Statement and Argument Questions

• Statement–Argument — Do thin clothes suit people who are overweight? Arguments: I) Yes; thin clothes cling and make one look less fat. II) No; in thin clothes bulges become more prominent. Determine the strong argument(s).
• Statement–Argument — Is investing in insurance policies a wise step? Arguments: I) Yes; insurance ensures security and covers risks. II) No; by maturity the value of money falls considerably. Identify the strong argument(s).
• Statement–Argument — Should parents play with their children? Arguments: I) Yes; it builds healthy and much-needed companionship between children and parents. II) No; children then treat parents like equals and distance is lost. Choose the strong argument(s).
• Statement–Argument — Should cottage industries be encouraged in rural areas? Arguments: I) Yes; rural people are creative. II) Yes; it helps to solve unemployment to some extent. Identify the strong argument(s).
• Statement–Argument — Do commoners who marry distinguished persons have a happy life? Arguments: I) Yes; they receive much honour and respect. II) No; their spouse and in-laws do not respect them and treat them with contempt. Select the strong argument(s).
• Statement–Argument — Do children adopted from poor families love their new rich parents like their own? Arguments: I) Yes; they are loved, cared for, and provided with comforts. II) No; in the criminal world, they become selfish and hard-boiled. Choose the strong argument(s).
• Statement–Argument — Should competitive job selection be through objective tests only? Arguments: I) Yes; objective-test assessment is reliable. II) No; the number of questions is always very large. Identify the strong argument(s).
• Statement–Argument — Is it necessary that education should be job-oriented? Arguments: I) Yes; education aims to prepare people for earning. II) Yes; after education, a person should stand on their own feet. III) No; education should be for knowledge only. IV) No; one may take up agriculture where education is not necessary. Select the strong set.
• Statement–Argument — Should all school teachers be debarred from giving private tuitions? Arguments: I) No; needy students would be deprived of these teachers’ expertise. II) Yes; this is an injustice to unemployed educated people who could earn via tuitions. III) Yes; only then will the quality of teaching in schools improve. IV) Yes; teachers’ salaries are now reasonable. Choose the strong set.
• Statement–Argument — Should people over-qualified beyond job requirements be debarred from seeking those jobs? Arguments: I) No; it would aggravate educated unemployment. II) Yes; it creates complexes among employees and harms work. III) No; it goes against basic individual rights. IV) Yes; it will increase productivity. Identify the strong set.
• Statement: Should there be reservation of jobs in private-sector organisations in India, similar to reservations in public-sector undertakings? Arguments: I. Yes. It would expand opportunities for historically weaker sections, supporting social mobility and narrowing the gap between affluent groups and the downtrodden. II. No. Private firms do not receive government assistance and therefore should not be bound by such policies. III. No. Nowhere else in the world is such a practice followed. IV. No. Private-sector managements would not agree to such compulsions. Select the option that best identifies the strong argument(s).
• Statement: Should there be Board examinations for children in Class IV? Arguments: I. Yes. It motivates children to study harder and achieve higher marks, allowing more knowledge acquisition at a younger age. II. No. It will force children to study mechanically and reduce enjoyment of learning. III. Yes. In a competitive world, children should be prepared from the beginning to face rigorous examinations. IV. No. It will create undue pressure on tender-aged children and reduce their play time. Select the option that best identifies the strong argument(s).
• Statement: Should the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) be brought under the direct control of the Cabinet Secretariat? Arguments: I. Yes. This would reduce partiality and make the CBI more meaningful and purposeful. II. No. It would empower the prime minister to harass coalition leaders who do not support him on issues. Select the option that best identifies the strong argument(s).
• Statement: Should the law ministry institute a corrective mechanism to hold judges with “deviant behavior” more accountable? Arguments: I. Yes. A formal mechanism would check sagging standards and strengthen judicial accountability. II. No. Such a mechanism cannot succeed unless the executive collaborates with the judiciary. Select the option that best identifies the strong argument(s).
• Statement: Should India adopt open-ballot voting for elections to the Upper House? Arguments: I. Yes. It would reduce cross-voting and curb the influence of money power. II. No. It would increase cases related to anti-defection. Select the option that best identifies the strong argument(s).
• Statement: Should the surcharge imposed on companies in India be waived? Arguments: I. Yes. The surcharge in India is higher than in countries such as the USA and Japan. II. Yes. The amount earned through the surcharge is very small. Select the option that best identifies the strong argument(s).
• Statement: Should religious leave for Central Government employees be reduced? Arguments: I. Yes. Religious leave constitutes a large share of total leave (claimed over 150 days), aggravating chronic backlogs of pending work. II. No. India is a secular country. Select the option that best identifies the strong argument(s).
• Statement: Should trial courts be allowed to record the evidence of witnesses living abroad via video conferencing? Arguments: I. Yes. It reduces unnecessary travel burden and logistical delays for witnesses. II. No. We should not change systems established by our forefathers. Select the option that best identifies the strong argument(s).
• Statement: Should non-operational airports in India be closed? Arguments: I. Yes. Significant funds are wasted on maintaining idle infrastructure. II. No. The staff engaged in maintenance would lose their work. Select the option that best identifies the strong argument(s).
• Statement: Should India emphasise building sports infrastructure? Arguments: I. No. Investing is futile because our sportspersons often disappoint and fail to perform internationally. II. Yes. For a country of over one billion people, international performance is dismal; we urgently need to foster a sports culture. Select the option that best identifies the strong argument(s).