Course of Action-How to Approach (5-Marks)

What Course(s) of Action? 

1. The candidate should assume everything given in the statement to be always true and then choose the correct course of action.

2. Mostly questions will be based in Indian context, so consider the socio-economic condition of India while choosing the correct course of action. 

Situation 1

Statement The health conditions of the street vendors are deteriorating day-by-day.

Courses of Action 

I. Government should introduce an insurance scheme for them. 

II. Government should introduce a free-of-cost check up scheme for them.

Both courses of action are favorable considering the socio-economic conditions of the street vendors. They can not afford the high medical costs.

3. Here you can use your general awareness in determining whether a suggested action reduces or solves the problem or not. 

Situation 2

Statement You are District Magistrate of an area. Some villagers are demonstrating slogans in front of your office.

Courses of Action 

I. You should order the Police to fire tear gas.

I. You should try to talk to the villagers and mitigate the situation. 

I can aggravate the situation further. Course of action II can solve the problem and is most feasible solution.

4. You have to consider the established facts and prevailing notion of truth while deciding the correct course of action.

Situation 3 

Statement: Den gue has been spreading rapidly in Delhi.

Courses of Action 

I. Anti-mosquito liquids should be sprayed.

II. People should use mosquito-repellants.

Both I and II are the feasible actions as it is biologically established fact that dengue can be prevented by using safeguards against mosquitoes.

5. Think of yourself as the officer-in-charge concerned, who has to take the decision impartially.

6. If the sale and demand of any product is decreasing, then the advisable courses of action are such as to woo the new clients and customers.

Situation 4

Statement The demands of two wheelers are decreasing day-by-day. 

Courses of Action 

I. Companies should start manufacturing four wheelers.

II. Companies should reduce the market price of two wheelers. 

 
I is not advisable. II is advisable as it is an action, which can lure the customers and hence there will be an increase in the demand.

7. Impractical courses of action are not advisable. 

Situation 5 

Statement Financial inclusion process should be accelerated.

Courses of Action

 I. Government should open banks in all villages whether small or big

.
II. Government should take the help of private enterprises to accelerate the process.

I is not a feasible course of action as it is not practical and advisable. II is a practical and affordable course of action.

8. If any direction is given by the courts, then the possible courses of action are the various steps taken by the government to execute that direction.

Situation 6

Statement Court has declared Salwa Judum’ as an unethical and illegal system.

Courses of Action 

I. Government should ban ‘Salwa Judum’.

II. Government should file a case to review decision.

Here both courses of action are the outcomes of the courts decisions and the steps taken by the Government thereafter. But as both the courses of action are of opposing nature. So, either I or II is a feasible action.

9. Any negative or harsh course of action which can aggravate the situation is not the advisable course of action.

Situation 7

Statement: The parents of majority of the students of the local public school have decided to withdraw their wards from the schools to protest against the sharp fee hike

.
Courses of Action

 I. The school authority should start a dialogue with the parents and explain them the
circumstances under which the fees had to be hiked.

II. The school authority should immediately scout for new students to fill the vacancy.

II is a harsh course of action and hence is not advisable, I is advisable as this action can make the situation calm.

10. The course of action, which can reduce the problem and which can pacify the situation is advisable

.

11. Any course of action which is desirable on humanitarian grounds is the advisable course of action.

Situation 8

Statement Tribal people are agitating in front of the Parliament for the Amendment of the forest rules.

 Courses of Action 

I. Government should consider the case and assure them to look into their demands

.
II. Government should not worry about the situation.

I is advisable as it will help in pacifying the situation and smoothening the condition. Also, it is desirable on humanitarian grounds. II is not advisable.

12. Previous experiences can be applied to take actions, if some similar type of situations arise.

Situation 9

Statement India is gravely endangered by opening its market for foreign investment.

Courses of Action

I. Efforts should be made to keep a check on foreign investors

.
II. India should allow all foreign investments.

Past experiences tell that India has fallen victim to foreign investments, only when it has opened its market for foreign investment, without checks.
So I is a required course of action. II is exaggerating the problem.

13. When the government takes any action, it is necessary that people are made aware of that action.

Situation 10 

Statement Government has decided to declare Tuberculosis as a notifiable disease.

Courses of Action

 I. Efforts should be made to register all cases of Tuberculosis.

II. The message should be propagated through media so that private doctors and people become aware about the action.

Both I and II are right courses of action. Government has taken the action for the people, so it is necessary that people are made aware. Also, efforts should be made to make the action successful.

