Comprehension
A new report forecasting that India can create millions more jobs over the coming years in the gig economy underscores a fundamental shift in the nature of work. While automation swept through factory floors and BPOs reduced manpower requirements, e-commerce, ride hailing and food delivery apps, streaming media and fintech have created lakhs of temporary jobs in the services sector. Although the jury is still out on the quality of life accorded by such gigs and the social security benefits they accord, recall that informalisation of jobs started much earlier. The report by Boston Consulting Group and Michael & Susan Dell Foundation predicts 90 million flexi and gig jobs in a decade from 8 million now, contributing transactions valued at more than $250 billion and an additional 1.25% to India’s GDP. Obviously, technological evolutions are hard to predict. A decade ago, few, if any, had divined these new jobs. Ac cepting change as the sole constant, it is equally critical to create the socio-economic framework that can support such jobs.
Expecting startups fuelled by venture capital and presently unprofitable to treat gig workers as regular employees isn’t practical. Such moves could impede innovation and investment. But if central and state governments could deliver in areas like public health, education, insurance and food security, anxieties generated by unsteady, irregular unemployment can be managed better. Last year’s nationwide lockdown when the suddenly unemployed migrant workers panicked and bolted, untrusting the promises of governments to care for them, served out this lesson in poignant detail. The gig economy does promise flexibility and improved choices for many women and part time workers. Every technological revolution till date has effaced some jobs and created plentiful others. There is room for optimism in the rapidly emerging techmediated world, but only upon strengthening the support of educational and health infrastructure.
Expecting startups fuelled by venture capital and presently unprofitable to treat gig workers as regular employees isn’t practical. Such moves could impede innovation and investment. But if central and state governments could deliver in areas like public health, education, insurance and food security, anxieties generated by unsteady, irregular unemployment can be managed better. Last year’s nationwide lockdown when the suddenly unemployed migrant workers panicked and bolted, untrusting the promises of governments to care for them, served out this lesson in poignant detail. The gig economy does promise flexibility and improved choices for many women and part time workers. Every technological revolution till date has effaced some jobs and created plentiful others. There is room for optimism in the rapidly emerging techmediated world, but only upon strengthening the support of educational and health infrastructure.
Question: 1
The report by Boston Consulting Group and Michael & Susan Dell Foundation ______
The report by Boston Consulting Group and Michael & Susan Dell Foundation ______
Updated On: Jul 15, 2026
- Predicts massive rise in gig jobs in a decade
- Predicts fundamental shift in nature of work.
- Predicts massive rise in World’s GDP.
- All the above
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The Correct Option is A
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The correct Answer is (A): Predicts massive rise in gig jobs in a decade
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This question asks specifically what the Boston Consulting Group and Michael and Susan Dell Foundation report itself predicts, as distinct from broader commentary around it.
- Predicts massive rise in gig jobs in a decade: The specific figures, from about 8 million to 90 million flexi and gig jobs, are attributed directly to this report, so this is squarely what the report predicts.
- Predicts fundamental shift in nature of work: The idea of a fundamental shift in work is the opening framing of the broader trend, not a specific prediction made by the report's figures.
- Predicts massive rise in World's GDP: The report's GDP figure is about an additional 1.25% to India's GDP specifically, not a rise in the world's GDP, so this misstates what the report says.
- All the above: Since two of the three statements above do not accurately describe the report's own prediction, "all the above" cannot be correct.
Only the jobs figure is presented as something the report itself forecasts; the "fundamental shift" language is the opening framing, and the GDP figure is about India specifically, not the world.
Hence, the correct answer is Predicts massive rise in gig jobs in a decade.
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Question: 2
Which of the following can be inferred as a caution by the author?
Which of the following can be inferred as a caution by the author?
Updated On: Jul 15, 2026
- Central and state governments must ensure management of public health, education, insurance and food security, anxieties of gig workers.
- Expecting treatment of gig workers as regular employees could impede innovation and investment.
- If educational and health infrastructure support is not strengthened, gig economy will fail
- It is critical to create the socio-political framework that can support gig jobs.
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The Correct Option is B
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The correct Answer is (B): Expecting treatment of gig workers as regular employees could impede innovation and investment.
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This question asks specifically what is flagged as a caution or warning, as distinct from a recommendation.
