essay questions of inheritance

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Inheritance by David Mulwa - KCSE Essay Questions with Answers

« Previous Topic Plot Summary - Guide to the Inheritance Play by David Mulwa

Essay questions and answers on Inheritance by David Mulwa

The essays below are mostly in marking scheme format. With points that examiners check.

It should be noted that in an exam situation, essays should be written in prose and not point form as in some of the examples below. In an exam, the "Introduction", "Body" and "Conclusion" titles should not be added in your essays. The examples below just guide on the format that your essays should take.

1. A person’s weaknesses can lead to their downfall. Justify the statement using the character Lacuna Kasoo in “Inheritance.”

An essay should have at least six paragraphs. One paragraph should be the introduction. We should then have four paragraphs of the body, each discussing an independent point. The body paragraphs should start with a topic sentence which is the carrier of the answer.

Introduction.

David Mulwa's play. "Inheritance", is a satirical play which is mocking the bad characteristics of Leader Lacuna Kasoo, which are key contributors to his downfall.

He is like the mythical Greek kings who got drunk with power, to extent that they mock God, and longer care about the feelings of their fellow human beings.

Firstly, Lacuna kasoo is seen to be Materialistic. He has a desire to get all the wealth in the world, even if it is at the expense of his people. He borrows from foreign countries, and funnily enough, he misappropriates the money and even goes to store it in Foreign accounts, opened in the same banks he had borrowed from, in the name of Kutule.

Secondly, he is also seen to be lustful This is the major trait that contributes to his downfall He develops an insatiable desire to marry Lulu and have sex with her because according to him, this will give him a new lease of life, and also helps him connect with the Dead and the unborn. This is evident in the fact that he pulls his key advisors on governance matters into the petty issue of planning this night escapade with Lulu. This makes him blind to the state of the nation. He also falls out with Robert, one of the financiers because he talked to Lulu. He finally is thrown out of power because the foreign power does not support him anymore.

Thirdly his pride is another major contributor to his downfall. He is first of all very determined to create a gap between himself and the citizens. This he does by impoverishing them and making himself super rich. He says that he cannot move around in an insect of a car whereas other world leaders a rolling across the sky. He buys himself a plane and even at some point compares himself to God. This later sees to his downfall because all people turn against him. Also, he is temperamental This makes him to make rush decisions which make him fall into trouble. He jails the foreign financiers after Robert freezes his accounts to recover part of the loan he had taken. This is despite the advice by Chipande against the same. He also orders for the evacuation of the people from Bukelenge valley so that the foreigners can Occupy it and do farming. Another poor decision which he makes in a rush is to introduce martial law, and enclose all his people in their houses in a 24hour curfew. This only serves to fuel the rebellion of his subiects.

In addition to that, he is cruel leader. It is evident in the fact that he kills his own father by poisoning him. He also jails Romanus Bengo for giving him stiff political competition and even winning against him. For that he wants to kill him. He tries to use his brother, Be go to execute the killing and when he refuses, he is sacked and later beaten ruthlessly and dumped at his door. He is finally killed in an accident in Lacuna Kasoo mines. This infuriates the citizens, particularly Ramanus Bengo, who leads the rest in overthrowing him. This we can say was Lacuna's own making.

In conclusion, we can say that the traits mentioned above, among others, are contributors to Lacuna kasoo's downfall.

2. A mother can bear a child and he or (the child) is a replica of her, but can also be very different. Write an essay comparing and contrasting the character of Luli Zen Melo with that of her mother Tamina Zen Melo ”with clear illustrations from “Inheritance” by David Mulwa.

- Lulu is aggressive while Tamina is timid - Lulu is aggressive to change her life and to be like her mother while Tamina is timid and wants the status quo to remain.

- Tamina is religious while Lulu is skeptical. Tamina is very faithful to religion to an extent she is offended by Lulu's skepticism. Lulu on other hand feels that God is unfair to her and her mother because they suffered for long to no avail.

- They are both morally upright. Lulu is seen to be upright in the way she relates with Lucano Kasoo. Tamina is seen to be faithful to her husband and tells him that the bed is there and waiting for her and nobody else.

- Lulu and Tamina are loving. Tamina loves her husband so much and refers to him fondly and she is happy when he gets back home. Lulu is also loving and affected when her father dies and she demands that Lucana should let her go home for his second coronation.

NB: - There must be contrast and comparison -Two points on contrast and two points on comparison

3. Abuse of power has led to failure of many countries in Africa and elsewhere in the world, with relevant examples from inheritance, Write an essay to illustrate this statement.

Introduction

Generally explain with example tied to the question on despotic nature of African Leaders.e.g in Africa there is massive corruption, extra judicial killing and inefficiency which jeopardize the lives of the people.

Point of Interpretation

1. Lacuna Kasoo is a corrupt person; he collaborates with foreign investors and steals money Meant for development and stanches them in his account

2. Lacana Kasoo is lustful- This is because he wanted to forcefully marry lulu and even confines Her in his palace in preparation for marriage ceremony.

3. Lacana Kasoo is murderous- He plans to eliminate Bengo by sending Indah Zen Melo. He said that he has a thorn in his political side and therefore wants Indal to pluck it out

4. Lacana Kasoo is dictatorial-This is portrayed where he orders Meshak to crush the dissidents Starve and impose a curfew to the citizens.

5. Lacana Kasoo is traitorous. He abuses power bestowed to him in order to lead the people much to the pleasure of his ancestors, he vehemently goes against the wishes of his people and Ancestors

Give the opinion i.e. Africa leaders should not emulate leaders like Lacana Kasoo Recap of the point discussed above.

Distribution of marks

Introduction (2 marks) 4 points x 3 marks each = (12 marks) Conclusion 2 marks Spelling : 1 mark Punctuation: 1 mark Sentence construction Correctly : 1 mark Fluency 1 mark Total= 2+12+2+4= (20marks)

4. Misuse of power is a common phenomenon in most African countries. Basing your arguments on Inheritance by David Mulwa write an essay to support this statement

Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. When individuals get power, it gets into their heads. Leaders tend to forget that they have ascended to power courtesy of the citizens and use the same privileges to look down and oppress their subjects. Basically they have no regard for the people who elected them to that point.

Judah Zen Melo is kicked out of his work because he refuses to be involved in the killing of his brother Bengo, more so they take his land.

Chipande uses his influence as a councillor to buy Tamina's land on the mountains cheaply, for peanuts, and then he goes ahead to ensure that no one is given license to grow coffee for he fears competition.

Most people employed in Kutula government are Leader Lacuna's tribesmen and kinsmen. Tamina comments that Lacuna hasn't seen anyone else apart from his tribesmen. The manager at the mines where Zen Melo works as a gateman is a tribesman of Lacuna.

• Lacuna sacks all employees and employs people from his tribe when he is confronted with protests and rebels against his leadership, in addition he declares martial law and a curfew so that he could track down the dissidents and rebels. He orders the killing of deserters.
• Lacuna detains Lulu against her will at the palace. He kisses her forcefully and wants to marry her against her will.
• Since he has power, Lacuna orders the removal of inhabitants of the valley such that the foreigners should occupy it. Goldstein wants to use his position to ensure that they benefit fully from the business arrangement with Kutula through the interests earned on the loans advanced to Kutula.
• Lacuna lines his pocket with money as well as giving to his close supporters. This in appropriation of state resources is an abuse of office.

Any relevant conclusion.

5. Write an essay on the admirable character traits of King Kutula XV basing your arguments on the play, Inheritance by David Mulwa.

The admirable character of King Kutula XV in the play enables the reader to enjoy the text, this helps to expound on the main issues in the play. His admirable character traits are exemplified.

He is protective. He fiercely protects his countrymen from colonial exploitation He compares their relationship with the colonial masters to that of the proverbia freezing elephant and the farmer who could neither share the same hut nor see eve to eve He says he regrets the day their forefather agreed to cooperate with the colonial master. He says that all that he wants is stop the colonial exploitation of their land's minerals(gold, silver, oil and wants them to equally share the returns from the minerals instead of the current take all scenario.

He is humble. He deters the continued streaming of praises directed towards him fropm Mr. Thome's attendant's (pg. 6). New, naw, naw! Don't carry on my son. His mortal excellency doesn't understand a word you say?" He also respectably addresses Thorne Macay as Governor, and Menninger as Voice of God. He does also request to sit down after he is in the office of Thorne

He is wise. He appropriately uses proverbs in his speech. When urging Thorne to proceed in his speech he tells him, "It's a weak suitor who asks his new bride how to proceed." (pg 7). When probed about his people's breach of trust, he quickly brings in the analogy of the hare and the chameleon. (pg 8). He even accusses Thorne to have talked like a waterfall yet said nothing.

He is bold. On pg 7 he is presented as a most self-assured ruler with unnerving presence. He surveys Governor Thome's room with almost arrogant but deliberate disdain, selects a seat opposite the door and equally sits on it He reprimands Thome and reminds him that though he (Thome) is a governor, but in the soil on which he stands, elders dont bandy insults. He acknowledges to Thome that he aware of the countrywide uprising in his kingdom and slights the colonial mission of civilization and good will. Moreover, he warns Thorne that as long as the exploitation continues, Thome's people will continue to die and that they have nowhere to hide.

It is always good to stay focussed on your virtues for your own bettermen and the bettermen of the society at large.

Mark as follows Any 4 well developed points 3:3:3 Award 2 marks for Introduction and 2 marks for conclusion Award 4 marks grammar/Linguistic mark

6. The play, Inheritance, clearly brings out the opposite meaning of the saying that “Blood is thicker than water. ”Write an essay to justify this.

Introduction:.

In life people tend to get much more attached to people who are related to them by blood. This is, however not always the case. The play brings out cases that appear to negate this.

King Kutula XV is more attached and devoted to his adopted daughter Sangol. He moves around with her and it is known to many that she is the favourite one. This is even though he has a biological child.

Lacuna, who is the king's son, accepts to be used by Bishop Menninger to end his own father's life. Lacuna does this in a very cold way. As a leader, Lacuna locks his only sister Sangoi out of government and openly shows hostility to her. When he finally picks her to government he makes it clear that it was not his wish. Lacuna makes the lives of his own people very difficult. Under him the people suffer more than they did in the colonial era.

It is not always the case that the people close to you will be of help.

7. Inheriting a top seat without merit only invites ridicule from subjects. Write an essay showing how satire has been used in The Inheritance by David Mulwa.

In the Inheritance, Mulwa exposes the vices in Kutula colony by Lacuna and his government in a rather exaggerated manner as discussed below.

King Lacuna abuses power and takes advantages of his position to exploit and oppress his subjects. He orders the killing of anyone who opposes his leadership. He asked Juda Zen Melo to kill his brother Bengo who is an activist and a threat to his leadership. When he refuses, he faces the consequences by being sacked and evicted from the government house and his car is taken away. He is also forced to sell his farm to Lacuna's Cronies for peanuts and the wife is forced to work in the same farm to make ends meet.

His leadership is also satirized when he uses money meant for the country's economic grown for his own selfish gains. He buys an aircraft and deposits the rest in his own account in the same banks that lend the money.

His greed for power is highly satirized. It is ridiculous that he takes his father's life so that he can get to power. He colludes with the imperialists to poison his father so that he is installed the new king.

The imperialists are also satirized. Their despising and demeaning attitude towards the blacks is highly criticized. It is laughable that the financiers justify such conditions in the name of helping the people. It is expected that financiers would be sensitive and practical in their demands.

Others satirized include kings cronies like chiparde and government officials who worship him, and are ready to do anything to please him. Conclusion From the above discussion, it is quite clear that the author has satirized the poor leadership and the resulting predicaments.

Mark Introduction 2 Condusion 2 Body 12 - Any 4 well illustrated points (3-3-3-3) = 12 Language 4 Total 20

8. “Lacuna represents the evil that bedevils our leaders. ”Write an essay to justify this using Inheritance by David Mulwa.

Lacuna's evil nature is a reflection of the evil nature of most of the leaders of failed states.

Lacuna is tribalistic as seen from the people he has appointed to key positions. This is also reflected in the army

Lacuna is very insensitive as he drives people from their homes to please the imperialists so as to get a loan.

Lacuna is brutal as he kills Judah Sen Melo to coerce his daughter Lulu to marry him.

He detains Lulu in the palace and also imprisons Daniel Goldstein and Robert Rollerstone.

Lacuna embezzles funds that he deposits in his own account and gives the rest to his cronies. He rules with an iron fist and insits on having his way and say.

Any other relevant.

Lacuna is a true reflection of a bad leader.

9. For the people of Kutula the colonial days were better. Using illustrations from David Mulwa’s play Inheritance write an essay discussing what could have gone wrong under Lacuna.

At times independent African States find themselves in more leadership chaos than the case was during the colonial days. An example of such as State is Kutula in David Mulwa's Play Inheritance.

• Lacuna brings divisions worse than during the colonial period. He openly buys an aircraft because he does not wish to be associated with his subjects whom he refers meanly.
• There are unexplained deaths that can be associated with the people in government such is like the death of Judah Zen Melo.
• Lacuna oppresses his people by making them work for longer hours for little pay.

Lacuna's leadership is greatly tribal. Lacuna is seen to have members of his tribe in key government positions and also in the military.

• The government led by Lacuna has no development record to show. It has instead concentrated on making lives of few people better at the expense of the majority.

The independence government under Lacuna proves to be worse and more oppressive than the colonial establishment.

10. ‘Some leaders contribute to their own downfall. With close reference to Lucana and David Mulwa’s play, ’Inheritance’ Write a composition supporting this statement.

-Can be general, specific or general to contextualized. A definition of any term is not considered as an introduction. Accept any reasonable introduction Sample.

Truly, some leaders are their own worst enemies. They lead to their own downfall by ruling with an iron fist, being corrupt, immoral and selfish. In so doing they have no one to blame but themselves. Lacuna is such a leader as portrayed in David Mulwa's play 'Inheritance'.

1. Dictatorship.

Some leaders rule with an iron fist and this leads to their downfall. Lacuna is a dictator. He never takes 'no' for an answer in any of his advances(pg 43). He views everyone who goes against his wishes as an enemy, a dissenter, a contradictor and a show in the dark (pg 44). He even kills at will........"a snap of my fingers and heads could roll. (pg 65)When Juda Zen Melo disobeys Lacuna, no one wants to be associated with him pg 34). It takes a very long time for lacuna to forget it and it is only after this that he is able to get a job as a gate keeper (pg 34). To make matters worse, he later orders the killing of Judah(pg 108) after he tries to seduce his daughter, Lulu in vain. This Dictatorship is what makes his subject to hate him so much that when the idea of overthrowing him comes up, they are more than willing to make it successful.

2. Tribalism

Some leaders ruin their chances by practicing tribalism. Lacuna favours his tribesmen immensely. When Lulu asks her mother's to see Lacuna so that he can help with school fees, she declines and angrily puts it that for all the years that Lacuna has been in power, he has not seen anyone but his clansmen (pg 29,71). For anyone to get any meaningful employment in Kutula, they have to be from Lacunas tribe(pg71). Judah has to befriend lacuna's tribesman, Mithambo,a manager at the mine, for him to get to the position of machine operator (pg 34). This tribalism, which is a form of corruption, promotes poverty since people do not have equal opportunities. It makes them angry and consequently, they overthrow Lacuna.

3. Selfishness.

Some leaders are so selfish that they do not think of others but their stomachs. Little do they know that this becomes the beginning of their downfall. Lacuna borrows in the name of Kutula but only benefits himself. He takes huge loans and instead of using it to develop Kutula and help the citizen out of poverty, he stuffs most of it in his personal bank accounts in foreign counties. (pg 76) He goes ahead to buy an aircraft with this money that his subject have to sweat it out to repay (pg 72). The situation is so bad that he has to plead with the donors to give him another loan to service the interest of the one that has already been advanced to him (75). This selfishness does lacuna no good since finally, all the money he has hidden in his foreign accounts is transferred by Robert, a donor, as the donors seek to pay themselves part of the money that Kufula owes them (pg 110-111). Lacuna is left as nothing but a pauper and this makes almost lose his mind.

