UNIVERSITY OF HYDERABAD
DEPARTMENT OF PHILOSOPHY

M.A. Entrance Examination, June, 2010
Hall Ticket No.
Time: 2 Hours Max. Marks: 100
Instructions:
The question paper consists ofthree parts: Part Part B and Part C.
Part A ofthe question paper consists of25 objective (multiple-choice) type questions of one mark each. There will be a negative marking of1/ 3 for every wrong answer. You must answer the questions in this part in the question paper itself.
PartBconsistsof15objective(multiple-choice) typequestionsofonemarkeach
based on reading and comprehension ofa passage. There will be no negative marking
for any wrong answers. You must answer the questions in this section in the question
paper itself.
Part C has two sections consisting of short and long essay type questions. A separate answer book is provided to answer questions from these two sections.

Part A
1. If 2y) then (2x 4y)

is equal to 20


is greater than 20


is less than 20


cannot be calculated because ofinsufficient information.


2. P and q are two different prime numbers. r is the least prime number greater than and s is the least prime number greater than q. Given that,

is greater than


is less than


is equal to
(D)cannot be calculated because ofinsufficient information.



3. Razvin and Zeenat together have 120 marbles. Razvin has 20 marbles more than Zeenat. How many marbles does Razvin have?

70


60


50


None ofthe above



4. Harita bought a huge circular shaped cake for her birthday and wants to share it equally among 71 friends and herself She cuts the cake along the diameter and gets 2 pieces. She cuts the cake along the other diameter and gets 4 pieces. How many such cuts she has to make so that everyone gets an equal sized piece.

72


36


18


None ofthe above


5. Consider the figure below. How many rectangles are there in the figure?
18 15 12 None ofthe above
6. A man is twenty years old plus half his present age. How old is he?
20 yrs.. 30 yrs. 40 years. None ofthe above
7. In a certain code language, the word MONDAY is written as ANMODY. word ANSWER be written in that code? How will the
ESANWR (B)ENWSAR (C)ERSAWN None ofthe above
8. Choose the correct statement from below
Bhagavad Gita is a part ofthe Ramayana. There are eighteen Puranas. There is one Veda. Mahabharata has seven chapters.


9. The expression 'Satyameva Jayate' is taken from
Mundakaponishada Bhagavad Gita Mahabharata Ramayana
10. Objects like pens and sheets ofpaper are of
no value. instrumental value. intrinsic value. emotional value.
11. Studying Philosophy is advisable because it
helps one join an administrative career. gets one an academic job. reveals universal truths and makes one wiser. makes one intellectually famous.

12. There are three gentlemen in a meeting Mr. Yellow, Mr. Green, and Mr. Brown. They are wearing yellow, green, and brown hats. Mr. Yellow says, you notice that the colour ofour hats is different from our names?" The person who is wearing green hat says, you are right". Who is wearing what colour ofhat?

Mr. Yellow -Brown; Mr. Green -Yellow; Mr. Brown -Green


Mr. Yellow -Green; Mr. Green -Brown; Mr. Brown -Yellow


AorB


None ofthe above


13. Suppose a shop hangs a board on which it is written "Why do you go elsewhere to be deceived? Step in here." What is written on the board is

vague


unintelligible


ambiguous


grammatically incorrect


Abha is Ramesh's daughter. Shivaranjani is Ramesh's sister. Shivaranjani's daughter is called Kaushalya and son is called David. Lata is Kaushalya's aunt.
Now answer questions 14
14. Abha is Lata's

aunt


nephew


uncle


none ofthe above




15. Kaushalya is Ramesh's
nephew niece uncle insufficient infonnation
16. David is Lata's
niece aunt nephew none ofthe above

Six friends went on a vacation to a hill station. They are to be accommodated in a row ofnine cottages, each to a cottage. Mohan, Tanya and Rama do not want to live in a cottage at the end ofthe row. Babu and Mohan must not have anybody adjacent to their cottages. There is only an empty cottage between Mohan and Rama. Chander is adjacent to both Jayanthi and Rama. Tanya is next to cottage at the beginning. The cottages are arranged in the following way:
1 234 5 6 789
Now answer questions 17 -19.
17. Who has empty cottages on both sides?
(A)Rama

Babu


Mohan


Tanya
18. Who is in the third

Jayanthi


Chander


Rama


Nobody


19. What is the maximum number ofconsecutive cottages that are occupied?
none
two
three
four
20. ."A man loses his innocence only once". This statement

can never be false.


can never be true.


can sometimes be true.





none ofthe above.
21. Find the odd pair amongst the following.

R. K. Narayan Malgudi Days


Arundhati Roy God ofSmall Things


Jim Corbett Man-eaters ofKumaon


Zubin Mehta Satanic Verses


22. Which ofthe following is a part ofjudicial jargon?

Benefit ofDoubt


Circumstantial Evidence


Habeas Corpus
all ofthe above
23. Which one among the following is a nastika darsana?

