Consider the Question and two Statements given below:
- Question: What is the age of Manisha?
- Statement–1: Manisha is 24 years younger than her mother.
- Statement–2: 5 years later, the ages of Manisha and her mother will be in the ratio 3:5.
Which one of the following is correct in respect of the Question and the Statements?
Answer & explanation
Answer: (c) Both Statement–1 and Statement–2 are sufficient to answer the Question
Statement–1 gives the age gap and Statement–2 gives a future ratio; neither fixes Manisha’s age alone. Together they give (M + 5) : (M + 29) = 3 : 5, so Manisha is 31.
- Statement–1 alone gives only the age gap of 24 years. Not sufficient.
- Statement–2 alone gives a ratio but no actual ages. Not sufficient.
- Together: let Manisha be M years old, so her mother is M + 24. Then (M + 5)/(M + 29) = 3/5.
- 5M + 25 = 3M + 87, so 2M = 62 and M = 31.
- Check: in 5 years they will be 36 and 60, and 36 : 60 = 3 : 5.
Remember · Age data sufficiency: a gap alone or a ratio alone is never enough; a gap plus a ratio fixes both ages.
Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper II (2022, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). ·