Question

Direction: Read the following scenario and answer the THREE questions that follow.
Dhan, a poor but enterprising 15-year-old, resided in the world’s largest slum in a metropolitan city, along with her widowed mother. The densely packed slum housed about a million people, mostly in rickety one room tenements, connected by labyrinthine lanes and by-lanes. Dhan’s mother worked intermittently as a daily wager in a small savoury factory. For a 15-year-old, Dhan’s life was hectic. She spends two hours every day in fetching water for the household, packing breakfast and lunch for her mother. In addition, she had to prepare supper. On her mother’s insistence, Dhan also attended an evening bridge school run by an NGO. Dhan’s dream was to provide a comfortable life to her mother and take her family out of poverty. Of late, Dhan observed that the customers to a nearby tea-cum-savoury stall (TCS), were mostly the slum dwellers, who thronged the stall for its low prices and lack of alternatives. Further, Dhan gathered that the TCS could not cater to all of its customers, and the owner still made a neat Rs.800 profit per day. Dhan saw that a probable first step towards her family’s economic independence could be to own her own TCS.
From the following, choose the BEST option that will increase Dhan’s chances of realising her dream of starting a venture?

• A. Request mother to stop working and be a partner in the new venture
• B. Hire someone at Rs.10 per day to fetch water for the household
• C. Request mother to pack her own breakfast and lunch
• D. Stop going to the bridge school
• E. Request mother to fetch water for the household

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

In this scenario, Dhan is a 15-year-old with a hectic daily schedule who dreams of economically uplifting her family by starting her own tea-cum-savoury stall. The main task is to choose the best option that increases Dhan's chances of starting her venture successfully.

1. Understanding the Options:
   • Request mother to stop working and be a partner in the new venture: Involving Dhan's mother in the business could provide additional workforce and wisdom gained from her experience in a savoury factory, directly contributing to the venture's initial operations.
   • Hire someone at Rs.10 per day to fetch water for the household: This option reduces Dhan's burden but incurs a regular expense, which may not be sustainable or beneficial for starting a new business.
   • Request mother to pack her own breakfast and lunch: Although this may save Dhan a bit of time, it does not significantly impact the venture's success.
   • Stop going to the bridge school: Education through the bridge school can be invaluable for Dhan's personal and professional development, and stopping it might hinder her growth.
   • Request mother to fetch water for the household: This merely shifts the responsibility without addressing the core goal of starting a business.
2. Analysis:
   • The goal is to initiate the business as a step toward economic independence.
   • Partnering with her mother allows balancing responsibilities and leveraging existing knowledge and skills from the savoury factory, offering a practical foundation for the new venture.
   • In relation to the other options, this approach directly affects the establishment and operation of the TCS, while others primarily focus on daily activities or sacrifices which do not substantially support the business goal.
3. Conclusion:
   • The most advantageous decision for Dhan to realize her dream better aligns her resources and support structure to initiate and sustain the new TCS business effectively.
   • Therefore, the best option is to request her mother to stop working and be a partner in the new venture.

Answer 2

To determine the best option for Dhan to increase her chances of realizing the dream of starting her own tea-cum-savoury stall (TCS), let's analyze each option:

1. Request mother to stop working and be a partner in the new venture: This option allows for pooling resources and efforts. Dhan's mother, with her experience in a savoury factory, could contribute valuable skills and time to the new venture, potentially doubling the manpower and expertise available.
2. Hire someone at Rs.10 per day to fetch water for the household: While this may save Dhan some time, it incurs an additional cost and does not directly help in setting up or running the TCS.
3. Request mother to pack her own breakfast and lunch: Although this could free up some of Dhan's time, it doesn't provide any financial or operational advantage directly related to starting the TCS.
4. Stop going to the bridge school: Education is crucial for Dhan's personal development and future success. Ceasing her education could have long-term negative effects, outweighing any potential short-term gains.
5. Request mother to fetch water for the household: This redistributes some of Dhan's tasks, but similar to option 2, it doesn't contribute directly to establishing the TCS.

The best strategic option involves leveraging both the skills and available time of Dhan and her mother. Therefore, the optimal choice is:

Request mother to stop working and be a partner in the new venture.