Does the gap period spent studying backlog papers and helping in my father's business count as a gap year affecting my masters application for a Master's?

Yes, your gap period will count in your favor once you frame it correctly, because admissions committees care far more about how you used the time than the fact that a gap exists at all. Clearing your backlog papers shows resilience and academic follow through, while working in your father's business gives you real, listable professional experience. Present both clearly rather than mentioning them only in passing.

How To Present Each Part Of Your Gap

Steps To Strengthen Your Application Narrative

• Update your CV to list your father's business role under professional experience, not as a personal note.
• Write one confident SOP paragraph explaining that you stabilized the family enterprise while clearing academic prerequisites.
• Ask a professor who supervised your backlog recovery to write or contribute to your recommendation letter.
• Keep your original transcripts ready alongside proof of your improved grades after clearing backlogs.

My Advice

Write your SOP gap explanation first, before the rest of your essay, so it sets a confident tone; two clear sentences on your business role and your backlog clearance will do more for your application than leaving admissions teams to guess.