- Central and state governments must ensure management of public health, education, insurance and food security, anxieties of gig workers: This describes what is recommended to support gig workers, not a caution about what could go wrong. It is a positive suggestion rather than a warning.
- Expecting treatment of gig workers as regular employees could impede innovation and investment: There is an explicit caution against this expectation, stating that treating gig workers as regular employees "isn't practical" for startups and that doing so "could impede innovation and investment." This is a direct warning.
- If educational and health infrastructure support is not strengthened, gig economy will fail: There is room for optimism only if such infrastructure is strengthened, but it does not go so far as to state the gig economy would "fail" without it. This overstates the actual claim.
- It is critical to create the socio-political framework that can support gig jobs: The actual reference is to a "socio-economic" framework, not a "socio-political" one, and this framework-building point is presented as a requirement going forward rather than as a caution against a specific expectation.
Only one option describes something explicitly warned against, expecting startups to treat gig workers as regular employees, while the others either state recommendations or misquote the original wording.
Hence, the correct answer is Expecting treatment of gig workers as regular employees could impede innovation and investment.
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Question: 3
In the context of the passage, which of the following best describes gig economy?
In the context of the passage, which of the following best describes gig economy?
Updated On: Jul 15, 2026
- Informally structured economy with skill based short-term or freelance labour market.
- A fundamental shift in the nature of work in an economy
- Economy characterized by startups fuelled by venture capital.
- All the above.
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The Correct Option is A
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The correct Answer is (A): Informally structured economy with skill based short-term or freelance labour market.
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This question asks for the best definition of "gig economy" as the term is used here.
- Informally structured economy with skill based short-term or freelance labour market: This captures the actual working arrangement described: temporary, task-based jobs in services like ride hailing, food delivery, streaming and fintech, which rely on flexible, short-term engagements rather than fixed employment. This is the direct definition of what a gig economy is.
- A fundamental shift in the nature of work in an economy: This is a broader consequence linked to the rise of the gig economy, not a definition of the gig economy itself. It describes the effect, not what the term means.
- Economy characterized by startups fuelled by venture capital: Venture-funded startups are mentioned as the kind of companies that currently cannot afford to treat gig workers as regular employees, but this describes one type of employer in the gig economy, not a definition of the gig economy as a whole.
- All the above: Since two of the three statements describe related but separate ideas rather than the definition itself, "all the above" cannot be the best description.
The term "gig economy" is used to mean an informal, task-based labour market of short-term and freelance work, while the other options describe its broader effects or the type of firms involved rather than the term itself.
Hence, the correct answer is Informally structured economy with skill based short-term or freelance labour market.
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Question: 4
The tone of the passage is
The tone of the passage is
Updated On: Jul 15, 2026
- Critical
- Scornful
- Scornful
- Sanguine
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The Correct Option is D
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The correct Answer is (D):Sanguine
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This question asks for the overall tone used when discussing the gig economy.
- Critical: A critical tone would dwell mainly on faults, but the discussion balances its caution about gig work with a clear message of hope about job creation and growth, so a purely critical reading does not fit.
- Scornful: A scornful tone expresses contempt or dismissiveness, which does not match a passage that treats the gig economy's growth as a genuine, largely positive development worth supporting with better policy.
- Scornful: This option repeats the previous one and fails for the same reason: there is no expression of contempt toward the subject discussed.
- Sanguine: Sanguine means cautiously hopeful or optimistic. It is stated explicitly that there is "room for optimism," while still noting that this optimism depends on strengthening health and education support, which is exactly a hopeful but conditional tone.
The passage closes by directly saying there is room for optimism, so its overall tone is a hopeful one that comes with a practical condition attached, rather than a dismissive or purely fault-finding one.
Hence, the correct answer is Sanguine.
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Question: 5
According to the passage, which of the following comes as a concern related to gig economy?
According to the passage, which of the following comes as a concern related to gig economy?
Updated On: Jul 15, 2026
- Lack of educational and health infrastructure.
- Temporary nature of work.
- The quality of life and the social security.
- None of the above.
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The Correct Option is C
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The correct Answer is (The quality of life and the social security.):
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This question asks which concern related to the gig economy is raised directly.
