Q1. [4] medium exam-ready
Read the following information carefully and answer the questions that follow:
Meena works in a garment manufacturing unit in an urban area. The unit is not registered with any government authority. She works from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. with no fixed hours. She earns daily wages but receives no medical allowance, no paid leave and no provident fund. She can be asked to leave at any time. On the other hand, her cousin Rekha works in a government school as a teacher. Rekha gets a monthly salary, paid holidays, provident fund, gratuity, and was given an appointment letter when she joined. Rekha works fixed hours every day.
(i) Identify the sector (organised/unorganised) in which Meena and Rekha are employed. Give one reason for each.
(ii) Name any two laws that protect workers like Rekha in her type of sector.
(iii) Suggest one specific measure the government should take to protect workers like Meena.
Generated by claude-sonnet-4-6 · 2026-06-26 13:22 · grounding rag
Model Answer
(i) Sector Identification:
- Meena works in the unorganised sector — her unit is not registered with any government authority, she has no paid leave, no provident fund, and can be dismissed anytime.
- Rekha works in the organised sector — she received an appointment letter, works fixed hours, and gets provident fund, gratuity, and paid holidays as per government rules.
(ii) Two laws protecting workers like Rekha:
- Payment of Gratuity Act
- Factories Act (or Minimum Wages Act / Shops and Establishments Act)
(iii) One measure to protect workers like Meena:
The government should strictly enforce the Minimum Wages Act for unorganised sector workers to ensure they receive fair and regular wages and are not exploited by employers.
Source: Sectors of the Indian Economy, Division of Sectors as Organised and Unorganised; How to Protect Workers in the Unorganised Sector — Chapter 2
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Explanation
- (i) Always give a reason tied to a specific feature — registration, appointment letter, benefits, etc. Examiners look for both the sector name AND the justification.
- (ii) The textbook lists: Factories Act, Minimum Wages Act, Payment of Gratuity Act, Shops and Establishments Act — any two are acceptable.
- (iii) One concrete, specific measure scores full marks. Avoid vague answers like "the government should help them." Link it to wages, safety, health, or social security.