4. Immorality.

With money and power, some leaders become immoral. They tend to forget that all this is vanity and it will turn against them in the course of time. Lacuna is rather immoral. He wants to take lulu by force. After the remembrance ceremony, he detains her in his palace with the intention of marrying her. Although Lacuna is advised by Malipoa not to touch Lulu as it is against the custom, he says that customs are useless and that sometimes they must bow to national emergencies (pg 57). He goes on to seduce Lulu and decides that he is going to marry her, whether she likes it or not(pg 120) This kind of immorality is wrong. It makes Lulu's mother and Sangoi so angry that when time to overthrow Lacuna comes, none of them hesitates.

Accept any other relevant point-well explained and illustrated Mark 3,3,3,3=12 mks

Conclusion-2 mks

In conclusion, it is clear that some leaders are the ones who contributes to their own downfall. Their behavior is what makes or breaks them. Every leader must knowledge the fact that they have a duty to their subjects and act accordingly.

11. With illustrations from David Mulwa’s ‘Inheritance’, write an essay explaining how moral decadence affects the society. (20marks)

Aspects of moral decadance

a) Greed and selfishness.

Leader Lacuna and his cronies use public resources to enrich themselves. Lacuna is greedy for power and this makes him kill his own father, King Kutula XU in order to become the leader of Kutula. Lucuna borrows moneys from foreign countries to use it for development of Kutula. However, he embezzles the money by buying an aircraft for personal use. He carelessly gives money to his cronies and deposits money in foreign accounts in Canada, Swiss, Luxemburg and Manhattan. This causes suffering to the people of Kutula. Due to his selfishness, Lucuna kills Judah Zen Melo for not to allowing him to Mary his daughter.

2. Oppression and exploitation.

Lucuna kasoo is an oppressive leader. He poisons his own father King Kutula XV. The people are forced to work without rest and they only rest when they are dead. The black man is sentenced to work for the white man till death. The leaders in power forcefully take people's property. Tamina loses her house, land and cars. Those who raise their voices to criticize the government are in danger of being killed. Judah Zen Melo is beaten up for refusing to kill his brother Bengo who is a critic of the government. Zea Melo cannot easily find a job since nobody is willing to employ him. His land is taken. Lulu is forcefully locked up at Lucuna's palace. He wants to make her his wife against her wish. There area lot of murder. Bango is jailed.

3. Corruption.

Lucuna borrows money meant for development but embezzels it. The people's sweat is poured in Lucina's porous pockets as he deposits public funds in his foreign banks. Bribery - Lucina wants to bribe to kill Bengo whom he considers a thorn in his leadership. The people are given handouts and this makes them sing praises to Lucina. They become blind to the truth. Lucina is nepotic: He favours his own tribesmen, kinsmen and concubines.

4. Abuse of office

Those in power disregard their subjects. They use their power to dismiss. Judah Zen Melo for refusing to kill his brother. Chipande uses his power to purchase Tamina's land at a very cheap prize. He later influences Lucina not to give anyone licence to grow coffee since he does not want competition. Lucina uses his power to employ his own tribesmen and kinsman. This is after he is confronted by the employees who protest and rebel against his leadership. He sacks them all and employs his people. Lucina uses his power to have people killed. He orders the killing of all deserters. He also uses his power to remove the inhabitants of the valley so that foreigners can occupy it. Lucina uses his power to arrest and lock up Lulu in his palace. He wants to marry her forcefully

5. Dictatorship/ Authoritarian.

Lucina takes over power forcefully after killing his own father, king Kutula XV. The leaders order the killing of people. The people are detained arbitrary. Lucina uses dictatorship to freeze employees salaries after his foreign accounts are emptied by Robert. He increases the tax of profits of companies and business and keeps it for himself.

6. Inefficiency:

The government as lead by Kutula do not do their work well. Lucina takes a loan meant to fund the mining of silver. He fails to follow up the money and production of silver. He does not care whether they are making a loss or a profit. When the production of silver reduces by 15%, Lucina is not aware. He only gives order without monitoring. Due to his inefficiency, Lucina, does not keep records of the...

12. “Depriving people of their dignity has far-reaching consequences.”validate this statement with close reference to the play, Inheritance

Drama- David Mulwa Inheritance

• Lacuna Kasoo has little regard for other people. His opinion is what matters, it carries the day and he does not entertain divergent views
• His desires for lulu is unrivalled and stops at nothing but to manhandle her.
• He also keeps grudges that would be executed with a lot of ruthlessness. In an effort to contain the famenting rebellion triggered by his coronation, many people are killed.
• Humiliation on leads resentment chipande uses his influence as acouncilor to buy Taminas land on the mountains. Tamina has to work on her former farm to pick coffe in order to fend for her family. This causes resentment among the people at the end they humble Chipande after Lacuna is overthrown
• Detention leads humiliation lulu is detained at the palace against her will. She is kissed forcefully and Lacuna plans to marry her against her will. This is what attracts Taminas ire that she slaps Lacuna after he is toppled by the rebels. The fact that he is even denied an opportunity to attend her fathers burial leads to the ultimate humiliation of Lacuna.
• Fear/death Judah Zen Mello is hunted down for refusing to kill his brother Romanus Bengo, a fierce critic of Lacuna. He is humiliated to a point that he can get gainful employment that he has to flee from home and lies low until he finds away into the mines as a security guard. His fate is sealed once it is discovered that he is working at the mines that the malfunctioning machines make a mine meat out of him. Ultimately the mines are recording fifteen percent drop in production and the mines are unnecessary burden on the tax payers.
• Frustration leads rebellion abolishing of all positions is quite embarrassing to employees that it deprive them of dignity and is against labor laws. Withholding of salariesearned is equally painful to employees . with reviewed status and no earnings, it is imperative to note that every one turns against Lacuna in a rebellion that topples his leadership.
• Confrontation Lacunas nerve to confront Reverend Sangoi with accusations of fermenting trouble through her pulpit teachings is quite uncouth of a leader. He relies on hearsay and does not look for evidence of these allegation. For a leader to bend that low is quite unacceptable. Hurling insults and casting as pensions on Reverend Sangoi is also unacceptable of a leader.
• A people that have lost their all have nothing else to loose rather than fight for their souls. This is the position the people of Kutula find themselves in after being pushed by Lacuna Kasoo and his allies –overthrowing the evil regime is never an option for them.

13. “If you have bad leaders you suffer” Using Judah Zen Melo’s family in Inheritance, write an essay depicting the truth of the statement.

• Beating Juda senseless making him run away from home, he wonders looking for a job.
• Dispossessing Tamina from her coffee farm through Chipande and centralizing coffee farms making Tamina a labourer in her own farm.
• Raising school fees by introducing extra levies, making Lulu drop out of school.
• Choosing to confine Lulu in the palace during the late father’s commemoration ceremony, hoping to make her his virgin wife, he beliefs this would rejuvenate him and restore his youthfulness.
• Lacuna orders Juda’s death in order to have his way with Lulu.  He makes it look like an accident while working as a machine operator on the pretext that the machines gave in.
• Lacuna orders for centralization of all the water wells in Kutula in order to get another loan from the foreign financiers.  This has a huge devastating impact on Juda’s family as Tamina complains of how a drop of water is quite costly.

14. In order for a dictatorial government to be kept on check, the citizens must exhibit courage and sacrifice. With reference to David Mulwa’s Inheritance, write an essay to illustrate this statement.

• Entrenched dictatorship is very difficult to bring to an end. However, this is possible when men and women of courage, determination and selflessness take the initiative to save the citizens.
• Has been detained for years due to being against Lacuna Kasoo’s bad leadership
• He fights for the poor at the expense of his family – Tamina says “ You would have put your family a head of your politics” pg 21
• He has been released and promises to change “Take up the fight where I left off when you can see better days a head for all, it is a crime not to sacrifice” pg 22
• Lacuna wants to enlist the services of Bengo’s brother Zen Melo to eliminate him pg 23
• Bengo’s selfless efforts see him assemble a team in the forest to overthrow Lacuna – “Group A and B converge as a greed. No weapons though……………” pg 124
• He leads a revolution that overthrows Lacuna and installs Rev Sangoi as the new leader.
• Brother to Romanus Bengo
• A party official
• lacuna tries to bring him close to eliminate Bengo but he refuses “ I cannot betray my own blood, and the mother who bore me and him” pg 23
• Lacuna sends thugs to attack him and they dumped his mangled body at the government house doorstep and his life saved by Dr. Jonathan.
• Juda has been on the run for his life from town to town while his family suffers at home pg 34.
• In the end Lacuna follows Zen Melo to the mines where he was working as a machine operator and kills him in arranged machine accident.
• Stands against her brother, Lacuna Kasoo’s bad rule
• Lacuna make her minister for Reclamation and Remedies to facilitate the displacement of residents of Bukelenge valley
• Works with Bengo to peacefully overthrow Lacuna pg 102 – 103.
• She agrees to lead the people on the condition that after that the people will elect their own leader and allow her to go back to the pulpit.
• She finally takes over with the promise of freedom.
• Zen Melo’s wife
• Has been always against Lacuna’s rule and refuses to allow Lulu her daughter to accompany the dance troupe to the palace.
• She refuses to be compromised by Lacuna Kasoo when her husband had been killed in an arranged accident. She spat on the faces of Lacuna’s messengers and chased them away with a cooking spoon.
• Taminas support Rev Sangoi’s revolution “Let their army come! ………………. we will stand behind you………. with our spades, hoes, doves and branches…………” pg 98
• When Lulu is brought in during the takeover Tamina deliberately walks to Lacuna and slaps him hard across the cheek.
• Tamina and Lulu drags a helpless Lacuna off the throne.
• They mobilise themselves everywhere to overthrow Lacuna in a peaceful way.
• They are armed with no weapons but only hundreds of doves
• The masses shout DOWN WITH LACUNA
• Lacuna’s order to violently disperse them become. Relevant introduction 2 marks Expect any four well illustrated points mark 3: 3: 3: 3 12 marks Relevant Conclusion 2 marks Grammar and Presentation 4 marks 20 marks

15. Closely referring to  David mulwa’s text inheritance, illustrate how most citizens in most African countries suffer because of the behaivour of their leaders.  (20 marks)

Accept: General Both general and contextual An outline/ summary (2 mks) Accept any relevant introduction

• Most leaders engage in senseless extra judicial killings to silence their opponents. Kasoo organizes for Judah to betray his brother and when he refuses, he is exterminated.
• They suffer from poverty. Basic commodities are not easy to find due to leaders poor planning and not prioritizing country’s needs
• They exploit the masses by manipulation for example: Chipande , Kasoo buys off Tamina’s coffee farm for a pittance. He becomes the only licensed coffee farmer so as to wardoff competition in the sector.
• Most leaders have plunged their countries to poverty by incurring huge debts by overborrowing in the name of the country and stashing borrowed cash in the same accounts abroad ( Lakuna Kasoo)
• Most leaders are lustful and constantly harassing women for sexual advance like Lulu a young girl whom Kasoo lusts suffers when detained in the palace.
• Leaders make life for the conman very expensive hence basic amenities like education are out of reach for the masses in Kutula, Lakuna kasoo raises school levies leading to school dropout like Lulu.

Expect any four well illustrated points Mark3:3:3:3 Conclusion In conclusion, leaders should not be selfish but should selflessly serve their subjects by working for the benefit of their subjects for that is what their mandate is. Accept any other relevant conclusion. ( 2mks)

16. ‘Citizens suffer due to bad leadership’ Write an essay showing the truth of this statement from David Mulwa’s: ‘Inheritance’.

INTRODUCTION (2MKS) Citizens of Kutula suffer because bad leadership from Lacuna, who misuses power and public resources to enrich himself while his subjects suffer total poverty, unemployment ,affliction and oppression among others.( Accept any other relevant introduction

CONTENT 12mks

• Dam – Lacuna’s poor leadership is exhibited when he comes up with the idea of the construction of the dam which ends up causing the citizens of Kutula misery. Together with leaders such as Chipande they bring machines to construct a dam at the Bukelenge valley . Since it is a bad move some citizens such as Reverend Sangoi protest but the uprising yields no fruit. Initially , the dam held half the water expected so canals and brooks were channeled to the dam. The valley became dry, citizens such as Tamina have to walk for 15 km from sunrise to mid-day and back by sunset just to get the precious commodity.
• unlawfull detention- Poor leadership cause agony to citizens when they are detained unlawfully or for no legal reason. Bengo suffers greatly , he is imprisoned for 20 years since he opposed Lacuna’s leadership . Lacuna had tried to get rid of Bengo by asking Judah to prove his loyalty by killing Bengo but he refused as blood was thicker than water. Lacuna does not take no for an answer and Judah is beaten almost to death and were it not for Dr. Jonathan Judah would have died. Later Judah has to run away from Kutula and roams around looking for elusive jobs. Out of desperation he denounces God and bribes the the manager by buying him drinks and using fake certificates to get the job as machine operator. Tamina is later informed by Sangoi that Judah died at the mines due to faulty machines but the truth is later revealed by Robert .Lacuna detains Judah’s daughter at the palace without her consent and tries to convince her to accept his marriage proposal but being principled she refuses. Lulu suffers both emotionally and physically in the hands of Lacuna.
• Killings – Citizens of Kutula suffer due to bad leadership of Lacuna who rules with an iron fist. During his coronation the natives grumbled that they were crowning the wrong leader. Those who complained mysteriously disappeared . During the climax of the uprising and peacefull demonstration Lacuna orders that all dissidents be shot on site and a martial law was immediately enforced plus a 100% taxation on any company making profits. A citizen like Tamina could not afford a meal a day. She preferred King Kutula’s reign.
• poverty- Under Lacuna’s leadership the citizens of Kutula live in poverty while he buys himself aa personal jet and lives lavishly at the palace. Tamina’s family suffers greatly when their government house and cars are taken away when Judah refuses to prove his loyalty to Lacuna by killing Bengo his brother and a political activist against Lacuna’s men i.e Chipande for very little money. Licence to grow is forced to work on the same piece of land for very little money and cannot even afford to pay Lulu’s school fees in her fourth year in secondary school. Lulu is so desperate and even argues with mother concerning their poverty state. Lulu’s threatens to even use her body to study and become a doctor like Reverend Sangoi husband . Lacuna’s leadership does spare the youth who are the future of Kutula.

CONCLUSION( 2mks) In conclusion, bad leadership results in nothing but agony to citizens. Citizens should therefore elect their leaders wisely. AWARD 2:3:3:3:3:2 + 4MKS Language = 20 mks

Introduction The citizens suffer because of bad leadership. Lacuna Kasoo is a dictator who demands to be obeyed. Those who refuse to obey him are incarcerated and killed. Those who oppose him, like Bengo, are imprisoned. Accept any other introduction 2marks Points of interpretation

• Si: Bengo Lacuna asks Judah Zen Melo to kill his brother Bengo because Bengo is opposing him. When Judah refuses, he is put out by Lacuna and he cannot get employment. His family suffers in his absence as Tamina his wife cannot make ends meet.
• Sii: Subjects Bad leadership causes suffering because Lacuna refuses to give licenses to farmers and they cannot grow or sell their products. He then buys the land cheaply and other people work on their farms as slaves. Lacuna employs people from his clan even when they are uneducated because he wants loyalty even if it is at the expense of efficiency. As a leader, Lacuna stashes away money in foreign accounts and the people are charged high taxes in order to repay the loans that he enjoys with his ministers and councilors.
• Siii: Foreigners Lacuna gives the imperialists a dam and the people spend a whole day getting a little amount of the precious commodity from the dam.
• Siv: Lulu Lacuna wants to marry Lulu forcefully because, as a leader, he assumes that he can do whatever he wants. He even has Lulu’s father murdered and this causes Tamina and Lulu untold suffering. 3:3:3:3=12 points

Conclusion Bad leadership brings a lot of suffering to the citizens. They lack food and basic necessities like water, they lose their loved like Tamina and Lulu, ‘they also lose their property; this causes disillusionment among the people. Accept any other valid conclusion 2marks

17. A leader’s shortcomings can cause untold suffering to the subjects. Write a composition on this statement basing your illustrations on the character of Lacuna Kasoo in David Mulwa’s The Inheritance.

