The Gig Economy in India

Q1. What is the main critique of gig work flexibility as described in the passage?

1. Gig workers earn lower incomes than comparable employees
2. The flexibility is often illusory because platform algorithms control order allocation and penalise non-compliance with norms
3. Gig workers are required to purchase their own equipment, increasing their costs
4. Gig platforms charge excessive commissions that reduce workers’ effective earnings

Q2. According to the passage, why is the gig worker’s relationship with platforms described as resembling employment in its practical structure?

1. Because gig workers are entitled to the same benefits as employees under the Employees’ Provident Fund Act
2. Because platforms exercise significant de facto control over workers’ conditions, despite their classification as independent contractors
3. Because gig workers sign long-term contracts with platforms that mirror employment agreements
4. Because platform work is the primary source of income for most gig workers

Q3. The Rajasthan Platform Based Gig Workers Act, 2023, is significant because:

1. It granted gig workers full employee status, including all statutory employment protections
2. It was the first legislation in India specifically addressing the legal status and welfare of gig workers
3. It set a minimum wage for gig workers across all Indian platform companies
4. It required platforms to reclassify all workers as employees within five years

Q4. The welfare fund established under the Rajasthan Gig Workers Act is financed by:

1. A percentage of each gig worker’s earnings deducted at source
2. Direct government grants from the state budget
3. A levy on platform transactions
4. Contributions from employers who hire gig workers for extended periods

Q5. Which of the following would most strengthen the argument that gig workers should receive employment protections?

1. A study showing that gig workers earn more per hour than minimum wage employees
2. Evidence that platforms exercise detailed control over how gig workers perform their tasks, similar to employer direction
3. A finding that most gig workers prefer their flexible arrangement to traditional employment
4. Data showing that the gig economy has created more jobs than it has displaced

Q6. The passage describes the gig worker as a ‘platform-dependent independent contractor.’ This phrase is best described as:

1. A term of art from the Rajasthan Gig Workers Act defining a new legal category
2. An oxymoron that captures the contradiction between the worker’s legal classification (independent) and their practical dependence on the platform
3. A neutral description of the employment relationship as it currently exists in law
4. A pejorative term used by critics of the platform economy to undermine its legitimacy