In our country, regrettably, teaching and learning for the examination have been our forte but the new demands of society and the future of work require critical and independent thinking, learning through doing, asking questions from multiple disciplinary perspectives on the same issue, using evidence for building arguments, and reflecting and articulation. Higher education should not “either be a mere servant of the government policy or a passive respondent to public mood.” Higher learning is all about how to think rather than what to think. Teaching has to be re-invented.

With reference to the above passage, the following assumptions have been made:
I. Higher education is a constantly evolving subject that needs to align towards new developments in all spheres of society.
II. In our country, sufficient funds are not allocated for promoting higher education.
Which of the above assumptions is/are valid?

The correct option is I only.

Step-by-Step Explanation and Analysis:

An assumption is an unstated, underlying premise that the author must believe to be true in order to make their argument.

Analyzing Assumption I:

"Higher education is a constantly evolving subject that needs to align towards new developments in all spheres of society."

The passage highlights that "the new demands of society and the future of work require critical and independent thinking..." and concludes that "Teaching has to be re-invented." This directly implies that higher education must adapt to continuous changes and modern societal needs. Therefore, Assumption I is valid and logically supported by the text.

Analyzing Assumption II:

"In our country, sufficient funds are not allocated for promoting higher education."

The passage focuses entirely on pedagogical methods, critical thinking, the objective of learning, and societal demands. It does not mention funding, financial allocation, or budgetary constraints at all. Therefore, Assumption II goes beyond the scope of the passage and is invalid.

Hence, only Assumption I is valid.