Any relevant introduction

• Greed and selfishness Leader Lacuna and his cronies use public resources to enrich themselves. Lacuna is greedy for power and this makes him kill his own father. King Kutula XV in order to become the leader of Kutula. Lucuna borrows moneys from foreign countries to use it for development of Kutula. However, he embezzles the money by buying an aircraft for personal use. He careiessl gives money to his cronies and deposits money in foreign accounts in Canada, Swiss, Luxemburg and Manhattan. This causes suffering to the people of Kutula. Due to his selfishness. Lucuna kills Judah Len Melo for not to allowing him to Mary his daughter.
• Oppression and exploitation. Lacuna kasoo is an oppressive leader. He poisons his own father King Kutula XV. The people are forced to work without rest and they only rest when they are dead. The black man is sentenced to work for the white man till death. The leaders in power forcefully take people’s property. Tamina loses her house, land and cars. Those who raise their voices to criticize the government are in danger of being killed. Judah Zen Melo is beaten up for refusing to kill his brother Bengo who is a critic of the government. Zen cannot easily find a job since nobody is willing to employ him. His land is taken. Lulu is forcefully locked up at Lacuna’s palace. He wants to make her his wife against her wish. Bango is jailed.
• Corruption. Lacuna borrows money meant for development but embezzles it. The peoples sweat is poured in Lucina’s porous pockets as he deposits public funds in his foreign banks. Bribery - Lacuna wants to bribe to kill Bengo whom he considers a thorn in his leadership. The people are given handouts and this makes them sing praises to Lacuna. They become blind to the truth. Lacuna is nepotic: He favours his own tribesmen, kinsmen and concubines.
• Abuse of office Those in power disregard their subjects. They use their power to dismiss Judah Zen Melo for refusing to kill his brother. Chipande uses his power to purchase Tamina’s land at a very cheap price. He later influences Lacuna not to give anyone licence to grow coffee since he does not warn competition. Lacuna uses his power to employ his own tribesmen and kinsmen. This is after he is confronted by the employees who protest and rebel against his leadership. He sacks them all and employs his people. Lacuna uses his power to have people killed. He orders the killing of all deserters. He also uses his power to remove the inhabitants of the valley so that foreigners can occupy it. Lacuna uses his power to arrest and lock up Lulu in his palace. He wants to marry her forcefully. He also has Judah killed.
• Dictatorship/Authoritarian. Lacuna takes over power forcefully after killing his own father, king Kutula XV. The leaders order the killing of people. The people are detained arbitrary. Lacuna uses dictatorship to freeze employees’ salaries after his foreign accounts are emptied by Robert. He increases the tax of profits of companies and business and keeps it for himself.
• Inefficiency: The government as led by Lacuna does not do its work well. Lacuna takes a loan meant to fund the mining of silver. He fails to follow up the money and production of silver. He does not care whether they are making a loss or a profit. When the production of silver reduces by 15%, Lacuna is not aware. He only gives order without monitoring. Due to his inefficiency, Lacuna, does not keep records of the mines proceeds. Machines are not serviced or new ones bought. Any valid conclusion

18. “People do not always turn out the way they appear to be.” Closely referring to David Mulwa’s Inheritance show the truth of this statement.  (20 mks)

Introduction People have a subtle way of camouflaging to conceal their true self. Many of these people appear kind, honest or display any other admirable character yet in other areas they are despicable people who need help. This is the unfortunate case of many characters in the play Inheritance.

Bishop Menninger comes across as a man of God. As a Christian and a leader in the church, he is expected to live true to the Christian teachings and observe the teachings rather than just professing them. This does not happen for his evil nature is seen when he manipulates Lacuna Kasoo into hatching a scheme to eliminate the late King Kutula XV on the grounds of hindering progress. He advises Lacuna Kasoo to poison his father, King Kutula XV claiming ‘… it was time to bring Kutula back to dignity’. The Bishop should uphold the sanctity of human life. This is confirmed by Lacuna when he says ‘…I must do it for the future…Menninger says so standing in the courtyard…’pg 68 Thorne Macay and Bishop Menninger tell King Kutula XV that they have the interest ‘of his people at heart’. Yet these are the same leaders that connive with the naïve Lacuna Kasoo to eliminate his father. By sanctioning the death of King Kutula and installing in his place Lacuna Kasoo, they betray the very people they purport to care for by having a bad leader take up power. They assume that since King Kutula is an advocate of his people’s rights, they would rather have Lucuna Kasoo who appears enthusiastic about cooperating with the empire pg14-15. It is the height of hypocrisy for lacuna Kasoo to pretend that he is holding a commemoration of king KutulaXV yet he is the one who poisoned him to death. All the fanfare,dances,speeches and related activities are meant to trick the people that he is really mourning a great man. No wonder he would want to give himself a new lease of life through marrying Lulu, a high school student.

Goldstein pretends to care about Kutula citizens yet he advises Lacuna to restructure the public service leading to massive unemployment. He also advises that the wages should be kept low with the run-away inflation and the rising cost of living. These actions can only stir riots and civil unrest that would ultimately lead to change of regime in Kutula. He further advises that the working hours be extended which would be unfair to the citizens.

Conclusion From the discussion above, it is clearly evident that people are quite deceptive in that their words do not match their deeds.

19. Closely referring to David Mulwa’s text Inheritance, illustrate how  most citizens in most African countries suffer because of the behaviour of their leaders. (20 mks)

Accept any relevant introduction

• Leaders make life for the conman very expensive hence basic amenities like education are out of reach for the masses in Kutula, Lakuna kasoo raises school levies leading to school dropout like Lulu. Expect any four well illustrated points Mark3:3:3:3

Conclusion In conclusion, leaders should not be selfish but should selflessly serve their subjects by working for the benefit of their subjects for that is what their mandate is. Accept any other relevant conclusion. ( 2mks)

20. With illustrations from David Mulwa's, "Inheritance," write an essay to illustrate the following statement. (20marks) "Corruption and inefficiency breed revolt."

INTRODUCTION Inefficiency in government offices coupled with corrupt practices deny citizens government services and opportunities they deserve. Following such frustrations, many, especially the youth, revolt to show their displeasure. In the set text, inheritance by David Mulwa, Juda Zen Melo's sons are some of the young people who join forces with others to rebel against the corrupt government of Lacuna Kazoo under their uncle Bengo and Sangoi.

• People are organized under Bengo and Sangoi, and many have joined them including those who were initially sceptical, pg 98.
• The rebels are everywhere. They are planted in government institutions, churches as well as homes and key positions, pg 102.
• Chipande has acquired land that belonged to ordinary citizens by paying peanuts. Further more, he gets a licence from Lacuna that makes him a monopoly producer of coffee thereby denying the peasants the right to cultivate coffee. This escalates citizens anger and desperation leading to revolt, pg 29.
• Lacuna has been in power for long but he has never known anyone apart from his clansmen, and a bevy of concubines. This promotes nepotism and tribalism. Those denied their rightful share of the national cake, resort to organizing revolt against leader Lacuna Kazoo,pg 29.
• Lacuna entrenches tribalism and nepotism. People are hired despite their educational ability which in turn entrenches inefficiency. Promotion is based on whom they can trust with their safety. Such actions on the part of government officials, push citizens to rebel against the government,pgs 95,96.

CONCLUSION Corruption and inefficiency create despondency, desperation and anger that lead to uprising and revolution with unimaginable consequences to those who oppress others.

21. To the people of Kutula, life was probably better when they faced colonial challenges. Illustrate this claim with reference to David Mulwa, play The Inheritance. 

Introduction  At times life can be better when there is something to hope for. When that hope is robbed away, and its place dominated by serious leadership chaos, pain and frustration creeps in, and this is the sad state of Kutula people in David Mulwa’s Play Inheritance.

• Lacuna’s leadership is greatly tribal. Lacuna is seen to have members of his tribe in key government positions and in the military.
• The independence government under Lacuna proves to be worse and more oppressive than the colonial establishment

22. The author presents Kutula as republic as a society confronted by tyranny. Discuss this using the Play Inheritance by David Mulwa. (20mks)

King Lacuna abuses power and takes advantage of his position to exploit and oppress his subjects.

• Unlawful sacking of workers. When Juda refuses, he faces the consequences by being sacked and evicted from the government house and his car is taken away. He is also forced to sell his farm to Lacuna’s cronies for peanuts and the wife is forced to work in the same farm to make ends meet.
• People are brutally murdered as Lakuna orders the killing of anyone who opposes his leadership. He asks Juda Zen Melo to kill his brother Bengo who is an activist and a threat to his leadership. After many days of job searching, Juda gets a job as a machine operator in one of the silvers factories, but he is killed while operating the machine. His greed for power makes him kill his father. It is ridiculous that he takes his father’s life so that he can get to power. He colludes with the imperialists to poison his father so that he is installed the new king.
• Embezzlement of funds from the public coffer. Lakuna embezzles funds meant for public use. His leadership is also satirized when he uses money meant for the country’s economic growth for his own selfish gains. He admits having bought himself an aircraft with loans advanced to him in the name of his subjects. It is ironical and unbelievable that he justifies that action by saying that he cannot be at the same level with his subjects and that he has to soar above them and their complaints and hatred.
• To make matters worse, he deposits the remaining money in his own accounts in the same banks that lend the money. His is the highest level of impunity and when the financiers force him to pay the loans, he swears that he will make his subjects pay for him so that he remains in power.
• Corruption is evident in Kutula. Lacuna is also corrupt and practices nepotism. The subjects are aware that for you to get a job, you must know or be of the king’s tribesmen; otherwise, getting a job will remain elusive.
• Appointments are also made politically and those given the jobs must pledge their loyalty by giving a kick back and their positions will remain secure regardless of their performance. He collects 30 per cent of what the ministries get as a sign of their loyalty and in return their positions are guaranteed.
• People are forced to do certain things against their wish. Lakuna Kasoo forces everyone to attend the commemoration of his father, declaring it a public holiday. After the celebrations, he forces Lulu to entertain him and he swears to make her his second wife, with or without her consent. When she refuses to toe the line, she is detained in his palace for days and denied the opportunity to attend her father's funeral.
• There is forceful eviction as Lacuna Kasoo also orders the eviction of the natives from the valley to create room for foreigners to occupy it and make it productive for their own selfish gain. All he cares about is the continued financial gains from the foreigners at the expense of the welfare his own people. He even orders drastic action to be taken against those who resist. By doing this, the citizens will be made homeless and they will be enslaved and they will live at the mercy of the foreigners who will benefit from the produce.
• There is imposition of labour laws that are oppressive to the people. Lacuna Kasoo conspires with the colonialists to cut down on employment and quadruple production of the exports by making them work long hours and on lower wages.

23. A selfish leaders governance negatively affects the subject referring closely to the play, write an essay on how Lucuna’s leadership affects the people of Kutula.

She feels that God cannot be present and allow such kind of poor leadership that, harms its people “How can he live in a place like this ?

We are alone mama. Alone, you have prayed sinceI was small and only the dusty winds answer you. No! I shall do it myself if you won’t do it. Page 30.

She sees God has let her down by allowing such leadership of Lacuna and she “will use my beauty then I must complete school and be somebody.

In any way, mama anyway p.g 31 Any other valid point mark 3:3:3:3 =12mks Grammar and presentation 4mks

CONCLUSION Leaders, should take good care of citizens, protect their property and avoid all vices that make the citizens lives difficult. 

24. Basing your arguments on Inheritance by David Mulwa, show how citizens can influence their own governance.

Introduction An oppressed people will at some point find ways and means to be heard and liberate themselves. The people of Kutula through characters like Bengo and Sangoi stage an uprising against the oppressive regime led by Lacuna.

Illustrations

• People in Kutula decide how they will be governed. Bengo refuses to be governed by Lacuna and forms an opposition. He mobilizes the people to rebel against bad governance. The people want a leader who does not oppress them and one who does not shed innocent blood.
• The people have had enough of oppression and dictatorship and they rebel against the leadership of Lacuna. They choose their own leaders to lead them to revolt. Bukelenge occupants organize a peaceful march carrying doves. The army has no reason to hurt them. They do not use weapons as they do not want any bloodshed.
• The people have support from all tribes including some of Lacuna's supporters. They are planning to get Lacuna out of the palace from the inside and with no weapons. Bengo and the leaders do not want bloodshed and they insist on unity if they want to win. They choose a Sangoi, a spiritual leader and a leader who chooses peace. In doing so, they are in charge of their governance. Bengo is also a patriot and does not want any bloodshed in the process of liberating the people.
• Authority is given to people who have fought bad governance like Bengo. These people know the way to govern the people as they have fought bad leaders like Lacuna Kasoo. They lead the people peacefully to get what they want without violence.

Conclusion The people choose the leaders that they want and the way to be led. Bengo and Sangoi lead the people to rebel but no weapons are used. They are still able to remove Lacuna from power.

25. ‘In whatever you do, whether good or bad expect a pay.’ Write a composition in support of the statement using illustrations from the Drama, Inheritance.

Introduction What goes around comes around. /Such characters as Lacuna Kasoo, Chipande, Reverend Sangoi and the colonialists receive a pay for their actions. / Leaders who are loved like Rev. Sangoi are rewarded with good smile while Lacuna who is ruthless is rewarded accordingly.

• Colonialists P3,5 - The colonialists who had occupied Kutula by forcefully grabbing the natives’ land (p8) are forcefully/violently overthrown. They accused the natives of breach of trust – attacking farms, factories, and businesses – leaders walk tails tucked p.46. Thorne complains about colonial office banning the use of whip on natives. He refers to them as idiots. Meninger says African natives are full of utter confusion. Kutula natives rise against the colonial government leading to independence. They are forced out without Kutula paying their debt. (p135-136) They are embarrassed.
• Lacuna’s brutality Lacuna who leads Kutula with iron fist (p15,41,45, 49) is overthrown by the citizens (p132, 133, 136) and leadership handed over to Rev. Sangoi. Many people who felt that Sangoi was more qualified for leadership post than him disappeared mysteriously. He is inhuman and corrupt and he oppresses the people. He too gets his dues accordingly. He takes loans and makes the people pay very high taxes. He oppresses them and uses martial law to rule them as he is the commander in Chief (p115). He puts people who are illiterate in offices just because they are his clansmen. (The overthrowing of Lacuna must come out.)
• Tamina’s land Chipande forces Tamina to sell her land in Bukelenge to him for peanuts but later suffers for it. He also makes sure no one gets licence to grow coffee. She is forced to be a casual laborer at the farm. Chipande is accused of taking all farms on the mountains after the exit of whites – (p24, 29). When Lacuna’s government is overthrown, Chapande, Lacuna and Malipoa are seized and confined amid cheering and jeers – embarrassment - as they wait to face charges for their crimes. (The underlined parts, if well brought out will allow the candidate transit to a fair)
• Lulu Lacuna who forcefully takes Lulu Zen Melo, a school girl as his second wife is dethrone. She is rescued from confinement within the palace during the revolution. She refuses to marry him. When she is free, she slaps him for confining her against her wish for one month. P. 117, 118, 119, 120-121, 129-130 (Without slap, do award beyond a thin) 
• Leadership Sangoi who does good to the people of Kutula is repaid with leadership and love by the people. During the commemoration they shout down Lacuna and ask Sangoi to be their rightful leader. The elderly leader even addresses Sangoi as the president and swore his unwavering loyalty. He forces the school children to sing his praises yet he knows that the people do not like him. Eventually, they choose her to lead them into rebelling against Lacuna Kasoo as she is still a good leader.