- Lack of educational and health infrastructure: Strengthening this infrastructure is framed as a condition for optimism about the gig economy's future, but it is not itself named as a current concern about gig work; it is a suggested fix rather than a stated worry.
- Temporary nature of work: Gig jobs are described as temporary, but the temporary nature of the work on its own is not the specific concern being flagged; the concern named is narrower than just the jobs being short-term.
- The quality of life and the social security: It is stated directly that "the jury is still out on the quality of life accorded by such gigs and the social security benefits they accord," naming this uncertainty as an explicit concern about gig work.
- None of the above: Since one of the listed options matches a concern stated outright, "none of the above" cannot be correct.
The uncertainty around gig workers' quality of life and social security benefits is named as an open question, which is the concern raised explicitly, rather than infrastructure gaps or the temporary nature of the jobs on their own.
Hence, the correct answer is The quality of life and the social security.
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Top CLAT Questions
- In the realm of contemporary literature, the interplay between character and setting is a nuanced dance that shapes the narrative’s essence. The setting, often described with painstaking detail, becomes more than a backdrop; it becomes a character, influencing the plot and character development.
Consider, for instance, the barren expanse of the desert in Jhumpa Lahiri’s The Namesake. The arid landscape mirrors the sense of isolation felt by the protagonist, Gogol, as he navigates his identity crisis in a foreign land. The relentless sun and vast sands are not mere descriptions; they are the silent witnesses to his inner turmoil.
On the other end of the literary spectrum, there is Arundhati Roy’s The God of Small Things. The lush, vibrant Kerala backwaters are not just the setting; they are a character woven into the fabric of the story. The teeming, humid landscape reflects the complex web of human relationships and secrets that unravel in the narrative. This interplay is not confined to contemporary literature alone. In Shakespeare’s timeless tragedy Macbeth, the eerie and foreboding setting of the Scottish moors casts a dark shadow over the characters’ actions. The moors, shrouded in mist and mystery, serve as an ever-present omen of the impending tragedy. - The crisis of justice that is the subject matter of discussion in the media today is in fact the crisis of “justice for the middle class”. The main difference between India and the OECD (Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development) countries is that whereas the middle class in these countries has reasonable access to justice, in India it does not. A vocal and powerful middle class has emerged in India since 1991. It is demanding reasonable access to justice. Much of the judicial reform effort will help meet this demand…
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Yes, there were some apricot trees close to the house. There were clumps of iris that had finished blooming. There was the kitchen with a wing of smoke lifting out of its chimney and a stack of wood outside its door. But these were incidental, almost unimportant.
[Extracted, with edits and revisions, from “Fire on the Mountain” by Anita Desai] - English literature is a vast and diverse field that has left an indelible mark on the world of letters. From the eloquent plays of William Shakespeare to the complex novels of Jane Austen and the profound poetry of William Wordsworth, English literature offers a window into the human experience. One of the luminaries of English literature is William Shakespeare, often hailed as the greatest playwright in the history of English language. His works, including Hamlet, Macbeth, and Romeo and Juliet, are celebrated for their exploration of human nature, love, ambition, and tragedy. His characters, such as the tormented Hamlet and the star-crossed lovers Romeo and Juliet, continue to captivate readers and audiences worldwide.
The 19th century ushered in a new era of literary giants. Jane Austen’s novels, such as Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility, provide incisive social commentary through the lens of wit and romance. Austen’s heroines, like Elizabeth Bennet and Elinor Dashwood, remain beloved literary figures known for their intelligence and resilience. The Romantic era brought forth poets like William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge, who celebrated * 8 UG the beauty of nature and the emotional intensity of the individual. Wordsworth’s ‘‘I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud’’ and Coleridge’s ‘‘The Rime of the Ancient Mariner’’ are testament to the power of the written words to evoke profound emotions and imagery. Moving towards 20th century, English literature continued to evolve. Virginia Woolf’s ground-breaking novel Mrs. Dalloway explored the inner thoughts and lives of its characters with a modernist narrative style. Dystopian visions, as seen in George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four provided stark warnings about the dangers of totalitarianism and the erosion of individual freedom.
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Centuries hence you will find Indian children brought up to this spot, just as they visit now the Cawnpore Well, and you can imagine the feelings of these Indians for generations over this terrible business.
[Col. Wedgwood, MP, speaking in the British Parliament, 22 December 1919]
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