Chapter- 8      Reach for the Top


1. Where was Santosh Yadav born?

Answer: She was born in the village of Joniyawas in Rewari District, Haryana.

2. How many brothers did Santosh Yadav have?

Answer: She had five brothers.

3. What does the name “Santosh” mean?

Answer: The name Santosh means “contentment.”

4. Was Santosh always content with traditional life?

Answer: No, she was not content with the traditional way of life.

5. How did Santosh show independence from childhood?

Answer: She lived life on her own terms from the beginning.

6. What type of clothes did most girls wear in her village?

Answer: Most girls wore traditional Indian dresses.

7. What type of clothes did Santosh prefer?

Answer: She preferred wearing shorts.

8. What was Santosh’s belief about choosing a rational path?

Answer: She believed that if her path was correct and rational, others had to change, not her.

9. What was the profession of Santosh’s parents?

Answer: They were affluent landowners.

10. Could Santosh’s parents afford good education for their children?

Answer: Yes, they could afford to send their children to the best schools.

11. Which city was close to Santosh’s village where good schools were available?

Answer: The city was New Delhi.

12. Where was Santosh initially sent to study?

Answer: She was sent to the local village school.

13. Why did Santosh study in the village school?

Answer: Because it was the prevailing custom in her family.

14. How did Santosh decide to oppose the traditional system?

Answer: She decided to fight the system in her own quiet way.

15. At what age did Santosh decide to challenge the system?

Answer: She challenged it when she turned sixteen.

16. What usually happened to girls in her village at the age of sixteen?

Answer: Most girls got married at that age.

17. What pressure did Santosh face from her parents?

Answer: Her parents pressured her to get married.

18. What was Santosh’s opinion about early marriage?

Answer: Early marriage was the last thing on her mind.

19. What did Santosh threaten her parents with?

Answer: She threatened never to marry if she was not allowed to study properly.

20. What step did Santosh take to continue her education?

Answer: She left home and enrolled in a school in Delhi.

21. How did her parents react at first to her decision?

Answer: They refused to pay for her education.

22. How did Santosh plan to continue her studies?

Answer: She planned to earn money by working part-time.

23. What did her parents finally decide?

Answer: They agreed to pay for her education.

24. What was Santosh’s desire regarding studies?

Answer: She always wanted to study a bit more.

25. What did Santosh do after passing high school?

Answer: She went to Jaipur for higher studies.

26. Which college did Santosh join in Jaipur?

Answer: She joined Maharani College.

27. Where did Santosh stay in Jaipur?

Answer: She stayed in Kasturba Hostel.

28. What change occurred in her father’s attitude?

Answer: Her father gradually accepted her desire for higher education.

29. What does this passage reveal about Santosh’s character?

Answer: It shows that she was determined, courageous, and independent.

30. What is the main message of Santosh’s story?

Answer: The story teaches that determination and courage can help overcome social traditions and achieve success.

Answer by Dimpee Bora