UGC NET Questions (Paper – 1)

Paksha is the locus or subject about which the conclusion of an inference is drawn. In the classic example, the hill serves as paksha where the property of being fiery is to be demonstrated. All discussion about presence or absence of hetu and sadhya centres on this subject. Hence the entity described in the stem is called paksha.

Option A:
Option A is correct because paksha literally means “the side” under consideration in argument. Nyaya texts consistently identify paksha as the place where the probandum is to be established.

Option B:
Option B, hetu, is the reason or sign used to justify the conclusion, such as the presence of smoke. It functions as a middle term, not as the subject.

Option C:
Option C, sadhya, is the property or probandum to be established in the paksha, like fire, and is conceptually different from the subject possessing it.

Option D:
Option D, vyapti, denotes the universal relation between hetu and sadhya that underlies the inference. It is a logical relation, not a subject-locus.

Paksha refers to the subject about which something is to be inferred, such as the hill in "The hill is fiery because it has smoke". It is the locus where the reason is observed and where the property to be proved is asserted. Identifying the paksha makes clear the scope of the inferential claim. Hence the subject described in the stem is called paksha.

Option A:
Option A, sapaksha, is the collection of similar instances where both hetu and sadhya are present, used to support vyapti. These are positive examples, not the particular subject under direct consideration. Therefore sapaksha is not correct.

Option B:
Option B, vipaksha, denotes dissimilar instances where the sadhya is absent and typically the hetu should also be absent. They test the universality of the vyapti but are not the main locus of inference. Thus vipaksha does not fit the stem.

Option C:
Option C is correct because paksha explicitly names the individual case about which the inference is being made. It is central to understanding who or what the conclusion is intended to apply to.

Option D:
Option D, hetu, is the reason or middle term cited to justify the sadhya, such as "having smoke". It is a property of the paksha rather than the paksha itself, so it cannot be the answer here.

Paksha in Indian logic denotes the subject or locus where the hetu, the middle term, is affirmed. It is the specific case about which the inference is being made. Knowing the paksha helps identify where the conclusion is intended to hold. Therefore the term described in the stem is paksha.

Option A:
Option A correctly names paksha as the subject of inference in which the middle term is present. It is the focus of the inferential claim that the sadhya applies there. Hence this option matches the description.

Option B:
Option B, sapaksha, refers to similar instances where both hetu and sadhya are present, used to illustrate the universal relation. These are examples, not the primary subject of inference. Thus sapaksha is not the correct answer.

Option C:
Option C, vipaksha, denotes counter-instances where the sadhya is absent and typically the hetu should also be absent. It serves to test the universality of vyapti rather than naming the subject of inference. Therefore vipaksha is not appropriate here.

Option D:
Option D, sadhya, is the property to be proved in the paksha, such as “fiery” in “the hill is fiery”. It is the predicate to be established, not the subject itself. Hence sadhya cannot be the correct answer.