Conclusion In conclusion, no good or bad goes unpaid.

26. ‘Lacuna represents the evil in our African leaders’ Write an essay to justify this using ‘Inheritance’. (20mks)

Sample Introduction. Some people are not satisfied with what they have and want more all the time as illustrated by Leo Tolstoy’s main character Pahom.

• Pahom had a farm and a house but wanted more.He had 123 acres of land and pasture.As he farmed the number of cattle kept increasing. He had thought that this land was not enough he wanted wider and more futile. He would constantly ask himself how can he have more land?
• He was easily convinced to go buy land from the Bashkirs .A passing dealer tells him there is cheap land in the land of Bashkirs and Pahom thinks he has to go there and buy the land. He enquired how to get to Bashkir and buys many presents in the market . He started on the journey and took his servant with him.
• Pahom could not sleep thinking of the land he would acquire. He thought if he walked the whole day what a large track of land he will mark off. As he thought of this he lay awake all night. When he was shown the tracks of land hios eyes glistered there was a wide land infront of his eyes. He thought of how he would get the best land above all the people.
• Pahom bit more than he could chew. He tried to get more land but his body could not sustain walking. He kept walking without thinking , he felt serious pain but pressed on, he threw away his coat ,his shoes,his flask and cap.When he could not stand the fatigue any more his legs gave way beneath him and he fell forward. He eventually dies after straining to get more land.

Conclusion. It is out of greed and obsession to get more land that Pahom dies tragically. Award 2:3:3:3:3:2 Language 4mks( Total mks 20)

27. “Nothing good comes easy” Using illustrations from David Mulwa’s Inheritance, show how true this is.

There’s a belief that peace can only be achieved through violence. When faced with danger, the only recourse is violence. This is well illustrated in the play inheritance by David Mulwa. (2mks)

(Accept any other valid introduction)

• The people of Kutula got their independence through violence. There was insurrection, supported by king Kutula as he so readily admits, that targeted the whites and their property. The king explains that nothing will stop the people’s quest for independence. The Kutula people achieve independence through violence.
• After independence the hopes and dreams last for a few years. They had peace as they had food to eat and were totally debt free. When lacuna murders the king, their dreams end. He is cruel, selfish dictator with overwhelming greed. He jails those who resist his rule like Bengo and makes it impossible for others to earn a living like Judah.
• When things go wrong for Lacuna, his only re course is violence. Over the years he has bought the loyalty of his supporters, He advises Meshak that he should enlist men who would even guard his sheep. He believes that as long as he has the support of the army, he is safe. When trouble breaks out, Lacuna orders Meshak to shoot the resistors and demonstrators.
• When the rebels meet, the young among them feel that they should use violence. They feel that the pleas for peaceful resistance are what have kept the people oppressed for long. When the country is unable to pay up the debts the colonialists show their faces. In amazing show of subservience, Goldstein’s ascends to the throne and Lacuna becomes a groveling servant at Goldstein’s feet.
• The revolution changes things. The puppet is deposed and the people make it clear that they do not consider themselves indebted to the whites. The loan have been procured by Lacuna were his personal business and the creditors should know because it was an individual who borrowed and misappropriated the funds. The people make a choice to have Sangoi and the white men have been told the truth and things are looking up. Mar 3:3:3:3.

Conclusion In conclusion we can say that good kings must be taught for just like true independence of the people of Lacuna. (2mks) (Accept any valid conclusion) .

28. Using examples from Mulwa’s play, Inheritance, write an essay to show that as a leader you cannot fool people all the time.

Introduction If you are leader of any sort and you think that your subjects are easily deceived you may be in for a rude shock. (Accept any relevant introduction) 2marks

ILLUSTRATIONS

• Lacuna Kasoodiverts donor funds to personal use and stashes some in his own personal accounts. He uses the money to buy himself a personal jet claiming that he cannot crawl like his subjects but to fly above them. When the financiers visit him his foreign accounts are frozen and this makes him even more desperate.
• Lacuna sacks Juddah from his prime government job when he refuses to kill Bengo his brother on an account that he is leading an opposition against him. He dispossesses Juddah making him resort to a life of squalor and poverty. When he learns that Juddah has a job at the theKasoo Mines, he organizes his death but camouflages it under a freak accident. Lulu and Tamina learn of the untimely death of their father and put up a spirited onslaught against Lacuna’s leadership.
• Lacuna increases taxation by 100% and orders that the money be deposited in his personal bank account. This is because he wants to rebuild new wealth after his accounts have been frozen. Instead of making him happy, this decision irks the subject who resolve to an insurrection that sees him finally toppled.
• Leader Kasoo organizes the late father’s commemoration ceremony which is an annual event with the sole aim of getting a virgin to “rejuvenate himself”. At the end of the ceremony he detains Lulu in the palace with the sole intention of making him his wife. He cajoles the mother Tamina with rewards such as a piece of land in the Bukelenge Valley. He kills Juddah with the intention of coercing Lulu into submission but it fails. In the end the young lass slaps him- a humiliating feat for a leader of his standing.
• Kasoo despises Sangoi. He claims that she doesn’t know who her mother was and that she doesn’t belong. This does not stop the masses from recognizing her efforts. They finally crown her their leader.
• The leader of Kutula detains Bengo with the hope that he would suppress dissent from any quarter. He paints Bengo in a negative light as the enemy of the government and by extension the people’s enemy. This does not stop Bengo from teaming up with the like-minded people like Sangoi to bring about the much needed change to their people.
• Kasoo recruits his relatives into the armed forces hoping to please them and use them to suppress revolt against his leadership. This does not work. Force fails to stand against a united front. (Accept any 4 well illustrated points. Mark 4;4;4;4. Total 12marks) Grammar and Presentation. 4marks

 When a leader thinks that he is more cunning than his subjects he may have to confront stiff opposition from those he undermines. (Accept any other valid conclusion) 2marks

29. Pretenders are worse than murderers. Write an essay to show the truthfulness of this statement basing you answer to Inheritance by David Mulwa.

INTRODUCTION In the society, some people may pretend to have moral standard or opinion that they do not actually have. This is a situation we find many characters in the play Inheritance. Or Most people in any society may pretend that everything is alright, yet they do know that something is wrong.this is what David Mulwa demonstrates in his play The Inheritance. Lacuna pretends to honour King Kutula xv during his commemoration. He says ‘lets always remember with gratitude what my father the king did for us. On your behalf I shall now walk to the Royal grave to pay our continued National respects.’ Yet he was the one who killed the King in order to pave way for his leadership. Lucuna also pretends that Judah’s death was as a result of faulty machines but he is the one who arranged his killing. We get to know this from Robert’s words. It was Murder for poor Judah, not the age of the machines as you would like the world to believe? Bishop Menninger calls himself a man of God and teaches and adheres to the teachings of Christianity, but he is involved in plotting and poising of King Kutula xv. “……..it was time to bring Kutula back to dignity ……….” “ ……… An then it happened ……. I must do it for her future… Menninger say so ……….” Goldstein pretend to care about Katula citizens yet he advices Lacuna to reduce the work force, thus creating unemployment, more so the wages should be kept low, While the working hours are to be extended. This is unfair to the citizens. He also tricks Lacuna into taking loans and advices him to take drastic actions which will only benefit themselves “you will nationalize that valley and we shall occupy it.” Meshack, the commander of Katula’s armedforces, is hypocritical. He pretend to be so much supportive to King Lacuna yet, we know that he is against his rush decisions. “ I know sir. Its hard to be a leader like you.” He flees for his life without notifying his master, when he sees that his end has come. Thorne Macay and Bishop Menninger tell King Kutula xv that they have the interest ‘of his people at heart but behind his back, they plot his killing leading to the citizens of Kutula being left in the hands of a bad leader as Lacuna. They see that King Kutula xv doesn’t serve their interest, thus thinking Lacuna will serve their interest better. In conclusion Lacuna, Goldenstein, Meshak, Bishop Menninger and Thorne are all hypocritical.

30. “Using David Mulwa’s play Inheritance, write an essay showing how Lacuna Kasoo’s poor leadership has been ridiculed.

• African countries rug behind in development due to poor leadership in the play by David Mulwa the writer exposes the weaknesses of Lacuna Kasoos leader which has lead to suffering and under development In Kutula.
• Firstly Lacuna is portrayed as a dictator. Those who fall out with him are ruthlessly silenced either through imprisonment like Bengo or through murder like in the case of Judah Zen Melo.
• Lacuna also uses his position as a leader to enrich himself at the expense of the citizen of his country. He uses money ment for development of the country to buy himself an aeroplane . He staces the rest of the money in foreign accounts.
• Lacuna is a leader who suffers from sexual greed. Despite having a wife, Melisa, he still wants to marry a girl, Lulu, who is only fit to be his daughter. He goes to an extent of trying to marry her forcefully when she refuses his advances.
• Lucanas inefficiency as a leader also makes his cronies to exploit the citizens Chipande buys land cheaply from the people e.g Tamina and uses the same people to work in the same land for his own profit. He has also diverted the rivers to his irrigation project reading to shortage of water.
• His leadership also benefits foreigners rather than the citizen. He prefers to work with foreigners like Goldstain and Robert instead of his fellow countrymen.
• He uses murder to silence those who oppose his orders. He organizes for Judah’s murder when he refuses to kill his brother Bengo who is Lacunas political enemy.
• Lacuna’s leadership seem to live so many weaknesses which have lead to under development in his country and suffering of the masses.

31. Misuse of power is a common phenomenon in most African countries. Basing your arguments on Inheritance by David Mulwa write an essay to support this statement

• Judith Zen Melo is kicked out of his work because he refuses to be involved in the killing of his brother Bengo, more so they take his land.
• Chipande uses his influence as a councillor to buy Tamina’s land on the mountains cheaply, for peanuts, and then he goes ahead to ensure that no one is given license to grow coffee for he fears competition.
• Most people employed in Kutula government are Leader Lacuna’s tribesmen and kinsmen. Tamina comments that Lacuna hasn’t seen anyone else apart from his tribesmen. The manager at the mines where Zen Melo works as a gateman is a tribesman of Lacuna.

32. “Colonial rule is harsh towards the natives.” Write an essay to support this assertion with illustrations from David mulwa’s Inheritance.

Points of interpretation

• White colonial masters live lavishly at the expense of the natives who serve them as slaves.
• The natives are oppressed, through King Kutula we learn that the natives live according to the rules of the white and have no say in running the affairs that directly affect them.
• The colonialists grab tracts of land from the natives for agriculture, mining and settlement thus displacing and enslaving them.
• The British Empire depended on Africa for survival hence exploits
• The native’s natural resources for its own benefit.
• Natives are assassinated and other sexiled as a result of the colonial rule. A country wide uprising begins and the natives demand to be left to run their own affairs.

Any other correct point.

• Mark 4 well illustrated points each 3mks
• A plausible introduction 2mks
• A relevant conclusion 2mks
• Grammar ability maximum 4mks

33. “Lacuna Kasoo is a callous man devoid of any moral values.” Discuss this statement using illustrations from Inheritance by David Mulwa.

Leaders must be people who care about the welfare of the people they lead if they are to win the peoples support and allegiance. Lacuna is a man that is immoral and heartless, and who has no morals.

(Accept any other relevant introduction Award 2 marks)

• Lacuna is a callous man devoid of any moral values. He asks Juda to kill his brother Bengo who is not on his political side. When Juda refuses, Lacuna sends him away and almost kills him. Later, Juda dies in an ‘accident’ while working.
• He plans for his (Juda’s) killing in the silver mines. Lacuna also confesses of having killed his father (he poisoned him) so that he could assume power (g 66, 68,120).
• Lacuna Kasoo borrows money in the name of servicing the silver mines to improve the economy (pg 60-62). Instead, he slashes away money in personal accounts abroad. Some of it is also shared between him and his cronies (pg 70-73) and these people do not return. He borrows more loan (pg75-76) which is wasted and there’s no plan for repayment. He borrows more money to pay interest for loans he has failed to service. The citizens continued to suffer as there’s no more export since the mines ae running at a loss. He also borrows money and buys himself an aircraft instead of using it to service the mines and the machines. He gives his ministers part of this money and they give back 30% to him in order for them to keep their jobs. He also diverts this money to provide subsidies for citizens instead of creating jobs. The citizens suffer further when he is forced to withdraw subsidies and he is also forced to allow foreign investment i.e. Nationalization of Bukelenge valley.
• Lacuna’s rule is one of high handedness and use of excessive force (pg 23). He uses force on people who defy instructions. Judah Zen Melo is physically assaulted for refusing to kill Bengo his brother (pg 27). Brutality is heightened by jailing of Bengo. He says ‘He is of thorn in my political side, pluck it out and wrap my pain inside with red blood? (pg 41). Many citizens were killed when they crumbled that a wrong leader had been installed. He creates fear among the people and Rev. Sangoi says ‘my brother Lacuna never takes no for an answer. You will be a marked home. (pg 43. Lacuna reacts with fury when Lulu refuses to dance with him. He promises to punish the child for having an association with Robert. He also orders Meshack the commander to shoot deserters on site. (The demonstrators) pg 91. A lot of brutality is used to evacuate people from the valley. Goodstein reveals that Lacuna has ordered gun use. He invokes Marshal Law to impose curfew. Lulu is forcefully confined at the pretext of bringing about national rebirth.
• Many people are languishing in abject poverty. Tamina’s house speaks of this. She cannot afford the basic requirements like a radio. Juda fell out with Lacuna’s party and he’s evicted from Lacuna’s party and he’s evicted from the government’s house. There are hanging sacks on his doors. Tamina has to pick coffee yet she sold her farm to chipande, at peanut’s price. They have to work with no extra pay. She can’t pay fees and Lulu is sent home. She can’t pay levies. She wants to pay in instalments (pg 24-27) Juda wanders trying to find elusive jobs to feed his family and has to give up his dignity and offers drink to mithambo (manager) to get a job. He sinks into alcoholism ‘I am a man sunk into depression due to frustrations’. There are many poor people while Lacuna falls banquet. Tamina’s sons are also out and she wonders whether they are dead or alive. They have become fighters. The foods and drinks that are served at the palace are imported. Borrowed money hasn’t availed anything for the citizens. The country is run down while people suffer but they celebrate even when the sun shrivels the earth. Juda Zen Melo’s predicament comes after defying Lacuna Kasoo’s directive to kill Bengo. He loses the government house. Bengo is tortured and he becomes a victim of Lacuna’s revenge. He revenges on the citizens who crumbled during his coronation. He uses threats on Sangoi. He even threatens to close the airport on Robert and Goldstein. He threatens to punish Lulu for associating with Robert. Lacuna has personalized the nation and insists on canalizing its itch. Lulu ends up at the palace, she and her dance troop had won in a festival. She is invited to perform during the commemoration mother is against the pagan ritual for a virgin is needed. He wants the customs to be bent to address the ‘national emergencies’. He wants the young dance to sup with him at his private chambers. On the night of commemoration, Robert snatches her. Lacuna is not pleased by the dance. He forgives Robert but promised to correct Lulu. He confines her forcefully. Later, he summons her to the palace and seduces her. He later maligns Melissa in an attempt to win her over. He defies his spiritual advisor and summons Rev.Sangoi his sister to bless their marriage. If not, they should pick any priest from the clan and orders Chipande to run and come back to be the man. It is callous for Lacuna to confine a young girl, school-gang and make her a sacrificial lamb, disguised as national emergency’.

