Seven books P, Q, R, S, T, U and V are placed side by side. R, Q and T have blue covers and other books have red covers. Only S and U are new books and the rest are old. P, R and S are law reports; the rest are Gazetteers. Books of old Gazetteers with blue covers are
Answer & explanation
Answer: (c) Q and T
Write the three sets — blue covers (Q, R, T), old books (all but S and U) and Gazetteers (all but P, R and S) — and take what is common. Only Q and T are in all three.
- Blue covers: Q, R, T.
- Old books: all except S and U → P, Q, R, T, V.
- Gazetteers: all except the law reports P, R, S → Q, T, U, V.
- Common to all three: Q and T (R is a law report; U is new and red).
Remember · For multi-attribute questions, list each set and intersect; one mismatch eliminates an option.
Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper II (2021, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). ·