In each of the following questions, two statements (I and II) are given. They may stand in a cause-and-effect relationship, or they may be effects of the same or different causes, or even completely independent. Read the following pair and answer accordingly: Statement I: The university has instructed all colleges under its jurisdiction to ban the use of mobile phones inside college premises. Statement II: A majority of the teachers of these colleges signed a joint petition to the university complaining about disturbances in class. What is the most appropriate relationship between Statement I and Statement II?

Introduction / Context:
This problem asks you to identify the cause-and-effect relationship between two real life statements involving a university, its colleges and a mobile phone ban. Cause-and-effect questions test whether you can recognise which event logically explains the occurrence of another, rather than simply occurring near it in time.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Statement I: The university instructs all affiliated colleges to ban the use of mobile phones inside the college premises.

• Statement II: Most teachers signed a joint petition to the university complaining about disturbances, presumably in classrooms where teaching is affected.

• We assume the university responds to issues raised by staff and that classes can be disturbed by mobile phone usage by students and possibly others.

Concept / Approach:
A cause is an event or situation that directly or plausibly leads to another event called the effect. Here, we must decide whether the teachers complaints led to the university ban, or whether the ban itself caused the teachers to complain. We check which direction fits more naturally with administrative decision making in colleges.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Consider Statement II as the starting point. Teachers are experiencing disturbances in class, likely due to frequent or inappropriate mobile phone use by students. They collectively sign a petition to the university asking for action. Step 2: The university, after receiving this formal complaint from the majority of teachers, decides to issue a circular instructing all colleges to ban mobile phones inside the premises. Step 3: This chain of events is natural: first problem and complaint (cause), then policy decision (effect). Step 4: Reverse the direction as a test. If the university unilaterally banned mobile phones first (Statement I) and then teachers complained about disturbances (Statement II), it would not make sense, because a ban should reduce disturbances, not cause them. So Statement I is unlikely to be the cause of Statement II. Step 5: Therefore, it is most logical to treat Statement II as the cause and Statement I as the resulting effect.

Verification / Alternative check:
Ask whether both statements could simply be independent effects of some other cause. For example, a general rise in mobile misuse might prompt both teacher complaints and university actions independently. However, the specific wording "joint petition to the university" strongly suggests a direct link: the university is reacting to this petition. Hence, the simplest and strongest explanation is that Statement II causes Statement I.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option A reverses the direction and implies the ban caused the petition, which conflicts with normal institutional behaviour. Option C and Option D suggest independence, which ignores the explicit connection implied by a complaint to the same authority that issued the ban. Therefore, they do not fit the situation as well as Option B does.

Common Pitfalls:
A typical mistake is to confuse temporal order with causal order. Just because one statement is listed first does not mean it is the cause. Always check which event naturally explains why an authority or group would take action. In governance and education systems, petitions and complaints often precede policy decisions.

Final Answer:
Thus, the majority teachers petition (Statement II) is the cause and the university's mobile ban (Statement I) is its effect, so Statement II is the cause and Statement I is its effect.