12 persons like 12 foods and sit in two facing-rows. Solve the reasoning puzzle from 11 Clues on foods liked and relative positions to answer 5 questions.
12 Persons 12 Foods Two-Row Seating Reasoning Puzzle
Description
Twelve members of a family are sitting on two opposite sides of a rectangular dining table for dinner. Two parallel rows of chairs containing six people each are set in such a way that there is an equal distance between adjacent persons. In row 1, Rio, Bablu, Robi, Dev, Sonia and Prasun are seated but not necessarily in the same order and all of them are facing south. In row 2, Tushar, Kiran, Mithia, Juin, Vivek and Minku are seated but not necessarily in the same order and all of them are facing north. Each of them likes different food items among, Biriyani, Yakhni, Idli, Korma, Dosa, Poha, Upma, Kebab, Doi Machh, Vada Pav, Pulao and Dhokla, but not necessarily in the same order.
Clues:
- Robi, who likes Dosa, sits third to the left of Bablu.
- Robi is not an immediate neighbor of either Sonia or Rio.
- Tushar, who likes Pulao, sits third to the right of Juin.
- Neither Tushar nor Juin sits at the extreme ends.
- Sonia, who likes Biriyani, faces the one who likes Kebab.
- Prasun, who likes Idli, faces Minku, who sits second to the left of Vivek and does not like Korma.
- Vivek is not an immediate neighbor of Juin.
- Only two people sit between Kiran and Vivek, who like Dhokla and Doi Machh respectively.
- Dev likes neither Yakhni nor Korma and sits on the immediate right of the Person who likes Dosa.
- Rio, who likes Poha, does not face Mithia.
- The one who likes Vada Pav sits second to the left of the Person who faces the one who likes Idli.
Questions
Question 1. Who sits opposite a Person who likes Pulao?
- Dev
- Bablu
- Rio
- Sonia
- Prasun
Question 2. Which of the following five does not belong to the group formed by the rest four?
- Kebab
- Yakhni
- Dhokla
- Poha
- Vada Pav
Question 3. Which food item is liked by the Person sitting two Positions left of the Person liking Korma?
- Biriyani
- Idli
- Upma
- Kebab
- Yakhni
Question 4. Which among the following is a valid combination?
- Juin-Dhokla
- Minku-Poha
- Bablu-Yakhni
- Mithia-Biriyani
- Vivek-Idli
Question 5. Who are sitting on two sides of the Person opposite to Kiran?
- Prasun-Bablu
- Rio-Prasun
- Sonia-Dev
- Dev-Bablu
- Robi-Prasun
Recommended time to solve: 30 minutes.
Hints:
- Design optimal assignment table.
- Find the key to first assignments.
- Use optimally the different types of bonds or relationships between the values mentioned in the Clues by properly sequenced execution of the Clues.
Quick Solve: 12 Persons 12 Foods Two-row Seating Reasoning Puzzle (for the experienced)
The self-explanatory optimal assignment table to be used:
Phase 1. First assignments: Extreme End Analysis and Unidirectional Horizontal Bond
Clues: 4 + 3:
- Neither Tushar nor Juin at extreme ends (Positions 7/12 excluded).
- Tushar (Pulao) sits 3rd right of Juin → Juin in 8, Tushar in 11.
First breakthrough jointly by Extreme End Analysis and Unidirectional Horizontal Bond.
Phase 2. Second stage assignments: Exploiting constraints caused by horizontal and vertical bonding relationships:
Clue 7 + 6:
- Vivek not neighbor to Juin → Vivek ≠ 7/9.
- Prasun (Idli) faces Minku and Minku sits 2nd left of Vivek → Prasun/Idli in 3 (South), Minku in 10 (North) → Confirms Vivek in 12.
Clue 8:
- 2 people between Kiran and Vivek → With Vivek in 12, Kiran in 9.
- Kiran/Dhokla in 9, Vivek/Doi Machh in 12.
Clue 11:
- Vada Pav lover sits 2nd left of Minku → in Position 8 (Juin).
Phase 3. Critical breakthrough: Bridge-Vertical Bond:
Clue 5:
- Sonia/Biriyani in 6 faces Kebab lover (other probable position 3 for Sonia occupied by Prasun) → Mithia/Kebab at 7.
