Fundamental Research in Science for Corporate Applications (FuRSCA) is an R&D unit of a Public Sector Undertaking (PSU). FuRSCA’s employees are research scientists who assist the Public Sector Undertaking through their R&D. Given the far-reaching implications of its research, FuRSCA was established as a separate entity near the factory of the PSU.
FuRSCA has three levels of hierarchy viz.: junior, senior and chief scientists and all of them reside on the campus. Hence, every scientist, regardless of hierarchy, resides in a house that is similar in all aspects. Though the scientists are entitled to a house rent allowance (HRA), given the distance of FuRSCA from the city, housing them on the campus makes sense.
The new recruits are provided a transit accommodation in the institute’s studio apartments, until vacant houses are available. For these recruits, a queue has been created on the basis of their date of joining and not on hierarchy, with the most recent recruit going to the last in the queue. Execution of this policy is the responsibility of the FuRSCA Chief Administrative Officer (CAO), who reports to the Director of FuRSCA
Harsh Kohli resides in house no. 324. Since long, Harsh wants to move from a 3 series house to a 2 series house because his mother-in-law, a chief scientist, lives alone in house no. 225. A few years back, Harsh formally requested the CAO to allow him to move to a 2 series house whenever available. Recently, when house no. 224 becomes vacant, Harsh appeals to the CAO for that house, citing his earlier request. Currently, there are five scientists waiting in the queue and Sauf Tangud is on the top of the queue.
From the following options, choose the BEST action to be taken by the CAO without violating the existing housing policy.
From the following options, choose the BEST action to be taken by the CAO without violating the existing housing policy.
- Ask Harsh to move to the house no. 224 immediately, and allocate Harsh’s house to Sauf
- Ask Harsh to join the queue because scientists in the queue should be given priority
- Ignore Harsh’s request since it violates the housing policy
- Create a separate queue for extant residents and give them the first right to refuse
- Allot house no. 224 to Sauf, asking Harsh to negotiate a possible swap with Sauf
The Correct Option is A
Approach Solution - 1
The scenario revolves around a housing policy managed by FuRSCA, where Harsh Kohli, a current resident, wishes to move from a 3-series house to a 2-series house due to personal reasons. The primary point of contention is whether Harsh's request can be accommodated without violating housing policies, especially when there is a queue of scientists waiting for house allocations.
- Understanding the Current Situation:
- Harsh Kohli, currently residing in house no. 324 (a 3-series house), wishes to move to a house in the 2-series because his mother-in-law resides there.
- He has previously requested to be moved to a 2-series house whenever it becomes available.
- There is a queue for housing allocation based on the joining date of the scientists, with Sauf Tangud at the top of this queue.
- Policy Compliance:
- FuRSCA implements housing allocation based on a queue system according to joining date, not hierarchy.
- Allocating a house to someone not in the queue could be perceived as a policy violation unless a valid pre-existing request is honored.
- Options Considered:
- Ask Harsh to move to house no. 224 immediately, and allocate Harsh’s house to Sauf: Harsh had made a formal request for a 2-series house earlier. By allowing him to move, Sauf will receive Harsh's current house. This option satisifes both Harsh’s previous request and the queue-based allocation policy.
- Ask Harsh to join the queue because scientists in the queue should be given priority: This strictly adheres to the queue system but ignores Harsh's earlier request.
- Ignore Harsh’s request since it violates the housing policy: This may seem too rigid, especially when there is a solution that respects both policies.
- Create a separate queue for extant residents and give them the first right to refuse: This introduces complexity and deviates from the established queue system.
- Allot house no. 224 to Sauf, asking Harsh to negotiate a possible swap with Sauf: This places unnecessary burdens of negotiation on the individuals when administrative intervention could resolve it more efficienty.
- Conclusion:
- The best course of action is to ask Harsh to move to house no. 224 immediately, and allocate Harsh’s house to Sauf. This honors Harsh's prior request while ensuring that the queue policy is followed for Sauf, as Harsh's current house will be vacated and nicely fits into Sauf's position in the queue.
Approach Solution -2
The CAO has to balance Harsh’s long-standing request with the fairness of the housing policy and the rights of those already in the queue. If house no. 224 (a 2 series house) is given to Harsh directly, then Harsh’s current house (no. 324) becomes vacant. This vacant house can be immediately allocated to the first person in the queue, i.e., Sauf Tangud.
This way:
- Harsh’s request (already on record for a long time) is honored without displacing anyone unfairly.
