Maharashtra Board Textbook Solutions for Standard Eight

Chapter 2.4 - Three Visions for India

vision : a dream, an ideal

standing up to : being brave and facing challenges

potential : capacity, ability

validated : confirmed with proof

took over : took the authority of 

nurture : develop

globally recognized : noticed and accepted all over the world

self-reliant : self-dependant 

remote sensing satellites : man made satellites launched into space for communication, weather forecast etc.

self-sustaining : providing for one’s needs

self-driving : controlling oneself

gory : involving bloodshed and violence

proclaim : declare confidently to all

Warming up!

1. Read the Preamble of the Constitution of India given in your textbook. Pick out words that refer to the following.

(i) Brotherhood 

Ans: fraternity

 

(ii) Freedom 

Ans: liberty

 

(iii) Earnestly and seriously 

Ans: solemnly

 

(iv) Fair and impartial treatment 

Ans: equality

 

(v) Having supreme authority 

Ans: sovereign

 

(vi) Unity and oneness 

Ans: integrity 

 

(vii) A promise made to oneself 

Ans: resolve

2. Finite and Non- finite Verbs. 

Verbs are Action words. They can be Finite or Non-finite.

Read the sentences below, focusing on the verbs.

(a) I play football.

(b) He plays football.

(c) They play football.

(d) Manish plays football.

 

We notice that the verb ‘play’ as we change the person (First / Second /  Third) or Number (Singular / Plural) of the Subject.

 

When the use of a verb is limited by the Person or Number of the Noun / Pronoun in the Subject, we call it a Finite Verb.

 

Now read the sentences below.

(a) I like to play football.

(b) He likes to play football.

(c) They like playing football.

(d) Manish likes to play football.

 

In the sentences above the verb ‘to play’ or ‘playing’ do not change or take ‘-s’ or ‘-es’ after them, even when we change the Person or Number of the Subject.

 

to + verb / verb + ing / verb + en / ed / having + verb + en / ed are not limited by their Subject. Such verbs are called Non-finite Verbs.

In Between The Lesson

Q1. What helped Dr Kalam fix the three visions for India?

Ans: Dr. Kalam fixed the three visions for India based on the achievements and progress he had witnessed in the history of the nation and during his own career as a missile scientist.

 

Q2. How should we handle our freedom?

Ans: We should protect and nurture our freedom and build on it.

 

Q3. What are the characteristics of a developed nation?

Ans: The characteristics of a developed nation are self assurance, self reliance and self confidence.

 

Q4. What are the drawbacks of us Indians?

Ans: Our drawbacks are:

(i) We do not have self-confidence, self-reliance and self-assurance.

(ii) We are embarrassed to recognize our own strengths, our own achievements. 

(iii) We have so many success stories but we refuse to acknowledge them.

(iv) Our media is obsessed only with bad news and failures and disasters.

(v) We show gory details of killings, bombardments, deaths, etc. on the front pages of newspapers and overlook the inspiring stories.

(vi) We are obsessed with foreign things. which robs us of our self-reliance and hence self-respect.

 

Q5. What is the prerequisite of self-respect?

Ans: The prerequisite of self-respect is self-reliance.

 

Q6. What foreign stuff are we Indians crazy about?

Ans: The foreign stuff we Indians are crazy about is foreign TVs, foreign shirts and foreign technology

 

Q7. What is the dream of the 14 year old girl in Hyderabad?

Ans: The dream of the 14 year old girl in Hyderabad is to live in a developed India.

ENGLISH WORKSHOP

1. Complete Dr APJ Abdul Kalam’s profile with information picked from the lesson.

PROFILE – Dr APJ Abdul Kalam

 

(a) Title : 

Ans: Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam

 

(b) Profession : 

Ans: Missile scientist.

 

(c) Branch of science : 

Ans: Physics and Aerospace Engineering.

 

(d) Important position in Government held : 

Ans: 11th President of India

 

(e) His three visions for India : 

Ans: Freedom, Development and Standing Up to the rest of the World.

2. Using a dictionary / internet note down the main differences between .

(a) a developing nation and a developed nation

Ans: 

a developing nation: a country that is poor and whose citizens are mostly agricultural workers, and the average income is very low.

a developed nation: a country with a lot of industrial activity, high economic growth and where people have high incomes.

 

(b) self-reliant and self-assured

Ans: 

self-reliant: not needing help or support from other people.

self-assured: having confidence in yourself.

 

(c) our strengths and our achievements

Ans: 

our strengths: the qualities and abilities that we have which are an advantage to us, or which make us successful.

our achievements: our successes or accomplishments.

