Previous Year Questions

Question :

Directions : Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions that follow.

At the age of twenty-three, Samaira gave her first real shot at changing the world. Fresh out of college, with a modest degree in social sciences and a deep-rooted desire to make a difference, she found herself selected through the EWS program - an initiative aimed at empowering individuals from economically weaker sections by placing them in meaningful, community-based roles. She was placed in a women-focused non-profit organisation committed to tackling poverty through skill development, education, and resource accessibility.

Initially, the work was unfamiliar and overwhelming. Samaira had never worked in rural spaces before, and adapting to grassroots challenges was no easy task. The long travel hours, community mistrust, and lack of infrastructure tested her resolve. But she stayed. What started as an uncertain trial turned into a defining journey. Driven by conviction rather than convenience, she poured her energy into every project she touched. Three years into her role, Samaira began leading programs focused on women's economic independence. She helped design a micro-enterprise initiative that taught traditional artisans how to access broader markets and manage finances. One small community of weavers, once limited to selling within their villages, managed to secure a city-based exhibition space. The event turned out to be a surprise hit, with the weavers not only making profits but also receiving direct orders from boutique stores.

But it wasn't about isolated success stories for Samaira. Her vision was long-term. She worked on structural issues - improving access to healthcare, strengthening vocational training, and building bridges between government services and village needs. Over time, she became instrumental in launching an integrated development program that reduced seasonal migration by providing reliable, local employment. This shift allowed children to remain in school and gave families stability. Samaira worked with the organisation until she turned forty. Her seventeen years of service were marked not by prestige but by perseverance. She saw herself not as a saviour, but as a facilitator - someone who made space for others to rise. The organisation's internal records credited her with designing and implementing programs that improved the livelihoods of over 10,000 women across multiple districts.

Her approach was always inclusive. Rather than impose solutions, she listened. Community meetings were spaces of dialogue, not instruction. She trained local women to take leadership roles, encouraged peer-led learning, and insisted on transparency in fund usage. She believed that true empowerment was when the people you serve begin to lead the change themselves. The real ___(A)___ began when one of her former trainees, Meher, led a regional women's cooperative that partnered with state agencies. Watching Meher confidently negotiate with district officials and present annual plans, Samaira knew the movement was no longer dependent on her - it had grown roots of its own. There were opportunities to move out - higher-paying consultancy roles, research fellowships abroad - but she declined them. "I was never interested in chasing titles," she once said. "I just wanted to work where I could see progress with my own eyes."

Her farewell was quiet, just the way she liked it. There were garlands and speeches, but the most moving part came when village women stood up, one after another, to share how they had learned to read, earn, or speak up because of the programs Samaira had introduced. None of them talked about data or strategy - they talked about confidence, respect, and hope. By the time she stepped down, the organisation had grown significantly. What began as a small community initiative had expanded into a nationally respected model for grassroots development. More importantly, the leadership structure now included dozens of women who had once been its beneficiaries. Samaira left behind not just a well-oiled system but a living, thriving network of changemakers. Years later, when asked if she ever imagined she'd stay in one place so long, she simply said, "You stay where the work matters. And where the results aren't always loud - but they last."

What significant change occurred in the women's cooperative led by Meher, according to the passage?