Read the passage carefully and answer the question that follow India is one of the world's largest repositories of music, dance, theatre, folk traditions, songs, performing arts, rites and rituals, paintings and writings that are known, collectively as 'Intangible Cultural Hertiage'. India's cultural hertiage is a source of inspiration to people everywhere. India's century old cultural exchanges with South East Asia continue to inspire people-to-people relationships. There is a visible impact of the Indian heritage on the scriptures and the way of life of the people of the Mekong region. There is deep conviction about the Buddhist traits of humility, gentleness, justice and charity. There are many similarities in languages of the region and Sanskrit. The Panchtantra and Jataka tales are narrated with great enthusiasm and are part of folklore. The Ramayan culture is visible all across South East Asia. The common culture binding India with South East Asian Countries apart from Buddhism is the great epic of Ramayana. Angkor Wat has the great Ramanaya Panel depicting the battle between Vanaras and the Asuras. SAARC remains an important component of India's cultural diplomacy representing multilateralism and people-to- people contacts. People-to-people exchanges are being promoted amongst the BRICS countries with the BRICS Culture Ministers meetings laying down the road map for collaboration. Cultural exchanges amongst the Member Nations of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation is also being actively promoted in the fields of tourism, education, science, archeology, music, dance and yoga. India's soft power status varies with the regions. In South East Asia, Buddhism links India to the people of the region. In the Indian Ocean countries, Project Mausam (the monsoon) linkded the people to common traits. There are several new links that have emerged - cricket ties with Australia and South Africa represented by Cricket connects exhibitions. The theoretical framework for the formulation of India's soft power status is best represented in the Government's new ideas - Digital India, Business Promtion, Yoga Diplomacy. UNESCO has also focused on building Peace through Cultural Diplomacy. The influence of - Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela and Martin Luther King Jr around the world, and the popularity of their ideas of harmonious co-existence amongst various layers of society is considerable.
Cultural exchanges amongst the member nations of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation are in the following fields : (A) Archeology (B) Folklore (C) Tourism (D) Yoga (E) Education Choose the correct answer from the options given below :
(A), (C), (D) and (E) only
Understanding Cultural Exchanges in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO)
The question asks about the fields of cultural exchange among the member nations of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) based on the provided passage. To answer this, we need to locate the part of the passage that specifically mentions the SCO and its cultural activities.
Locating Information in the Passage
The passage states:
Cultural exchanges amongst the Member Nations of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation is also being actively promoted in the fields of tourism, education, science, archeology, music, dance and yoga.
This sentence clearly lists the fields where cultural exchanges are being promoted within the SCO.
Identifying the Fields
The fields mentioned for SCO cultural exchanges are:
- Tourism
- Education
- Science
- Archeology
- Music
- Dance
- Yoga
Comparing with Given Options
Now, let's compare the list from the passage with the options provided (A) through (E):
- (A) Archeology: Yes, Archeology is listed in the passage.
- (B) Folklore: Folklore is mentioned as part of India's general intangible cultural heritage and traditions like Panchtantra and Jataka tales are discussed in the context of South East Asia, but 'folklore' itself is not explicitly listed as a field of SCO cultural exchange, although 'music' and 'dance' are.
- (C) Tourism: Yes, Tourism is listed in the passage.
- (D) Yoga: Yes, Yoga is listed in the passage.
- (E) Education: Yes, Education is listed in the passage.
Based on the passage, the fields listed for SCO cultural exchanges among the given options are Archeology (A), Tourism (C), Yoga (D), and Education (E). Folklore (B) is not explicitly listed as a field for SCO in this sentence, although related concepts like music and dance are.
Selecting the Correct Combination
We are looking for the option that includes (A), (C), (D), and (E) and excludes (B).
- Option 1: (A), (C), (D) and (E) only - This matches our findings.
- Option 2: (A), (B), (C) and (E) only - This includes (B) Folklore, which is not listed for SCO exchanges in the passage.
- Option 3: (A), (B) and (E) only - This includes (B) Folklore and misses (C) Tourism and (D) Yoga.
- Option 4: (B), (C), (D) and (E) only - This includes (B) Folklore and misses (A) Archeology.
Therefore, the correct combination of fields for cultural exchanges amongst the member nations of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, as mentioned in the passage, is (A) Archeology, (C) Tourism, (D) Yoga, and (E) Education.
Conclusion
The fields of cultural exchange among the member nations of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation mentioned in the passage are Archeology, Tourism, Yoga, and Education. This corresponds to options (A), (C), (D), and (E).
Revision Table: SCO Cultural Exchange Fields
| Option | Field | Mentioned in Passage for SCO? |
|---|---|---|
| (A) | Archeology | Yes |
| (B) | Folklore | No (music, dance mentioned) |
| (C) | Tourism | Yes |
| (D) | Yoga | Yes |
| (E) | Education | Yes |
Additional Information on India's Soft Power and Cultural Diplomacy
The passage discusses India's 'soft power' status and its efforts in 'cultural diplomacy' across various regions and organisations like SAARC, BRICS, and SCO. Soft power refers to a country's ability to attract and co-opt through appeal and attraction, in contrast to 'hard power' which uses coercion or payment. Culture, political values, and foreign policies are often considered sources of soft power.
Key aspects of India's soft power and cultural diplomacy highlighted:
- Intangible Cultural Heritage: India has a vast repository of traditions like music, dance, theatre, and art that inspire people globally.
- Engagement with South East Asia: Historical cultural ties, shared Buddhist traits, similarities in language (Sanskrit influence), and common epics like the Ramayana are strong links. Examples include the Ramayana Panel at Angkor Wat.
- Organisational Engagement:
- SAARC: Remains important for cultural diplomacy, multilateralism, and people-to-people contacts.
- BRICS: Promoting people-to-people exchanges with Culture Ministers laying roadmaps for collaboration.
- SCO: Actively promoting exchanges in specific fields like tourism, education, science, archeology, music, dance, and yoga.
- Regional Links:
- South East Asia: Buddhism is a key link.
- Indian Ocean Countries: Project Mausam connects people through common traits.
- Australia and South Africa: Cricket ties (e.g., Cricket Connects exhibitions) create new links.
- Modern Framework: New government ideas like Digital India, Business Promotion, and Yoga Diplomacy contribute to India's soft power.
- Global Influence: Ideas of figures like Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, and Martin Luther King Jr., promoting harmonious co-existence, have considerable global popularity and influence, contributing to a different dimension of soft power related to values.
- UNESCO: Focuses on building peace through cultural diplomacy, aligning with the broader goals of these exchanges.
Important Questions from Reading Comprehension
Why, according to the writer can't people be motivated to use a resource prudently?
1. They feel that others may overuse the resource
2. It is possible to substitute the resource
3. Abundance of the resource availability
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
When do people use resources exhaustively?
The self-interest of people affects the use of renewable resources
People rooted in a locality
Which among the following is closest in meaning with the word 'deplete'?
