ILLUSTRATIONS 5 and 6

Directions for Questions 10 to 12: Study the following information carefully and answer the questions given below:

Four people were being interviewed for the same job. They were all interviewed on the same day, but in different rooms (Dharti, Prithvi, Akash and Agni), at different times and by different persons.

(i) Aishwarya’s appointment was just after Mr. Sharma’s, which was just after that of the person in room Prithvi.

(ii) Mr Narurkar’s appointment was at least two hours later in the day than Bhagat⁵s.

(iii) Mr Joshi’s appointment was just after the person who had an interview in room Agni, who had an appointment just after Chiranjeev.

(iv) Three of the four interviewees were: Dhanush, the one with the interview in room Dharti, and the person who had an appointment at 1 pm

(v) The four people were interviewed at 11 am, 12 noon, 1 pm and 2 pm

(vi) Joshi, Narurkar, Zaidi and Sharma were the interviewers whereas Aishwarya, Bhagat, Chiranjeev and Dhanushwere the interviewees.

10. Sharma⁵S appointment was with

(a) Aishwarya

(b) Bhagat

(c) Chiranjeev

(d) CaNtbedetermined

11. Dhanush⁵ s appointment was in the room

(a) Dharti

(b) Prithvi

(c) Akash

(d) Agni

(e) Can’t be determined

12. Zaidi’ s appointment was in the room

(a) Dharti

(b) Prithvi

(c) Akash

(d) Agni

(e) Can’t be determined

Solution

In order to solve this question the starting table should be like this.

The first clue gives us: Prithvi-Mr. Sharma-Aishwarya. This means that these three can only be at 11,12 and 1 pm or 12,1 or 2 pm.

The table evolves to:

The second clue tells us that Narurkar^,s appointment is at least 2 hours after Bhagafs appointment. This could only mean that Bhagat is at either 11 am or 12 noon and Narurkar could only be at 1 or 2 PM.

Clue (iii) gives us that the sequence Chiranjeev - Agni - Joshi. This again means that this sequence could only be at 11,12 and 1 PM or 12, 1 and 2 PM. Thus, Chiranjeev can only be at 11 or 12, Agni only at 12 or 1 and Joshi only at 1 or 2 pm. Introducing these deductions into the existing table we get:

Note: In the above table we are now sure about Zaidi^,s position at 11 am and Dhanush’s position at 2 pm. Thus we can also remove D and Z from the other possibilities. When we do that, notice that at 1 pm Aishwarya remains the only possibility left and for 12 noon Sharma remains the only possibility left. The table then becomes:

Clue (iv) tells us that: Dhanush, the person in Dharti and the 1 pm person are different people. So Dhanush is not in Dharti and Dharti is also not at 1 pm.

The table changes to:

From this point if we go back to Clue (iii) we get: Joshi would be at 2 pm (as he is just after the person who had an interview in Agni— which is fixed at 1 pm). Also, Chiranjeev must be at 12 noon as he is just before Agni. The table evolves to:

The only thing left at this stage is: Prithvi was just before Sharma. So Prithvi is at 12 noon.

The table closes to:

The answers become:

10. Sharma’s appointment was with Chiranjeev. Option (c) is correct.

11. Akash. Option (c) is correct.

12. Prithvi. Option (b) is correct.