy. The government should also render
full support to students in terms of infrastructure in their contribution to the Indian
Literacy Campaign. Students can also play a vital role in the programme of Adult
Literacy. If all our students get together and try to work towards achieving literacy
among the masses, then the day is not far when India too will join the league of
countries that have attained hundred percent literacy.

Question 7.​
Compulsory value-based education is the only remedy for inculcating values among
the future citizens of the country. This will also help in the prevention of crime in the
country. Write an article in 150-200 words on the need of compulsory value-based
education. (All India 2010)​
Answer:

Value-Based Education

Value-based education is an educational philosophy, an approach to teaching and

learning that underpins a school organises itself, develops relationships and
promotes positive human values. Schools that adopt such an approach report that
there is a qualitative improvement in pupils’ attitude and behaviour. The purpose of
value-based education is to help the school community think about and reflect upon
positive universal values and practical implications of expressing them in relation to
themselves and the community as a whole.

Value-based education also supports schools in promoting an inclusive school ethos

and the methods of working raise achievements and help pupils to raise their
self-esteem and take responsibility for their own behaviour and learning. It also
enables students to examine the kind of life that is worth living and to consider what
kind of life they want for themselves. At the core of value-based education lies an
agreed set of principles, deeply held convictions that underpin all aspects of school
life and work. The process is holistic and developmental, demanding a greater deal
from the school’s community. Value-based education is thus a philosophy for
developing and supporting schools of excellence.

Question 8.​
Increase in the number of vehicles causes pollution and traffic jams. Write an article
in 150-200 words for ‘The New Indian Express’, Delhi, highlighting the urgent need to
solve these man-made problems, giving suitable suggestions. You are
Madhav/Madhuri. (Delhi 2010)​
Answer:

The Problem Of Pollution

Cities, in general, have a great deal in common with vehicles. In fact they often seem
to be turning into vehicles. India’s population and its traffic is concentrated within its
cities. The increasing number of vehicles in Delhi is putting our city at the risk of
completely losing clean air to breathe. Delhi would have, in fact, been buried under a
pollution load if the Supreme Court had not intervened to introduce cleaner fuels and
emissions technology in the city, in the form of CNG-run public vehicles. Moreover,
an increase in the number of vehicles also means getting stuck in rush hour traffic
which has also become a routine.

It is high time we now look towards solving this problem of heavy traffic congestion
which is taking a toll both on our health and our time. The traffic police department
must use technology for controlling and monitoring the movement of vehicles at
important and busy crossroads for which the department officials can also take the
help of Close Circuit T.V. Drives should be launched to educate the masses about the
importance of driving in their respective lanes only and to follow traffic signals
strictly. Violation of these should result in fines and in case of repeated offence the
driving license of the person should be confiscated.

Pollution check of vehicles by owners at regular intervals should be made

mandatory. This can also contribute a lot in saving the environment from pollution.
Thus, we as responsible citizens just need to make a start.

Question 9.​
Corruption has become the order of the day. It has entered all walks of life. Write an
article for your school magazine in 150-200 words on ‘The Role of Youth in
combating corruption’. You are Vijay/Vineeta. (Delhi 2011 2010)​
Answer:

Role Of Youth In Combating Corruption

By: Vijay​
The problem of corruption is not new though it has reached unprecedented
proportions in recent years. It is as old as society itself and •cuts across nations,
cultures, races and classes of people. Corruption is rampant in our political and
social life and like cancer seems to be gnawing into the vitals of the society. It has
been argued that one of the many obstacles to the development of poor countries is
corruption. The youth of the society have a lot of responsibility in combating
corruption. They are aware of this phenomenon but negligent towards this issue. It is
the youth, especially the students, who have to take cudgels against the demon of
corruption and crush it altogether.
A beginning can be made in this direction by holding anti-corruption drives. The
ill-effects of corruption in public life should be publicised through the internet,
facebook and blogs. The uprising young citizens need to join hands as one and
battle against corruption. They need to spread awareness, more so in rural areas and
equip them with knowledge about this burning issue. Recently the name of Anna
Hazare has become synonymous with combating corruption so the youth of India
have an idol among them whom they can follow. The dedicated efforts of the honest
youth are bound to succeed in the long run in demolishing and vanquishing this
social evil which has earned us a bad name.

