The Value of Work
“When you are doing any work, do not think of anything beyond. Do it as worship…” — Swami Vivekananda
- What are the different types of activities that people engage in?
- What is their contribution to our everyday lives?
Intext Questions
| Character in the story | Activities they are engaged in |
|---|---|
| Geeta Aunty | Works as a pilot in the Indian Air Force |
| Kabir’s grandfather | Gives free Geography classes to neighbourhood kids; tends the vegetable garden; runs errands for the home |
| Anu’s parents (Appa & Maa) | Run a shop that sells uniforms and ready-made garments |
| Maa (Anu’s mother) | Volunteers with a group that teaches stitching to women in the community |
| Rohan (Anu’s brother) | Works as a software engineer; on weekends volunteers to teach computer skills to young adults |
An activity is economic if it is done for money or money’s worth, and non-economic if it is done out of love, care, gratitude or respect without earning any income.
| Character | Activity | Economic / Non-economic |
|---|---|---|
| Geeta Aunty | Pilot in the Air Force (gets a salary) | Economic |
| Grandfather | Free Geography classes for kids | Non-economic |
| Grandfather | Tending the vegetable garden / running errands | Non-economic |
| Anu’s parents | Running the garments shop | Economic |
| Maa | Volunteering to teach stitching | Non-economic |
| Rohan | Working as a software engineer (salary) | Economic |
| Rohan | Volunteering to teach computer skills | Non-economic |
| Activity / Profession | Example of money-related value creation | Creates money value? |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Baker | Bakes and sells bread and cakes for a price | ✓ |
| 2. Tailor | Stitches clothes and charges for the work | ✓ |
| 3. Farmers repairing their own tractor | Done for their own use — no money is exchanged | × |
| 4. Doctor | Treats patients and charges a fee | ✓ |
| 5. Parents cooking dinner for their family | Done out of love — no income earned | × |
| 6. Scientist | Does research for a salary | ✓ |
| 7. Person caring for a sick grandparent | Done out of care — no income earned | × |
| 8. Barber (added) | Cuts and styles hair for a charge | ✓ |
| 9. Bus driver (added) | Drives passengers and earns a wage/salary | ✓ |
(a) It is a non-economic activity. The grandfather teaches for free, out of love and a wish to help — he earns no money from it. A school teacher does the same kind of work (teaching), but it is that teacher’s job, for which they receive a salary. So the school teacher’s teaching is an economic activity. The activity is the same; what makes the difference is whether it is done for payment.
(b) Some non-economic activities important to a family include:
- Parents cooking meals and helping children with homework.
- Taking care of grandparents or a sick family member.
- Cleaning the house and doing chores together.
- Celebrating festivals and helping neighbours.
They are valuable because they are done out of love, care and respect. Even though no money is earned, they keep the family happy and healthy, build strong relationships, teach good values and improve everyone’s quality of life.
| Economic activity seen on the way | How the person is paid |
|---|---|
| Shopkeeper selling goods | Profit (price above cost) |
| Vegetable / fruit vendor | Money for produce sold |
| Auto, bus or taxi driver | Fare / wage / salary |
| Doctor at a clinic | Fee |
| Coaching / tuition teacher | Fee or salary |
| Construction worker | Daily wage |
| Cobbler / mechanic | Charge for the service |
So people are paid in different ways — through a salary, wage, fee, profit, or sometimes payment in kind (in goods).
(a) Common community practices include cleanliness drives, langar or community kitchens, blood-donation and health camps, tree-plantation drives, and people coming together to help during weddings, festivals or a disaster.
(b) Yes, these are non-economic activities — people do them out of togetherness, joy and devotion, not for money. They still hold great value because they build unity and friendship, share happiness, preserve our culture and strengthen community bonds.
(c) Examples: a Swachh Bharat cleanliness drive, a Van Mahotsav tree-plantation, or a health/awareness camp organised by the school or locality. During these, one observes that people cooperate and work together happily, the area becomes cleaner and greener, and everyone develops a sense of responsibility and belonging.
Questions, Activities & Projects
| Basis | Economic activities | Non-economic activities |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Done for money or money’s worth | Done without earning any income |
| Motive | To earn a living / generate income & wealth | Out of love, care, gratitude or respect |
| Money involved | Yes | No |
| Examples | A pilot, shopkeeper, doctor, farmer selling produce, factory worker | Cooking for the family, caring for grandparents, free teaching, seva |
People engage in a wide range of economic activities, which mainly involve:
- Producing goods — a carpenter making furniture, a factory worker assembling cars, a baker making bread.
- Providing services — a doctor, teacher, lawyer, driver or software engineer.
- Buying and selling — a shopkeeper, a vegetable vendor, a trader in the market.
- Working for wages or salary — an office worker, a farm labourer, a post-office employee.
An important idea within economic activities is value addition — value is added at each stage of turning something into another form. Take Rajesh, the carpenter:
That extra ₹400 is the monetary value of Rajesh’s skill, time and effort — he added value to the wood by turning it into furniture. Every such step, from buying the wood to selling the chair, involves payment, so all of it is part of economic activity.
This statement is completely true. Community service activities such as seva — langars (community kitchens), cleanliness drives, teaching the needy for free, caring for the sick, and tree-plantation drives — do not earn money, yet they create enormous social value.
- They help people in need without expecting anything in return.
- They build a sense of unity, gratitude and satisfaction in society.
- They keep our surroundings clean, green and healthy (e.g. Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, Van Mahotsav).
- They improve the overall quality of life for everyone.
Because such people contribute to social welfare selflessly, they are deeply respected and valued by society.
People are compensated for economic activities in several ways:
| Way of payment | What it means | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Salary | A fixed regular payment, usually monthly, from an employer | A pilot, software engineer, post-office employee |
| Wage | Payment for a specific period of work, often daily | A farm labourer’s daily wage |
| Fee | Payment for professional advice or services | A doctor, lawyer or tuition teacher |
| Profit | The gain from selling goods above their cost | A shopkeeper; Rajesh selling furniture |
| Payment in kind | A non-cash payment received in goods | Sahil paid partly in mangoes for tilling land |