Nanukaka arrives at the house of the writer who is a deputy secretary on probation under a ministry. Though he does not like Nanukaka, he accompanies him to please his mother.

 Nanukaka’s mission is to meet a minister. He has traveled second on a third-class ticket. He meets SohanLala Ratiram, a big leader of the party, and wins his trust flaunting his closeness to Hazrat Barkat Ali, even a bigger leader of the party.

 He assures Ratiram of the foreign posting of his son. Nanukaka dupes a car agency and hires a big car that is driven by the writer himself.

 He puts on clothes of a hereditary astrologer of a princely state and impresses the Welfare Minister so much that the Minister reciprocate by visiting him.

 The writer wonders at Nanukaka’s art of lying and winning the trust of the powerful and mighty. The story is humorous and highly amusing.

 

Objectives – A Pinch of Snuff

 

1. A Pinch of Snuff is written by …….

• Dorothy L Sayers
• Manohar Malgaonkar
• Germaine Greer
• H. E. Bates

Answer:- Manohar Malgaonkar

• Dr. Zakir Hussain
• Shiga Naoya
• Mahatma Gandhi
• Manohar Malgaonkar

Answer:- Manohar Malgaonkar

3. …….. is a humorous story.

• The Artist
• The earth
• A child is born
• A Pinch of Snuff

Answer:- A Pinch of Snuff

4. Who took A Pinch of Snuff?

• Manohar Malgaonkar
• Rahman
• Nanukaka
• John

Answer:- Nanukaka

5. Who had installed Nanukaka in Malgaonkar room?

• his father
• his mother
• his sister
• his brother

Answer:- his mother

6. How many days of leave had been taken by Malgaonkar?

• 2 days
• 3 days
• 4 days
• 5 days

Answer:- 2 days

7. Who returned mumbling colorful Marathi swearwords?

• Alok
• Rupa
• Nanukaka
• Manohar Malgaonkar

Answer:- Nanukaka

8. Who has a garnish yellow sports car?

• Matiram
• Ratiram
• Moturam
• Choturam

Answer:- Ratiram

9. For what purpose had Nanukaka come to Delhi?

• for attending Zamindars convention
• for paying the debt
• for writing an application
• for taking a rest

Answer:- for attending Zamindars convention

10. Nanukaka had tied a huge …….. turban around his head.

• yellow
• red
• orange
• green

Answer:- orange

 

INDIAN CIVILIZATION AND CULTURE

 

 

• undersecretary
• secretary
• chief secretary
• joint secretary

Answer:- undersecretary

12. Nanukaka was the …….. of Manohar malgaonkar’s mother.

• father
• mother
• brother
• sister

Answer:- brother

13. Ratiram was the son of ………..

• Devanlal Ratiram
• Sohanlal Ratiram
• Ramlal Ratiram
• Sonulal Ratiram

Answer:- Sohanlal Ratiram

14. Nanukaka took out his checkbook and write a cheque for ……..

• one thousand rupees
• two thousand rupees
• three thousand rupees
• four thousand rupees

Answer:- one thousand rupees

15. Nanukaka in a linguistic emergency always to his ……..

• Hindi
• Mother tongue
• English
• French

Answer:- Mother’s tongue

16. The second important person Nanukaka had planned to meet was ……..

• the Welfare minister
• the Home Minister
• the foreign minister
• the railway minister

Answer:- the Welfare minister

17. Nanukaka was coming from Delhi to see some ……….

• doctors
• ministers
• friends
• governors

Answer:- ministers

18. Nanukaka manages to travel in second class on a ticket of ……..

• first-class
• general class
• sleeper class
• third-class

Answer:- third class

19. Nanukaka went to the ………. Auto dealer.

• Mohit
• Rikka
• Alankar
• Sikka

Answer:- Sikka

20. The portfolio of the Minister is the…….

• Railway
• Finance
• Home
• Welfare

Answer:- Welfare

 

BHARAT IS MY HOME

 

 

• sister
• mother
• father
• brother

Answer:- mother

22. Who doesn’t see people for weeks-months?

• Ministers
• Businessman
• Teachers
• Engineers

Answer:- Ministers

23. Nanukaka was the narrator………..[2018]

• cousin
• father
• mother
• maternal uncle

Answer:- maternal uncle

24. When was Manohar Malgaonkar born?

• 1917
• 1916
• 1912
• 1913

Answer:- 1913

25. The new role Nanukaka gave the narrator/under-secretary, was of …….

• Cook
• Driver
• Professor
• Minister

Answer:- Driver

26. Nanukaka managed to impress the Sikka Auto Dealers by the demonstration of …….

• Country
• Knowledge
• Wealth
• Politeness

Answer:- Wealth

27. On the platform, Nanukaka handed over the author …..

• a bag
• a box
• a briefcase
• a basket

Answer:- a basket

28. The basket contained …….

• fruits
• a cat
• sweets
• vegetables

Answer:- a cat

29. Nanukaka had a third-class ticket but traveled in the second class because ……..

• he was clever
• there was no third class
• he lost his ticket
• there was no room in the third class