 

(d) farm and granary

Ans: 

farm: a large area used for growing crops, flowers, etc.

granary: a storehouse for grain

 

(e) a remote-sensing satellite and a natural satellite

Ans: 

a remote-sensing satellite: artificial or man-made satellites with remote sensors which have been launched into space to measure various things.

a natural satellite: any celestial body in space that orbits around a larger body.

3. Find evidence from the lesson and write in your own words.

(a) Indians respect the freedom of others. 

Ans: India has not tried to conquer anyone, or grab their land. culture and history. We have not tried to force our way of life on anyone. This is because Indians respect the freedom of others.

 

(b) It is time to see ourselves as a developed nation.

Ans: We have been a developing nation for 50 years. Now we are among the top five nations of the world in terms of GDP. We have ten percent growth rate in most areas. Our poverty levels are falling and our achievements are being recognized globally. It is time to see ourselves as a developed nation.

 

(c) We Indians are obsessed with foreign things. 

Ans: We Indians are obsessed with foreign things and we want to have things like foreign TVs, foreign shirts and foreign technology.

 

(d) In Israel the media have a positive outlook and self-respect.

Ans: In Israel. It was the day after Hamas had struck and a lot of attacks, bombardments and deaths had taken place. However, the front page of the newspaper had an inspiring picture of a Jewish gentleman who in five years had transformed his desert land into an orchid farm and granary. The gory details of the killings, bombardments, deaths, etc. were Inside the newspaper, buried among other news. This showed that in Israel the media have a positive outlook and self-respect.

 

(e) India has many amazing success stories.

Ans: India has many amazing success stories. We are not only the second largest producer of wheat in the world, but also the second largest producer of rice. We are the first in milk production and are number one in remote sensing satellites. We have great personalities like Dr. Sudarshan, who has transformed a tribal village into a self-sustaining, self-driving unit.

4. Pick out some sentences from the lesson that convey a general truth.

(i) If we are not free, no one will respect us.

Ans: 

(ii) We must stand up to the world or no one will respect us.

(iii) Only strength respects strength.

(iv) Military power and economic power – both must go hand in hand.

5. Find out from the internet the poem ‘Song of Youth’ by Dr APJ Abdul Kalam.

(A) Copy it down in your notebook and write its theme in your own words.

Ans: Students should do this on their own.

(B) Using information from your library or the Internet, prepare a Profile of any great Indian Scientist. (Refer to Activity 1 for points)

Ans: Students should do this on their own.

6. Say whether each of the verbs, underlined below, are Finite or Non-finite.. 

(a) We lack the confidence to see ourselves as a developed nation. 

Ans: lack – Finite

to see – Non-finite

developed – Non-finite

 

(b) We stand first in producing milk.

Ans: stand – Finite

producing – Non-finite

 

(c) I want to live in a developed India.

Ans: want – Finite

to live – Non-finite

 

(d) We prefer buying imported things.

Ans: prefer – Finite

buying – Non-finite

 

(e) Indians never try to force their way of life on others.

Ans: to force – Non-finite

 

(f) Having invaded India, they captured our land.

Ans: captured – Finite

7. Phrases and Clauses

Study the underlined groups of words.

(i) (a) He wore a shirt made of cotton.

(b) He wore a shirt which was made of cotton. 

 

(ii) (a) Are you sure of your innocence?

(b) Are you sure that you are innocent?

 

(iii) (a) This is the exact reason for his failure.

(b) This is exactly why he has failed.

 

(iv) (a) Pay careful attention to my words.

(b) Pay careful attention to what I say. 

 

(v) (a) After finishing his work, he went home.

(b) He finished his work and he went home.

 

You will notice that all underlined groups of words in sentences marked (a) merely refer to a concept or expression. They do not contain a Subject or a Main or Principal Verb. Such a group of words or unit of a sentence is called a PHRASE.

 

Each of the underlined groups of words in sentences marked (b) convey a thought / concept and have a Subject and a Principal or Main Verb.

This unit / part of a sentence is called a CLAUSE.

 

Say whether the underlined parts of the following sentences are Phrases or Clauses. 

(i) People from all over the world have invaded us. 

Ans: Phrase

 

(ii) I believe that India had its first vision of freedom in 1857. 

Ans: Clause

 

(iii) It is this freedom that we must respect.

Ans: Clause

 

(iv) We are a great nation.

Ans: Phrase

 

(v) I want to live in a developed India.

Ans: Phrase

 

(vi) We have so many amazing success stories but we refuse to acknowledge them.

Ans: Clause 

 

(vii) We have a 10 percent growth rate in most areas.

Ans: Phrase

 

Replace the underlined Phrases with Clauses.

(a) Do you know his place of birth? 

Ans: Do you know where he was born?

 

(b) In his absence, the thieves looted his house.

Ans: When he was absent, the thieves looted his house.

 

(c) I am a citizen of India.

Ans: I am a citizen who belongs to India.