UGC NET English June 2024 Solved Paper: Indian Writing in English

Correct Answer: 2 (A–IV, B–I, C–II, D–III)

Explanation (Indian Classics in Translation): This question highlights the pivotal moments of Orientalism and the Indian Renaissance when sacred texts were first rendered into English.

• Upanishads (A-IV): Raja Ram Mohan Roy was a pioneer in translating Hindu scriptures into English (and Bengali) in the early 1800s to support his socio-religious reforms and introduce the concept of monotheistic Vedantism to the world.
• Ramayana (B-I): Ralph T.H. Griffith produced a monumental 5-volume verse translation of the Ramayan of Valmiki between 1870 and 1874.
• Mahabharata (C-II): Manmatha Nath Dutt was a prolific translator of the late 19th century who provided one of the earliest English prose translations of the full Mahabharata (1895–1905).
• The Bhagavad Gita (D-III): Charles Wilkins produced the very first direct English translation of the Bhagvat-Geeta in 1785, with an introduction by Warren Hastings. This work significantly influenced the European Romantic poets.

Correct Answer: 3 (B and C only)

Explanation (Language and the Constitution): Part XVII of the Indian Constitution deals with the Official Language. For the Union specifically, only Articles 343 and 344 apply.

• Article 343 (B): Declares Hindi in Devanagari script as the official language of the Union, while allowing the continued use of English for 15 years (and beyond).
• Article 344 (C): Mandates the President to constitute a Commission/Committee to review the progress of Hindi and the restriction of English for official purposes.
• Article 342 (A): ❌ Relates to Scheduled Tribes.
• Article 345 & 346 (D & E): ❌ These deal with Regional Languages (States) and communication between states, not the Union's designation.

Correct Answer: 4 (A–II, B–III, C–IV, D–I)

Explanation (Classic Indian English Fiction): This question focuses on the "Big Three" of Indian English literature (Anand, Rao, Narayan) along with Bhabani Bhattacharya.

• Coolie (A-II): Mulk Raj Anand's naturalistic novel follows Munoo, a hill-boy who dies of tuberculosis, symbolizing the exploitation of the working class.
• The Serpent and the Rope (B-III): Raja Rao's philosophical masterpiece features Ramaswamy, a Brahmin searching for spiritual truth while in Europe.
• Waiting for the Mahatma (C-IV): R.K. Narayan's story of Sriram, who falls in love with a follower of Gandhi and joins the freedom struggle.
• Shadow from Ladakh (I-D): Bhabani Bhattacharya's Sahitya Akademi winning novel features Satyajit, representing Gandhian ideals in contrast to industrial modernization.

Correct Answer: 3 (E, C, B, A, D)

Author Birth Timeline:

• Michael Madhusudan Dutt (E): 1824 — Pioneering poet who introduced blank verse and the sonnet to Indian literature.
• Toru Dutt (C): 1856 — The "Keats of Indo-Anglian poetry," died tragically young at 21.
• Mulk Raj Anand (B): 1905 — One of the "Big Three" of Indian fiction, focused on social realism.
• Manohar Malgonkar (A): 1913 — Known for his historical epics and military themes.
• Khushwant Singh (D): 1915 — Prolific novelist and historian of the Sikhs.

Correct Answer: 2 (E, B, D, A, C)

Amitav Ghosh Publication Timeline:

• The Circle of Reason (E): 1986 (Debut Novel).
• The Shadow Lines (B): 1988 (Sahitya Akademi Winner).
• The Calcutta Chromosome (D): 1996 (A medical/science fiction thriller).
• The Hungry Tide (A): 2004 (Set in the Sundarbans).
• Sea of Poppies (C): 2008 (First of the Ibis Trilogy).

Correct Answer: 1 (D, B, E, A, C)

Correct Answer: 3 (D, C, A, E, B)

Karnad’s Literary Evolution:

• Yayati (D): 1961 (His first play, based on the Mahabharata).
• Tughlaq (C): 1964 (His most famous historical play).
• Hayavadana (A): 1971 (Based on Thomas Mann's The Transposed Heads).
• Bali (E): 1980 (Exploring non-violence).
• Nagmandala (B): 1988 (Based on Kannada folk-tales).

Correct Answer: 3 (E, D, B, C, A)

The Timeline:

• All About H. Hatterr (E): 1948 — G.V. Desani’s linguistic firework.
• Inquilab (D): 1955 — K.A. Abbas’s historical saga.
• Face to Face (B): 1957 — Ved Mehta’s poignant autobiography.
• I Shall Not Hear the Nightingale (C): 1959 — Khushwant Singh’s second novel.
• The Foreigner (A): 1968 — Arun Joshi’s existential debut.