Bridge Vertical Bond Sonia-Kebab eliminated other positions for the major inroad into the South facing row of seats—the Critical breakthrough.
Phase 4. Completion of assignments: Horizontal bond positional relationships:
Clue 1 + 9:
- Robi/Dosa 3rd left of Bablu → Robi in 1 or 2, Bablu in 4 or 5.
- Dev sits adjacent right of Dosa-liker → Dev in 2, Robi/Dosa in 1, Bablu in 4, Rio in 5 by default.
- Dev ≠ Yakhni/Korma → Food: Poha or Upma.
Clue 10:
- Rio/Poha in 5 → Dev/Upma in 2.
- Yakhni for Minku in 10.
- Korma for Bablu in 4 (South).
Assignments:
Answer Key:
Answer 1. Option 1: Dev.
Answer 2. Option 4: Poha.
Answer 3. Option 3: Upma.
Answer 4. Option 4: Mithia-Biriyani.
Answer 5. Option 2: Rio-Prasun.
Fully Explained Solution to the 12 Persons 12 Foods Two-Row Seating Reasoning Puzzle (SBI PO): Preparation
The Objects and Their Roles in Assignments
Primary Object as the Header in assignment table:
- Primary object: 6 Positions each in South-facing and North-facing rows (to accommodate 12 persons).
- The Position numbers of two rows form the headers—top and bottom.
Secondary objects are the properties of the Primary object Position and to be assigned to the 12 Positions:
- Person (South): Rio, Bablu, Robi, Dev, Sonia, Prasun—form a row in assignment table.
- Person (North): Tushar, Kiran, Mithia, Juin, Vivek, Minku—form a row in assignment table.
- Food liked: Biriyani, Yakhni, Idli, Korma, Dosa, Poha, Upma, Kebab, Doi Machh, Vada Pav, Pulao, Dhokla (no South/North distinction).
- Food (South) and Food (North) rows adjacent to Person (South) Person (North) each identifies a Food liked by a Person in each of 12 Positions.
Seating Arrangement Setup
There are two parallel Position rows facing each other across a rectangular table:
- Position Row 1 (South-facing): Faces South.
- Position Row 2 (North-facing): Faces North.
Position Numbering:
- Position Row 1 (South-facing, 6 seats):
- Positions are numbered 1 to 6 from left to right.
- (Visually, if you imagine sitting at the table in the South-facing row, the rightmost Person is in Position 6, and the leftmost is in Position 1.)
- Position Row 2 (North-facing, 6 seats):
- Positions are numbered 7 to 12 from left to right.
- (This ensures continuity—Position 6 (far right, South) faces Position 7 (far left, North), and so on.)
Showing the Assignments
- Person and Food rows facing South:
- Person (South) row below the Position (South) row would have the names of Persons facing South when their positions are known by assignments.
- Food (South) row below the Person (South) row would identify the Food liked by a Person sitting in a specific Position in the South facing row.
- Person and Food rows facing North:
- Person (North) row above the Position (North) row would have the names of Persons facing North when their positions are known by assignments.
- Food (North) row above Person (North) row would identify the Food liked by a Person sitting in a specific Position in the North facing row.
The assignment table at start:
Practices that make assignment analysis easier:
- When a Person or Food value is assigned to its correct Position, strike out the assigned value from the list of values shown with the assignment table at every stage.
- Likewise, when all implications of a Clue are used up for assignments, strike out the Clue from the list of Clues (reducing number of Clues makes further analysis easier).
Nature of the Positions in a Two-Row Seating Arrangement Reasoning Puzzle
All Positions except the extreme ends are relative to the extreme end Positions.
Strategy: To fix a Position, exploit the most important Clues referring to the extreme ends first. This is Extreme End Reference Technique.
A first assignment at the start anchors the six by four grid of Positions paving the way for further assignments.
Solution to the 12 Persons 12 Foods Two-Row Seating Reasoning Puzzle (SBI PO): Clue Analysis and Assignments
Stage 1: First Assignments - Extreme End Reference and Interlinked Unidirectional Horizontal Bond
Extreme end referring Clue:
Clue 4. "Neither Tushar nor Juin sits at the extreme ends.":
- Implication: Extreme end debarring of Positions 7 and 12 for both Tushar and Juin.
