Instructions

Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow.

Comprehension:
Future Leaders is one of the most prestigious private schools in a small town, next to an industrial hub. Most of its students come from affluent families, but there are some who belong to middle-income and lower-middle-income families as well. The school charges an annual fee of ₹2 lakhs, inclusive of all charges, payable at the beginning of the academic year. Roughly 20% of the fees collected goes into paying the salaries of the teachers, another 30% for the upkeep of the school, and roughly 20% for miscellaneous expenses in running day-to-day businesses like supply, cleaning etc. The remaining goes into an exigency corpus.

This year, like the rest of the country, the town has been hit by the coronavirus pandemic. The classes have been shifted online. The local authorities have mandated that all schools have to reduce their fees by 20%. Further, parents should be given extended time to pay the fees if they are in financial distress. Six months into the academic year, only 40% of the parents have paid even the reduced annual fees.

Question 31

The board of trustees of the school is concerned about the current financial situation and has called Biswas for a meeting. The trustees have thought of the following actions, as listed below, to improve the school finances immediately:

P. Appeal to the local industrialists to donate to the school
Q. Withhold 20% of teachers' salary till the situation improves
R. Ask parents to pay up within a week or show a proof of financial distress
S. Stop online classes for a week to signal the desperate financial crunch
T. Start an extra section in every class and offer admission to whoever is willing to pay fees
Biswas is tasked to find the most feasible way of alleviating the financial crunch immediately.

Which of the following combinations of the above-listed actions, in a DECREASING order of preference, will BEST help Biswas in achieving his goal?

Video Solution

Solution

As the school is facing an immediate cash crunch, it should cut down on expenses and try to bolster the cash receivable. It should take all steps that are in their hands - asking others for money will take time and would not be entirely in their hands. So the first 2 steps should be Q and R as it would help the immediate situation. Moreover, R alone will not be effective. It needs to couple the threat with S to highlight the seriousness of the situation.

Step P would be helpful, but getting grants during financial crises is unlikely and would take a lot of time. Similarly, filling a new section to get money is unlikely to work when school is online and people are struggling. Hence, P and T should be last in priority as they are unlikely to work.

Question 32

Teachers of Future Leaders contribute to its stellar reputation. Moreover, they assistthe school in arriving at several critical decisions. Biswas resents their involvementin school matters as he has to listen to their collective voice rather than the otherway around.
Biswas feels that the current situation offers him an opportunity to get back at theteachers. He wants to discuss the possibility of reducing teachers’ salaries by 20%with the board of trustees.
Which of the following, if true, will BEST enable Biswas to present his case forreducing teachers’ salaries?

Video Solution

Solution

Option A: This is the best way for Biswas to present his case as he will have the precedence of a similar decision taken by other well-known schools.

Option B: Since teachers' reputation contributes to the reputation of the school, it is given that they get more salary compared to their peers. This will not much help Biswas in his case.

Option C: Getting an education from an institute is a two-way street. They paid fees for the school services. Presenting the case in this manner won't bear any fruit.

Option D: This case, instead of strengthening, will weaken the case of Biswas and hence is not the right choice.

Option E: The rejection of this case will have the same reason as option B.

Thus, the correct answer is A.

Instructions

Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow.

Comprehension:
Fundamental Research in Science for Corporate Applications (FuRSCA) is an R&D unit ofa Public Sector Undertaking (PSU). FuRSCA’s employees are research scientists whoassist the Public Sector Undertaking through their R&D. Given the far-reaching implicationsof 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 themreside on the campus. Hence, every scientist, regardless of hierarchy, resides in a housethat 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 thebasis of their date of joining and not on hierarchy, with the most recent recruit going to thelast in the queue. Execution of this policy is the responsibility of the FuRSCA ChiefAdministrative Officer (CAO), who reports to the Director of FuRSCA.

Question 33

Harsh Kohli resides in house no. 324. Since long, Harsh wants to move from a 3series house to a 2 series house because his mother-in-law, a chief scientist, livesalone in house no. 225. A few years back, Harsh formally requested the CAO to allowhim to move to a 2 series house whenever available. Recently, when house no. 224becomes 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 thetop of the queue.
From the following options, choose the BEST action to be taken by the CAO withoutviolating the existing housing policy.

Video Solution

Solution

Since there is no preference for the houses for the new recruits, Sauf can be allocated to Harsh's room if he is shifted to 224. In this way, there will be no conflicts for the CAO.

Thus, option D is the correct answer.

Option A is a possible solution, but that will allow more requests for the swapping to emerge by giving them precedent. Options B and C can be rejected as Harsh's formal request is also pending for quite a long time.

Question 34

Rawng Regrud joins FuRSCA recently and is placed third in the housing queue. Hehas been temporarily housed in a studio apartment. Given that the studio apartmentis too small, he requests his sister to take care of their ailing parents while he awaitsa regular house allotment. As months pass, his sister finds it difficult toaccommodate her parents along with her in-laws. She requests Rawng toaccommodate them with his family. Since he is third in the queue, he may not get ahouse allotted in the near future. He approaches the CAO with a request to be movedup the queue on humanitarian grounds.
Which of the following responses by the CAO shall be perceived as the MOSTappropriate by all the stakeholders?

Video Solution

Solution

Among all the choices, option D is the most viable option, as it not only gives Rwang the appropriate space to live with his parents but also prevents any alterations in the present queue.

In addition, there is a very high chance of queue movement in the extended time window, which will allow Rwang to avail company's residential services.

Thus, the correct option is D.

Question 35

Of late, the CAO has received several requests from the residents of 3 series housesto move to other series houses. The CAO is aware that this is largely because oftheir own noisy factory nearby. Due to limited housing available on the campus, hemust do something before the problem worsens. He wants to find a solution thatmakes the lives of 3 series residents more comfortable.
Which of the following actions can BEST help the CAO in achieving his goal?

