A Tale of Valour: Major Somnath Sharma and the Battle of Badgam — Class 8 MCQs with Answers
Class 8 CBSE English · Chapter 4
48 practice questions · 16 Easy · 16 Medium · 16 Hard · Updated
Practise the most important Class 8 CBSE English questions from Chapter 4, "A Tale of Valour: Major Somnath Sharma and the Battle of Badgam". You get 6 timed quizzes made from 48 NCERT-based MCQs, with answers and explanations. The questions are split into 16 Easy, 16 Medium and 16 Hard. Warm up on the basics, then move on to the exam-level questions that top scorers in CBSE Board exams get right.
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A Tale of Valour: Major Somnath Sharma and the Battle of Badgam — important questions & MCQs with answers (Class 8 English)
9 solved questions from this chapter's difficulty levels, each with its answer and explanation.
- Q1Easy
In which year was Major Somnath Sharma born?
A.1922B.1930C.1923✓ CorrectD.1918Answer: C. 1923
Explanation: The account records that Somnath Sharma was born on 31 January 1923.
- Q2Easy
On which date did the Battle of Badgam take place?
A.15 August 1947B.22 October 1947C.3 November 1947✓ CorrectD.26 January 1948Answer: C. 3 November 1947
Explanation: The stand at Badgam was fought on 3 November 1947, the day Major Sharma was killed.
- Q3Easy
In what physical condition did Major Sharma fight the battle?
A.He was completely unhurt and restedB.He had a broken legC.His left arm was in a plaster cast from an earlier injury✓ CorrectD.He had lost his sight in one eyeAnswer: C. His left arm was in a plaster cast from an earlier injury
Explanation: His left arm was still in a plaster cast from an earlier injury, yet he insisted on leading his company.
- Q4Medium
What most helped shape young Somnath's strong sense of duty and courage?
A.A love of sports and nothing elseB.His wish to become richC.Growing up in a military family and hearing his grandfather's Mahabharata stories✓ CorrectD.Living far away from any army lifeAnswer: C. Growing up in a military family and hearing his grandfather's Mahabharata stories
Explanation: Coming from a distinguished military family and hearing his grandfather's Mahabharata tales nurtured his sense of duty and bravery.
- Q5Medium
Why is Major Sharma's stand at Badgam considered so important to the defence of Kashmir?
A.It captured a large enemy townB.It brought the whole war to an immediate endC.It delayed the enemy long enough for Indian reinforcements to be airlifted to Srinagar✓ CorrectD.It destroyed the entire enemy force in minutesAnswer: C. It delayed the enemy long enough for Indian reinforcements to be airlifted to Srinagar
Explanation: By holding on, his company delayed the advance and bought time for reinforcements to reach Srinagar and save the city.
- Q6Medium
Although his arm was in plaster, Major Sharma insisted on joining his company because:
A.He wanted a promotionB.He was forced to at gunpointC.There was no one else left to commandD.He felt he knew his men best and would not let them go into action without him✓ CorrectAnswer: D. He felt he knew his men best and would not let them go into action without him
Explanation: He said he knew his men better than anyone and that if they were going into action, they would not go in without him.
- Q7Hard
Why did holding Badgam, so close to the Srinagar airfield, matter so much?
A.Badgam had gold mines the enemy wantedB.Keeping the airfield safe let Indian troops and supplies keep flying in, which was vital to saving Srinagar✓ CorrectC.Badgam was the enemy's own capital cityD.The airfield was where the gallantry medals were storedAnswer: B. Keeping the airfield safe let Indian troops and supplies keep flying in, which was vital to saving Srinagar
Explanation: The Srinagar airfield was the lifeline for airlifting troops and supplies, so defending Badgam kept that route open.
- Q8Hard
Taken together, his choice to fight with an arm in plaster and his refusal to withdraw reveal a man who:
A.Put his men and his duty above his own comfort and safety✓ CorrectB.Acted only to win medals for himselfC.Was reckless and careless with his soldiers' livesD.Disliked following any kind of orderAnswer: A. Put his men and his duty above his own comfort and safety
Explanation: Both decisions show a leader who set his duty and his soldiers above his own comfort and personal safety.
- Q9Hard
Which statement best captures the central message of this account?
A.Wars are always won by whichever army is largerB.Personal safety should always come before dutyC.Medals are the main reason soldiers fightD.The courage and sacrifice of even one determined leader can change the course of events✓ CorrectAnswer: D. The courage and sacrifice of even one determined leader can change the course of events
Explanation: The account shows that one man's determined courage and sacrifice at Badgam helped save Srinagar, altering the outcome.
