Discursive Passage Worksheet Solutions: Great Indian Digital Divide | Class 11 English Grammar PDF Download

Read the following passage carefully:

1. The revolution in information technology (IT), far from helping India to leapfrog to a post-industrial society, threatens to rupture the social fabric by enriching a few at the cost of many.
2. In a very short time and quite unexpectedly, India has risen to considerable eminence in the world of information technology. This year, software products are expected to account for $ 5.7 billion in exports and will account for a quarter of the growth in the economy, which is expected to grow nearly seven per cent. Within eight years, predicts a recent study by McKinsey & Co. and the National Association of Software & Service Companies (Nasscom), India’s annual IT exports could hit $ 50 billion about 33 per cent of global software exports. Such a surge is expected to generate 2.2 million jobs—and push our growth rate near the double digits that many East Asian Tigers enjoyed before the 1997 crash.
3. For the rapidly growing middle class, which was desperate to make its presence felt but remained mired in the great Indian outback of the global economy and regretfully watched the industrial revolution pass it by, this is the moment they have been waiting for. When countries like Japan and Germany, the objects of Indian admiration, should come knocking on our doors to solicit our talent to invigorate their industry, it is indeed redemption of sorts. And IT is the cause of it all.
4. The big question is, will IT do an encore for India as a nation, and not just for a wafer thin percentage of IT-literate Indians, mostly the poster boys of the IITs?
5. IT has, as yet, failed to touch the lives of the average citizen and India is nowhere close to being a knowledge economy or society. As per the International Data Corporation (IDC), in a survey of 55 countries, India ranks 54th on its Information Society Index.
6. The fact is, it is a straightforward reflection of the deep inequality of our education system which breeds a few ‘geniuses’ at the cost of the entire nation. A study by former director of the National Centre for Software Technology, R. Narasimhan, points out that nowhere is the digital divide more glaring than in IT education. The report warns that India’s ‘obsession’ with the software industry and its exports orientation is leading to the churning out of unemployable students on one hand and bright whiz-kids on the other. While the latter are lured away by overseas employers, the former remain unemployable.
   Narasimhan cautions against the ‘hype’ associated with the phenomenal growth of India’s software industry defying rational explanations and built up into a ‘mystique of sort’ which breeds false hopes. .
7. India’s software industry is a poor employment generator. In the mid-Nineties, some 20,000 people were actively employed in software export services. In contrast, there were three million registered unemployed graduates in the Nineties. While the ‘Narasimhan study doesn’t mention number of hobs lost due to computerisation, one could comfortably add a million to the number.

A. Answer the following questions by choosing the most appropriate option:

Q.1. Growth in export of Indian software products and national economy have been achieved because of_______
(a) global recession
(b) liberalised economy
(c) public private cooperation
(d) eminence of Information Technology

Ans: (d)
Explanation: The passage states that India has risen to considerable eminence in the world of information technology and that software products are expected to account for a significant portion of the country's economic growth. This implies that the growth in export of Indian software products and the national economy have been achieved due to the eminence of Information Technology.

Q.2. The digital divide is clearly visible in IT revolution because_______
(a) it has improved a lot of average Indian citizen
(b) it has benefitted only the products of IITs or some IT-literates
(c) it has made India a knowledge economy or society
(d) non-IT trained students run the IT institutes

Ans: (b)
Explanation: The passage mentions that IT has failed to touch the lives of the average citizen and that India is nowhere close to being a knowledge economy or society. It also highlights the deep inequality in the education system, where a few 'geniuses' are bred while the rest of the nation remains unemployable. This indicates that the digital divide is clearly visible in the IT revolution, as it has mainly benefitted only the products of IITs or some IT-literate individuals.

Q.3. The word ‘redemption’ in para 3 means_______
(a) recoupment
(b) recumbent
(c) recovery
(d) redeeming

Ans: (a)
Explanation: In this context, 'redemption' means recoupment or the act of making up for past failures or shortcomings. It refers to the moment of fulfillment or vindication for the middle class, which has long awaited recognition and opportunities.

