Question map
Not attempted Correct Incorrect ★ Bookmarked
Loading…
Q86 (IAS/2024) Miscellaneous & General Knowledge › Persons in News, Books & Authors › Books and Authors Official Key

Who of the following is the author of the books "The India Way" and "Why Bharat Matters" ?

Result
Your answer: —  ·  Correct: D
Explanation

Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, the current External Affairs Minister of India, is the author of the books "The Indian Way" and "Why Bharat Matters".[1] Dr. Jaishankar is a distinguished diplomat and India's current External Affairs Minister, serving since 2019. "The India Way: Strategies for an Uncertain World" was published in 2020 and presents his perspectives on India's foreign policy approach in the contemporary global context. "Why Bharat Matters" is his subsequent work that further elaborates on India's rising global significance and strategic positioning. Both books reflect his extensive experience in diplomacy and offer insights into India's engagement with the world from a practitioner's viewpoint. The other options—Bhupender Yadav (Union Minister), Nalin Mehta (journalist and author), and Shashi Tharoor (MP and author)—while notable figures, are not the authors of these specific books on Indian foreign policy and strategic affairs.

 

 

How others answered
Each bar shows the % of students who chose that option. Green bar = correct answer, blue outline = your choice.
Community Performance
Out of everyone who attempted this question.
55%
got it right
PROVENANCE & STUDY PATTERN
Full view
Don’t just practise – reverse-engineer the question. This panel shows where this PYQ came from (books / web), how the examiner broke it into hidden statements, and which nearby micro-concepts you were supposed to learn from it. Treat it like an autopsy of the question: what might have triggered it, which exact lines in the book matter, and what linked ideas you should carry forward to future questions.
Q. Who of the following is the author of the books "The India Way" and "Why Bharat Matters" ? [A] Bhupender Yadav [B] Nalin Mehta [C] Sha…
At a glance
Origin: Mostly Current Affairs Fairness: Low / Borderline fairness Books / CA: 0/10 · 2.5/10

This is a 'Current Affairs' question disguised as 'Books & Authors'. It validates the trend that intellectual works by high-profile serving Cabinet Ministers—especially on Foreign Policy or National Ideology—are high-yield areas. It is not found in static history books but in the op-ed pages and bestseller lists of 2020-2024.

How this question is built

This question can be broken into the following sub-statements. Tap a statement sentence to jump into its detailed analysis.

Statement 1
Did Bhupender Yadav author the books "The India Way" and "Why Bharat Matters"?
Origin: Weak / unclear Fairness: Borderline / guessy
Indirect textbook clues
Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 2: Major Approaches to the History of Modern India > Marxist Historiography/ Approach > p. 15
Strength: 5/5
“The beginning of the Marxist approach in India was heralded by two classic books—Rajni Palme Dutt's India Today and A.R. Desai's Social Background of Indian Nationalism. Originally written for the famous Left Book Club in England, India Today, first published in 1940 in England, was later published in India in 1947. A.R. Desai's Social Background of Indian Nationalism, was first published in 1948. Unlike the imperialist/colonial approach, the Marxist historians clearly see the primary contradiction between the interests of the colonial masters and the subject people, as well as the process of the nation-in-the-making. Unlike the nationalists, they also take full note of the inner contradictions between the different sections of the people of the Indian society.”
Why relevant

This snippet shows the explicit pattern of naming an author alongside a book title (e.g., Rajni Palme Dutt's India Today), illustrating how sources attribute books to specific authors.

How to extend

A student could apply this citation pattern to search bibliographic records or catalogues for the specific book titles to see which author names are listed.

History , class XII (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 5: Period of Radicalism in Anti-imperialist Struggles > REFERENCES > p. 72
Strength: 4/5
“• 1. Bipan Chandra, et al., India's Struggle for Independence, Penguin Books, New Delhi, 2016. • 2. K.A. Manikumar, A Colonial Economy in the Great Depression: Madras, 1929-37, Orient Longman, 2002. • 3. Irfan Habib, Indian Economy 1858-1914, A People's History of India, Tulika Books, New Delhi, 2016. • 4. Bhagat Singh, Why I am an Atheist, National Book Trust, New Delhi, 2006 • 5. Cambridge Economic History of India, Vol-2.”
Why relevant

This is a reference list format that pairs authors with book titles (e.g., 'Bipan Chandra, et al., India's Struggle for Independence'), showing standard bibliographic citation practice.

