UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — Why did the SC quantify labour of homemakers?

Q1. As per the Supreme Court's directions in Shishu Pal v. Surjeet (2026) on the notional ₹30,000 per month value of a homemaker's domestic labour, after how many years is this benchmark to be cumulatively revised by 10%?

  • A. Every 2 years
  • B. Every 3 years
  • C. Every 5 years
  • D. Every 10 years

Q2. With reference to the Supreme Court's June 2026 ruling on quantifying the labour of homemakers in motor accident claims, consider the following statements: 1. The Court introduced 'Loss of Domestic Care' as a new compensatory head distinct from the existing heads of loss of consortium and loss of estate. 2. A minimum notional monthly value of ₹30,000 was prescribed for the unpaid domestic labour of a homemaker. 3. The notional value is to be revised cumulatively by 10% every three years. 4. The Court abolished the multiplier method laid down in National Insurance Co. v. Pranay Sethi and replaced it with a flat lump-sum award. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. The Court introduced 'Loss of Domestic Care' as a new compensatory head distinct from the existing heads of loss of consortium and loss of estate.
  2. A minimum notional monthly value of ₹30,000 was prescribed for the unpaid domestic labour of a homemaker.
  3. The notional value is to be revised cumulatively by 10% every three years.
  4. The Court abolished the multiplier method laid down in National Insurance Co. v. Pranay Sethi and replaced it with a flat lump-sum award.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 2, 3 and 4 only
  • C. 1, 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 3 and 4 only

Q3. Which of the following is the principal new compensatory head introduced by the Supreme Court in Shishu Pal v. Surjeet (2026) for valuing the unpaid labour of a deceased homemaker in Motor Accident Claims Tribunal awards?

  • A. Loss of Consortium
  • B. Loss of Estate
  • C. Loss of Future Prospects
  • D. Loss of Domestic Care

Q4. The Motor Accident Claims Tribunal (MACT) adjudication in which the Supreme Court quantified a homemaker's labour at a notional ₹30,000 per month derives its primary statutory authority from which one of the following Central Acts?

  • A. The Fatal Accidents Act, 1855
  • B. The Motor Vehicles Act, 1988
  • C. The Employees' Compensation Act, 1923
  • D. The Code of Civil Procedure, 1908

Q5. In the context of the Supreme Court's 2026 ruling on homemaker compensation, the term 'Loss of Domestic Care' refers to which one of the following?

  • A. A statutorily fixed minimum wage payable to paid domestic workers under State labour rules
  • B. A maintenance entitlement granted to surviving spouses under personal-law family courts
  • C. A composite notional monetary head added to a motor accident compensation award to reflect the economic value of a deceased homemaker's unpaid household labour
  • D. A welfare cash transfer paid to widows under the National Social Assistance Programme