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chapter 1 resources and development 1 what are resources what are its characteristics every thing available in our environment which can be used to satisfy our needs if it is technologically accessible economically feasible and culturally acceptable is termed as resource [or resources are the means available for the development of a country these are the natural or human made materials which help to create goods or provide services its characteristics are the following a it has utility resources can be used to make a variety of goods and services it satisfies human wants b they are normally available in limited quantity most of the resources are scarce they are exhaustible we have to use it wisely isb 54

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c can t be used as it is most of the resources are in crude form we have to put effort on it to get utility or maximum satisfaction d it should be technologically accessible 2 examine the interdependent relationship among nature ,technology and institutions in the economic development in the resource transformation a human beings interact with nature through technology and create institutions to accelerate economic development b they transform material available in our environment in to resources by using technology and use them 3 name the essential component of resources what is its role in the resource transformation human beings are the essential components of resources human beings interact with nature through technology and create institutions to accelerate economic development they transform materials available in our environment into resources by using technology and use them 4 distinguish between biotic and abiotic resources a biotic resources have or had living characteristics whereas abiotic resources are composed of non living things b biotic resources are normally obtained from the biosphere where as abiotic resources obtained from the lithosphere c examples of biotic resources are human beings flora fauna fisheries and livestock d examples of abiotic resources are rocks metals minerals etc 5 distinguish between renewable and non renewable resources a renewable resources are those resources which can be regenerated in a given period of time whereas non renewable resources cannot be re generated b renewable resources are abundant and replenishable where as non renewable resources are scarce and non replenishable c renewable resources are non exhaustible whereas non renewable resources are exhaustible d solar and wind energy water forest and wild life are examples of renewable resource and minerals and fossil fuels are examples of non renewable resources 6 how are resources classified on the basis of origin a biotic resources b abiotic resources explain points 7 how are resources classified on the basis of exhaustibility a renewable resources b non renewable resources explain points 8 how are resources classified on the basis of ownership a individual resources these are privately owned resources village people own land and cattle whereas urban people own plots flats or other property plantation pasture lands ponds water in the wells are individual resources b community owned resources these are resources accessible to all the members of the community grazing grounds burial grounds village ponds public parks play grounds picnic spots etc are community owned resources isb 55

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c national resources all the minerals water resources forests wild life all the resources with in the political boundaries and oceanic area up to 12 nautical miles from the coast belong to national resources roads canals railways and properties of public character belong to national resources d international resources the oceanic resources beyond 200 nautical miles of the exclusive economic zone belong to international resources no individual or country can claim it there are international institutions to regulate these resources 9 how are resources classified based on the status of development a potential resources resources which are found in a region but have not been utilized are potential resources these resources will be widely used shortly wind and solar energy potential in rajasthan and gujarat have not been developed and exploited properly so far b developed resources these are the resources surveyed quality and quantity have been measured and have been determined for utilization c stock resources resources in the environment which have the potential to satisfy human needs but do not have the appropriate technology to have an access come under this category we haven t so far developed the technology to make inflammable gases like hydrogen and oxygen on a large scale from water so it is considered a stock d reserve resources these are the subdivision of stock resources and can be put into use by applying the existing technology but their use has not yet been started these can be used to meet our future requirements 10 what is meant by exclusive economic zone a the un convention of the law of the sea 1982 allowed coastal nations to claim a territorial sea of up to 12 nautical miles b it also allowed jurisdiction over resources control over fishing right scientific research and environmental protection in a zone up to 200 nautical miles 370.4 km offshore it is known as exclusive economic zone beyond this zone seabed mineral development will be regulated by an international body 11 what are the major problems developed out of exploiting resources indiscriminately state any to effects of indiscriminate exploitation of resources a depletion of resources for satisfying the greed of few individuals b accumulation of resources in few hands which in turn divided the society in to rich and poor c it has led to ecological crisis such as global warming ozone layer depletion environmental pollution and land degradation 12 what is sustainable development the development that takes care the needs of the present generation with out compromising the needs of future generations is termed as sustainable development it emphasizes on prevention of pollution and avoidance of wastages the development isb 56