How to extend

Use the same bibliographic conventions to look up 'The India Way' and 'Why Bharat Matters' in library catalogues or publisher pages to verify the credited author.

Indian Economy, Vivek Singh (7th ed. 2023-24) > Chapter 7: Indian Economy after 2014 > And this magnificent building of self-reliant India will stand on 5 pillars: > p. 247
Strength: 3/5
“In order to understand the intellectual underpinnings of Atmanirbhar Bharat, therefore, it is necessary to skip past the socialist-era connotation of the termto an earlier era of thinkers like Swami Vivekananda. Today's "Aatma nirbhar Bharat" reflects upon the idea of 'self-reliance' given by Swami Vivekananda in the second half of the 19th Century, which was about resilience, leveraging internal strengths, personal responsibility, and a sense of national mission. Atmanirbhar Bharat is not just a slogan but a vision with deep roots in India's intellectual tradition and it means standing up confidently in the world, and not about isolationism behind "narrow domestic walls".”
Why relevant

Discusses the use of 'India' and 'Bharat' in political/intellectual discourse, indicating that both terms are commonly used in titles and subjects of books about national ideas.

How to extend

Recognize that titles using 'India' or 'Bharat' are plausible for works on national themes; check subject-indexes or book summaries for these titles to see if Bhupender Yadav, known as a political figure, is the author.

India and the Contemporary World – II. History-Class X . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 5: Print Culture and the Modern World > 8.2 Print and the Poor People > p. 126
Strength: 2/5
“In the twentieth century, B.R.Ambedkar in Maharashtra and E.V. Ramaswamy Naicker in Madras, better known as Periyar, wrote powerfully on caste and their writings were read by people all over India. Local protest movements and sects also created a lot of popular journals and tracts criticising ancient scriptures and envisioning a new and just future. Workers in factories were too overworked and lacked the education to write much about their experiences. But Kashibaba, a Kanpur millworker, wrote and published Chhote Aur Bade Ka Sawal in 1938 to show the links between caste and class exploitation. The poems of another Kanpur millworker, who wrote under the name of Sudarshan Chakr between 1935 and 1955, were brought together and published in a collection called Sacchi Kavitayan.”
Why relevant

Notes that individuals sometimes publish under different names or pen names, highlighting that author attribution can be non-obvious.

How to extend

When searching for authorship, include possible variants of Bhupender Yadav's name or institutional/pen names and check publisher metadata to confirm identity.

Statement 2
Did Nalin Mehta author the books "The India Way" and "Why Bharat Matters"?
Origin: Weak / unclear Fairness: Borderline / guessy
Indirect textbook clues
History , class XII (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 5: Period of Radicalism in Anti-imperialist Struggles > REFERENCES > p. 72
Strength: 4/5
“• 1. Bipan Chandra, et al., India's Struggle for Independence, Penguin Books, New Delhi, 2016. • 2. K.A. Manikumar, A Colonial Economy in the Great Depression: Madras, 1929-37, Orient Longman, 2002. • 3. Irfan Habib, Indian Economy 1858-1914, A People's History of India, Tulika Books, New Delhi, 2016. • 4. Bhagat Singh, Why I am an Atheist, National Book Trust, New Delhi, 2006 • 5. Cambridge Economic History of India, Vol-2.”
Why relevant

This snippet is a references list that shows textbook practice of listing specific books with author names (e.g., Bipan Chandra, et al.).

How to extend

A student could check similar reference lists or bibliographies (in textbooks, library catalogs) for the names associated with the titles in question to see if Nalin Mehta appears.

History , class XII (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 8: Reconstruction of Post-colonial India > REFERENCES > p. 113
Strength: 4/5
“• 1. Bipan Chandra, et. al., India Since Independence, Penguin, New Delhi, 2010. • 2. Bipan Chandra, et. al., India's Struggle for Independence, Penguin Books, New Delhi, 2016 (Revised and Updated). • 3. Sekhar Bandopadhyay, From Plassey to Partition and After: A History of Modern India, Orient BlackSwan, Hyderabad, 2009.”
Why relevant

Another references list citing well-known authors and book titles demonstrates the common pattern of textbooks crediting recognized authors for identifiable works.

