Read the information given below and answer the question that follows. Six…

2025

Read the information given below and answer the question that follows.

Six couples have been invited to a dinner party. They are Niti, Geeta, Lata, Rakhi, Sita, Champa and Farookh, Hari, Amit, Tilak, Ram, Ali. They are seated on a circular table, facing each other.

(i) Geeta refuses to sit next to Ali.

(ii) Lata wants to be between Amit and Hari.

(iii) Champa refuses to sit next to Farookh.

(iv) Niti is seated between Tilak and Ali.

(v) Farookh and Tilak are seated exactly opposite to each other.

(vi) Ram and Sita are seated to the left of Champa.

(vii) Neighbours Amit and Rakhi want to enjoy the company of Lata and Tilak respectively and are seated closest to them.

(viii) The seating arrangement is such that minimum one woman is always between two men.

Which of the following statements is correct?

  1. A.

    Lata is on Tilak's right

  2. B.

    Ali is on Champa's right

  3. C.

    Geeta is on Hari's left

  4. D.

    Geeta is on Farookh's right

Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: B

Concept: At a circular table where everyone faces the centre, a person's LEFT hand points in the clockwise direction (the next seat clockwise from them is on their left) and their RIGHT hand points in the counter-clockwise direction (the next seat counter-clockwise is on their right). Such puzzles are solved by first fixing the seats pinned down by the strongest clues (an "opposite" pair, a "between" clue), placing everyone else clue by clue, and finally checking every remaining clue as an elimination test.

Step-by-step placement:

  1. Fix Farookh and Tilak exactly opposite each other (clue v) — they anchor the 12-seat circle six seats apart.

  2. Place Niti between Tilak and Ali (clue iv), seating Ali next to Niti on Tilak's far side.

  3. Seat Rakhi next to Tilak, since she wants to sit closest to him (clue vii).

  4. Seat Amit next to Rakhi — they are neighbours (clue vii) — and next to Lata, since Amit wants to sit closest to her.

  5. Place Lata between Hari and Amit (clue ii), putting Hari on Lata's other side.

  6. With six men and six women at the table, condition (viii) forces men and women to alternate all the way round, fixing the gender of every remaining seat.

  7. Place Geeta in the only alternating seat left, between Hari and Farookh.

  8. Place Champa next in the circle, and seat Ram then Sita to Champa's left, in that order (clue vi), which closes the circle back to Farookh.

  9. Check the two "must not sit next to" clues (i, iii): Geeta ends up away from Ali, and Champa away from Farookh — both hold, confirming this arrangement is the unique valid one.

Result: Reading the completed circle clockwise gives Champa, Ram, Sita, Farookh, Geeta, Hari, Lata, Amit, Rakhi, Tilak, Niti, Ali. By the rule above, Champa's right-hand neighbour is her counter-clockwise neighbour — Ali. So "Ali is on Champa's right" is correct.

Cross-check: Tilak's right-hand neighbour is Rakhi, not Lata; Hari's left-hand neighbour is Lata, so Geeta sits on his right, not his left; and Farookh's right-hand neighbour is Sita, so Geeta sits on his left, not his right — each of the other statements fails.

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