CHAPTER-1

RESOURCES AND DEVELOPMENT

Q. Define resources.
Ans. Everything available in our environment which can be used to satisfy our needs, which are
technologically accessible, economically feasible and culturally acceptable.
Q. Describe interdependent relationship between nature, technology and institutions.
Ans.
• The process of transformation of things available in our environment involves an inter dependent
relationship between nature, technology and institutions.
• Human beings interact with nature through technology and create institutions to accelerate their
economic development
Q. Do you think that resources are free gifts of nature?
Or
“Resources are a function of human activities”. Elaborate the statement with suitable
arguments.
Ans.
• Resources are not free gifts of nature. They are a function of human activities. Human beings
themselves are essential components of resources.
• They transform material available in our environment into resources and use them.
Q. Discuss the problems which is caused due to indiscriminate use of resources.
Ans.
• Depletion of resources for satisfying the greed of few individuals.
• Accumulation of resources in few hands, which, in turn, divided the society into two segments
i.e. haves and have nots or rich and poor.
• Indiscriminate exploitation of resources has led to global ecological crises such as, global
warming, ozone layer depletion, environmental pollution and land degradation. Q. Define
the term sustainable development.
Ans. 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.
Q. Resource planning is the single solution for sustainable development. Justify.
Ans.
• An equitable distribution of resources has become essential for a sustained quality of life and
global peace.
• If the present trend of resource depletion by a few individuals and countries continues the future
of our planet is in danger.
• Resource planning is essential for sustainable existence of all forms of life. • Utilizing the
resources in a judicial manner so as our future generation is not deprived of them. Q. Give a
brief account of the Rio de Janeiro Earth Summit.
Ans.
• In June 1992, more than 100 heads of states met in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, for the first
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International Earth Summit.
• Addressed urgent problems of environmental protection and socioeconomic 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.
Q. What are the objectives of Agenda 21?
Ans. The objectives of Agenda 21 are:
• achieving global sustainable development.
• to combat environmental damage, poverty, disease through global co-operation on common
interests, mutual needs and shared responsibilities.
• One major objective of Agenda 21 is that every local government should draw its own local
Agenda 21.
Q. What do you mean by resource planning? Describe the stages of resources planning. Ans.
Meaning: Planning is the widely accepted strategy for judicious use of resources. Stages of
Resources Planning: Resource planning is a complex process which involves: (i) identification
and inventory of resources by surveying, mapping and qualitative and quantitative estimation and
measurement of the resources.
(ii) Evolving a planning structure with appropriate technology, skill and institutional set up. (iii)
Matching the resource development plans with overall national development plans. Q. “In India,
there are regions which are rich in certain types of resources but are deficient in some other
resources”. Do you agree with the statement? Support your answer with examples. Ans. There
are regions which are rich in certain types of resources but lack other resources vital resources. For
example,
• The states of Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh are rich in minerals and coal
deposits.
• Arunachal Pradesh has abundance of water resources but lacks in infrastructural development. •
The state of Rajasthan is rich in solar and wind energy but lacks in water resources. • The cold
desert of Ladakh has very rich cultural heritage but it is deficient in water, infrastructure and some
vital minerals.
• This calls for balanced resource planning at the national, state, regional and local levels.
Q. What does the history of colonisation reveal?
OR
Explain the relationship between the process of colonization and rich resources of Colonies?
Ans.
• The history of colonisation reveals that rich resources in colonies were the main attractions for
the foreign invaders.
• It was primarily the higher level of technological development of the colonising countries that
helped them to exploit resources of other regions and establish their supremacy over the colonies. •
Resources can contribute to development only when they are accompanied by appropriate
technological development and institutional changes.

