Comprehension
As a six-year-old child-beggar, Saroo slept off in a stationary train in Khandwa, Madhya Pradesh; however, when he woke up, he found himself in an empty compartment of a train thundering towards Kolkata where he spent a couple of weeks in a state of panic and hopelessness. Finally, he ended up in a local government adoption centre from where he was adopted by an Australian couple. Twenty five years later, Saroo felt the urge to trace his biological mother and see in what state she lived. Relentlessly, he used Google's satellite feature to map the parts of the country that could have possibly been his own hometown. The search was a long and arduous one; nevertheless, the perseverance did pay. One eventful day, he met his mother; thereafter, he continued to keep in touch with her.
If technology can unite people with their loved ones, it can also make them distant. The unlimited variety of applications (apps) available to toddlers, teenagers and adults might have revolutionized their lives for the better, but these very apps have snatched away the joys of long naturewalks; they have encroached upon the time and space that people earlier used for physical interaction; they have drilled deep chasms of loneliness in the lives of countless numbers of people.
Simple pleasures of life include visiting friends and relatives, playing matches in open spaces, interacting with people in markets, public libraries and clubs. However, with the escalating rage of using apps like those for social media, playing virtual games, and homedelivery services, these joyous moments are fading into oblivion, and the pall of loneliness is getting heavier by the day.
Where are we heading to? Are we going to allow ourselves to be swamped by apps? Are we going to allow socialmedia to engulf us in a deluge of loneliness and isolation? Are we going to drive ourselves to situations that will ultimately demand mental and physical therapies to regain normalcy? Do we not know that physical interaction is as essential for mental health as food and water is for physical health?
Earlier, social isolation was mostly experienced by some of the elderly people who were devoid of an occupation, and bereft of company of their loved ones. Unfortunately today, an unhealthy solitude prevails among numerous children, teenagers and adults too; subsequently, there is an alarming increase in the demand for mental health therapy practitioners.
The necessity of engaging psychologists in schools and colleges is evidently on the rise. The psychologists are required to identify and address the learning and behavioral needs of students who approach them for guidance; moreover, if required, the professionals are expected to help them in strengthening their emotional, social and academic skills.
Regardless how alarming the situation might be, it is never too late. If people revert to the earlier trend of shopping off-line, going for naturewalks, playing outdoors games, and catching up with friends in their homes or cafés more frequently, they can keep their heads firmly well above the ocean of loneliness.
If technology can unite people with their loved ones, it can also make them distant. The unlimited variety of applications (apps) available to toddlers, teenagers and adults might have revolutionized their lives for the better, but these very apps have snatched away the joys of long naturewalks; they have encroached upon the time and space that people earlier used for physical interaction; they have drilled deep chasms of loneliness in the lives of countless numbers of people.
Simple pleasures of life include visiting friends and relatives, playing matches in open spaces, interacting with people in markets, public libraries and clubs. However, with the escalating rage of using apps like those for social media, playing virtual games, and homedelivery services, these joyous moments are fading into oblivion, and the pall of loneliness is getting heavier by the day.
Where are we heading to? Are we going to allow ourselves to be swamped by apps? Are we going to allow socialmedia to engulf us in a deluge of loneliness and isolation? Are we going to drive ourselves to situations that will ultimately demand mental and physical therapies to regain normalcy? Do we not know that physical interaction is as essential for mental health as food and water is for physical health?
Earlier, social isolation was mostly experienced by some of the elderly people who were devoid of an occupation, and bereft of company of their loved ones. Unfortunately today, an unhealthy solitude prevails among numerous children, teenagers and adults too; subsequently, there is an alarming increase in the demand for mental health therapy practitioners.
The necessity of engaging psychologists in schools and colleges is evidently on the rise. The psychologists are required to identify and address the learning and behavioral needs of students who approach them for guidance; moreover, if required, the professionals are expected to help them in strengthening their emotional, social and academic skills.
Regardless how alarming the situation might be, it is never too late. If people revert to the earlier trend of shopping off-line, going for naturewalks, playing outdoors games, and catching up with friends in their homes or cafés more frequently, they can keep their heads firmly well above the ocean of loneliness.
Question: 1
From the passage it is evident that Saroo's desire to find his mother.
From the passage it is evident that Saroo's desire to find his mother.
Updated On: Jul 14, 2026
- Ended up being a distant dream.
