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Social Science (087) — AI-generated practice question

AI-generated practice question — model-generated for extra practice, not a previous-year CBSE board question.

Q1. [3] medium thorough-understanding
Indentured labour contracts promised workers a return passage to India after five years, yet the system was condemned as a 'new system of slavery'. What specific features of indentured labour justified this comparison?
Generated by claude-sonnet-4-6 · 2026-06-26 14:59 · grounding rag
Model Answer

Indentured labour was called a 'new system of slavery' due to several specific features:

  1. Deception during recruitment: Agents provided false information about destinations, nature of work, and living conditions. Some migrants were even forcibly abducted.
  1. Harsh living and working conditions: On arrival at plantations, workers found conditions completely different from what was promised, with few legal rights to protect them.
  1. Bonded nature: Workers were tied to their employer's plantation for five years under contract, with no freedom to leave. They were treated as numbers, not people.

Source: Chapter 3, Section 2.4 — Indentured Labour Migration from India

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Explanation

The examiner expects three distinct features for 3 marks — one point per mark. Focus on: (1) fraudulent recruitment, (2) harsh conditions with few legal rights, and (3) the bonded/unfree nature of the contract. Avoid vague statements; use specific evidence from the passage (e.g., agents, false information, plantation conditions). The phrase "new system of slavery" is the textbook's own language — echoing it shows you've read carefully.

Previous-year CBSE Grade 10 board exam questions, organised by subject and chapter, each with a model answer — free to read and print.