Chapter 24 – Understanding Media

I.
1. c. a general opinion on an issue
2. c. both of them
3. a. changeable
4. a. print media
5. b. documentary
6. a. national issues
7. a. 1966
8. b. 1962
9. a. Right to Information
10. c. empowerment
II.
1. Public opinion refers to the views of the common people on issues of their
interest.
2. Two forms of mass media are newspapers and television.
3. Media ethics are a set of principles or a code of conduct that emphasise a
balanced approach, which is reflected in their reporting and writings.
4. The freedom of the press consists of freedom of access to all sources of
information, freedom of publication and freedom of circulation.
5. The Press Council of India is entrusted with the task of protecting the freedom
of the press and maintaining and improving the
standards of the press in the country.

III.

1. The teacher may organise a debate between the students who agree or disagree.
They may be asked to give examples to support their answer. After the discussion
the students may note down the main points in their notebook.
2. Cinema too, helps in the formation of public opinion. Along with stories, music,
beautiful locations and entertainment, many social problems such as gender bias
are often portrayed in these. This encourages the audience to think about social
issues and problems and elicits reaction from them.
3. The Broadcasting Code comprises the following principles:
• to ensure the objective presentation of news and fair and unbiased comments
• to promote the advancement of education and culture
• to raise and maintain high standards of decency and decorum in all programmes
• to provide programmes for the young which, through its variety and content, will
inculcate the values of good citizenship
• to promote communal harmony, religious tolerance and international
understanding
• to treat controversial public issues in an impartial manner
• to respect human rights and dignity
4. The government in a democratic country should provide information to the
people because:
• Access to information through the media ensures that the representatives of the
people are answerable to the people.
• Information helps in formation of public opinion which is a link between the
people and the government.
5. The right to information campaign in India began with the Mazdoor Kisan
Shakti Sangathan (MKSS) movement to introduce transparency in village
accounts in relation to the demand for minimum wages in rural India.
Beginning in the villages of Rajasthan, the movement soon spread across
India. In fact, the success of MKSS became a source of inspiration for
activists in India and abroad and led to the genesis of a broader discourse
on the right to information in India.

IV. 1. Public opinion is formed and expressed mainly through the accounts of
events in various forms of mass media and means of communication such
as radio, television, newspapers and the Internet.
• Print media sheds light on issues of current significance, builds public opinion on
a particular issue, provides a forum for people to express their views and
provides information about events all over the world.
• The electronic media seeks to bring about social transformation, educate the
masses on sensitive issues and analyse policies and programmes of the
government.
• Information is more effectively disseminated through radio in rural areas, since
most of the people in these areas have access only to radio.
• Cinema encourages the audience to think about social issues and problems and
elicits reaction from them.
2. Public opinion is crucial for a healthy and successful democracy, as it acts as a link
between the people and the government in a democracy.
• The media, on its part, provides correct and unbiased information on the occurrence of
events and helps in formation of public opinion.
• The media ensures that the representatives of the people in a democracy are answerable
to the people.
• The media also provides a platform to the people for expressing their views, and
ensures that the freedom of speech and expression can be practised in a democracy.
3. Newspapers and television channels should give balanced and reliable news because:
• This helps in the formation of an unbiased public opinion.
• It promotes communal harmony, religious tolerance and international understanding.
• It ensure respect to human rights and dignity.
• It inculcates the values of good citizenship.
The reader should ensure that she/he has all aspects of information about an issue before
forming an opinion. She/He should understand the financial backing that any report or
media house may have that may impact the opinion of the report. She/He should obtain
information about the same issue from as many sources as possible.
4. The media provides a forum for discussion and debate:
• Newspapers and magazines have a column called ‘Letters to the Editor’ where the
readers can express and discuss their opinions.
• Television channels also have open telephone lines that are made available to the people
from time to time.
• The forums on the Internet provide opportunities to form groups or chat as individuals
about the issues that interest the individual.
5. The significant features of the Right to Information Act are:
• every public authority established or controlled by the government must maintain all its
records.
• every public authority must publish information about its organisation, functions,
duties, important policies and decisions.
• every public authority must appoint Public Information Officers (PIOs) in all its units to
provide information to the people.
• the Act specifies that the citizens have a right to take photocopy of documents, inspect
the documents and request any information. They can also acquire information in the
form of printouts, tapes, photocopies or in any other electronic mode.

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 Chapter 8 – Religious Beliefs and Popular Movements

I.
1. c. Bhakti saints from south India who composed songs praising the gods Vishnu and
Shiva
2. b. Lord Vishnu
3. b. Shaivites
4. a. Adi Shankaracharya
5. c. Srimanta Sankardeva
6. a. Basavanna
7. a. Shankaracharya
8. a. Moinuddin Chishti
9. c. dohas
10. c. rabab

II.
1. In the doctrine of Advaita, Ultimate Reality is considered as the joining of the
individual soul and the Supreme God.
2. Nund Rishi was a Sufi mystic from Kashmir.
3. Padavali contains Meerabai’s songs.
4. The main Sufi religious orders in India were Chishti, Suhrawardi and Naqshbandi.
5. Some famous female Bhakti-saints of the medieval period are Meerabai, Akka
Mahadevi, Andal, Janabai, Gangasati and Ratanbai.

