Verghese Kurien — Class 8 Poorvi Questions and Answers

Read the values in Verghese Kurien’s letter to his grandson through textbook-based comprehension answers, vocabulary and grammar explanations. The guide also supplies the printed listening key and original models for speaking, writing and research tasks.

Source: NCERT Poorvi, Grade 8, Unit 2, printed pages 82–97; listening transcript 100; supplied reprint 2026–27. Open-ended and personal responses are examples to adapt. These explanations are study support, not an official NCERT answer key.

About the chapter

This Unit 2 non-fiction selection is Kurien’s letter “To My Grandson”, addressed to Siddharth from Anand in 2005 and drawn from I Too Had A Dream. He explains his choice to serve dairy farmers and the importance of integrity, responsibility, gratitude and the common good. Its reflections are the writer’s views, rather than universal rules about everyone’s happiness or career.

About the author

Verghese Kurien is known as the Milkman of India and a leader of India’s White Revolution. The cooperative at Anand existed before his arrival in 1949; he developed its work with Tribhuvandas Patel, farmers and other colleagues. He was not its sole original founder. Amul Dairy’s account documents his work and subsequent leadership of NDDB and other institutions. The letter specifically recalls his Padma Vibhushan in 1999.

Summary

This chapter is a letter that Dr Verghese Kurien writes to his grandson, Siddharth, from Anand in 2005. He begins by reflecting on how, in today’s fast-paced world, people prefer the telephone for instant communication, which gives only a brief, fleeting joy. Writing, he says, is different – a letter becomes a treasured possession that can be re-read over the years with lasting pleasure, helping later generations understand the world their grandparents lived in.

Dr Kurien recalls that he began working soon after India became independent, when the noblest task was to help build a nation free from hunger and poverty, where people could live with equal respect for one another. He admits that serving farmers was not the career he had imagined – he could have become a company executive, an army general or a successful NRI – yet he chose to work for a small cooperative of dairy farmers in Anand because he believed he could make a more meaningful contribution there. He warmly credits his wife (Siddharth’s grandmother), who gave up comforts to support his choice and gave him strength.

He stresses that all his achievements were the result of values he inherited from his family and from his mentor, Tribhuvandas Patel – above all, integrity, which he defines as being honest with oneself. Life, he writes, is a privilege that must not be wasted; one should use one’s talents fully and contribute to the common good. Recalling how Siddharth, as a child, wanted to keep his Padma Vibhushan medal, Dr Kurien says he told the boy to earn his own rewards. He ends by dedicating these ‘musings’ to Siddharth and the millions of children of his generation, urging them to work tirelessly for the larger good of the country and of humanity.

Theme & message

The central theme of the chapter is the value of integrity, responsibility and selfless service. Through a personal letter, Dr Kurien shows that true success lies not in wealth or position but in honesty with oneself, in contributing to the common good, and in cherishing what one has rather than envying others. The chapter also celebrates the joy and permanence of writing, the importance of family support, and the idea that real rewards come from a life well-spent in service of others.

Word meanings

Before you read

I. Communication timeline — a defined historical order

Carrier pigeons → electric telegraph → postcard → telephone → network email → handheld mobile phone. The textbook asks for a timeline without specifying invention versus widespread use. This answer uses major historical milestones: telegraph by the 1830s–1840s, official Austrian postal cards in 1869, Bell’s telephone in 1876, network email in 1971 and a handheld cellular demonstration in 1973. Earlier car-radio phones would change the last comparison.

Open the full-size timeline. Text order and dates above provide a readable alternative on small screens.

Historical sources: Smithsonian telegraph record, Austrian Post history, Smithsonian Bell exhibit, Centre for Computing History and Motorola’s historical account.

II. Pair discussion — sample ideas

1. Technology and the need for faster communication across distances have changed how people exchange messages.
2. I prefer email for a considered message because I can revise it and keep a record. For an urgent conversation I prefer a phone call. Explain your own choice.
3. Social media can connect people and share learning. Check information before forwarding, limit public personal details, use privacy settings and balance screen time with other activities.