Answer:- there was no room in the third class

30. Nanukaka handed over a cheque of a thousand rupees to a ……..

• Carpenter
• Dhobi
• Goldsmith
• Milkman

Answer:- Dhobi

31. Nanukaka portrayed himself as the hereditary astrologer of the Maharaja of ……..

• Jaipur
• Bikaner
• Ninnore
• None of these

Answer:- Ninnore

32. Nanukaka’s snuff box was of ………

• gold
• silver
• brass
• glass

Answer:- silver

 

Subjective – A Pinch of Snuff

 

1. The responses of the narrator and his mother were very different on hearing the news about the arrival of Nanukaka. why?

 

 Ans:- The narrator’s response is different from his mother’s response to the arrival of his maternal uncle Nanukaka because the narrator was apprehensive of his uncle’s stay for a long period.

 His mother, on the contrary, was delighted because Nanukaka was her brother.

 

2. Was the Under Secretary impressed by Nanukaka towards the end of the story?

 

 Ans:- The Under Secretary who is also the narrator of the story was finally impressed by Nanukaka. He liked the way Nanukaka used his art, humor, and intelligence to fulfill his mission.

 Nanukaka was able to impress the Minister by his presence of mind and the narrator was sure that, even if there is any problem in the future Nanukaka would be able to handle it efficiently.

 

3. How does the writer regard a Minister?

 

 Ans:- The writer an Under Secretary on probation and regards Minister as being Two Steps higher than God. His remark, however, is ironic.

 

4. In what dress did the writer go to the Minister along with Nanukaka?[2018]

 

 Ans:- The writer went there in a Jodhpur coat. Nanukaka had tied a huge orange turban around his head.

 

5. What was the writer? Why did he always obey Nanukaka?

 

 Ans:- The writer was the Under Secretary on probation. He did not like the frequent arrival of Nanukaka but he obeyed him because he was the brother of his mother.

 

6. What is as difficult as getting an interview with a minister?

 

 Ans:- To get sent on a foreign assignment is as difficult as getting an interview with a minister for an Under Secretary on probation.

 

7. What is the relation between Sohanlal Ratiram and Ratiram?

 

 Ans:- They are father and son. Sohanlal Ratiram is the party boss in Delhi.

 

8. Where did Nanukaka go to meet the Minister and with whom?

 

 Ans:- Nanukaka went to the north block to meet the Minister along with the writer who had to take two days leave from the office at the insistence of his mother.

 

Explanations – A Pinch of Snuff

 

1. what! That means he will be here for weeks ministers don’t see people for weeks months! Oh my God!

>>> This line has been taken from A Pinch of Snuff by Manohar Malgaonkar. The story has been narrated in the first-person style.

The writer is shocked to know that his maternal uncle Nanukaka is coming to his house to meet some ministers. To the writer’s mind, it takes weeks and months for a person to meet ministers.

There is a satire here. He is worried that Nanukaka will stay here for weeks and he will have to serve him.

 

2. He wrote his name with the flourish and added: “Hereditary Astrologer to the Maharaja to the Maharaja’s of Ninnore.”

>>> These lines have been taken from A Pinch of Snuff which is written by Manohar Malgaonkar. When Nanukaka did not succeed in seeing the minister in the first attempt. He thought another plan to attract the attention of the minister.

He hired a new brand car and went to the minister’s residence and demanded the visitor’s book. He only signed and wrote Hereditary Astrologer ………

When the minister saw this writing, he himself went to see Nanukaka because the minister wanted to have a matrimonial alliance with the Maharaja of Ninnore. It shows the cleverness of Nanukaka.

 

3. “If your Nanukaka wants to see a Minister, I am sure he will manage to see him any time of the day or night.”

>>> This line has been taken from A Pinch of Snuff, written by Manohar Malgaonkar. Author’s maternal uncle Nanukaka wants to see a Minister. So, he is coming to Delhi.

Malgaonkar, who is Under Secretary is very worried because it is very difficult to meet a minister in a short time.

But, his mother assures him not to worry about it. Nanukaka is very clever and his presence of mind is very sharp. So, leave this matter to him. He will see the minister at any time of the day or night.

 

4. “At mother’s insistence, I had taken two days leave from the office and in the afternoon, I drove Nanukaka to the north block.”

>>> These lines have been taken from A Pinch of Snuff whose author is Manohar Malgaonkar. His maternal uncle is coming to see a minister.

The writer doesn’t want to take leave for him. But his mother insisted him to take two days leave for him. His mother tells him that he will help Nanukaka in seeing the minister because he is an undersecretary.

So, he drives him to the North Block.