Reasoning : Logical Reasoning & Analytical Ability

Q 17 / 325

UPSC CSE Prelims 2026

Directions: Read the following passage and answer the items that follow. Your answers should be based solely on the passage.
Passage: The Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, or the JJ Act, 2015 allows for the possibility of trying adolescents above 16 as adults if they are accused of committing a heinous offence. A heinous offence is one with a minimum punishment of seven years. Offences such as culpable homicide and causing death by negligence, which are common in drunken driving cases, are not heinous offences because they do not have a prescribed minimum punishment. The JJ Act, amended in 2021, now categorises an offence that has no minimum sentence, but has a maximum sentence of seven years or more as a serious offence which nonetheless, in the opinion of activists, does not merit the transfer of a case to the adult criminal justice system.
Which of the following statements is/are correct?
  1. If an offence has no minimum prescribed punishment, it cannot be considered heinous as per the JJ Act, 2015.
  2. As per the JJ Act, 2021, an offence for which there is a provision for a maximum sentence of seven years or more, but no minimum sentence, is to be considered a serious offence.
Select the answer using the code given below.

EXPLANATION

The correct option is C - Both 1 and 2.

[as per provisional answerkey]

Why this is correct

The passage provides specific definitions for "heinous" and "serious" offences based on the Juvenile Justice Act of 2015 and its 2021 amendment.

Statement 1 is correct: The passage explicitly states, "A heinous offence is one with a minimum punishment of seven years." It further clarifies that offences like culpable homicide are not heinous because they "do not have a prescribed minimum punishment." Therefore, if an offence lacks a minimum prescribed punishment, it fails the criteria to be classified as "heinous" under the 2015 Act.

Statement 2 is correct: The passage states that the 2021 amendment "categorises an offence that has no minimum sentence, but has a maximum sentence of seven years or more as a serious offence." This matches the statement perfectly, confirming the classification criteria for "serious offences" introduced by the amendment.

Why the other options are incorrect

  • Option (a) - 1 only: This is incorrect because it ignores the validity of Statement 2, which is also directly supported by the text regarding the 2021 amendment.
  • Option (b) - 2 only: This is incorrect because it ignores the validity of Statement 1, which accurately reflects the definition of "heinous offences" provided in the first half of the passage.
  • Option (d) - Neither 1 nor 2: This is incorrect because both statements are factual representations of the definitions and distinctions provided within the passage.

Key Concept

This question tests the ability to perform precise textual matching and logical verification of definitions based on specific statutory criteria mentioned in a passage.