How to extend

Use this pattern to search bibliographies, publisher pages, or library records for the exact titles to verify the author name.

History , class XII (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 1: Rise of Nationalism in India > 1.6 Naoroji and his Drain Theory > p. 12
Strength: 3/5
“His major contribution to the Indian nationalist movement was his book Poverty and Un-British Rule of the British in India (1901). In this book, he put forward the concept of 'drain of wealth'. He stated that in any country The tax raised would have been spent for the wellbeing of the people of that country. But in British India, taxes collected in India were spent for the welfare of England. Naoroji argued that India had exported an average of 13 million pounds worth of goods to Britain each year from 1835 to 1872 with no corresponding return.”
Why relevant

This snippet shows how a textbook explicitly names a historical book and its author (Naoroji and his book title), illustrating the typical format 'author — book'.

How to extend

Apply the same lookup method (author + exact book title) in catalogs or publisher listings to test if Nalin Mehta is listed for the given titles.

Exploring Society:India and Beyond. Social Science-Class VI . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 5: India, That Is Bharat > Questions, activities and projects > p. 84
Strength: 2/5
“If you were born some 2,000 years ago and had the chance to name our country, what name or names might you have chosen, and why? Use your imagination!• 4. Why did people travel to India from various parts of the world in ancient times? What could be their motivations in undertaking such long journeys? (Hint: There could be at least four or five motivations)”
Why relevant

The snippet uses the terms 'India' and 'Bharat' in a book/chapter title context, indicating that titles using 'Bharat' are part of standard topical usage in educational materials.

How to extend

Recognize that 'Bharat' can appear in book titles about India; therefore searching both title variants ('Why Bharat Matters' and 'Why India Matters') in catalogs may help locate the correct author.

Statement 3
Did Shashi Tharoor author the books "The India Way" and "Why Bharat Matters"?
Origin: Weak / unclear Fairness: Borderline / guessy
Indirect textbook clues
Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 28: Economic Impact of British Rule in India > View > p. 547
Strength: 5/5
“…deindustrialisation was a deliberate British policy, not an accident. British industry flourished and Indian industry did not because of systematic destruction abetted by tariffs and regulatory measures that stacked the decks in favour of British industry conquering the Indian market, rather than the other way around. —Shashi Tharoor in An Era of Darkness”
Why relevant

Shows Shashi Tharoor is cited as the author of a book ('An Era of Darkness') in academic/textbook material, indicating he is an established book author.

How to extend

A student could use this pattern (Tharoor being cited as an author) plus a bibliographic search or library catalogue to check whether he also wrote the named titles.

Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 5: Expansion and Consolidation of British Power in India > Views > p. 123
Strength: 4/5
“The Company conquered and absorbed a number of hitherto independent or autonomous states, imposed executive authority through a series of highborn Governors General appointed from London, regulated the country's trade, collected taxes and imposed its fiat on all aspects of Indian life. Shashi Tharoor, An Era of Darkness”
Why relevant

Another textbook citation attributes views to 'Shashi Tharoor, An Era of Darkness', reinforcing that Tharoor's writings are referenced in educational sources.

How to extend

Given multiple textbook citations of his book, a student might reasonably search bibliographies or publisher listings for other Tharoor book titles like 'The India Way' and 'Why Bharat Matters'.

Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 28: Economic Impact of British Rule in India > Shashi Tharoor in An Era of Darkness > p. 543
Strength: 4/5
“—Shashi Tharoor in An Era of Darkness Settlement system in large parts. Transferability of land was one feature of the new settlement which caused great insecurity to the tenants who lost all their traditional rights in land. There was little spending by Government on improvement of land productivity. The zamindars, with increased powers, resorted to summary evictions, demanded illegal dues and 'begar' to maximise their share in the produce and, as such, had no incentive to invest for improvement of agriculture. The overburdened peasants had to approach the moneylenders to be able to pay their dues to the zamindars. The money-lender, who was often also the village grain-merchant, forced the farmer to sell the produce at low prices to clear his dues.”
Why relevant

Longer excerpt from 'An Era of Darkness' credited to Shashi Tharoor shows substantive usage of his authored material in curricular texts.

