UPSC Prelims 2012 · CSAT
Question 23: Logical Reasoning and Mental Ability
Consider the following statement : “Though quite expensive, television is not a luxury item, as one can learn many things through television.” Which one of the following is a valid inference from the above statement ?
AnswerUPSC’s answer is (d).
The statement admits television is expensive but concludes it is not a luxury, because one can learn many things through it. So the one inference that is certain is the conclusion itself: television is not a luxury item. Option (a) reverses the author's reasoning by calling every expensive thing a luxury. Options (b) and (c) go beyond the statement: it says television helps learning, not that it is essential, and it makes no claim about all things needed for learning.
Why each option is right or wrong
- (a) Wrong. The author says an expensive item need not be a luxury, which contradicts this.
- (b) Wrong. The statement is about television, not about all things useful for learning.
- (c) Wrong. Being able to learn through television does not make it essential for learning.
- (d) Right. The statement itself concludes that television is not a luxury item.
Answer: UPSC’s key. Explanation: written by UPSC Grade, not by UPSC.
Source: UPSC, Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination 2012, General Studies Paper II (CSAT), Series A. The paper on upsc.gov.in.