Read the following passage and answer the item that follows. Your answer to this item should be based on the passage only.
Today, if we consider cities such as New York, London and Paris as some of the most iconic cities in the world, it is because plans carrying a heavy systems approach were imposed on their precincts. The backbone of the systems theory is the process of translating social, spatial and cultural desirables into mathematical models using computing, statistics, optimization and an algorithmic way of formulating and solving problems. The early universities of the West which began to train professionals in planning, spawned some of the most ingenious planners, who were experts in these domains. This was because these very subjects were absorbed into the planning curriculum that had its roots in the social sciences, geography and architecture. Planning in India, and its education differ from the West.
Based on the above passage, the following assumptions have been made:
1. India needs a new generation of urban professionals with knowledge relevant to modern urban practice.
2. Indian universities at present have no capacity or potential to impart training in systems approach.
Which of the assumptions given above is/are correct?
A.1 only✓ Correct
B.2 only
C.Both 1 and 2
D.Neither 1 nor 2
Explanation
Assumption 1 is valid because the passage implies that India's planning education differs from (and is implicitly less effective than) the systems-based Western approach, suggesting India needs a new generation of urban professionals with modern, systems-oriented knowledge. Assumption 2 is too extreme — the passage merely states that planning in India differs from the West; it nowhere claims Indian universities have 'no capacity or potential' to impart systems-approach training. Hence only assumption 1 is correct.
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