How many of the following statements about unemployment in India are correct?
(A) Many people in rural areas do not go out and ask for a job but stay home when there is no work.
(B) Economists define an unemployed person as one who is not able to get employment of even one hour in half a day.
(C) A study in the late 1950s showed about one-third of agriculture workers in India as disguisedly unemployed.
(D) Seasonal unemployment is also a common form of unemployment prevailing in India.
(E) Economists call the unemployment prevailing in Indian farms open unemployment.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → Four
(A) Many people in rural areas do not go out and ask for a job but stay home when there is no work. — Correct. They wait at home instead of looking for a job.
(B) Economists define an unemployed person as one who is not able to get employment of even one hour in half a day. — Correct. This is the economists’ definition.
(C) A study in the late 1950s showed about one-third of agriculture workers in India as disguisedly unemployed. — Correct. The study found about one-third of farm workers disguisedly unemployed.
(D) Seasonal unemployment is also a common form of unemployment prevailing in India. — Correct. Farm work is seasonal, so many have no work in some months.
(E) Economists call the unemployment prevailing in Indian farms open unemployment. — Incorrect. Economists call it disguised unemployment.
Statements (A), (B), (C) and (D) are correct, so four are correct.
NCERT (2026-27): “6.8 Unemployment … Many in the rural areas do not go out and ask for a job but stay home when there is no work. … Economists define unemployed person as one who is not able to get employment of even one hour in half a day. … The situation described in the first paragraph of this section is called open unemployment. Economists call unemployment prevailing in Indian farms as disguised unemployment. … One study conducted in the late 1950s showed about one-third of agriculture workers in India as disguisedly unemployed. You may have noticed that many people migrate to an urban area, pick up a job and stay there for some time, but come back to their home villages as soon as the rainy season begins. … This is because work in agriculture is seasonal; there are no employment opportunities in the village for all months in the year. When there is no work to do on farms, people go to urban areas and look for jobs. This kind of unemployment is known as seasonal unemployment. This is also a common form of unemployment prevailing in India. …” |