UGC NET Questions (Paper – 1)

Statements A, B, D and F are correct, whereas C and E are false. Nyaya recognises four independent pramāṇas and treats comparison as a distinct source of knowledge based on similarity linking a word to its object. Mīmāṃsā and some Vedānta schools add arthāpatti and anupalabdhi, so D is correct. Cārvāka famously restricts itself mainly to perception and is sceptical about other pramāṇas, so E is wrong, and Nyaya extends verbal testimony beyond scripture to reliable persons generally, making C false. UGC NET questions often ask candidates to identify which items belong to Nyaya’s list.

Option A:
Option A is incomplete because it omits F, failing to mention the exam-style use of pramāṇa lists. While A, B and D correctly state Nyaya and Mīmāṃsā positions, they do not capture how this knowledge is tested. Therefore A, B and D only is not a fully satisfactory answer.

Option B:
Option B is correct as it includes A, B, D and F, the statements that align with standard presentations of Nyaya and related schools and that reflect the structure of UGC NET questions. It excludes C and E, both of which misrepresent the scope of verbal testimony and the Cārvāka position. Thus this option accurately lists the correct statements.

Option C:
Option C is wrong because it omits A, leaving out the basic statement of Nyaya’s four pramāṇas, and includes only B, D and F. Without A, the picture of Nyaya epistemology is incomplete. Hence B, D and F only cannot be the right combination.

Option D:
Option D is incorrect since it includes C, which wrongly restricts Nyaya śabda to scripture alone, and omits F’s contribution in other contexts. The presence of C introduces a clear error, making A, B, C, D and F only an unacceptable choice.

Many Buddhist epistemologists, notably Dignāga and Dharmakīrti, simplify pramāṇa theory to two basic sources: perception (pratyakṣa) and inference (anumāna). They argue that other alleged means, such as testimony or comparison, can be reduced to combinations or applications of these two. This two pramāṇa view contrasts with the fourfold Nyāya and the more expansive lists of some Mīmāṃsā schools.

Option A:
Option A aligns with Buddhist texts that elevate perception and inference as the only ultimate pramāṇas, treating other modes as derivative or reducible.

Option B:
Option B wrongly promotes testimony to independent status in this context; Buddhists typically interpret scripture through inference and do not add it as a separate source.

Option C:
Option C adds comparison as an independent pramāṇa, which is not accepted in standard Buddhist epistemology.

Option D:
Option D chooses testimony and presumption, neither of which form the canonical Buddhist pair of pramāṇas.

Statements A, B, C and E correctly describe the Nyaya distinction between pramāṇa as means of knowledge and prameya as the objects known, and give perception and inference as standard examples. D is false since the same object can be known via multiple pramāṇas. Hence the true statements are A, B, C and E only.

Option A:
Option A is correct because it includes both the conceptual distinctions and the exam-oriented statement, while excluding D, which restricts prameya in a way Nyaya does not accept.

Option B:
Option B is incomplete as it leaves out E, failing to mention common exam classification tasks.

Option C:
Option C is incorrect because it omits A, leaving out the definition of pramāṇa as a means of valid knowledge.

Option D:
Option D is wrong since it includes D (false) and omits B (true).

Statements A, B, C, E and F correctly sketch key differences between Buddhist logic and Nyaya, while D is false. Buddhist theorists typically reduce śabda to forms of inference rather than treating it as wholly independent. Apoha explains generality via exclusion of others, and the doctrine of momentariness shapes their understanding of causal series and inference. UGC NET may test these contrasts at a conceptual level. Thus A, B, C, E and F only is the correct combination.

Option A:
Option A is incomplete because it omits F, failing to mention the exam relevance of these doctrinal differences. While A, B, C and E are true, they do not acknowledge how the topic appears in UGC NET. Therefore this option is not fully suitable.

Option B:
Option B is correct since it includes the main historical and theoretical points along with their significance for the syllabus, while excluding D, which misrepresents the status of śabda. It matches the depth usually expected from candidates.

Option C:
Option C is wrong because it includes D, which incorrectly grants verbal testimony independent pramāṇa status in mainstream Buddhist logic. This conflicts with their reductionist approach. Including D makes the combination inconsistent.

Option D:
Option D is incorrect as it omits B and includes only A, C, E and F, thereby leaving out the central apoha theory of meaning. Without B, a major hallmark of Buddhist logic is missing. Hence this option cannot be accepted.