Video Solution

Solution

Option E provides the aptest solution for the aforementioned issue by avoiding making exceptions or wasting much of the company's resources. This also targets the root of the problem instead of giving short-term solutions.

Options A, B, C, and D are not targeting the main issue; they are unnecessary, wasting the company's resources on short-term alleviations.

Thus, the correct option is E.

Instructions

Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow.

Comprehension:
Korkai is a serene village, nestled in a small island, separated from the mainland by a strait— the world forgot to name. Its inhabitants are mostly fishermen; a few are cattle-grazers too. A boat ride across the strait is the only mode of transport to the mainland. Budugu, the boatman, ferries people, cattle, and bicycles across the strait in his boat for a living. The remoteness and the lack of connection to the mainland has served him well. He has a family of five. His two daughters are away studying in a city college and dream of corporate jobs in the cities. His ailing mother and wife complete his family. Budugu sent his daughters to study in the city as there is only one school in Korkai, run by an NGO. The NGO prepares the village kids for higher studies. For those who cannot go to cities, the NGO teaches them about the virtues of the local way of life. Budugu is a member of the village Panchayat that runs the village administration. At Korkai, hardly anyone remembers the local MLA or MP. Interestingly, the local MLA visited last week, and informed the islanders of major changes planned for the region: urgent construction of a bridge connecting the island to the mainland, and real estate development. She announced that the island will become a well-known eco-tourism destination in the state. She stressed that the local livelihood, dependent on fortunes at the sea, might enjoy the certainty in minimum wages, meted out by the eco-resort owners. Nevertheless, some villagers fear that the bridge will irreversibly change their lives and livelihoods.

Question 36

Budugu fears that the proposed bridge will leave him jobless, and is determined to do something about it. He wants to gather effective support in order to get the construction of the proposed bridge delayed.
Which of the following will be the MOST feasible option for Budugu to gather effective support?

Video Solution

Solution

Option C is incorrect as it is worst thing someone can do to support a cause. Option B is incorrect as constructing bridge doesn't disturb the life of fishes, frogs etc., Options A may help but are not the most feasible options when compared to option E.

E is a better choice over D as a Panchayat as a resolution passed by the panchayat would be more credible.

Answer is option E.

Question 37

The local MLA is worried about the resistance to the project. This project, like her other successful projects in nearby villages, was supposed to garner a significant amount of funding. Moreover, it would make her the face of development in the state; perhaps, even would land her a ministerial berth. However, Budugu’s activism has cast the project in a bad light among the popular minds. The MLA wants to protect her pro-development image.
Which of the following is the BEST course of action for the MLA?

Video Solution

Solution

Among the given options, only option E protects her pro-development image by convincing people that the project will improve the socio-economic conditions of area and benefit the residents.

Answer is option E.

Question 38

As the project gets delayed, Budugu becomes a well-known social activist with a lotof followers. When Pragati, his elder daughter, finishes her education and startslooking for employment, a few known corporates refuse her a job because of herfather’s “anti-development” stand.
Which of the following options BEST communicates to the corporates that Pragatihas an identity of her own?

Video Solution

Solution

Option E doesn’t address the question. Proving that her father is misconstrued doesn’t showcase the daughter’s unique identity.
Option A - the current affairs need not necessarily be relevant in this cause.
Option B - going totally against her father - discrediting him to get a job would be unethical.
D is an illogical step.
By showcasing on social media the accolades and awards she received in her college, Pragati can communicate to the corporates that she has an identity of her own.

Answer is option C.

Instructions

Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow.

Comprehension:
Dileep Dosan sells dosas in front of an upscale hospital at a city in Punjab. He only sells two varieties of dosas: plain for ₹25 and masala for ₹40.

His dosa stall is popular amongst the hospital staff members, who mostly hail from South India and form his core clientele. They frequently visit his stall during office hours as they find his dosas to be reasonably priced. Though the hospital staff members can visit the upscale food court on the top floor of the hospital, they prefer his stall for breakfast and lunch, and even for occasional evening snacks. His daily sale volume varies between 300 and 400 dosas, in which the demand for masala dosas is around 50-60%.

Question 39

One day, Dileep, while walking through the hospital food court, sees a vacant spot.He wonders if he can shift his stall to that spot.
Which of the following information will dissuade him the MOST from shifting his stall to the food court?

Video Solution

Solution

It is mentioned that hospital staff frequently visit his stall during office hours as they find his dosas to be reasonably priced. Option E dissuades him the most because if shifted to the hospital food court, the minimum price should be Rs 200, which may discourage staff from visiting the stall.
Options A and C may bother Dileep to some extent but not more than option E.
Options B and D are incorrect as the statements support shifting the stall.

Answer is option E.

Question 40

Dileep shifts his stall to the hospital food court. He prices his plain dosa at ₹40 and masala dosa at ₹60. However, two months on, he is serving only about 150 dosas per day. The clientele is mostly the same hospital staff members, who had been his customers before he moved to the food court.
Which of the following actions will BEST help Dileep in increasing his sales?

Video Solution

Solution

Giving a discount to only hospital staff is unfair to the other customers. Therefore, options A, B and E are incorrect.
Option C is incorrect as the increasing prices of all food items discourage staff from visiting the stall, and adding shezwan dosa will not help.
Option D is the correct answer as the prices for best-sellers remain the same, and adding more varieties at higher prices will help.

Answer is option D.

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XAT 2022 Question Paper

One day, Dileep, while walking through the hospital food court, sees a vacant spot.He wonders if he can shift his stall to that spot.
Which of the following information will dissuade him the MOST from shifting his stall to the food court?

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