Cause–effect reasoning on education fees — parents’’ agitation against high unaided-institution fees last year versus the government’s recent decision to fix much lower fees: determine which statement is the cause and which is the effect
Verbal Reasoning
Cause and Effect
Difficulty: Easy
Choose an option
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AStatement I is the cause and statement II is its effect
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BStatement II is the cause and statement I is its effect
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CBoth the statements I and II are independent causes
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DBoth the statements I and II are effects of independent causes
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EBoth the statements I and II are effects of some common cause
Answer
Correct Answer: Statement II is the cause and statement I is its effect
Explanation
Given data
- I: Government has recently fixed fees for unaided professional courses much lower than last year.
- II: Parents launched a severe agitation last year protesting the high fees of unaided institutions.
Concept/Approach
Policy corrections often follow public pressure. The temporal order (agitation last year → decision recently) supports II → I.
Step-by-step classification1) The agitation (II) provides impetus and justification for regulatory fee caps.2) The government decision (I) is the responsive outcome ⇒ II is the cause, I is the effect.
Verification/Alternative
Had there been no agitation, a sharp fee reduction would require another stated cause; none is provided.
Common pitfalls
- Reversing cause and effect due to recency bias.
Final AnswerStatement II is the cause and statement I is its effect.