Match the terms given in Column-I with their respective meaning in Column-II. Select the correct option :

Column-I | Column-II

(i) Seasonal Unemployment | (a) Private enterprises hiring less than 10 employees

(ii) Self-employed | (b) Workers using their own resources to earn livelihood

(iii) Unorganised sector | (c) Unemployment occurring in specific season

(iv) Disguised Unemployment | (d) Zero Marginal Productivity

Q: Match the terms given in Column-I with their respective meaning in Column-II. Select the correct option : Column-I | Column-II (i) Seasonal Unemployment | (a) Private enterprises hiring less than 10 employees (ii) Self-employed | (b) Workers using their own resources to earn livelihood (iii) Unorganised sector | (c) Unemployment occurring in specific season (iv) Disguised Unemployment | (d) Zero Marginal Productivity

The correct match is **Option (C): (i)-(c); (ii)-(b); (iii)-(a); (iv)-(d)**. - **Seasonal unemployment** occurs only during specific seasons of the year (e.g., agricultural workers idle in the off-season) — matches (c). - **Self-employed** persons use their own land, labour and capital resources to earn a livelihood (e.g., farmers, small shopkeepers) — matches (b). - **Unorganised sector** enterprises are typically small private units employing fewer than 10 workers, not registered and outside government regulation — matches (a). - **Disguised unemployment** exists when workers appear employed but their marginal productivity is zero, i.e., removing them does not reduce total output — matches (d).

Employment: Growth, Informalisation and Other Issues

Employment Terms — Seasonal/Disguised Unemployment, Self-employment, Unorganised Sector

Options

(A)(i)-(d); (ii)-(a); (iii)-(b); (iv)-(c)

(B)(i)-(b); (ii)-(a); (iii)-(c); (iv)-(d)

(C)(i)-(c); (ii)-(b); (iii)-(a); (iv)-(d)

(D)(i)-(c); (ii)-(d); (iii)-(a); (iv)-(b)

Official Answer

The correct match is Option (C): (i)-(c); (ii)-(b); (iii)-(a); (iv)-(d).

Seasonal unemployment occurs only during specific seasons of the year (e.g., agricultural workers idle in the off-season) — matches (c).
Self-employed persons use their own land, labour and capital resources to earn a livelihood (e.g., farmers, small shopkeepers) — matches (b).
Unorganised sector enterprises are typically small private units employing fewer than 10 workers, not registered and outside government regulation — matches (a).
Disguised unemployment exists when workers appear employed but their marginal productivity is zero, i.e., removing them does not reduce total output — matches (d).

seasonal unemploymentself-employmentunorganised sectordisguised unemploymentzero marginal productivityinformal sectorunderemployment

Marking Scheme

11 mark for selecting Option (C) — all four matches correct; no partial credit for MCQs.

Hint

Recall that disguised unemployment is defined by zero marginal productivity, not by season; the unorganised sector is defined by firm size (fewer than 10 workers).

Quick Oral Answer

Seasonal unemployment is time-bound and season-specific; self-employment means using one's own resources for livelihood; the unorganised sector is defined by small firm size (below 10 workers); and disguised unemployment means the worker's marginal productivity is zero.

Analysis & Explanation

This question tests precise recall of employment-related definitions from the chapter on Employment.

Why (C) is correct

Each pairing follows the exact NCERT definition: season-specific idleness (seasonal unemployment), own-resource livelihood (self-employment), small-scale unregistered firms (unorganised sector), and zero marginal product (disguised unemployment).

Why the distractors fail

(A) wrongly pairs seasonal unemployment with zero marginal productivity (that is disguised unemployment) and self-employed with the enterprise-size definition.
(B) swaps self-employed and unorganised sector definitions, and puts disguised unemployment last incorrectly against zero marginal productivity in the wrong row order.
(D) incorrectly links disguised unemployment to self-employment's definition and self-employed to zero marginal productivity, confusing two unrelated concepts.

Students often confuse disguised unemployment (a rural, family-farm phenomenon with zero marginal product) with seasonal unemployment (a purely time-bound phenomenon) — the two are different causes of underemployment in agriculture.

Common Mistakes

1Confusing disguised unemployment (zero marginal productivity) with seasonal unemployment (season-specific idleness) — they are distinct causes of rural underemployment.
2Mixing up the self-employed definition (using own resources) with the unorganised sector definition (firm size below 10 employees) since both relate to informal livelihoods.

Interesting Facts

As per Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) data, over 90% of India's workforce is employed in the unorganised/informal sector, which lacks job security and social security benefits.

Disguised unemployment is most visible in Indian agriculture — NSSO and Planning Commission studies have historically estimated that a significant share of the agricultural workforce could be withdrawn without any fall in total farm output.

The concept of disguised unemployment was popularised by economists Joan Robinson and later used extensively by Indian planners to justify labour-intensive rural employment schemes.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between disguised and seasonal unemployment?

Disguised unemployment means a worker's marginal productivity is zero — removing them does not reduce output — typically seen year-round in family farming. Seasonal unemployment occurs only during specific parts of the year when there is no work, such as the off-season in agriculture.

How is the unorganised sector defined in the NCERT Class 12 Economics textbook?

The unorganised sector consists of small, private, unregistered enterprises typically employing fewer than 10 workers, offering no job security or social security benefits to employees.