Indian English Authors — Set 2

Correct Answer: C. Shashi Tharoor

• **Shashi Tharoor** = He is the author of the insightful book 'The Great Indian Novel', which retells the Mahabharata in a modern context. • **20th-century** — The century whose Indian political figures serve as models for characters in 'The Great Indian Novel'. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: [Pawan Varma]: An Indian diplomat and author known for 'Becoming Indian', not 'The Great Indian Novel'; [Ramachandra Guha]: A prominent historian, not primarily known for satirical novels like this; [Sunil Khilnani]: Known for 'The Idea of India', a work of non-fiction, not a novelistic retelling.

Correct Answer: B. Khushwant Singh

• **Khushwant Singh** = He wrote the book 'Train to Pakistan', which vividly depicts the horrors of the partition. • **1956** — The year Khushwant Singh wrote 'Train to Pakistan', describing the human cost of the Partition. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: [Bhisam Sahni]: Known for 'Tamas', another powerful novel about Partition, but not 'Train to Pakistan'; [Saadat Hasan Manto]: A renowned Urdu short story writer on Partition, but 'Train to Pakistan' is by Singh; [Amrita Pritam]: A Punjabi writer and poet, known for 'Pinjar', a novel also on Partition, but not 'Train to Pakistan'.

Correct Answer: D. Amitav Ghosh

• **Amitav Ghosh** = He is known for historical novels such as 'The Glass Palace'. • **'The Glass Palace'** — This novel chronicles the life of a family across Myanmar, India, and Malaysia. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: [Sourav Ganguly]: A famous cricketer, not an author of historical novels; [Anita Desai]: A novelist, mother of Kiran Desai, known for works like 'Clear Light of Day', not these; [Vikram Seth]: Known for 'A Suitable Boy', not these specific historical or trilogy works.

Correct Answer: C. Kiran Desai

• **Kiran Desai** = She authored 'The Inheritance of Loss', which won the Man Booker Prize. • **2006** — The year 'The Inheritance of Loss' by Kiran Desai won the Man Booker Prize. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: [Anita Desai]: Her mother, a prominent novelist, but not the author of this specific book; [Arundhati Roy]: Won the Booker Prize for 'The God of Small Things', not 'The Inheritance of Loss'; [Jhumpa Lahiri]: Won the Pulitzer Prize for 'Interpreter of Maladies', not this novel.

Correct Answer: B. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam

• **A.P.J. Abdul Kalam** = He wrote 'Wings of Fire', an inspiring autobiography of his journey and work. • **President of India** — A.P.J. Abdul Kalam's autobiography 'Wings of Fire' chronicles his journey to this highest office. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: [C.V. Raman]: A physicist and Nobel laureate, but not the author of 'Wings of Fire'; [Homi J. Bhabha]: Known as the 'Father of the Indian Nuclear Programme', but not the author of this autobiography; [Vikram Sarabhai]: Known as the 'Father of the Indian Space Programme', but not the author of 'Wings of Fire'.

Correct Answer: C. Sarojini Naidu

• **Sarojini Naidu** = She was known as the 'Nightingale of India' for her lyrical and patriotic poetry. • **1905** — This year marks the publication of 'The Golden Threshold', her first collection of poems. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: [Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit]: She was a diplomat and politician, not known for writing this poetry collection; [Indira Gandhi]: She was a Prime Minister, not the author of this book; [Annie Besant]: She was a political activist and Theosophist, not the poet of 'The Golden Threshold'.

Correct Answer: D. Amartya Sen

• **Amartya Sen** = He is a Nobel laureate in Economics who explores India's tradition of public debate. • **2005** — This year saw the international critical acclaim and publication of 'The Argumentative Indian'. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: [Raghuram Rajan]: He is an economist and former RBI Governor, not the author of this particular collection; [Shashi Tharoor]: He is a prolific author and politician, but 'The Argumentative Indian' is not his work; [Manmohan Singh]: He is an economist and former Prime Minister, not the writer of this essay collection.

Correct Answer: B. Anita Desai

• **Anita Desai** = She is a pioneer of psychological realism in Indian literature, shortlisted three times for the Booker Prize. • **Old Delhi** — This is the primary setting for the novel, exploring family relationships against the backdrop of the Partition. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: [Jhumpa Lahiri]: She is an American author known for works like 'The Namesake', not 'Clear Light of Day'; [Chitra Banerjee]: (Referring to Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni) She wrote 'The Palace of Illusions'; [Manju Kapur]: She is an Indian novelist known for books such as 'Difficult Daughters'.

Correct Answer: B. R.K. Narayan

• **R.K. Narayan** = He created the fictional town of Malgudi to depict common Indian life with a simple and humorous style. • **1935** — This year marks the publication of 'Swami and Friends', which introduced the character of Swami. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: [Mulk Raj Anand]: He was a pioneer of Indian English fiction, known for social realism, not Malgudi Days; [Raja Rao]: He was an acclaimed writer known for his philosophical novels, not the creator of Swami; [Khushwant Singh]: He was a prominent journalist and author, known for 'Train to Pakistan' among other works.

Correct Answer: C. Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni

• **Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni** = She provides a feminist perspective on the ancient epic Mahabharata through this novel, known for its lyrical prose. • **Mahabharata** — This ancient epic is retold from Draupadi's perspective in 'The Palace of Illusions'. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: [Kiran Desai]: She is known for her novel 'The Inheritance of Loss', which won the Booker Prize; [Anita Nair]: She is an Indian novelist known for her crime fiction and other works; [Arundhati Roy]: She is a celebrated author known for 'The God of Small Things' and her non-fiction writings.