- Inspired him to use google’s satellite feature intermittently.
- Waned as time went by.
- Did not slacken till he succeeded.
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The Correct Option is D
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The correct option is (D): Did not slacken till he succeeded..
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The passage states that "twenty five years later, Saroo felt the urge to trace his biological mother" and that he "relentlessly" used Google's satellite feature, that "the search was a long and arduous one; nevertheless, the perseverance did pay," and that "one eventful day, he met his mother." The question asks what this shows about his desire to find her. Let's check each option against these facts.
- Ended up being a distant dream: The passage explicitly says he met his mother and continued to keep in touch with her, so his search was successful, not an unfulfilled dream. This option contradicts the stated outcome.
- Inspired him to use google's satellite feature intermittently: The passage uses the word "relentlessly" to describe his search, which means constantly and without let-up, the opposite of "intermittently," which would mean off and on. This option misreads the manner of his search.
- Waned as time went by: "Waned" means to gradually weaken or fade. The passage instead describes his effort as relentless and says his perseverance paid off, showing sustained rather than fading effort, so this option contradicts the passage.
- Did not slacken till he succeeded: This matches the passage precisely, his search is called "relentless," it is described as "long and arduous," and it continues until "the perseverance did pay" and he meets his mother. His effort held steady all the way through to success.
The passage's own words, "relentlessly" and "the perseverance did pay," directly describe an effort that continued without weakening until it succeeded, matching only the fourth option.
Therefore, the correct answer is Did not slacken till he succeeded.
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Question: 2
In the sentence ‘these very apps have snatched away the joys of long nature-walks;’ the author has
In the sentence ‘these very apps have snatched away the joys of long nature-walks;’ the author has
Updated On: Jul 14, 2026
- Satirized nature
- Metaphorized apps
- Personifed apps
- None of the above
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The Correct Option is C
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The correct option is (C): Personifed apps.
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The quoted line is: "these very apps have snatched away the joys of long nature-walks." The question asks what device the author is using here. Let's test each option against this specific wording.
- Satirized nature: Satire involves mocking or exposing folly through irony or exaggeration, and the target here would have to be nature itself. Nature is not being mocked or criticised in this line at all, it is described as a source of joy that has been lost, so "satirized nature" does not fit.
- Metaphorized apps: A metaphor equates one thing directly with another unrelated thing, for instance calling an app "a thief." The sentence does not call apps by another noun, it gives apps a human action instead, so this is not quite a metaphor.
- Personifed apps: Personification gives a non-living thing a human action or quality. "Snatched away" is a human action, taking something by force, and here it is performed by "apps," which are not capable of physically snatching anything. Assigning this human-like, deliberate action to an inanimate object is a textbook case of personification.
- None of the above: Since "personified apps" accurately names the device used, this option is incorrect by elimination.
Giving an inanimate app the human action of "snatching" something away is personification, not satire aimed at nature and not a simple metaphor.
Therefore, the correct answer is Personifed apps.
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Question: 3
From the passage one can conclude that
From the passage one can conclude that
Updated On: Jul 14, 2026
- It is impossible for people to reduce the usage of apps.
- There is a direct correlation between loneliness and excessive usage of social- media apps.
- The usage of technology is as essential for mental-health as food and water is for physical health.
- All senior citizens are lonely because they are not tech-savvy.
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The Correct Option is B
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The correct option is (B): There is a direct correlation between loneliness and excessive usage of social- media apps.
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The passage argues that apps have "encroached upon the time and space that people earlier used for physical interaction" and have "drilled deep chasms of loneliness," and separately notes that "today, an unhealthy solitude prevails among numerous children, teenagers and adults too," linked to a rise in demand for mental health therapy. The question asks what conclusion follows from this. Let's check each option.
- It is impossible for people to reduce the usage of apps: The passage's final paragraph explicitly offers ways to reduce reliance on apps, offline shopping, nature walks, outdoor games, meeting friends in person, and frames this as achievable ("it is never too late"). This directly contradicts the claim that reduction is impossible.
- There is a direct correlation between loneliness and excessive usage of social-media apps: The passage repeatedly links increased app usage to increased loneliness, apps have "drilled deep chasms of loneliness," and the described rise in mental health needs is presented as a consequence of this shift away from in-person interaction. This tracks a consistent cause-and-effect relationship the passage builds across multiple paragraphs.
