CBSE Class 9 English Chapter 7- "Carrier of words" Notes
Revision for CBSE Class 9 English can be daunting but notes based on the “Kaveri” textbook and the current syllabus can make it a lot easier. Instead of having to start from scratch with each chapter, students can rely on notes that provide the summary, themes, vocabulary and probable exam questions in a single location.
The CBSE Notes are especially useful in the case of “Carrier of Words”. The chapter is divided into two parts – a prose part on Khetaram, a Gramin Dak Sewak (GDS) who delivers mail in the harsh Thar Desert of Rajasthan, and a poem “Words” by the English poet Charles Swain. The title “Carrier of Words” means that words are not mere symbols, but powerful carriers of meaning, emotions and thoughts. The CBSE Notes include summary of chapter, important facts of Khetaram’s work, key words and probable questions for exams. These notes will help students to write good answers in exams and to understand the message of the chapter on communication and dignity of labour.
1.0Download CBSE Notes Class 9 English Carrier of words
CBSE Notes for Class 9 English Chapter 7 "Carrier of Words" can be downloaded here to help students revise the chapter quickly and prepare effectively for their exams.
2.0Class 9 English Chapter 4 Carrier of words - Summary
Khetaram's Role as a Gramin Dak Sewak
The passage highlights how communication was carried out before the internet, through letters delivered by postmen, and how postal workers still play a crucial role in remote areas today. Khetaram, a "Gramin Dak Sewak," serves as the only postman of the Somarad Branch Post Office in Rajasthan. For the past 15 years, he has faithfully delivered letters to people in remote desert villages near the Indo-Pakistan border, connecting isolated hamlets with their distant families despite extreme weather and difficult terrain.
The Hardships of Delivering Mail in the Thar Desert
Khetaram’s journey starts 120 km away from the last railway station Barmer, far from phone connectivity and proper roads, where even bicycles can not move because of soft sand. Mail from Jodhpur travels by train and bus before being carried on his shoulders to villages around the border. Despite covering a distance of about 20 km on foot everyday, he ensures that the mail is delivered within 24 hours. Even when the temperature reaches 50°C, Khetaram carries on with his duty, sometimes only delivering after sunset.
The Evolution of India's Postal System
Before 2001, Khetaram was a delivery agent. Later, he and many others were officially recognised as “Gramin Dak Sewaks (GDS)” who now make up more than half of India’s postal workforce, delivering to remote areas from the Thar Desert to Ladakh and Lakshadweep. Since independence, India Post has grown from about 25,000 post offices in 1947 to over 1.5 lakh now, linking the rural masses thru both mail and savings services.
Working Conditions and Importance of GDS Workers
To be selected as a GDS, a person must have another source of livelihood since they work only five hours a day, and they can continue working up to age 65. For Khetaram, this job brought financial stability in the drought-prone Thar Desert region, where farming yields little and many families depend on money orders from relatives. A proposal to replace GDS workers with village record keepers was rejected because villagers trusted only GDS workers for this role.
Khetaram's Bond with the Community
Khetaram is warmly welcomed in every home, not only delivering letters and money orders but also reading letters aloud and writing replies for villagers, strengthening trust between the community and the postal system. He is treated with warmth and respect, sometimes offered tea by the Border Security Force or jaggery by villagers when he brings happy news. However, he dreads delivering letters with a torn corner, which signal news of death — out of respect, he reads such letters aloud outside the house and tears them up.
Khetaram's Enduring Dedication
After more than fifteen years of service, Khetaram remains proud of his work and looks forward to the arrival of phone lines, which may allow him to take on a new role as a communication worker. The passage closes by honouring people like Khetaram, who form an essential part of India's social fabric through their dedication, resilience, and service.
Power Vocabulary
3.0Other Study Materials for Class 9 English
Students can use additional study materials along with these notes, such as:
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4.0Why CBSE Notes for Class 9 English Chapter 7: Carrier of words
- Simplifies a fact-dense documentary style – Unlike a narrative story, this chapter is packed with statistics, geography, and postal history; notes organize these details clearly instead of requiring students to sift through dense informational paragraphs.
- Clarifies Khetaram's daily struggle – Details like his 20 km daily walk, 28-kilo load limit, and extreme desert heat can blur together while reading; notes consolidate these specific facts for quick recall in exams.
- Explains the postal system's evolution – The shift from British-era mail systems to today's 1.5 lakh post offices and the GDS system is easy to lose track of; notes lay out this history clearly for factual questions.
- Highlights the emotional weight of his work – The detail about torn-corner letters signalling death, and how Khetaram handles this with sensitivity, is a subtle but important moment; notes ensure it isn't overlooked.
- Untangles GDS working conditions – Specifics like the five-hour workday, retirement age of 65, and dual-livelihood requirement are scattered through the passage; notes bring these together for easy revision.
- Reinforces the chapter's core message – The idea that Khetaram represents dedication, resilience, and human connection in an increasingly digital world is central to value-based questions; notes make this message explicit.