III.

1. The Bhakti movement in south India was spread by the Alvars and the Nayanars. The
Alvars were devotees of Vishnu, or Vaishnavites, while the Nayanars were devotees of
Shiva or Shaivites. They preached personal devotion to God as a route to salvation.

2. Teachings of Marathi saints:

• The Marathi poet-saints focused on the notion of a personal God residing in the hearts
of all people.
• They rejected all forms of ritualism and social differences based on birth.
• They also rejected the idea of renunciation and preferred to live with their families,
earning their livelihood.
• They emphasised the new humanist idea of sharing each other’s pain.
3. Srimanta Sankardeva founded the religious sect known as Mahapuruxiya Dharma. His
main tenets:
• He opposed the caste system and stressed on social synthesis.
• His verses about the glory of Lord Krishna continue to be popular today.
4. Some practices of the Sufis are as follows:
• Sufis developed elaborate methods of training, using zikr (chanting of a name),
contemplation, singing (musical recitations were called sama), dancing, discussion of
parables and breath control under the guidance of a master or pir who was the main
religious teacher.
• Both the pir and his disciples lived together in khankahsthat started as a kind of rest
house for travellers but came to resemble a monastic establishment.
• When the head of a khankah died, his grave or dargah became a pilgrim centre.
5. Contributions of Adi Shankarcharya:
• Shankaracharya is remembered as one of the first Hindu thinkers who re-examined and
reformed early Vedic philosophy.
• He laid the foundation of four mathas or monastic centres at Sringeri (Karnataka),
Dwarka (Gujarat), Puri (Odisha) and Jyotirmath (Uttarakhand) with the aim of
propagating his philosophy.

IV.
1. Some important beliefs of the Bhakti movement are as follows:
• belief in the idea of a Supreme God
• rejection of caste system
• zeal to break the cycle of birth and rebirth
• emphasis on love, devotion and complete surrender to God
• rejection of elaborate rituals
• poetry, hymns, music and dance as a way to remain in touch with the divine
• use of local languages to spread their ideas
• worship of God, either with form or without form
• rejection of inequality and participation of all people
• questioning of authority, even of kings and rulers
• rejection of mediators between a human being and God in the form of priests

2. The Bhakti movement in north India was characterised by saints such as Kabir and
Guru Nanak. Their teachings form the features of the Bhakti movement in north India.
• Kabir: He believed in one God whom he called by several names such as Govinda,
Hari, Sain, Sahib, Allah and Rama. Kabir was against idol worship, rituals
and pilgrimages. Because he believed in the equality of all human beings, he
opposed all kinds of discrimination, rejected caste superstitions and the
practice of untouchability. He felt that a person can be reformed under the
guidance of a guru or teacher.
• Guru Nanak: Guru Nanak laid emphasis on one God, piousness of character and
conduct, and the need of a guru or teacher. He strongly denounced
superstitions and idol worship. His idea of liberation was the pursuit of an
active life with a strong sense of social commitment.
3. The major teachings of Kabir were as follows:
• Kabir preached humanity, reverence, peace and love as necessary attributes to achieve
unity with God.
• He believed in one God whom he called by several names such as Govinda, Hari, Sain,
Sahib, Allah and Rama.
• He was against idol worship, rituals and pilgrimages.
• Because he believed in the equality of all human beings, he opposed all kinds of
discrimination, rejected caste superstitions and the practice of untouchability.
• He felt that a person can be reformed under the guidance of a guru or teacher.
4. Teacher-disciple relationship in the Sufi movement:
• The disciple was called murid and both the pir and his disciples lived together in
khankahs that started as a kind of rest house for travellers but came to resemble a
monastic establishment.
• When the head of a khankah died, his grave or dargah became a pilgrim centre. The pir
chose one of his disciples as his successor to carry on his word.
• The succession of pirs was known as silsilahs or religious orders, each following a
slightly different method of instruction and ritual practice.
5. Sufism, the mystical movement in Islam, emerged to reject elaborate rituals, codes of
behaviour and idol worship. Sufism is a belief that one can become united with God
through prayers and meditation and by living a simple life of self-discipline. Main tenets
of Sufism:
emphasis on compassion towards one and all
rejected outward religiosity
rejection of codes of behavior prescribed by Muslim scholars
emphasis on love, devotion and complete surrender to God
rejection of rituals
poetry, music and dance as a way to remain in touch with the divine
rituals in the form of collective prayers
rejection of idol worship
belief in equality and brotherhood

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