Question 10.​
India is said to be a young country and is emerging as a global power. The youth is
getting increasingly concerned about the problems of corruption, environment,
pollution, misuse of natural resources, etc. Write an article in 150-200 words on your
vision of India in 2040. (Comptt. All India 2010)​
Answer:

My Vision Of Future India

Most of us have a massive psychological barrier against looking at the future vision
of India and those who see the future as growing directly out of the present also
often narrow their vision. It is my belief that the year 2040 will belong to those who
try to see diversity as a value in itself, not as an instrument for resisting new
monocultures of the mind or as a compromise necessary for maintaining communal
and ethical harmony. India of the future will be central to the world where the idea of
diversity will be cherished as an end in itself. My vision statement is not a prediction
of what will actually occur, nor is it a wish list of desirable but unattainable ends. It is
actually a statement of what we believe is possible for our nation to achieve seeing
the level of concern that our present-day youth is showing about problems of
corruption, environmental pollution, misuse of natural resources, etc. An essential
requirement for envisioning India in 2040 is to recognise that the parameters which
determine national development have changed in recent years and will change
further in the future. This is likely to open up greater; possibilities than ever before.
The growing influence in the fields of technology, education, information, productive
skills etc. lend credence to the view that India will ; definitely achieve and sustain
higher economic growth and development in the coming decades.

Question 11.​
Due to the globalization of the food industry and fast food culture, traditional healthy
diets are increasingly being replaced by unhealthy junk food containing artificial
additives and preservative chemicals. Write an article in 150-200 words for a
national daily on the need for inculcating healthy dietary habits. (Comptt. All India
2010)​
Answer:

Need To Inculcate Healthy Dietary Habits

Due to globalisation and the advent of fast food culture, traditional healthy diets have
been replaced by unhealthy junk food that has no nutritional value. Children and even
adults have become quite fond of this junk food essentially because it is palatable
and caters well to their taste buds. Though junk food does not come with a statutory
warning, it is actually harmful for our health if we eat it on a regular basis as it
contains artificial additives and chemical preservatives. Hence the need arises for
inculcating healthy dietary habits. I feel childhood is the best stage to inculcate good
food habits. Through constant reinforcement and an emphasis on healthy eating
choices at home parents can ensure that their kids continue to eat healthy even
when they are away from home.

Parents should remember that kids learn their eating habits from them so they
should lead by example and eat healthy themselves. This will encourage their kids to
follow in their footsteps. Children’s initial refusal to eat healthy food should not
discourage the parents. Repeated exposure to healthy foods like fresh fruits and
vegetables, nuts, milk etc. will ensure that the kids might want to try it out at some
point. So, constant encouragement is needed to make them try out healthy food but
do not force anything. Aim to make good nutrition a way of life rather than a rule and
healthy eating habits will come naturally and not something that is being enforced.

Question 12.​
Travel is an important part of a man’s education. It enables a person to learn
manners, customs, languages and history of different people and places and also
widens the circle of one’s acquaintances. Write an article in 150-200 words on
“Travel, an Important Source of Education”. (Comptt. All India 2010)​
Answer:

Travel – An Important Source Of Education

To travel is to discover. If not necessary, travel is a very important aspect of

education, an experience to learn on personal levels with hands-on experience. When
people travel to a new place they absorb and remember information faster and retain
it longer just by experiencing it themselves. Travelling to other parts of the country
provides the opportunity to see different cultures practising their everyday lives. It
also enables a person to learn the manners, customs, languages and history of
different people and places and widens the circle of one’s acquaintances. While
travelling to each new place gives us a different experience, all of these travels will
add up to a worldly view that instils a feeling of connection with people, places and
events from all over the globe.

