Short Questions
1. Where is Taj Nagar village located?
Ans:- Taj Nagar village is located near Gurgaon.
2. How much money did the villagers of Taj Nagar collect?
Ans:- They collected twenty one lakh rupees.
3. Who was Ranjit Singh?
Ans:- Ranjit Singh was a former village sarpanch of Taj Nagar.
4. When did the villagers start the construction of the railway station?
Ans:- They started construction in January 2008.
5. When did the first railway station start operating?
Ans:- It started operating on 7 January 2010.
6. What percentage of households in rural Uttar Pradesh are without power?
Ans:- Over sixty percent of households are without power.
7. What does MGP stand for?
Ans:- MGP stands for Mera Gao Power.
8. How many customers has MGP connected to solar power minigrids?
Ans:- MGP has connected more than 3,500 customers.
9. What does a MGP microgrid provide to each household?
Ans:- It provides two LED lights and a mobile charging point.
10. How much does the solar power cost per week?
Ans:- It costs twenty five rupees per week.
11. Who is Azaz?
Ans:- Azaz is one of MGP’s first electricians, recruited from Reusa.
12. When was the Palakkad District Public Library set up?
Ans:- It was set up in September 2013.
13. How many members of the library are women?
Ans:- A third of its thousand members are women.
14. When was the women’s unit of the library launched?
Ans:- It was launched in February 2014.
15. What does Palakkad’s library stand as, for women?
Ans:- It stands as a beacon to encourage women’s empowerment.
Long Questions
1. How long did the people of Taj Nagar try to get a railway station, and what did they finally do?
Ans:- The people of Taj Nagar tried for twenty five years to get a railway station from the government. When their demand was not met, they decided to build it themselves. They collected twenty one lakh rupees and built the railway station on their own.
2. Why did the villagers of Taj Nagar need a railway station?
Ans:- Many villagers needed to travel to Gurgaon, Delhi and Rewari for work and studies. There was no station nearby, so people had to travel six kilometers to Halimandi or Patli to catch a train. This made daily travel very difficult for them.
3. What did the railway authorities say when the villagers asked for a station?
Ans:- The railway authorities told the villagers that they did not have funds to build a station. Because of this refusal, the panchayat passed a resolution in 2008 to build the station themselves. An eleven-member team was formed to collect money from the villagers.
4. What is MGP doing to solve the power problem in Sitapur district?
Ans:- MGP (Mera Gao Power) is a small social enterprise that is building low-cost solar microgrids in villages. They install two solar panels at a time to bring power to homes. In just over a year, they connected more than 3,500 customers to solar power.
5. How is solar power more beneficial than kerosene for the villagers?
Ans:- Solar power costs twenty five rupees per week, which is cheaper than kerosene. Kerosene can cost almost double this amount across a month. Also, solar power is a smokeless source of light, which is good for the health of the customers.
6. Describe how a microgrid is installed in a village.
Ans:- Installing a microgrid is a big event, and everyone in the village gets involved. The team maps the village house by house to decide where each wire should go to connect customers to the power source. The roof of a strong, brick-walled home is chosen as the site for the solar panels and battery.
7. What changes have come in villages after getting solar power?
Ans:- People now save the environment because there is no pollution from the lights. New businesses have started, like weaving saris and making plastic tablecloths at night. Children are also able to study more in the evenings because of the light.
8. Why was a women’s unit launched at the Palakkad Public Library?
Ans:- The women’s unit was launched to discuss methods of empowering women in the community. Women who used the shared space of the library felt supported. Through this unit, they could work on ideas to strengthen women in society.
9. What activities does the Palakkad library provide for women?
Ans:- The library organizes film screenings and workshops in home economics, gardening, and child care. It also helps women get support in managing family conflicts, legal disputes, and professional problems. These activities help women gain confidence and skills.
10. Why did the library plan to open separate reading rooms for women?
Ans:- The secretary noticed that older reading rooms were disappearing, and present reading rooms were mostly used by men. They worried that if women continued to spend time only watching television, they would be afraid to go out after dark. So, the library planned separate reading rooms to give women a safe space to read and grow.
Leave a Reply