Jainism


Nyaya


Vedanta


Mimamsa


24. Which one among the following is included in prastanatraya?

Ramayana


Mahabharata


Mimamsasutras


Brahmasutras


25. In which ofthe following statements is the word used in the ethical sense?

Today the weather is not good.


His car is not good.


The building is not good.


My brother is not a good person.





PartB

Marks 15
The passage below is followed by questions based on its content. After reading the passage, choose the best answer to each question. Answer all questions on the basis ofwhat is stated or implied in that passage. Each question is worth one mark.
For all those campaigning for the right to die with dignity, the Law Commission's proposed recommendation to let terminally-ill patients end their lives comes as a shot in the arm. Dr. Nagraj G. Huilgol, Secretary of The Society for the Right to Die with Dignity in Mumbai feels that at long last there is a change in perception which reflects the Indian ethos. "We look at death very differently from the West. It does not scare us as much. But because of our colonial past, our laws do not reflect our ethos, as a result of which the concept of euthanasia or willed death becomes illegal," he says.
The Law Commission is also reportedly in favour decriminalizing suicide along with making euthanasia legal. Campaigners for euthanasia say it is a big step to a rational approach to end of life situations. "Euthanasia evokes some kind of a hospital with a lamb to the slaughter house situation. But that's not how it is. Euthanasia is an expression of the individual right to decide how and when he or she should die rather than allow the State to decide. It's question of the individual's right to die or live the way he or she wants to," affirms Dr. Huligol, who is also chief radiation oncologist at the Dr. Balabhai Nanavati hospital.
"Whenwetalk ofexcruciatingpainnotamenable to anytreatmentorloss ofhopetohave a reasonable life or a life dependent on innumerable support systems or a vegetative existence with no meaning to it, this is a drastic situation which can mean the end oflife," he explains. The Society in Mumbai founded by Dr. Minoo Masani has been working for a few decades to campaign extensively for the right to die with dignity. It has held meetings and conferences on the issue and a Bill was also moved in the State legislature when Sadanand Yarde was a member. It has a life membership ofRs. 1,000 and sends out regular newsletters. There are three or four help -lines to discuss the issue. The Society meets once in two years where lawyers, medical ethics experts and others are invited. Their next meeting is slated for September in Mumbai. It has over 300 members and one of the recent activities was to have an essay contest among students on euthanasia and nearly 50 took part which was promising.
One of the misconceptions about euthanasia is that it is some shady business. Dr. Huilgol dispels these myths and clarifies that it is a transparent process, not done in a hurry. It can only be carried out after two psychiatrists and two specialists not connected with the treatment endorse the mercy killing and it is they who decide that a person qualifies for euthanasia.
While not many people verbalise euthanasia, one of the campaigning points is that in India, already many people practice passive euthanasia. Dr. Huilgol says, for instance, some do not accept treatment knowing fully well that death will be accelerated. There is no guilt feeling in them or the family when this is done. "The concept of willed death is common among Jain monks, Buddhists and also Hindus who believe in reincarnation. Hindus believe that if someone dies it is just a transformation. We also have synonyms for death like going to heaven etc. which make you feel that death is not such a horrendous experience," he points out.

One of the reasons why euthanasia is also taboo is that it may be misused. Dr. Huilgol feels there is evidence coming from the Netherlands, where it is legal, and Oregon in the US, to show that there are enough checks and counterchecks in place and the whole process can be properly monitored. No major scams have been detected so far. He also feels that any law can be abused so that is not an argument not to have a law in place. There are so many with end of life situations and if euthanasia is legalized, then a lot ofpeople would benefit.
Dr. Huilgol is fighting for the right to die because ofhis strong liberal values. "The State has no business to rule my life," he avers. In places like the Netherlands, there are centres of euthanasia and people from other countries too go there. "It's not a slaughterhouse. For me, not allowing euthanasia is the State oppressing its people, which is the main issue. Euthanasia should also not be mixed with organ donation -one cannot die to donate organs," he clarifies.
Along with euthanasia, it is also important to legalise a living will. By doing this, a person can direct whether he or she, when in a situation where it is not possible to give informed consent, for instance, in a bad accident or a situation where medical care cannot alleviate the pain, can choose not to be resuscitated. Living will is legal in Canada, the Netherlands, where euthanasia was made legal in 2002, and some states ofthe US.
(Excerpted from "To die, to sleep no more", Meena Menon, published in The Hindu, February 14,2010)
1. The Society for the Right to Die with Dignity is ofthe view that

the terminally -ill patients need not be kept alive.


letting the terminally -ill patients decide whether to end their lives is incompatible with the Indian cultural norms and values.


the terminally -ill patients, as ofnow, have very little role to play in deciding whether they should be allowed to live or die.


