The Value of Work – Case-based Questions with Answers
CBSE Class 6 — Social Science
Theme E — Economic Life Around Us • Chapter 13: The Value of Work
Class 6
Subject: Social Science
Topic: The Value of Work
CBSE Board Exam Note: 20 Case-Based Questions with clear NCERT-aligned answers for application-based learning and revision.
Chapter 13
The Value of Work — Types, Professions & Importance
Case-Based Questions (Topic-wise)
Case: A village market lacks a reliable tailor, forcing residents to travel far.
Q1. Which local profession could solve this problem and how would it benefit the community?
A1. A skilled tailor can set up a small shop providing clothing repair and tailoring. Benefits: saves travel time and cost, supports local employment, keeps money circulating locally and helps residents access timely clothing repairs.
Case: A farmer's crop yields are low due to lack of irrigation knowledge.
Q2. What type of work or training could help improve yields and income?
A2. Agricultural extension services and vocational training in modern farming techniques would help. Learning irrigation methods, use of quality seeds and crop rotation raises productivity and income, improving livelihoods and food security.
Case: A town has no regular medical clinic and people travel far for basic care.
Q3. Which professions should the municipality encourage locally and why?
A3. Encourage hiring of a primary-care doctor, nurse and lab technician. Local healthcare improves access, early diagnosis, reduces travel costs and prevents minor problems from becoming serious, improving community health.
Case: Many youngsters leave a town seeking jobs in the city.
Q4. How can promoting local skilled trades reduce migration?
A4. Offering vocational training (carpentry, plumbing, tailoring) and supporting small businesses creates local employment. This keeps talent in town, reduces urban pressure, and builds a local economy with diverse services.
Case: A riverside area faces pollution because waste is dumped into the water.
Q5. Which jobs and actions are needed to address this environmental problem?
A5. Sanitation workers, waste-management planners and awareness educators are needed. Actions: regular waste collection, community awareness campaigns, and establishing recycling or safe disposal prevent pollution and protect health.
Case: A local craftsperson makes handmade baskets but cannot find buyers beyond the village.
Q6. Suggest ways to improve market access for artisans.
A6. Use cooperatives, online platforms and tie-ups with urban shops. Training in quality, packaging and pricing, plus cooperative marketing and participation in fairs, helps artisans reach wider markets and increase income.
Case: A roadside food vendor lacks safe drinking water and hygiene facilities.
Q7. Which municipal services and community roles are important to support such vendors?
A7. Municipal provision of clean water, waste collection and toilets is crucial. Health workers can train vendors on hygiene. This safeguards public health and helps vendors run safer businesses.
Case: Children in an area do odd jobs instead of attending school.
Q8. How does child labour harm future work opportunities and what interventions help?
A8. Child labour prevents education and skills-building, trapping families in low-paid work. Interventions: ensure free schooling, provide mid-day meals, financial support to families and enforcement of child labour laws to allow children to study and gain better future employment.
Case: A factory automates a process, reducing the need for some manual workers.
Q9. What measures can help affected workers adapt to this change?
A9. Offer re-skilling and vocational training in machine operation or maintenance, help in job placement and provide short-term income support. This helps workers transition into new roles and reduces unemployment.
Case: A community wants better roads but lacks funds.
Q10. How can public works programs help and what employment benefits do they provide?
A10. Public works create jobs for local labourers while building infrastructure (roads, drainage). They provide immediate wages, improve transport and market access, and have long-term benefits for economic activity and livelihoods.
Case: A coastal town faces declining fish catches affecting fisherfolk income.
Q11. What combination of jobs and policies could stabilize livelihoods for fisher communities?
A11. Support fishing cooperatives, provide training in sustainable fishing, diversify skills (boat repair, cold storage management), and enforce resource management policies. Diversification and community organisation stabilize incomes and protect resources.
Case: A small grocery shop struggles because customers prefer big supermarkets in the city.
Q12. How can small retailers compete and what role does local governance play?
A12. Small retailers can focus on personalised service, local delivery, and stocking local produce. Municipalities can support through local markets, promotion, and simplifying licences to help small shops thrive against big competitors.
Case: A worker in a brick kiln faces unsafe conditions and no protective gear.
Q13. Which stakeholders should act to improve safety and what immediate steps are needed?
A13. Employers, labour inspectors and local NGOs should act. Immediate steps: provide protective gear, enforce safety regulations, offer first-aid training and ensure access to health services to prevent injuries and improve working conditions.
Case: A village with many women working at home wants to increase their incomes.
Q14. What interventions can raise household-based workers’ earnings?
A14. Provide skill training, organise women into producer groups, improve access to raw materials and create market linkages. Microcredit and marketing support help scale up home-based enterprises and improve incomes.
Case: A street is often congested by vendors and customers, causing accidents.
Q15. How can municipalities balance vendor livelihoods and public safety?
A15. Designate vending zones, create organised market spaces, provide basic facilities and enforce safety norms. Consult vendors in planning so livelihoods are protected while keeping streets safe and accessible.
Case: An artisan group produces excellent goods but lacks packaging and branding.
Q16. How would improving product presentation affect their sales and work value?
A16. Better packaging and branding increase perceived value, allow higher prices, and open new markets. Training in design and marketing raises incomes and helps artisans professionalise their craft.
Case: A school needs more practical training for students to learn trades.
Q17. Which types of local work placements and training should schools arrange?
A17. Arrange visits and apprenticeships with local electricians, carpenters, tailors and farmers. Short vocational courses and hands-on projects equip students with practical skills and expose them to local work opportunities.
Case: A town's waste is collected but dumped in a nearby field causing health issues.
Q18. What integrated roles do municipal workers, planners and residents play to fix this?
A18. Municipal planners must plan safe disposal and recycling; sanitation workers must collect and segregate waste; residents must segregate at source and participate in cleanliness drives. Combined action ensures safe waste management and improves health.
Case: Young people show interest in digital jobs but lack basic computer skills.
Q19. How can local institutions help youths gain digital skills and access new types of work?
A19. Set up computer labs, run short IT and digital literacy courses, partner with local businesses for internships, and provide career counselling so youth can access online and tech-related work opportunities.
Case: A community wants to support elderly workers who can’t perform heavy labour anymore.
Q20. Suggest alternative work options and social supports for elderly or disabled workers.
A20. Provide lighter roles (mentorship, handicraft, bookkeeping), social pensions, health support and flexible hours. Community cooperatives can include elderly workers in suitable tasks, preserving dignity and income.
These case-based questions and answers are NCERT-aligned and designed for CBSE Class 6 revision and classroom discussion. Use them to practise application-based thinking about the value of work.