In the past few years it has become a norm for people from one country to travel to
another country as a part of their education programme. As wonderful as it is to read
about places and people who interest us, to experience a personal visit to these
places and interact personally with these people allows us to understand and even
appreciate their world in a more lasting and meaningful way. Our minds open up to
new things, people, places and experiences. Very few ways allow for greater learning
than travel. It is one of the best and most entertaining ways to get an education.
While classes, books and internet sites are great ways to learn and build your
knowledge base, travel takes what you have already learnt and expands upon it.

Question 13.​
India is making strides in the field of technology. Technology has made life easier
and more comfortable than it used to be earlier. At the same time people are turning
to be more and more lazy and disease-prone. Write an article in 150-200 words on
the disadvantages of too much technology. (Comptt. All India 2010)​
Answer:

Disadvantages Of Too Much Technology

By: ABC​
India has made rapid strides in the technological field. Technology has made our life
more easygoing and comfortable than ever before. But these comforts bestowed on
us through technological advancements are doing us more harm than good. In the
21st century, technology has evolved to accommodate a more convenient lifestyle
and meet every need that could possibly need fulfilling. With the right technology in
your home, you might just never feel the need to even leave your bed. Our entire
lifestyle has slowly but surely been completely taken over by technology. This is
having an adverse effect on our well-being. We have become lazy and disease-prone.

Modern technology has given us everything we want, whenever we want and more
than we actually need, with the result that we have become a weak society. Unlike
the older generation, modern-day children do not have the space and freedom of
moving about and end up cramped in front of their computers and video games. This
sedentary style of living causes the child to be antisocial, thus making him socially
weak. Also there is added risk of obesity from less locomotion. A sedentary lifestyle,
coupled with wrong food habits, has made us prone to illnesses. Though technology
has greatly contributed to human development, it has its flip side and it is adversely
affecting our health.

Question 14.​
You are Keshav/Karuna, a social worker and counsellor. You are concerned about the
stressed behaviour of both parents and students during the time of examination.
Write an article in 150-200 videos to be published in a local daily on ‘Supportive
parents and stress-free students’ giving ideas to enhance healthy and meaningful
PARENT- WARD rapport and for making the atmosphere relaxed and encouraging
during examination time. (CompIt. Delhi 2012)​
Answer:

Supportive Parents And Stress-Free Students

By: Karuna,​
Counsellor and Social Worker Most of the students and their parents are under
constant pressure and usually suffer from high levels of stress especially during the
time of examinations. This does them no good because it is a parents duty to reduce
stress in their children and help them overcome it. Young students should not be left
alone to struggle in the most difficult and significant period of their life. They need to
get endless support from their parents. Better interaction between students and
parents can help to settle various problems amicably and create a relaxed
atmosphere during the time of examination. Moreover, parents have to be practical
and realistic in their expectations.

They should always remain positive and acknowledge even the minor achievements
of their children. A healthy and meaningful parent-ward rapport can help a student
overcome stress easily. Every parent should give their child encouragement and
support, especially during academically stressful times. Encourage your child to aim
to do their best and be assured that it is the earnest effort they make and not the
result that matters the most. Students who live in supportive environments, develop
a range of coping strategies and become more resilient.