- The queue system is not violated because Sauf and others still get allocation in turn (starting with Sauf, who gets Harsh’s old house).
- The institute also ensures optimal use of housing without creating unnecessary conflicts.
Conclusion: Allowing Harsh to shift to house 224 and giving his old house to the top of the queue is the fairest and most practical solution, hence Option (1) is correct.
Rawng Regrud joins FuRSCA recently and is placed third in the housing queue. He has been temporarily housed in a studio apartment. Given that the studio apartment is too small, he requests his sister to take care of their ailing parents while he awaits a regular house allotment. As months pass, his sister finds it difficult to accommodate her parents along with her in-laws. She requests Rawng to accommodate them with his family. Since he is third in the queue, he may not get a house allotted in the near future. He approaches the CAO with a request to be moved up the queue on humanitarian grounds.
Which of the following responses by the CAO shall be perceived as the MOST appropriate by all the stakeholders?
Which of the following responses by the CAO shall be perceived as the MOST appropriate by all the stakeholders?
- Ask Rawng to meet with the director of FuRSCA and present his case to get an exception
- Inform Rawng that nothing can be done since violation of rules will set a wrong precedence
- Ask Rawng to negotiate and arrive at a consensus with the two scientists ahead in the queue which the CAO shall implement
- Move Rawng to the top of the queue, and make a rule that scientists with ailing parents shall be given preference
- Facilitate Rawng in getting a house in the city, along with a free commutation for the first three months
The Correct Option is
Approach Solution - 1
To determine the most appropriate response by the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) for the given scenario, we need to evaluate each option in terms of practicality, fairness, and the potential impact on all stakeholders.
- Ask Rawng to meet with the director of FuRSCA and present his case to get an exception: This option shifts the responsibility to the director, which could create further bureaucratic hurdles and does not guarantee a resolution. It might also lead to similar requests from others, thereby creating administrative challenges.
- Inform Rawng that nothing can be done since violation of rules will set a wrong precedence: While this response adheres to the policy, it lacks empathy and does not address the humanitarian aspect of Rawng’s situation. This option might result in dissatisfaction among employees who face genuine issues.
- Ask Rawng to negotiate and arrive at a consensus with the two scientists ahead in the queue which the CAO shall implement: This option may lead to complications and unfair pressure on other employees. It could create conflicts and would not be standard practice in an organizational setting.
- Move Rawng to the top of the queue, and make a rule that scientists with ailing parents shall be given preference: Though this is a direct solution, it could set a precedent that might be misused by others claiming similar exceptions. Additionally, altering the queue system could create dissatisfaction among those who have been waiting longer.
- Facilitate Rawng in getting a house in the city, along with a free commutation for the first three months: This option provides a practical and temporary solution without altering the existing queue system. It addresses Rawng's immediate needs while maintaining fairness to others in the queue. Offering free commutation for a limited period helps mitigate the inconvenience of residence outside the campus.
The most appropriate response is the last option, which offers a balanced solution by facilitating alternative accommodation for Rawng along with free commutation. It respects the queue system while showing consideration for his personal circumstances.
Approach Solution -2
Option 1: Asking Rawng to meet with the director for an exception might solve his problem, but it bypasses rules and creates unnecessary dependence on personal influence. Other employees may feel the process is unfair or based on favoritism.
Option 2: Simply telling Rawng that nothing can be done is technically correct (rules must be respected), but it shows a lack of empathy and ignores the humanitarian issue. This would create dissatisfaction and lower morale.
Option 3: Asking Rawng to negotiate with others ahead of him in the queue is impractical and unfair. It places the burden on Rawng to solve an institutional problem, and could cause conflict among colleagues. Housing policies should be transparent and not left to personal bargaining.
Option 4: Moving Rawng to the top of the queue and creating a new rule for ailing parents sounds empathetic, but it sets a dangerous precedent. Many others may also demand exceptions, making the housing allocation chaotic and unfair.
Option 5: This is the most balanced and sustainable solution. By helping Rawng temporarily get a house in the city and covering his commute costs for a few months, the CAO shows empathy while also ensuring the housing queue system remains intact. It provides immediate relief to Rawng’s parents without disturbing fairness for others waiting in line.
Conclusion: Option (5) is best because it respects both the rules and humanitarian concerns. It helps Rawng in a practical way while ensuring fairness and avoiding long-term policy issues.