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Q. Some resource rich but economically backward regions and some resource poor but
economically developed regions? Give reasons for such a situation.
OR
How far it is correct to say that the availability of resources is a necessary condition for the
development of any region?
Ans.
• The availability of resources is a necessary condition for the development of any region, but
mere availability of resources in the absence of corresponding changes in technology and
institutions may hinder development.
• There are many regions in our country that are rich in resources but these are included in
economically backward regions. On the contrary there are some regions which have a poor
resource base but they are economically developed.
• Resources can contribute to development only when they are accompanied by appropriate
technological development and institutional changes.
• For example, it is seen that eastern/ north eastern states are less developed even when they have
vast resource. It is because these states lack in technology and quality of human resources. Rich
states are capable of importing resources from outside, therefore even with poor resource base
they are more developed.
Q. Why do we need to conserve resources?
Ans.
• Resources are vital for any developmental activity.
• But irrational consumption and over-utilisation of resources may lead to socio-economic and
environmental problems.
• To overcome these problems, resource conservation at various levels is important.
Q. Elucidate the views of Gandhiji regarding the conservation of resources. OR
“There is enough for everybody’s need and not for any body’s greed”. Explain.
Ans.
• Gandhiji was very apt in voicing his concern about resource conservation in these words: “There
is enough for everybody’s need and not for any body’s greed.”
• He placed the greedy and selfish individuals and exploitative nature of modern technology as the
root cause for resource depletion at the global level.
• He was against mass production and wanted to replace it with the production by the masses.
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LAND RESOURCES
Q. Land as a natural resource is of great importance: Why?
Ans.
● We live on land; we perform our economic activities on land, and we use it in different ways.
● It supports natural vegetation, wildlife, human life, economic activities, transport and
communication systems.
INDIA HAS LAND UNDER A VARIETY OF RELIEF FEATURES
RELIEF FEATURE PERCENTAGE USES

Plains 43% • agriculture and industry

Mountains 30% • ensure perennial flow of some rivers,

• provide facilities for tourism and
• ecological aspects.

Plateau 27% • possesses rich reserves of minerals, fossil

fuels and forests

LAND UTILISATION
Q. Land is utilised for different purposes. Explain.
Ans.
1. Forests
2. Land not available for cultivation (a) Barren and waste land (b) Land put to non-agricultural
uses, e.g. buildings, roads, factories, etc.
3. Other uncultivated land (excluding fallow land) (a) Permanent pastures and grazing land, (b)
Land under miscellaneous tree crops groves (not included in net sown area), (c) Culturable waste
land (left uncultivated for more than 5 agricultural years).
4. Fallow lands (a) Current fallow-(left without cultivation for one or less than one agricultural
year), (b) Other than current fallow-(left uncultivated for the past 1 to 5 agricultural years). 5.
Net sown area– the physical extent of land on which crops are sown harvested is known as net
sown area.
Gross cropped area- Area sown more than once in an agricultural year plus net sown area is known
as gross cropped area.
LAND USE PATTERN IN INDIA
Q. What are the factors affecting the land use pattern of any region?
Ans.
● Physical factors: topography, climate, soil types
● Human factors: population density, technological capability and culture and traditions etc
Q Why is land use data only available for 93% of the total area?
Ans. Total geographical area of India is 3.28 million sq km. Land use data, however, is available
only for 93 per cent of the total geographical area because -
● The land use reporting for most of the north-east states except Assam has not been done fully. ●
Some areas of Jammu and Kashmir occupied by Pakistan and China have also not been surveyed.

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PERMANENT PASTURES
Q ‘The land under permanent pasture has decreased’. Why?
Ans.
● Due to large scale cultivation on them
● Due to increasing population pressure
Q. How are we able to feed our huge cattle population?
Ans. We feed our huge cattle population on farm wastes and byproducts such as grain chaff, husk,
molasses etc.
Q. What are the consequences of it?
Ans. This puts huge pressure on our farmlands as they have to produce food for humans and fodder
for our cattles.
Q “Most of the other than the current fallow lands are cultivated once or twice in about two
to three years “Why?
Ans.
● Either land is of poor quality
● The cost of cultivation of such land is very high.

NET SOWN AREA

Q “The pattern of net sown area varies greatly from one state to another”. Give reasons:
• Over 80 per cent of the total area in Punjab and Haryana
Reasons: i) Rich and fertile soil; ii) Suitable climate; iii) irrigation facilities • Less than
10 per cent in Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Manipur and Andaman Nicobar Islands.
Reasons: i) Hilly/ rocky terrain; ii) unsuitable climate; iii) lack of fertile soil; iv) Heavy rains

FORESTS
Q. How much land should be under forests and why?
Ans. 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
Q. Give a brief account of the land which is not available for cultivation. Ans.
● Waste land/barren land- Waste land includes rocky, arid and desert areas and ● Land put
to other non-agricultural uses includes settlements, roads, railways, industry etc.

