Modern Literature — Set 2

Correct Answer: C. Jawaharlal Nehru

• **Jawaharlal Nehru** = authored 'The Discovery of India', a profound analysis of Indian history and culture written during his imprisonment. • **Ahmednagar Fort** — the location where Jawaharlal Nehru was imprisoned and wrote 'The Discovery of India' between 1942 and 1945. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Subhash Chandra Bose: a prominent nationalist leader, known for forming Azad Hind Fauj; Sardar Patel: India's first Deputy Prime Minister, known as the 'Iron Man of India'; Lal Bahadur Shastri: India's second Prime Minister.

Correct Answer: B. Mulk Raj Anand

• **Mulk Raj Anand** = wrote 'Untouchable', a pioneering novel that sheds light on the lives of oppressed castes in India. • **1935** — the year 'Untouchable' was published, a significant work that addressed social issues through the life of a young sweeper. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: R.K. Narayan: famous for stories set in the fictional town of Malgudi; Khushwant Singh: known for 'Train to Pakistan'; Raja Rao: known for 'Kanthapura' and philosophical novels.

Correct Answer: D. Khushwant Singh

• **Khushwant Singh** = authored the historical novel 'Train to Pakistan', depicting the human tragedy during the 1947 Partition of India. • **1947** — the year of India's Partition, which serves as the backdrop for Khushwant Singh's poignant novel 'Train to Pakistan'. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Saadat Hasan Manto: a renowned Urdu short story writer, known for his partition stories; Kamleshwar: a prominent Hindi writer and screenwriter; Bhisham Sahni: known for his novel 'Tamas', also based on partition.

Correct Answer: B. Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay

• **Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay** = wrote the iconic Bengali novel 'Devdas', a classic tragedy of unrequited love and social barriers. • **1917** — the year 'Devdas' was published as a novel, after being serialized, becoming one of the most adapted Indian literary works. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Rabindranath Tagore: Nobel laureate, known for 'Gitanjali'; Tarasankar Bandyopadhyay: a prominent Bengali novelist, wrote 'Hansuli Banker Upakatha'; Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay: author of 'Pather Panchali'.

Correct Answer: C. Jaishankar Prasad

• **Jaishankar Prasad** = authored 'Kamayani', an influential epic poem considered a masterpiece of the Chhayavad movement in Hindi literature. • **Chhayavad movement** — the literary period in Hindi literature where Jaishankar Prasad was a leading figure, with 'Kamayani' being a cornerstone work. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Mahadevi Varma: a prominent Chhayavad poetess; Suryakant Tripathi 'Nirala': a key poet of the Chhayavad era; Gajanan Madhav Muktibodh: a major poet of the progressive and experimental era post-Chhayavad.

Correct Answer: B. Aravind Adiga

• **Aravind Adiga** = Aravind Adiga's debut novel 'The White Tiger' won the Man Booker Prize. • **2008** — the year 'The White Tiger' won the Man Booker Prize. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: [Suketu Mehta]: known for 'Maximum City: Bombay Lost and Found'; [Jehane Noujaim]: an Egyptian-American documentary filmmaker, not primarily an author of fiction; [Kiran Desai]: won Man Booker Prize for 'The Inheritance of Loss'.

Correct Answer: D. Girish Karnad

• **Girish Karnad** = Girish Karnad wrote the acclaimed play 'Tughlaq' based on the 14th-century Sultan of Delhi. • **1960s** — the decade 'Tughlaq' served as an allegory for political disillusionment. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: [Vijay Tendulkar]: known for Marathi plays like 'Ghashiram Kotwal'; [Badal Sircar]: a Bengali playwright, known for 'Evam Indrajit'; [Habib Tanvir]: a prominent theatre director and playwright, known for 'Charandas Chor'.

Correct Answer: A. Mahatma Gandhi

• **Mahatma Gandhi** = Mahatma Gandhi penned his autobiography 'My Experiments with Truth' originally in Gujarati. • **'Navjivan'** — the Gujarati journal where Gandhi's autobiography was serialized. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: [Gopal Krishna Gokhale]: Gandhi's political guru, not the author of his autobiography; [Mahadev Desai]: Gandhi's secretary, who translated the autobiography into English, but did not write it; [Vinoba Bhave]: a spiritual successor to Gandhi, known for the Bhoodan Movement.

Correct Answer: A. Verghese Kurien

• **Verghese Kurien** = 'I Too Had a Dream' is the autobiography of Dr. Verghese Kurien, the 'Father of the White Revolution'. • **Amul cooperative movement** — a significant initiative detailed in Kurien's autobiography, leading to India becoming the world's largest milk producer. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: [M.S. Swaminathan]: an agricultural scientist known for his role in India's Green Revolution; [Sam Pitroda]: an engineer and entrepreneur, known for his contributions to India's telecom revolution; [E. Sreedharan]: known as the 'Metro Man' for his role in developing India's metro rail systems.

Correct Answer: B. J.K. Rowling

• **J.K. Rowling** = J.K. Rowling is the British author behind the globally renowned 'Harry Potter' series. • **80 languages** — the number of languages into which the 'Harry Potter' series has been translated. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: [Suzanne Collins]: known for 'The Hunger Games' series; [Stephenie Meyer]: known for 'The Twilight Saga'; [Roald Dahl]: a classic children's author, known for 'Matilda'.