How to extend

Presence of substantial quoted material suggests Tharoor has a body of published work; a student could extend this by checking catalogs, ISBN databases, or library records for the two queried titles.

Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 4: India on the Eve of British Conquest > J.T. Sunderland > p. 75
Strength: 3/5
“—J.T. Sunderland For centuries the handloom weavers of Bengal had produced some of the world's most desirable fabrics, especially the fine muslins, light as 'woven air', that were coveted by European dressmakers. As late as the mid-eighteenth century, Bengal's textiles were still being exported to Egypt, Turkey and Persia in the West, and to Java, China and Japan in the East, along well-established trade routes, as well as to Europe. —Shashi Tharoor, An Era of Darkness”
Why relevant

Yet another passage attributed to Shashi Tharoor and his book reinforces a consistent pattern of Tharoor being an author whose works are cited across chapters.

How to extend

Use the consistent attribution pattern to justify checking mainstream bibliographic sources (library catalogs, publisher pages, booksellers) for authorship of the specific titles.

Contemporary World Politics, Textbook in political science for Class XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 4: International Organisations > Why International Organisations? > p. 46
Strength: 3/5
“Let us hear two insiders: "The United Nations was not created to take humanity to heaven, but to save it from hell." — Dag Hammarskjold, the UN's second Secretary-General. "Talking shop? Yes, there are a lot of speeches and meetings at the U.N., especially during the annual sessions of the General Assembly. But as Churchill put it, jaw-jaw is better than war-war. Isn't it better to have one place where all… countries in the world can get together, bore each other sometimes with their words rather than bore holes into each other on the battlefield?" — Shashi Tharoor, the former UN Under-Secretary-General for Communications and Public Information.”
Why relevant

Identifies Tharoor's public role (former UN Under-Secretary-General) which supports the plausibility that he is a public intellectual who writes books.

How to extend

Combine this biographical prominence with searches in book databases or publisher lists to verify whether he authored 'The India Way' and 'Why Bharat Matters'.

Statement 4
Did Subrahmanyam Jaishankar author the books "The India Way" and "Why Bharat Matters"?
Origin: Web / Current Affairs Fairness: CA heavy Web-answerable

Web source
Presence: 5/5
"Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, the current External Affairs Minister of India, is the author of the books “The Indian Way” and “Why Bharat Matters”."
Why this source?
  • Directly names Subrahmanyam Jaishankar as the author.
  • Explicitly lists both book titles: "The Indian Way" and "Why Bharat Matters".

History , class XII (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 5: Period of Radicalism in Anti-imperialist Struggles > REFERENCES > p. 72
Strength: 4/5
“• 1. Bipan Chandra, et al., India's Struggle for Independence, Penguin Books, New Delhi, 2016. • 2. K.A. Manikumar, A Colonial Economy in the Great Depression: Madras, 1929-37, Orient Longman, 2002. • 3. Irfan Habib, Indian Economy 1858-1914, A People's History of India, Tulika Books, New Delhi, 2016. • 4. Bhagat Singh, Why I am an Atheist, National Book Trust, New Delhi, 2006 • 5. Cambridge Economic History of India, Vol-2.”
Why relevant

This snippet shows a curriculum reference list format that pairs book titles with specific authors (e.g., Bipan Chandra, K.A. Manikumar), illustrating that authoritative books are commonly cited by named authors in educational materials.

How to extend

A student could use this pattern to look up the cited books' bibliographic entries (publisher/author) in library catalogs or publisher sites to see who is listed as author for the two titles in question.

