AI-generated practice question — model-generated for extra practice, not a previous-year CBSE board question.
Industrialists in colonial India employed a jobber to recruit workers. The jobber was usually an old, trusted worker who brought recruits from his own village. He helped them settle in the city and assisted them during financial crises. This made personal ties — belonging to the jobber's village or social network — essential for getting hired, more important than a worker's skill or willingness to work.
Over time, the jobber became a powerful figure. He began demanding money and gifts in exchange for securing jobs. As Source E confirms, workers even paid the jobber to get their sons employed in the mill. Thus, social connections replaced merit as the key to factory employment.
Source: Chapter 4, Section 4.2 – Where Did the Workers Come From?
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Examiners expect you to name the system (jobber system) and explain: (1) who the jobber was, (2) what functions he performed (recruitment, settlement, financial help), and (3) how this made personal/social ties more important than skill. Mentioning that jobbers demanded money/gifts shows understanding of how the system distorted fair hiring. Quoting or referencing Source E adds credibility. Avoid padding — three tight sentences earn full marks here.