What is the percentage increase in the average starting salary (per month) of…

Concept: A percentage increase is always measured against the ORIGINAL (reference) value, never against the later value. Percentage increase = (New value − Original value) ÷ Original value × 100. The year named as the reference fixes the denominator, so the earlier year’s figure is the base.

Application: The question is about the average starting salary in Hardware, so only column II of the Hardware row is used; the column I employment shares and the pass-out totals of 800, 600, 1100, 1200 and 1000 students play no part here.

1. 2019 Hardware average starting salary (the base) = ₹54,500.

2. 2023 Hardware average starting salary (the new value) = ₹98,100.

3. Increase = ₹98,100 − ₹54,500 = ₹43,600.

4. Percentage increase = (43,600 ÷ 54,500) × 100.

5. 43,600 ÷ 54,500 = 0.8, so the percentage increase = 0.8 × 100 = 80%.

Cross-check: Raising ₹54,500 by 80% gives 54,500 × 1.8 = ₹98,100, which is exactly the 2023 Hardware entry, so the figure is consistent both ways.

Watch out: Dividing the ₹43,600 rise by the 2023 salary instead of the 2019 salary gives 43,600 ÷ 98,100 ≈ 44.4%, and reading the column I employment shares (22 and 32) answers a question about the number of students, not about salary.