Interlinked Clue sharing Person values Tushar and Juin (Link search technique):
Clue 3. "Tushar, who likes Pulao, sits third to the right of Juin.":
- Implications: Unidirectional Horizontal Bond (four-Position): "Juin-Position-Position-Tushar" and Vertical Bond of "Tushar-Pulao".
Implications of Clue 4 and Clue 3 together:
- First Assignments: Juin in Position 8 and Tushar/Pulao in Position 11 (as Clue 4 debars Tushar and Juin from occupying Positions 7 and 12).
- Unidirectional with one direction (either right or left): Example: In Clue 3 the unidirectional Horizontal Bond is: "Juin-Position-Position-Tushar" (from left to right). Such a Bond is rare, valuable resource for breakthroughs. This type of Horizontal Bond can be used even for first assignments in the earliest stage of solving a reasoning puzzle.
- Usual, often occurring Bidirectional Horizontal Bond (direction both right and left): Example:
- Clue 8. "Only two people sit between Kiran and Vivek, who like Dhokla and Doi Machh respectively.":
- Horizontal Bond (left and right directions): Kiran/Vivek-Position-Position-Vivek/Kiran. Kiran may either sit on the left of Vivek, or on the right of Vivek.
- Bidirectional Horizontal Bonds are encountered more often and usually provide breakthroughs in the later stages of solving a reasoning puzzle. These will be referred as Horizontal Bond.
The stage 1 assignments:
Stage 2: Assignments - Positional Constraints from Horizontal and Vertical Bonds
Clue 7. "Vivek is not an immediate neighbor of Juin."
- Implication: "Vivek not in 7 or 9".
Clue 6. "Prasun, who likes Idli, faces Minku, who sits second to the left of Vivek and does not like Korma."
- Implications:
- Vertical Bond: "Prasun-Idli".
- Bridge Vertical Bond (two-row-joining): "Prasun-Minku". Two-row-joining relationships are valuable for a clean and efficient solution.
- Horizontal Bond (3-Position): "Minku-Position-Vivek".
- Negative assignment: "Minku/(not-Korma)".
Clue 7 and Clue 6 grouped together:
- Breakthrough assignments: "Minku" in Position 10 and "Vivek" in Position 12 (with Juin occupying Position 8, Minku cannot be in Position 8 with Vivek in Position 10).
- Additional assignments:
- "Prasun-Idli" in Position 3.
- "not Korma" in Position 10 (Clue 6).
Clue 8. "Only two people sit between Kiran and Vivek, who like Dhokla and Doi Machh respectively.":
- Implication: Horizontal Bond (4-Position): "Kiran-Position-Position-Vivek".
- Assignment: Kiran in Position 9 (Horizontal Bond: Vivek-Position-Position-Kiran not valid as Vivek is in extreme right Position).
- Additional Implication: Vertical Bonds: "Kiran-Dhokla" and "Vivek-Doi Machh".
- Assignments: "Dhokla" in Position 9 and "Doi Machh" in Position 12 (the Position of Vivek).
- Assignment by default: "Mithia" in Position 7 (as the only unassigned North Position and Person left).
Clue 11. "The one who likes Vada Pav sits second to the left of the Person who faces the one who likes Idli."
- Implication: "Vada Pav is liked by the person sitting second to Minku's left (since Minku faces Idli-liker Prasun)":
- Horizontal Bond (3-Position): "Vada Pav-Position-Minku".
- Assignment: Vada Pav in Position 8 (Position of Juin).
- Common Vertical Bond: A relationship between an object and its own property: Example:
- Clue 1. "Robi, who likes Dosa, sits third to the left of Bablu.":
- Vertical Bond: "Robi-Dosa" says Robi likes Dosa. Robi's Food property value is Dosa.
- Bridge Vertical Bond: A relationship between an object and a property of another object related to the first. Example:
- Clue 5. "Sonia, who likes Biriyani, faces the one who likes Kebab.":
- Joins South row with the North by the Bridge Vertical Bond: "Sonia-Kebab", where Kebab is the Food property value of the person facing Sonia, not Sonia herself. These uncommon Bonds are valuable for breakthroughs.