- The usage of technology is as essential for mental-health as food and water is for physical health: The passage's actual comparison is the reverse, it says physical interaction, not technology, is as essential for mental health as food and water are for physical health. This option inverts the passage's stated comparison.
- All senior citizens are lonely because they are not tech-savvy: The passage says social isolation was "mostly experienced" by some elderly people in the past due to lacking occupation and company, not due to being unfamiliar with technology, and it never claims all senior citizens are lonely. This option both overgeneralises and misstates the passage's stated reason.
The passage's recurring cause-and-effect thread, more app usage and less physical interaction leading to more loneliness and more demand for therapy, directly supports only the second option.
Therefore, the correct answer is There is a direct correlation between loneliness and excessive usage of social- media apps.
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Question: 4
From the passage it can be inferred that presently in many educational institutions
From the passage it can be inferred that presently in many educational institutions
Updated On: Jul 14, 2026
- The number of teachers who pass the buck to psychologists is on the rise.
- Special emphasis is being laid on the mental and emotional health of the students.
- The usage of educational apps is being discouraged significantly.
- All the students feel the need to be counseled by psychologists.
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The Correct Option is B
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The correct option is (B): The usage of educational apps is being discouraged significantly.
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The passage states: "The necessity of engaging psychologists in schools and colleges is evidently on the rise. The psychologists are required to identify and address the learning and behavioral needs of students... and help them in strengthening their emotional, social and academic skills." The question asks what can be inferred about educational institutions today from this. Let's check each option.
- The number of teachers who pass the buck to psychologists is on the rise: The passage does not suggest teachers are avoiding responsibility, it presents the growing role of psychologists as a considered response to genuine student needs, not as teachers offloading their duties. This option adds a negative motive the passage never states.
- Special emphasis is being laid on the mental and emotional health of the students: The passage directly describes psychologists being engaged to address students' "learning and behavioral needs" and to strengthen their "emotional, social and academic skills," which is a direct description of institutions prioritising mental and emotional wellbeing alongside academics.
- The usage of educational apps is being discouraged significantly: The passage's criticism of apps is about social-media and entertainment apps causing loneliness generally, it says nothing specific about educational apps being discouraged in institutions, so this option is not supported.
- All the students feel the need to be counseled by psychologists: The passage describes psychologists as "required to identify and address" needs for "students who approach them for guidance," which implies psychologists respond to those who seek help, not that every single student feels this need. The word "all" overstates what the passage says.
The passage's direct description of psychologists being brought in to strengthen students' emotional, social, and academic skills supports only the second option; the others either invent a motive, misapply the criticism of apps, or overstate the scope with "all."
Therefore, the correct answer is Special emphasis is being laid on the mental and emotional health of the students.
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Question: 5
In the concluding paragraph of the given passage, the writer’s tone can be best described as
In the concluding paragraph of the given passage, the writer’s tone can be best described as
Updated On: Jul 14, 2026
- Optimistic
- Despairing
- Laudatory
- Apologetic
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The Correct Option is A
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The correct option is (A): Optimistic.
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The concluding paragraph reads: "Regardless how alarming the situation might be, it is never too late. If people revert to the earlier trend of shopping off-line, going for nature-walks, playing outdoors games, and catching up with friends... they can keep their heads firmly well above the ocean of loneliness." Let's check each option against this specific language.
- Optimistic: The phrase "it is never too late" is a direct statement of hope, and the paragraph goes on to offer concrete, achievable actions, shopping in person, walking outdoors, playing games, meeting friends, that the passage presents as sufficient to overcome the problem. This is a forward-looking, hopeful conclusion.
- Despairing: A despairing tone would suggest the situation is hopeless or unfixable. The paragraph explicitly rejects that framing with "it is never too late," so despairing is the opposite of what this paragraph conveys.
- Laudatory: A laudatory tone praises someone or something. The paragraph is not praising any person, institution, or achievement, it is recommending a course of action, so laudatory does not describe it.
- Apologetic: An apologetic tone expresses regret or a need to make amends for a fault. The paragraph is not apologising for anything, it is offering solutions going forward, so apologetic does not fit either.
The paragraph's explicit rejection of hopelessness ("it is never too late") paired with a practical, achievable list of remedies is the language of hope for the future, not despair, praise, or apology.
Therefore, the correct answer is Optimistic.