Correct Answer: 2 (A–IV, B–II, C–I, D–III)

Explanation (Modern Indian Fiction & Crime): This list bridges classic detective fiction with contemporary prize-winning novels.

• Feluda (A-IV): Created by Satyajit Ray, Prodosh Chandra Mitter (Feluda) is the quintessential Bengali detective, often accompanied by his cousin Topshe.
• The Perfect Murder (B-II): A short, suspenseful work by Ruskin Bond, demonstrating his versatility beyond children's stories and nature writing.
• Sacred Games (C-I): Vikram Chandra's magnum opus that blends Mumbai's underworld with metaphysical questions and nuclear threat.
• Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line (D-III): Deepa Anappara's debut, which uses a child's voice to explore child disappearances and social inequality in an Indian city.

Correct Answer: 3 (A–III, B–I, C–IV, D–II)

Explanation (Indian Classical Criticism): These are fundamental texts of Sanskrit aesthetics and linguistics (Sahitya Sastra).

• Dhvanyaloka (A-III): The foundational text for Dhvani Theory (Suggestion) by Anandavardhana. It argues that the "suggestive power" is the soul of poetry.
• Kavyadarsa (B-I): A major work on Alankara (Poetic Ornamentation) by Dandin, focusing on the stylistic features of poetry.
• Vakyapadiya (C-IV): Bhartrhari's seminal work on the philosophy of grammar, exploring the concept of Sphota (the flash of meaning).
• Dasarupa (D-II): Dhananjaya's treatise specifically on the ten forms of drama, expanding on the concepts originally laid out in Bharata's Natyasastra.

Correct Answer: 4 (B, D, A, C, E)

Explanation (Sanskrit Dramaturgy): In the Dasarupa, Dhananjaya describes the Pañcavasthā (five stages of the deed). This sequence is the structural backbone of Sanskrit drama plot development.

• Aarambha (B): The Beginning/Initiation. The mere desire to attain a particular result.
• Yatna (D): Effort. The active striving toward the result.
• Praaptyaashaa (A): Prospect of Success. A state where achievement seems possible but remains uncertain due to obstacles.
• Niyatapti (C): Certainty of Success. The stage where obstacles are removed and the result is assured.
• Phalaagama (E): Attainment of Result. The final realization of the goal.

Correct Answer: 3 (A, B and C only)

Explanation (Post-Colonial Feminism): In this seminal essay, Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak critiques 19th-century "White Liberal Feminism" for being complicit in the imperialist project.

• Jane Eyre (B): Spivak argues that Jane's liberation as a feminist subject is built upon the literal and metaphorical "sacrifice" of the subaltern woman, Bertha Mason.
• Wide Sargasso Sea (A): She analyzes Jean Rhys's novel as a "re-writing" of Jane Eyre that attempts to give voice to Bertha (Antoinette), yet still remains bound within certain imperialist frameworks.
• Frankenstein (C): Spivak examines Mary Shelley's text as a critique of the "soul-making" and "child-bearing" motifs that define domestic and imperialist ideologies.

Correct Answer: 1 (A and B only)

Explanation (Dalit Discourse):

• Undelivered Speech (A): It was originally prepared for the 1936 conference of the Jat-Pat Todak Mandal but was cancelled as its contents were too radical for the organizers.
• Core Philosophy (B): Ambedkar argues that an ideal society must be based on Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity, which is impossible as long as the Caste System exists.
• Nature of Work: It is a political and philosophical treatise, not a novel (E), and it advocates for the total destruction of the caste hierarchy, not its preservation (D).

Correct Answer: 2 (E, A, B, D, C)

Correct Answer: 3 (B, C, E, A, D)

Release Timeline:

• Khamoshi: The Musical (B): 1996 (Deaf/Mute characters).
• Iqbal (C): 2005 (Deaf/Mute cricketer).
• Fanaa (E): 2006 (Visual impairment).
• Paa (A): 2009 (Progeria).
• Margarita with a Straw (D): 2014/15 (Cerebral Palsy).

Correct Answer: 3 (A, C, E only)

Explanation (Social Movements in Literature): The Dalit Panthers was a militant organization founded in 1972 in Mumbai.

• Origins (A & E): Inspired by the Black Panther Party (USA), it emerged from the radical Little Magazine Movement where writers used literature as a weapon against caste.
• Leadership (C): It was famously led by poets like Namdeo Dhasal, Raja Dhale, and J.V. Pawar.
• Fact Check (B & D): ❌ Ambedkar died in 1956 and Phule died in 1890; while they were the ideological fathers, they could not have participated in or founded a movement that started in 1972.