Question

India's baffling array of state and national labor laws date to the 1940s: one provides for the type and number of spittoons in a factory. Another says an enterprise with more than 100 workers needs government permission to scale back or close. Many Indian businesses stay small in order to remain beyond the reach of the laws. Big firms use temporary workers to avoid them. Less than 15\% of Indian workers have legal job security. The new government can sidestep the difficult politics of curbing privileges by establishing a new, simpler labor contract that gives basic protection to workers but makes lay-offs less costly to firms. It would apply only to new hires; the small proportion of existing workers with gold-star protections would keep them. Which of the following options best summarizes the main idea of the paragraph?

• A. More Indian workers can get permanent jobs and legal job security if existing labor laws are reformed.
• B. Effective labor law reform can encourage many Indian businesses to grow to more than 100 workers.
• C. Outdated Indian labor laws need to be simplified to provide basic protection to workers and curb privileges.
• D. The difficult politics of curbing privileges can be avoided if the changes in the labor law only apply to the new hires.

Hint:

When asked for the "main idea," focus on the broad, central theme of the paragraph rather than secondary details or consequences. Look for repeated emphasis — here, on the outdated nature of labor laws and the need for simplification.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is C

Step 1: Identify the problem highlighted.
The paragraph begins by pointing out the outdated and complex nature of Indian labor laws dating back to the 1940s. Examples such as laws about spittoons and restrictions on firms with over 100 employees highlight how impractical and restrictive these laws have become. 

Step 2: Note the consequences of current laws.
The paragraph explains that businesses deliberately stay small or use temporary workers to escape these laws, and as a result, less than 15% of workers enjoy job security. 

Step 3: Observe the proposed solution.
The new government can simplify the labor contract system, offering basic protection to workers while reducing costs of lay-offs for firms. Importantly, this would apply only to new hires, leaving the existing workers' protections untouched. 

Step 4: Evaluate the options.
- (a) focuses only on job security, but the passage emphasizes simplification of laws, not merely permanent jobs.
- (b) suggests that reforms will encourage growth beyond 100 workers, but this is just one consequence, not the central theme.
- (c) directly captures the essence: outdated laws must be simplified to balance worker protection with reduced privileges. This matches the main idea.
- (d) refers to the strategy of applying reforms only to new hires, but this is a detail, not the main point.
\(\Rightarrow~\boxed{(c)~\text{Outdated Indian labor laws need to be simplified to provide basic}}\) 
\(\boxed{\text{protection to workers and curb privileges.}}\)