Question 15.​
You are Keshav/Karuna, a social worker and counsellor. You are concerned about
senior class students ignoring sports activities owing to the pressure of examination
and coaching classes. Write an article in 150-200 words to be published in a local
daily on how sports not only promote physical fitness but also influence our
scholastic achievements. (Comptt. Delhi 2012)​
Answer:

Sports – Not To Be Sidelined

By: Karuna,​
Social Worker and Counsellor It has become an unfortunate trend that senior class
students are ignoring sports activities due to the pressure of examination and
coaching classes. They seem to have forgotten the fact that sports not only promote
physical fitness but will also influence their scholastic achievements. Colleges, in an
effort and interest, to promote sports and games, encourage the admission of
students who have excelled in sports by allotting a sports-quota to them. Besides a
fun and exciting way to get involved in competitive physical activities, playing sports
in high school can also help with college admissions. Sports provide for a well-
rounded character. They help develop skills based on teamwork and comradeship, as
well as teach young people how to set goals and persevere through hardships to
achieve those goals.

Moreover, members of the college admission board are aware of the time and
commitment that goes into being a part of a team sport. They are more interested in
giving admission to those students who are able to strike a keen balance between
sports and academics and who show a depth of commitment to a wide range of
activities. Participating in sports helps to develop these additional traits in a student.
Indulging in a sport positively influences academics by providing an avenue to
release the pent up pressure and easing the minds of students at the time of
examinations.

Question 16.​
Your family has recently shifted from Kota in Rajasthan to Ernakulam in Kerala,
where your house is situated in the midst of beautiful flowering plants and
fruit-yielding trees. Every minute and every second, you are experiencing the joy of
being in the lap of nature. Write an article in 150-200 words on the diversity of nature
that you have experienced. You are Latha/Lalitha of Class XII. (Delhi 2013)​
Answer:

Joys Of Being In The Lap Of Nature

By: Latha, Class XII

When my family shifted from Kota in Rajasthan to Ernakulam in Kerala, I was really
excited because I had heard about the diversity of nature one gets to experience in
this district. Also, I was extremely happy to be moving away from the dry and arid
climate of Rajasthan. But nothing could have ever prepared me for the natural joy I
experienced when I reached Ernakulam.

Ernakulam is known as the Queen of the Arabian Sea. In addition to getting a

glimpse of the traditional rural Kerala lifestyle and the variant villages, to the coconut
plantations and the coir villages, it was a relish to see the scenic views of the dense
green tropical forests and colourful birds that enveloped us in an aura of peace and
warmth and brought us closer to nature. It was a treat to be in the midst of the
simple and unsophisticated rustic life and the gorgeous greens. Though Emakulam
is a developed district, it has managed to retain its natural beauty. It is also one of
the finest natural harbours in the world and a major centre of trade and commerce.

Moreover, our house is situated in the middle of beautiful flowering plants and
fruit-yielding trees and each and every second we are experiencing the enormous joy
of being in the lap of nature.

Question 17.​
Write an article in 150-200 words on the topic, ‘Poverty is the cause of all evils’, to be
published in the Young World of ‘The Hindu’, Chennai. (Delhi 2013)​
Answer:

Poverty – The Cause Of All Evils​

By: ABC, Correspondent,
The Hindu, Chennai Poverty, in one way or another, is the fundamental cause of all
evils. It fosters desperation which, in turn, breeds crime. The lack of money breeds
all negative characteristics that people loathe; it breeds hatred, anger and jealousy.

Poverty also breeds racism, classism, ethnicism as the society itself stratifies to
define classes to separate the rich from the poor. It makes people dishonest as they
will do anything to get even a little bit of scarce money. In today’s world, poverty has
become the root cause of all evils, because it has the power and ability to make
people compromise their once held and respected values, cultures and religious
beliefs. Poverty has created a new race of people with common marks of
frustrations, loss of hope, prospects and value of life. Poverty leads to illiteracy,
unemployment, dissatisfaction among individuals, corruption and crime and all these
handicaps not only the growth of individuals but also the growth of the nation as a
whole. There is an urgent need also to find solutions to reduce the gap between the
rich and the poor.

Thus, poverty is indeed one of the biggest problems that is affecting our society and
it definitely stands as a major obstacle in the development of an advanced,
progressive and peaceful nation.

