What uniform-related work did Anu and Kabir's parents do?

They ran a shop selling uniforms and ready-made garments

What did Geeta Aunty's grandfather do after retirement?

He provided free geography classes to neighbourhood kids, tended the garden, and ran errands at home

He became a government official

What does Kabir observe about the uniforms worn by Geeta Aunty and her grandfather?

The colour of the uniforms is different (IAF vs BSF)

Geeta Aunty does not wear a uniform

Kabir's grandfather also wears a uniform

What does Geeta Aunty's mother contribute to beyond her regular work?

She contributes to a voluntary group that teaches knitting to women in the community

What does the chapter suggest about different types of work in society?

All types of work—paid and unpaid, skilled and unskilled, in uniform or not—contribute to society's functioning

Only high-paying jobs are important

Why is unpaid work like caring for family or volunteering also valuable to society?

Unpaid work provides essential support, community services, and social bonds that paid work alone cannot supply, making it indispensable to society's well-being

Only paid work contributes to society

Volunteering is only for the unemployed

How does the example of Geeta Aunty illustrate the concept of dignity of labour?

Her work is more important than others'

Geeta Aunty's work as an IAF pilot is valued, but the chapter equally values her grandfather's free teaching, her parents' shop, and her mother's volunteering—all contributions are respected

Only Geeta Aunty's work is dignified

Military work is the only dignified work

What does Swami Vivekananda mean by 'Do it as worship'?

Only religious rituals are worship

When you dedicate yourself fully to any work with sincerity and devotion, it becomes a form of worship—bringing meaning and excellence to everything you do

Physical labour is more holy than mental work

Work should only be done in temples

How does the division between economic and non-economic activity affect how we value different types of work?

Both are equally valued in economic systems

Economic systems tend to reward and measure economic activities monetarily, often undervaluing or overlooking non-economic contributions like caregiving, volunteering, and community service

Economic activities are always more important

Non-economic activities are invisible in society

Why might society struggle if only economic activities were counted as 'work'?

Non-economic activities like childcare, elder care, teaching, and community volunteering hold society together; ignoring them would undervalue the people who perform them and the services they provide

Non-economic work is easily replaceable

How does the story in the chapter show that work spans across generations in a family?

The story shows grandfather's retired service and current volunteering, parents' shop, and Geeta Aunty's active service—illustrating that different generations contribute to society through different forms of work

Only the parents' work counts in the family

What does the phrase 'pride of the whole town' regarding Geeta Aunty suggest about how society values certain types of work?

The town does not respect her work

Society often publicly honours visible, uniform-based service roles; the chapter invites us to equally honour less visible but equally vital forms of work

Only military work deserves community recognition

How does volunteering contribute to community well-being?

Volunteering has no community impact

Volunteering fills gaps in services, builds community bonds, transmits skills (like knitting classes), and creates a culture of mutual help that strengthens social fabric

Only paid workers contribute to the community

Volunteering is less effective than paid work

Why might the chapter use examples of both men and women performing different types of work?

To illustrate that work is not gender-restricted—women and men both contribute across military, commercial, domestic, and community domains

Only women do non-economic work

What does the phrase 'tending to the vegetable garden' as a form of work suggest?

Even activities often considered leisure, like gardening, are productive forms of work when they contribute to the household or community

Gardening is only for elderly people

Analyse why the Indian economy would benefit from recognising and measuring unpaid work.

Unpaid work has no economic dimension

Recognising unpaid work (like caregiving and volunteering) in economic measurements reveals the true extent of labour in society, helps design better social policies, and validates the contributions of those who primarily do such work

Only GDP measures economic health

Unpaid work is already measured in India

How does the concept of 'work as worship' challenge the idea that high-paying jobs are more valuable than low-paying ones?

High-paying jobs are always more valuable

If any work done with full dedication is 'worship', then the dignity of work lies in one's commitment and contribution, not in salary—challenging hierarchies that rank jobs by pay

Pay determines the value of work

Work as worship applies only to religious work

How does the chapter's example of multiple family members performing different types of work reflect the complex nature of a modern economy?

Modern economies only need one type of worker

The examples show that a functioning society needs diverse contributions—professional service, small business, community service, and domestic work—each playing a different but vital role

Only professional jobs matter in modern economies

Small businesses are not part of the modern economy

What would be the social impact if people stopped doing voluntary and community work?