LAND DEGRADATION
Q. What is land degradation?
Ans. DEFINITION: Quality of land becomes poorer due to continuous use of land over a long
period of time without taking appropriate measures to conserve it. The land gradually losses its
fertility
Q. Discuss any five human activities(factors) which are responsible for land degradation in
India.
Ans. CAUSES [Human factors]

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• Mining sites are abandoned after excavation work is complete leaving deep scars and traces of
over-burdening. Eg Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Orissa deforestation due to
mining have caused severe land degradation.
• Over grazing: In states like Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra is the main
reasons for land degradation.
• Over irrigation is responsible for land degradation due to water logging leading to increase in
salinity and alkalinity in the soil. Eg- In the states of Punjab, Haryana, western Uttar Pradesh • The
mineral processing like grinding of limestone for cement industry and calcite and soapstone for
ceramic industry generate huge quantity of dust in the atmosphere. It retards the process of
infiltration of water into the soil after it settles down on the land.
• Industrial effluents such as waste have become a major source of land and water pollution in
many parts of the country.
Q. What measures can be taken to solve the problem of land degradation? Ans.
The following measures can be taken to solve the problem of land degradation. •
Afforestation
• Proper management of grazing and control on over grazing
• Planting of shelter belts of plants,
• Stabilisation of sand dunes by growing thorny bushes.
• Proper management of waste lands,
• Control of mining activities,
• Proper discharge and disposal of industrial effluents and wastes after treatment can reduce land
and water degradation in industrial and suburban areas.

SOIL AS A RESOURCE
Q. Define soil. Mention its importance in our life.
Ans. Meaning /Definition: Soil is the most important renewable natural resource. It is the loose
surface material that covers most land. It consists of inorganic particles and organic matter. It is the
medium of plant growth and supports different types of living organisms on the earth. The soil is a
living system. It takes millions of years to form soil upto a few cm in depth. Q. Explain the
Factors Affecting Soil Formation.
Ans.
a) Parent Rocks/Bed rock: It determines the colour, texture and mineral contents in soil. b)
Climate [Rainfall and Temperature]: It determines rate of weathering and erosion of rocks. c)
Topography: On higher slopes a thin layer of soil is found, while in the lower valley thick
deposition of alluvium is found.
d) Vegetation [Plants and Trees]: They add organic matter [Humus] to the soil. e) Time: Older
soils are generally more fertile than newer soil.
d) Various forces of nature such as change in temperature, actions of running water, wind and
glaciers, activities of decomposers etc. contribute to the formation of soil.

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CLASSIFICATION OF SOILS/ TYPES OF SOILS

Q. Why did India have variety of soils?

Ans. India has varied relief features, landforms, climatic realms and vegetation types. These have
contributed in the development of various types of soils.
Q. On what basis soils are classified in India?
Ans. On the basis of the factors responsible for soil formation, colour, thickness, texture, age,
chemical and physical properties soils are classified into the following types:
Q. Describe the characteristics of alluvial soil.
OR
What type of soil is found in the river deltas of the eastern coast? Give three main features of
this type of soil.
Ans. Alluvial soil is found in the river deltas of the eastern coast. The characteristics of alluvial soil
are as follows:
● It is the most important and most fertile type of soil found in India covering about 40 per cent of
the total land area.
● Soil is formed by the deposition of sediments brought down by the rivers
● The alluvial soil is found mostly in the Northern Plains and Coastal Plains of India (Particularly
deltas of Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna and Kaveri).

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● The alluvial soil consists of various proportions of sand, silt and clay.
● The alluvial soil can be divided into Bangar (old alluvial) and Khadar (new alluvial). ●
Alluvial soil has adequate proportion of potash, phosphoric acid and lime which is ideal for the
growth of sugarcane, paddy, wheat, etc
● Regions of Alluvial soil are intensively cultivated and are densely populated.
● Soils in drier areas can be productive after proper treatment and irrigation
{*** Piedmont- an area at the base of a mountain or mountain range.
Duars are the floodplains and foothills of the eastern Himalayas in North-East India around
Bhutan. Terai is a belt of marshy land at the foot of mountains at the foot of the Himalayas in North
India}
Q. Differentiate between bangar and khadar
Bangar Khadar

Old alluvial New alluvial

Higher concentration of kanker nodules Has more fine particles

Less fertile More fertile

Q. What are the main features of Black/Regur Soil?

Ans. The main features of Black Soil are as follows:
• The black soil is also called the Regur Soil or the Black Cotton Soil. Cotton grows best in this
soil.
• Black soil is formed from the weathering of the igneous rocks.
• The black soil is mostly found in the Deccan Trap, covering large areas of Maharashtra,
Chhattisgarh, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh. It is also found in some parts of Godavari and
Krishna River valleys, covering parts of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.
• This soil is made up of fine clayey material and thus can hold moisture for a long time. •
It is rich in calcium carbonate, potassium, magnesium and lime.
• These soils are poor in phosphoric contents.
• These soils become sticky when wet and becomes difficult to work. Thus, it needs to be tilled
immediately after the first showers or during pre-monsoons.

