Three men live in the same lane in Lucknow. Asif works at a printing press and is paid the same amount at the end of every month. Gopal mends fans and coolers at a small stall of his own and charges whoever calls him. Iqbal waits at the mandi gate each morning and loads trucks for whichever trader hires him that day. Their children, who study economics in college, are asked to find out how common each kind of work is in India and in richer countries.
The children compare how common Asif's, Gopal's and Iqbal's kinds of work are in India and in developed countries. Which of the following statements is correct?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → In developed countries, the majority of workers are formally employed
Option (1) In developed countries, the majority of workers are formally employed — Correct. In developed countries the majority of workers are formally employed. Most of them hold regular salaried jobs like Asif's.
Option (2) In developed countries, the majority of workers are employed in industry — Incorrect. In developed countries, the majority of people work in the services sector, followed by industry. So industry comes second and does not employ the majority of workers.
Option (3) In India, regular salaried employment is the most common kind of work — Incorrect. Only about 24% of Indian workers are in regular salaried employment like Asif's. Self-employment, at over 52%, is far more common.
Option (4) In India, casual labour is the most common kind of work — Incorrect. Casual labour, Iqbal's kind of work, covers only about 24% of Indian workers. Self-employment, like Gopal's, is the most common at over 52%.
NCERT (2026-27): “The Specificity of Indian Industrialisation “Another major difference between developing and developed countries is the number of people in regular salaried employment. In developed countries, the majority are formally employed. In India, over 52% of the workers are self-employed, only about 24% are in regular salaried employment, while approximately 24% are in casual labour. …” |