Read the following passage.

Meenal is the only girl from her village who has reached High School. For this, she has to move away from her village and stay in the city. She has made a lot of friends and every time she is invited by them to attend parties, she is unable to say 'no' to them. This leaves her with less time to study, which adds to her stress level. She has been procrastinating her work and spends more time thinking that she will not be successful in life. This has increased her tension and resulted in a lack of confidence in her. Quite often she vents out her feelings of anger and frustration at her parents. Her teacher, who had been observing her, advised her to take charge of herself and seek professional help from a psychologist who uses cognitive behavioural techniques to reduce stress.

On many occasions, it became difficult for Meenal to say 'No' to her friends. Why is it important for Meenal to be assertive?

To gain confidence and to express her opinion and emotions openly

The correct answer is Option (1) → To gain confidence and to express her opinion and emotions openly

Being assertive means standing up for your own rights, expressing your thoughts and feelings honestly, and respecting others’ opinions at the same time.

For Meenal, assertiveness is important because:

• It will boost her confidence by helping her say “no” when necessary without feeling guilty.

• It will allow her to express her opinions and emotions openly, reducing internal stress.

• It will help her set boundaries, so she can balance social activities and studies effectively.