Comprehension
Charkha
What I object to, is the craze for machinery as such. The craze is for what they call labour-saving machinery. Men go on ”saving labour”, till thousands are without work and thrown on the open streets to die of starvation. I want to save time and labour, not for a fraction of mankind, but for all; I want the concentration of wealth, not in the hands of few, but in the hands of all. YOUNG INDIA, 13 NOVEMBER 1924 Khaddar does not seek to destroy all machinery but it does regulate its use and check its weedy growth. It uses machinery for the service of the poorest in their own cottages. The wheel is itself an exquisite piece of machinery. YOUNG INDIA, 17 MARCH 1927
Question: 1
Who is the author of the passage?
Who is the author of the passage?
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Associate key publications with nationalist leaders. \textit{Young India} and \textit{Harijan} are two of Mahatma Gandhi's most famous journals.
Updated On: Feb 16, 2026
- Mahatma Gandhi
- Jawaharlal Nehru
- Subhash Chander Bose
- Vallabhbhai Patel
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The Correct Option is A
Solution and Explanation
Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
The question asks to identify the author of the provided texts on machinery and khaddar. The source is cited as "YOUNG INDIA".
Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
\textit{Young India} was a weekly journal in English published by Mahatma Gandhi from 1919 to 1931. Furthermore, the philosophical content of the passage—critiquing the "craze for machinery," advocating for the welfare of "all" rather than a "fraction of mankind," opposing the concentration of wealth, and promoting the spinning wheel (\textit{charkha}) as a regulated and appropriate form of machinery for the poor—is the cornerstone of Gandhian economic thought.
Step 3: Final Answer:
The author of the passage is Mahatma Gandhi.
The question asks to identify the author of the provided texts on machinery and khaddar. The source is cited as "YOUNG INDIA".
Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
\textit{Young India} was a weekly journal in English published by Mahatma Gandhi from 1919 to 1931. Furthermore, the philosophical content of the passage—critiquing the "craze for machinery," advocating for the welfare of "all" rather than a "fraction of mankind," opposing the concentration of wealth, and promoting the spinning wheel (\textit{charkha}) as a regulated and appropriate form of machinery for the poor—is the cornerstone of Gandhian economic thought.
Step 3: Final Answer:
The author of the passage is Mahatma Gandhi.
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Question: 2
What is the writer opposing in the passage?
What is the writer opposing in the passage?
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In Gandhian philosophy, the distinction between being against "machinery" and being against the "craze for machinery" is crucial. Gandhi was not anti-technology but was against technology that displaced labor and concentrated wealth.
Updated On: Feb 16, 2026
- Quest for modernisation
- Setting up of factories
- Changing trends in modern times
- Mindless craze for machinery
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The Correct Option is D
Solution and Explanation
Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
The question asks to identify the specific object of the writer's criticism in the first paragraph.
Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
The first sentence of the passage states explicitly: "What I object to, is the craze for machinery as such." The author clarifies that the problem is not machinery itself, but the unthinking, obsessive pursuit of it ("craze") which leads to negative social consequences like unemployment. The second passage reinforces this by saying Khaddar does not "destroy all machinery" but seeks to "regulate its use." This points directly to the opposition of a "mindless craze" rather than modernization or factories in general.
Step 3: Final Answer:
The writer is opposing the mindless craze for machinery.
The question asks to identify the specific object of the writer's criticism in the first paragraph.
Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
The first sentence of the passage states explicitly: "What I object to, is the craze for machinery as such." The author clarifies that the problem is not machinery itself, but the unthinking, obsessive pursuit of it ("craze") which leads to negative social consequences like unemployment. The second passage reinforces this by saying Khaddar does not "destroy all machinery" but seeks to "regulate its use." This points directly to the opposition of a "mindless craze" rather than modernization or factories in general.
Step 3: Final Answer:
The writer is opposing the mindless craze for machinery.
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Question: 3
What does the writer mean by 'saving labour'?
What does the writer mean by 'saving labour'?
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Pay attention to quotation marks in a text. They can indicate that the author is using a term ironically or quoting a common phrase to critique its usual meaning.
