UPSC Prelims 2005 Q94: Science & Technology – Logical Reasoning & Puzzles
Who studies in Bhopal?
- (a) Gopal
- (b) Harsh
- (c) Gopal or Inder
- (d) Inder or Harsh
Answer: (c) Gopal or Inder
Explanation
Logic puzzle: who studies in Bhopal
| Boy | Place of study |
|---|---|
| Jai | Ernakulam (vi) |
| Krishnan | Delhi (v) |
| Harsh | Not Ahmedabad or Bhopal (ii), not his hometown Delhi, so Cuttack |
| Gopal and Inder | Share Ahmedabad and Bhopal |
Five boys Gopal, Harsh, Inder, Jai and Krishnan have Ahmedabad, Bhopal, Cuttack, Delhi and Ernakulam as hometowns and study in Engineering, Medical, Commerce, Economics and History colleges, each in one of these cities but never in his own hometown. Jai studies in Ernakulam, Krishnan in Delhi and Harsh in Cuttack, so Ahmedabad and Bhopal are left for Gopal and Inder; the clues do not separate them, so Gopal or Inder studies in Bhopal.
Answer: (c) Gopal or Inder.
Why each option is right or wrong
- (a) Incorrect. Gopal alone cannot be fixed by the clues.
- (b) Incorrect. Harsh studies in Cuttack, not Bhopal.
- (c) CORRECT. Either Gopal or Inder studies in Bhopal.
- (d) Incorrect. Harsh cannot study in Bhopal.
Key point
Place the boys with fixed study cities first; the last two cities go to the last two boys.
Remember
Gopal or Inder studies in Bhopal; Harsh studies in Cuttack.
Common mistakes
- Putting Harsh in Bhopal, which clue (ii) forbids.
- Picking one boy where the data leave two.
- Forgetting Jai's and Krishnan's fixed places.
Exam tip
Eliminate known boys and cities, and the pair that remains is the answer.
Sources
- R. S. Aggarwal — A Modern Approach to Verbal and Non-Verbal Reasoning (Puzzle Test)
- Arun Sharma — How to Prepare for Logical Reasoning for the CAT (arrangement and matching puzzles)