In conclusion, Lacuna is morally corrupt and is a man that only thinks of himself. He does not care that his people suffer because of paying high taxes and that they lack basic needs. All he cares about is his welfare. He is a killer and a murdered who thrives in his corrupt morals.  

34. Lacuna’s poor governance results in the suffering of the people of Kutula.” Using Judah Zen Melo’s family, write an essay depicting the truth of the statement.

In David Mulwa’s “Inheritance”, Lacuna Kasoo’s brutal and harsh leadership causes a lot of harm to his subjects. Case in point is the family of Judah who end up undergoing psychological and physical torture for going against the regime. My essay illustrates this further.

• Romanus Bengo, Judah’s brother is detained unlawfully for being against the leadership of Lacuna Kasoo. When Lacuna was conducting his campaigns, Bengo stood to compete him. Bengo says that he was headed for a landslide win against the incumbent and this must have threatened Kasoo’s leadership. First Lacuna asks Judah to kill him as a proof of his loyalty to the king to which he refuses as Bengo is his brother and he cannot get himself to commit the atrocity. The king opts to jail Bengo so as to silence him and kill his fight for liberation. Romanus ends up being separated from his close family as a consequence of being against the regime.
• Judah ends up losing his job in the government for going against the wishes of Lacuna. While Judah was still working in the palace at the right hand of Lacuna, his brother was leading a strong revolution against Lacuna’s leadership. This angers Lacuna and he asks Judah to prove his loyalty by killing Romanus Bengo. Despite Lacuna’s promises of wellness to his family, Judah refuses to betray his brother and mother by committing this act. For his act of refusing to help King Kasoo, Judah says that he has been unable to find work as no one in Kutula wanted to be associated with someone who had refused to help the king. Lacuna had closed all paths for him. After a long while, he ends up getting a watchman’s job at the mines far from home where he resorts to being an alcoholic so as to get a promotion. Judah loses his job and becomes an alcoholic as a result of going against Kasoo’s leadership.
• Judah is beaten up and eventually killed by Kasoo’s government. After refusing to prove his loyalty by killing his own brother, Bengo, Judah was beaten up and left for dead. Tamina says that even though Judah had tried to make up for his mistake of going against Kasoo’s wishes, the king still struck and he was beaten up badly and left for dead at their doorstep. It took the intervention of Dr. Jonathan to save his life as he was left in a bad state. He spends a long time recuperating in the hospital before getting back to his feet. While working in the mine, he suffers an accident while operating the machines and dies as explained by Lacuna. Robert later says that they have done their investigation and found out that it was murder and not an accident. Lacuna’s anger at the statement shows that he had a hand in the murder. Judah is not only beaten up but also loses his life because of Kasoo’s poor leadership.
• Lulu, Judah’s daughter is held at the palace on Lacuna’s orders but against her wish. After conducting the commemoration ceremony for his late father, King Kutula XV, Lacuna insists that Lulu must stay behind without offering an explanation. Lacuna intends to satisfy the ancestors wish by laying with the girl and marrying her without her consent. Lulu insists that she wants to go home because she is not of age and Lacuna is old enough to be her father but Lacuna refuses. She is worried that the she is being labelled as a gold digger by others and fears that her mother is worried about her. She also says that she respects Melissa who is Lacuna’s wife and she does not want to be in her bad books. Lacuna spends a lot of money ensuring she is spoilt lavishly to convince her but Lulu is uncowed. When she gets news of her father’s death, she tells Lacuna that she wants to go home to pay her last respect to which Lacuna refuses. He even goes ahead to slap her thus inflicting further pain on Lulu. Lulu’s forced stay at the palace causes pain to her and she suffers from Lacuna’s dictatorship.
• Lastly, Tamina Zen Melo undergoes a lot of frustrations from Lacuna’s government. Her husband is beaten up and left for dead at her doorstep. When Judah loses his job, all the luxuries that she was accustomed to are take away. She mentions that her cars and government house are taken away and her coffee farm is bought by Chipande, Lacuna’s advisor, for peanuts as he has monopolized coffee growing. As a result, she has become poor and she has to fend for her family especially Lulu who still needs school fees that her mother cannot raise. She also suffers psychologically when Lulu is kept at the palace against her will and she thinks that her daughter is after the riches and she disowns her. Later her husband is murdered at the mines and this tortures her mentally, her frustration clear from how she reacts at the news almost losing reason and wanting to fight Sangoi as she goes to avenge her husband’s death. Tamina, Judah’s wife, undergoes a lot of mental torture and frustrations under Kasoo’s leadership. In conclusion, poor leadership results to the torture of innocent individuals especially those who are against a regime as is evident in Judah Zen Melo’s family.

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• Biology Important Questions
• Class 12 - Biology
• Chapter 5: Principles Inheritance Variation

Important Questions for Class 12 Chapter 5 Principles of Inheritance and Variations

Inheritance is the transfer of genes from parents to the offsprings. The principles of inheritance and variation were explained by Gregor Mendel in his experiments on a pea plant. He stated three laws of inheritance on the basis of his observations with the pea plant:

• Law of Dominance
• Law of Segregation
• Law of Independent Assortment

Very Short Answer Type Questions

Q.1. What is the cross known as when the progeny of F1 and a homozygous recessive plant is crossed? State its advantage.

A.1. The cross is a test cross. It is advantageous to determine the genotype of the parent plant.

Q.2. What are the criteria for selecting organisms to perform crosses to study the inheritance of a few traits?

A.2. The following criteria are adopted for selecting organisms:

• The traits should be easily visible.
• The organisms should have different traits.
• They should have a short life span
• They must be true breeds
• The pollination procedure should be simple.
• The traits can be manipulated easily
• Random mating of gametes should take place

A.3. The pedigree shows an autosomal recessive disorder. The parents are the carrier of the disease so the disease will be visible in only a few offsprings. The other offsprings will be either a carrier or non-carrier.

Q.4. Why did Mendel self-pollinate the tall F1 plants to get the F2 generation and crossed a pure breeding tall plant with a pure breeding dwarf plant to obtain the F1 generation?

A.4. The genotype of 50% of the offspring will resemble one parent and the rest 50% will resemble the other parent. The F1 generation obtained from the cross is heterozygous. So selfing the F1 generation is sufficient to obtain the F2 generation. It would also help to understand the inheritance of selected traits over generations.

Q.5. How are the alleles of a gene different from each other? What is its importance?

A.5. Alleles are the alternative forms of the same gene. For eg., a gene for height comprises of two alleles, one for tall (T) and the other for the dwarf (t). They differ in their nucleotide sequence due, which results in different phenotypes.

Importance :

They are essential in studying the inheritance and behaviour patterns.

They show variations in the population due to contrasting phenotypes of a character.

Q.6. How far are the genes and environment responsible for the expression of a particular trait?

A.6. The genes remain active throughout our lives, switching on and off their expression in response to the environment. The external factors such as light, temperature, nutrition, etc. are responsible for the gene expression exhibiting changes in the phenotype. Genes provide potentiality while the environment provides an opportunity for the expression of the traits.

Q.7. What is the genetic basis of the wrinkled phenotype of pea seed?

A.7. A single gene determines the shape of the seed. The (R) is for the round shape, which is dominant over (r) for the wrinkled seed. If homozygous alleles control the seed shape, it will depict the phenotype of same alleles, for eg., RR (round), rr (wrinkled). If the alleles are heterozygous, the phenotype of the dominant allele will be expressed, for eg., Rr (round).

Q.8. Why does an individual have only two alleles even if a character shows multiple alleleism?

A.8. The multiple forms of an allele that occurs on the same gene locus are known as multiple alleles. But an individual carries only two alleles. This happens because a zygote is formed by the fusion of haploid sperm and egg. They have only one allele for each trait. When the zygote becomes diploid, it has two alleles for each trait.

Q.9. How is a mutation induced by the mutagen? Explain with examples.

A.9. The mutagen changes the base sequence by insertion, deletion or substitution and induces mutation .

Q.10. Differentiate between dominance, co-dominance and incomplete dominance.

A.10.  Dominance is the phenomenon in which one variant of a gene masks the effect of a different variant of the same gene.

Co-dominance is the relationship between two alleles of a gene. In this none of the alleles are recessive and the phenotype of all the alleles are expressed.

Incomplete dominance is a form of intermediate inheritance in which one allele for a specific trait is not expressed completely over its paired allele.

Q11.Define the chromosomal theory of inheritance?

A11. The chromosomal theory of inheritance is defined as the fundamental theory of genetics, which recognizes chromosomes as the carriers of genetic material.

Q12. Define Linkage?

A12. In genetics, the linkage is defined as the tendency of genes to remain combined together during the inheritance. This phenomenon was first observed and reported by William Bateson and R.C. Punnet in the early 1900s.

Short Answer Type Questions

Q.1. How is it possible for a child to have a blood group O if the parents have blood groups A and B?

A.1. Case I- If the father is I A and mother is I B , the child will have blood groups AB, A, B, O. Case II- If a father is I A and mother is I B , the child will have the same blood groups as in the case I, i.e., AB, A, B, and O. Thus if the parents have heterozygous alleles, the child will have blood group O.

Q.2. Explain Down’s syndrome.

A.2. Down’s syndrome is an autosomal genetic disorder caused by trisomy at chromosome 21, i.e., there is an extra copy of chromosome 21. This condition affects an individual both physically and mentally. Children born with Down’s syndrome have a flat nose and small ears. They face problem in thinking, understanding and reasoning throughout their lives. They might have trouble hearing and seeing. They are often dwarf.

Q.3. Why is it that women exceeding 40 years of age have more chances of having a child with Down’s syndrome?

A.3. The women exceeding 40 years of age have more chances of having a child with Down’s syndrome because increased age affects the meiosis of chromosomes adversely. The meiosis remains incomplete until fertilization. It remains arrested at prophase-I and the chromosome is unpaired. If the fertilization occurs after a very long gap, the chromosomes will have to remain unpaired for a longer time. The longer the time of unpairing, the greater are the chances of its non-disjunction, and hence conditions like trisomy arise.

Q.4. How was it known that the genes are located on chromosomes?

A.4. The chromosomal theory of inheritance proposed by Bovine and Sutton stated that the genes are present on specific locations on a chromosome. Later, Thomas Morgan observed mutation in the eye colour of the fruit flies and based on the inheritance patter concluded that the gene responsible for the eye colour is located on the X-chromosome.

Q.5. A plant with yellow flowers was crossed with a plant with red flowers. The F1 progeny obtained had orange flowers. What is the inheritance pattern? A.5. The inheritance is incomplete dominance . In this, a new intermediate phenotype between the two original phenotypes is obtained. One allele for a specific trait is not completely expressed over the other allele for the same trait.

Q.6. Mention the characteristics of a true-breeding line. A.6. Characteristics if true breeding is as follows:

• It undergoes self-pollination.
• It depicts stability in the inheritance for several generations.
• Provide gametes with similar traits, hence used as parents for artificial hybridization .
• Homozygous recessive plants are used to identify the genotype through a test cross.

Q.7. Who had proposed the chromosomal theory of inheritance?

A.7.  Theodor Boveri and Walter Sutton are the two scientists who were credited with developing the Chromosomal Theory of Inheritance during the early 1900s.

Q.8. What is recombination? Mention its applications with reference to genetic engineering.

A.8. Recombination is the process of producing a new combination of genes by crossing over during meiosis.

Applications:

It is a means of introducing new traits.

Variability is increased, which is necessary for natural selection.

It is used for preparing linkage chromosome maps.

The desired recombinants produced as a result of crossing over are selected by the plant breeders to produce new crop varieties.

Q.9. Why does sickle-cell anaemia persist in the human population when it is believed that the harmful alleles get eliminated from the population after a certain time?

A.9. Sickle cell anaemia is an autosomal recessive disease in which the red blood cells become sickle-shaped, inhibiting the oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood. Despite this, it protects the carrier from malaria. Individuals with heterozygotes HbAS survive more than the homozygotes HbSS because they are not exposed to the same severity of risks.

Q.10. Define artificial selection. Has it affected the process of natural selection?

A.10. Artificial selection is the intentional breeding of plants and animals where the breeders select the desired traits and make them breed to produce offsprings with the required characteristics. It is an ancient method of genetic engineering. It surely affects the process of natural selection. The individuals cannot evolve on their own. The process is a threat to biodiversity. The traits are not selected considering the fitness of the organism.

Q11.What are Sex chromosomes?

A11.  Sex chromosomes are defined as a pair of chromosomes, which determine whether an individual is male or female. In all mammals, including humans, have sex chromosomes X and Y  in their cells . Females have two X chromosomes(XX), and males have an X and a Y chromosome (XY).

Q12.What are chromosomes and who discovered chromosomes?

A12.  Chromosomes are thread-like structures present within the nucleus of a cell. Each species has a unique number of chromosomes and it varies from one organism to another. Humans have 23 pairs of chromosomes and Humans have 23 pairs of chromosomes.  

Carl Wilhelm von Nageli, a Swiss botanist, discovered chromosomes. He was the first person to observe chromosomes in plant cells in the year 1842.

Long Answer Type Questions

Q.1. What is aneuploidy? Differentiate between aneuploidy and polyploidy.

A.1. Aneuploidy is the chromosomal abnormality in which one or more chromosomes are gained or lost during meiosis due to the non-disjunction of chromosomes.

Differences between aneuploidy and polyploidy:

Polyploidy is a type of chromosomal aberration containing an entire extra set of chromosome. It may be triploid or tetraploid. This phenomenon is common in plants. It is, however, lethal in animals.

Q.2. Describe the individuals with the following chromosomal abnormalities:

• Trisomy at chromosome 21

1) Trisomy – Trisomy results in an autosomal linked genetic disorder known as Down’s syndrome. The individuals exhibit the following characteristics:

• Protruding tongue
• Slanting eyes
• Short height
• Mental retardation
• Under-developed genitals and gonads

2) XXY – The presence of an additional copy of an X-chromosome results in Kleinfelter’s syndrome . The patient exhibits the following characteristics:

• The male individual possesses feminine characteristics.
• Development of breasts in males
• Male is sterile
• Poor beard growth
• Feminine voice

3) XO – Loss of X-chromosome results in Turner’s syndrome. Characteristics:

• The female is sterile.
• The ovaries are immature.
• Webbed neck
• Thorax is shield-shaped
• Under-developed breasts.
• Puffy fingers
• Uterus is small

The standard dihybrid ratio observed is 9:3:3:1. If the two genes interact with the values will deviate. This is because when the genes are linked they do not exhibit independent assortment and remain together in the gametes and the offsprings. The dihybrid ratio thus obtained is 3:1.

Q.5. Why is Drosophila used extensively for genetic studies?

A.5. Drosophila is extensively for genetic studies because it has the following characteristics:

They have a life span of two weeks.

They can be grown in the laboratory on simple synthetic medium.

A large number of progenies are produced by a single mating.

The male and the female Drosophila can be differentiated easily.

It has many variations easily visible under a simple microscope.

Q6.List out the characteristics of the chromosome theory of Inheritance.

The important characteristics of the chromosome theory of Inheritance are:

• Fertilization restores diploid condition.
• Chromosomes segregate and assort independently.
• Homologous chromosomes separate at the time of meiosis.
• Both chromosomes, as well as genes, exist in pairs within the diploid cells.
• Gamete contains only one chromosome of a particular type and only one of the two alleles of a character.

Q7.Define autosome, hemizygous, homozygous, and heterozygous?

Autosome– All chromosomes apart from the sex chromosomes are called the Autosomes. The number of autosomes differs from one organism to another. Humans have 44 number or 22 pairs of autosomes .

Hemizygous– It is a condition in which an organism has only one copy of a gene or DNA sequence present in diploid cells.

Homozygous — It is a condition in which an organism has two similar alleles of a given gene (XX).

