Please read the passage and answer the question that follow.

A popular Bollywood movie 'Lagan' portrays India before Independence. Indians were ruled by the Britishers for many years. They were denied basic rights. The common and the lower strata of the society were not provided the privilege of education as the Britishers felt that 'Indians are not good enough'. They deliberately gave Indians less qualified jobs and kept highly qualified jobs for themselves.

The British strongly felt that Indians are not good enough. This cognitive component of attitude is referred to as:-

Stereotype

The correct answer is Option (4) → Stereotype

A stereotype is a cognitive component of attitude where generalised beliefs are formed about a group of people, often without considering individual differences. In the passage, the British believed that “Indians are not good enough”, which reflects a rigid and oversimplified belief about all Indians. This is a stereotype, as it assumes that every Indian lacks capability, regardless of individual merit.