Q. Describe the main characteristics of Red & Yellow Soil.

Ans. The main characteristics of Red & Yellow Soil are as follows:
• Red soil develops on crystalline igneous rocks in areas of low rainfall.
• The red colour is due due to diffusion of iron in crystalline and metamorphic rocks. •
It looks yellow when it occurs in a hydrated form
 • Red soil is found in low rainfall in the eastern and southern parts of the Deccan plateau. •
Yellow and red soils are also found in parts of Odisha, Chhattisgarh, southern parts of the
middle Ganga plain and along the piedmont zone of the Western Ghats.

Q. Which type of soil is formed as a result of intense leaching in areas with high temperature
and rainfall? Give a detailed account of this type of Soil.
Ans. Laterite soil is formed as a result of intense leaching in areas with high temperature and rainfall.

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A detailed account of Laterite Soil is given below:
• Laterite has been derived from a Latin word called "Later" which means Brick. • The
laterite soil formed as a result of intense leaching in areas with high temperature and
rainfall.
• The humus content of the soil is low because most of the micro-organisms get destroyed due to
high temperature.
• Suitable for cultivation with adequate doses of manures and fertilizers
• After adopting 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 more suitable for crops like cashew
nut.
*** Leaching: Natural process by which water soluble substances (such as calcium, fertilizers,
pesticides) are washed out from soil or wastes
Q. Differentiate between Red soils and Laterite soils.

Q. Discuss the features of Arid soil.

Ans. The features of Arid soil are:
• Arid soils range from red to brown in colour.
• 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.
• Lacks humus and moisture because of dry climate & high temperature, evaporation is faster.
The lower horizons of the soil are occupied by Kankar because of the increasing calcium
content downwards. This layer restricts the infiltration of water.
• After proper irrigation these soils become cultivable as has been in the case of western
Rajasthan.

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Q. Write a short note on Forest Soils.
Ans.
• Forest soils are found in the hilly and mountainous areas where sufficient rain forests are
available.
• The soil's texture varies according to the mountain environment where they are formed. -loamy
and silty in valley sides and coarse grained in the upper slopes.
• In the snow-covered areas of Himalayas, these soils experience denudation and are acidic with
low humus content.
• The soils found in the lower parts of the valleys, particularly on the river terraces and alluvial
fans are fertile.

SOIL EROSION/ SOIL CONSERVATION

Q. What is soil erosion? Mention the main causes of soil erosion.
Ans. DEFINITION: The denudation of the soil cover and subsequent washing down.
CAUSES
Human Factors: Human activities like deforestation, over-grazing, construction and mining,
defective methods of farming etc.
Natural Factors: Natural forces like wind, glaciers and water lead to soil erosion.
Q. Describe different types of soil erosion.
Ans. The different types of soil erosion are:
• Gully Erosion: The running water cuts through the clayey soils and makes deep channels as
gullies. The land becomes unfit for cultivation and is known as bad land. In the Chambal basin
such lands are called ravines.
• Sheet Erosion water flows as a sheet over large areas down a slope washing away top soil •
Wind blows loose soil off flat or sloping land known as wind erosion.
Q. Describe different methods of soil conservation in the following areas.
i) Hilly areas,
ii) Plain areas
iii) Arid/desert areas
i) In hilly areas like Western and central Himalayas:
• Contour ploughing-Ploughing along the contour lines can decelerate the flow of water down the
slopes.
• Steps can be cut out on the slopes, making terraces. Terrace cultivation restricts erosion. have
well developed terrace farming.
ii) In Plain areas
• 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.
iii) In Arid/Desert areas
• Shelter belts: Planting lines/rows of trees to create shelter. These shelter belts have contributed
significantly to the stabilisation of sand dunes and the desert in western India.

[NOTE: Read the chapter thoroughly]

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