Quiz:ReadingComprehension

HelloReaders,
Today's post is related to the recent reports
published by United States Commission on International Religious
Freedom(USCIRF)fortheyear2015.Itshowstheperceptionofoutside
world towards our country. It will be relevant for SSc, IBPS, SBI, And
otherInsuranceexams.

Directions(Q.110):Readthefollowingpassagecarefullyandanswerthe
questions given below. Certain words/phrases have been printed in
boldtohelpyoulocatethem.

What constitutes the image of a country? This is a particularly

complexquestionforacountrylikeIndiawhichisnotonlyayoungRepublic
but also an ancient civilisation. To my mind, Indias image, for the outside
gaze, rests on several factors: the fact that it is the worlds largest
functioningdemocracyitisanancientland,withaculturethatismarkedby
antiquity, diversity, assimilation, continuity and peaks of unparalleled
refinementitisacountrywhichhasconsciouslychosenthepathofrespect
for plurality it is a nation which believes in religious tolerance, as is only
befitting a land where four of the worlds great religions Hinduism,
Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism were born, and which also has the second
largest number of Muslims on the planet it is a country which has the
potential to emerge as a super power, with a great deal of economic
promise, including the incentive of a very large market, notwithstanding the
factthatitstillhastoomanyofthe abjectly poor, the malnourished and the
illiterate and, finally, that it is a country that is essentially liberal in its
outlook, with space for dissent and debate, and, therefore, unrelentingly
opposed to the monolithic fundamentalisms that are sweeping across large
partsoftheworld.
The image of a country is thus a holistic construct. Many deep
rooted pillars underpin it, while on the surface several banners flutter
perennially:Bollywood,yoga,theTajMahal,RaviShankarandchickentikka.
Thebigmistakeistobelievethatasingledesirablefactor,suchasastable
government, or a period of high economic growth rate, or an effective
machinery of propaganda and projection, are sufficient to give a country an
attractive image. Hard power, soft power, a certain value system, and an
unmistakable civilisational mystique must combine in the right proportions
togivetoacountrylikeIndiatherightimageglobally.Itisinthiscontextthat
wemustseetheannualReportfor2015oftheUnitedStatesCommissionon
InternationalReligiousFreedom(USCIRF).ThereportplacesIndiainagroup
of30countriesthatmeetasystematic,ongoingandegregiousstandardfor
failing to protect religious freedoms. In its fivepage focus on India, the
commission expresses deep concern over the Ghar Vapsi campaign of
forced conversions, the attacks on churches, and the hate diatribe carried
out against Muslim minorities. What is significant, and possibly in terms of
emphasis unprecedented, is that the report indicts the government for not
reiningintheHindunationalistgroupsthatarecarryingouttheattackonthe
minorities.Todealwiththissituation,itadvocatesanewlevelofactivismfor
the U.S. government. The concerns regarding religious freedom must
become a part of the IndiaU.S. bilateral dialogue, it says. The U.S. must
urge the Indian government to publicly rebuke those making derogatory
remarksaboutreligiouscommunities.Takingactivismastepfurther,iteven
recommendsthattheU.S.Ambassadorshouldvisitplaceswherecommunal
violence has occurred or is likely to occur. To be fair, the report also takes
positive note of Prime Minister Narendra Modis speech to Catholic Bishops
inFebruary2015wherehespokeoftheneedtoensurecompletefreedomof

