Harpreet works for a software firm in Gurugram and now buys fruit, juices and snacks from many countries with ease. Her father grows vegetables near Ludhiana and finds that traders pay him less, as cheaper produce from abroad now reaches the same markets. During a family visit, father and daughter talk about how much has changed for each of them over the last few years, for better and for worse. Harpreet's younger brother, a college student, asks what lies behind these shifts in one family.
Changes like those in Harpreet's family are described as personal. Which reason explains this?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → They affect individuals' lives and lifestyles
Option (1) They arise from choices that individuals make freely — Incorrect. These changes do not come from free individual choice. They come from public policies, such as removing import restrictions, and Harpreet's father did not choose to earn less.
Option (2) They depend on the income and caste of each household — Incorrect. Income and caste are not the reason these changes are called personal. The same policy affects consumers and producers differently, but the changes are personal because of their effect on individual lives.
Option (3) They affect individuals' lives and lifestyles — Correct. Changes are personal because they affect individuals' lives and lifestyles. Harpreet's food choices and her father's earnings both change in daily life, even though the cause is a public policy.
Option (4) They are shaped by the values each family holds — Incorrect. Family values do not shape these changes. Macro policies, such as the opening up of the market to imports, bring them about.
NCERT (2026-27): “Globalisation and Social Change … |