In fact, 300 candidates failed to even open their account while around 200 got two-three correct answers — the highest mark achieved was an impressive 17. (Illustration: C R Sasikumar) In fact, 300 candidates failed to even open their account while around 200 got two-three correct answers — the highest mark achieved was an impressive 17. (Illustration: C R Sasikumar)

“What was the name of Lord Rama’s only sister?”

“Which Indian goddess is the counterpart of Greek Athena and Roman Minerva?”

“Who said, ‘If anything is certain, it is that I myself am not a Marxist’?”

IF YOU don’t know the answers to these questions, you stand little chance of becoming a member of the Jharkhand State Cricket Association (JSCA).

Not surprisingly, a majority of the 941 applicants who appeared for the written examination organised by the JSCA on Sunday for “common men” vying for membership couldn’t answer them and most of the other 40 questions within the 45-minute deadline.

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In fact, 300 candidates failed to even open their account while around 200 got two-three correct answers — the highest mark achieved was an impressive 17.

The only silver lining for candidates was that the question paper didn’t carry any negative marks for wrong answers and the association didn’t set a “pass mark”.

“We will call for a managing committee meeting soon and decide whom to include as members of the JSCA. We are happy to receive such a response and it’s the first time this kind of initiative has been taken by any state association,” said Amitabh Chaudhary, president, JSCA.

The test was an initiative by the JSCA to encourage more non-cricketers to become members of the association, in the wake of the Lodha committee’s directive for more transparency in the functioning of the BCCI and its state units, including the induction of new members.

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The applicants had been informed in advance that the questions would include 20 on domestic and international cricket, and five each on other categories like international and domestic sports excluding any on cricket, the country, the state and general knowledge.

But not many imagined that their knowledge on subjects such as mythology, politics, history and even Leftist philosophy would be tested — all to become a member of a cricket association. Sample another question: “Which Indian Governor General established and even opened the Indian School of Mines?”

JSCA secretary Rajesh Verma, however, told The Indian Express that the questions were not “tough”. “If one reads the newspaper on a daily basis or is a passionate cricket follower than he could have answered those questions. Some questions might look difficult but there are basic cricketing questions, too, like ‘Who are the great 3Ws of West Indies cricket?” he said.

Verma said the applicants had been given a “fair idea” of the questions to expect. “Cricketers automatically become members of the JSCA but if a common man wants to come to the association, there should be certain yardsticks. We tried our best and we are happy with the response,” he said.

Maybe, the JSCA should just rope in anyone who answered one of these two questions correctly: “Who is the only Indian finance minister to have presented the national budget on two of his birthdays?” or “Who is the only Indian Test player to have played Davis Cup tennis for India?”

For the record, the answers to the three questions upfront are: Shanta, Goddess Saraswati and Karl Marx. The Indian School of Mines was opened by the then British Viceroy Lord Irwin in 1926. The three Ws of West Indies cricket are Sir Frank Worrell, Sir Clyde Walcott and Sir Everton Weekes.

The finance minister who presented the national budget on two of his birthdays – February 29 – is Morarji Desai. And, the Indian Test player who also played Davis Cup tennis for the country was C Ramaswami.

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