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Revision Notes

My Childhood & No Men Are Foreign

CBSE · Class 9 · English

Quick revision notes for My Childhood & No Men Are Foreign — CBSE Class 9 English. Key concepts, formulas, and definitions for last-minute revision.

41 questions20 flashcards5 concepts

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An illustration of young A.P.J. Abdul Kalam collecting and selling tamarind seeds to a provision shop on Mosque Street during World War II, depicting his first earnings.
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Key Topics to Revise

1

My Childhood - Background and Setting

  • A.P.J. Abdul Kalam was born in Rameswaram, an island town in the erstwhile Madras State
  • He came from a middle-class Tamil Muslim family
  • His father Jainulabdeen had little formal education but possessed great wisdom and generosity
2

Childhood Experiences and Early Lessons

  • During World War II (1939), Kalam was 8 years old and collected tamarind seeds to sell
  • His brother-in-law Jallaluddin told him war stories which he traced in Dinamani newspaper
  • When train halt was suspended, Kalam helped his cousin Samsuddin catch newspaper bundles
3

Incidents of Social Discrimination and Response

  • In fifth standard, a new teacher made Kalam sit in the back because he was Muslim
  • Ramanadha Sastry, a Brahmin priest's son, was upset when separated from his friend
  • Lakshmana Sastry (Ramanadha's father) summoned the teacher and condemned social inequality
4

Sivasubramania Iyer - The Progressive Teacher

  • Science teacher who was an orthodox Brahmin but had progressive ideas
  • He wanted to break social barriers and help students from different backgrounds
  • Invited Kalam home for dinner despite his wife's initial objections

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Full Notes

Key Concepts

Kalam's childhood demonstrates how peopleThe incident with the new teacherTeachers like Sivasubramania Iyer and LakshmanaThe poem 'No Men Are Foreign'Kalam's parents

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the important topics in My Childhood & No Men Are Foreign for CBSE Class 9 English?
My Childhood & No Men Are Foreign covers several key topics that are frequently asked in CBSE Class 9 board exams. Focus on the core concepts listed on this page and practise related questions to build confidence.
How to score full marks in My Childhood & No Men Are Foreign — CBSE Class 9 English?
Understand the core concepts first, then work through the 41 practice questions available for this chapter. Revise formulas and definitions regularly, and use flashcards for quick recall before the exam.

Sources & Official References

Content is aligned to the official syllabus. Refer to the board website for the latest curriculum.

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