In a row of 74 girls, Shweta is 27th from the left end. Palak is 7th to the right of Shweta. What is the position of Palak from the right end of the row?

Introduction / Context:
This is a typical position and rank problem involving a row of students. You know the position of one girl from the left, and the relative position of another girl to her. The task is to find the second girl’s position from the right. This type of question tests the ability to convert between positions from different ends of a row and to use simple arithmetic correctly.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• There are 74 girls standing in a straight row.
• Shweta is 27th from the left end of the row.
• Palak is 7th to the right of Shweta.
• We must find Palak’s position from the right end.

Concept / Approach:
The first step is to compute Palak’s position from the left by adding the number of positions to the right of Shweta. Once Palak’s position from the left is known, we use the standard relation between left and right positions in a row of known length. If a person is at position k from the left in a row of N people, then their position from the right is N - k + 1. Applying this formula gives the required answer.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Shweta is at position 27 from the left. Palak is 7 positions to the right of Shweta, so Palak’s position from the left is 27 + 7 = 34. The total number of girls in the row is 74. Use the relation: position from the right = total number - position from the left + 1. Substitute the values: position of Palak from the right = 74 - 34 + 1. Compute: 74 - 34 = 40, and 40 + 1 = 41. Thus, Palak is 41st from the right end of the row.

Verification / Alternative check:
As a quick check, note that a girl at position 34 from the left and position 41 from the right should satisfy 34 + 41 - 1 = 74, which is the total number of girls. Compute 34 + 41 - 1 = 74, which matches the given total exactly. This reconfirms that our conversion between left and right positions is correct and that the arithmetic was performed accurately.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Options 40, 42, 43 and 44 would produce inconsistent totals when using the relation left position + right position - 1 = total. For example, 34 + 40 - 1 = 73, not 74. Similarly, 34 + 42 - 1 = 75, and so on. Only 41 satisfies the equation and matches the logic of the problem.

Common Pitfalls:
A very common mistake is to forget to add 1 in the formula, using N - k instead of N - k + 1, which leads to an off by one error. Another pitfall is misreading “7th to the right of Shweta”, where some candidates incorrectly add or subtract 6 instead of 7. Carefully applying the formula and rechecking the final sum against the total number helps to avoid such errors.

Final Answer:
Palak’s position from the right end of the row is 41.