Of late, the CAO has received several requests from the residents of 3 series houses to move to other series houses. The CAO is aware that this is largely because of their own noisy factory nearby. Due to limited housing available on the campus, he must do something before the problem worsens. He wants to find a solution that makes the lives of 3 series residents more comfortable.
Which of the following actions can BEST help the CAO in achieving his goal?
Which of the following actions can BEST help the CAO in achieving his goal?
- Appeal to the top management to make the factory work for only five days a week
- Install expensive sound proof windows in the 3 series quarters
- Provide 3 series residents with a hardship allowance of 15% of basic salary
- Offer a higher HRA to 3 series residents, nudging them to move to the city
- Introduce a policy of accelerated promotion for junior scientists living in 3 series quarters
The Correct Option is B
Approach Solution - 1
The given scenario revolves around making the living conditions of the residents of the 3 series houses more comfortable due to the noise caused by a nearby factory. Let's evaluate each of the proposed solutions to determine which one best achieves the goal of reducing residents' discomfort:
- Appeal to the top management to make the factory work for only five days a week: This option might reduce noise temporarily during weekends, but it doesn't address the problem during weekdays when residents are likely to be at home and affected by the noise.
- Install expensive soundproof windows in the 3 series quarters: This is a direct solution to the specific problem of noise. By reducing the actual noise level inside the residences, it effectively enhances the comfort of the residents, addressing the core issue.
- Provide 3 series residents with a hardship allowance of 15% of the basic salary: While some financial compensation might help offset discomfort, it does not solve the root cause of the problem, which is noise.
- Offer a higher HRA to 3 series residents, nudging them to move to the city: This solution might encourage residents to move, but it doesn't address the immediate problem or support those who wish to stay on campus.
- Introduce a policy of accelerated promotion for junior scientists living in 3 series quarters: This does not tackle the noise issue at all. Instead, it's an incentive unrelated to environmental conditions.
Based on the analysis, the option to install expensive soundproof windows in the 3 series quarters is the best solution. It directly and effectively addresses the noise problem, improving the living conditions directly for the residents.
Approach Solution -2
The core problem is noise from the factory disturbing the residents. Monetary allowances (like hardship allowance or HRA) or indirect incentives (like promotions) do not actually solve the issue. Reducing the working days of the factory may affect productivity and is impractical.
The most sustainable and direct solution is to install sound-proof windows, which will immediately improve living conditions for the residents of 3 series houses, ensuring comfort without disturbing factory operations.
Top Questions on Reading Comprehension
- Shown below are letters ‘e’ taken from four popular logos, arranged in a sequence. Which of the options is the correct sequence?
- UCEED - 2026
- English Language Comprehension
- Reading Comprehension
- Shown below are four options, each showing consecutive frames representing the movement of a pendulum of an old-style wall clock for an animation movie. Which is the correct option?
- UCEED - 2026
- English Language Comprehension
- Reading Comprehension
- Acrucial moderating factor in how people experience comparisons is self-esteem. Individuals with high self-esteem are more likely to interpret upward comparison as informative rather than threatening. They are more resilient in the face of others’ success and more likely to believe they can reach their own goals. In contrast, people with low self-esteem are more prone to interpret comparison as judgment, reinforcing negative self-views and triggering feelings of inadequacy.
This dynamic creates a self-reinforcing loop. People with high self-esteem are less vulnerable to upward comparison, which intensifies those doubts. Those with a secure sense of self are more likely to use comparison as a learning tool. The same external stimulus—a colleague’s achievements, a friend’s popularity—can have radically different effects depending on internal stability.
Self-esteem also influences how people choose their comparison targets. Research has found that individuals often engage in “selective comparison,” seeking out those who confirm their existing beliefs about themselves. This can become a subtle form of self-sabotage. Someone who feels unworthy may subconsciously seek out targets that reinforce that sense, perpetuating a narrative of inferiority. One of the most promising antidotes to social comparison is temporal comparison—evaluating oneself not against others, but against one’s own past. This method has been shown to increase motivation and satisfaction, especially when individuals can see concrete progress. Temporal comparison activates the same reward circuits as social comparison but avoids the threat systems associated with social ranking. It also reinforces agency: individuals focus on what they can control and improve rather than what others control. In therapeutic and coaching settings, temporal comparison is used to help clients build self-efficacy and track growth over time.