Let us discuss

Using the exercise’s distinction between verifiable reports and personal judgements:

1. Opinion — his assessment of the pleasure of a phone call.
2. Fact — his career began soon after independence.
3. Fact / autobiographical report — he reports what career he had envisaged; he is not saying which career is best for everyone.
4. Opinion — his belief that work in Anand would be more meaningful.
5. Fact / autobiographical report — Patel was his mentor and supporter; appreciating those values involves his perspective.
6. Opinion — a moral judgement about life.
7. Opinion — his definition of failure.
8. Fact — the President awarded him the Padma Vibhushan in 1999. The adjective “magnificent” is his opinion about the ceremony.

Let us think and reflect

I.1. Extract – “In today’s fast-paced world we have become so addicted to instant communication… Writing—even if it is a letter—not only conveys our present concerns and views… but it becomes a possession that can be treasured and re-read over the years, with great, abiding pleasure.”

I.2. Extract – “Your grandmother too made an important choice… she ardently supported my choice to live and work in Anand. That choice of your grandmother to stand by me has given me an everlasting strength, always ensuring that I shouldered my responsibilities with poise.”

II. Answer the following questions.

Let us learn

I. Synonyms

1 splendid; 2 momentary; 3 swift; 4 essential; 5 useful; 6 lifelong.

II. Expressions

1–iv, 2–vi, 3–i, 4–ii, 5–iii, 6–v. In all humility = without self-importance; hold heads high = feel confident; quite honest = truthful; best of ability = use all skills; in awe = with respect and wonder; deep down = innermost self.

III. Words within words — checked samples

Use only letters present in the original, no more times than they occur.

1. community — city, toy, unity, mutiny, cot, count
2. important — port, part, paint, point, mint, ramp, trim
3. magnificent — magic, finance, manic, fig, fine, gain
4. satisfied — sad, fast, side, fit, aid, fade
5. generation — gene, great, nation, region, train, anger, rage
6. achievement — achieve, eat, cave, heat, mean, time, chime

The source example “tune” cannot be made from community because community contains no e. “Cement” likewise needs two e’s, but magnificent has only one.

IV. Antakshari — a valid sample chain

IMPORTANT → TROUBLE → EQUAL → LETTER → RESPONSIBILITY → YEARS → SUCCESS → SURVIVE. Each word starts with the last letter of the preceding word. Equal is the opposite of uneven in the sense of unequal; letter relates to the post office, responsibility to moral duty, years to time, success to prosperity, and survive to staying alive. Discuss the clue meanings and the grid with your teacher; synonyms depend on context. National does not mean “related to the post office”.

V. En and em dashes

1. The conference will be held from March 15–March 20. This is the requested dash insertion; in polished writing use “March 15–20” or “from March 15 to March 20”.
2. I have lived in Kanpur—Raipur—for five years now. An em-dash interruption can mark a correction to Raipur. Without clarification, two towns cannot be treated as a five-year numerical range; if both are intended, write “in Kanpur and Raipur”. The printed sentence is ambiguous.
3. The artist—known for her vibrant paintings—will be showcasing her work in Guwahati.
4. The scores for the final match were 2–3.
5. My favourite snacks—samosas, pakoras, and jalebis—are all from India.
6. The train journey from Belagavi–Bengaluru takes less than ten hours. This illustrates a route, not a checked current timetable; more natural prose is “from Belagavi to Bengaluru”.
7. I just finished reading the book—it was absolutely amazing!
8. The event will take place on September 1–September 5. More concise: September 1–5.

VI. Possessives and contractions

(i) your, (ii) their, (iii) It’s, (iv) you’re, (v) they’re, (vi) its. Its belongs to the thing/person referred to by it, not to “you”. It’s = it is / it has; your = possession, you’re = you are; their = possession, they’re = they are.

VII. Prepositional phrases — sample completions

1. The children played happily in the school garden.
2. Nisha placed the vase on the wooden table.
3. We discussed the project in the conference room.
4. Preethi found the lost book under the old bed.
5. The cat slept on the soft cushion.

The printed preposition is already supplied. Write only the following noun phrase in each blank.