14. All feasible actions should comply with the constitutional obligations and should not violate the Fundamental Rights. 

Situation 11

Statement- Most of the children in India are not able to get education because they get employed to earn livelihood in their childhood only

.
Courses of Action

 I. Employment of children below the age of 18 years should be banned

.
II, Free and compulsory education should be provided for all children up to the age of 14

.
Both courses of action I and II are constitutional obligations. Both, in fact, are Fundamental Rights.

Statement & Assumption- How to approach (5-7 Marks)

All theories and statements are based on certain assumptions. We say something, comment on certain things on the basis of certain assumptions. Sometimes assumptions are obvious, sometimes they are not.

If I make a statement “if you are taking guidance in ABC coaching, your chance of getting through IBPS exam is high”, what assumption you can make from this statement? ABC coaching institute is providing reasonable guidance to its students. This is a valid assumption.

How to Make Assumptions?

1. Pay attention to the key words, phrases etc.

2. Try to differentiate between implication and assumption. Implication means you are deriving some conclusion from the statement and assumption is something on which statement is based, which is assumed, supposed and taken for granted.

3. Don’t assume information unless you see it in the statement.

Situation 1
Statement “Join our ‘Feel Good’ health center and see the effects on your beauty in just 10 days”. -An
advertisement of a health center.

Assumptions

I. Youngsters want to look beautiful.
II. People like to be considered beautiful.

The statement does not mention youngsters. This is an advertisement for people of all ages. So, assumption I is not implicit. The purpose of the advertisement is to lure people, hence the assumption behind the statement is that people like to be considered beautiful. So, assumption II is implicit.

 4. If any direction or instruction or order is given by a person on higher post to his/her subordinates or sub-workers or to the people working under, then it is generally assumed that the people or the subordinates will obey that instruction or direction or order. Hence, any assumption against this will not be implicit. 

Situation 2 

Statement “Complete this project on water management by tomorrow”. Senior officer to his subordinate. 

Assumptions I. The subordinate will comply with the orders of his senior. 
II. The subordinate will not complete the project by tomorrow. 
Assumption I is implicit. If the senior officer had not assumed that his subordinate would comply, he would not have asked him to do the job. Assumption II is just the opposite and hence not implicit.

5. Any policy is made by the government or the person on higher post, assuming that the policy will be beneficial for the people.

 Situation 3

Statement- Government has announced a special policy on eradication of pneumonia from India.

Assumptions I. The policy will lower down the cases of pneumonia.
II. The policy will not be implemented recently.

Assumption I is implicit. The assumption behind the policy is that it will lower and further eradicate pneumonia from India. Assumption II is not implicit as it is against the statement. If the policy is not implemented recently, it will be of little benefit to the people.

6. Instruction to do anything is given, assuming that the person, who is directed or instructed, knows how to do it.
  

Situation 4 

Statement The CEO instructed his secretary to complete the data by tomorrow. Assumptions I. The secretary cannot do the work.

II. The secretary will give the complete work.

Assumption I is not implicit as the CEO has instructed his secretary to complete the work assuming that he will finish it. He can finish the work only if he knows how to do it. Hence, only assumption II is implicit.

7. If the assumption is followed by ‘only’, ‘all’, ‘if’, ‘generally’ etc then that assumption is a false one.

Situation 5

Statement We should go for financial inclusion. Assumptions I. This is the only way to ensure economic equality.
II. This will help in strengthening the conditions of the rural people.
Clearly, assumption I is not implicit due to use of the word ‘only’. There can be other ways also to ensure economic equality. II is a right assumption.

8. If nothing is given about future, and anything is assumed, then the assumption can either be implicit or not.

Situation 6
Statement He is investing a lot in a particular share.
Assumptions I. He may incur loss in this. II. He may gain from this.
Here, either I or II is implicit as anything from these two can happen.

9. The purpose of any banner or advertisement is always to attract the people. Hence, it is assumed that these will attract people and people will read and follow these.

Situation 7

Statement “Be an expert of CSAT in two weeks” — An advertisement.

Assumptions

I. Students will pay attention to this.
II. Students Wi-Fi pay no heed to this advertisement.

Clearly I is implicit as the basic objective of the advertisement is to attract students. II is not implicit.

