Past board exam questions
CBSE 2026 board paper · 6 marks
Anil’s love, trust and compassion influenced Hari Singh’s inner conflict and played a crucial role in transforming him. Elucidate.
(The Thief’s Story)
(Answer in about 100-120 words.)
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(Content 3 – any three points supported by textual evidence; Expression 2; Accuracy 1)
Hari Singh, a fifteen-year-old thief, attached himself to Anil intending to rob him. Anil, though aware that Hari cheated him while buying groceries, trusted him, treated him kindly, taught him to cook, and began to teach him to write and do sums. When Anil received money, Hari stole it and went to the station to run away, but he could not board the train. Anil’s trust and gentleness pricked his conscience; he realised that by learning to read and write he could become a respectable man, and that Anil’s trust was worth more than the money. Torn by guilt, he returned and put the money back. Anil, though …
CBSE 2026 board paper · 6 marks
Support with textual evidence, the themes of ‘empathy over punishment’ in ‘The Thief’s Story’.
(Answer in about 100-120 words.)
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(Content 3 – any three points supported by textual evidence; Expression 2; Accuracy 1)
Anil shows empathy rather than punishment towards Hari Singh. Though Hari Singh was a fifteen-year-old thief, Anil trusted him, gave him work and shelter, and treated him kindly. He knew that Hari cheated him of about a rupee a day while buying groceries, yet he did not scold him; instead he taught him to cook and began teaching him to write his name and do sums. When Hari stole Anil’s money and went to the station to run away, he could not board the train – Anil’s trust and the chance of becoming an educated, respectable man pricked his conscience. Guilt-stricken, he returned and put the money back. …
CBSE 2026 board paper · 6 marks
Those who go astray can change for the better when treated with trust and respect. Justify the statement by citing suitable evidences from ‘The Thief’s Story’.
(Answer in about 100-120 words.)
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(Content 3 – any three points; Expression 2; Accuracy 1)
Hari Singh was a fifteen-year-old habitual thief who stole to survive. He flattered Anil and lied that he could cook, yet Anil trusted him, gave him work, food and shelter, taught him to cook and began teaching him to write and add numbers. Anil even ignored the rupee a day Hari made while buying groceries. When Hari stole Anil’s six hundred rupees and reached the station, he could not board the train: he remembered Anil’s trust and realised that education could make him a respected man. His conscience pricked him, so he returned in the rain and put the money back. Anil, though he knew of the theft, said nothing and gave him a …
CBSE 2026 board paper · 3 marks
Explain why Anil chose to overlook the breach of trust in spite of being aware of it. (The Thief’s Story)
(Answer in about 40-50 words.)
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(Content 2 – any two points with textual evidence; Expression 1)
Anil realised that Hari had stolen his money – the notes he returned were still wet from the rain. Yet he chose trust over confrontation, because he wanted to give Hari a chance to reform and improve his life. Accusing him would not address the core issue; Anil believed that only education could reform Hari, so he offered to teach him to write whole sentences.
CBSE 2026 board paper · 3 marks
Had Anil really forgiven Hari Singh ? Support your answer with evidence from the text.
(The Thief ’s Story)
(Answer in about 40-50 words.)
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(Content 2 – any two points; Expression 1)
Yes, Anil had forgiven Hari Singh. The notes under his pillow were still damp from the night’s rain, so he knew Hari had stolen and returned them, yet he did not call the police or say a word about it. Instead he smiled, gave Hari a fifty-rupee note, promised to pay him regularly, and said they would start writing sentences the next day – giving him a second chance.
CBSE 2026 board paper · 3 marks
Why does Hari Singh find it pleasant to work for Anil, though he was a thief ?
(The Thief’s Story)
(Answer in about 40-50 words.)
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(Content 2 – at least two value points; Expression 1)
Anil was a kind, gentle and trusting person. He gave Hari Singh work even though he could not cook, never suspected or rebuked him even when he cheated him while buying groceries, did not burden him with work, and taught him to write his name and promised to teach him to write whole sentences and to add figures. This trust made working for him pleasant.
CBSE 2026 board paper · 5 marks
Read the following extract and answer the questions :
And that is why it was so difficult to rob him. It’s easy to rob a greedy man, because he can afford to be robbed; but it’s difficult to rob a careless man — sometimes he doesn’t even notice he’s been robbed and that takes all the pleasure out of the work.
Well, it’s time I did some real work, I told myself; I’m out of practice. And if I don’t take the money, he’ll only waste it on his friends. After all, he doesn’t even pay me.
(The Thief’s Story)
(i) Why does the narrator say that it is easier to deceive a greedy man ? (1)
(ii) What can we make out about the narrator’s character from the given extract ? (2)
(iii) “Well, it’s time I did some real work, I told myself;” — What is referred to as “real work” ? (1)
(iv) The narrator finds it difficult to rob a careless man because the lack of __________ (awareness / ignorance) removes the usual enjoyment of the act. (1)
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(i) Because a greedy man can afford to be robbed.
(ii) (Any two) The narrator shows no guilt or remorse for stealing; he calls stealing “real work”, showing a casual, even proud attitude; he sees his actions as practical and deserved, justifying them because Anil would only waste the money and does not pay him – a self-serving, unapologetic attitude to his own wrongdoing; he has robbed many people before and enjoys doing it.
(iii) The act of theft / stealing / robbing.
(iv) awareness
CBSE 2026 board paper · 3 marks
Why did Hari Singh approach Anil ?
(The Thief ’s Story)
(Answer in about 40-50 words.)
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(Content 2 – any two points; Expression 1)
Hari Singh was a young thief looking for easy targets. He saw Anil as a simple, careless and trusting man and approached him intending to exploit his kindness and gain food, shelter and money – he planned to win his trust and then rob him. Later he stayed because Anil offered him education and trust.