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that takes place with out damaging the environment is termed as sustainable development 13 what is resource planning why is it essential explain any three reasons responsible for making resource planning in india i resource planning is a technique or skill of proper utilization of resources ii an equitable distribution of resources has become essential for a sustained quality of life and global peace iii if the present trend of resources depletion by a few individuals and countries continues the future of the planet is in danger there fore resource planning is essential for sustainable existence of all forms of life or since the resources are limited and unevenly distributed effective and efficient planning is necessary resource planning includes conservation of resources too we have to exploit resources in such a way that future generation will not suffer resource planning is essential to prevent environmental pollution and to avoid wastages in the exploitation of resources 14 examine the diversity in the availability of resources in india give examples or why is a balanced resource planning essential in india why is it necessary for a balanced resource planning at the national ,state regional and local levels a there are regions in india which are rich in certain type of resources but are deficient in some other resources there are some regions in india which can be considered self sufficient in terms of availability of resources and there are some other regions which have acute shortage of some vital resources b the states of jharkhand chhatisgarh and madhya pradesh are rich in minerals and coal deposits c arunachal pradesh has abundance of water resources but lacks in infrastructural developments d rajasthan has a lot of solar and wind energy potential but lacks in water resources e the cold area of ladakh has very rich cultural heritage but is deficient in water infrastructure and minerals 15 what are the processes stages involved in the resource planning i identification and inventory of resources across the regions of the country this involves surveying mapping qualitative and quantitative estimation and measurement of resources ii evolving a planning structure with appropriate technology skill and institutional setup for implementing resource development plans iii matching the resource development plans with overall national development plans 16 `mere availability of resources will not bring economic development give reasons i along with the availability of resources corresponding changes in technology and institutions are required for economic development ii there are many regions in india that are rich in resources but are economically backward some other areas have poor resources but they are economically developed isb 57

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iii it was primarily the higher level of technological development of the colonizing countries that helped them to exploit resources of other regions and establish their supremacy over the colonies 17 what was gandhiji s opinion about conservation or over exploitation of resources i gandhiji said `there is enough resources in india for every body s need and not for any body s greed ii he placed the greedy and selfish individuals and exploitative nature of modern technology as the root cause for resource depletion at the global level iii he was against mass production and wanted to replace it with the production by the masses 18 why is it important to use the available land with careful planning i we live on land perform all economic activities on land and use it for variety of purposes ii land is a natural resource of utmost importance it supports natural vegetation wild life human life transport and communication systems iii 95 of our basic needs for food shelter and clothing are obtained from land iv land available is limited in quantity compared to the size of the population and hence it requires careful planning 19 assess the land in india under important relief features i.plains about 43 of the land is plain which provides facilities for agriculture and industry ii.mountains it accounts for 30 of the land and ensure perennial flow of some rivers provide facilities for tourism and ecological aspects iii.plateau about 27 of the land is plateau it possesses rich reserves of minerals fossil fuels and forests 20 give two reasons why we are not able to utilize the total geographical area of india i the land use reporting for most of the north eastern states except assam has not been done fully ii some areas of jammu kashmir occupied by pakistan and china have not been surveyed 21 what is the land utilization pattern in india total area of land in india is 3.28 million sq.km but only 93 is available for use ithe net sown area in india is 43.41 in 2002-03 ii the forest share in the land use pattern is 22.57 in 2002-03 iii area under non agricultural use is 7.92 in 2002-03 iv permanent pastures and grazing land is 3.45 only v culturable waste land is 4.41 in 2002-03 vi fallow land the share of the current fallow land is 7.03 in 2002-03 fallow other than current fallow is 3.82 22 what are the most satisfying features of the land use pattern in india a about 54 of the total land area is under cultivation in india it is the highest percentage in the world b land under the forests has increased from 18.11 in 1960-61 to 22.57 in 2002-03 any one isb 58

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c culturable waste land has reduced from 6.23 in 1960-61 to 4.41 in 2002-03 23 what is land degradation explain any three causes for land degradation land degradation is the process of losing the fertility and productivity of land and turning it unfit for proper use it is otherwise lowering the quality of land deforestation careless management of forests overgrazing by animals soil erosion surface mining and industrial effluents cause land degradation at present there are about 130 million hectares of degraded land in india .28 of it belongs to forest degraded area 56 water eroded area 10 wind eroded area and the rest 6 is affected by saline and alkaline deposits 24 state two natural and human activities that lead to land degradation a natural soil erosion land slides torrential rain b human mining and industry explain all 25 how does surface mining and industry lead to land degradation a the mining sites are abandoned after excavation is completed b processed soil or waste materials are dumped unscientifically causing the land used and the land nearby unfit for any use c the mineral processing like grinding of limestone for cement industry and calcite and soapstone for ceramic industry generates heavy amount of dust and releases in the atmosphere it settles down in the surrounding areas affecting infiltration of water and crop cultivation d the industrial effluents released to the air causes acid rain and air and water get polluted 26 how is man responsible for degradation of land a cutting of trees deforestation b unscientific disposal of industrial wastes c unscientific industrial processing d construction of houses and buildings explain any one 27 what measures can be adopted for preventing land degradation a stabilization of sand dunes by growing thorny bushes preparation of shelterbelts for plants and control over grazing of animals are some methods of controlling land degradation in arid areas b moisture conservation and weed control in agricultural lands regularization of grazing and proper management of wasteland and control of mining activities are the methods for semi arid areas c proper discharge and disposal of industrial effluents and wastes after treatment can reduce land and water degradation in industrial and suburban areas 28 what are soils how are they formed or describe the factors that contribute to the formation and fertility to the soil i.loose and fragmented uppermost layer of the earth s crust which is useful for plants is called soil it is the basic resources of agriculture ii.it consists of both organic and inorganic substances isb 59