Updated On: Feb 16, 2026
- Saving the lives of humans
- Saving humans from hard labour
- Employing machines instead of human beings
- Giving honor to human labour
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The Correct Option is C
Solution and Explanation
Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
The question asks for the author's interpretation of the phrase "saving labour" in the context of the passage.
Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
The author puts "saving labour" in quotation marks to show that he is using the term critically. He immediately explains the consequence: "Men go on 'saving labour', till thousands are without work and thrown on the open streets to die of starvation." This shows that in this context, "saving labour" means replacing human workers with machines, leading to unemployment. It is not about making work easier for existing workers, but about eliminating the need for their work altogether.
Step 3: Final Answer:
By 'saving labour', the writer means employing machines instead of human beings.
The question asks for the author's interpretation of the phrase "saving labour" in the context of the passage.
Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
The author puts "saving labour" in quotation marks to show that he is using the term critically. He immediately explains the consequence: "Men go on 'saving labour', till thousands are without work and thrown on the open streets to die of starvation." This shows that in this context, "saving labour" means replacing human workers with machines, leading to unemployment. It is not about making work easier for existing workers, but about eliminating the need for their work altogether.
Step 3: Final Answer:
By 'saving labour', the writer means employing machines instead of human beings.
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Question: 4
What fear is expressed in this paragraph?
What fear is expressed in this paragraph?
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Look for the negative outcomes the author describes. The text directly links the "craze for machinery" to the outcome of people being "without work."
Updated On: Feb 16, 2026
- Men will start loving machinery
- Machines will replace human labor and thousands will go unemployed
- Machines will rule the world
- Machine labour will get respect
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The Correct Option is B
Solution and Explanation
Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
The question asks to identify the specific fear or negative consequence that the author is highlighting.
Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
The passage explicitly states the author's fear: "...till thousands are without work and thrown on the open streets to die of starvation." This is a direct statement that the "craze for machinery" will lead to mass unemployment as machines replace human workers. This perfectly matches option (2).
Step 3: Final Answer:
The fear expressed is that machines will replace human labor and thousands will go unemployed.
The question asks to identify the specific fear or negative consequence that the author is highlighting.
Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
The passage explicitly states the author's fear: "...till thousands are without work and thrown on the open streets to die of starvation." This is a direct statement that the "craze for machinery" will lead to mass unemployment as machines replace human workers. This perfectly matches option (2).
Step 3: Final Answer:
The fear expressed is that machines will replace human labor and thousands will go unemployed.
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Question: 5
What are the views of the writer about the role of machines and the concentration of wealth?
What are the views of the writer about the role of machines and the concentration of wealth?
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Look for sentences that express a desire or a goal of the author. The repeated use of "I want..." highlights the author's core principles and vision for a just society.
Updated On: Feb 16, 2026
- Industrialisation should not result in the concentration of wealth in the hands of a few elites
- Humans should get employment and not machines
- Machines should not be employed to replace humans
- Time and labor should be saved
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The Correct Option is A
Solution and Explanation
Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
The question asks about the author's specific view on the relationship between machinery (industrialization) and the distribution of wealth.
Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
The author makes a very clear statement on this topic: "I want to save time and labour, not for a fraction of mankind, but for all; I want the concentration of wealth, not in the hands of few, but in the hands of all." This is a direct argument against an economic system where the benefits of industrialization and machinery lead to wealth being concentrated among a small elite. He advocates for a system where wealth is distributed widely. Option (1) is a perfect paraphrase of this view.
Step 3: Final Answer:
The writer's view is that industrialization should not result in the concentration of wealth in the hands of a few elites.
The question asks about the author's specific view on the relationship between machinery (industrialization) and the distribution of wealth.
Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
The author makes a very clear statement on this topic: "I want to save time and labour, not for a fraction of mankind, but for all; I want the concentration of wealth, not in the hands of few, but in the hands of all." This is a direct argument against an economic system where the benefits of industrialization and machinery lead to wealth being concentrated among a small elite. He advocates for a system where wealth is distributed widely. Option (1) is a perfect paraphrase of this view.
Step 3: Final Answer:
The writer's view is that industrialization should not result in the concentration of wealth in the hands of a few elites.
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