Revision sheet · night-before
The Value of Work
Read top to bottom — it follows the order of the chapter. Tick each section off as you finish it.
1 · Economic vs non-economic
The most examined comparison in the chapterLearn this table by heart.
| ECONOMIC | NON-ECONOMIC | |
|---|---|---|
| Involves | Money / money's worth | No payment |
| Done out of | Exchange, profession, employment | Gratitude, love, care, respect |
| Examples | Pilot's salary, shop, software job, carpentry | Free tutoring, cooking for family, volunteering |
Watch outThe same person can do both — e.g. Rohan's paid software job (economic) + his weekend volunteering (non-economic).
2 · Ways people get paid
| Term | Means | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Salary | Fixed, regular (usually monthly) | Kavya's aunt (post office), uncle (construction) |
| Fee | For professional advice/services | Aunt's online exam-prep classes (weekly fee) |
| Wage | For a specific period of work | Sahil, the farm labourer (daily wage) |
| Payment in kind | Non-cash payment | Sahil receiving mangoes as part of his pay |
3 · Value addition — Rajesh's chair
Wood costs ₹600 → chair sells for ₹1,000 → ₹400 value added (Rajesh's skill, time, effort)
Value addition = the extra monetary value created at each stage of turning something into another form.
4 · The worksheet check
| Creates monetary value | Does NOT |
|---|---|
| Tailor, Doctor, Scientist, Police, Pilot | Farmer repairing own tractor, parent cooking family dinner, person caring for a sick grandparent |
The dividing line is always: was payment exchanged?
5 · Sevā and non-economic value
- Sevā = selfless service — temples, gurudwaras, mosques, churches.
- Langar = community kitchen (e.g. Golden Temple) serving free food to every visitor.
- Fosters satisfaction and gratitude; contributes to society without expecting anything in return.
6 · Community power
| Initiative | What it is |
|---|---|
| Swachh Bharat Abhiyan | Collective effort to keep surroundings clean — homes, streets, parks |
| Van Mahotsav | 'Festival of forests' — community tree-plantation drives |
7 · Ten facts most likely to be asked
- Economic = involves money/money's worth; non-economic = no payment
- Market = place of exchange of goods/services
- Fee = paid for professional services (doctor, lawyer)
- Salary = fixed, regular, usually monthly
- Wage = pay for a specific period of work
- Payment in kind = non-cash payment
- Rajesh's chair: ₹600 wood → ₹1,000 sale → ₹400 value added
- Sevā = selfless service; langar = free community kitchen
- Swachh Bharat Abhiyan = cleanliness; Van Mahotsav = tree planting
- Non-economic activities boost social welfare, wellbeing, quality of life
Common mistakes to avoid
Don't lose marks here
- Saying Geeta Aunty's piloting is "non-economic" because she "serves the country" — she is paid a salary, so it's economic.
- Mixing up salary (regular, monthly) with wage (for a specific period) — they are not the same thing.
- Forgetting that payment in kind still counts as pay, even though it's not cash.
- Thinking non-economic activities have "no value" — the chapter explicitly says they matter for social welfare and wellbeing.
- Getting the value-addition subtraction backwards — it's selling price minus cost, not the other way round.
- Forgetting that one person can do both an economic job and a non-economic (volunteer) activity.