Examine the role of 'Gig Economy' in the process of empowerment of women in India. (Answer in 150 words)

हिंदी में प्रश्न पढ़ें

भारत में महिलाओं के सशक्तिकरण की प्रक्रिया में 'गिग इकॉनमी' की भूमिका का परीक्षण कीजिए । (150 शब्दों में उत्तर दीजिए)

The question as printed in the 2021 General Studies paper

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Model answer

Drafted with AI by UPSC Answer Check against this question's marking rubric, to the 150-word length. UPSC does not publish answers for Mains — this is one way to score well, not an official key. How we build rubrics and answers.

Empowerment Flexible hours and home-based tasks let homemakers and married women earn supplementary income and gain financial autonomy (Meesho resellers, Urban Company beauty professionals). Platform work also builds digital literacy and market skills and widens mobility, as with women delivery partners on Zomato and Swiggy, loosening patriarchal constraints.

Constraints Gig work informalises women's labour: no paid maternity leave or assured health cover, algorithmic bias in task allocation, gender pay gaps and safety risks in field tasks.

Protections now emerging The Code on Social Security, 2020 (in force since 21 November 2025) recognises gig and platform workers; Budget 2025-26 announced e-Shram registration and PM-JAY cover for them, and Rajasthan (2023) and Karnataka (2025) have enacted state laws. For women, their reach depends on implementation and safety norms.

How this answer will be evaluated

Framework: GS1 Society: Continuity, Data, Intersectionality, Solution

What earns full marks: Balanced analysis of flexibility vs. precarity with specific Indian examples.

Evaluation rubric

Each sub-part is marked on its own, against the marks and word limit printed on the paper.

The answer Analyze how gig work mechanisms facilitate or hinder women's socio-economic agency in India. 10 marks · 150 words

examine— intro → how/why with reasoning → evidence → conclusion
Must cover
- Define gig economy in the Indian context
- Explain flexibility as a tool for work-life balance
- Analyze financial independence and skill acquisition
- Critically examine lack of social security and job security
Loses marks
- Narrating chronology of gig economy growth
- Emotive words without structural analysis
- Ignoring the 'empowerment' aspect (focusing only on employment)
Earns more
- Mention specific platforms (Swiggy, Uber, Zomato)
- Reference gig-worker welfare measures (e-Shram, Budget 2025-26 PM-JAY cover, Rajasthan 2023 / Karnataka 2025 laws)
- Discuss the shift from informal to formal gig work
- Highlight the role of digital literacy
Extra mark
- Cite a specific statistic on women's gig participation
- Mention a specific policy framework for gig workers

What "Examine" is asking you to do

Test the proposition the question puts to you and return a finding on how far it holds. Examine stems carry a claim, or ask whether something has happened, and expect evidence weighed both ways before the extent is stated — often with remedial measures attached.

Structure that answers it

Restate the claim as the question frames it → evidence that supports it → evidence that undercuts it → the conditions under which it holds → verdict on how far it stands

Where marks are lost

Stopping at description. An examination has to reach a finding, and “examine with justification” means the extent must be stated, not implied.

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