What is Urban Livelihood?
India is recognized as an agricultural country for over decades now. A majority of Indian GDP is primarily generated in urban areas. The prime reason behind this is that the concentration of capital in these areas. Urban areas are the hub of opportunities for every individual. Occupation in urban areas in India is vast, and thus, it comes as no surprise that urban areas receive most of the Indian GDP. That being said, there are distinguishing types of urban livelihood that you might come across in India. Let’s explore these urban livelihood types to learn in-depth about urban livelihood.
What is Urban Livelihood?
Urban areas, in a nutshell, are defined as areas where modernization took place. These areas generally consist of an extensive population. For instance, metropolitan cities such as Bangalore, New Delhi, Mumbai, and so on are urban areas. Livelihood, on the other hand, is simply defined as the lifestyle of an individual or their occupation. Thus, the civics chapter on rural and urban livelihood covers the basic details into distinguishing forms of urban livelihood. You will learn about the lifestyles of different people, jobs available in the industry, and the functioning of different urban areas or cities.
Types of Urban Livelihoods
Urban Livelihood of Street Workers
In cities and towns, you might often come across several individuals working in the streets. For instance, ice-cream sellers, vegetable vendors, rickshaw pullers, cobblers, and so on, are some of the working individuals that you may stumble across on streets. These are recognized as self-employed individuals. Moreover, they don’t work in permanent shops. Their occupation is carried out from anywhere and anywhere. While some of these individuals move around in cycles, some of them live and maintain their work in shacks. About a majority of these workers briefly migrate from rural areas to earn money for a living and provide for their family.
Self Employed Business
Another type of urban livelihood is those of the self-employed business. Clothe stores, cafes, medicine shops, and other such businesses are run by self-employed businesses. These are individuals that establish their own organizations. Several businessmen are even worth billions. For instance, businesses that established multinational corporations and even other small business owners. These businesses are categorized into the organized sector and unorganized sector. When it comes to occupation in urban areas, organized sector businessmen are those whose businesses and accounts are monitored. In unorganized sectors, small businesses invest money on their own and make profits steadily.
Organized Sector Workers
Most of the urban livelihood falls into this category of working professionals. For instance, civil engineers, doctors, and marketing managers are some of the workers that fall into this category. They are bound to earn the maximum salary annually in the city. However, they don’t work on hourly wages like that of labourers. These workers have access to a wide range of perks, unlike the factory labourers. Some of these perks may be medical insurance, the company’s retirement plan, paid leaves; and so on. Due to this, these types of jobs are in extreme demand. Cities consist of the rich and the poor. This extreme gap that coexists in urban livelihoods is rather unfortunate and saddening.
Factory Workers
Lastly, urban Livelihoods also consist of factory workers. These individuals aren’t formally employed. Due to this, they briefly are categorized into the unorganized sector. While you now know what is urban livelihood, factory workers are solely unofficially employed individuals for urban livelihood occupation. Occupation in urban areas is vast and comprehensive. Factory workers work at the convenience of the employer. They further earn a drastically small amount of income for the work they do. Labourers that lift Harvey packages, sewers in clothes factories, etc., are some examples of this type of urban livelihood.
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Solved Examples
1. For registering for a Trade Union, how many Persons are required?
About a minimum of seven workers of an organization are allowed to form a trade union and further apply for the registration to the registrar. While registration of trade unions is not mandatory, it is considerate since registered trade unions have access to specific privileges and rights under the act.
2. What is Labour Chowki?
Labour Chowki, in simple terms, is a platform or a place where the daily wage labourers have to wait with their respective tools. Herein, employers come and hire these daily wage labourers for work.
3. How would the Patwari have resolved the dispute between Raghu and Mohan?
The patwari would have primarily measured Raghu and Mohan's fields, after which he would have made a comparison between them to calculate the exact measurements of the fields. If these measurements did not match, the patwari could get clarity into the fact that the boundary of both the fields was altered.
FAQs on Urban Livelihoods in India
1. What do you mean by urban livelihoods, and can you give some examples?
Urban livelihoods refer to the various jobs and professions people undertake to earn a living in cities and towns. Unlike rural areas, which are dominated by farming, urban areas offer a wide range of employment opportunities. These can range from working in an office to selling goods on the street. Examples include doctors, engineers, factory workers, street vendors, shopkeepers, rickshaw pullers, and marketing managers.