Heterozygous –It is a condition in which an organism has two different alleles of a given gene (XY) .

Q8.What are Sex-linkage?

A8. Sex linkage can be defined as the phenotypic expression of an allele, which is dependent on the individual’s gender. It describes the presentation of the chromosome and the sex-specific patterns of inheritance . Sex linkage is directly tied to the sex chromosomes – homogametic sex and heterogametic sex. In mammals, the homogametic sex  (XX) is female and the heterogametic sex (XY) is male. Thus the sex-linked genes are carried on the X chromosome.

Q9. Why is colour blindness more prominent in males than females?

A9. Colour blindness is a sex-linked disorder and the genes responsible are present on the X-chromosome. To become affected by the disease, the female should possess the alleles for colour blindness on both the X-chromosomes. If the allele is present on only one chromosome, the female becomes a carrier of the disease. Since males have only one X-chromosome, it carrying the allele renders them affected. That is why males are more prone to colour blindness .

Q10. Why did scientists select fruit flies for his genetics experiments?

A10.  Drosophila melanogaster is a small common fly species, which belongs to the family Drosophilidae. This species is generally known as the vinegar fly or a fruit fly.  

In the year 1830, Drosophila melanogaster was established as a key model organism for biomedical science and it is due to the considerable biological similarity to mammals and an abundance of available genetic tools.

Like humans, these fruit flies species have a similar distribution of chromosomes. An individual with a pair of X chromosomes is female fruit fly and an individual with one X and one Y chromosome is male.

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Genetics Questions, Essay Example

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• Compare and contrast binary fission, mitosis, and meiosis. Please include a discussion of their prevalence within their domains of life and the advantages/disadvantages for each approach of cell division.

Cells can divide. In unicellular organisms, this makes more organisms. In multicellular organisms this is used for growth, development, and repair.

Binary fission is the asexual reproduction of a cell which only takes place in prokaryotes. Before this can occur, a cell must replicate its chromosome. This starts when a replication bubble opens within the DNA. There is normally only a single origin of replication, unlike that of Eukaryotes. As the bubble increases in size, the DNA strands become longer. DNA polymerase converts each of these strands into double strands and two circular chromosomes are produced. They then affix to the cell membrane, move apart, and pass into each of the daughter cells.

Mitosis is the process of division of chromosomes. There are five stages in the process. Interphase is the resting phase, however, at this stage replication of chromosomes and cell growth are still taking place. In prophase the chromosomes start to coil, shorten and become distinct. The mitotic spindle also starts to form. In animals, centrioles begin to move toward the poles of the cell. In metaphase, the chromosomes begin to line up along the equator of the cell. In anaphase, the chromatids separate at the centromeres and are pulled to the poles of the cell. Telophase takes place when the new daughter nuclei and nuclear envelopes start to reform and chromosomes uncoil. This is also the start of cytokinesis. Cytokinesis happens only in mitosis. In animals it happens in the cleavage furrow and in plants it happens in the cell plate.

The significance of cell division in mitosis and binary fission is that they produce two cells that are identical to the parent cell. In unicellular organisms, this is asexual production. In multicellular organisms these processes help with growth and repair and asexual reproduction.

Meiosis is present in sexual reproduction. Again meiosis goes through the same phases as Mitosis, but there are multiple of each phase. The phases do differ somewhat.

The differences between mitosis and meiosis are that meiosis occurs in germinal tissues. Meiosis involves two successive nuclear divisions in which the chromosomes are duplicated only once. The two divisions are termed meiosis one and meiosis two, which explains why there are multiples of each stage in the process. At the completion of meiosis there are four daughter cells, instead of two like that of mitosis. The daughter cells are genetically different due to crossing over and independent assortment, unlike in mitosis and binary fission where the daughter cells are identical.

• Describe the two laws of inheritance for diploid species. Describe the process and assumptions that lead to these two laws.

The two laws of inheritance were derived by Gregor Mendel while he was experimenting with pea plants in the 1800’s. While crossing purebred white flowering plants with purple flowering plants, he discovered that a purple flowering plant was produced. This led him to conceive the idea of heredity units or factors as he called them. He stated that each individual has two factors for one trait, one factor from each parent. This is where he started to conceive the notions of dominant and recessive traits.

The first law is the law of segregation. This law states that each individual possesses a pair of alleles for any trait. Each parent passes a randomly selected copy of one of these to its offspring. Whichever allele is dominant expresses that trait in the offspring.

The second law is the Law of Independent Assortment. This law states that separate genes for separate traits are passed independently of one another from parents to offspring. Different traits are inherited independently from each other so for example, there is no relation between eye color and hair color.

• Provide three independent reasons why human females have the greatest influence on the phenotype of their offspring.

The first reason is that females more energy into producing offspring, according to the Bateman’s principle. A female’s ability to reproduce is dependent on how many eggs she produces, rather than how many males she mates with. This results in sexual selection, in which she is picky about which males she mates with.

Another reason that females have a greater influence on phenotype is that they are responsible for prenatal care. The female carries the child until birth. They are responsible for what the offspring are exposed to within the womb. This can lead to differences based on exposure.

Another reason that females have a greater influence on phenotype is that when a mother is pregnant, the male set of genes can be seen as a foreign intrusion within the body that the body tries to fight off like an infection. The set of genes from the mother is trying to produce a successful pregnancy which could be why the mother has greater influence.

• Discuss why the traditional terms dominance and recessive can be misleading concepts. Provide three examples where these terms are misleading.

When speaking of dominant and recessive traits dominant means that it is more likely to succeed where as recessive means that this trait would be more likely to hide. This can be misleading because that is not always the case. Offspring receives an allele from each parent. Each parent could carry a dominant and recessive trait for a particular trait. If the offspring receives the recessive trait from each parent, then that recessive trait will be present rather than the dominant trait.

There are many examples of this. The first is eye color. If one parent has blue eyes and the second has brown eyes it would seem that offspring would have brown eyes because the blue eye trait is recessive. However, if the brown eyed parent carries the recessive trait for blue eyes, it could be that offspring will have blue eyes.

Blood type is another example. The A blood type and the B blood type are both dominant, but the O blood type is recessive. If one parent has an A blood type and the other parent has the B blood type, how is the dominant trait determined. It would be completely up to chance as to what blood type would actually be dominant in this matter, which can be misleading in that we are often taught that there can only be one dominant trait.

Another example that can be confusing is dwarfism. Dwarfism is actually a dominant trait, whereas the normal growth allele is recessive. There are far more people who have show the normal growth allele, than the dwarfism allele. It is still possible for two normal people to have offspring that suffer from dwarfism. Apparently the parents must carry the dominant trait in a recessive way for this to happen.

Recessive and dominant are not as clear and concise as many people deem them to be. There are many instances in which a dominant trait may not appear in a second generation; however it appears again in a third generation.

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The Inheritance of Loss

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My Husband’s Inheritance Could Change Our Family’s Life. But He Won’t Even Consider Using It.

This could pay off our mortgage and then some—i’m furious.

Care and Feeding is Slate’s parenting advice column. Have a question for Care and Feeding? Submit it here .

Dear Care and Feeding,

My husband inherited a small collection of watches from his grandfather. He recently had them valued for insurance purposes, and they are worth an absolute bomb. Just one of them could pay off our mortgage and solve a huge number of financial headaches for us. I desperately want him to sell them all, clear our debts, and put some money aside, but he absolutely refuses to consider it. I’m at a loss, as he has never been particularly close to his family and he never even looks at the watches, but he absolutely refuses to explain himself. Obviously, I want him to see the bigger picture, prioritize our family, and sell the damn watches, but I am also angry that he’s making a firm decision without discussing it. Am I missing something here? How do I handle this?

—Poor and Pissed Off

Your husband has the right to do what he sees fit with the watches, and you have the right to continue to try and convince him to sell them. Clearly, he is experiencing some emotions about his grandfather connected to these items: grief, nostalgia, or perhaps regret for the familial distance you mention—in which case, getting rid of them might feel like a further betrayal. Instead of approaching this as a confrontation only about valuable objects, be gentle and try to make space for whatever emotions come up. Implore him to explain just what his reasons are for holding on to the watches and help him process those feelings. Then, you can remind him again how much better your lives could be if he were to let them go. Instead of pushing him to sell them all, offer a compromise in which he could save one or two that mean the most to him. You could let him know that it bothers you that he is making this decision on his own without your input, but if that’s not a pattern in your relationship, it may not be worth it here, given the particular emotions involved. That’s really all you can do, unfortunately. Your husband will have to realize that selling at least some of the watches is in his best interest, but you can’t make this choice for him.

Want Advice on Parenting, Kids, or Family Life?

Submit your questions to Care and Feeding here . It’s anonymous! (Questions may be edited for publication.)

I was a teen dad. My son “Kyle” is now 15, and I’m 31. My parents and his other grandparents do as much as they can, but I’m his only surviving parent, and will also be the only one on the hook for his college costs in a few years. College changed my life, and I know with his love for writing and his grades, Kyle wants to go too.

I’ve been with 33-year-old “Meg” for three years, and I knew we wanted to be serious from the beginning. We talked about wanting a relationship that would become a marriage. She’s wonderful, and a great stepmom to Kyle, and they’re very close. We all live together, and we planned to have another kid together, but she blindsided me by saying she doesn’t want to have a baby until we’re married. I would love to marry her, but the problem is, our combined incomes would wreck Kyle’s financial aid options. We’re at an impasse: She wants to be a mom, I want another child, but the financial side of this isn’t negotiable.

She says having a baby together without the security of marriage “feels risky,” but we live together! I’m happy to marry her when Kyle graduates, but she’s worried about fertility by then. She’s really unhappy about this, but I don’t want to be a dad that lets his kid down for a new stepparent. I don’t understand why she’s so obsessed with having a ring on her finger. Marriage doesn’t guarantee anything. People get divorced all the time. Having a baby doesn’t change that, but I can’t get her to look at this logically. How do I explain this to her so she’ll listen?

—FAFSA Worries

Dear FAFSA Worries,

It’s not unreasonable for Meg to want to be married in order to have a child. There are men who have picked up and left their children. Granted, married dads have done this too, but marriage provides certain legal recourse in those situations. Ask Meg what exactly she is worried about happening. If it’s a matter of assessing your commitment, perhaps she would be willing to have a wedding ceremony, in which you affirm your intentions in front of your loved ones, without going through the process of becoming legally married until your son graduates. If she’s worried about what would happen if you split up, you all could draw up a legal agreement regarding how you intend to divide shared assets and manage the care of your child if that were to be the case. (You might also consult a financial aid expert, if you haven’t yet, to be sure that marriage would definitely impact your son’s aid package in the way that you worry—there may be creative ways around that.) You can also, of course, continue to try and convince her that you are no less committed to being a loyal partner and active dad than you would be if you were married, but that you cannot jeopardize your son’s chances at college in the service of a new child. Hopefully, you can come to an agreement.

Catch Up on Care and Feeding

·  Missed earlier columns this week?  Read them here . ·  Discuss this column in the  Slate Parenting Facebook group !

My wife and I recently took our 3-year-old daughter on a play date with the 2-year-old son of one of my best friends at their house, and the boy wouldn’t share any of his toys. The second my daughter would try to play with a toy, he would take it from her. If he got distracted, she could sneak in a few minutes with a toy before he noticed and took it away. His mom would verbally tell him he has to share repeatedly, but would never follow through and actually make him share.

My friend and I stepped out for a bit, so I only saw this at the tail end of the day, but even my friend didn’t do anything to intervene other than saying “Do you want to share that?” I know if the situation were reversed, I would have physically removed the toy from my daughter’s hands to make sure it was shared with our guest. I also know there are a million philosophies to parenting and I don’t want to judge them or step on their toes, but I also don’t want to put my daughter through that again without being better prepared.

I did explain to my daughter after the fact that it was wrong, that the boy should have shared his toys, and that she handled the situation well and should be proud of herself. However, I imagine this will be somewhat common, and I want to handle it better in the moment next time without rocking the boat and making this awkward with other parents. Are there any subtle techniques/ways to navigate this situation in the moment without making it awkward with the other parents?

—Don’t Rock the Boat, Baby

Dear Don’t Rock,

The selfishness of other kids is something your daughter will encounter throughout her entire childhood and unfortunately, not all other parents will respond well when it’s their kid being stingy. To be fair, a 2-year-old is in a very different place from 3-year-old, developmentally speaking, so it’s not entirely surprising that your friend’s son doesn’t yet know how to take turns. In the future, you can walk up to the other child and ask them to share. Explain that your child wants to play, too, and that it would be nice of them to let her have a turn. If they refuse, then let their parent deal with it. To avoid situations like this one, it may be better for your daughter’s first time playing with a new kid happen with you present, so that you can respond (and if necessary, remove her from the situation). As far as your daughter goes, when these things happen, continue to let her know that she hasn’t done anything wrong to lead to another child being mean or selfish towards her.

More Advice From Slate

My son, a high school freshman, is a very laid-back and relaxed 15-year-old. This was great when he was younger—rarely was there a tantrum or strong resistance—but as a teenager it makes me so worried. We cannot get him motivated about school, or to find his passions. He puts in little effort and does fine. But he is very bright, and with even a modest effort he could do quite well. He doesn’t get in trouble at school, has many friends, and hasn’t pushed our boundaries beyond what is appropriate at his age. Perhaps this is our own hangup about how he should be successful.  Do we just let him find his way?

Estate, Inheritance, and Gift Taxes in Europe, 2024

Inheritance taxes date back to the Roman Empire, which collected 5 percent of all inherited property to pay its soldiers’ pensions. Today, the practice is widespread. Twenty-four out of the 35 European countries covered in this map currently levy estate, inheritance, or gift taxes.

Estate taxes are levied on the property of the deceased and paid by the estate itself. In contrast, inheritance taxes are only levied on the value of assets transferred and are paid by the heirs. Gift taxes are levied when property is transferred by a living individual.

Countries typically charge either an estate tax An estate tax is imposed on the net value of an individual’s taxable estate, after any exclusions or credits , at the time of death. The tax is paid by the estate itself before assets are distributed to heirs. or an inheritance tax An inheritance tax is levied upon an individual’s estate at death or upon the assets transferred from the decedent’s estate to their heirs. Unlike estate taxes , inheritance tax exemptions apply to the size of the gift rather than the size of the estate. . However, estates can be double taxed if they fall under two jurisdictions that apply different taxes. For this reason, European Union Member States have installed mechanisms intended to prevent or relieve double taxation Double taxation is when taxes are paid twice on the same dollar of income, regardless of whether that’s corporate or individual income. if such a situation occurs.

As tempting as inheritance, estate, and gift taxes might look—especially when the OECD notes them as a way to reduce wealth inequality—their limited capacity to collect revenue and their negative impact on entrepreneurial activity, saving, and work should make policymakers consider their repeal instead of boosting them.

The tax A tax is a mandatory payment or charge collected by local, state, and national governments from individuals or businesses to cover the costs of general government services, goods, and activities. rates applied to estates, inheritances, and gifts often depend on the level of familial closeness to the inheritor as well as the amount to be inherited. For example, in France , different rates are applied to transfers to ascendants and descendants, transfers between siblings, blood relatives up to the fourth degree, and everyone else. For transfers to ascendants and descendants as well as between siblings, higher rates are applied to larger sums of money.

In some countries—such as Belgium , Spain , or Switzerland —estate, gift, and inheritance tax rates also vary by region. Most European countries do not tax transfers below a certain amount.

Estate, inheritance and gift tax levies in 35 Major European Countries, as of 2023

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UPSC Key | 25th April, 2024 — Inheritance tax, Rwanda bill, illegal forex trading and more

Exclusive for subscribers from monday to friday: how are inheritance tax and rwanda bill relevant to the upsc exam what significance do topics like illegal forex trading and vvpat have for the preliminary and main exams you can learn more by reading the indian express upsc key for april 25, 2024..

