Pramana in Indian epistemology – UGC NET Question

Statements A, B, C, D and E correctly summarise the main pramāṇas in Indian thought, while F is false. Perception, inference, comparison and verbal testimony are widely accepted as distinct means of valid knowledge. Some schools, such as Mīmāṃsā and Vedānta, add arthāpatti (postulation) and anupalabdhi (non-cognition) as further pramāṇas. It is therefore wrong to claim that only perception is recognised everywhere; different schools endorse different sets. Thus A, B, C, D and E only is the correct combination.

Option A:
Option A is incomplete because it stops at A, B and C and does not acknowledge śabda or the later additions of arthāpatti and anupalabdhi. While perception, inference and comparison are important, verbal testimony and additional pramāṇas play significant roles in many systems. Therefore A, B and C only cannot be accepted.

Option B:
Option B is also incomplete, since it includes D but omits E, thereby leaving out the fact that some traditions recognise further pramāṇas beyond the main four. Without E, the description of pramāṇa theory across schools remains partial. Hence A, B, C and D only is not the full set of correct statements.

Option C:
Option C is incorrect because it treats F as true by including it with A, B, C and D. F claims that all schools accept only pratyakṣa, which contradicts the wide use of inference, testimony and other pramāṇas in many systems. Including F makes the combination logically inconsistent with Indian epistemology.

Option D:
Option D is correct since it assembles A, B, C, D and E, capturing both the standard pramāṇas and the additional ones recognised by some schools, while excluding F’s overgeneralisation. This option therefore matches the set of correct statements presented in the item.