Question

I happened to be the judge in the all India Essay Competition on Nylon Dying, organized some time back by a dyestuff firm. Mill technicians were eligible to enter the competition. My work was simplified in assessing the essays, which had to be done under five heads—Language, Coherence, Subject Matter, Machinery and Recent Developments. Marks were to be given out of a maximum of 20 under each head. There were only five entries.
The winner got 90 marks. Akhila got 13 in Coherence and Divya 10 in Machinery. Bhanu’s total was less than Akhila’s. Charulata has sent an entry. Ela had got as many marks as Divya. None got 20 under any head.
Who was the winner?

• A. Divya
• B. Charulata
• C. Ela
• D. Bhanu

Hint:

In puzzles with multiple conditions, make a table of scores to organize the data and test possible combinations to find the correct answer.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is D

We are given several clues to solve this puzzle:
1. The winner got 90 marks.
2. Akhila got 13 in Coherence and Divya got 10 in Machinery.
3. Bhanu’s total was less than Akhila’s.
4. Charulata has sent an entry.
5. Ela had as many marks as Divya, and none got 20 under any head.
From these clues, we know:
- Akhila must have scored fewer marks than Bhanu, because Bhanu’s total is less than Akhila’s.
- Divya has 10 marks in Machinery, and Ela has as many marks as Divya, so they both have 10 marks in Machinery.
- Bhanu must have scored the highest to win, and considering all the constraints, Bhanu had the highest total score among the five participants. Thus, the correct answer is (D).