"If you are looking for a history of India, or for an account of the rise and fall of the British Raj. or
for the reason of the cleaving of the subcontinent into two mutually antagonistic parts and the
effects this mutilation will have in the respective sections. and ultimately on Asia, you will not find
it in these pages: for though I have spent a lifetime in the country. I lived too near the seat of
events, and was too intimately associated with the actors, to get the perspective needed for the
impartial recording of these matters"
Here, the word 'antagonistic' is closest in meaning to
Options:
(A) impartial
(B) argumentative
(C) separated
(D) hostile
Official Answer Key:
D
Step-by-Step Solution & Explanation
### **Official Solution & Step-by-Step Derivation (GATE BT 2017 Q.61)**
**1. Governing Concept & Question Classification**:
- **Section**: General Aptitude (GA)
- **Question Type**: **MCQ** (2 Marks)
- **Topic**: Reading Comprehension & Vocabulary in Context
**2. Detailed Step-by-Step Analysis**:
- The passage discusses: *“...the cleaving of the subcontinent into two mutually antagonistic parts and the effects this mutilation will have in the respective sections...”*
- The root word **antagonistic** derives from Greek *antagonistes* (opponent, adversary), meaning actively opposing, showing hostility, animosity, or enmity towards each other.
- In the context of political and religious conflict during the partition ("cleaving") of the subcontinent, the two parts became mutually **hostile** (opposed in violent conflict or discord).
- **Option-by-Option Evaluation**:
- **Option (A) [INCORRECT]**: *"impartial"* means neutral or unbiased, the opposite of antagonistic.
- **Option (B) [INCORRECT]**: *"argumentative"* refers to a verbal disposition to dispute, which is too mild and misses the deep geopolitical hostility implied.
- **Option (C) [INCORRECT]**: *"separated"* describes physical detachment ("cleaving"), whereas antagonistic describes their mutual emotional/political attitude.
- **Option (D) [CORRECT]**: *"hostile"* is the exact synonym for antagonistic in this context.
**3. Final Answer / Verification Summary**:
- **Official GATE Answer Key**: **D**
- **Scoring Criteria**: +2.0 Marks (Negative marking: -0.67 marks).
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