Read the given passage and answer the questions that follow.

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Santiniketan embodies Rabindranath Tagore’s vision of a place of learning that is unfettered by religious and regional barriers. Established in 1863 with the aim of helping education go beyond the confines of the classroom, Santiniketan grew into the Visva Bharati University in 1921, attracting some of the most creative minds in the country. He developed a curriculum that was a unique blend of art, human values and cultural interchange. Even today, in every step, in every brick and in every tree at Santiniketan, one can still feel his presence, his passion, his dedication and his pride in the institution. In 1862, Maharishi Debendranath Tagore, father of Rabindranath, was taking a boat ride through Birbhum, the westernmost corner of Bengal, when he came across a landscape that struck him as the perfect place for meditation.He bought the large tract of land and built a small house and planted some saplings around it. Debendranath Tagore decided to call the place Santiniketan, or the ‘abode of peace’, because of the serenity it brought to his soul. In 1863, he turned it into a spiritual centre where people from all religions, castes and creeds came and participated in meditation.

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In the years that followed, Debendranath’s son Rabindranath went on to become one of the most formidable literary forces India has ever produced. He wrote in all literary genres but he was first and foremost a poet. As one of the earliest educators to think in terms of the global village, he envisioned an education that was deeply rooted in one’s immediate surroundings but connected to the cultures of the wider world.

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Located in the heart of nature, the school aimed to combine education with a sense of obligation towards the larger civic community. Blending the best of western and traditional eastern systems of education, the curriculum revolved organically around nature with classes being held in the open air. Tagore wanted his students to feel free despite being in the formal learning environment of a school, because he himself had dropped out of school when he found himself unable to think and felt claustrophobic within the four walls of a classroom. Nature walks and excursions were a part of the curriculum, special attention was paid to natural phenomena and students were encouraged to follow the life cycles of insects, birds and plants.

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The rural paradise of Santiniketan, Tagore’s erstwhile home, has become a thriving centre of art, education and internationalism over the years.

41)

Rabindranath was a ‘formidable’ literary force. This implies he was:

SSC CGL 2020

A)

an avid reader of books

B)

a powerful writer

C)

a wealthy landowner

D)

an orthodox educationist

42)

With what aim was Santiniketan established?

SSC CGL 2020

A)

To nurture plants, birds and insects

B)

To attract the most creative minds

C)

To encourage education outside the classroom

D)

To make it the perfect place for meditation

43)

The word ‘unfettered’ in the text suggests:

SSC CGL 2020

A)

free from barriers

B)

outside the classroom

C)

restricted by regional differences

D)

bound by religious beliefs

44)

What did Santiniketan initially serve as?

SSC CGL 2020

A)

A classroom

B)

A holiday resort

C)

A summer house

D)

A spiritual centre

45)

Tagore’s ‘erstwhile’ home means:

SSC CGL 2020

A)

former home

B)

rural retreat

C)

serene abode

D)

magnificent house

46)

Which of these statements about Santiniketan is NOT true?

SSC CGL 2020

A)

Santiniketan grew into Visva Bharati university.

B)

Santiniketan is located in the western most part of Bengal.

C)

At Santiniketan, classes were held in the open air.

D)

Santiniketan was set up by Rabindranath Tagore.

47)

2 When did Santiniketan grow into a university?

SSC CGL 2020

A)

In 1863

B)

In 1922

C)

In 1862

D)

In 1921

48)

What does the name Santiniketan mean?

SSC CGL 2020

A)

Abode of love

B)

Abode of peace

C)

Abode of learning

D)

Abode of culture

49)

Why did Rabindranath drop out of school?

SSC CGL 2020

A)

He found the curriculum too tough.

B)

He felt stifled within the classroom.

C)

He wanted a formal learning environment.

D)

He was not interested in studies.

50)

The curriculum designed for Santiniketan was a blend of:

SSC CGL 2020

A)

western education and village practices

B)

spiritual and religious exchange

C)

human values, art and culture

D)

science and religion