Mussoorie, Uttarakhand: In an engaging interaction at the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA) on Saturday, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh posed a simple-looking math question to over 600 IAS trainees—a question that left the entire hall silent.
The Math Question That Stumped 600 IAS Trainees
During his address, Rajnath Singh asked:
“A person had so much money that he gave half to A, one-third to B, and the remaining amount of 100 was given to C. Tell me the total amount.”
The hall fell silent. Even after repeating the question, no one responded confidently.
Wrong Answers… Then Finally the Right One
After about eight seconds, a trainee IAS officer attempted an answer: “3000.”
Rajnath Singh shook his head with a smile. “Wrong, try again,” he said.
After nearly 49 seconds, someone from the crowd said: “600.”
Rajnath immediately asked, “Who said 600?” When a trainee raised his hand, the Defence Minister smiled and said, “Yes, this is correct.”
Rajnath Singh Explains the Math Like a Professor
He then walked the trainees through the problem:
Let total money = A
Money given to A = A/2
Money given to B = A/3
Total given to A & B = 5A/6
Remaining amount = 100
So,
A – 5A/6 = 100
A/6 = 100
A = 600
Rajnath Singh added a philosophical touch:
“Sometimes in mathematics, the answer comes simply by assuming. Similarly, in life, many things are solved through faith and belief.”
A Former Physics Lecturer Before Politics
Before joining politics, Rajnath Singh was a physics lecturer at KB Post-Graduate College in Mirzapur, Uttar Pradesh.
Born in a farmer’s family in Chandauli, he completed his MSc in Physics from Gorakhpur University and was known for his academic excellence. He later joined the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and began his political career.
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