Question

Directions for questions 118 to 121: For each question, an answer (A) and a reason (R) has been given. Base your analysis on the information presented in the passage. Mark:
1. if both A and R are based on information given in the passage and R is the correct explanation of A.
2. if both A and R are based on information given in the passage but R is not the correct explanation of A.
3. if A is based on information given in the passage but R is not based on the facts given.
4. if A is not based on information given in the passage but R is based on the information given in the passage.
5. if both A and R are not based on information given in the passage.

The Society for Education in India (in short SEI) had been engaged in running primary schools in different parts of the country since the 1950s. While attending a conference on employee selection, Mr J. Mehta, a senior member of the society, learned that a leading school had recently employed a psychologist to perform employment functions, i.e., recruitment and selection of teachers. Within two months of his return, Mr J Mehta contacted a reputed university and employed a graduating psychologist, Mr Bibek Gupta.

Mr Bibek Gupta was employed by SEI with the single directive that he was to contribute to the selection of teachers. This task had previously been the prerogative of principals of each school. Mr Gupta immediately notified each principal that in future he was to be notified of the personnel needs, and in return he would recruit, screen and select the teachers.

At the end of his first year with SEI, Mr Gupta realized that his efforts had resulted in failure. During his first few months he encountered much opposition from several principals who had been managing schools for ten or more years. They did not believe in newer psychological techniques and preferred selecting people based on their own assessment. Other principals frequently refused to accept the teachers selected by Mr Gupta. Finally, Mr Gupta began to notice fewer and fewer principals notifying him of vacancies in their schools. Realizing that he was not making any effective contribution, Mr Gupta submitted the suggestion to the society members that support and co-operation of the school principals should be a matter of executive order, or else his resignation should be considered.

118. What was the flaw in the decision of selecting a psychologist for selecting teachers that led to the final situation?
A: Mr Mehta's decision was predominantly driven by the information about another school that had enlisted the services of a psychologist for recruitment and selection.
R: Both the administration of the school and managing teachers have been primary responsibilities of the principal of the school.

• A. if both A and R are based on information given in the passage and R is the correct explanation of A.
• B. if both A and R are based on information given in the passage but R is not the correct explanation of A.
• C. if A is based on information given in the passage but R is not based on the facts given.
• D. if A is not based on information given in the passage but R is based on the information given in the passage.

Hint:

Check A and R separately against the passage first; only then ask whether R actually explains why A happened, or is just another true but unrelated fact.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is B

Assertion-Reason questions like this need two separate checks before we even compare A and R to each other: first, is each statement actually backed by the passage on its own; second, if both are backed, does R genuinely cause or explain A.

1. Checking A on its own: the passage states Mehta heard at a conference that another school had used a psychologist for recruitment, and within two months hired one himself. That is exactly what A claims about Mehta's motive, so A is true and passage-based.
2. Checking R on its own: the passage says teacher selection "had previously been the prerogative of principals of each school," which supports R's claim that school administration and teacher management were the principal's job. So R is also true and passage-based.
3. Checking whether R explains A: A is about the trigger for Mehta's decision, something he heard at a conference. R is about who traditionally held the administrative and teacher-management role, the principal. These are two different facts about two different things; R does not describe why Mehta acted, it describes an unrelated pre-existing arrangement. So R does not explain A, even though both are individually true.

Since both A and R check out against the passage, but R fails to explain why A happened, this matches the option for both A and R being based on the passage while R is not the correct explanation of A.

Let's summarize:

• A is confirmed true: Mehta's move was driven by what he heard about another school.
• R is confirmed true: principals traditionally ran school administration and teacher selection.
• R and A describe two unrelated facts, so R is not the reason behind A.

So the correct choice is that both A and R are true from the passage, but R does not correctly explain A.