History , class XI (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 16: The Coming of the Europeans > THE R. P. REFERENCE BOOKS 川田 > p. 262
Strength: 4/5
“• 1. Sinnappa Arasaratnam, Merchants, Companies and Commerce on the Coromandel Coast, 1650-1740, Oxford University Press, New Delhi, 1986. • 2. Om Prakash, The New Cambridge History of India: European Commercial Enterprise in Precolonial India, Cambridge University Press, 1998. • 3. Sanjay Subrahmanyam, Improvising Empire: Portuguese Trade and Settlement in the Bay of Bengal, 1500-1700, New Delhi, Oxford University Press, 1990. • 4. M. Manickam, Trade and Commerce in Pondicherry (A.D.”
Why relevant

This snippet lists an author with the surname 'Subrahmanyam' (Sanjay Subrahmanyam) as the clearly attributed author of a work, highlighting that similar name components appear in bibliographic listings and can cause confusion between different individuals sharing the name element 'Subrahmanyam'.

How to extend

A student should note the full name format (given name + Subrahmanyam) and check the exact full name on the books' covers/metadata to confirm whether 'Subrahmanyam Jaishankar' (full name) is the same person or a different author.

Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 39: After Nehru... > Appendices ✫ 809 > p. 809
Strength: 3/5
“Premchand, a well-known novelist, resigned his post in a Gorakhpur government school in February 1921 and started contributing to the journal Aaj. His novels Premasharam, Rangbhumi etc., reflect Gandhian principles and values and endorse noncooperation as an effective weapon to gain freedom. Baba Ramchandra organised peasants' revolt in south and south-east Awadh and helped merge the peasants' revolt with the Non-Cooperation Movement. He was arrested in February 1921. A. Shah Naim Ata announced himself 'King of Salon' and initiated no-taxes movement.”
Why relevant

This snippet (appendices listing authors and works) demonstrates that study guides and appendices often enumerate prominent books and their authors, implying one can verify authorship by consulting similar bibliographic appendices or publisher listings.

How to extend

A student could consult the appendices or bibliographic records of the two books (publisher pages, library catalogs) to confirm the named author.

Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 2: Major Approaches to the History of Modern India > Marxist Historiography/ Approach > p. 15
Strength: 3/5
“The beginning of the Marxist approach in India was heralded by two classic books—Rajni Palme Dutt's India Today and A.R. Desai's Social Background of Indian Nationalism. Originally written for the famous Left Book Club in England, India Today, first published in 1940 in England, was later published in India in 1947. A.R. Desai's Social Background of Indian Nationalism, was first published in 1948. Unlike the imperialist/colonial approach, the Marxist historians clearly see the primary contradiction between the interests of the colonial masters and the subject people, as well as the process of the nation-in-the-making. Unlike the nationalists, they also take full note of the inner contradictions between the different sections of the people of the Indian society.”
Why relevant

This example shows how classic books are explicitly attributed to particular authors in historiography discussions, reinforcing the usefulness of checking authorship attribution in authoritative secondary sources.

How to extend

Use standard bibliographic sources (library catalogs, ISBN records, publisher information) to see which author is credited for each book title.

Indian Economy, Vivek Singh (7th ed. 2023-24) > Chapter 7: Indian Economy after 2014 > And this magnificent building of self-reliant India will stand on 5 pillars: > p. 247
Strength: 2/5
“In order to understand the intellectual underpinnings of Atmanirbhar Bharat, therefore, it is necessary to skip past the socialist-era connotation of the termto an earlier era of thinkers like Swami Vivekananda. Today's "Aatma nirbhar Bharat" reflects upon the idea of 'self-reliance' given by Swami Vivekananda in the second half of the 19th Century, which was about resilience, leveraging internal strengths, personal responsibility, and a sense of national mission. Atmanirbhar Bharat is not just a slogan but a vision with deep roots in India's intellectual tradition and it means standing up confidently in the world, and not about isolationism behind "narrow domestic walls".”
Why relevant

This passage discusses modern Indian intellectual themes (Atmanirbhar Bharat) and names historical thinkers, indicating that books about India's strategic ideas are often tied to public intellectuals and policymakers, which makes it plausible to check whether a public figure like S. Jaishankar has authored books on such themes.

How to extend

A student can cross-reference topical subject matter (India's global strategy, 'Bharat' themes) with the known publications of the public figure to see if these titles match his documented oeuvre.

