80. Which factors explain the expansion of the gig economy in India:
(A) growth of online businesses,
(B) preference for working from home,
(C) project-specific consultancy hiring,
(D) growth in organised-sector jobs?
[UGC NET Economics – 30 June 2026]
(A) A, B and C only
(B) C and D only
(C) B only
(D) A and D only
Answer: (A) A, B and C only
Explanation: Online platforms create demand for flexible assignments, remote arrangements make independent work feasible, and firms often contract experts for individual projects. These three factors support gig work. A general increase in regular organised-sector employment does not directly explain its expansion.
79. What made India attractive for international outsourcing after the 1991 economic reforms?
[SSC Selection Post (Graduate) – 19 September 2026]
(A) Skilled labour and advanced infrastructure
(B) Lower wages combined with skilled workers
(C) Lower wages and a large domestic market
(D) Skilled labour and natural resources
Answer: (B) Lower wages combined with skilled workers
Explanation: Outsourcing firms seek suitably trained personnel at competitive costs. India developed a large English-speaking and technically qualified workforce whose wage costs were relatively lower than those in many advanced economies, strengthening its position in business-process and IT services.
78. Which Indian portal creates a national database of unorganised workers, including platform and gig workers?
[SSC Selection Post (Graduate) – 22 September 2026]
(A) Udyam Registration
(B) e-Shram
(C) National Career Service
(D) ASEEM
Answer: (B) e-Shram
Explanation: The Labour and Employment Ministry introduced e-Shram to register unorganised workers and facilitate access to social protection. Udyam primarily concerns enterprise registration; National Career Service supports job matching; ASEEM connects skilled people with possible employment opportunities.
77. In which year was the Startup India initiative launched?
[UP Police Sub-Inspector – 14 March 2026]
(A) 2018
(B) 2012
(C) 2016
(D) 2014
Answer: (C) 2016
Explanation: Startup India began on 16 January 2016 to strengthen entrepreneurship and innovation. Its framework includes simplified procedures, access to support and encouragement for new enterprises. The launch year differs from those of Skill India and Digital India, both initiated in 2015.
76. In the PLFS annual report for 2025, what was the usual-status unemployment rate for Indians aged 15–29?
[RRB Group D – 17 August 2026]
(A) 12.4%
(B) 7.9%
(C) 14.8%
(D) 9.9%
Answer: (D) 9.9%
Explanation: The cited PLFS report places youth unemployment under the usual-status measure at 9.9%. It is important not to confuse the youth rate with the all-age rate, or to mix usual-status estimates with current-weekly-status monthly survey figures.
75. Which authentication standard did an RBI framework specify for digital payment security from 1 April 2026?
[RRB Group D – 9 August 2026]
(A) OTP verification alone
(B) Single-factor password
(C) Two-factor authentication
(D) QR-code verification alone
Answer: (C) Two-factor authentication
Explanation: Two-factor authentication relies on two independent types of evidence, for example a possession factor and a knowledge factor. Using more than one credential reduces dependence on a compromised password or device. Payment rules should be interpreted alongside the applicable regulatory exceptions.
74. According to the PLFS comparison of January–March 2026 with October–December 2025, what happened to rural and urban unemployment?
[RRB Group D – 12 August 2026]
(A) Both rates rose
(B) Rural rose; urban edged down
(C) Rural fell; urban edged up
(D) Both rates were unchanged
Answer: (B) Rural rose; urban edged down
Explanation: The quarter-on-quarter comparison described rural unemployment rising and urban unemployment declining slightly. Rural and urban labour markets may respond differently to agricultural seasonality and nonfarm hiring. The reference quarters must be retained when interpreting a survey-based comparison.
73. When vegetable vendors sell farm produce directly to households, which sector covers the selling activity?
[SSC MTS – 18 February 2026]
(A) Primary
(B) Secondary
(C) Tertiary
(D) Quinary
Answer: (C) Tertiary
Explanation: Cultivating produce is a primary-sector activity, but retailing it is a service. Traders distribute goods to consumers without themselves growing or manufacturing them. Therefore the sales activity falls under the tertiary sector, even though the item sold originated in agriculture.
72. What challenge was the Rural Prosperity and Resilience programme announced in Union Budget 2025–26 intended to address?
[RRB Group D – 10 February 2026]
(A) School dropout rates
(B) Agricultural underemployment
(C) Lack of rural sports facilities
(D) Problems of rural administration
Answer: (B) Agricultural underemployment
Explanation: The programme addresses weak employment intensity and limited earning opportunities in rural agriculture. By diversifying livelihoods and improving agricultural productivity, it seeks to raise rural incomes. Underemployment means people may work but cannot obtain enough productive work or earnings.
71. What was India’s overall unemployment rate in May 2025 in the monthly PLFS figures referenced by the exam?
[RRB Group D – 3 February 2026]
(A) 5.1%
(B) 8.5%
(C) 5.6%
(D) 6.6%
Answer: (C) 5.6%
Explanation: The May 2025 monthly PLFS release recorded an overall unemployment rate of 5.6% for the relevant population and status measure. A monthly estimate should not be treated as interchangeable with an annual usual-status estimate because their reference periods differ.