The policy under which Raju's family lost its land is being carried o…

Meena's father spent thirty years as a permanent employee of a big mill in Kanpur. Meena now works in Delhi for a foreign-owned company that has started its own airline, in a field which, in her father's youth, only the government could enter. Her cousin Raju lives in a village nearby, where the government has taken over farmland, including his family's plot, for a new factory zone. The family received some money for the land and had hoped for work in the new factories. Raju is now thinking of moving to the city to look for work.

The policy under which Raju's family lost its land is being carried out at a time when which of the following is happening?

Answer & explanation

Correct answer: option 3

The correct answer is Option (3) → Secure employment in large industry is declining

Option (1) Employment by the government is rising — Incorrect. Government jobs were once a major way to improve people's well-being. Now even employment by the government is coming down.

Option (2) Permanent employees in companies are increasing — Incorrect. Companies are cutting the number of permanent employees and outsourcing work to smaller firms or even to homes. Permanent jobs like that of Meena's father are becoming rarer.

Option (3) Secure employment in large industry is declining — Correct. The government is taking land for industry at the same time as secure employment in large industry is declining. That is why the new factories may not give work to Raju's family or other people of the area.

Option (4) Contract labour in salaried jobs is falling — Incorrect. Contract labour is on the rise. Its growth makes even the few regular salaried jobs more insecure.

NCERT (2026-27): “Globalisation, Liberalisation and Changes in Indian Industry …
To summarise, India is still largely an agricultural country. The service sector – shops, banks, the IT industry, hotels and other services are employing more people and the urban middle class is growing, along with urban middle class values like those we see in television serials and films. But we also see that very few people in India have access to secure jobs, with even the small number in regular salaried employment becoming more insecure due to the rise in contract labour. So far, employment by the government was a major avenue for increasing the well-being of the population, but now even that is coming down. …”

“At the same time as secure employment in large industry is declining, the government is embarking on a policy of land acquisition for industry. These industries do not necessarily provide employment to the people of the surrounding areas, but they cause major pollution. …”