UGC NET Questions (Paper – 1)

Vyapti is the universal relation of pervasion that ensures that the presence of the hetu implies the presence of the sadhya. It is learned through observation of positive and negative cases or through reliable testimony. Without vyapti, the inferential step from sign to probandum would lack justification. Thus the connection described in the stem is called vyapti.

Option A:
Option A, hetu, is the individual sign such as smoke present in the paksha and does not itself denote the general rule that links all smoke with fire.

Option B:
Option B is correct because vyapti captures precisely the idea that the hetu is never found without the sadhya and forms the logical backbone of valid anumana. It is the bridge that allows us to move from observed instances to reliable conclusions.

Option C:
Option C, drstanta, is a concrete example used to illustrate vyapti, like a kitchen where smoke and fire co-occur, but it is distinct from the universal relation itself.

Option D:
Option D, paksha dharma, refers to a property present in the paksha and indicates a specific occurrence rather than an overarching universal connection.

Vyāpti is the logical glue of inference because it states that wherever the hetu occurs under relevant conditions, the sādhya also occurs. It is established by observing many positive and negative instances until a stable pattern is recognised. This invariable concomitance justifies moving from the presence of the hetu in a new case to the presence of the sādhya. Without vyāpti, inference would be guesswork rather than a pramāṇa.

Option A:
Option A reduces vyāpti to a single coincidence, which could be accidental and cannot ground a reliable inferential rule. Vyāpti demands a general regularity, not one case.

Option B:
Option B correctly defines vyāpti as the invariable hetu–sādhya relation across relevant cases, which is exactly what supports sound inference.

Option C:
Option C confuses vyāpti with the subject’s mental confidence; psychological certainty may arise even when there is no objective invariable relation between hetu and sādhya.

Option D:
Option D refers to merely restating the thesis, which adds no new information about the connection between hetu and sādhya and therefore cannot constitute vyāpti.