CBSE Class 12 English: 2026 board paper, set 301/5/1

Read the following passage carefully:

(1) Robotics is transforming the healthcare landscape by revolutionizing the way medical procedures are executed, patients are managed and hospital operations are streamlined. The seamless integration of artificial intelligence (AI), engineering and automation has catalysed the emergence of cutting-edge robotic technologies that are making healthcare more precise, efficient and accessible than ever before. From surgical theatres to outpatient clinics, robotics is enhancing workflow efficiency and significantly improving clinical outcomes.

(2) Among its most notable applications is robot-assisted surgery. Advanced systems such as the 'Da Vinci Surgical Robot' empower surgeons with superior visualization, refined control and pinpoint accuracy. These minimally invasive techniques reduce surgical trauma, minimize complications and shorten recovery periods. Robotic surgery has proven especially transformative in intricate disciplines like cardiothoracic, gynaecological and neurosurgical procedures where precision is paramount.

(3) In the realm of rehabilitation therapy, robotics play a crucial role in helping patients regain motor functions following strokes, spinal cord injuries or orthopaedic surgeries. Devices like robotic exoskeletons and motion-guided therapy systems provide consistent, repetitive movements that are vital for neuro-muscular recovery — often surpassing the capabilities of manual therapy. These systems also enable real-time monitoring and adaptive treatment planning, offering a more individualized and effective rehabilitation process.

(4) Hospital automation is another rapidly expanding frontier. Robots are increasingly being deployed to perform routine yet essential functions such as medicine delivery, room disinfection and food distribution. During the COVID-19 pandemic, their use in contactless service delivery proved invaluable in reducing exposure risks and maintaining stringent hygiene protocols. The advent of diagnostic robotics further underscores the transformative power of AI in medicine. These intelligent systems analyse medical data and imagery with exceptional accuracy, facilitating early detection of conditions such as cancer, cardio-vascular disease and diabetes. By enhancing diagnostic speed and reliability, they significantly contribute to timely and effective intervention.

(5) In the field of geriatric care, assistive robots are being developed to support elderly individuals with medication reminders, vital sign monitoring and social engagement. These robots offer not only physical assistance but also emotional support, helping combat loneliness and cognitive decline — especially for those living alone or with limited human interaction.

(6) While the integration of robotics into healthcare does pose challenges — such as substantial implementation costs, the need for specialized training and concerns about diminished human connection — the long-term advantages far outweigh these limitations.

(7) As healthcare systems worldwide strive for greater accuracy, efficiency and inclusivity, robotics stands out as a catalyst for innovation. Its expanding role — from surgical precision to hospital automation and personalized patient care — heralds a future where technology and empathy coalesce to create a more advanced and humane healthcare ecosystem. (427 words)

Answer the following questions, based on the above passage:

Read the following passage carefully:

(1) Introduction : Deforestation, the clearing of forest land for other uses, is a global environmental catastrophe with profound and often irreversible consequences. While its impact on climate change and biodiversity loss is widely recognised, its most immediate and devastating effects are often borne by indigenous tribes, whose existence is inextricably linked to the health of forest ecosystems. These communities, guardians of ancient knowledge and sustainable practices, face not only the loss of their physical homes but also the erosion of their cultural identity and traditional livelihoods.

(2) Survey Examination : Consider the plight of the Arava Tribe, a hypothetical indigenous community living deep within a remote part of the Arava Basin. For generations, the Arava have co-existed peacefully with the rainforest, drawing from its richness for food, healing and spiritual nourishment. Their traditional knowledge, passed down through generations, encompasses intricate understanding of plant properties, animal behaviour and sustainable resource management. The Arava's diet comprises forest-sourced fruits, nuts, wild game and freshwater fish, reflecting their deep ecological integration. Their shelters, constructed from indigenous materials and their ceremonial practices, aligned with seasonal forest rhythms, underscore a lifestyle symbiotically tied to their natural surroundings.

(3) Methodology and Implications : Moreover, in recent decades, the Arava's ancestral lands have been encroached upon by illegal logging operations, cattle ranching and agricultural expansion. Vast tracts of their forest homes have been systematically cleared, leading to a cascade of environmental and social impacts. Environmentally, the loss of tree cover has resulted in localized climate shifts, including increased temperatures and altered rainfall patterns, leading to prolonged droughts and unpredictable floods. Biodiversity has plummeted, with many plant species vital for Arava medicine disappearing and traditional hunting grounds shrinking, impacting their food security. The pollution of waterways from agricultural runoff further compromises their health and access to clean drinking water.

