NCERT Solutions for Class 7 Civics Chapter 8 – A Shirt in the Market

A Shirt in the Market Summary

Before we move to the A shirt in the market class 7 question answer, let’s quickly look at the chapter at a glance: 

The Journey of Cotton in Class 7 Chapter 8

The story begins in Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh, where small farmers like Swapna grow cotton. The process is labour-intensive and requires expensive inputs like fertilisers and pesticides. Often, farmers must borrow money from local traders to buy these supplies.

This debt creates a cycle of exploitation. To repay the loan, Swapna is forced to sell her cotton to the trader at a lower price than the market rate. This initial stage of the market chain shows that while the farmer does the hardest work, they have the least bargaining power.

The Cloth Market of Erode

The bi-weekly cloth market in Erode, Tamil Nadu, is one of the largest in the world. Here, a variety of clothes is sold. The players in this market include:

• Weavers: They bring cloth made from yarn provided by merchants.

• Cloth Merchants: They buy the cloth and supply it to garment manufacturers and exporters across the country.

• Yarn Dealers: They supply the raw material needed for weaving.

Putting-Out System

In many parts of India, the "putting-out system" is a common arrangement. Here, the merchant distributes work among the weavers based on the orders he has received.

Advantages for Weavers:

• They do not have to spend money on buying expensive yarn.

• The risk of selling the finished cloth is handled entirely by the merchant.

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Disadvantages for Weavers:

• They are heavily dependent on the merchant for raw materials and market access.

• They are paid very low wages for their intense manual labour.

• They lack information on who the final consumer is or the final selling price.

Comparison of Earnings in the Market Chain

To understand the inequality in the market, let’s look at how much different people earn from a single shirt.

Read More - NCERT Solutions for Class 7 History Chapter 1 Tracing Changes through a Thousand Years

NCERT Questions and Answers Class 7 Civics Chapter 8

These are structured answers based on NCERT back exercise questions.

1 What is the putting out system?

The putting-out system is a system where merchants give raw materials to workers and get finished goods made at home, paying them low wages.

2 Who are the exporters?

Exporters are people who sell goods to foreign buyers in international markets.

3 Why are small farmers exploited?

Small farmers borrow money from traders and are forced to sell their produce at low prices.

4 Why do weavers depend on merchants?

Weavers depend on merchants for raw materials and market access.

5. Who earns the highest profit in the chain?

Ans: Foreign businesspersons earn the highest profit by selling goods at high prices.

Read More - NCERT Solutions for Class 7 Maths Chapter 3 Data Handling

A Shirt in the Market Class 7 Question Answer

Below are additional class 7 civics chapter 8 question answer sets to help you cover every corner of the chapter for your exams.

1. Why did Swapna borrow money from the trader instead of a bank?

Small farmers like Swapna often rely on local traders because they are easily accessible and do not require the strict documentation or collateral that banks demand. However, this comes at the cost of high interest rates and the obligation to sell produce to the trader at lower prices.

2. Describe the conditions of employment and wages of workers in the garment-exporting factory.

Workers in these factories are usually employed on a temporary basis, meaning they lack job security and can be dismissed when work is slow. They work long hours, often under extreme pressure to meet tight deadlines and high-quality standards set by foreign buyers. Their wages are kept at a minimum to ensure the exporter remains competitive.

3. What role does the ginning mill play in the cotton chain?

The Ginning Mill is an intermediary step. It buys raw cotton, removes the seeds, and presses the cotton into bales. These bales are then sold to spinning mills, which turn the raw cotton into yarn.

4. How do large foreign businesspersons maximise their profits?

They buy shirts from garment exporters in countries like India at very cheap rates (e.g., ₹ 200–300). They then sell these shirts in luxurious malls in the US or Europe for much higher prices (e.g., ₹ 1,200–1,500), spending heavily on advertising while keeping the profit margin for themselves.

5. Arrange the following in the correct order of the cotton chain:

1. Swapna sells cotton to the trader.

2. Trader sells cotton to the Ginning Mill.

3. Ginning mill cleans cotton and makes bales.

4. Spinning mill buys cotton and sells yarn to dealer.

5. Yarn dealers give yarn to weavers.

6. Weavers return with cloth.

7. Garment exporters buy cloth to make shirts.

8. Exporter sells shirts to US businessperson.

9. Customers buy shirts in a supermarket.

6. Do you think the workers in the garment factory get a fair deal?

No, they do not. While the factory owner makes a decent profit and the foreign businessperson makes a huge profit, the workers are paid the bare minimum. They have no job security and work in tough conditions for 10-12 hours a day.

7. How can we ensure the market is more "equal" for everyone?

Equality can be achieved through the formation of cooperatives where producers (like weavers or farmers) pool their resources. Additionally, the government must strictly enforce laws regarding minimum wages and provide low-interest loans to small farmers so they aren't exploited by traders.

Class 7 Chapter 8 Extra Practice Questions

Here are a extra A shirt in the market class 7 question answer you can go through: 

Fill in the blanks

1. Cotton is grown by ______
   Answer: farmers

2. Yarn is made in ______
   Answer: spinning mills

3. The putting-out system benefits ______
   Answer: merchants

True or False

1. Farmers earn the highest profit – False

2. Exporters sell goods in foreign markets – True

3. Weavers have full control over pricing – False

Key Terms in A Shirt in the Market

• Market Chain: Sequence of production and sale

• Putting-Out System: Work given by merchants to workers

• Exporter: Person selling goods internationally

• Ginning Mill: Unit that processes raw cotton

Class 7 Civics Key Takeaways 

• Farmers do maximum work but earn the least

• Merchants control prices and supply

• Exporters connect local markets to global markets

• Foreign sellers earn the highest profit

• Inequality exists at every stage of the market chain

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