Comprehension : (Que No. 12-16) Direction: Read the information given and…
2025
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 A gets Home and C gets Finance, then which is not a valid assignment for Defence and Telecom?
- A.
D - Defence, B - Telecom
- B.
F - Defence, B - Telecom
- C.
B - Defence, E - Telecom
- D.
B - Defence, D - Telecom
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: D
Concept: This is a conditional-constraint assignment puzzle. An option is invalid only if it directly contradicts one of the four stated rules. Rule (iii) is a biconditional pairing: whenever D is assigned Power or Telecom, B must be assigned the other one of Power/Telecom. Any option that assigns D to Power or Telecom without giving B the remaining one of that pair fails outright, regardless of how the fifth portfolio is filled.
Application: With A on Home and C on Finance fixed, the remaining three portfolios (Defence, Power and Telecom) go to three of B, D, E, F. Since A holds a portfolio, rule (iv) forces E to hold one too, and rule (i) forces F out whenever D is in. Check each pairing for Defence and Telecom against these rules:
D - Defence, B - Telecom: D holds neither Power nor Telecom, so rule (iii) never activates; the remaining Power portfolio can go to E while F sits out (rule i satisfied). No rule is broken.
F - Defence, B - Telecom: F is in only because D is left out, which is exactly rule (i)'s requirement; Power then goes to E. No rule is broken.
B - Defence, E - Telecom: leave D out and give the remaining Power portfolio to F instead, which keeps rule (i) satisfied since D never enters. No rule is broken.
B - Defence, D - Telecom: D now holds Telecom, one of the two portfolios rule (iii) governs, so B must hold the remaining one, Power. But B is fixed to Defence here, which directly contradicts rule (iii) no matter who takes the third portfolio.
Cross-check: Swapping the third portfolio around the fourth pairing cannot rescue it: rule (iii) ties B's portfolio to D's the moment D takes Power or Telecom, so fixing B to Defence while D holds Telecom is a direct contradiction, not a placement detail. The other three pairings each leave at least one full, condition-satisfying arrangement, confirming they are achievable.
Result: B - Defence, D - Telecom is the assignment that is not valid.