Assume you have been given an encoding of an instance of VERTEX$-$COVER problem as an instance of INDEPENDENT$-$SET problem. What is the $$planned$$ direction of the polynomial time reduction?

VERTEX$-$COVER $<=$p INDEPENDENT$-$SET or

INDEPENDENT$-$SET $<=$p VERTEX$-$COVER

Seems like both the scenarios could be possible and could to reducible to polynomial time since vertex cover problem is encoded.

If VERTEX$-$COVER is intractable, can we conclude that INDEPENDENT$-$SET is intractable?

YES or NO $($No is the answer$)$

If INDEPENDENT$-$SET is intractable, can we conclude that VERTEX$-$COVER is intractable?

YES or NO $($Yes is the answer$)$

If VERTEX$-$COVER is efficiently solvable, can we conclude that INDEPENDENT$-$SET is efficiently solvable?

YES or NO $($Yes is the answer$)$

If INDEPENDENT$-$SET is efficiently solvable, can we conclude that VERTEX$-$COVER is efficiently solvable?

YES or NO $($No is the answer$)$

Note$--$ i need explanationation how it is yes or no

and also i need a unique answer like which is greater than OR less than polynomial time reduction

$3-$SAT,INDEPENDENT SET, VERTEX COVER, SET COVER