Critical Reasoning – Assumptions: The statement says, "Safety and health practices in many Indian companies are well below the international standards." Determine which of the following assumptions is/are implicit in this assertion: (I) International standards of health and safety are ideal and unrealistic; (II) Indian organizations do not consider safety and health management as their prime social responsibility.

Given data

• Statement under evaluation: Safety and health practices in many Indian companies are well below international standards.
• Assumption I: International standards are ideal and unrealistic.
• Assumption II: Indian organizations do not consider safety and health management a prime social responsibility.

Concept/Approach
The implicit-assumption test asks: Which unstated belief must hold true for the statement to make sense? If the statement can remain true even when an assumption is denied, that assumption is not implicit.

Step-by-step reasoning
• The statement is a comparative claim (actual practices vs. a benchmark). It does not evaluate the benchmark as 'ideal' or 'unrealistic' (Assumption I). Even if the standards are realistic, or even if they are aspirational, the comparison could still be true. So I is not necessary.• The statement does not offer a cause for the gap. Many reasons (cost, capability, awareness, regulation) could explain 'well below'. Therefore, it does not require the sweeping causal claim that firms do not consider H&S a prime social responsibility (Assumption II).

Verification/Alternative
Deny I: Standards realistic → the statement can still hold. Deny II: Firms may consider H&S important yet still lag due to constraints → statement can still hold.

Common pitfalls

• Confusing a reason for the gap with a necessary presupposition.
• Reading value judgments about standards into a purely comparative statement.

Final Answer
Neither I nor II is implicit.