A question is given followed by two Statements I and II. Consider the Question and the Statements and mark the correct option. Question : How is Q related to P ? Statement I : P has two sisters, R and S. Statement II : R's father is the brother of Q. Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above Question and the Statements ?
- (a) The Question can be answered by using one of the Statements alone, but cannot be answered using the other statement alone.
- (b) The Question can be answered by using either Statement alone.
- (c) The Question can be answered by using both the Statements together, but cannot be answered using either Statement alone.
- (d) The Question cannot be answered even using any of the Statements. ✓ UPSC's answer
Why the answer is (d)
• Statement I states that P has two sisters, R and S, which establishes that P is a sibling of R and S but does not specify P's gender or relation to Q.
• Statement II states that R's father is the brother of Q, which identifies Q as the uncle of R but does not link Q to P directly.
• Combining both statements, we know P is a sibling of R, and Q is the uncle of R, but the gender of P is not specified.
• If P is male, Q is P's uncle; if P is female, Q is P's maternal uncle, but the specific relationship (e.g., father's brother vs mother's brother) is not fully defined relative to P's gender.
• More critically, the question asks how Q is related to P, but the statements do not provide enough information to determine the exact relationship (e.g., whether Q is the father's brother or mother's brother, and P's gender is unknown).
• Therefore, the question cannot be answered even using both statements together, making option (d) correct.
Why the other options are wrong
- (a) The Question can be answered by using one of the Statements alone, but cannot be answered…
- Neither statement alone provides sufficient information to determine Q's relationship to P.
- (b) The Question can be answered by using either Statement alone.
- Neither statement alone is sufficient to answer the question.
- (c) The Question can be answered by using both the Statements together, but cannot be…
- Even using both statements together, the relationship cannot be definitively determined due to missing information about P's gender and the specific side of the family.
Asked in the CSAT Paper II of the UPSC Civil Services Preliminary Examination 2025, held on 25 May 2025. Question and answer key: Union Public Service Commission. Explanation: UPSC Answer Check.