DPS MODERN INDIAN SCHOOL, DOHA, QATAR

SOCIAL SCIENCE – 2025-26

Students Name \ Roll No:

Grade \Section: X

Subject: Geography
Month: April

CHAPTER 1: RESOURCES AND DEVELOPMENT

1. What is meant by the term ‘Resource?’

Any natural or man-made object which has value, and has utility to human beings is known as
resource provided culturally acceptable, technologically accessible and economically feasible.

2. Why is it that some states of North East India and Andaman and Nicobar islands only
have 10 % of the land area under net sown area?
 The states of North East India have an undulating topography with dense forests
 On the other hand, the islands have dense tropical forests and soil which does not
favour agriculture.

3. Differentiate between the current fallow and other than current fallow land.
Current Fallow: Other than current fallow

The land which has been left uncultivated The land which has been left
for one or less than one agricultural year to uncultivated for the past 1 to 5
regain its lost nutrients agricultural year to regain its lost
nutrients

4. Why is there a need for resource planning in India?

Resource planning is essential for sustainable existence of all forms of life. Sustainable
existence is a part of sustainable development. Planning is the widely accepted strategy for
judicious use of resources. It has importance in a country like India, which has enormous
diversity in the availability of resources. There are regions which are rich in certain types of
resources but are deficient in some other resources. There are some regions which can be
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considered self sufficient in terms of the availability of resources and there are some regions
which have acute shortage of some vital resources.

5. How would you define sustainable development?

Sustainable development means development should take place without damaging the
environment, and development in the present should not compromise with the needs of the
future generations. .
6. Highlight the problems which have come about due to indiscriminate use of resources.
The Problems are:
 Depletion of resources for satisfying human greed
 Accumulation of resources in few hands divides society into 2 segments: rich and the
poor
 Exploitation of resources has led to global warming, ozone layer depletion, etc

7. When and where was the Rio de Janeiro Earth Summit convened? What were its
objectives?
The Rio de Janeiro Earth Summit was convened in June 1992 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Objectives:
 The summit was convened for addressing urgent problems of environmental protection
and socio-economic development at the global level.
 The assembled leaders signed the Declaration on Global Climatic Change and Biological
Diversity.
 The Rio Convention endorsed the global Forest Principles and adopted Agenda 21 for
achieving Sustainable Development in the 21st century.

8. What is Agenda 21? State its objectives.

 It is the declaration signed by the world leaders in 1992 at the United Nations Conference
(UNCED), which took place at Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Objectives:
 It aims at achieving global sustainable development.
 It is an agenda to combat environmental damage, poverty, disease through global co-
operation on common interests, mutual needs and shared responsibilities.
 One major objective of the Agenda 21 is that every local government should draw its
own local Agenda 21.

9. Give a percentage account of the different land forms found in our country. Also
mention their economic significance.
 43 percent of the land area is plain which provides facilities for agriculture and
industry
 Mountains account for 30 percent of the total surface area of the country. They
ensure perennial flow of some rivers, provide facilities for tourism and ecological
aspects

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  About 27 percent of the area of the country is plateau region. It possesses rich
reserves of fossil fuels, minerals and forests.

10.Give reasons for having little amount of land under pastures.

 India has the highest percentage of land dedicated to agriculture
 This is due to the ever increasing population of our country
 Due to the above, cattle only find place for pastures on agricultural land

11.Examine the significance of forest cover.

OR
Why should one third of our land be under forest cover?
 Forest area in the country is far lower than the desired 33 per cent of geographical
area, as it was outlined in the National Forest Policy (1952).
 It was considered essential for maintenance of the ecological balance.
 The livelihood of millions of people who live on the fringes of these forests depends
upon it.
 Forests increase the amount of oxygen in the air, thus making air fresh and increase
the chances of precipitation.
 Trees regulate the flow of water which reduces the chances of flooding
 The roots of the trees bind the soil, this reducing the chances of soil erosion.
 They are a source of habitation for a variety of animals.

12.Distinguish between Gross sown area and Net sown area.

Net sown area the physical extent of land on which crops are sown
harvested isknown as net sown area.
Area sown more than once in anagricultural year plus net sown area is
known as gross cropped area.

13.How is land degradation caused?

Land degradation is caused due to -
 Mining and quarrying
 Deforestation
 Over grazing
 Over-irrigation
14.Give some examples of land degradation in India as a result of human activities
OR
Causes of land degradation is not the same everywhere in India.Discuss
 In states like Jharkhand, Orissa and Chhattisgarh, deforestation due to mining has caused
severe land degradation.
 In states like Gujarat, Rajasthan and Maharashtra, over grazing is the main reason

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  In Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh, over irrigation leads to land degradation
due to water logging leading to increased salinity or alkalinity of the soil

15.What are the ways of solving the problem of land degradation?

 Afforestation and proper management of grazing is helpful
 Planting of shelter belts of plants,
 Control on over grazing
 Stabilization of sand dunes by growing thorny bushes etc are some of the ways to
check land degradation

16.What are the ways to reduce land and water degradation in industrial and sub-urban
areas?
The ways are:
 Proper management of wastelands
 Control of mining activities
 Proper discharge and disposal of industrial effluents and wastes after treatment

17.How is soil classified?

On the following basis, soils can be classified
a. Factors responsible for soil formation
b. Color
c. Thickness
d. Texture
e. Age
f. Chemical and physical properties

18.Describe the important characteristics of alluvial soil. How is it distributed in India?

