2021 · GS Paper 1 · Q10 · 10 marks
Examine the role of 'Gig Economy' in the process of empowerment of women in India.
In short
The gig economy empowers Indian women by offering flexible hours around care work, their own income and entry into new occupations, but precarity, algorithmic control, safety risks and the digital divide limit that gain. NITI Aayog (2022) projected 2.35 crore gig workers by 2029-30.
Model answer
Ghissu Editorial · Verified 4 Oct 2026 · 278 words
Work around care
Flexible hours let women combine paid work with unpaid care, which the Time Use Survey 2024 shows still falls mostly on them.
Financial inclusion
Payouts into their own bank accounts build savings, credit history and bargaining power at home.
New domains
Women delivery partners, bike-taxi riders and Urban Company beauticians turn skills into income and challenge mobility norms.
Low entry barriers
A smartphone and short training replace the networks formal jobs demand, opening work to women in smaller towns.
Precarity repackaged
As "partners", women lack maternity benefit, paid leave and minimum wages.
Algorithmic control
Ratings and penalties for refusing late-night jobs hit women hardest, as Fairwork India's ratings repeatedly flag.
Safety and access
Night travel risks harassment, and only about 33% of women had ever used the internet (NFHS-5, 2019-21).
Emerging safeguards
The Code on Social Security, 2020, in force since November 2025, recognises gig workers, and Rajasthan (2023) and Karnataka (2025) have welfare boards.
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This chapter in the exam
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Question from the official UPSC Civil Services (Main) Examination 2021 paper. Answer written by Ghissu's engine and checked against our editorial standards. Found an error? Tell us and we correct it within 48 hours.