UPSC Prelims 2017 CSAT Paper II · Q69 of 79 Comprehension medium

Passage

Directions for the following 3 (three) items : Consider the given information and answer the three items that follow. A, B, C, D, E, F and G are Lecturers from different cities—Hyderabad, Delhi, Shillong, Kanpur, Chennai, Mumbai and Srinagar (not necessarily in the same order) who participated in a conference. Each one of them is specialized in a different subject, viz., Economics, Commerce, History, Sociology, Geography, Mathematics and Statistics (not necessarily in the same order). Further 1. Lecturer from Kanpur is specialized in Geography 2. Lecturer D is from Shillong 3. Lecturer C from Delhi is specialized in Sociology 4. Lecturer B is specialized in neither History nor Mathematics 5. Lecturer A who is specialized in Economics does not belong to Hyderabad 6. Lecturer F who is specialized in Commerce belongs to Srinagar 7. Lecturer G who is specialized in Statistics belongs to Chennai

Who is specialized in Geography?

  1. (a) B ✓ UPSC's answer
  2. (b) D
  3. (c) E
  4. (d) Cannot be determined as data are inadequate

Why the answer is (a)

• From clue 6, F is from Srinagar and specializes in Commerce.

• From clue 7, G is from Chennai and specializes in Statistics.

• From clue 3, C is from Delhi and specializes in Sociology.

• From clue 2, D is from Shillong.

• From clue 5, A specializes in Economics and is not from Hyderabad.

• The remaining cities are Hyderabad, Kanpur, and Mumbai. The remaining subjects are History, Mathematics, and Geography.

• Clue 1 states the lecturer from Kanpur specializes in Geography.

• A is not from Hyderabad, so A must be from Kanpur or Mumbai. If A were from Kanpur, A would specialize in Geography, but A specializes in Economics. Thus, A is not from Kanpur.

• Since A is not from Hyderabad (clue 5) and not from Kanpur (as established), A must be from Mumbai.

• This leaves Hyderabad and Kanpur for B and E (since C, D, F, G, A are placed).

• B is specialized in neither History nor Mathematics (clue 4). The remaining subjects for the unassigned lecturers (B, D, E) are History, Mathematics, and Geography.

• D is from Shillong. The subject for D is not yet fixed, but D cannot be from Kanpur.

• Let's look at B and E. One is from Hyderabad, one from Kanpur.

• The person from Kanpur specializes in Geography.

• B is not History or Mathematics. Therefore, B must be Geography or the remaining subject. Wait, let's list subjects for B, D, E.

• Subjects assigned: A(Econ), C(Soc), F(Com), G(Stat). Remaining: History, Math, Geography.

• Cities assigned: C(Delhi), D(Shillong), F(Srinagar), G(Chennai). Remaining: Hyderabad, Kanpur, Mumbai.

• A is from Mumbai (since A is not Hyderabad, and A is not Kanpur because Kanpur=Geography and A=Econ). So A is Mumbai.

• Remaining cities for B and E: Hyderabad and Kanpur.

• Remaining subjects for B, D, E: History, Math, Geography.

• Clue 1: Kanpur = Geography.

• So either B or E is from Kanpur and specializes in Geography.

• Clue 4: B is not History or Math. Therefore, B must be Geography.

• Since B is Geography, B is from Kanpur.

• Therefore, B is specialized in Geography.

Why the other options are wrong

(b) D
D is from Shillong, but the lecturer from Kanpur is specialized in Geography, and D's subject is not determined to be Geography in the final deduction where B takes it.
(c) E
E is from Hyderabad (since B is from Kanpur), and the lecturer from Kanpur is specialized in Geography, so E is not specialized in Geography.
(d) Cannot be determined as data are inadequate
The data is sufficient to determine that B is the lecturer from Kanpur who specializes in Geography.

Asked in the CSAT Paper II of the UPSC Civil Services Preliminary Examination 2017, held on 18 June 2017. Question and answer key: Union Public Service Commission. Explanation: UPSC Answer Check.

Reading the answer is not the same as getting it right under a clock. Practise this question with UPSC's negative marking, and anything you miss goes into an error notebook until you get it right twice.

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