XAT 2018 — VARC Question 16
Read the passage below and answer the questions that follow.
Labor and capital are the opposite poles of capitalist society. This polarity begins in each enterprise and is realized on a national and even international scale as a giant duality of classes which dominates the social structure. And yet this polarity is incorporated in a necessary identity between the two. Whatever its form, whether as money or commodities or means of production, capital is labor: it is labor that has been performed in the past, the objectified product of preceding phases of the cycle of production which becomes capital only through appropriation by the capitalist and its use in the accumulation of more capital. At the same time, as living labor which is purchased by the capitalist to set the production process into motion, labor is capital. That portion of money capital which is set aside for the payment of labor, the portion which in each cycle is converted into living labor power, is the portion of capital which stands for and corresponds to the
working population, and upon which the latter subsists. Before it is anything else, therefore, the working class is the animate part of capital, the part which will set in motion the process that
yields to the total capital its increment of surplus value. As such, the working class is first of all, raw material for exploitation. This working class lives a social and political existence of its own,
outside the direct grip of capital. It protests and submits, rebels or is integrated into bourgeois society, sees itself as a class or loses sight of its own existence, in accordance with the forces that act upon it and the moods, conjunctures, and conflicts of social and political life. But since, in its permanent existence, it is the living part of capital, its occupational structure, modes of work,
and distribution through the industries of society are determined by the ongoing processes of the accumulation of capital. It is seized, released, flung into various parts of the social machinery and expelled by others, not in accord with its own will or self-activity, but in accord with the movement of capital.
Read the following paragraph carefully and answer the question that follows:
Arti is planning for higher studies and her future goals include working as a manager of a nonprofit organization designed to provide assistance to under-represented populations. Arti researched the mission statements of various colleges and discovered that college X, a small private college with a fee of Rs. 8 lakhs per year, was dedicated to producing compassionate and curious leaders. College Y, a large institute with a fee of Rs. 9 lakh per year, promoted itself as a leading research facility. Based on her research, she decided to apply to college X rather than College Y.
Which of the following options is the most likely explanation of Arti's decision?
Answer & solution
- A
A direct relationship exists between a college's cost and the quality of the education it provides.
- B
Students apply to smaller colleges that offer more personalized attention from professors.
- C
A large research university cannot prepare students for a career as a non-profit executive.
Students apply to colleges with mission statements that align with their goals.
- E
The best colleges have the best mission statements. Hence, students select a college with the best mission statement.
Arti wants to work as manager of a nonprofit organization. College X is dedicated to producing compassionate and curious leaders, a quality which is important for those who wish to help people. College Y has a leading research facility, which may not be particularly useful for Arti as she does not want to get into the research field. Thus, it is clear that students will apply to colleges with mission statements that align with their goals.
Hence, the correct answer is option 4.