God should decide the fate ofthe terminally ill patients.


2. The Indian Law, contrary to the present Law Commission's recommendation, interprets

euthanasia as an act against the State.


willed-death as an act against the State.


suicide as an act against the State.



3. The Law Commission's recommendation is apparently incompatible with the present legal system as

the Indian legal system is strongly influenced by the Western interpretation oflaw.


the Western norms and values are at odds with the Indian ethos.


both and


none ofthe above holds.


4. Euthanasia or willed-death may be viewed as
an expression of a terminally -ill patient's right to decide when and how would die.
s

an expression ofanyone's right to decide when and how would live.


an expression ofa terminally ill patient's right to decide when and how would live.



5. Making euthanasia legal

will necessarily lead to legally decriminalizing suicide.


may lead to legally decriminalizing suicide.


may lead to legally decriminalizing honour killing.


will never lead to any ofthe above.


6. The circumstances that may lead to consideration ofeuthanasia include

completely vegetative unconscious existence.


patient living with excruciating pain with no possible treatment available.


life dependent on innumerable medical support systems.


all ofthe above.


7. Euthanasia will not be a shady business as

psychiatrists and medical practitioners not involved with the treatment evaluate the situation.


suffering patients prefer it.


the doctors involved in the treatment ofthe patient gain nothing from the death ofthe patient.


none ofthe above.


8. That euthanasia (or willed-death) is compatible with the Indian way oflife is supported by the fact that

it is not rare that people reject medical treatment in some cases to accelerate death.


people prefer death more than they prefer pain.


family members ofthe terminally ill -patient are immuned to suffering.


all ofthe above.


9. The moral support for euthanasia also comes from the fact that
(A)religiouspractitioners ofseveralreligions sanctionthepractice ofwilled-death.

reincarnation is an accepted feature ofthe living.


both and


none ofthe above holds.


10. One argument against euthanasia is based

on the view that God does not permit any termination oflife.


on the view that a law sanctioning euthanasia may be misused.


on the view that in a civilized society no moral person wants to put an end to another's life.


all ofthe above.





S-J

11. The Society for the Right to Die with Dignity argues that

the possibility ofmisuse oflegalizing euthanasia can be addressed by enacting other laws.


trade off for the benefits accruing to people in legalizing euthanasia against misuse will be substantial.


people who may misuse the law are to be left to their own conscience.


none ofthe above.


12. In a living will

a person can instruct that be consulted about euthanasia.


a person can instruct that if cannot offer informed consent may not be resuscitated in certain kind ofmedical conditions.


a person can set out a fresh debate about euthanasia leading to suicide.


none ofthe above holds.


13. Given the goal ofthe Society for the Right to Die with Dignity one can claim that

it is not really shared by the majority since the society has only three hundred members.


it is shared by a large number ofpeople since it is supposed to be compatible with the Indian norms and values.


the information in the passage is inconclusive as to how much support the society has from the Indian people.


none ofthe above.


14. Given the fact that the Law Commission is also in favour ofdecriminalizing suicide,

it may seem that euthanasia is abetted suicide and hence not a criminal act.


it may seem that euthanasia is mercy killing and hence different from suicide but not a criminal act.


Both and


Neither nor


15. The Secretary ofthe Society for Right to Die with Dignity seems to suggest that given the Indian ethos and perception about death it is advisable to

recognize euthanasia as a moral act.


recognize euthanasia as a legal act as it is in accord with a moral world view.


recognize euthanasia as legal act.


withold our judgment about the moral aspect of euthanasia.



Parte
Section I Marks 30
Write short notes on any six of the following in 150 words each. All questions carry equal marks.
1.
Are rights and duties correlated?

2.
What is karma? Explain its importance in Indian Philosophy.

3.
What are the various methods of acquiring knowledge?

4.
Is there any conscious agency behind the creation ofthe Universe?

5.
What can human beings learn from other animals?

6.
"As a human being nothing human is alien to me." Discuss.

7.
Why should one be moral?

8.
Do you have any legitimate ground for making a difference between Appearance and Reality?

9.
What are the characteristics ofa liberal society?

10.
"Beauty lies in the eye ofthe beholder". Comment.




Section n Marks 30
Answer any two questions in 500 words each. All questions carry equal marks.
1.
"That Government is best which governs the least." Discuss.

2.
Do you agree that Free Market Economy is good for all?

3.
How can corruption be eradicated from our country?

4.
Elucidate the central philosophy ofBhagavad Gita.

5.
Outline the ethical principles with examples from Ramayana.

6.
What were the reasons for Buddha to revoh against the Vedic tradition?