Question 18.​
Write an article in 150-200 words for your school magazine on the topic, ‘Obesity
among School Children’. You are Mohini/Mohit. (All India 2013)​
Answer:

Obesity Among School Children​

By: Mohini

Obesity among school children is a global problem that is on the rise. It appears to
increase the risk of subsequent morbidity, whether or not obesity persists into
adulthood.

Recent studies on urban Indian school children report a high prevalence of obese
and overweight children. Outcomes related to childhood obesity include
hypertension, type 2 diabetes mellitus, orthopaedic and psychosocial problems.

The present generation children are more couch-potatoes who refrain from indulging
in any kind of physical activity and are confined indoors most of the time. They have
neither the urge nor the time to play outdoor games. A majority of children prefer to
spend their time either glued to the television or the computer. Lack of physical
activity combined with eating junk food makes children easy prey to diseases and
ailments which were never heard of in childhood. Added to this is the lack of time
because of which a child’s parents and teachers are unable to pay due attention to
the child’s diet.
The need of the hour is thus a possible role of change in the dietary pattern and the
physical activities of children so as to ensure that they lead healthy lives. Games,
yoga and other sports should be made a compulsory part of school curriculum. Also
it is imperative that all junk food is banned from school canteens which should
replace this with healthy nutritious foods.

Question 19.​
You are Raman/Ruchika. Write an article in 150-200 words for your school magazine
on the topic, ‘Life without Modern Gadgets’. (All India 2013)​
Answer:

Life Without Modern Gadgets​

By: Ruchika

Modern gadgets have enslaved us. They have made the world jump forward with a
leap, built a glittering civilization, opened up innumerable avenues for the growth of
knowledge, and added to the power of man to such an extent that it is possible to
conceive that man could triumph over and shape his physical environment.

Our life is driven by gadgets and gizmos so much so that we cannot imagine even a
day without them. On the domestic front, electronic kitchen appliances have proved
to be a boon for housewives and relieved pressure off them. The biggest brands in
mobile phones are also focusing on the present day needs and visualising them in
their gadgets. Our life comes to a pause whenever we are disconnected from the
internet. Education, communication, commerce and industry are all dependent on
modern gadgets.

These modem gadgets have brought us to a height of extreme convenience to such

an extent that we have forgotten our roots of simplicity—the simplicity of doing
things ourselves instead of a ‘machine’ doing it for us, the simplicity of working
together physically instead of creating our own workspace at home, confining
ourselves to a lonesome boundary in life.

Life has really widened its prospect and with these modem gadgets around we can
do everything happily and conveniently. We can do our personal stuff on these and
make them an important ‘member’ of our life.

Question 20.​
Last week as you were coming back from school you happened to see a huge plastic
bag full of leftovers of food being flung into the middle of the road from a speeding
car. You wondered how people can be so devoid of civic sense. Write an article in
125-150 words on why we lack civic sense and how civic sense can be inculcated in
children at a very young age. You are Shiva/Shamini. (All India 2014)​
Answer:
 Necessity To Inculcate Civic Sense​
By: Shiva

It is indeed astonishing how people in our country can be so devoid of civic sense. It
is not considered as an important value so it is not inculcated in children at a very
young age and is not practised and encouraged at home.

When people talk about cleanliness of public places in India, civic sense or the lack
of it is often quoted as one of the prime reasons for the squalor that we see all
around us. And this horrid state of apathy is not limited to the lower and uneducated
sections of society. Even the affluent and educated folks are devoid of civic sense.
This is because civic sense is not inculcated in us from a very young age. Therefore
steps should be taken up to inculcate civic education at the school level itself.
Incentives should be given to people who show and practise civic sense. Use of
dustbins should be encouraged and there should be stringent laws for those who
flout basic civic sense.

This change has to come from within each individual. If things are left to rot they
become self-perpetuating. Each one of us should try to resolve, to breathe and reside
in a pristine and hygienic surrounding.