UGC NET Questions (Paper – 1)

Pratijna is the opening statement of the thesis in the Nyaya five-limbed argument. It clearly announces the claim that will later be justified by the reason, example and application. By specifying both paksha and sadhya, it frames the entire inferential enterprise. Therefore the member described in the stem is called pratijna.

Option A:
Option A, upanaya, is the fourth step that applies the general rule to the paksha and comes much later in the sequence. It does not introduce what is to be proved.

Option B:
Option B is correct because pratijna provides the target proposition around which the rest of the reasoning is organised. Without a clear pratijna, listeners would not know which claim the arguer intends to establish.

Option C:
Option C, nigamana, is the concluding restatement of the thesis after it has been supported and is logically distinct from the initial proposal.

Option D:
Option D, hetu, names the reason that supports the pratijna and is presented as the second limb, not the first.