The stage 2 assignments:
Stage 3: Critical Breakthrough by Elimination of Positions - Bridge Vertical Bond of a Two-row Joining Clue
Clue 5. "Sonia, who likes Biriyani, faces the one who likes Kebab.":
- Joins South row with the North by the Bridge Vertical Bond: "Sonia-Kebab".
- Assignments: "Sonia/Biriyani" in Position 6.
- Logic: Sonia liking Biriyani could have occupied South-facing row Position 6 or 3 (with Food-liking in opposite North row not known yet), but Position 3 in South-facing row is occupied by Prasun.
- Additional assignment: "Kebab" in North-facing Position 7 (liked by Person opposite to Sonia in Position 6).
Stage 3 assignments:
Stage 4: Breakthroughs by Horizontal Bond Analysis of Clues in Groups
Clue 1. "Robi, who likes Dosa, sits third to the left of Bablu.":
- Implications:
- Unidirectional Horizontal Bond (4-Position): "Bablu-Position-Position-Robi."
- Vertical Bond: "Robi-Dosa."
- Positional constraint: Robi can occupy either Position 1 or 2.
Clue 9. "Dev likes neither Yakhni nor Korma and sits on the immediate right of the person who likes Dosa."
- Implications:
- Horizontal Bond (2-Position): "Dev-Dosa".
- Critical breakthrough assignment: Robi/Dosa in Position 1 and Dev in Position 2 (Dev cannot occupy already occupied Position 3 adjacent to Position 2 for Robi → Position 2 invalid for Robi).
- Additional assignments:
- Bablu in Position 4 (by Horizontal Bond in Clue 1).
- Rio in Position 5 by default (as the only South Position left).
- Additional Implication: Food Poha or Upma for Dev (the two left out of four, as Dev does not like Yakhni or Korma).
Clue 10. "Rio, who likes Poha, does not face Mithia."
- Assignments:
- Poha liked by Rio in Position 5.
- Upma, the only Food left for Dev (Food left by implication of Clue 9 are Poha or Upma) in Position 2.
- Yakhni for Minku in Position 10 (as she does not like Korma out of two Foods Yakhni, Korma left).
- Korma for Bablu in Position 4 by default (as the only Food yet to be liked).
Redundant Clues in part or in full:
- Clue 2. "Robi is not an immediate neighbor of either Sonia or Rio.": Superfluous but verifies assignments.
- Clue 10. "Rio, who likes Poha, does not face Mithia.": The second part (Rio-Mithia non-facing) remains unused—a validation checkpoint.
The completed assignments:
Answers to the questions
Question 1. Who sits opposite a Person who likes Pulao?
- Dev
- Bablu
- Rio
- Sonia
- Prasun
Answer 1. Option 1: Dev.
Question 2. Which of the following five does not belong to the group formed by the rest four?
- Kebab
- Yakhni
- Dhokla
- Poha
- Vada Pav
Answer 2. Option 4: Poha.
- Pattern Identification:
- Kebab, Yakhni, Dhokla, Vada Pav are all liked by North-facing people.
- Poha is the only one liked by a South-facing Person Rio.
- Conclusion: Since Poha is the outlier (South-facing), it does not belong with the other four (North-facing).
Question 3. Which food item is liked by the Person sitting two Position left of the Person liking Korma?
- Biriyani
- Idli
- Upma
- Kebab
- Yakhni
Answer 3. Option 3: Upma (Dev is the Person sitting two Position left of Bablu, the Person liking Korma and Dev likes Upma).
Question 4. Which among the following is a valid combination?
- Juin-Dhokla
- Minku-Poha
- Bablu-Yakhni
- Mithia-Biriyani
- Vivek-Idli
Answer 4. Option 4: Mithia-Biriyani.
- Only "Mithia" faces a Person who likes "Biriyani" in Option 4 "Person-Food" combination.
- For the other four options, this is not true and so the options are invalid.
- For example, in Option 1 combination "Juin-Dhokla", Juin faces Rio who likes Poha, not Dhokla.
Question 5. Who are sitting on two sides of the person opposite to Kiran?