Moreover, people who focus on self-improvement rather than social dominance are less likely to fall into cycles of envy or self-pity. They can still use others as inspiration, but they do so without attaching their self-worth to the outcome. This is not to say they never compare—but that they focus on learning, rather than judgment. The most skilful approach to comparison may lie in eliminating it, but in reframing it as feedback. When we interpret comparison as information rather than a verdict, we can ask, “What can I learn from this?” This shift turns comparison into a growth tool. Teachers mentor their students, not as rivals. Psychologists emphasize that the key variable here is mindset.
A fixed mindset sees comparison as a threat. If someone else is better, it means we are worse. A growth mindset sees comparison as a map. If someone else has reached a certain level, it means the path exists. This reframing is not just a cognitive trick. It changes the emotional tone of comparison, making it more likely to inspire than to wound. Reframing also requires emotional regulation—the ability to notice an initial pang of envy or shame without reacting impulsively. With practice, individuals can learn to pause, reflect, and reinterpret their emotional responses. Over time, this builds resilience and self-trust, allowing comparison to become a learning tool rather than a cage.- XAT - 2026
- Verbal and Logical Ability
- Reading Comprehension
When people who are talking don’t share the same culture, knowledge, values, and assumptions, mutual understanding can be especially difficult. Such understanding is possible through the negotiation of meaning. To negotiate meaning with someone, you have to become aware of and respect both the differences in your backgrounds and when these differences are important. You need enough diversity of cultural and personal experience to be aware that divergent world views exist and what they might be like. You also need the flexibility in world view, and a generous tolerance for mistakes, as well as a talent for finding the right metaphor to communicate the relevant parts of unshared experiences or to highlight the shared experiences while demphasizing the others. Metaphorical imagination is a crucial skill in creating rapport and in communicating the nature of unshared experience. This skill consists, in large measure, of the ability to bend your world view and adjust the way you categorize your experiences. Problems of mutual understanding are not exotic; they arise in all extended conversations where understanding is important.
When it really counts, meaning is almost never communicated according to the CONDUIT metaphor, that is, where one person transmits a fixed, clear proposition to another by means of expressions in a common language, where both parties have all the relevant common knowledge, assumptions, values, etc. When the chips are down, meaning is negotiated: you slowly figure out what you have in common, what it is safe to talk about, how you can communicate unshared experience or create a shared vision. With enough flexibility in bending your world view and with luck and charity, you may achieve some mutual understanding.
Communication theories based on the CONDUIT metaphor turn from the pathetic to the evil when they are applied indiscriminately on a large scale, say, in government surveillance or computerized files. There, what is most crucial for real understanding is almost never included, and it is assumed that the words in the file have meaning in themselves—disembodied, objective, understandable meaning. When a society lives by the CONDUITmetaphor on a large scale, misunderstanding, persecution, and much worse are the likely products.- XAT - 2026
- Verbal and Logical Ability
- Reading Comprehension
Later, I realized that reviewing the history of nuclear physics served another purpose as well: It gave the lie to the naive belief that the physicists could have come together when nuclear fission was discovered (in Nazi Germany!) and agreed to keep the discovery a secret, thereby sparing humanity such a burden. No. Given the development of nuclear physics up to 1938, development that physicists throughout the world pursued in all innocence of any intention of finding the engine of a new weapon of mass destruction—only one of them, the remarkable Hungarian physicist Leo Szilard, took that possibility seriously—the discovery of nuclear fission was inevitable. To stop it, you would have had to stop physics. If German scientists hadn’t made the discovery when they did, French, American, Russian, Italian, or Danish scientists would have done so, almost certainly within days or weeks. They were all working at the same cutting edge, trying to understand the strange results of a simple experiment bombarding uranium with neutrons. Here was no Faustian bargain, as movie directors and other naifs still find it intellectually challenging to imagine. Here was no evil machinery that the noble scientists might hide from the problems and the generals. To the contrary, there was a high insight into how the world works, an energetic reaction, older than the earth, that science had finally devised the instruments and arrangements to coart forth. “Make it seem inevitable,” Louis Pasteur used to advise his students when they prepared to write up their discoveries. But it was. To wish that it might have been ignored or suppressed is barbarous. “Knowledge,” Niels Bohr once noted, “is itself the basis for civilization.” You cannot have the one without the other; the one depends upon the other. Nor can you have only benevolent knowledge; the scientific method doesn’t filter for benevolence. Knowledge has consequences, not always intended, not always comfortable, but always welcome. The earth revolves around the sun, not the sun around the earth. “It is a profound and necessary truth,” Robert Oppenheimer would say, “that the deep things in science are not found because they are useful; they are found because it was possible to find them.”
