By virtue of means because of or by the authority of something. This answer is correct because the expression has a fixed figurative meaning in English. In an SSC idiom question, students should match the whole phrase with its accepted meaning rather than translate each word separately.

• Classroom example: By virtue of can refer to a situation involving because of or by the authority of something.
• Story example: A writer may use By virtue of when describing a situation involving because of or by the authority of something.
• Exam example: When a sentence contains By virtue of, choose the meaning “because of or by the authority of something.”