- Prasun-Bablu
- Rio-Prasun
- Sonia-Dev
- Dev-Bablu
- Robi-Prasun
Answer 5. Option 2: Rio-Prasun (Bablu sits opposite to Kiran and Rio-Prasun are on his two sides).
Clue Analysis Roadmap - Structured Solution Approach
Stage 1: Anchoring the Grid by First Assignments - Extreme End Reference and Interlinked Horizontal Bond
Clues: 4 + 3:
- Neither Tushar nor Juin at extreme ends (Positions 7/12 excluded).
- Tushar (Pulao) sits 3rd right of Juin → Juin in 8, Tushar in 11.
- First breakthrough jointly by Extreme End Analysis and Unidirectional Horizontal Bond.
Stage 2: Assignments - Positional Constraints from Horizontal and Vertical Bonds
Clue 7 + 6:
- Vivek not neighbor to Juin → Vivek ≠ 7/9.
- Prasun (Idli) faces Minku and Minku sits 2nd left of Vivek → Prasun/Idli in 3 (South), Minku in 10 (North) → Confirms Vivek in 12.
Clue 8:
- 2 people between Kiran and Vivek → With Vivek in 12, Kiran in 9.
- Kiran/Dhokla in 9, Vivek/Doi Machh in 12.
Clue 11:
- Vada Pav lover sits 2nd left of Minku → in Position 8 (Juin).
Stage 3: Critical Breakthrough by Elimination of Positions - the Two-row Joining Clue of Bridge Horizontal Bond
Clue 5:
- Sonia/Biriyani in 6 faces Kebab lover (other probable position 3 for Sonia occupied by Prasun) → Mithia/Kebab at 7.
- Bridge Vertical Bond Sonia-Kebab eliminated other positions for the major inroad into the South facing row of seats---the Critical breakthrough.
Stage 4: Breakthroughs by Horizontal Bond Analysis of Clues in Groups
Clue 1 + 9:
- Robi/Dosa 3rd left of Bablu → Robi in 1 or 2, Bablu in 4 or 5.
- Dev sits adjacent right of Dosa-liker → Dev in 2, Robi/Dosa in 1, Bablu in 4, Rio in 5 by default.
- Dev ≠ Yakhni/Korma → Food: Poha or Upma.
Clue 10:
- Rio/Poha in 5 → Dev/Upma in 2.
- Yakhni for Minku in 10.
- Korma for Bablu in 4 (South).
Comments
Important strategies in solving two-row reasoning puzzles efficiently:
- First assignments by Extreme End Analysis and Unidirectional Horizontal Bond: In two-row reasoning puzzles, Extreme End Analysis provides the first grid-anchoring assignments along with other interlinked Clues (if needed). In this puzzle, Clues 4 and 3 anchored the grid by first assignments. The value of a unidirectional Horizontal Bond is highlighted in this first breakthrough.
- Two levels of interlinked Clue analysis and Horizontal Bond analysis in stage 2: Like other reasoning puzzles, stage 2 assignments rely heavily on Clues interlinked (by sharing values) with first assigned values at level 1. Further assignments are made by interlinking with new assigned values in level 2 Clue interlinking.
- The Bridge Vertical Bond of Two-row joining Clue 5 in action: With no further interlinked Clue available for assignments, Elimination of Positions by Clue Joining Opposite Row by Facing provides the third technique of breakthrough assignment in facing-row reasoning puzzle. This is the most important breakthrough in the puzzle.
- Importance of Horizontal Bonds: By Positional conflicts of property values, Horizontal Bonds often reveal unique value assignment possibilities. This especially applies in later stages of solution providing the critical breakthrough.
- Assignment by elimination of property values by prior implication: Analysis of Clue 9 could short-list Food values to only two—Poha or Upma. Dev's liking Upma could only be finalized indirectly by Clue 10 with Rio liking Poha, leaving Upma for Dev. This is Indirect assignment by elimination of property values.
Apply these strategies in order. This helps to crack complex two-row puzzles fastest.
Avoid analyzing redundant Clues: Like Clue 2, Clue 10s second part validates rather than deduces—optimizing time by ignoring such segments is key.
The puzzle is from an SBI PO recruitment exam for selecting quick and young minds. These reasoning puzzles are hard for inexperienced solvers.
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