Difficulty: Easy
Correct Answer: (A) is true, but (R) is false.
Explanation:
Introduction / Context:
The question probes constitutional civics and causal reasoning. Universal adult franchise is a normative constitutional choice. The Reason appeals to a historical claim about equal participation in the freedom movement, which must be evaluated independently.
Given Data / Assumptions:
Concept / Approach:
Truth-test each statement. A is correct (universal adult franchise, subject to legal age and disqualifications). R is historically overstated: participation varied by region, class, gender, caste, and circumstance—far from literally “equal.” Then evaluate explanation linkage.
Step-by-Step Solution:
1) A is true: equal vote is a foundational principle of the Constitution.2) R is false in literal terms: activism and risks were unevenly borne; not everyone participated equally.3) Even if some broad-based participation existed, it is not the definitive constitutional rationale; equality before the law and democratic ideals underpin suffrage. Hence the correct pattern is A true, R false.
Verification / Alternative check:
Review constitutional provisions on adult suffrage and historical scholarship on the diversity and unevenness of movement participation.
Why Other Options Are Wrong:
(a)/(b) require R to be true; (d) denies A; “None” is redundant.
Common Pitfalls:
Reading “equal” normatively rather than literally; conflating inspirational rhetoric with factual equality of participation.
Final Answer:
(A) is true, but (R) is false.
Discussion & Comments