PASSAGE: Eight friends: Ajit, Byomkesh, Gargi, Jayanta, Kikira, Manik,…

Question

PASSAGE:
Eight friends: Ajit, Byomkesh, Gargi, Jayanta, Kikira, Manik, Prodosh and Tapesh are going to Delhi from Kolkata by a flight operated by Cheap Air. In the flight, sitting is arranged in 30 rows, numbered 1 to 30, each consisting of 6 seats, marked by letters A to F from left to right, respectively. Seats A to C are to the left of the aisle (the passage running from the front of the aircraft to the back), and seats D to F are to the right of the aisle. Seats A and F are by the windows and referred to as Window seats, C and D are by the aisle and are referred to as Aisle seats while B and E are referred to as Middle seats. Seats marked by consecutive letters are called consecutive seats (or seats next to each other). A seat number is a combination of the row number, followed by the letter indicating the position in the row; e.g., 1A is the left window seat in the first row, while 12E is the right middle seat in the 12th row.

Cheap Air charges Rs. 1000 extra for any seats in Rows 1, 12 and 13 as those have extra legroom. For Rows 2- 10, it charges Rs. 300 extra for Window seats and Rs. 500 extra for Aisle seats. For Rows 11 and 14 to 20, it charges Rs. 200 extra for Window seats and Rs. 400 extra for Aisle seats. All other seats are available at no extra charge.

The following are known:

1. The eight friends were seated in six different rows.
2. They occupied 3 Window seats, 4 Aisle seats and 1 Middle seat.
3. Seven of them had to pay extra amounts, totalling to Rs. 4600, for their choices of seat. One of them did not pay any additional amount for his/her choice of seat.
4. Jayanta, Ajit and Byomkesh were sitting in seats marked by the same letter, in consecutive rows in increasing order of row numbers; but all of them paid different amounts for their choices of seat. One of these amounts may be zero.
5. Gargi was sitting next to Kikira, and Manik was sitting next to Jayanta.
6. Prodosh and Tapesh were sitting in seats marked by the same letter, in consecutive rows in increasing order of row numbers; but they paid different amounts for their choices of seat. One of these amounts may be zero.

How much extra did Jayanta pay for his choice of seat?

Accepted Answer

C. Rs 500

**Setup.** Eight friends across six rows: Jayanta + Manik share one row; Ajit and Byomkesh sit alone in their rows; Gargi + Kikira share a row; Prodosh and Tapesh sit alone in two more rows. Seat mix: 3 Window + 4 Aisle + 1 Middle.
**Locking the J–A–B column.** Jayanta, Ajit, Byomkesh sit in the same letter across **consecutive** rows in increasing order, **all three paying different amounts**. Scanning every price band, the only block of three consecutive rows that gives three *distinct* prices is **rows 10–11–12** in the **aisle** column (C or D): 500, 400, 1000.
So **Jayanta = row 10 (aisle, ₹500)**, **Ajit = row 11 (aisle, ₹400)**, **Byomkesh = row 12 (aisle, ₹1000)**.
**Manik.** "Next to Jayanta" — the adjacent seat in the same row. The only way to keep the seat mix balanced (3 W / 4 A / 1 M) is to place Manik in the **other aisle** of row 10, i.e. **row 10 D (or C), ₹500**.
**Prodosh & Tapesh.** Both must be **window** seats (we've already used 4 aisles). Same letter, consecutive rows, different prices. The only pair that fits with the remaining ₹ budget is **rows 20–21**: ₹200 and ₹0. With Prodosh in the lower row, **Prodosh = row 20 window ₹200**, **Tapesh = row 21 window ₹0**.
**Gargi & Kikira.** They must contribute 1 window + 1 middle (one row, consecutive letters A–B or E–F). Total so far: 500 + 400 + 1000 + 500 + 200 + 0 = 2600. We need ₹2000 more from Gargi + Kikira, which is only possible in a legroom row (1, 12 or 13) where the window AND middle each cost ₹1000. Row 12 is taken, so **Gargi & Kikira sit in row 1 or row 13, each paying ₹1000**.
**Check.** Total = 500 + 400 + 1000 + 500 + 1000 + 1000 + 200 + 0 = **₹4600 ✓**. Seven paid extra; Tapesh paid zero. ✓
**Answer:** Jayanta pays **₹500** — he sits in row 10's aisle (rows 2–10 aisle = ₹500).

Answer

Rs 300

Answer

Rs 400

Answer

Rs. 1000