RAS question
According to the Economic Survey 2025-26, what is the female labour force participation rate (FLFPR) in 2023-24?
Correct answer: (C) 42%.
India's female labour force participation rate rose to 42 per cent in 2023-24, according to the Economic Survey 2025-26.
Explanation
The Economic Survey's point is not just the final number but the scale of the rise. Its Box XII.2 records that India's female labour force participation rate increased from 23.3 per cent in 2017-18 to 41.7 per cent in 2023-24. The MCQ rounds that 41.7 per cent figure to 42 per cent, making option C the correct answer. This also explains why option A is a trap: 23 per cent is the older 2017-18 level, not the 2023-24 level. The movement from about 23 per cent to about 42 per cent makes the rise a major Survey highlight.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) 23 per cent matches the older 2017-18 level and the Survey's 23.3 per cent figure, not the 2023-24 FLFPR.
- (B) 32 per cent understates the 2023-24 level because the Survey gives 41.7 per cent, which the MCQ rounds to 42 per cent.
- (D) 56 per cent is higher than the Survey-supported 2023-24 figure of 41.7 per cent and is not the FLFPR value asked here.
Concept
This tests Indian Economy through Economic Survey-based labour-market indicators, especially female labour force participation. It recurs in RAS because candidates must distinguish the latest reported value from an earlier baseline in the same trend.