NCERT Class 6 Polity Chapter 9 Urban Livelihoods notes explaining organised and unorganised sectors, street vendors, migration, and problems of urban poor.

Chapter 9: Urban livelihoods

These NCERT Class 6 Polity Chapter 9 notes explain how people earn their living in cities and towns through different types of jobs.
NCERT Class 6 Polity Chapter 9 – Urban Livelihoods helps students understand the difference between organised and unorganised sectors, with special focus on the lives of street vendors and urban poor.

This chapter highlights issues like migration, job insecurity, low wages, and lack of basic facilities, linking civics with urban economy and social justice.

1. Meaning of urban livelihood

  • Urban livelihood means the ways people earn a living in cities and towns
  • It includes work done in factories, offices, shops, and streets
  • Urban areas provide more job options than villages
  • Work in cities requires different skills
  • Income depends on market demand
  • Cities act like job markets where many occupations exist

2. Types of urban workers

  • Urban workers are divided into two broad groups
  • One group works in the organised sector
  • The other group works in the unorganised sector
  • The nature of work and income is very different in both sectors
  • Job security exists mainly in the organised sector
  • Most urban poor work in the unorganised sector

3. Organised sector

  • Organised sector includes jobs with fixed working hours
  • Workers get a regular monthly salary
  • Jobs provide job security
  • Examples include teachers and doctors
  • Government employees work in this sector
  • Office workers and registered factory workers are included

4. Facilities in the organised sector

  • Workers receive monthly salary
  • They get paid leave
  • Medical facilities are provided
  • Some jobs provide pension after retirement
  • Laws protect workers’ rights
  • Working conditions are more stable

5. Unorganised sector

  • Unorganised sector includes jobs with no job security
  • Income is not fixed
  • Workers do not get social security
  • Employment depends on daily availability of work
  • Working conditions are often unsafe
  • This sector includes most of the urban poor

6. Examples of urban poor

  • Street vendors selling goods on roads
  • Rickshaw pullers providing transport
  • Construction workers working on sites
  • Domestic helpers working in houses
  • Rag pickers collecting waste
  • They struggle daily to earn livelihood

7. Life of street vendors

  • Street vendors sell fruits and vegetables
  • Some sell tea and snacks
  • They work for long hours
  • They face police harassment
  • They suffer from eviction from streets
  • Income is irregular and uncertain

8. Case study: A street vendor

  • Income depends on daily sales
  • Earnings change every day
  • No income if they fall sick
  • No income during bad weather
  • No job protection exists
  • Shows insecurity of urban livelihoods

9. Migration to cities

  • Many people migrate from villages to cities
  • One major reason is lack of jobs in villages
  • Poverty forces people to migrate
  • Seasonal unemployment pushes rural people
  • Cities offer hope of better income
  • Migration increases urban population pressure

10. Problems faced by urban poor

  • Urban poor earn low wages
  • They live in slums and poor housing
  • Many lack clean drinking water
  • Sanitation facilities are inadequate
  • Access to healthcare is limited
  • Living conditions affect health and dignity

11. Role of government

  • Government provides housing schemes
  • It runs employment programmes
  • Skill development helps in better jobs
  • Policies aim to reduce urban poverty
  • Government supports social justice
  • These efforts improve living conditions

12. Difference between rural and urban livelihoods

  • Rural livelihoods are mainly agriculture-based
  • Urban livelihoods depend on industry and services
  • Rural work is often seasonal
  • Urban work is mostly daily wage or regular jobs
  • Rural income depends on monsoon
  • Urban income depends on the market

13. Important keywords (one-line definitions)

  • Livelihood: Means of earning income to live
  • Organised sector: Jobs with fixed salary and job security
  • Unorganised sector: Jobs without security or fixed income
  • Migration: Movement of people from one place to another for work
  • Street vendor: Person selling goods on streets for livelihood
  • Slum: Poorly built crowded settlement in cities

14. Why this chapter is important

  • Explains the urban economy
  • Helps understand the life of urban poor
  • Explains causes of migration
  • Builds awareness about employment issues
  • Useful for Indian economy and social justice topics
  • Very important for BPSC and State PCS foundation

Understanding NCERT Class 6 Polity Chapter 9 is important for learning how urban livelihoods are shaped by market forces and employment conditions.

The concepts discussed in Urban Livelihoods Class 6 help students connect urban poverty, migration, and governance with Indian polity.

This chapter completes the NCERT Class 6 Polity syllabus and prepares students for higher classes and competitive exam foundations.

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FAQs

Q1. What is urban livelihood?
It means the ways people earn a living in cities and towns.

Q2. What is the organised sector?
Jobs with fixed salary, job security, and legal protection.

Q3. What is the unorganised sector?
Jobs without security, fixed income, or social benefits.

Q4. Why do people migrate to cities?
For better employment opportunities and income.

Q5. What problems are faced by the urban poor?
Low wages, poor housing, lack of sanitation, and healthcare.

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