Statement and Arguments - Base Level
Practice and master this topic with our carefully crafted questions.
Study the following instructions carefully and then answer the questions that follow.
In making decisions about important questions it is desirable that a candidate is able to distinguish between 'strong' and 'weak' arguments so far as they relate to the questions.
'Weak' arguments may not be directly related to the questions and may be of minor importance or may be related to the trivial aspect of the question.
Each question below is followed by two arguments I and II. You have to decide which of the arguments is a 'strong' argument and which is a 'weak' argument.
Give Answer
(a) Only argument I is strong
(b) Only argument II is strong
(c) Either I or II is strong
(d) Neither I nor II is strong
(e) Both I and II are strong
Statement: Should taxes on color television be further increased ?
Arguments:
(I) Yes, colour television is a luxury item and only rich people buy them.
(II) No, televisions are bought by the poor too.
Clearly, taxes on item cannot be increased or decreased on the basis of the financial position of the people who buy it. So, both arguments I and II do not hold strong.
Statement: Should there be ban on product advertising ?
Arguments:
(I) No, it is an age of advertising. Unless your advertisement is better than your other competitors. the product will not be sold.
(II) Yes, the money spent on advertising is very huge and it inflation the cost of product.
Clearly, it is the advertisement which makes the customer aware of qualities of the product and leads him to buy it. So, argument I is valid. But at the same time, advertising nowadays has become a costly affair and expenses on it add to the price of the product. So, argument II also holds strong.
Statement: Should the sex determination during pregnancy be completely banned?
Arguments:
(I) Yes, this leads to discriminate female foeticide and eventually will lead to social imbalance.
(II) No, people have the right to know about their unborn child.
This determination is done as parents mostly want to boy child. Also, people who have a right to know, they should only know about the health, development and general well being of the child before its birth. Hence, argument I holds.
Statement: Should income tax be abolished in India ?
Arguments:
(I) Yes, it is an unnecessary burden on the wage earners.
(II) No, it is a good source of revenue.
Income - tax is levied so that every citizen can contribute a share of his earning towards the infrastructural development of the nation. So, argument I seems to be vague. However, Income - tax is no doubt a good source of revenue for the government. Hence argument II holds strong.
Statement: Should all refugees, who make unauthorized entry into a country, be forced to go back to their homeland ?
Arguments:
(I) Yes, they make their colonies and occupy a lot of land ?
(II) No, they leave their homes because of hunger or some terror and on human grounds, should not be forced to go back.
Clearly, refugees are people forced out of their homeland by some misery and need shelter desperately. So, argument II holds. Argument I against the statement is vague.
Statement: Should cottage industries be encouraged in rural areas ?
Arguments:
(I) Yes, rural people are creative.
(II) Yes, this would help to solve the problem of unemployment to some extent.
Clearly, Cottage industries need to be promoted to create more job opportunities for rural people in the villages themselves. The reason that rural people are creative in vague. So, only argument II holds.
Statement: Should India make efforts to harness solar energy to fulfil its energy requirements?
Arguments:
(I) Yes, most of the energy sources used at present is exhaustible.
(II) No, harnessing solar energy requires a lot of capital, which India lacks in.
Clearly, harnessing solar energy will be helpful as it is an inexhaustible resource unlike other resources. So, argument I holds. But argument II is vague as solar energy is the cheapest form of energy.
Statement: Should all the legislators be forced to resign from their profession ?
Arguments:
(I) Yes, they will be able to devote more time for the country.
(II) No, nobody will contest election.
The legislator should surely not be engagend in any other profession because only then will they be able to work with devotion. So, argument I holds. Also, if such a law is enforced, only those people will contest elections who are really prepared to work for the country. So, argument II is vague.
Statement: Should there be students' union in college/university ?
Arguments:
(I) No, this will create a political atmosphere in the campus.
(II) Yes, it is very necessary. Students are future political leaders.
The students' union formation shall be a step towards giving to students basic education in the filed of politics. however it shall create the same political atmosphere in the campus. Thus both the argument hold strong.
Statement: Should person convicted of criminal offences in the past be allowed to contest elections in India ?
Arguments:
(I) No, such persons cannot serve the cause of the people and country.
(II) Yes, it is democracy - let people decide whom to vote.