Anil, Bhavani, Charu, Daksh, Eshaan, Farah and Gita are seven students…
2023
Anil, Bhavani, Charu, Daksh, Eshaan, Farah and Gita are seven students studying different subjects. The subjects include Biology, Philosophy, Physics, Economics, Chemistry, Geology and History, not necessarily in the same order. They are divided among three different colleges, P, Q and R, with a minimum of two students in any college. Daksh studies Physics in College P. The student who studies Philosophy does not study in College R. Farah studies History in College Q with only Bhavani. Anil does not study in College P and does not study Chemistry. Eshaan studies Geology and does not study in College P. Gita studies Economics but not in College P. No student in College P studies Biology or Chemistry. Anil studies Biology in Eshaan's college.
Charu is studying which subject?
- A.
Biology
- B.
Chemistry
- C.
Philosophy
- D.
History
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: C
Concept: In a grouping-and-attribute puzzle, work in two passes — first fix every entity's group membership using direct assignments and the 'cannot be in X' clues (filling each group to at least its stated minimum), and only then use the constraints that restrict specific attributes to specific groups to resolve the remaining attribute assignments.
Daksh studies Physics and is placed in College P directly by the passage.
Farah studies History in College Q, and the passage states she is joined there by only Bhavani, so College Q = {Farah, Bhavani}, with no room for anyone else.
Anil, Eshaan and Gita are each explicitly excluded from College P; since College Q is already full, all three must belong to College R.
That leaves only Charu unplaced. Every college needs at least two students, and College P currently holds just Daksh, so Charu must join Daksh in College P.
Among the subjects, five are fixed directly by the passage: Daksh–Physics, Eshaan–Geology, Gita–Economics, Farah–History, and Anil–Biology (Anil studies Biology in Eshaan's college, College R, matching Anil's own placement).
The two subjects left, Chemistry and Philosophy, must go to the two students left, Bhavani and Charu.
College P is explicitly barred from Chemistry, and Charu sits in College P, so Charu cannot study Chemistry — which leaves Philosophy for Charu and Chemistry for Bhavani.
Cross-check: Philosophy is barred only from College R, and Charu is in College P, so this placement violates no constraint; all seven students now have a unique college and subject that satisfy every clue in the passage.
Result: Charu studies Philosophy.