Important topics and their relevance in UPSC CSE exam for April 25, 2024. If you missed the April 24, 2024 UPSC CSE exam key from the Indian Express, read it here. 

🚨  The Indian Express  UPSC Essentials brings to you the  April  edition of its monthly magazine.  Click Here  to read. Share your views and suggestions in the comment box or at manas.srivastava@ indianexpress.com 🚨

Govt & Politics  

Verification of vvpat slips: top court says source code of evms cannot be disclosed .

Preliminary Examination: Indian Polity and Governance

Mains Examination: GS-II : Governance, Constitution and Polity.

What’s the ongoing story- Stating that no candidate has yet pointed to a mismatch between the votes polled on Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and the slips printed by the Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) machine, the Supreme Court Wednesday reserved its order on a bunch of petitions seeking 100 per cent verification of votes with the slips, saying it cannot issue directions on the basis of mere suspicion.

Prerequisites:

— What is an electronic voting machine (EVM)? How does it work?

— When were EVMs first used in elections?

— In which Lok Sabha election were EVMs used in every booth?

— What are VVPATs?

— Read Article 324 of the Indian Constitution and the Election Commission of India.

— Representation of People Act, 1981.

Key takeaways: 

— A two-judge bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta also said “we cannot control elections” and “we are not the controlling authority of another constitutional authority”.

— The bench reiterated that the source code of the EVMs should not be disclosed as the Election Commission of India (ECI) informed it that the micro-controllers installed in the machines are one-time programmable and cannot be changed.

— Answering the bench’s query on the microcontroller of the machines on Wednesday, an ECI official explained that all three units in an EVM — a Ballot Unit, Control Unit and VVPAT — have their own microcontrollers housed in secure unauthorised access-detection modules.

— The official informed the court that the EVMs/VVPATs are stored for a period of 45 days after polling as the limitation period for filing election petitions under The Representation of People Act, 1981.

— “Upon expiry of the period, the Chief Electoral Officer writes to High Courts to ascertain if there are any election petitions filed for any constituency…It (concerned EVM) remains sealed and locked, nobody touches it” if any election petition is filed.

— Regarding their storage, he said that the Control Unit is the most important and is sealed with a pink seal at the time of first-level checking. “At the time of commissioning of EVMs and after the polling is over, all three units are sealed. After second randomisation and commissioning, all three are stored together in the strong room as a unit. After polling, a green paper seal is applied”.

For Your Information:

— EVMs are used to cast a vote without revealing voters identity. It is used in Indian General and State Elections. It has replaced paper ballots in local, state and general (parliamentary) elections in India.

— EVMs are assembled by two PSUs — Electronics Corporation of India Ltd and Bharat Electronics.

— The VVPAT was used for the first time in all 21 polling stations of the Noksen Assembly constituency of Nagaland in 2013. The 2019 Lok Sabha elections became the first general election to have 100% of EVMs being attached to VVPATs.

Points to Ponder: 

— What are the benefits of EVM in the elections as compared to the ballot box?

— What are the concerns associated with the use of EVMs?

— What measures can be taken to secure EVMs?

— What are the demerits of the ballot box election?

— What do you understand by the mandamus writ? What are the different types of writs mentioned in Article 32 of the Indian Constitution?

Post Read Question:

Consider the following statements: (2017)

1. The Election Commission of India is a five-member body.

2. The Union Ministry of Home Affairs decides the election schedule for the conduct of both general elections and bye-elections.

3. Election Commission resolves the disputes relating to splits/mergers of recognised political parties.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 and 2 only

(c) 2 and 3 only

In the light of recent controversy regarding the use of Electronic Voting Machines (EVM), what are the challenges before the Election Commission of India to ensure the trustworthiness of elections in India? (2018)

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

What is an EVM? How does it work?

Why VVPAT was brought in, why Opposition wants all slips verified

Investment in resilient infra essential in light of climate risks: PK Mishra

Preliminary Examination: Economic and Social Development

Mains Examination: GS-III: Infrastructure: Energy, Ports, Roads, Airports, Railways etc, Disaster and Disaster Management.

What’s the ongoing story- Investment in resilient infrastructure systems is essential in the light of increasing climate risks and disasters and to close the broader infrastructure gaps, said Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister PK Mishra.

— What is the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI)?

— Who are the members countries of CDRI?

— What is the  International Conference on Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (ICDRI)?

— PK Mishra said -“We know that disaster and climate risks are increasing. In the recent past, we have seen flooding in Dubai, wildfires in Chile, earthquakes in the Pacific that have caused enormous infrastructure losses, leading to immense human suffering.”

— “Not building resilience in infrastructure systems will divert more and more funding to recovery and reconstruction after disasters. This is akin to pouring water into a bamboo basket.”

— Future infrastructure needs to take into account the heightened risks arising out of the increased frequency and intensity of extreme weather events and other adverse impacts of climate change. Even existing infrastructure would need to be retrofitted to make them more resilient.

— According to CDRI estimates, every one dollar invested in making infrastructure more resilient in low- and middle-income countries can potentially save losses of over $4 when a disaster strikes.

Do you know?

— The theme of the ICDRI, 2024 is Investing today for a more resilient tomorrow.

— India has launched an initiative to make critical infrastructure in small island states resilient against disasters induced by climate change. It is part of CDRI.

— What is the International Solar Alliance (ISA)?

— How is CDRI similar to ISA?

— Where is ICDRI organised?

— International cooperation for Disaster Risk Resilience (DRR)

What do you understand by disaster-resilient infrastructure? Highlight the role of the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) in promoting disaster-resilient infrastructure in developing countries.

Explained: Delhi diplomacy to fight disaster

Infra and solar alliance: India’s climate vision

Art 244(A), the constitutional promise of autonomy for Assam tribal area

Preliminary Examination: Indian Polity and Governance-Constitution, Political System, Panchayati Raj, Public Policy, Rights Issues, etc.

Mains Examination: GS-II: Governance, Constitution, Polity.

What’s the ongoing story- In Assam’s tribal-majority Diphu Lok Sabha constituency, which votes on April 26, candidates of all parties have promised the implementation of Article 244(A) of the Constitution to create an autonomous ‘state within a state’. This, in fact, has been the primary election promise in Diphu for decades.

— What is Article 244(A) of the Constitution of India? How is it different from the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution?

— What are the provisions under the sixth and fifth schedules of the Indian Constitution.

— What do you understand by autonomous district councils (ADCs)?

— What are the tribal groups in Assam?

— Article 244(A) was inserted by The Constitution (Twenty-second Amendment) Act, 1969, which enabled Parliament to pass an Act to “form within the State of Assam an autonomous State comprising (whether wholly or in part) all or any of… [certain specified] tribal areas”, including Karbi Anglong.

— This autonomous state would have its own Legislature or Council of Ministers or both. This provision goes a step further than the provisions under the Sixth Schedule, which are already in place in these areas.

— The autonomous councils under the Sixth Schedule have elected representatives for more decentralised governance of these tribal areas, but they have limited legislative powers, do not have control over law and order, and have only limited financial powers.

— The demand for autonomy is as old as the movement in the hill areas of undivided Assam, which began in the 1950s, seeking a separate hill state. This movement resulted in the creation of the full-fledged state of Meghalaya in 1972 — however, because of the promise extended through Article 244(A), the leaders of the Karbi Anglong region opted to remain with Assam.

— What are the issues related to the sixth schedule?

— What is the state of India’s scheduled areas?

— What is the difference between scheduled areas and tribal areas?

— What steps have been taken by the government for the development of scheduled areas?

— What is the number of Lok Sabha Constituencies in Assam?

Why are the tribals in India referred to as ‘the Scheduled Tribes? Indicate the major provisions enshrined in the Constitution of India for their upliftment. (2016)

Explained: Article 244 (A), its relevance for Assam hill tribes, and the politics

Understanding inheritance tax 

Preliminary Examination: Economic and Social Development-Sustainable Development, Poverty, Inclusion, Demographics, Social Sector Initiatives, etc.

Mains Examination: GS-III: Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization, of resources, growth, development and employment.

What’s the ongoing story- The chairman of Indian Overseas Congress, Sam Pitroda’s comments on the inheritance tax, have raised the spectre of wealth redistribution, almost four decades after the very same Congress party under Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi had abolished it.

— What is the tax structure in India? What are the different types of tax?

— What is the difference between regressive and degressive tax?

— Important Terms to know: Estate duty, wealth tax, gift tax, double taxation.

— The use of inheritance tax as a tool for redistribution of wealth to address income inequality has been discussed widely. India did have an inheritance (or death) tax once. The tax, which was known as estate duty, was introduced in 1953, and was abolished in 1985 by the government of Rajiv Gandhi. India also had a wealth tax and a gift tax, which were abolished in 2015 and 1998 respectively.

— Calls to tax billionaires to build more equitable societies have been growing louder globally. There have been discussions about levying a global minimum corporate tax rate. France and Brazil have pushed for a G20 declaration on taxing the super rich by July.

— Taxes are levied on the flow of income on wealth or at the time of transfer of wealth or on the stock of wealth linked to the value of owned assets as a one-time levy. There can be a capital levy on income from wealth or ownership of assets resulting in capital gains, transfer taxes in the form of wealth tax, inheritance tax, estate tax, or gift tax at the time of transfer of wealth or assets. Taxes can also be levied on a combination of income and wealth.

— The union government announced the abolition of wealth tax and its replacement with a surcharge on the super rich in the Budget for 2015-16.

— Wealthy taxpayers are seen as being sensitive to high rates of taxation, which often results in flight of capital and investment to tax havens or tax jurisdictions with favourable tax rates. Also, high tax rates do not make sense if the cost of collection and administration of these taxes are high compared to the revenues that arise.

— The gift tax was abolished in 1998 citing lower revenues. Gift tax was, however, revived in a different form later.

— A March 2024 note by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), said tax rates on wealth have generally declined around the world over the past decades, with a decline in average corporate income tax rates being an important component across country groups of all income levels.

— What do you understand by the global minimum corporate tax?

— What are the issues related to the wealth tax?

— Major tax reforms in India.

— What are the government initiatives to improve taxation in India?

Enumerate the indirect taxes which have been subsumed in the Goods and Services Tax (GST) in India. Also, comment on the revenue implications of the GST introduced in India since July 2017. (2019)

Express View on redistribution debate: Retrograde rhetoric

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Case before SC: Can Govt redistribute privately owned property?

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance

Mains Examination: GS-II: Constitution of India —historical underpinnings, evolution, features, amendments, significant provisions and basic structure .

What’s the ongoing story- The Supreme Court (SC) on Wednesday (April 24) began hearing a case about whether the government can acquire and redistribute privately owned properties if they are deemed as “material resources of the community” — as mentioned in Article 39(b) of the Constitution.

— What is the Directive Principles of State Policy (DPSP)?

— What are the constitutional provisions of the Articles 14, 31(c), 39(b), and 39(c)?

— What is the difference between the capitalist concept of property and the socialist concept of property?

— DPSP are meant to be guiding principles for the enactment of laws but are not directly enforceable in any court of law.

— In State of Karnataka v Shri Ranganatha Reddy (1977), the 7-judge bench of the Supreme Court by a 4:3 majority, held that privately owned resources did not fall within the ambit of “material resources of the community”.

— In Sanjeev Coke Manufacturing Company v Bharat Coking Coal (1983) the court upheld central legislation that nationalised coal mines and their respective coke oven plants. It held that the provision “takes within its stride the transformation of wealth from private-ownership into public ownership and is not confined to that which is already public-owned”.

— In the nine-judge Bench case of Mafatlal Industries Ltd v Union of India (1996), court held “the words ‘material resources’ occuring in Article 39 (b) will take in natural or physical resources and also movable or immovable property and it would include all private and public sources of meeting material needs, and not merely confined to public possessions.”

— Article 31(c) was added as a part of the 25th Amendment Act 1971.

— What are the various ideological principles of DPSP?

— How Article 31(c) is related to DPSP?

— Is the Right to Property considered a Fundamental Right?

— What are various land reforms introduced by various states after independence?

— How Article 39(c) is connected to the property owner’s Right to Equality under Article 14?

Consider the following pairs:

How many of the above pairs are correctly matched?

1. Only one pair

2. Only two pair

3. All three pairs

Highlight the position of the Right to property in India.

Dangerous to suggest material resources of community don’t cover pvt property: Supreme Court

Maharashtra came up with law on acquisition of ‘cessed property’ as tenants sat tight, landlords lacked money: SC

The Editorial

A solution that isn’t.

Mains Examination: GS-II, Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests, Indian diaspora.

What’s the ongoing story- Sanjay Srivastava writes- the government of the United Kingdom has passed its “Rwanda Bill” — it will now become law. Under the Bill, asylum seekers deemed to have illegally entered its territories after January 1, 2022, can be sent to the African country for “processing”. Crucially, irrespective of whether an asylum seeker is found to be “genuine” or not, they cannot return to the UK and must opt for settlement in either Rwanda or another country.

— Who are asylum seekers?

— Who are refugees?

— What is the asylum economy?

— What do you understand by the term sovereignty?

— Sanjay Srivastava opines- “in recent times, Western governments’ attitudes towards refugees have important symbolic dimensions. These are intended for both domestic consumption as well as consolidating the idea of the West at a global level.”

— “First, the idea of control over national borders has been a powerful tool of electoral politics across many Western countries, and refugees and asylum seekers are grist to the “sovereignty” mill.”

— “Second, on a global level, the Rwanda bill is part of the symbolic register of “compassion” that forms an indispensable part of Western notions of the self.”

— “Beyond these symbolic registers, there is an additional one that should also trouble us. The emerging “asylum economy”-form of neo-colonial relationship between rich and poor nations.”

— From Express view , “the Rwanda Bill is bad policy. It violates humanitarian principles and smacks of bad governance. A relatively small number of undocumented migrants coming into the UK will fall under the law’s ambit. Those willing to risk their lives to escape their homes are unlikely to be deterred.”

— “The prospective deportees will likely approach the British courts for relief, burdening the system and exchequer. What the UK — like so many other developed countries — needs is a streamlined process for asylum and immigration.”

—  According to UNHCR’s Assistant High Commissioner for Protection, Gillian Triggs, “UNHCR remains firmly opposed to arrangements that seek to transfer refugees and asylum-seekers to third countries in the absence of sufficient safeguards and standards. Such arrangements simply shift asylum responsibilities, evade international obligations, and are contrary to the letter and spirit of the Refugee Convention,”

— Why did the UK choose Rwanda?

— International Conventions on refugees

— What is the role of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC)?

— Australia’s offshore refugee program to Nauru

— Why did the Supreme Court of the UK call the bill illegal?

— India’s refugee problem

(Thought process: Rohingya refugees from Myanmar in India—challenges to the internal security of the national–political arguments–internal security vs humanitarian aspect–India’s belief in Vasudev Kutumbakam )

What are the issues regarding the refugee crisis in India? What international conventions are in place to monitor human rights violations and what laws have been enacted in India for the same?

What is the UK govt’s recent Bill, which could lead to some migrants being deported to Rwanda?

Economy Page

Illegal forex trading: rbi cautions banks, customers.

Preliminary Examination: Indian Economy

Mains Examination:  GS-III: Economic Development, Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilisation of resources, growth, development.

What’s the ongoing story- The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has cautioned banks and customers again about unauthorised entities offering foreign exchange trading using the banking channels. In a circular issued on Wednesday, the RBI said it has come across instances of unauthorised entities offering foreign exchange (forex) trading facilities to Indian residents with promises of disproportionate and exorbitant returns.

— What are ‘Foreign Exchange Reserves’?

— What do you understand by Special Drawing Rights (SDRs)?

—  What do you understand by the exchange rate regime? What are the different types of exchange rate regimes?

