Question

Difficulty: HardStatement and Arguments

Consider the following policy proposal and argument:

Policy Proposal: "Should state governments mandate mandatory digital literacy certification for all newly appointed civil service officers within six months of joining service?"
Argument: "No; because several sub-divisional offices in remote areas currently lack reliable broadband connectivity and IT training infrastructure, making uniform six-month compliance operationally unfeasible for all appointees."

Assertion: The argument presented above is logically WEAK because it focuses on existing operational limitations rather than addressing the policy's long-term administrative benefits.

Answer: Answer

Answer

The statement is False. The argument is logically strong because it highlights a real, practical, and directly relevant operational constraint regarding policy implementation.
The given assertion is false because an argument highlighting practical, infrastructural, and operational impediments to a proposed statutory deadline is logically strong. A strong argument must be realistic, directly connected to the policy statement, and non-trivial.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the core proposal and the argument's point of contention.
The proposal suggests a strict 6-month mandate for digital certification. The argument opposes this specific timeline by citing rural connectivity and infrastructure deficits.
Evaluating an argument requires checking whether its objection directly targets the feasibility, timeline, or impact of the main statement.
2
Evaluate the strength criteria of the argument.
The argument is specific, non-trivial, directly relevant to administrative execution, and based on realistic socio-technical constraints.
In competitive aptitude examinations, arguments grounded in practical administrative constraints and realistic ground realities are categorized as strong arguments.
3
Assess the truth value of the given assertion.
The assertion claims the argument is weak for prioritizing ground constraints over theoretical benefits. This claim is incorrect.
Dismissing operational constraints as 'weak reasoning' is a misconception; valid arguments must balance normative goals with practical feasibility.

Key Concept

Evaluation of Strong and Weak Arguments in Public Policy Scenarios
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