A statement is followed by two assumptions I and II. Consider the statement and the following assumptions and decide which of the assumption/s is/are implicit in the given statement : Statement : If it does not rain throughout this month, most of the farmers would be in trouble this year. Assumptions : I. Timely rain is essential for farming. II. Most of the farmers are generally dependent on rains.
- (1)Neither assumption I nor assumption II is implicit.
- (2)Both of the assumptions are implicit.
- (3)Only assumption II is implicit.
- (4)Only assumption I is implicit.
Answer
Why
Correct — option (2), Both of the assumptions are implicit.
An assumption is implicit when the statement cannot make sense without it. The check: reverse the assumption and see whether the statement still stands.
The statement links two things: no rain throughout this month, and most of the farmers being in trouble this year.
Assumption I says timely rain is essential for farming. Reverse it: timely rain is not essential. Then a month without rain would not put farmers in trouble, and the statement loses its basis. So I is implicit.
Assumption II says most of the farmers are generally dependent on rains. Reverse it: most farmers do not depend on rain. Then a rainless month could not put most of the farmers in trouble. So II is implicit too.
The statement needs both, so the answer is Both of the assumptions are implicit.
The idea to remember: a prediction that most people will suffer if something fails assumes that the thing matters and that most people depend on it.
Why the others are wrong
- (1)Neither assumption I nor assumption II is implicit. — Option (1) says the statement needs neither assumption. But reversing either one breaks it.
If timely rain were not essential, a dry month would not cause trouble; if most farmers did not depend on rain, most of them would not be in trouble. Both assumptions carry the statement, so neither can be dropped.
- (3)Only assumption II is implicit. — Option (3) keeps assumption II but drops assumption I.
The statement ties trouble to rain failing "throughout this month", a particular time. That only matters if rain at the right time is essential for farming, which is exactly what assumption I says. Without it, a delay in rain would be harmless.
- (4)Only assumption I is implicit. — Option (4) keeps assumption I but drops assumption II.
The statement speaks of "most of the farmers", not some of them. For a month without rain to trouble most farmers, most farmers must depend on rain, which is assumption II. Without it, only the rain-dependent few would suffer.
Concept
An assumption is an unstated premise: something a speaker takes for granted. In reasoning, it counts as implicit only if the statement depends on it.
The negation test checks this. Reverse the assumption and read the statement again. If the statement no longer makes sense, the assumption was implicit; if it still stands, it was not.
A conditional statement ("If A, then B") takes for granted a link that makes A lead to B. Here the link has two parts: rain at that time must matter for farming, and most farmers must rely on rain.
RPSC's 2023 syllabus lists "Statement and Assumptions" under "Logical Reasoning (Deductive, Inductive, Abductive)" in Reasoning & Mental Ability.
The farming link is real in Rajasthan. The Economic Review 2022-23 says agriculture in Rajasthan is primarily rain-fed, dependent on a monsoon that is very erratic and generally short, and that farmers have to depend on both rainfall and ground water.
It adds that agricultural production in the State largely depends on timely arrival of monsoon. The normal date of arrival is 15 June; in 2022 the monsoon arrived on 10 June, and June–September rainfall was 594.20 mm against a normal of 430.80 mm.
Key facts
- An implicit assumption is an unstated premise the statement depends on; reversing it makes the statement lose its sense.
- Economic Review 2022-23: agriculture in Rajasthan is primarily rain-fed, dependent on a monsoon that is very erratic and generally short.
- Economic Review 2022-23: agricultural production in Rajasthan largely depends on timely arrival of monsoon.
- The normal date of the monsoon's arrival in Rajasthan is 15 June; in 2022 it arrived on 10 June (Economic Review 2022-23).
- Rajasthan's rainfall from 1 June to 30 September 2022 was 594.20 mm against a normal of 430.80 mm, 37.93 per cent above normal.
If reversing an assumption breaks the statement, the statement depends on it.
Study next
Common traps
- "Most of the farmers" in the statement is what brings in assumption II. If most farmers did not rely on rain, most could not be in trouble.
- An assumption need not repeat the statement's words. "Timely rain is essential" is carried by "throughout this month", a stated time.
- Do not reject an assumption for being general. Assumption II says most of the farmers are "generally dependent", which fits the statement's "most"; it would be a different case if it said "all farmers".
A question can give a conditional statement with two assumptions and four fixed choices, as this one does.
A question can also offer assumptions that overstate the statement, using words such as "all" or "never", so that reversing them leaves the statement standing.
Related PYQs
In the question given below, statement and two assumptions (I) and (II) are given. Choose the correct option from the following : Statement : In order to replenish the nutrients in the soil, it is important to grow different types of crops in every alternate season. Assumptions : (I) A crop can never be grown for the second time in the same field. (II) If a different crop is grown in the successive season, no additional nutrients such as fertilizers are required to be added to the soil at all.
- (1) Only assumption (I) is implicit.
- (2) Only assumption (II) is implicit.
- (3) Both assumptions (I) and (II) are implicit.
- (4) Neither assumption (I) nor assumption (II) is implicit.
Answer(4)
Same format on a farming statement, with the opposite verdict. On growing different crops in alternate seasons to replenish soil nutrients, RPSC's key finds neither assumption (I) nor (II) implicit, and both use absolute words ("never", "at all") that the statement does not contain; here both assumptions are what the statement needs.
Practice
- practice — not a real PYQ
A statement is followed by two assumptions I and II. Decide which of the assumption/s is/are implicit in the statement : Statement : If the metro fare is reduced, more people will travel by metro. Assumptions : I. Fare is one of the factors people consider in choosing how to travel. II. Metro trains cannot carry more passengers than they do now.
- (a)Neither assumption I nor assumption II is implicit.
- (b)Both of the assumptions are implicit.
- (c)Only assumption II is implicit.
- (d)Only assumption I is implicit.
Answer(4) — Reverse I (fare plays no part in travel choices) and a lower fare could not bring more riders, so I is implicit. II works against the statement: if metro trains could carry no more passengers, more people could not travel. Option (1) rejects I, option (2) accepts II, option (3) gets both wrong. - practice — not a real PYQ
A statement is followed by two assumptions I and II. Decide which of the assumption/s is/are implicit in the statement : Statement : Book your tickets early, as most trains to Jaipur are fully booked during the festival week. Assumptions : I. Nobody travels to Jaipur by road during the festival week. II. Train tickets can be booked in advance.
- (a)Neither assumption I nor assumption II is implicit.
- (b)Both of the assumptions are implicit.
- (c)Only assumption II is implicit.
- (d)Only assumption I is implicit.
Answer(3) — Reverse II (no advance booking) and the advice to book early makes no sense, so II is implicit. I overstates: trains can be fully booked even if some people travel by road, so the statement does not need I. Option (1) rejects II, option (2) accepts I, option (4) reverses the two.