Comprehension : (Que No. 12-16) Direction: Read the information given and…

2023

Comprehension : (Que No. 12-16)

Direction: Read the information given and answer the following questions.

The head of the newly formed government desires to appoint five of the six elected members A, B, C, D, E and F in the portfolios of Home, Defence, Power, Telecom and Finance.

(i) F does not want any portfolio if D gets one of the five.

(ii) C wants either Home or Finance or no portfolio.

(iii) B says if D gets either Power or Telecom, then she must get the other one.

(iv) E insists on a portfolio if A gets one.

Question:

If D gets Power and B gets Telecom then which of the following is not assigned any portfolio?

  1. A.

    F

  2. B.

    C

  3. C.

    A

  4. D.

    E

Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: A

Concept: In selection/assignment puzzles built from conditional (if-then) constraints, first anchor the given direct assignments, then chain each condition through them one at a time — a condition triggers only when its 'if' clause is satisfied, and it then forces a specific inclusion or exclusion. With five portfolios for six people, exactly one person is always left without a portfolio.

Application:

  1. Given: D is assigned Power, and B is assigned Telecom.

  2. Condition (i) states F gets no portfolio if D gets one of the five. Since D has been assigned Power, this condition is triggered, so F receives no portfolio.

  3. Since there are five portfolios (Home, Defence, Power, Telecom, Finance) for six people, exactly one person is left out. With F excluded, the remaining five people — A, B, C, D and E — together fill all five portfolios.

  4. D holds Power and B holds Telecom, leaving Home, Defence and Finance for A, C and E.

  5. Condition (ii) restricts C to Home or Finance (or no portfolio); since C must occupy one of the three remaining slots, C takes Home or Finance, leaving Defence for A or E.

  6. Condition (iv) requires E to get a portfolio whenever A does. Since both A and E are among the three people filling Home, Defence and Finance, this condition holds without forcing either of them out.

Cross-check: Re-verifying all four conditions against this assignment — (i) D has a portfolio, so F correctly gets none; (ii) C is placed in Home or Finance, never Defence; (iii) D is assigned Power and B is assigned Telecom, exactly the 'other one' pairing the condition demands; (iv) A and E both receive portfolios together. No condition is violated, and no person other than F is forced out, so F is uniquely the person left without a portfolio.

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