VIII. Jumbled sentences

1. The dog barked loudly at the strangers walking by the house.
2. My classmate wrote a story during the summer vacations.
3. They enjoyed a picnic by the lake under the trees.
4. He hung the painting in his grandfather’s room.
5. The students studied for the exam with great determination.

Let us listen

Use the teacher transcript on page 100.

I. Matching

1–i, 2–v, 3–iv, 4–ii, 5–iii. Percussionist plays drums and similar instruments; impaired means weakened; vibrations are physical oscillations felt or heard; determination means persistence; gradual means developing slowly. The duplicated “damaged or weakened” phrase at the end of option iv is a source printing error.

II. True or false

1. False — her hearing loss was gradual.
2. False — the headmistress urged her parents to consult a specialist.
3. True — percussionist Ron Forbes helped her.
4. True — the transcript describes sensing vibrations through skin and cheekbones.
5. False — she continued pursuing music.

III. One or two words — possible concise responses

1. Sensing vibrations
2. Mentor
3. Respect abilities

These summarise the ideas within the requested word limit; they are not all verbatim quotations. Read Glennie’s own Hearing Essay for her explanation. Her experience should not be generalised to every deaf person.

Let us speak

I. Word stress

PROduce (noun) / proDUCE (verb); conTRACT (verb) / CONtract (noun); PROject (noun) / proJECT (verb); conTENT (verb) / CONtent (noun); REfuse (noun) / reFUSE (verb). The capitalised part is stressed. This pattern applies to these pairs, not every English noun and verb.

II. -sure consonant sounds

Focus on the consonant. The following vowel and final r vary with accent; “shuh” and “zhuh” are simplified classroom prompts.

III. Pausing and chunking

First read the marked example on page 95. Then compare this possible grouping for the next extract. Short pause = /; longer pause = //. Other meaningful groupings are possible.

Pause at meaningful phrase boundaries rather than every written line. The textbook credits the reading to Edgar Albert Guest. If you know a related Hindi or regional-language song, share your own comparison.

Let us write

Original sample; replace bracketed details and describe your own grandparents’ lessons.

Let us explore

I. Researching the three revolutions

Prepare a group chart with the product, method, people involved, benefits and a source for each fact.

II. Jan Shikshan Sansthan

JSS offers community-based vocational training under the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship. The April 2026 government description identifies non-literates, people with limited schooling and school dropouts, mainly ages 15–45, with priority to disadvantaged groups in rural and urban low-income areas. It is not exclusively a rural scheme. Find the nearest centre and a locally offered course through the Ministry’s scheme page; actual available courses require local checking.

III. Financial literacy — all four discussion prompts

1. Why learn early? It helps us distinguish needs from wants and plan. For example, record pocket money and save regularly towards a school bag instead of buying every attractive item.
2. Gift money? First consider necessary expenses, a saving goal and when the money is needed. Discuss any investment choice with a responsible adult; consider risks and avoid assuming every investment grows like a tree.
3. School event budget, fictional example: from ₹1,000 allow ₹500 for materials, ₹300 for refreshments and ₹200 as a reserve. Compare prices, reuse items, record receipts and keep the total within the budget.
4. Why for everyone? Households, cooperatives and businesses all need to plan spending and saving, compare choices and account for resources responsibly.

Additional ClearStudy questions

This practice is separate from the printed textbook exercises.

Short answer

1. To whom is the letter addressed, and from where?

2. Why does Dr Kurien value writing over speaking on the telephone?

3. Who was Tribhuvandas Patel?

4. What career options did Dr Kurien give up to work in Anand?

5. How does Dr Kurien define integrity?

Long answer

6. What values does Dr Kurien wish to pass on to his grandson and his generation?

7. How does the chapter show the importance of family support in a person’s success?

ClearStudy MCQs and assertion–reason practice

Assertion–Reason – choose: (a) A and R true, R explains A; (b) A and R true, R does not explain A; (c) A true, R false; (d) A false, R true.

Exam tips & common mistakes

FAQs

Textbook-based exercises and additional ClearStudy practice are identified separately. Use your textbook alongside these explanations.