Cause & Effect — Identify the Relationship: I. The government imposed a stock limit on traders’ storage of pulses. II. Prices of pulses went out of reach for the common person. Which option best captures the causal link between I and II?
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AIf I is the immediate cause and II is its effect.
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BIf II is the immediate cause and I is its effect.
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CIf I is the effect but II is not its direct/immediate cause.
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DIf II is the effect but I is not its direct/immediate cause.
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EIf I and II are unrelated facts.
Answer
Correct Answer: If II is the immediate cause and I is its effect.
Explanation
Introduction / Context:We compare a price surge with a regulatory response that caps inventory. The task is to determine which triggered which.
Given Data / Assumptions:
- II: Pulses became unaffordable (price spike).
- I: Government imposed stock limits (anti-hoarding measure).
- Assume typical policy sequencing: rising prices → intervention.
Concept / Approach:Stock limits are responses intended to increase market availability and cool prices. Thus the surge (II) causes the policy (I).
Step-by-Step Solution:
1) Identify market symptom (II).2) Map to standard remedy (I).3) Therefore, II→I.Verification / Alternative check:Imposing stock limits cannot be the cause of earlier price spikes described in II; chronology and logic favour II→I.
Why Other Options Are Wrong:They invert timing or deny policy–market linkage.
Common Pitfalls:Confusing preventive regulation with reactive measures.
Final Answer:Option B: II is the immediate cause and I is its effect.