In India, over the last decade or so, labour has been departing agriculture

In India, over the last decade or so, labour has been departing agriculture, but is only going to construction and unregistered manufacturing which are not markedly better jobs. Services, where labour tends to be most productive, are not generating the additional jobs the country needs.

India will need 24 million or so jobs over the next decade. The new sector, e-commerce, can at best close only half the jobs gap. Only those sectors that drive domestic demand such as health and education can comfortably fill the other half.

Which one of the following is best Implied in the passage?

  1. Strong measures need to be taken to reduce the rural to urban migration of labour.
  2. The working condition in construction and unregistered manufacturing needs to be improved.
  3. Service sector has been reducing the problem of unemployment.
  4. Increased social sector spending is imperative for large-scale job creation.

Answer: D

Explanation

Option A is incorrect: The passage mentions a migration of labour from the agricultural sector to other sectors such as construction and unregistered manufacturing. Nowhere does it mention a rural to urban migration.

Option B is incorrect: The passage states that “construction and manufacturing are not markedly better jobs”. However, it does not state as to why? There might be many reasons for this- ‘working conditions’ is at best an assumption. For example, (for the sake of argument), it might be stated so in the passage as these sectors might not be as productive or lucrative, income wise, while the working conditions might be okay. Therefore, option B only states an assumption.

Option C is incorrect: The given statement in option c is neither stated anywhere in the passage, nor implied. In fact, the passage clarifies that “services are not generating the additional jobs that the country needs”.

Option D is correct: In the last line of the passage, it is stated that “Only those sectors that drive domestic demand such as health and education can comfortably fill the other half”, (the other half referring to the ‘jobgap’). Now, health and education belong to the social sector. Therefore, it is implied that the author is calling for increased spending in these sectors, so that they might be able to create the necessary jobs.

  • Exam Year: 2020