faith. But it does so by citing the fact that Mr. Modi faces longstanding
allegationsofbeingcomplicitintheantiMuslimriotsin Gujarat in 2002,
and was denied a visa for this very reason under the U.S. International
Religious Freedom Act. Disturbing perception Such intrusive comments on
our internal matters by other countries are neither desirable nor necessary.
As a democracy, and with established institutions to safeguard our
Constitutional commitments to secularism, we are quite capable of fighting
our internal frictions. Besides, no country has the right to lecture to others
from a selfanointed pedestal. There are several areas where American
societytoofallsshortofacceptablestandardsofbehaviour,bothintermsof
equity and equality. Would our American friends like it if India were to
produceareportonsuchmatters,andurgeourAmbassadorinWashingtonto
visit areas where, for instance, racist incidents occur? There are standard
conventions which govern diplomatic niceties, and no country, however
powerful, has the right to transgress them. The USCIRF may have no
legislative or executive powers itself. But it is a bipartisan Congressional
body, and does exercise considerable influence on the State Departments
assessments on religious freedom. To that extent, the fact that it is
technicallynotapartoftheformalU.S.governmentisbutafigleaf.
This being said, the Congressional report does convey a certain
disturbing perception about India. Perceptions affect image. And, while our
reservations about outsider comments remain relevant, we should be
concerned about why a friendly country has articulated such a damning
perception. Is it just bias, prejudice and condescension? Or, is there
something we need to wake up about, take stock, introspect and apply the
right correctives? The truth is that, notwithstanding the gratuitous U.S.
comment,therehasbeeneversincethenewgovernmentcametopower
a sharp increase in organised attempts by elements of the Bharatiya
Janata PartyRashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and the affiliated Sangh
Parivar to whip up communal disharmony. A consistent hate campaign
against the minorities has been orchestrated using artifices like love jihad
andgharvapsi.Churcheshavecomeunderattack,includingshamefully,in
the capital of the nation. A campaign of demographic scaremongering is
under way, with calls by Sadhvis and Sakshis and even a certain
Shankaracharya urging Hindu women to have anything from four to 40
children. Inflammatory speeches by the likes of Yogi Adityanath and Sadhvi
Niranjan Jyoti, and proclamations by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) that
India will soon be a purely Hindu country, have become the norm. The net
consequence is that Indias image as a secular country committed to
respecting all faiths has taken a beating. There is a genuine fear that the
governanceagenda,totheextentthatwehaveseenanyrealsubstanceofit
thus far, will be overwhelmed by the perennial social instability caused by
deliberateanduncheckedattemptstostokecommunaldivisions.
SourceTheHindu,DelhiEdition,6thMay
Q.1.Chooseanappropriatetitleforthepassage.
1)ControversialIndia
2)ModiandControversies
3)TheFaceOff
4)TheDeadBlades
5)OfImagesandPerception
Q.2.What does the author mean by the phrase longstanding
allegationsofbeingcomplicitintheantiMuslimriots?
1)Supposedtobethepartofriots.
2)Allegedtobeinvolvedwiththemuslimintheriot.
3)Proclaimedtobeinvolvedintheriot.
4)Alloftheabove
5)Noneoftheabove
Q.3.Whichofthefollowingistrueaccordingtothepassage?

A) Instigating speech by certain MPs has sparked the feeling of

insecurity.
B)Beingademocracy,wearequiteenabledbyourconstitutiontofight
theinternal
C)GharVapsiwasproperlypropagatedbytheleadersofBJP
1)AandB
2)AandC
3)A
4)B
5)A,BandC
Q.4.Whatmadetheauthorwritetheabovepassage?
1)AccumulationofrecentprotestsandactivitiesbySocialActivists.
2)Beingaresponsiblecitizen,hegotinspiredbythesesocialissues.
3)TherecentdebateontheissueofGharVapasi.
4)DuetotherecentreportbyUSCIRFonIndia.
5)Noneoftheabove
Q.5.WhichoftheFamousMPsnameshavenotbeenmentionedinthe
passage?
1)YogiAdityanath
2)SadhviNiranjanJyoti
3)NarendraModi
4)RahulGandhi
5)Alloftheabove
Q.6.Whatisthesynonymofthewordintrospect?
1)Selfcontemplation
2)Selfproclamation
3)Selfindependence
4)Alloftheabove
5)Noneoftheabove
Q.7.Whatistheantonymofthewordcondescension?
1)Simplified
2)Superficial
3)Superciliousness
4)Adorable
5)None
Q.8.Whatisthesynonymofthewordassimilation?
1)None
2)Absorption
3)Articulation
4)Incognitive
5)Harmony
Q.9.Whatisthesynonymofthewordabjectly?
1)Miserable
2)Scurvy
3)Scummy
4)Contemptible
5)None

Q.10.Whatisthesynonymoftheworddiatribe?
1)denunciation
2)broadside
3)fulmination
4)Alloftheabove
5)Noneoftheabove
1.(5
2.(3
3.(1
4.(4
5.(4
6.(1
7.(3
8.(2
9.(5
10.(4