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Top CLAT Questions
- In the realm of contemporary literature, the interplay between character and setting is a nuanced dance that shapes the narrative’s essence. The setting, often described with painstaking detail, becomes more than a backdrop; it becomes a character, influencing the plot and character development.
Consider, for instance, the barren expanse of the desert in Jhumpa Lahiri’s The Namesake. The arid landscape mirrors the sense of isolation felt by the protagonist, Gogol, as he navigates his identity crisis in a foreign land. The relentless sun and vast sands are not mere descriptions; they are the silent witnesses to his inner turmoil.
On the other end of the literary spectrum, there is Arundhati Roy’s The God of Small Things. The lush, vibrant Kerala backwaters are not just the setting; they are a character woven into the fabric of the story. The teeming, humid landscape reflects the complex web of human relationships and secrets that unravel in the narrative. This interplay is not confined to contemporary literature alone. In Shakespeare’s timeless tragedy Macbeth, the eerie and foreboding setting of the Scottish moors casts a dark shadow over the characters’ actions. The moors, shrouded in mist and mystery, serve as an ever-present omen of the impending tragedy. - The crisis of justice that is the subject matter of discussion in the media today is in fact the crisis of “justice for the middle class”. The main difference between India and the OECD (Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development) countries is that whereas the middle class in these countries has reasonable access to justice, in India it does not. A vocal and powerful middle class has emerged in India since 1991. It is demanding reasonable access to justice. Much of the judicial reform effort will help meet this demand…
The question of justice for the poor is, however, an altogether different challenge. No country in the world has been able to secure justice for the poor. Most of the jails of the richest countries are filled with the poorest. The “masses” are more often victims of the criminal justice system than of crime. In India as well, jails are almost exclusively filled with the poor. The civil justice system is hardly accessible to them. They are often victimised by lawyers, touts and court staff. They are docket-excluded, a new type of untouchability. The language and the logic—and the colonial and feudal culture—of the judicial system are alien to them. It rarely takes cognisance of their needs and interests.
Their main concern, therefore, is to escape the attention of the justice system, criminal and civil. A landless Dalit person in the interior of Madhya Pradesh once gave me an insightful definition of a court from the perspective of the masses: “A court is a place where you are forcibly taken by the police to be punished; no one goes to a court.” In contrast, many lawyers and judges colloquially define a court as “a temple of justice where rights are protected”.
These sharply divergent visions mean that justice for one section is often injustice for another. Protecting the livelihood of traditional taxi and auto drivers from predatory pricing by corporate app-based taxi providers by imaginatively using the available tools of law to delay their incursion would be seen by the rich and by sections of the middle class as a failure of the judicial system, and possibly as also resulting in a downgrading of the “ease of doing business” measure. However, the masses would see such a judicial intervention as strong evidence of a good justice system. Although the conflict over competing visions of the nation and conflicting demands from social and economic segments have confined judicial reform of judicial administration mainly to “neutral” areas such as process reform, procedural law, technology, planning and court and case management, judge strength, and the workload of judges, there has been considerable improvement in these areas, and the judicial system has improved its performance.
[Extracted, with edits, from “Justice and the Two Ideas of India”, by G. Mohan Gopal, Frontline] - Everything she wanted was here, at Carignano, in Kasauli. Here, on the ridge of the mountain, in this quiet house. It was the place, and the time of life, that she had wanted and prepared for all her life-as she realized on the first day at Carignano, with a great, cool flowering of relief - and at last she had it. She wanted no one and nothing else. Whatever else came, or happened here, would be an unwelcome intrusion and distraction. This she tried to convey to the plodding postman with a cold and piercing stare from the height of the ridge onto his honest bull back. Unfortunately, he did not look up at her on the hilltop but stared stolidly down at the dust piling onto his shoes as he plodded on. A bullock-man, an oafish ox, she thought bitterly. She stepped backwards into the garden and the wind suddenly billowed up and threw the pine branches about as though to curtain her. She was grey, tall and thin and her silk sari made a sweeping, shivering sound and she fancied she could merge with the pine trees and be mistaken for one. To be a tree, no more and no less, was all she was prepared to undertake.