— The RBI had issued warning against illegal forex trading several times in the past.

— According to the RBI, these entities are providing options to residents to remit/deposit funds in Rupees for undertaking unauthorised forex transactions using domestic payment systems like online transfers and payment gateways.

— “There is a need for greater vigilance to prevent the misuse of banking channels in facilitating unauthorised forex trading. AD Cat-I banks are, therefore, advised to be more vigilant and exercise greater caution in this regard,” the RBI said.

— The central bank said banks should advise their customers to deal in forex only with ‘Authorised Persons’ and on ‘authorised ETPs’ and give wide publicity to the list of ‘Authorised Persons’ and the list of ‘authorised ETPs’ available on the RBI website. It also asked category-1 banks to give publicity to the ‘Alert List’ and Press Releases issued by the RBI in this regard.

— Forex reserves are external assets in the form of gold, SDRs (special drawing rights of the IMF) and foreign currency assets (capital inflows to the capital markets, FDI and external commercial borrowings) accumulated by India and controlled by the RBI.

— The Reserve Bank functions as the custodian and manager of forex reserves, and operates within the overall policy framework agreed upon with the government.

— What is the relationship between the exchange rate and imports/ exports?

— What is the significance of forex reserves?

— What are the factors that determine exchange rates?

— Where are India’s forex reserves kept?

— What do you understand by foreign currency assets?

With reference to Balance of Payments, which of the following constitutes/constitute the Current Account? (2014)

1. Balance of trade

2. Foreign assets

3. Balance of invisibles

4. Special Drawing Rights

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

(b) 2 and 3

(c) 1 and 3

(d) 1, 2 and 4

Forex reserves at all-time high — why this happened, and what it means for India’s economy

Portugal celebrates 50 years of democracy amid far-right surge

Mains Examination: GS-I, History of the world will include events from the 18th century such as Industrial Revolution, world wars, redrawal of national boundaries, colonisation, decolonization, political philosophies like communism, capitalism, socialism etc.— their forms and effect on the society.

What’s the ongoing story- (Reuters)- Veteran military officer Captain Joaquim Correia Bernardo, 84, remembers the revolution that toppled Portugal’s fascist dictatorship five decades ago as if it were yesterday. He was in his thirties when he helped organise the April 25, 1974 military coup that returned Portugal to democracy after 48 years of authoritarian rule.

— Location of Portugal on the world map

— Read about the Transatlantic slave trade

— What do you understand by the term ‘Colonialism’?

— The “Carnation Revolution” was a bloodless coup as soldiers placed blossoms in the barrels of their guns. It ended the dictatorship in Portugal.

— This revolution led to the collapse of Portugal  colonial rule overseas, notably in Africa, where wars against national liberation movements had exhausted the military and drained state coffers.

— President of Portugal Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa has said that Portugal was responsible for crimes committed during transatlantic slavery and the colonial era, and suggested there was a need for reparations.

— The group of around 20 non-governmental organisations of Haiti is seeking a new independent commission to oversee the restitution of the debt paid (1804-1947) to France, which they refer to as a ransom, at Geneva for a U.N. Permanent Forum on People of African Descent (PFPAD).

— Should there be reparations to the post-colonial states?

— Impact of colonialism on the erstwhile colonies

— How Atlantic slavery led to the building of the Modern World

The Carnation Revolution is related to which of the following nations?

(a) Portugal

(d) Ukraine

King Charles ‘backs’ research into British monarchy’s slavery ties: How Britain, its royalty profited from slave trade

Ethics and Essay Snippet

“Wordly Wise” from The Editorial Page

“All action requires forgetting, just as the existence of all organic things requires not only light but also darkness.”- Friedrich Nietzsche

( Thought Process: This quote highlights the importance of forgetting and makes us ponder on the impact of not forgetting events from the past (history) and incidents from an individual’s life. Ask yourself: Is forgetting an important condition for remembering? What will happen if we remember everything? Is forgetfulness inevitable? Does staying sane means learning to remember and allowing to forget? Refer to The Editorial Page: Live and Forget . ” As much as remembering — to turn off the gas, take your keys — is necessary, so is forgetting — your score in Class X boards, the heartbreak of an early love…”.Do you agree?)

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The Inheritance of Loss

By kiran desai, the inheritance of loss quiz chapters 1 -10.

• 1 Who is Gyan? Sai's mathematics tutor The cook's son The leader of the guerillas The judge's son
• 2 Why does the judge criticize his usual baker? The baker hired a Nepali boy as his assistant The baker started making Indian desserts instead of English ones The baker refused to import sugar from abroad The baker went to his daughter's wedding and closed for the day
• 3 Why do the insurgents come to Cho Oyu? To kidnap Sai and hold her for ransom To interrogate the cook about Biju's whereabouts To confiscate the judge's hunting rifles To steal alcohol for their parties
• 4 Which reason does the cook NOT cite for keeping quiet about the robbery? If the police are not being paid off, the robbers will seek revenge An investigation might halt Biju's visa application If the police are being paid off, they will do nothing The police usually blame the servant
• 5 Why doesn't Sai go into the cook's house often? He is a hoarder His poverty highlights the class differences between them She is afraid to be alone with him She is superstitious, and entering a servant's house is bad luck
• 6 Why is the cook upset when Sai takes his photograph? He only wants formal photographs of himself Sai photographed him when he was ill He believes photographs steal a person's soul He was saving the film to photograph Biju's return
• 7 Why does the cook assume Biju occupies a higher social status in America? He is handsome and a bachelor He sells American food, not Indian food He can speak two languages, English and Hindi He was educated in one of India's top universities
• 8 Why is Biju dismissed from his first job at Gray's Papaya? He fought with a Pakistani coworker The owner was required to do a green card check He delivered cold food The owner's wife thought he smelled bad
• 9 Why do Biju's coworkers assume he would know their countries of origin? Because their countries of origin have many Indian immigrants Because India is geographically close to their countries of origin Because he has cooked their regional cuisine Because he was educated in a convent school
• 10 Why does Biju fight with his Pakistani coworker? They both inherited prejudices from their families His coworker is paid more than him A Pakistani man killed Biju's mother Biju steals his coworker's girlfriend
• 11 Why did Mr. Mistry move to Moscow? He studied at Moscow University He was a National Geographic explorer He married a Russian woman He was offered a position in the Soviet space program
• 12 Why did Mr. and Mrs. Mistry's families disown them? They dropped out of college to get married They refused to marry the partners their parents had arranged Mr. Mistry was a Zoroastrian, whereas Mrs. Mistry was a Hindu They placed Sai in a convent school
• 13 Why does Sai move to Cho Oyu? Judge Patel realized he wanted a daughter, and asked her to move in Her parents were killed in an accident, and Judge Patel was her emergency contact Sai is the cook's daughter-in-law Judge Patel needed a legal clerk, and Sai was studying law
• 14 Why was Sai happy to leave the convent? The nuns disciplined the children cruelly She had no friends and was always lonely If she stayed, she would have had to become a nun She was finally being reunited with her parents
• 15 Which item did Jemu's mother NOT give him when he left for England A hand-knit sweater A decorated coconut A locket with her photo in it A package of food
• 16 What initally surprised Jemu about England? He was accepted to Cambridge on his first try English landlords refused to rent to him There was no Indian food, though there were many Indian people There were poor and ordinary people living there
• 17 How does Mrs. Rice disrespect Jemu? She accuses him of stealing her silverware She called him "James" She refuses to clean his room like she does for the other guests She denies his request for more food
• 18 How does living in England change Jemu's sense of self? He becomes disgusted by his skin tone and accent He becomes confident in his academic abilities He realizes he does not want to be married He believes he is smarter than his entire hometown
• 19 How did Sai meet Noni and Lola? Noni and Lola are nuns in Sai's convent school The judge arranged for Noni to tutor Sai Noni and Lola are the cook's daughters Sai was wandering through the woods and stumbled upon their cottage
• 20 How is Noni's cultural identity different than the judge's? She converted to Catholicism, but still celebrates Hindu holidays She takes great pride in being Bengali and encourages Sai to do the same She hates all thing British She collects items from Indian, Nepal, and Tibet, as well as from England
• 21 Why do Lola and Noni want to dismiss Budhoo? Budhoo is too frail to protect them from any real danger He proposed marriage to Lola Budhoo fell asleep and the Nepali insurgents robbed their home Budhoo is Nepali, and they worry he will side with Nepali insurgents
• 22 Which of the following is NOT one of the reasons Biju thinks the college students are hypocritical? They are kind to him, but criticize him as soon as they think he can't hear They speak to him condescendingly, but using words from in his own language They act like they care about poor and ordinary people, but work to become members of the gentry They lecture others about India despite having grown up in America
• 23 What commonality do the men living in Biju's basement apartment share? They are all from India They all want to go home They are all teenagers They are all undocumented immigrants
• 24 Why does Biju immediately connect with Saeed Saeed? Saeed Saeed is from Biju's home city Saeed Saeed's home town appreciates Indian culture Saeed Saeed looks like Biju's father Saeed Saeed is also the first person from his family to live abroad
• 25 What makes Biju proud of his country at the Queen of Tarts bakery? The bakery's best-selling dessert is gulab jamun The bakery is decorated with posters of Indian landscapes His coworkers all know and love Bollywood movies The bakery is owned by an Indian man

The Inheritance of Loss Questions and Answers

The Question and Answer section for The Inheritance of Loss is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel.

Inheritance of Loss by Kiran Desai

GradeSaver has a complete list of characters, as well as their descriptions readily available in its study guide for the unit.

Summary of chapter 24

The food at the Ghandi cafe is the same generic Indian food that is served all throughout the states. Harish-Harry knows his market saying Indians make good immigrants because they understood demand-supply. Malini, Harish's wife is also a tough...

The climax of this novel want to know

The novel's climax occurs in Chapter 43, when the public burning of the Indo-Nepal Treaty devolves into violence between police and local residents.

Study Guide for The Inheritance of Loss

The Inheritance of Loss study guide contains a biography of Kiran Desai, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

• About The Inheritance of Loss
• The Inheritance of Loss Summary
• Character List

Essays for The Inheritance of Loss

The Inheritance of Loss essays are academic essays for citation. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of The Inheritance of Loss by Kiran Desai.

• The Inheritance of Loss: A Struggle with Cultural Identity
• Cultural Transcendence in The Inheritance of Loss and Clear Light of Day

Lesson Plan for The Inheritance of Loss

• About the Author
• Study Objectives
• Common Core Standards
• Introduction to The Inheritance of Loss
• Relationship to Other Books
• Bringing in Technology
• Notes to the Teacher
• Related Links
• The Inheritance of Loss Bibliography

Wikipedia Entries for The Inheritance of Loss

• Introduction

We live in a partisan age, and our news habits can reinforce our own perspectives. Consider this an effort to broaden our collective outlook with essays beyond the range of our typical selections.

FROM THE LEFT

From “ The Conservative Who Turned White Anxiety Into a Movement ,” by Ari Berman in The Atlantic at tinyurl.com/5n6zevud .

The context, from the author: Pat Buchanan made white Republicans fear becoming a racial minority. Now Donald Trump is reaping the benefits .

The excerpt: (Pat) Buchanan was the first major politician to transform white anxiety about that prospect (that white Americans would become a minority) — which the Census Bureau first predicted in 1990 — into an organizing principle for the conservative movement. (Never mind that the idea of a majority-minority tipping point is contested by social scientists, who argue that ever-changing norms about racial self-identification are blurring the numbers.) “The question we Americans need to address, before it is answered for all of us, is: Does this First World nation wish to become a Third World country?” he wrote in 1990. Buchanan never came close to winning the presidency, but the fear he incited of a majority-minority future has become integral to the Republican Party and Donald Trump’s 2024 campaign.

From “ Is Donald Trump on Drugs? If Not, He Should Be ,” by Jeet Heer in The Nation at tinyurl.com/bdfxekfn .

The context, from the author: Former President Donald Trump’s addiction is not to any sedative — but to his own ego. He is used to being the star of the show and getting his own way.

The excerpt: Trump’s true addiction is to his self-regard — and because his ego is a black hole that devours everything around him there is no reason to hope for improvement. You can always kick a drug addiction. But there is no 12-step program that will cure the true sickness that ails Trump’s soul.

From “ Who Should Study Philosophy? ” a critique by Ryan M. Brown in Commonweal Magazine of the book “ Why Teach Philosophy in Schools? ” at tinyurl.com/ycyy3wtf .

The context, from the author: Should we incorporate philosophy requirements into our university and even high school curricula? What might be the benefits of doing so?

The excerpt: Shouldn’t education also provide us with guidance on how to discern genuinely valuable ends, since there is a truth about what is genuinely desirable, a truth that philosophy is uniquely equipped to discover and articulate? An education directed solely to the cultivation of generally applicable conceptual skills may produce students better able to interact with the world according to their whims, but this is what ancient philosophers called a “powerless power.”

FROM THE RIGHT

From “ Friends Don’t Let Friends Get Ph.D.s in Humanities ,” by Sumantra Maitra in The American Conservative at tinyurl.com/mwnmy983 .

The context, from the author: Here are the hard facts — people should not pursue a Ph.D. (especially in history, social sciences, or humanities) unless they are independently wealthy or have an inheritance, a full scholarship for doctoral research in a field which has a steady demand or have a job lined up somewhere — preferably all three together.

The excerpt: There are hundreds of thousands of words written on the state of the discipline of history in higher ed . Long story short, it is not good . The field became bloated as the job market shrank. Tenure is down; scholarship has become insufferable, dogmatic, unreadable and unmarketable to Johnny Public; funding is ideological, and research potential is in perpetual decline. Most importantly, the field’s perception has declined: A significant portion of the population does not view history as a neutral field, much less job-worthy, and they do have a point. ... Looking beyond history, other humanities and social sciences are far worse; they also skew overwhelmingly towards the left, alienating a significant chunk of those who might otherwise prefer to fund and support academic research.

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From “ Contempt for Ordinary Voters Undermines Opposition To Trump ,” by Louis Markos in The Federalist at tinyurl.com/526c2m8w .

The context, from the author: As a citizen in a representative democracy, I expect our political leaders, including Donald Trump, to be held up to public scrutiny and questioned, even investigated, when the facts warrant it. What I do not expect, and find increasingly troubling, is the widespread and ongoing demonization and character assassination of all those who support Trump and approve of his candidacy and his policies.

The excerpt: I am old enough to remember how roughly the political establishment treated supporters of Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush, especially if they identified with a conservative branch of Christianity. Reagan and Bush supporters routinely had their concerns ridiculed, motives suspected, and intelligence doubted. Still, the dismissal of Reaganites and Bushies as boobs and rednecks pales in comparison to the viciously sanctimonious profiling of Trump supporters as authoritarian, narcissistic white supremacists utterly unconcerned for the common good. Whereas the liberal progressives of the 1980s expressed some compassion for the needs and struggles of the working man, the woke philosophes of today express only contempt for those who work with their hands.

From “ ‘Climate Change’ Once Again at the Bottom of Americans’ Biggest Concerns ,” by the staff of Charlie Kirk’s website at tinyurl.com/4r9c499h .

The context, from the authors: A new Gallup poll finds that the issue of “Environment/Pollution/Climate change” is dead last on a lengthy list of issues and concerns, something that won’t bode well for the far-left of the Democratic Party or, possibly for the Biden administration’s “green energy” push.

The excerpt: For years, global warming/climate change activists have warned that our modern lifestyles are driving planet Earth to the brink of destruction, but for just as long, people who have had to endure the fearmongering have seen that the feverish, doom-and-gloom predictions have yet to come true. As such, it should be no surprise — except to the most committed climate change activist — that the issue isn’t uppermost in the minds of the vast majority of people, many of whom are struggling mightily in the Joe Biden presidential era.

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