OR
What type of soil is found in the river deltas of the eastern coast? Give the main features
of this type of soil.
Alluvial soils are the most widely spread and important soil
 Formation: these have been deposited by three important Himalayan river systems: the
Indus, the Ganga and the Brahmaputra
 Areas where they are found:
 these soils are found spread in almost all areas of the northern plains
 they also extend in Rajasthan and Gujarat through a narrow corridor
 Alluvial soils are also found in the eastern coastal plains particularly in the deltas of the
Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna and the Kaveri rivers.
Types:
 According to their age, alluvial soils can be classified as old alluvial (bangar) and new
alluvial (khadar)
Composition:

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  It consists of various proportions of sand, silt and clay.
 Alluvial soils as a whole are very fertile. Mostly they contain adequate proportions of
potash, phosphoric acid and lime, ideal for the growth of some crops like sugarcane,
paddy, wheat and other cereal and pulse crops
 Due to its high fertility, regions of alluvial soils are intensely cultivated and densely
populated.
 Soils in the drier areas are more alkaline and can be productive after proper treatment and
irrigation
19.Distinguish between Khadar and Bangar
OR
According to age of alluvial soil, identify and explain the different types of alluvial soil
OR
Differentiate between the two types of alluvial soil.
Khadar Bangar
These are the new alluvium deposited These are the old alluvium deposits
fresh every year by the rivers
Has a lower concentration of Kankar Has a higher concentration of Kankar nodules,
nodules, and has fine particles and have coarser particles than Khadar
They are generally more fertile than They are generally less fertile than Khadar
Bangar
They are located closer to the river They are located away from the river courses.
courses.
They are found in low-lying areas. They are found at relatively higher altitudes.

20.Give features of Black soil.

Black soils, as the name suggests, are black in color and are alternatively called Regur soils. It
is ideal for the growth of cotton and therefore are also called black cotton soils
 Formation: These soils have been formed as a result of volcanic eruption that took place
in historical times in the deccan plateau
 Areas where they are found: These soils are typical of the Deccan trap (Basalt) region
spread over northwest Deccan plateau and are made up of lava flows.
 They cover the plateaus of Maharashtra, Saurashtra, Malwa, Madhya Pradesh and
Chattisgarh and extend in the south east direction along the Godavari and the Krishna
valleys.
 Features: They are made up of extremely fine, clayey materials
 They are well known for their capacity to hold moisture
 These soils are generally poor in phosphoric contents
 They develop deep cracks during hot weather, which helps in proper aeration of the soil
 These soils are sticky when wet, and difficult to work on unless tilled immediately after
the first shower or during the pre-monsoon period.

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21.Give features of Red and Yellow soils.
The following are the features of Red and Yellow soils:
 Formation: Red soil develops on crystalline igneous rocks in areas of low rainfall in the
eastern and southern parts of the Deccan plateau
 Areas where they are found: Found in parts of Orissa, Chhattisgarh, southern parts of
the middle Ganga plain and along the piedmont zone of the Western Ghats
 Features: These soils develop a reddish color due to diffusion of iron in crystalline and
metamorphic rocks
 It looks yellow when it occurs in a hydrated form
22.Mention the important features of laterite soil.
The word Laterite has been derived from the Latin word ‘later’ meaning brick
 Formation: Laterite soil develops in areas with high temperature and heavy rainfall
 This is the result of intense leeching due to heavy rains
 Areas where they are found: these soils are mainly found in Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil
Nadu, Madhya Pradesh and the hilly areas of Orissa and Assam
 Features: Humus content of the soil is low because most of the micro organisms,
particularly the decomposers like bacteria get destroyed due to high temperature
 Laterite soils are suitable for cultivation with adequate doses of manures and fertilizers
 After adapting appropriate soil conservation techniques, particularly in the hilly areas of
Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu, this soil is very useful for growing tea and coffee
 Red Laterite soils in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala are suitable for crops like
cashew nuts.

23.Highlight the important characteristics of arid soil.

The following are the features of arid soil:
 Areas where they are found: it is found in western Rajasthan and dry parts of Gujarat
Features:
 Arid soils range from red to brown in color
 They are generally sandy in texture and saline in nature
 In some areas the salt content is very high and common salt is obtained by evaporating
the water
 Due to dry climate and high temperature, evaporation is faster and the soil lacks humus
and moisture
 The lower horizons of the soil are occupied by Kankar because of the increasing calcium
content downwards
 Kankar layer formations in the bottom horizons restrict the infiltration of water.
24.Give features of forest soils.
The following are the features of forest soils
 Areas where they are found: these soils are found in the hilly and mountainous areas
where sufficient rain forests are available
 Features:
 The soil texture varies according to the mountain environment where they are formed

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  They are loamy and silty in valley sides and coarse grained in the upper slopes
 In the snow covered areas of the Himalayas, these soils experience denudation and are
acidic.
 The soils found in the lower parts of the valleys particularly on the river terraces and
alluvial fans are fertile

25.How would you define soil erosion? What steps can be taken to control soil erosion in
hilly areas?
The denudation of the soil cover and subsequent washing down is described as soil erosion.
The following can be done to control soil erosion in the hilly areas:
 Contour ploughing: Ploughing along the contour lines can decelerate the flow of water
down the slopes
 Terrace farming: Steps can be cut out on the slopes making terraces. Terrace
cultivation restricts erosion
 Strip cropping: Large fields can be divided into strips. Strips of grass are left to grow
between the crops. This breaks up the force of the wind.
 Shelter belts: Planting lines of trees to create shelter also works in a similar way. Rows
of such trees are called shelter belts. These shelter belts have contributed significantly to
the stabilization of sand dunes and in stabilizing the desert in western India.

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