Read the following passage carefully :
(1) Introduction :
Students constantly seek methods to enhance their learning experience and academic performance. This research shows that music has long been considered a potential factor in creating productive study environments. It examines the influence of different music genres, including classical Indian music, on students’ concentration, retention, and overall study effectiveness. The current investigation provides insights into how various musical elements impact cognitive functions during study sessions among secondary school students. The study is relevant in the present times as digital influences govern our lives to quite an extent and pose a distraction.
(2) Methodology :
A structured questionnaire along with controlled study sessions was employed to gather information on the subject. Participants were exposed to different music conditions while completing standardized comprehension and memory tasks to measure performance objectively.
(3) Survey Examination :
Among the 140 study participants, 68 were boys and 72 were girls. For analytical purposes, the study considered both subjective preferences and objective performance metrics for each type of music condition during study sessions.
(4) Results :
| S.No | Music Type | Preference (%) | Performance Improvement (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | No music | 21·4 | 27·8 |
| 2. | Classical Indian (Instrument) | 18·6 | 33·5 |
| 3. | Popular music with lyrics | 42·1 | 12·3 |
| 4. | Ambient/Background | 17·9 | 26·4 |
It is also seen that students showed varying preferences in music while they are studying. Though popular songs were most preferred, classical Indian instrumental music (particularly ragas like Bhupali and Yaman) demonstrated the highest performance enhancement. Instrumental compositions without lyrics generally yielded better results than vocal music across all genres.
(5) Implications for Learning :
It was observed that classical Indian ragas, designed with specific melodic patterns, had unique benefits for concentration and memory. The structured mathematical patterns in these compositions appeared to stimulate neutral pathways associated with logical thinking, however, familiar songs with lyrics frequently caused distraction by activating language processing centres. The tempo and complexity of music also significantly affected concentration levels, with moderate complexity providing optimal stimulation without overwhelming cognitive resources.
(6) Conclusion :
Although individual preferences vary considerably, objective performance metrics indicate that instrumental music, particularly classical Indian compositions, can enhance study effectiveness for most students. The absence of lyrics, structured melodic patterns and appropriate tempo appear to be key factors in creating an optimal auditory study environment. Students would benefit from experimenting with different music conditions to determine what works best for their individual cognitive styles rather than simply choosing based on their personal preferences.
Choose the correct option :
............ instrumental music outperforms vocal music for study efficiency.
The above statement is true as :
Why does the author suggest that classical Indian ragas have unique benefits for concentration ?
How does the author validate the claim that classical Indian music improves performance ?
‘‘The ideal study environment is highly individualised.’’ Analyse the statement with reference to the text.
Complete the following suitably :
The author puts forth the fact that personal music preference should not be the only __________ for selecting study accompaniment.
Paragraph 4 includes the phrases, ‘‘preference’’ and ‘‘performance improvement’’.
Classify the following sentences according to these concepts.
Sentence 1 : Most students chose to listen to popular music with lyrics during study sessions.
Sentence 2 : Test scores improved by 33·5% when students studied with classical Indian instrumental music.
Give two points to support how music selection makes a major impact on study effectiveness.
Read and complete the following sentence suitably :
The study is very relevant in contemporary times, because :
Read the source given below and answer the questions that follow :
New Forms of Publication
By the end of the nineteenth century, a new visual culture was taking shape. With the setting up of an increasing number of printing presses. visual images could be easily reproduced in multiple copies. Painters like Raja Ravi Varma produced images for mass circulation. Poor wood gngravers who made woodblocks and were employed by print shops. Cheap prints and calendars, easily available in the bazaar, could be bought even by the poor to decorate the walls of their homes or places of work. These prints began shaping popular ideas about modernity and tradition, religion and politics, and society and culture. By the 1870s, caricatures and cartoons were being published in journals and newspapers, commenting on social and political issues. Some caricatures ridiculed the educated Indians’ fascination with Western tastes and clothes, while others expressed the fear of social change. There were imperial caricatures lampooning nationalists, as well as pationalist cartoons criticising imperial rule.
Read the source given below and answer the questions that follow :
Sacred Groves — a wealth of diverse and rare species
‘Nature worship is an age old tribal belicf based on the premisc that all creations of nature have to be protected. Such beliefs have preserved several virgin forests in pristine form called Sacred Groves (the forests of God and Goddesses). These patches of forest or parts of large forests have been left tintouched by the localpeople and any interference with them is banned, Certain socicties revere from time region worship (cadamba) trees. and the tribals (Tamarindus indica) and and Bihar worship the tamarind weddings. To many of us, (Mangifera indica) trees during o o peepal and banyan trees are considered sacred. Cly comprises several cultures, each with its own set of traditional methods of conservion are often nature and its creations.The mountain peaks, plants and animals which around many temples.“I” find troops of macaques. They are fed daily and treated as a part of temple devotees In and around Bishnoi villages in Rajasthan, herds of blackbuck. nilgai and peacocks can be seen as an integral part of the community and nobody harms them.
Read the source given below and answer the questions that follow :
LOCAL GOVERNMENT
The local government structure goes right up to the district level. A few gram panchayats are grouped together to form what is usually called a panchayat samiti or block or mandal. The members of this representative body are elected by all the panchayat members in that arca. All the panchayat samitis or mandals in a district together constitute the zilla (district) parishad. Most members of the zilla parishad are clected. Members of the Lok Sabha and MLAs of that district and some other officials of other district level bodies are also its members. Zilla parishad chairperson is the
political head of the zilla parishad. Similarly, local government bodies exist for urban areas as well. Municipalities are set up in towns. gi.ig cities are .Conslilulcd into municipal corporations. Both municipalities and municipal corporations are controlled by clected bodies consisting of people’s representatives. Municipal chairperson is the political head of the municipality. In a municipal corporation, such an officer is called the mayor. This new system of local government is the largest experiment in democracy conducted anywhere in the world.