Community bonds would weaken, essential services would disappear or become unaffordable, and social inequalities would deepen as those who depend on voluntary services would have no support

Government can replace all voluntary work

Voluntary work is not essential

How does recognising the dignity of all forms of work contribute to social equality?

Dignity of work is only a moral concept

When all forms of work are valued equally, people are respected regardless of their occupation—reducing discrimination, improving self-esteem, and creating a more equitable society

Only skilled work deserves respect

Social equality is unrelated to how we value work

'In a just society, a street cleaner and a pilot are equally valued.' Do you agree? What changes would this require in society?

No, all work cannot be equally valued

Yes—a just society recognises that all work is essential; achieving this requires changing cultural attitudes, ensuring fair wages, providing social protections to workers of all kinds, and educating children to respect all occupations

Only technically skilled work deserves equal respect

A pilot's work is objectively more important

How should students today think about the relationship between career choice and contribution to society?

Career choice is only about earning money

Students should consider not just earning potential but how their chosen work contributes to the well-being of others—choosing work that aligns with both personal talent and social need

Only certain careers benefit society

Social contribution is not a factor in career choice

Why is it important for the national economy to move towards recognising and rewarding care work (childcare, elder care) as formal economic work?

Care work sustains the workforce and society; without formal recognition and compensation, it remains invisible and unsustainable, leading to burnout of caregivers (mostly women) and inadequate care for children and the elderly

Care work is only a personal responsibility

Only the market should decide work value

NCERT Solutions Class 6 Social Science Chapter 13 – The Value of Work

Name: The Value of Work – Class 6 Social Science
Uploaded: 2026-07-23T08:06:08+00:00
Description: Work can be economic (involving money) or non-economic (done out of care or service). Both add value — economic work supports livelihoods, while non-economic work builds families, communities, and social well-being.

Class 6 Social Science

Last Updated: 23 July 2026

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Chapter Introduction

Work can be economic (involving money) or non-economic (done out of care or service). Both add value — economic work supports livelihoods, while non-economic work builds families, communities, and social well-being.

हिंदी में (Hindi)

काम आर्थिक हो सकता है (जिसमें पैसा शामिल हो) या गैर-आर्थिक (जो देखभाल या सेवा के लिए किया जाता है)। दोनों ही मूल्य बढ़ाते हैं — आर्थिक काम आजीविका का समर्थन करता है, जबकि गैर-आर्थिक काम परिवारों, समुदायों और सामाजिक कल्याण का निर्माण करता है।

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Important Points

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Practice MCQ Questions (28 questions)

Q1. What is the difference between economic and non-economic activities?

Q2. Give one example of an economic activity mentioned in the chapter.

Q3. Give one example of a non-economic activity mentioned in the chapter.

Q4. What does Swami Vivekananda's quote 'Do any work as the highest worship' suggest?

Q5. What is the meaning of 'dignity of labour'?

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Tough Words (Glossary)

Worship

Meaning: The act of showing reverence or devotion

अर्थ: पूजा / उपासना

"She considered her work as a form of worship."

Devote

Meaning: To give time, energy, or effort to something

अर्थ: समर्पित करना

"He devoted his life to teaching children."

Uniform

Meaning: Special set of clothes worn by members of an organization

अर्थ: वर्दी

"The soldier wore his uniform with pride."

Retired

Meaning: Stopped working after reaching a certain age

अर्थ: सेवानिवृत्त

"My grandfather is retired from the army."

Errands

Meaning: Short trips to do tasks

अर्थ: छोटे-मोटे काम

"She ran errands for her family."

Garments

Meaning: Clothes or clothing items

अर्थ: वस्त्र / कपड़े

"The shop sells readymade garments."

Voluntary

Meaning: Done by free will, not by force

अर्थ: स्वेच्छा से

"He joined a voluntary group to help the poor."

Applications

Meaning: Computer programs designed for tasks

अर्थ: एप्लीकेशन / अनुप्रयोग

"The company makes mobile applications."

Development

Meaning: Growth or progress in a field

अर्थ: विकास

"He works in software development."

Neighbourhood

Meaning: Area around a person’s home

अर्थ: पड़ोस

"Children were playing in the neighbourhood park."

Volunteers

Meaning: People who work willingly without pay

अर्थ: स्वयंसेवक

"Many volunteers helped clean the beach."

Economic

Meaning: Related to money, trade, or wealth

अर्थ: आर्थिक

"Farming is an important economic activity."

Non-economic

Meaning: Not related to money or wealth

अर्थ: गैर-आर्थिक

"Helping your parents is a non-economic activity."

