UPSC Prelims 2000 Q31: Art & Culture – Literature & Languages
- (a) I - C, II - B, III - D, IV - A
- (b) I - D, II - B, III - C, IV - A
- (c) I - D, II - A, III - C, IV - B
- (d) I - C, II - A, III - D, IV - B
Answer: (b) I - D, II - B, III - C, IV - A
Explanation
Books and their authors
| Book | Author |
|---|---|
| My Music, My Life (1968) | Ravi Shankar — sitar maestro's autobiography |
| Adha Gaon (1966) | Rahi Masoom Raza — Hindi novel of Gangauli village, Ghazipur |
| Radha (Sri Radha) | Ramakanta Rath — Odia poet; Saraswati Samman 2009 |
| The Pilferer (Uchalya) | Laxman Gaikwad — Marathi autobiography; Sahitya Akademi 1988 |
My Music, My Life is the autobiography of sitarist Ravi Shankar.
Adha Gaon is the Hindi novel by Rahi Masoom Raza, set among the Shia Muslims of a village near Ghazipur around Partition; Raza later wrote the dialogue for the TV *Mahabharat*.
Sri Radha is a long poem by the Odia poet Ramakanta Rath.
The Pilferer is the English translation of Uchalya, Laxman Gaikwad's autobiography about his community, once branded a 'criminal tribe'.
So the match is I-D, II-B, III-C, IV-A.
Answer: (b) I - D, II - B, III - C, IV - A.
Why each option is right or wrong
- (a) Incorrect. It gives My Music, My Life to Ramakanta Rath and Radha to Ravi Shankar.
- (b) CORRECT. Ravi Shankar, Rahi Masoom Raza, Ramakanta Rath, Laxman Gaikwad.
- (c) Incorrect. Adha Gaon is Raza's, not Gaikwad's, and The Pilferer is Gaikwad's.
- (d) Incorrect. It swaps both pairs.
Key point
Uchalya (The Pilferer) is a landmark of Marathi Dalit autobiography.
Remember
Ravi Shankar, Rahi Masoom Raza, Ramakanta Rath, Laxman Gaikwad.
Common mistakes
- Swapping Ravi Shankar and Ramakanta Rath because both begin with 'R'.
- Giving Adha Gaon to Laxman Gaikwad.
- Not knowing that The Pilferer is a translation of Uchalya.
Exam tip
Start with the certain pair: My Music, My Life = Ravi Shankar.
Sources
- Sahitya Akademi — Awards 1955-2000 list (Laxman Gaikwad, Uchalya, Marathi, 1988)
- Ravi Shankar — My Music, My Life (Vikas Publishing / Simon and Schuster, 1968)