Which are correct?(A) Some individuals are sometimes lazy or brave.(B…

A popular television serial shows every character from one fictional hill community as brave and born for the army, while characters from a neighbouring plains community appear as clever traders who cannot be trusted. In a history class, Ms. Farida asks her students to find out where labels of this kind about whole communities came from. When a student mentions that his neighbour from the plains community is honest at work but careless about money at home, Ms. Farida asks the class what the serial fails to see in such people.

Which are correct?
(A) Some individuals are sometimes lazy or brave.
(B) Many Indian stereotypes are partly post-colonial creations.
(C) One person may be lazy and hardworking at different times.

Answer & explanation

Correct answer: option 1

The correct answer is Option (1) → A and C only

(A) Some individuals are sometimes lazy or brave. — Correct. Some individuals may indeed be lazy or cunning, brave or cowardly at times. This holds for individuals in every group, never for a whole community.

(B) Many Indian stereotypes are partly post-colonial creations. — Incorrect. One word is changed. Many Indian stereotypes are partly colonial creations, formed during the long period when India was colonised.

(C) One person may be lazy and hardworking at different times. — Correct. A person does not show one trait all the time. The same individual may be both lazy and hardworking at different times, and stereotypes ignore this variation across time.

NCERT (2026-27): “Social Inequality …
Prejudices are often grounded in stereotypes, fixed and inflexible characterisations of a group of people. Stereotypes are often applied to ethnic and racial groups and to women. In a country such as India, which was colonised for a long time, many of these stereotypes are partly colonial creations. Some communities were characterised as ‘martial races’, some others as effeminate or cowardly, yet others as untrustworthy. In both English and Indian fictional writings we often encounter an entire group of people classified as ‘lazy’ or ‘cunning’. It may indeed be true that some individuals are sometimes lazy or cunning, brave or cowardly. But such a general statement is true of individuals in every group. Even for such individuals, it is not true all the time – the same individual may be both lazy and hardworking at different times. Stereotypes fix whole groups into single, homogenous categories; they refuse to recognise the variation across individuals and across contexts or across time. …”

Which are correct?
(A) Some individuals are sometimes lazy or brave.
(B) Many Indian stereotypes are partly post-colonial creations.
(C) One person may be lazy and hardworking at different times.

Answer & explanation

Correct answer: option 1

The correct answer is Option (1) → A and C only