Key concepts: A Tale of Valour: Major Somnath Sharma and the Battle of Badgam (Class 8 English)
This is a non-fiction, biographical account of Major Somnath Sharma, India's first Param Vir Chakra winner. Born in 1923 into a distinguished military family, and inspired as a boy by his grandfather's stories from the Mahabharata, he grew into a soldier of rare courage. On 3 November 1947, at Badgam near the Srinagar airfield, he led about ninety men of D Company, 4 Kumaon against roughly five hundred infiltrators sent in under Operation Gulmarg. Though his left arm was in a plaster cast from an earlier injury, he refused to stay behind, laid ground panels under fire to guide Indian aircraft, and signalled his famous vow: 'I shall not withdraw an inch but will fight to the last man and the last round.' His company held on for more than six hours until a mortar shell killed him at only twenty-four. That stand delayed the enemy, let reinforcements be airlifted to Srinagar, and helped save Kashmir. Set in the unit 'Values and Dispositions', the chapter celebrates courage, duty and selfless sacrifice for one's country.
- Major Somnath Sharma
- Born 31 January 1923 at Dadh in Kangra, he came from a distinguished military family; his father was Major General Amar Nath Sharma. He became India's first Param Vir Chakra recipient and was killed at Badgam aged about twenty-four.
- Roots of his courage
- Growing up in a military family and hearing his grandfather's stories from the Mahabharata shaped young Somnath's sense of duty and bravery long before he ever went into battle.
- Operation Gulmarg
- A covert enemy plan to push armed tribal irregulars and infiltrators into Kashmir in 1947 to seize key positions, above all the Srinagar airfield. It is the background against which the Battle of Badgam is fought.
- The Battle of Badgam
- On 3 November 1947, at Badgam village less than five kilometres from the Srinagar airfield, Major Sharma's D Company of about 90 men of 4 Kumaon faced roughly 500 attackers and held its ground for over six hours.
- Fighting with an injured arm
- His left arm was in a plaster cast from an earlier injury, yet he insisted on going in with his men, saying he knew them best and would not let them go into action without him — leadership from the front.
- Directing the air support
- Moving about under heavy gunfire, he personally laid out ground panels so that Indian aircraft could identify his position and give support, showing calm courage under fire.
- His famous last message
- With the enemy only about fifty yards away he signalled, 'I shall not withdraw an inch but will fight to the last man and the last round' — a vow of total resolve and devotion to duty.
- His sacrifice and its impact
- He was killed by a mortar shell during the fight. His company's stand delayed the enemy long enough for reinforcements to be airlifted to Srinagar, which was vital in saving Kashmir.
- The Param Vir Chakra (posthumous)
- For his supreme sacrifice he was awarded the Param Vir Chakra, India's highest wartime gallantry decoration, posthumously — meaning after his death — becoming its very first recipient.
- Honoured and remembered
- His battalion received the Battle Honour 'Srinagar' and his name is inscribed on the National War Memorial, showing how the nation permanently honours his valour.
- Key vocabulary
- valour = great courage; gallantry = brave, noble conduct; disposition = a person's temperament; infiltrators = secret armed intruders; reinforcements = extra troops; withdraw = to retreat; posthumously = after death; tenacity = firm determination.
- Theme - Values and Dispositions
- The chapter belongs to a unit on values, holding up courage, discipline, teamwork, duty and selfless sacrifice for one's country as qualities worth admiring and emulating.
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What are the key concepts in Class 8 English A Tale of Valour: Major Somnath Sharma and the Battle of Badgam?+
This is a non-fiction, biographical account of Major Somnath Sharma, India's first Param Vir Chakra winner. Born in 1923 into a distinguished military family, and inspired as a boy by his grandfather's stories from the Mahabharata, he grew into a soldier of rare courage. On 3 November 1947, at Badgam near the Srinagar airfield, he led about ninety men of D Company, 4 Kumaon against roughly five hundred infiltrators sent in under Operation Gulmarg. Though his left arm was in a plaster cast from an earlier injury, he refused to stay behind, laid ground panels under fire to guide Indian aircraft, and signalled his famous vow: 'I shall not withdraw an inch but will fight to the last man and the last round.' His company held on for more than six hours until a mortar shell killed him at only twenty-four. That stand delayed the enemy, let reinforcements be airlifted to Srinagar, and helped save Kashmir. Set in the unit 'Values and Dispositions', the chapter celebrates courage, duty and selfless sacrifice for one's country. Key ideas include Major Somnath Sharma, Roots of his courage, Operation Gulmarg, The Battle of Badgam, Fighting with an injured arm, Directing the air support.
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The questions that matter most test Major Somnath Sharma, Roots of his courage, Operation Gulmarg, The Battle of Badgam, Fighting with an injured arm, Directing the air support. This page shows 9 solved important MCQs with answers and explanations. Sign in to practise all 48 questions on the chapter as timed quizzes.
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