A school counsellor notes the following about four Class XII students…

A school counsellor notes the following about four Class XII students.
Which student mainly shows social competence as described in the Indian view of intelligence?

Student	Behaviour noted by the counsellor
Asha	Calms herself when upset, admits her mistakes honestly and judges her own conduct every week
Bilal	Works hard for months on a science project and stays patient and persistent till it is done
Charu	Follows the rules of her community, looks after elders and younger children, and listens to others' points of view
Dev	Quickly understands the context of a problem, tells similar ideas apart and solves the problem

Answer & explanation

Correct answer: option 3

The correct answer is Option (3) → Charu

Option (1) Asha — Incorrect. Calming oneself, honesty and judging one's own conduct are self-regulation, honesty and self-evaluation. These belong to emotional competence.

Option (2) Bilal — Incorrect. Hard work, patience and persistence towards a goal belong to entrepreneurial competence. Bilal's strength is his drive.

Option (3) Charu — Correct. Social competence means respect for social order, commitment to elders, the young and the needy, and recognising others' perspectives. Charu follows community rules, cares for elders and children and listens to others, so she shows this facet.

Option (4) Dev — Incorrect. Understanding context, discrimination and problem solving form cognitive capacity. This is the thinking side of intelligence.

NCERT (2026-27): “Intelligence in the Indian Tradition …
The Sanskrit word ‘buddhi’ which is often used to represent intelligence is far more pervasive in scope than the western concept of intelligence. Buddhi, according to J.P. Das, includes such skills as mental effort, determined action, feelings, and opinions along with cognitive competence such as knowledge, discrimination, and understanding. Among other things, buddhi is the knowledge of one’s own self based on conscience, will and desire. Thus, the notion of buddhi has affective and motivational components besides a strong cognitive component. Unlike the western views, which primarily focus on cognitive parameters, the following competencies are identified as facets of intelligence in the Indian tradition :”

“• Cognitive capacity (sensitivity to context, understanding, discrimination, problem solving, and effective communication).”

“• Social competence (respect for social order, commitment to elders, the young and the needy, concern about others, recognising others’ perspectives).”

“• Emotional competence (self-regulation and self-monitoring of emotions, honesty, politeness, good conduct, and self-evaluation).”

“• Entrepreneurial competence (commitment, persistence, patience, hard work, vigilance, and goal-directed behaviours).”