Pattern takeaway: UPSC is testing the 'Intellectual Basis' of the current government's policies. If a sitting Minister writes a treatise explaining the government's worldview (e.g., Foreign Policy), it is as important as a White Paper or Policy Document.
How you should have studied
  1. [THE VERDICT]: Sitter (for newspaper readers) / Trap (for static-only students). Source: The Hindu/Indian Express Book Reviews & G20 Summit coverage.
  2. [THE CONCEPTUAL TRIGGER]: International Relations > Evolution of Indian Foreign Policy > The shift from 'Non-Alignment' to 'Multi-Alignment' and 'Vishwamitra'.
  3. [THE HORIZONTAL EXPANSION]: (1) 'The India Way' (2020) deals with strategic autonomy in a multipolar world. (2) 'Why Bharat Matters' (2024) uses the Ramayana to explain diplomacy (Hanuman as a diplomat). (3) Key Terms: 'Global South', 'Vishwamitra', 'Multi-vector diplomacy'. (4) Contrast with Shashi Tharoor's 'Pax Indica' or 'An Era of Darkness'.
  4. [THE STRATEGIC METACOGNITION]: Do not memorize random books. Filter for: (1) Serving Constitutional Post holders (Ministers, NSA, Governor), (2) Books articulating a shift in National Doctrine (e.g., 'Bharat' narrative), (3) Award-winning historical fiction (Booker/Sahitya Akademi).
Concept hooks from this question
📌 Adjacent topic to master
S1
👉 Textbook reference lists as verification tools
💡 The insight

Reference lists in textbooks enumerate authors and works, so they can be checked to verify who wrote a particular book.

High-yield for UPSC: mastering how to use bibliographies helps confirm authorship when preparing answers, essays, and interviews; it links to historiography and source criticism and aids accuracy in provenance-related questions.

📚 Reading List :
  • History , class XII (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 5: Period of Radicalism in Anti-imperialist Struggles > REFERENCES > p. 72
🔗 Anchor: "Did Bhupender Yadav author the books "The India Way" and "Why Bharat Matters"?"
📌 Adjacent topic to master
S1
👉 Print culture and tracing authorial attribution
💡 The insight

Print culture and published writings show how individuals produced and disseminated works, providing context needed to trace who authored influential books.

Valuable for UPSC aspirants because understanding print/publication history aids analysis of intellectual influence and provenance; it connects modern Indian history, debates over ideas like Atmanirbhar Bharat, and methods for verifying primary authorship claims.

📚 Reading List :
  • India and the Contemporary World – II. History-Class X . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 5: Print Culture and the Modern World > 8.2 Print and the Poor People > p. 126
  • Indian Economy, Vivek Singh (7th ed. 2023-24) > Chapter 7: Indian Economy after 2014 > And this magnificent building of self-reliant India will stand on 5 pillars: > p. 247
🔗 Anchor: "Did Bhupender Yadav author the books "The India Way" and "Why Bharat Matters"?"
📌 Adjacent topic to master
S2
👉 India vs Bharat as names for the country
💡 The insight

The distinction between the names 'India' and 'Bharat' frames discussions about national identity and titles that use 'Bharat'.

High-yield because UPSC questions probe nomenclature, identity and historical continuity; mastering this helps in answers on cultural identity, constitution/terminology and public discourse. It connects to history, polity and society topics and enables essay/ethics examples on national self-conception.

📚 Reading List :
  • Exploring Society:India and Beyond. Social Science-Class VI . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 5: India, That Is Bharat > Questions, activities and projects > p. 84
🔗 Anchor: "Did Nalin Mehta author the books "The India Way" and "Why Bharat Matters"?"
📌 Adjacent topic to master
S2
👉 Using textbook bibliographies to verify authorship
💡 The insight

Reference lists in curricula provide bibliographic details that can be used to confirm who wrote a named book.

Important for source verification skills required in mains answers and interviews; knowing how to read bibliographies prevents misattribution and strengthens citation of authoritative works. This links to research methodology, historiography and answer-writing credibility.

📚 Reading List :
  • History , class XII (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 5: Period of Radicalism in Anti-imperialist Struggles > REFERENCES > p. 72
  • History , class XII (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 8: Reconstruction of Post-colonial India > REFERENCES > p. 113
  • History , class XII (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 6: Communalism in Nationalist Politics > REFERENCES > p. 82
🔗 Anchor: "Did Nalin Mehta author the books "The India Way" and "Why Bharat Matters"?"
📌 Adjacent topic to master
S2
👉 Key authors and works on modern Indian history
💡 The insight

Familiarity with frequently-cited historians and their books helps place any book on India/Bharat in scholarly context and judge authorship claims.

