24. CO-OPERATE AND PROSPER || NIOS - SECONDARY COURSE || ENGLISH-202 CLASS-X

Chapter-24 

CO-OPERATE AND PROSPER

INTEXT QUESTIONS 24.1

I. Complete the following statements by ticking the correct choice. 

1. The chief means of livelihood of the farmers discussed in the above passage was: 

a. weaving cloth.

 b. cattle rearing.✅ 

c. growing food crops. 

d. trading in sheep and other cattle.

 

2. The narrator says the farmers in Gujarat worked very hard but they were always in want. The phrase ‘always in want’ means that: 

a. they could not make both ends meet (the money they earned was not enough to meet even their basic needs).✅

 b. their demands were never ending. 

c. they were greedy. 

d. they wanted to work harder and harder.

 

3. Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel wanted to bring prosperity into their lives. He planned to do so by: 

a. beautifying their villages. 

b. giving them modern facilities. 

c. opening more schools. 

d. organising them into a collective group which would do business collectively and share the profits.✅

 

4. Tribhuvandas was employed by Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel to: 

a. train the villagers to preserve and market milk. 

b. check that they were not being cheated by middlemen.

c. organise them into a co-operative.✅ 

d. to ensure that no one exploited or harassed anyone.

 

5. By saying “This marked the birth of Amul Dairy and the rest is history” the narrator means that 

a. the Amul Dairy plant was the first one to be set up in India. 

b. the Amul Dairy was set up and its success story afterwards is so well known to everyone that it does not need to be told or stated.✅ 

c. the people of Gujarat took part in the historical Freedom Movement of India. 

d. after the dairy started functioning with the help of the farmers’ co-operative, they were no longer poor.

 

6. The farmers were disorganised because 

a. they were poor. 

b. they were uneducated and simple minded.✅ 

c. they were always fighting amongst themselves. 

d. they were lazy.

 

II. Answer the following questions in one or two sentences each. 

1. What is the role of middlemen? 

Ans: Middlemen are people who go between the producers and consumers. They buy the produce from the poor farmers at very cheap rates and sell them in the market at a huge profit. They often harass the poor farmers to force them to sell at cheaper prices. 

2. Why did Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel want to eliminate ‘middlemen’?

Ans: Sardar Patel felt sorry to see the plight of the poor cattle-rearing farmers who remained poor even though they worked so hard.

3. What difficulty did Tribhuvandas face?

Ans: There was another British company which was producing dairy products in Mumbai (Bombay). It was well established and Tribhuvandas could not compete with it in any way. 

4. Why did Dr Kurien give up his government job?

Ans: For a bright man like Dr. Kurien, there was nothing very challenging or interesting in the Government job. He wanted to do something which would make a difference to people’s lives and create history.

III. Read the sentences given below. They are from the text. What do the underlined words mean? Tick the word that you think is correct. You may refer to a dictionary if necessary. 

1. This task was assigned to Mr. Tribhuvandas Patel. 

a) to sign on a paper 

b) to select someone 

c) to give a responsibility to someone✅ 

d) some sort of work.

2. This system of co-operative effort eliminated the middlemen. 

a) to kill 

b) to remove✅ 

c) to defeat 

d) to punish 

3. It was kind providence that brought a young energetic, intelligent and ambitious Indian engineer, trained in America, to work at the dairy research institute. 

a) chance or luck✅ 

b) to provide for 

c) a messenger of God 

d) a friend 

IV. In the following pairs of sentences, the underlined words have been taken from the text. Only one sentence in each pair uses the underlined word correctly. Identify the correct sentence in each pair by putting a tick mark against it. One example has been done for you. Example: • Mother Teresa was saddened to see the plight of the helpless orphans and destitutes. • Mother Teresa was satisfied to see the plight of the orphans. 

1. a. India’s prosperity will depend upon the sincerity and quality of education of its people.✅ 

b. India’s prosperity is due to its large population. 

2. a. The middlemen were salaried middle class people. 

b. The middlemen were traders who purchased things from villagers at low prices and sold them in the market at higher prices.✅ 

3. a. There was an acute shortage of milk supply in the market. One could see harassed mothers waiting in long queues to get some milk for their babies.✅ 

b. The villagers were happy after the village goonda harassed them.

INTEXT QUESTIONS 24.2 

I. State whether the following statements are true or false. Give reasons in support of false statement. One example has been done for you. 

Example • Kurien was an ordinary farmer living in one of the villages of Gujarat. (false) Kurien was not a farmer. He was an engineer from Calicut.

1. Dr. Kurien was able to find a way to challenge his competitor in Bombay.-True 

2. Dr. Kurien ushered the Operation Flood Programme in India.-True 

3. Dr. Kurien showed farmers how to increase their crop production using newer techniques. That is why he is called ‘Father of the Green Revolution’.

Ans: False - He showed them how to organise themselves to form a co-operative and sell milk collectively. He is famous for ushering the White Revolution.

4. Dr. Kurien kept a large part of the profit for himself as payment for his work, with the result that the farmers’ condition never improved.

 Ans: False - He shared the profits with the cattle farmers in the form of dividends.

5. It is due to Dr. Kurien’s vision and management that our countrymen can get good quality milk to drink.-True 

TERMINAL QUESTIONS 

Answer the following questions in your own words. 

1. In this lesson you read about how and why the Amul Co-operative Dairy was set up and how it works. What are the main ideas on which this co-operative is based?

Ans:  The Amul Co-operative is based on a common goal or aim which the members of the cooperative cannot achieve as individuals. In the co-operative some of the profits made by the organisation are shared equally by the members. The co-operative makes profits because its members get a better price for their product than they would get if they were not members. They get a better price as members of the co-operative because they agree not to sell to middlemen and sell directly to the consumers. They co-operate and remain united.

2. What was Sardar Vallabhai Patel’s dream? Who realised it finally? 

Ans: His dream was to bring the farmers together, to remove middlemen, to save the farmers from harassment and exploitation and to do something which would remove their poverty and give them a steady flow of income. Dr. Verghese Kurien realised the dream eventually.

3. How was Dr. Kurien instrumental in improving the farmers’ monetary condition?

Ans: Dr. Kurien got the cattle-owning farmers together and set up the Amul Dairy. He ensured that the farmers got a higher price for their milk. He also ensured that the cattle farmers got a share of profits made by the Dairy. 

4. What was Dr. Kurien’s biggest contribution towards his countrymen?

Ans: He was able to bring the poor farmers together to form a co-operative. He set up the largest dairy in India. He improved the lives of the cattle farmers and ensured that all his countrymen could now get plenty of good quality milk, butter, cheese, and curds. 

5. Why is he called the “Father of the White Revolution”?

Ans:White is the colour of milk. He is called the ‘Father of the White Revolution’ because with his ideas he was able to ensure a very high production of milk in the country which was a remarkable change. Today India is ranked amongst the leading milk-producing countries of the world.

6. How was he honoured nationally and internationally for his efforts?

Ans: He was awarded the Padma Shri and Padma Vibhushan by the Indian Government. He was also awarded the Ramon Magsaysay award which is given internationally.