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

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.