MP Board Solutions for Class 9 English Beehive Chapter 6 – My Childhood

Who is the author of the chapter “My Childhood”?
Answer: The chapter is written by Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, who was a renowned scientist and later became the President of India.

Where did Abdul Kalam spend his childhood?
Answer: He spent his childhood in Rameswaram, a small town in Tamil Nadu, where he lived in a middle-class Muslim family.

What was Kalam’s family background?
Answer: Kalam’s family was honest, generous, and spiritually inclined. His father was a religious man, and the family led a simple life.

What values did Kalam learn from his parents?
Answer: He learned honesty, discipline, kindness, and respect for all religions from his parents, which deeply shaped his character and thinking.

What kind of relationship did Kalam have with his parents?
Answer: Kalam had a loving and respectful relationship with his parents, especially his father, who was a man of great wisdom and simplicity.

How did religion influence Kalam’s life?
Answer: Religion taught Kalam about spirituality and tolerance. His household respected Hindu and Muslim traditions, reflecting religious harmony in everyday life.

Who was Kalam’s close friend?
Answer: His best friend was Ramanadha Sastry, a Hindu priest’s son, which shows how friendship transcended religious boundaries in his early life.

What incident in school shocked young Kalam?
Answer: A teacher asked Kalam to sit separately from his Hindu friend because of religious differences, which deeply hurt both boys emotionally.

How did Ramanadha Sastry’s father react to the discrimination?
Answer: He was very upset with the teacher’s behavior and reprimanded him, emphasizing the need for equality and communal harmony.

How did Kalam react to the discrimination?
Answer: Though he was hurt, he did not develop hatred. Instead, it made him understand the importance of unity and equality in society.

What was Kalam’s view on education?
Answer: Kalam believed education should promote open-mindedness, critical thinking, and moral values, not just academic success or rigid rules.

Who was Sivasubramania Iyer?
Answer: He was Kalam’s science teacher, a liberal Hindu who believed in equality, and even invited Kalam to his home for a meal.

How did Iyer’s wife react to Kalam’s visit?
Answer: She was shocked and hesitant at first because of religious bias, but later changed after seeing her husband’s progressive attitude.

What lesson did Kalam learn from Iyer’s actions?
Answer: Kalam learned the power of breaking social barriers and the importance of leading by example to change people’s thinking.

What does the chapter say about caste and religion?
Answer: The chapter highlights how caste and religious divisions can be overcome through friendship, education, and understanding.

What kind of education did Kalam receive in childhood?
Answer: He received a balanced education that included science, moral values, and exposure to different religious teachings.

Why did Kalam admire his father?
Answer: He admired his father’s spiritual strength, simplicity, and ability to remain calm and thoughtful even during tough times.

How did Kalam earn money as a child?
Answer: He helped his cousin in distributing newspapers during wartime, which taught him the value of hard work and responsibility.

What does the story tell us about early influences?
Answer: It shows that early experiences and people in our lives can deeply shape our values, character, and future aspirations.

What was Kalam’s dream as a child?
Answer: From an early age, Kalam dreamt of becoming a fighter pilot or aeronautical engineer, inspired by science and flying machines.

How did Kalam’s environment shape him?
Answer: Growing up in a multi-religious, culturally rich environment helped him develop tolerance, respect, and a scientific temper.

What message does this chapter convey?
Answer: The chapter emphasizes communal harmony, humility, hard work, and how one’s upbringing and valuesshape their destiny.

How did Kalam view the role of teachers?
Answer: Kalam believed teachers should be role models, guiding students not just in academics but also in morals and discipline.

What was the turning point in Kalam’s childhood?
Answer: The incident with the school teacher and the support from Sastry’s father made him more aware of social injustice.

Summarize the essence of the chapter.
Answer: The chapter highlights how Kalam’s childhood was shaped by simplicity, secular values, and people who instilled in him integrity and tolerance.