Employment patterns during 1947–1991 showed limited diversification. Which sector employed the largest share of India’s workforce throughout this period?

Correct option is C

Correct Answer: (c)
Explanation
· Throughout the period from 1947 to 1991, Agriculture (the primary sector) employed the largest share of India's workforce.
· At the time of independence (around 1950-51), approximately 72-74% of the workforce was engaged in agriculture.
· By 1991, despite industrialization efforts, this share had only marginally declined to roughly 60-65%, indicating a very slow shift of labor from agriculture to other sectors.
Information Booster
· This phenomenon highlights a lack of structural transformation in employment. While the agricultural sector's contribution to GDP fell significantly during this period, its share of employment remained disproportionately high.
· This situation creates disguised unemployment, where more people are working on farms than is actually necessary.
Additional Knowledge
· Services Sector (a): While this sector grew rapidly in terms of GDP contribution, it did not generate a commensurate number of jobs during this period ("jobless growth").
· Secondary Sector (b): The industrial sector expanded, but due to a focus on capital-intensive heavy industries (Mahalanobis model), it failed to absorb the surplus labor from agriculture.
· Infrastructure (d): Usually categorized under the secondary (construction) or tertiary (transport/energy) sectors, it was not the largest employer on its own.