Transporting

Meaning: Carrying goods or people from one place to another

अर्थ: परिवहन करना

"The truck is transporting goods to the city."

Factory

Meaning: A building where goods are made

अर्थ: कारखाना

"The factory produces toys for children."

Salary

Meaning: Fixed regular payment for work

अर्थ: वेतन

"She earns a good salary as a teacher."

Volunteer

Meaning: To work freely without payment

अर्थ: स्वयंसेवा करना

"She volunteered to help at the hospital."

Construction

Meaning: Building of structures like roads or houses

अर्थ: निर्माण

"The construction of the bridge will take two years."

Technician

Meaning: A skilled worker in a technical field

अर्थ: तकनीशियन

"The technician repaired the computer."

Excavator

Meaning: A large machine for digging

अर्थ: खुदाई मशीन

"The excavator was used to dig the ground."

Bulldozer

Meaning: A machine used to push earth and stones

अर्थ: बुलडोज़र

"The bulldozer cleared the land."

Chores

Meaning: Regular household tasks

अर्थ: घरेलू काम

"She finished her morning chores quickly."

Employed

Meaning: Having a paid job

अर्थ: नियोजित

"He is employed in a bank."

Payment

Meaning: Money given for work or service

अर्थ: भुगतान

"He received payment for his hard work."

In kind

Meaning: Payment made in goods instead of money

अर्थ: वस्तु के रूप में भुगतान

"He received grains in kind for his work."

Value addition

Meaning: Increase in value by improving something

अर्थ: मूल्य संवर्धन

"Cooking food is a value addition to raw vegetables."

Carpenter

Meaning: A person who makes wooden items

अर्थ: बढ़ई

"The carpenter made a new chair."

Skill

Meaning: Ability to do something well

अर्थ: कौशल

"She has a skill in painting."

Effort

Meaning: Hard work to achieve something

अर्थ: प्रयास

"He put in a lot of effort to win the match."

Sevā

Meaning: Selfless service for others

अर्थ: सेवा

"Volunteers do sevā at the gurudwara."

Langar

Meaning: Free community meal in a gurudwara

अर्थ: लंगर

"We ate food at the langar."

Foster

Meaning: To encourage growth or development

अर्थ: प्रोत्साहित करना

"The teacher fostered creativity in students."

Gratitude

Meaning: Feeling of thankfulness

अर्थ: कृतज्ञता

"She expressed her gratitude for the help."

Collective

Meaning: Done by people acting together

अर्थ: सामूहिक

"The villagers took a collective decision."

Participation

Meaning: Taking part in something

अर्थ: भागीदारी

"Her participation in the debate was excellent."

Sanitation

Meaning: Measures for keeping places clean

अर्थ: स्वच्छता

"Proper sanitation prevents diseases."

Community

Meaning: Group of people living together

अर्थ: समुदाय

"Our community celebrated the festival together."

Awareness

Meaning: Knowledge or understanding of something

अर्थ: जागरूकता

"The campaign spread awareness about pollution."

Conservation

Meaning: Protecting and preserving resources

अर्थ: संरक्षण

"Tree plantation helps in forest conservation."

Initiative

Meaning: Action taken to solve a problem

अर्थ: पहल

"The government started a new health initiative."

Quality of life

Meaning: Standard of health, comfort and happiness

अर्थ: जीवन की गुणवत्ता

"Education improves quality of life."

Contribution

Meaning: Something given to help

अर्थ: योगदान

"He made a contribution to the charity."

Wellbeing

Meaning: State of being healthy and happy

अर्थ: कल्याण

"Exercise is important for wellbeing."

Prosperous

Meaning: Rich and successful

अर्थ: समृद्ध

"They live in a prosperous village."

Dedication

Meaning: Strong commitment to a task

अर्थ: समर्पण

"Her dedication to studies impressed everyone."

Recognition

Meaning: Public appreciation for achievements

अर्थ: मान्यता

"She got recognition for her good work."

Eliminate

Meaning: To completely remove

अर्थ: समाप्त करना

"The doctor advised to eliminate junk food."

Selfless

Meaning: Caring more for others than for oneself

अर्थ: निःस्वार्थ

"A mother’s love is always selfless."

Campaign

Meaning: Organized effort to achieve a goal

अर्थ: अभियान

"Students started a campaign against plastic."

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Ch 12: Grassroots Democracy Part 3 Local Government in Urban Areas

Ch 14: Economic Activities Around Us