2. What are the main types of occupations found in urban areas according to the Class 6 NCERT syllabus?
In urban areas, livelihoods can be broadly categorised into four main types:
- Street Workers: These are self-employed individuals who sell goods or services on the streets, like vegetable vendors, cobblers, and rickshaw pullers. They often lack a permanent place of work.
- Self-employed Businesspersons: These individuals own their own shops or businesses, such as a pharmacy, a restaurant, or a clothing store. Their scale can range from small to very large.
- Casual Factory Workers: These workers are employed in factories or workshops on a temporary basis. They are paid daily or hourly wages and have little job security.
- Organised Sector Workers: These are people with permanent, regular jobs who receive a monthly salary and other benefits. Examples include teachers, bank employees, and company managers.
3. What is the difference between a permanent worker and a casual worker in a city?
The main difference lies in job security and benefits. A permanent worker, often part of the organised sector, has a regular job, receives a fixed monthly salary, and is entitled to benefits like paid leave, medical facilities, and a provident fund for retirement. In contrast, a casual worker has no job security, is employed only when work is available, gets paid daily wages, and does not receive benefits like paid holidays or healthcare.
4. Why do many people migrate from villages to cities in search of a livelihood?
People migrate from villages to cities for several reasons, primarily driven by economic factors. In rural areas, work, especially in farming, is often seasonal, which means there isn't enough income to support a family throughout the year. Cities, on the other hand, are perceived to offer a wider variety of job opportunities and the potential for higher and more regular earnings. This search for better and more consistent work is the main reason for migration.
5. What are the common challenges faced by street vendors in India?
Street vendors face numerous challenges in their daily lives. Some of the most common ones include:
- Lack of a permanent place: They often have to set up their temporary stalls on pavements and can be asked to move at any time.
- No Job Security: Their income is not fixed and depends entirely on daily sales, which can fluctuate.
- Harassment: They sometimes face issues with local authorities or police.
- Competition: There is high competition from other vendors as well as permanent shops.
- Lack of Storage: They often lack proper facilities to store their goods safely overnight.
6. How does the work-life of a casual factory worker compare with that of a permanent office employee?
The work-life of these two individuals is vastly different. A casual factory worker is part of the unorganised sector. They work long hours for daily wages, have no guarantee of work the next day, and lack benefits like paid leave or medical insurance. Their workplace might also be unsafe. Conversely, a permanent office employee works in the organised sector. They have fixed working hours, receive a monthly salary, enjoy job security, get paid holidays, and are covered by health and retirement benefits, leading to a much more stable and secure life.
7. Explain the difference between being self-employed and being a wage worker in an urban area.
Being self-employed means you are your own boss. You run your own business or service, like a shopkeeper, a tailor, or a street vendor. You invest your own money, organise the work, and your income is the profit you make. A wage worker, on the other hand, works for someone else. They are employed by an individual or a company and earn a fixed income in the form of a salary (monthly) or wages (daily/hourly).
8. How does the 'organised sector' provide better security to workers compared to the 'unorganised sector'?
The organised sector provides better security because it is registered with the government and must follow its laws and regulations, such as the Factories Act and Minimum Wages Act. This legal framework ensures that workers get job security, a regular monthly salary, and fixed working hours. They are also entitled to crucial benefits like provident fund (pension), paid leave, and medical insurance. The unorganised sector is not registered and does not have to follow these rules, leaving workers vulnerable with low wages, no job security, and no benefits.
9. Who was Bachchu Manjhi, and what does his story from the NCERT textbook teach us about urban livelihoods?
Bachchu Manjhi is a cycle-rickshaw puller featured in the Class 6 NCERT chapter on Urban Livelihoods. He migrated to the city from a village in Bihar because he could not get regular work as a mason. His story illustrates the struggles of millions of migrant workers in the unorganised sector. It highlights challenges such as low and uncertain daily earnings, poor living conditions in rented rooms, and the pain of living away from his family to support them financially.
10. Besides earning money, what other factors might influence a person's choice of livelihood in a city?
While earning money is the primary motive, other factors also play a crucial role. A person's education and skills largely determine the kind of jobs they can get; for example, a highly educated person might become a doctor or engineer. Other factors include having a family business to join, personal interests and passions, and the specific opportunities available in that city. Some cities are hubs for technology, while others are centres for trade, influencing the types of livelihoods available.
