Sita runs a small tea stall on her own. Her neighbour Gita cooks, fetches water and fuelwood, and works on the family farm without any pay. Which option is correct?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 4
The correct answer is Option (4) → Sita is a worker as she is self-employed; Gita is not counted as a worker, though economists say she should be
Sita runs her own stall, so she is self-employed, and the self-employed are workers. Gita’s unpaid work is not categorised as work.
Option (1) Sita is not a worker as no employer pays her wages; Gita is a worker as she works on the family farm — Incorrect. The self-employed are workers too, with no employer. Gita is not counted.
Option (2) Both are categorised as workers, as the work of both adds to gross national product — Incorrect. Gita’s unpaid work is not counted, so she is not categorised as a worker.
Option (3) Neither is categorised as a worker, as neither of them is paid any wages for her work — Incorrect. Sita earns from her own stall and is a worker.
Option (4) Sita is a worker as she is self-employed; Gita is not counted as a worker, though economists say she should be — Correct. Both parts are right.
NCERT (2026-27): “6.2 Workers and Employment … We generally think of only those who are paid by an employer for their work as workers. This is not so. Those who are self-employed are also workers.” “6.2 Workers and Employment … Women carry out works like cooking, fetching water and fuelwood and participate in farm labour. They are not paid wages in cash or in the form of grains; at times they are not paid at all. For this reason, these women are not categorised as workers. Economists argue that these women should also be called workers. …” |