Given below are two statements, one is labelled as Assertion A and the other is labelled as Reason R
Assertion A: The purpose of 21st century Higher Education is to promote critical and creative thinking abilities among students.
Reason R: Critical and creative thinking help students in placements.
In light of the above statements, choose the correct answer from the options given below

Correct option is B

Assertion A: “The purpose of 21st century Higher Education is to promote critical and creative thinking abilities among students.”
True – Modern higher education aims to go beyond rote learning and focuses on developing higher-order thinking skills, including critical and creative thinking to prepare students for complex real-world challenges.
Reason R: “Critical and creative thinking help students in placements.”
True – Employers increasingly look for candidates who can think critically and creatively to solve problems and innovate.
While critical and creative thinking do help in placements, that is not the primary purpose of promoting them in higher education. The purpose is broader: developing well-rounded, independent thinkers for life, citizenship, and career — not just placements.
Correct Answer: (B) Both A and R are true but R is NOT the correct explanation of A