Vidya is an intelligent girl who can eventually calculate complex maths problems in seconds. She is also an accomplished Sitar player and has been a finalist in the 'Indian Idol Show' on T.V. How will you describe Vidya?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → Gifted
Vidya solves complex maths problems in seconds, is an accomplished sitar player and has been a finalist in a singing show: she shows superior ability in several different areas.
Option (1) Intelligent — Incorrect. Intelligence is the global capacity to understand the world, think rationally and use resources effectively. Vidya is intelligent, but the word says nothing about her music; it describes only part of her.
Option (2) Talented — Incorrect. Talent is a narrower term: remarkable ability in one specific field. Vidya excels in more than one field.
Option (3) Gifted — Correct. Giftedness is exceptional general ability shown in superior performance in a wide variety of areas. Giftedness is not the same as brilliant academic performance alone; Vidya’s excellence in maths and in music together marks her as gifted.
Option (4) Very intelligent — Incorrect. It speaks only of a high level of intelligence, as an IQ score would. Like Option (1), it leaves out her musical achievement.
NCERT (2025-26): “Intellectual Giftedness … Although the terms ‘talent’ and ‘giftedness’ are often used interchangeably, they mean different things. Giftedness is exceptional general ability shown in superior performance in a wide variety of areas. Talent is a narrower term and refers to remarkable ability in a specific field (e.g., spiritual, social, aesthetic, etc.). The highly talented are sometimes called ‘prodigies’. It has been suggested by psychologists that giftedness from the teachers’ point of view depends on a combination of high ability , high creativity, and high commitment. Gifted children show early signs of intellectual superiority. Even during infancy and early childhood, they show larger attention span, good recognition memory, preference for novelty, sensitivity to environmental changes, and early appearance of language skills. To equate giftedness with brilliant academic performance is not correct. Athletes who show superior psychomotor ability are also gifted.…” |