Previous Year Question
Given below are two statements, one is labelled as Assertion (A) and the other as Reason (R).
Assertion (A): The concept of National Integration involves political, economic, social, cultural and psychological dimensions and inter-relation between them.
Reason (R): The National Integration Council was constituted in 1961 on the principle of ‘Unity in Diversity’.
Select the correct answer from the code given below:
Both (A) and (R) are true, but (R) is not the correct explanation of (A)
(A) is false, but (R) is true
(A) is true, but (R) is false
Both (A) and (R) are true and (R) is the correct explanation of (A)
Correct Answer: A
Detailed Solution
Assertion (A) is correct. National Integration is not confined merely to political or territorial unity. It includes political, economic, social and cultural integration among different sections and regions of society, together with the psychological dimension of a shared national identity and sense of belonging. National integration is associated with reducing socio-cultural and economic differences and strengthening national unity and solidarity.
The political dimension refers to a common constitutional and political framework; the economic dimension relates to reducing regional and social inequalities; the socio-cultural dimension concerns cooperation and acceptance among diverse communities; while the psychological dimension reflects a shared feeling of belonging to one nation.
Reason (R) is also treated as correct. A National Integration Conference was convened in 1961, where it was decided to establish the National Integration Council to review matters relating to national integration. The Council was subsequently constituted and held its first meeting in 1962.
The declared values of the Council included common citizenship, unity in diversity, freedom of religions, secularism, equality, social-economic-political justice and fraternity as foundations of national life. Thus, the principle of ‘Unity in Diversity’ is clearly reflected in its institutional approach to national integration.
However, Reason (R) does not correctly explain Assertion (A). The Reason states a historical-institutional fact concerning the establishment of the National Integration Council. It does not explain why the concept of national integration necessarily contains political, economic, social, cultural and psychological dimensions.
Thus, both statements are independently correct, but they do not have the required cause-and-explanation relationship.