Geeta : Naresh has become a better boxer since he started meditation. Radha : Impossible. A boxer's most important asset is his aggressiveness. Radha's statement reflects her belief that

(a) meditation tends to make a person less aggressive. ✓ UPSC's answer
(b) meditation has little or no effect on the person who practises it.
(c) Naresh was a poor boxer earlier because he was not aggressive enough.
(d) Naresh would not have taken to meditation as he was a boxer.

Why the answer is (a)

• Radha argues that a boxer's most important asset is aggressiveness, implying that any practice reducing this trait would be detrimental to boxing performance.

• She calls Geeta's claim that Naresh became a better boxer after starting meditation 'impossible.'

• For meditation to make a better boxer 'impossible' given the importance of aggressiveness, Radha must believe meditation reduces aggressiveness.

• Therefore, her statement reflects the belief that meditation tends to make a person less aggressive, which would hinder a boxer's primary asset.

Why the other options are wrong

(b) meditation has little or no effect on the person who practises it.: Radha does not claim meditation has no effect; she specifically links it to a negative impact on aggressiveness, which is crucial for boxing.
(c) Naresh was a poor boxer earlier because he was not aggressive enough.: Radha's argument focuses on the effect of meditation on current performance, not on Naresh's past lack of aggressiveness or why he was previously a poor boxer.
(d) Naresh would not have taken to meditation as he was a boxer.: Radha's statement is about the compatibility of meditation and boxing skills, not about Naresh's personal decision-making process or whether he would have chosen to meditate.

Asked in the CSAT Paper II of the UPSC Civil Services Preliminary Examination 2015, held on 23 August 2015. Question and answer key: Union Public Service Commission. Explanation: UPSC Answer Check.