How many of the following statements about the worker-population ratio in India are correct?
(A) It is found by dividing the number of workers by the population and multiplying by 100.
(B) A low ratio means that a very high share of the population is not directly involved in economic activities.
(C) The ratio is higher in urban areas than in rural areas.
(D) Some rural people stop their studies midway to join the workforce.
(E) In urban areas, people cannot stay at home without work, as their economic condition does not allow it.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → Three
Statements (A), (B) and (D) are correct.
(A) It is found by dividing the number of workers by the population and multiplying by 100. — Correct. This is how the ratio is worked out.
(B) A low ratio means that a very high share of the population is not directly involved in economic activities. — Correct. A low ratio means few people take part in production.
(C) The ratio is higher in urban areas than in rural areas. — Incorrect. It is higher in rural areas: about 42, against about 38 in towns.
(D) Some rural people stop their studies midway to join the workforce. — Correct. Limited resources push them into work early.
(E) In urban areas, people cannot stay at home without work, as their economic condition does not allow it. — Incorrect. This is said of rural people. Many urban people can study and look for a suitable job.
NCERT (2026-27): “6.3 Participation of People in Employment Worker-population ratio is an indicator which is used for analysing the employment situation in the country. This ratio is useful in knowing the proportion of population that is actively contributing to the production of goods and services of a country. If the ratio is higher, it means that the engagement of people is greater; if the ratio for a country is medium, or low, it means that a very high proportion of its population is not involved directly in economic activities. You might have already studied, in lower classes, the meaning of the term ‘population’. Population is defined as the total number of people who reside in a particular locality at a particular point of time. If you want to know the worker-population ratio for India, divide the total number of workers in India by the population in India and multiply it by 100, you will get the worker-population ratio for India. If you look at Table 6.1, it shows the different levels of participation of people in economic activities. For every 100 persons, about 41 (by rounding off 41.1) are workers in India. In urban areas, the proportion is about 38, whereas in rural India, the ratio is about 42. … People in rural areas have limited resources to earn a higher income and participate more in the employment market. Many do not go to schools, colleges and other training institutions. Even if some go, they discontinue in the middle to join the workforce; whereas, in urban areas, a considerable section is able to study in various educational institutions. Urban people have a variety of employment opportunities. They look for the appropriate job to suit their qualifications and skills. In rural areas, people cannot stay at home as their economic condition may not allow them to do so.” |