Partnership

Story hook

Three friends — Aarav, Bina and Chetan — decide to open a little lemonade stall outside the school gate during the summer fair.

They need money to buy lemons, sugar, ice and paper cups. So they pool their pocket money together:

• Aarav puts in Rs 100,
• Bina puts in Rs 200,
• Chetan puts in Rs 300.

Together they have Rs 600 to start the stall. The fair runs all day, the lemonade is a hit, and by evening the stall has earned a profit of Rs 120 — that is the extra money left over after paying for everything.

Now comes the tricky bit. How should the three friends split that Rs 120?

Should they just give Rs 40 to each, equally? Aarav would happily say yes — but Chetan, who put in three times as much money as Aarav, would feel that's unfair. He took a bigger risk, so he deserves a bigger slice.

That little question — "who should get how much?" — is the whole heart of a topic called Partnership. In this lesson we will learn the simple, fair rule that decides it. We start from absolute zero. Relax and follow along.

Why this matters for UPSC

For your CSAT exam (UPSC Prelims Paper II):

• CSAT is a qualifying paper — you do not need a top score. You only need 33% (that is 66 marks out of 200) to pass. Partnership questions are short, predictable and formula-based, so they are an easy, safe way to grab those qualifying marks.
• Once you learn the one main rule here, most questions become a quick 20–40 second sum. That is exactly the kind of sure mark you want.

For real life (this is the fun part):

• When you and your friends pool money for a stall, a game, or a small business, you will know the fair way to share what you earn.
• When grown-ups in a family start a shop together, the profit is split by this very rule.
• You will understand why someone who puts in more, or stays in longer, deserves a bigger share — and you'll be able to prove it with numbers.
• It quietly teaches a life lesson: rewards should match what each person actually puts in.

So this is not only an exam topic — it is everyday fairness with money. And it all grows from one simple idea: share the profit in the same way the money was put in. Let's begin.