High-yield for prelims and mains since recognizing standard authors aids in eliminating wrong choices and in citing authoritative sources in essays and general studies; it connects historiography, modern Indian history and bibliography evaluation.

📚 Reading List :
  • History , class XII (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 5: Period of Radicalism in Anti-imperialist Struggles > REFERENCES > p. 72
  • History , class XII (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 8: Reconstruction of Post-colonial India > REFERENCES > p. 113
  • History , class XII (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 6: Communalism in Nationalist Politics > REFERENCES > p. 82
🔗 Anchor: "Did Nalin Mehta author the books "The India Way" and "Why Bharat Matters"?"
📌 Adjacent topic to master
S3
👉 Attributing statements to named authors
💡 The insight

Passages directly append an author's name to quoted commentary, showing how text attribution identifies who made an argument.

High-yield for source criticism: mastering how to read attributions lets aspirants link opinions to individuals, evaluate bias, and place interpretations in context. This aids answers in modern history, historiography and ethics of citation.

📚 Reading List :
  • Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 28: Economic Impact of British Rule in India > View > p. 547
  • Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 5: Expansion and Consolidation of British Power in India > Views > p. 123
🔗 Anchor: "Did Shashi Tharoor author the books "The India Way" and "Why Bharat Matters"?"
📌 Adjacent topic to master
S3
👉 Using professional roles to assess credibility
💡 The insight

A quoted line is accompanied by the author's official role, linking personal authority to the statement.

Important for judging source weight: knowing an author's institutional background helps evaluate reliability and perspective, connecting to topics in international relations and contemporary politics.

📚 Reading List :
  • Contemporary World Politics, Textbook in political science for Class XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 4: International Organisations > Why International Organisations? > p. 46
🔗 Anchor: "Did Shashi Tharoor author the books "The India Way" and "Why Bharat Matters"?"
🌑 The Hidden Trap

In 'Why Bharat Matters', S. Jaishankar explicitly uses the **Ramayana** (not Mahabharata) as the primary analogy for statecraft, citing characters like Hanuman and Vibhishana to explain strategic choices. A future question could test this specific literary parallel.

⚡ Elimination Cheat Code

Role-Based Logic: The title 'The India Way' suggests a doctrine or a path for the nation on the global stage. Who is the architect of India's current global path? Bhupender Yadav deals with Environment/Labour. Nalin Mehta is an academic. Shashi Tharoor writes on history/IR but is in the opposition. S. Jaishankar (EAM) is the only one professionally mandated to define 'The India Way' in foreign policy.

🔗 Mains Connection

Mains GS-2 (IR): Use the book titles as headings or concluding remarks. 'The India Way' is a perfect keyword for answers on Strategic Autonomy. 'Why Bharat Matters' fits answers on India's soft power and leadership of the Global South.

✓ Thank you! We'll review this.

SIMILAR QUESTIONS

CAPF · 2015 · Q40 Relevance score: 3.18

Who among the following has authored the book ‘The Idea of India’ ?

CDS-II · 2009 · Q44 Relevance score: 3.05

Consider the following statements about a famous autobiographical narrative. The author of the book is/was the head one one of India’s leading business houses and a Member of Rajya Sabha. In the book he embraced principles in which the creation of wealth, philanthropy and political leadership were all regarded as part of nation-building. Written in a style that is simple and translucent in its sincerity, the book brings alive an important era in the life of the nation, its changing social mores, evolving principles of corporate governance and enduring family values. Who among the following is the author of the book?

CDS-II · 2008 · Q16 Relevance score: 2.69

Who among the following is the author of the book ‘India Remembered’ ?

NDA-II · 2013 · Q28 Relevance score: 2.68

Who among the following is the author of the book “Pax Indica : India and the World of the 21st Century” ?

NDA-II · 2017 · Q4 Relevance score: 2.58

Who among the following is the author of the book ^The Indian Struggle, 1920 - 1934’ ?