Q.4. The revolution in IT threatens to break apart the social fabric because_______
(a) the stocks of software companies have risen at BSE
(b) it has helped India to rise beyond the industrial society
(c) it is enriching a few at the cost of many
(d) it has created a gulf between the rural and urban sector

Ans: (c)
Explanation: The passage states that the revolution in IT threatens to rupture the social fabric by enriching a few at the cost of many. This implies that the inequality caused by the IT revolution, where only a small percentage of people benefit while the majority does not, can lead to social division and discontent.

Q.5. It is a time of pride for the middle classes in India because_______
(a) developed industrial nations will require Indian software professionals to invigorate their industry
(b) they are desperate to make their presence felt
(c) they have remained stuck in the mud of global economy
(d) they have regretfully watched the industrial revolution pass by them

Ans: (a)
Explanation: The passage mentions that the middle class, which has been desperate to make its presence felt, sees this as a moment of pride because they believe that developed industrial nations like Japan and Germany will come knocking on India's doors to seek the talent of Indian software professionals to invigorate their industry.

Q.6. Narasimhan’s report cautions against ‘hype’ around IT software industry because_______
(a) it is rational
(b) it breeds false hopes
(c) all look for foreign assignments
(d) it attracts even the dullards

Ans: (b)
Explanation: The passage states that Narasimhan's report cautions against the 'hype' associated with the phenomenal growth of India's software industry, which has created a 'mystique' and false hopes. This implies that the report highlights the dangers of excessive optimism and unrealistic expectations surrounding the IT software industry.

B. Answer the following questions in brief:

Q.7. Why is IT not beneficial for average Indians?

According to the passage, IT has failed to touch the lives of the average citizen in India. The education system's deep inequality results in the production of a few 'geniuses' while leaving the rest of the population unemployable. This means that the benefits of the IT revolution are not reaching the average Indians.

Q.8. How is it lucrative for the middle classes in India?

The passage suggests that the IT revolution is seen as a time of pride for the middle class in India because they believe that their talent and expertise in the software industry will be sought after by developed industrial nations like Japan and Germany. This perception creates opportunities for the middle class to invigorate their industry and potentially improve their socioeconomic status.

Q.9. Why is the digital divide clearly visible in IT revolution?

The digital divide is clearly visible in the IT revolution because the benefits and opportunities provided by IT are disproportionately enjoyed by a few individuals who are products of prestigious institutions like the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) or are IT-literate. The average citizens, who lack access to quality IT education and resources, remain excluded from the benefits of the IT revolution, leading to a significant divide in digital literacy and opportunities.

Q.10. What does Narasimhan’s report highlight on IT software industry?

Narasimhan's report cautions against the 'hype' surrounding the phenomenal growth of India's software industry. It emphasizes that the industry's focus on exports and the obsession with software has led to the production of unemployable students on one hand and exceptionally skilled individuals sought after by overseas employers on the other. The report raises concerns about false hopes and the need for a more rational approach to the IT software industry.

Q.11. Find the words from the passage which are similar in meaning.
(a) Recovery (para 3)
(b) Very easily seen (para 6)

(a) Redemption: In the context of the paragraph, "recovery" can refer to a process or period of improvement or restoration after a setback or difficult time. The word "redemption" can be used to describe a form of recovery that involves regaining a favorable or improved status, reputation, or position. It implies a sense of overcoming past mistakes or failures and achieving a positive outcome. The word "redemption" adds a connotation of achieving a level of success or victory after a period of struggle or adversity.
(b) Glaring: When the phrase "very easily seen" is used in the context of the paragraph, it suggests that something is immediately noticeable or apparent without requiring much effort or observation. The word "glaring" is used to describe something that is strikingly obvious, prominent, or conspicuous. It implies that the particular characteristic or aspect being referred to stands out so clearly that it cannot be easily missed or ignored. It emphasizes the strong and undeniable visibility or presence of the subject being described.