Question

Directions: Replace the number with the word(s) that best fit(s) the meaning of the passage as a whole.
Indian institutions prefer students to be _______ (46) listeners. Our education system, barring a few exceptions, encourages a hierarchical relationship between teacher and student. The former controls knowledge and the latter is expected to submissively accept what is handed down. The argumentative Indian thrives despite the system. This may look like an / a _______ (47) because a competitive political democracy like India should have facilitated an educational system that is cool about arguments and dissent. Or, is the _______ (48) in the education system a reflection of a flaw in our democratic culture? We have regular elections and our political space teems with parties subscribing to a _______ (49) of ideologies. But is this space sufficiently democratic so that people get the leaders they deserve? A range of identities such as family, clan, caste, religion influences our choice of leaders more than their understanding of public policy. Beneath _______ (50) of democracy, the old social order, where caste was privileged over merit, has survived, though in a weaker form.
Beneath _______ (50) of democracy, the old social order, where caste was privileged over merit, has survived, though in a weaker form

• A. Trappings
• B. Futility
• C. Concoction
• D. Treatise
• E. Modality

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

The correct answer is option (A):

Trappings

The correct answer for blank 50 is "Trappings."

The passage is discussing how the Indian education system and political landscape, despite outward appearances, may not be as democratic as they seem. The phrase "Beneath the _______ of democracy" is setting up a contrast. The word needs to describe something superficial that gives the *appearance* of democracy, but masks a deeper reality.

"Trappings" means the outward signs, features, or objects associated with a particular situation or role. It suggests the superficial aspects that give the impression of something without necessarily representing the core reality. In this context, the "trappings of democracy" would be the outward features like elections and multiple political parties, but underneath these features, the old social order of caste and privilege persists, suggesting that true democracy, where merit and public policy understanding are paramount, is not fully realized.

The other options don't fit the context:

* **Treatise:** A formal and systematic written discourse on some subject, generally longer and treating it in detail. This doesn't fit the superficiality implied by the sentence.
* **Modality:** A particular way or form of something. This does not fit the context of masking underlying realities.
* **Futility:** Pointlessness or uselessness. While the passage implies a degree of ineffectiveness, it's not the primary point of the sentence.
* **Concoction:** A mixture or combination of things. This doesn't fit the context of masking underlying realities.

Therefore, "trappings" is the best fit because it describes the superficial appearances of democracy that hide the underlying reality of an imperfectly democratic system.