...Bohr proposed once that the goal of science is not universal truth. Rather, he argued, the modest but relentless goal of science is “the gradual removal of prejudices.” The discovery that the earth revolves around the sun has gradually removed the prejudice that the earth is the center of the universe. The discovery of microbes is gradually removing the prejudice that disease is a punishment from God. The discovery of evolution is gradually removing the prejudice that Homo sapiens is a separate and special creation.- XAT - 2026
- Verbal and Logical Ability
- Reading Comprehension
Questions Asked in XAT exam
- An artificial swimming pool is circular and water is flowing clockwise at a speed of 3 km/hr. Two swimmers Ayub and Rana start from diametrically opposite points, Ayub in the anticlockwise direction and Rana in the clockwise direction. They first meet at a point such that Ayub has covered 60 m by that time. Their second meeting point is such that Rana has covered another 180 m after the first meeting point. If the speed of Rana in still water is 3 km/hr, find the time taken by Ayub to cover one full circle in the clockwise direction.
- XAT - 2026
- Time and Work
- Arrange the following generations from the oldest to the youngest:
1. Generation X
2. Silent Generation
3. Generation Alpha
4. Baby Boomers
5. Millennials
- XAT - 2026
- Current Affairs
- Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow.
Brijbhushan, a microfinancier, lends money at the rate of Rs.10 per square meter to small farmers at a village. He charges an annual interest rate of 10%. All the farming plots in that village are rectangular, with areas varying between a minimum of 1000 square meters and a maximum of 10,000 square meters.
This year, Brijbhushan has lent money only to five farmers: Aditya, Binod, Chhuttan, Dabloo and Govind. The perimeter of Chhuttan’s plot is 250 meters, with the length and width being at a ratio of 4:1. Aditya’s plot has an area three times the area of Govind’s plot. The area of Aditya’s plot is also the average of the areas of Govind’s plot and Dabloo’s plot. The plots belonging to Aditya, Binod and Dabloo are of the same width, but of different lengths. Moreover, the length of Binod’s plot is the sum of the lengths of Aditya’s plot and Dabloo’s plot.- XAT - 2026
- Mensuration
Light Chemicals is an industrial paint supplier with presence in three locations: Mumbai, Hyderabad and Bengaluru. The sunburst chart below shows the distribution of the number of employees of different departments of Light Chemicals. There are four departments: Finance, IT, HR and Sales. The employees are deployed in four ranks: junior, mid, senior and executive. The chart shows four levels: location, department, rank and gender (M: male, F: female). At every level, the number of employees at a location/department/rank/gender are proportional to the corresponding area of the region represented in the chart.
Due to some issues with the software, the data on junior female employees have gone missing. Notice that there are junior female employees in Mumbai HR, Sales and IT departments, Hyderabad HR department, and Bengaluru IT and Finance departments. The corresponding missing numbers are marked u, v, w, x, y and z in the diagram, respectively.
It is also known that:
a) Light Chemicals has a total of 210 junior employees.
b) Light Chemicals has a total of 146 employees in the IT department.
c) Light Chemicals has a total of 777 employees in the Hyderabad office.
d) In the Mumbai office, the number of female employees is 55.
- XAT - 2026
- Pie Charts
An investment company, Win Lose, recruit's employees to trade in the share market. For newcomers, they have a one-year probation period. During this period, the employees are given Rs. 1 lakh per month to invest the way they see fit. They are evaluated at the end of every month, using the following criteria:
1. If the total loss in any span of three consecutive months exceeds Rs. 20,000, their services are terminated at the end of that 3-month period,
2. If the total loss in any span of six consecutive months exceeds Rs. 10,000, their services are terminated at the end of that 6-month period.
Further, at the end of the 12-month probation period, if there are losses on their overall investment, their services are terminated.
Ratan, Shri, Tamal and Upanshu started working for Win Lose in January. Ratan was terminated after 4 months, Shri was terminated after 7 months, Tamal was terminated after 10 months, while Upanshu was not terminated even after 12 months. The table below, partially, lists their monthly profits (in Rs. ‘000’) over the 12-month period, where x, y and z are masked information.
Note:
• A negative profit value indicates a loss.
• The value in any cell is an integer.
Illustration: As Upanshu is continuing after March, that means his total profit during January-March (2z +2z +0) ≥
Rs.20,000. Similarly, as he is continuing after June, his total profit during January − June ≥
Rs.10,000, as well as his total profit during April-June ≥ Rs.10,000.
- XAT - 2026
- Logical and Analytical Reasoning Skills