UPSC Mains 2023 · GS III · Q12 · 15 marks · 250 words

Distinguish between ‘care economy’ and ‘monetized economy’. How can care economy be brought into monetized economy through women empowerment?

हिन्दी में

‘देखभाल अर्थव्यवस्था’ और ‘मुद्रीकृत अर्थव्यवस्था’ के बीच अंतर कीजिए। महिला सशक्तिकरण के द्वारा देखभाल अर्थव्यवस्था को मुद्रीकृत अर्थव्यवस्था में कैसे लाया जा सकता है?

How a topper answered the closest question

Toppers wrote this one in a test series: “Outlining the key characteristics of the care economy, discuss how India can better integrate the value of unpaid and underpaid care work into its economic framework.”

Dishant A NisarAIR 19 · CSE 2025 · 217 wordsTheir whole copy

Opening · a definition

Care economy signifies considering of unpaid care into economy which is up to 15% contribution to GDP if counted.

Body · points and prose

key characteristics →

  1. Informal participation → More than 30% workforce involved.
  2. Feminization of care economy → with women seen as care workers (Pink economy)
  3. Social security integrated into care economy → Better outcomes for 'geriatric care', Child rearing etc.
  4. Huge potential → silver economy (30% old aged by 2055)
  5. Has 'social capital' along with economic gains.
Diagram
- Challenges - 1) Informalization and feminization - 2) Lack of measurement framework - 3) Patriarchal society → difficult for reforms. - 4) Negative distortions in economy if counted as per scholars.

India → integrating value of unpaid and underpaid care in economic framework

  1. Arjun Sengupta committee → Social security beneficiary list to be prepared.

  2. Spending atlast 8% on care economy as compared to global 15% average. (India only 3%).

  3. Gig economy for carework → formalization → Grandpals app for elderly care.

  4. Recognize household care work into economy (Lata Wadhwa case → Supreme Court)

  5. Creating dynamic list and assigning economic values.

  6. Women empowerment → integrate into formal job roles (Labour force participation rate → 38%)

  7. Creating institutions for care providers → Reform labour laws

  8. Bring 'social security law' → Karnataka's social security for gig workers → similarly for care workers.

Close · a framework

Care economy integrated will not just lead to economic development but also inclusive development and women empowerment fulfilling DPSP's mandate.

2 more toppers’ answers to this question, part by part, and how they all approached it: open the question.

Source: UPSC, Civil Services (Main) Examination 2023, General Studies Paper III, Q12. The paper on upsc.gov.in. Themes and links to toppers’ answers are by UPSC Grade, not by UPSC.