10. Whenever a notice is issued it is assumed that people will need it and it will have the desired effects.

Situation 8

Statement - “Do not touch stray objects. They may be bombs. Inform the metro staff immediately.” A notice by the metro police.

Assumptions
I. Stray objects may be touched by people.
II. People will inform metro staff on seeing stray objects.

The metro police must have assumed that people tend to touch stray objects, otherwise there would have been no need of issuing such notice. So, assumption I is implicit. People will inform the metro police on seeing stray objects after reading the notice. Assumption II is implicit as a notice is issued keeping in mind that it will produce the desired effects.

11. Whenever an advertisement highlights any aspect of a product or commodity then it is assumed that people expect that aspect.

Situation 9
Statement -“Be an expert in CSAT in just two weeks. And fees in too minimal”.-An advertisement of
ABC coaching institute.

Assumptions I. ABC coaching institute is a good one.

II. Students want expert teaching in low fees.
III. Students accord fees a secondary importance.

Assumption I is obvious in the advertisement. Assumption II is also obvious. This advertisement assumes that fees is of secondary importance to the students, because otherwise they would have highlighted the fees rather than quality (expert), So, assumption III is also implicit.

12. If any assumption opposes the statement, then that assumption is wrong.

Situation  10
Statement :-  If ranks are delinked from lobs, students will not study hard.

Assumptions

1. Students study hard to get good ranks.
2. Ranks are of no use in getting a job.

The statement says that if degrees are delinked from jobs, students will not study hard. This implies that jobs are a major reason for them to study. So, assumption I is implicit. Assumption Ii is just opposite of the statement. So, it is a wrong assumption.

13. If any assumption deviates from the statement, then that assumption is wrong.

Situation 11

Statement- India should go for globalization in every field to eliminate poverty.

I This is the only way to tackle poverty.

II. Poverty can be tackled by social inclusion also

Assumptions
Here assumption is not implicit due to use of word only and second deviates from the core issue and
instead of dealing with the case, it presents another option. So, II is also not implicit.

14. Increase in price or giving discount on any object is done with the purpose of attracting the people
and with the assumption that people will still buy the products in case of price-hike and more
products will be sold in case of discount. 

Situation 12
Statement- A TV retailer has offered 20% discount on all TV sets.
Assumptions I. Sale of TV sets will go up.
II. Sale of TV sets will not rise. 

Clearly, I is implicit as it is the main purpose behind offering discount. II is not implicit.

15. Advice is given by a people to another, assuming that the other people will listen to it. Warning is given, assuming that it will produce the desired effects. A punishment may follow warnings only if
there is no effect of those warnings. 

Situation 13
Statement “I will punish you, if I again see you talking in the class. This is the last warning. “—A teacher to a student. 
Assumptions
I. The teacher has the authority to punish them.
II. A punishment must always follow some warnings. 

Assumption I is obvious by the way the teacher says to the student. A punishment may follow
warnings, if there is no effect of warnings. It is clearly mentioned that this is the last warning. So,
assumption II is also assumed.

16. If any target or meeting or function is fixed by a group or board or dignitaries, then it is assumed foot that the target will be met in future and the organization will be functioning till the scheduled
time in future. 
Situation 14
Statement The next meeting of the board of directors will be held after six months. Assumptions I. The company will remain in function after six months,
II. The board of directors Wi-Fi be dissolved in future. 

Obviously, before stating the statement, the author has assumed that the Company will be functioning
after six months, otherwise he would not have fixed the date of the meeting six months later. So, 
assumption I is implicit, But there is no mention of assumption II in the statement, thus it is not
implicit.

17. Comparison of data of any 2 years or comparison of any two products on the basis of sale is based
on the assumption that the data required in statement is known.

Situation 15
Statement - India has performed better than the previous year in terms of per capita income. Assumptions
I. The per capita incomes of current as well as previous years are known
II. India will perform better in future also.

Assumption I is implicit as unless the data regarding per capita incomes of current and previous years
are known, the statement could not have been made assumption II is not implicit as nothing about
future is mentioned in the statement.

If you want to practice these question,Click Link is given below:

Statement & Assumption Practice Sets

    

Dictionary (Alphabet) tests- 4 (Today Words)

WORDS	MEANING
1.Callow	Immature
2.Candid	Honest
3.Clamorous	Noisy, Loudly
4.Docile	Submissive, Acceptance
5.Exotic	Mysterious