(4) Effects and Conclusion : From a social and cultural perspective, the effects are equally dire. The destruction of sacred sites within the forest has severed spiritual ties. The forced displacement of families due to land loss has led to the breakdown of community structures and increased vulnerability to external diseases. Traditional knowledge, once practical for survival, becomes less relevant in a deforested landscape, leading to cultural erosion, particularly among younger generations. This disruption often results in increased poverty, loss of identity and heightened conflict with encroaching outsiders.

Social and Cultural Impacts of Deforestation on Indigenous Tribes

Answer the following questions, based on the given passage.

Attempt any one of the two, (a) or (b), in about 50 words.

Your school is planning to conduct an inter-class panel discussion on the topic 'Ethical Use of Social Media' to sensitise students about responsible online behaviour. You are Pragya/Paras, the head of the Organising Committee of Green View Public School. Write a notice to inform students and also invite registrations from classes XI and XII. Include all necessary details. Put your notice in a box.

Your school is celebrating 'Wellness Week' to promote healthy lifestyles. As the Cultural Secretary of Little Valley School, write a notice for the school bulletin board to inform students of classes IX to XII about a poster-making competition on the theme 'My Mental Health, My Priority'. Include other necessary details. You are Mahima/Manish. Put your notice in a box.

Attempt any one of the two, (a) or (b), in about 50 words.

You are Sonali/Sohum of Kalka Apartments, Jeevgarh. Your housing society is organising a Folk Dance Festival. It will showcase India's vibrant folk heritage through group and solo performances. Draft an informal invitation letter inviting your friend to the event. Include all necessary details.

You are Aarti/Aarav of 132, Shivaji Nagar, Meetnagar. Your friends have invited you to watch a live cricket match on 27th November, 2025 at the Naoroji Stadium. Unfortunately you have already agreed to volunteer on the same day at a community clean-up drive. Write an informal letter regretting your inability to accept the invitation.

Attempt any one of the two, (a) or (b), in 120 – 150 words.

Plastic pollution has become a serious environmental hazard across the country. Write a letter to the editor of a national daily, expressing concern about the rising plastic pollution and suggesting effective measures to control it. You may use the cues given below along with your own ideas. You are Riya Verma/Raju Verma of 56 Nehru Nagar, Nazarshahar.

• excessive use of single-use plastics
• chokes drainage systems
• lack of public awareness
• improper garbage disposal and waste management
• need for eco-friendly alternatives
• role of schools, media and civic bodies

You are Kavya/Mehul from Lakeview Apartments, Jheelpur. You come across the following advertisement for the job of a graphic designer at PixelCraft Studios, a creative designing firm and wish to apply for the post advertised. Write your application along with your bio-data.

PixelCraft Studios
Invites
Applications for Graphic Designer
Job Responsibilities :
– Create visual content for digital campaigns, websites and branding
– Collaborate with marketing team on design concepts
– Ensure design consistency and creativity
Qualification :
– Degree/Diploma in Graphic Design or Fine Arts
– 2 – 4 years experience in a creative agency preferred
Skills Required :
– Proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign)
Apply within 10 days to the Creative Director PixelCraft Studios, 14, Green Park, Jheelpur

Attempt any one of the two, (a) or (b), in 120 – 150 words.

India is facing an increasing water crisis due to overuse, pollution and poor conservation policies. Water scarcity is becoming a servious concern. Write an article for 'Nature' Magazine on the need to conserve water and promote sustainable practices. You are Devina/ Dev. You may use the cues given below along with your own ideas.

• why is water conservation important ?
• causes of water scarcity
• effective water-saving methods
• how can individuals, communities and government help solve the problem ?

You are Mansi/Manas of Class XII C, student reporter of your school magazine. Your school recently organized an inter-school science exhibition in the school auditorium. Write a comprehensive report on the event including details of the theme, participation, exhibits and the outcome of the event. You may organise your report by using the following cues.

