Directions : Read the following information carefully and answer the following…
2020
Directions : Read the following information carefully and answer the following questions.
Twelve persons were born on two dates either 7th or 16th of six different months of a year viz. January, March, June, July, September, and October but not necessarily in the same order. The persons whose name starts with a letter before the letter ’M’ were born in the first half of the year and the persons whose name starts with a letter after the letter ’M’ were born in the second half of the year. All letters are according to the English alphabet series. Example- If a person name is Rajesh then he will be born in the second half of the year. The person whose name consists of even number of letters after counting the number of letters is born on an odd numbered date and Vice-Versa. Example- If a person name is ‘Ramesh’ then he will be born on an odd number date (i.e 7) because the sum of number of letters is 6.
Only two persons were born between Pranav and Kumar. The number of persons born before Gaurav is same as born after Yaati. Only four persons were born between Kunal and Gaurav. The number of persons born between Kunal and Sriti is one more than the persons born between Puja and Ram. Ayush was born before Kishan and Gopi. Puja was born in the month of having 31 days. Not more than two persons were born between Kishan and Ram. Swathi is one of the persons.
How many persons were born between Kumar and Sriti?
- A.
Three
- B.
Four
- C.
Two
- D.
Six
- E.
Five
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: E
Concept
In a date-based arrangement puzzle, the 12 people fill 12 fixed chronological slots: the 7th and 16th of six ordered months (January, March, June, July, September, October). Each clue about a person's name first fixes WHICH block of slots they can occupy, and only then do the 'how many persons between' clues pin down the exact order. The two naming rules act as filters:
Half-of-year rule: a name beginning with a letter before M (A-L) lies in the first half (January, March, June); a name beginning with a letter after M (N-Z) lies in the second half (July, September, October).
Date rule: a name with an EVEN number of letters is born on the odd date (the 7th); a name with an ODD number of letters is born on the even date (the 16th).
Application - fix each person's allowed slots
Applying both naming rules splits the twelve names into four blocks of three, each block tied to three slots:
Before-M and even-letters (7th of first-half months: Jan 7, Mar 7, Jun 7): Gaurav (6), Kishan (6), Gopi (4).
Before-M and odd-letters (16th of first-half months: Jan 16, Mar 16, Jun 16): Kumar (5), Kunal (5), Ayush (5).
After-M and even-letters (7th of second-half months: Jul 7, Sep 7, Oct 7): Pranav (6), Puja (4), Swathi (6).
After-M and odd-letters (16th of second-half months: Jul 16, Sep 16, Oct 16): Yaati (5), Sriti (5), Ram (3).
Application - order within the blocks
'The number of persons before Gaurav equals the number after Yaati.' Gaurav's block is {Jan 7, Mar 7, Jun 7} (slots 1, 3, 5) and Yaati's block is {Jul 16, Sep 16, Oct 16} (slots 8, 10, 12); this balance condition alone is satisfied by three slot pairs - (1,12), (3,10), (5,8) - so one more clue is needed to pick among them.
'Only four persons between Kunal and Gaurav.' Kunal's block is {Jan 16, Mar 16, Jun 16} (slots 2, 4, 6). Testing each of the three balanced pairs above against this gap: only Gaurav at slot 1 (Jan 7) pairs with a same-block Kunal slot exactly five slots away - slot 6 (June 16), leaving four people between them; slots 3 and 5 have no matching Kunal slot. So Gaurav = Jan 7 (slot 1), Kunal = June 16 (slot 6), and Yaati = Oct 16 (slot 12, the paired slot from the balance condition).
'Only two persons between Pranav and Kumar.' Kumar takes the remaining first-half-16th slot March 16 (slot 4); Pranav is then July 7 (slot 7), with two people (slots 5,6) between them.
'Ayush was born before Kishan and Gopi.' Ayush is the only person left in the before-M-odd-letter block, so Ayush = January 16 (slot 2); this fixes only Ayush's own slot, since March 7 and June 7 both already lie after slot 2 - Kishan and Gopi still float between these two slots until a later clue distinguishes them.
'Puja was born in a month having 31 days.' Her block is {Jul 7, Sep 7, Oct 7}; July and October both have 31 days (September has only 30), but July 7 is already taken by Pranav (previous step), so Puja must be October 7 (slot 11); Swathi takes the remaining slot, September 7 (slot 9).
'Persons between Kunal and Sriti is one more than between Puja and Ram,' and 'not more than two between Kishan and Ram': placing Sriti at September 16 (slot 10) and Ram at July 16 (slot 8) gives 3 between Kunal-Sriti and 2 between Puja-Ram (3 = 2+1), and exactly 2 between Kishan-Ram. This last count also settles the Kishan/Gopi slots left open earlier: only Kishan = June 7 (slot 5) keeps the Kishan-Ram gap at exactly 2 (Ram at slot 8, with slots 6-7 between them); March 7 (slot 3) would put five people between Kishan and Ram, breaking the clue - so Gopi = March 7 (slot 3). All clues hold.
Final arrangement
Date (chronological) | Person |
|---|---|
January 7 | Gaurav |
January 16 | Ayush |
March 7 | Gopi |
March 16 | Kumar |
June 7 | Kishan |
June 16 | Kunal |
July 7 | Pranav |
July 16 | Ram |
September 7 | Swathi |
September 16 | Sriti |
October 7 | Puja |
October 16 | Yaati |
Cross-check - the asked count
Kumar sits on March 16 (slot 4) and Sriti on September 16 (slot 10). The people strictly between them occupy slots 5 to 9: Kishan, Kunal, Pranav, Ram and Swathi - exactly five persons. The answer is Five.