In this idiom question, choose the alternative which best expresses the meaning of the proverb-like expression “too many Chiefs and not enough Indians”.

Introduction / Context:
The expression “too many Chiefs and not enough Indians” is an informal proverb-like idiom used in English to describe a situation where there are many people trying to lead or give orders but very few people actually doing the work. It often appears in workplace conversations and sometimes in exam questions. Here, you are asked to choose the option that best captures this meaning in simple terms.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The expression is “too many Chiefs and not enough Indians”.
• The task is to choose the alternative that reflects its meaning.
• The options are: a proud gathering, an inefficient situation, an anti-national meeting, a top-level meeting.

Concept / Approach:
The word “Chiefs” symbolises leaders, bosses or people who want to command. “Indians” in this old idiom symbolises ordinary workers or followers. The expression criticises an organisational imbalance where everyone wants to be a leader and no one wants to do basic work, which makes the system inefficient. Therefore, the correct choice must describe an arrangement where tasks are not completed effectively because there are too many people in charge and too few helpers.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Fix the meaning: a situation with many leaders and very few workers, leading to poor functioning. Step 2: Examine option a) “a proud gathering”. This tells us nothing about leadership or work distribution; it is too vague. Step 3: Examine option b) “an inefficient situation”. This fits well, because an imbalance between leaders and workers naturally leads to inefficiency. Step 4: Examine option c) “an anti-national meeting”. This is unrelated and seems to misuse the word “Indians” literally. Step 5: Examine option d) “a top-level meeting”. A high-level meeting might have many chiefs, but the expression is not specifically about meetings; it is about overall work distribution. Step 6: Conclude that option b) best summarises the meaning of the idiom.

Verification / Alternative check:
Imagine a company department where there are five managers but only one junior staff member to do all the work. People might say, “In that department there are too many Chiefs and not enough Indians.” Clearly they mean the department cannot function efficiently. Replacing the expression with “it is an inefficient situation” preserves this meaning. The other options, such as “proud gathering” or “top-level meeting”, do not mention inefficiency or imbalance in work roles.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
“A proud gathering” does not indicate anything about work, leadership or roles. “An anti-national meeting” is completely off-topic and misinterprets the cultural reference in the idiom. “A top-level meeting” refers only to senior people meeting, not to the lack of workers. None of these capture the central idea of organisational inefficiency caused by too many leaders and not enough doers.

Common Pitfalls:
Learners sometimes focus on the words “Chiefs” and “Indians” literally and get confused, thinking it refers to a political or national issue. Others may assume the expression simply refers to an important or prestigious gathering. Remember that proverbs and idioms often use historical or cultural images in a symbolic way. When studying such expressions, focus on the situation they describe in modern usage rather than on the literal ethnic or cultural words used historically.

Final Answer:
“Too many Chiefs and not enough Indians” refers to an inefficient situation where there are too many leaders and too few workers.