What pleased and satisfied her so, here at Carignano, was its barrenness. This was the chief virtue of all Kasauli of course-its starkness. It had rocks, it had pines, it had light and air. In every direction there was a sweeping view - to the north, of the mountains, to the south, of the plains. Occasionally an eagle swam through this clear unobstructed mass of light and air, that was all. And Carignano, her home on the ridge, had no more than that. Why should it? The sun shone on its white walls. Its windows were open the ones facing north opened on to the blue waves of the Himalayas flowing out and up to the line of ice and snow sketched upon the sky, while those that faced south looked down the plunging cliff to the plain stretching out, flat and sere to the blurred horizon.
Yes, there were some apricot trees close to the house. There were clumps of iris that had finished blooming. There was the kitchen with a wing of smoke lifting out of its chimney and a stack of wood outside its door. But these were incidental, almost unimportant.
[Extracted, with edits and revisions, from “Fire on the Mountain” by Anita Desai] - English literature is a vast and diverse field that has left an indelible mark on the world of letters. From the eloquent plays of William Shakespeare to the complex novels of Jane Austen and the profound poetry of William Wordsworth, English literature offers a window into the human experience. One of the luminaries of English literature is William Shakespeare, often hailed as the greatest playwright in the history of English language. His works, including Hamlet, Macbeth, and Romeo and Juliet, are celebrated for their exploration of human nature, love, ambition, and tragedy. His characters, such as the tormented Hamlet and the star-crossed lovers Romeo and Juliet, continue to captivate readers and audiences worldwide.
The 19th century ushered in a new era of literary giants. Jane Austen’s novels, such as Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility, provide incisive social commentary through the lens of wit and romance. Austen’s heroines, like Elizabeth Bennet and Elinor Dashwood, remain beloved literary figures known for their intelligence and resilience. The Romantic era brought forth poets like William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge, who celebrated * 8 UG the beauty of nature and the emotional intensity of the individual. Wordsworth’s ‘‘I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud’’ and Coleridge’s ‘‘The Rime of the Ancient Mariner’’ are testament to the power of the written words to evoke profound emotions and imagery. Moving towards 20th century, English literature continued to evolve. Virginia Woolf’s ground-breaking novel Mrs. Dalloway explored the inner thoughts and lives of its characters with a modernist narrative style. Dystopian visions, as seen in George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four provided stark warnings about the dangers of totalitarianism and the erosion of individual freedom.
Today, English literature is a global phenomenon, transcending borders and languages. Indian authors like Arundhati Roy, with her novel The God of Small Things, have won prestigious international literary awards. The book not only explores intricate family dynamics but also delves into the broader socio-political landscape of India. In summary, English literature is a testament to the enduring power of storytelling and the written word. It encompasses an array of authors, themes, and styles that continue to captivate and inspire readers across the world. - On the evening of the 10th, General Dyer arrived at Amritsar, and the Deputy-Commissioner handed over the civil power to him. He issued a proclamation by word of mouth that no meetings should be held. Two days later, after there had been no sort of riot, nor murder, General Dyer heard that a meeting was to be held at the Jallianwala Bagh. He proceeded there with about fifty troops, half British, half Indian, and a certain number of Ghurkas, armed with their kukris. The Jallianwala Bagh is an open space, half a mile square, which has one entry wide enough for three persons. The troops got in and lined up on a mound of debris. The walls, seven feet high, and the surrounding houses enclosed the people. There were, too, three alleys through which the people might have been able to pass. Within thirty seconds of the troops getting in, General Dyer gave orders to fire, and the crowd of people, estimated at anything from 5,000 to 20,000, who were sitting on the ground peacefully listening to the mob oratory, were fired on. The result of the troops’ fire into the mass of people we do not know. But we do know that Dyer’s own estimate of the casualties resulting from ten minutes continual individual firing, was 400 to 500 killed and 1,500 wounded. The people were not able to escape. They were people who had not offered any violence and who had not been warned. These people were shot down. After ten minutes, the ammunition was exhausted and the troops marched off, and they left 1,500 wounded there. There were men lying there for two days, dying of thirst, eating the ground, bleeding to death and nobody to look after them. Those who lived nearby came and carried away some of the wounded from the heap of dead and dying, but the unfortunate country people died there miserably of their wounds. This is what is done in 1919 in British India…
Centuries hence you will find Indian children brought up to this spot, just as they visit now the Cawnpore Well, and you can imagine the feelings of these Indians for generations over this terrible business.
[Col. Wedgwood, MP, speaking in the British Parliament, 22 December 1919]
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