Who – What – When – Where – Why – How

Read the following extract and answer the questions:

Driving from my parent's
home to Cochin last Friday
morning, I saw my mother,
beside me,
doze, open mouthed, her face
ashen like that
of a corpse and realized with
pain
that she was as old as she looked …
(My Mother at Sixty-six)

Read the following extract and answer the questions:

A flowery band to bind us to the earth,
Spite of despondence, of the inhuman dearth
Of noble natures, of the gloomy days,
Of all the unhealthy and o'er-darkened ways
Made for our searching: yes, in spite of all,
Some shape of beauty moves away the pall
From our dark spirits. Such the sun, the moon,
Trees old, and young, sprouting a shady boon
(A Thing of Beauty)

Read the following extract and answer the questions:

The corridor I was in began angling left and slanting downward and I thought that was wrong, but I kept on walking. All I could hear was the empty sound of my own footsteps and I didn't pass a soul. Then I heard that sort of hollow roar ahead that means open space and people talking. The tunnel turned sharp left; I went down a short flight of stairs and came out on the third level at Grand Central Station. For just a moment I thought I was back on the second level, but I saw the room was smaller, there were fewer ticket windows and train gates, and the information booth in the centre was wood and old-looking. And the man in the booth wore a green eyeshade and long black sleeve protectors.
(The Third Level)

Read the following extract and answer the questions:

My Antarctic experience was full of such epiphanies, but the best occurred just short of the Antarctic Circle at 65.55 degrees south. The Shokalskiy had managed to wedge herself into a thick white stretch of ice between the peninsula and Tadpole Island which was preventing us from going any further. The Captain decided we were going to turn around and head back north, but before we did, we were all instructed to climb down the gangplank and walk on the ocean. So there we were, all 52 of us, kitted out in Gore-Tex and glares, walking on a stark whiteness that seemed to spread out forever. Underneath our feet was a metre-thick ice pack, and underneath that, 180 metres of living, breathing salt water. In the periphery Crabeater seals were stretching and sunning themselves on ice floes much like stray dogs will do under the shade of a banyan tree. It was nothing short of a revelation: everything does indeed connect.
(Journey to the end of the Earth)

Read the following extract and answer the questions:

Sophie watched her back stooped over the sink and wondered at the incongruity of the delicate bow which fastened her apron strings. The delicate-seeming bow and the crooked back. The evening had already blacked in the windows and the small room was steamy from the stove and cluttered with the heavy-breathing man in his vest at the table and the dirty washing piled up in the corner. Sophie felt a tightening in her throat. She went to look for her brother Geoff.

He was kneeling on the floor in the next room tinkering with a part of his motorcycle over some newspaper spread on the carpet. He was three years out of school, an apprentice mechanic, travelling to his work each day to the far side of the city. He was almost grown up now, and she suspected areas of his life about which she knew nothing, about which he never spoke.
(Going Places)

Read the following extract and answer the questions:

Mukund : The English novelist and academic David Lodge once remarked, "I can't understand how one man can do all the things he [Eco] does."
Umberto Eco : Maybe I give the impression of doing many things. But in the end, I am convinced I am always doing the same thing.
Mukund : Which is ?
Umberto Eco : Aah, now that is more difficult to explain. I have some philosophical interests and I pursue them through my academic work and my novels. Even my books for children are about non-violence and peace… you see, the same bunch of ethical, philosophical interests.
And then I have a secret. Did you know what would happen if you eliminate the empty spaces from the universe, eliminate the empty spaces in all the atoms ? The universe will become as big as my fist. Similarly, we have a lot of empty spaces in our lives. I call them interstices. Say you are coming over to my place. You are in an elevator and while you are coming up, I am waiting for you. This is an interstice, an empty space. I work in empty spaces. While waiting for your elevator to come up from the first to the third floor, I have already written an article! (Laughs)
(The Interview)

Answer any five of the following six questions in 40 – 50 words each:

Answer any two of the following three questions in 40 – 50 words each:

Answer any one of the following two questions in 120 – 150 words:

'Deep Water' by William Douglas and 'Keeping Quiet' by Pablo Neruda represent a state of introspection that leads to growth, understanding and liberation. Discuss.

Aunt Jennifer from Adrienne Rich's poem 'Aunt Jennifer's Tigers' and Gandhi from 'Indigo' struggle against oppression to fight for freedom, even though the contexts are different. Discuss.

Answer any one of the following two questions in 120 – 150 words:

Derry's journey reflects an intense personal challenge that he overcomes through courage and determination. Elaborate. (On The Face Of It)

'... and heard them gnaw off one of my thick braids. Then I lost my spirit.' This episode highlighted the indignity meted out to Zitkala-Sa. Support your answer with evidence from the text. (Memories of Childhood)