Question

Read the following statements:
1. People's latent anger against corruption
2. Shambhu's moral courage
3. Hungry media looking to raise issues
4. Raising income level
In your opinion, which combination of the above statements is the most unlikely reason for Shambhu's initial success?

• A. 1,2,4
• B. 3,4
• C. 1,3
• D. 1,3,4
• E. 1,2,3,4
• A. The common man had become sick and tired of Government's inaction against rising corruption.
• B. Shambhu was old and he lacked the energy to garner the same support that he enjoyed from the media and the public in the initial stages.
• C. The general public may have realized that Shambhu was focusing too much on "indirect involvement" in past incidences of corruption. Common men found it difficult to live up to the high standards set by Shambhu.
• D. Shambhu's colleagues were misleading him.
• J. Shambhu came from a village, while most of his supporters were city dwellers.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is B

Step 1: Analyze the likely reasons for success based on the caselet.
We need to determine which statements represent plausible causes for Shambhu's initial popular support.
Statement 1 (People's latent anger): The caselet states that "a fear had gripped the population that corruption would destroy the inclusive nature of the society." This confirms there was significant underlying anger and fear, which Shambhu's protest tapped into. This is a very likely reason for his success.
Statement 2 (Shambhu's moral courage): The caselet mentions that "no one was willing to stick his neck out," but Shambhu, a man of "high moral and ethical authority," did. His courage to stand up against the establishment would have inspired people. This is a very likely reason for his success.
Step 2: Analyze the unlikely reasons for success based on the caselet.
Now we must identify statements that contradict the information provided
Statement 3 (Hungry media): The caselet explicitly states, "Media and intellectuals kept quiet, as they benefited indirectly from corruption." This directly contradicts the idea that the media was "hungry" to raise issues. Their initial stance was complicity, not eagerness for a crusade. Therefore, this is an unlikely reason.
Statement 4 (Raising income level): The caselet mentions that citizens "had benefited from the corruption indirectly, if not directly" and that this was a reason why they "had kept quiet." Therefore, rising incomes were a barrier to protest, not a cause of it. This is an unlikely reason.
Step 3: Combine the unlikely reasons.
The two most unlikely reasons for Shambhu's initial success are the "hungry media" (3) and "raising income level" (4).
Therefore: The correct combination is 3,4. \[ \boxed{\text{3,4}} \]

Answer 2

Step 1: Identify the change in circumstances between the first and second protests.
The first protest was a huge success. Before the second protest, the government had broken its promises, but more importantly, Shambhu's message had evolved. The caselet states, "He used this opportunity as a platform to spread the message that only citizens with an unblemished character should be allowed to hold a public office."
Step 2: Analyze the options in light of this new information.
(A) Government inaction would be a reason for people to be more supportive of a second protest, not less. This option is illogical.
(B) Shambhu was "old" from the beginning. There is no information to suggest his energy declined. His age was part of his initial appeal and doesn't explain the change in public sentiment.
(C) This option directly connects to the change identified in Step 1. The caselet explicitly mentions that most citizens "had benefited from the corruption indirectly." When Shambhu set the standard of "unblemished character," he was implicitly criticizing many of his own supporters. They may have found his standard too high and unrealistic for themselves, leading them to withdraw support. This is a very strong and logical explanation for the decline.
(D) The caselet portrays Shambhu as a solitary figure; there is no mention of any "colleagues." This statement introduces unsupported information.
(E) His origins are not mentioned, and even if true, this fact existed during his initial success as well. It does not explain the subsequent decline in support.
Step 3: Conclude the most likely reason.
The most plausible explanation is that Shambhu's shift in focus to a standard of absolute moral purity alienated a public that was, by its own admission, indirectly complicit in the corrupt system.
Therefore: The difficulty for common men to live up to the high standards set by Shambhu is the most likely reason for the decline in support. \[ \boxed{\text{(C)}} \]