GS4 · UPSC Mains

On a cold and foggy night in December, Arun and Seema, both unknown to each other, boarded a train for Lucknow at the Delhi junction. Both were going to their home town on the weekend. It was supposed to be a routine train journey of 7-8 hours. Arun, a first-year graduate from a reputed institute in Delhi, aspires to join DRDO and make a career in the R&D field. Seema, a national-level volleyball player, had dreams of joining the paramilitary forces. Both checked their tickets and got comfortable in their respective seats in the coach S7. The train gave the final horn and slowly started leaving the station. Amidst the chugging of the engine and the train wheels clacking on the tracks, both Arun and Seema fall asleep. But as fate would have it that night, a routine train journey turned out to be a nightmare for the passengers of coach S7, including Arun and Seema. The train was on its scheduled two-minute halt at an outskirt station when suddenly 4-5 robbers entered the coach S7. They asked all the passengers to hand over their valuables without any fuss. None of the passengers could gather the courage to confront them, as they had country-made pistols and sharp-edged weapons. But somehow, Arun and Seema mustered the courage and resisted the robbers. The robbers threatened them with dire consequences and asked them to comply with their command. But both remained adamant and even refused to hand over their valuables to the robbers. To teach them a lesson and set an example for the other passengers, both Arun and Seema were thrown out of the moving train. At that very moment, another train was approaching on the parallel track, and both were hit by it; Arun lost his right arm, Seema lost her left leg, and she had multiple fractures in the spinal cord. Both met somewhat similar fates that night, but both faced the 'tragedy' that unfolded with them in a completely different manner. In spite of full support from his family, Arun lost all hope and got disenchanted with life. He couldn't accept the new reality and went into depression. Also, the thoughts of committing suicide would often come into his mind. Seema, on the other hand, after completing her treatment, decided to pursue her dreams. She was also encouraged by his family and friends to start a new life. She started training with a prosthetic leg and resumed playing volleyball. Not only this, she decided to push boundaries and chose mountaineering. And around two years later, she became the world's first female amputee to scale Mount Everest. The stories of Arun and Seema highlight the importance of the adversity quotient. But it is also evident that different people possess different levels of adversity quotient. Based on your understanding of the above case study, answer the following: a) Examine the importance of the adversity quotient in life, citing examples. How can the adversity quotient be developed? b) As a friend of Arun, what suggestions would you give to him to overcome the aftermath of the tragedy?

20 marks · 20 words · 3 toppers answered this · seen 2025

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