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iii.the factors that contribute the formation and fertility of soil are rocks climate plants and animals local topography chemical and organic changes which takes place in the soil and long period of time 1.soils are formed by the disintegration and decomposition of rocks under the process of weathering and erosion climate determines the rate of weathering and the type of vegetation time provide maturity to soils 29 describe the characteristics of alluvial soil what type of soil is found in the river deltas of the eastern coasts give three main features of this type of soil or which is the most widely spread and important soil in india a alluvial soil is confined to northern plain coastal strips rajasthan and gujarat it is the most widely spread and important soil in india b it consists of various proportions of sand silt and clay c as we move inlands to wards the valley soil particles appear some what bigger in size in the upper reaches of the river valley the soil are coarse such soils are common in piedmont plains such as duars chos and terai d alluvial soil as a whole are very fertile mostly these soil contain adequate proportion of potash phosphoric acid and lime which are ideal for the growth of sugarcane paddy wheat and other cereal and pulse crops e soils in the drier areas are more alkaline and can be productive after proper treatment and irrigation f alluvial soil is divided into bhangar and khadar according to their age continue 30 differentiate between bhangar and khadar ithe bangar soil has higher concentration of kanker nodules than the khadar ii.bhangar is older alluvium and is found away from rivers and khadar is new alluvium found closer to the rivers iii.bhangar is clayey and dark while khadar is sandy and light in colour iv.bhangar is less fertile compared to khadar khadar is renewed frequently in the flood plain 31 what are the characteristics of black soil regur soil it is good for cultivation of cotton and also known as cotton soil it is rich in potash calcium carbonate magnesium and lime and poor in phosphoric content d it has the ability to retain moisture e on drying these soil develops large and deep cracks and becomes sticky when wet f climatic condition along with the parent rock material is the important factors for the formation of black soil g this type of soil is typical of the deccan trap spread over northwest deccan plateau and is made up of lava flows 32 describe the major features of red soil where is it found a red soil develops on crystalline igneous rocks in areas of low rainfall in the eastern and southern parts of the deccan plateau b it is red in colour due to the diffusion of iron in crystalline and metamorphic rocks it looks yellow when it occurs in a hydrated form a c isb 60

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c red soils are highly porous and fertile and they are fine grained and deep d it is deficient in phosphoric acid organic matter and nitrogen and rich in potash e they occur in parts of tamil nadu karnataka andhra pradesh orissa and jharkhand 33 what are laterite soils what are its features a laterite soils are intensely leached soils of the monsoon climate b the humus content of this soil is low because most of the micro organisms particularly the decomposers like bacteria get destroyed due to high temperature it has low value for crop production c they are red in colour with high content of iron oxide d it is poor in nitrogen and lime and has high contents of acidity e it doesn t have the ability to retain moisture f it is composed of little clay and much gravel of red sand stones g these soils develop in areas of high temperature and heavy rainfall they occur in karnataka kerala orissa and part of assam and meghalaya why are laterite soil less fertile ans points a and b above 34 describe the characteristics of forest mountain soil these are the soils found in the mountainous region of india like meghalaya arunachel pradesh and jammu and kashmir b these soils are characterized by deposition of organic materials derived from vegetative cover c these are heterogeneous in nature and vary from place to place d they are loamy and silty in valley sides and coarse grained in the upper slopes e in the snow covered areas of himalayas these soils experience denudation and are acidic with low humus content 35 what are arid desert soils a these are the soils found in the arid areas of rajasthan punjab and haryana b these sands are partly of local origin and partly have been blown from the indus valley c in some areas the soil contains high percentage of soluble salt d it is sandy coarse and porous and poor in organic matter e these soils can be used for cultivation with irrigation facilities 36 what is meant by soil erosion how is it caused removal of soil from one place to another by some natural agent is called soil erosion it is the process of taking away or washing away of soil cover by wind or water flow soil erosion is caused by deforestation heavy rains and running water overgrazing winds and slope of the land 37 what are ravines where is it found ravines are bad land turned unsuitable for cultivation by soil erosion if the outer cover of the soil is removed by wind or water bad lands are formed in the chambal basin such lands are called ravines 38 what is sheet erosion and contour ploughing a when water flows as a sheet over large areas down a slope top soil is washed away it is known as sheet erosion b ploughing along the contour lines is known as contour ploughing it is a method of controlling soil erosion a isb 61

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39 suggest a few measures of controlling soil erosion a contour ploughing ploughing along the contour lines is known as contour ploughing which reduces the flow of water hilly areas b terrace farming it restricts soil erosion in hilly areas c strip cropping large fields can be divided into strips strips of grass are left to grow between the crops a shelter belts and planting thorny bushes planting lines of trees reduce wind force and stream flow planting of thorny bushes help stabilize sand dunes in the desert areas 40 explain the six major land use categories of our country along with the changes that have occurred recently total area of land in india is 3.28 million sq.km but only 93 is available for use i net sown area in 1960-61 its share was 45.26 which has decreased to 43.41 in 2002-03 it has decreased due to using of agricultural land for other purposes ii forest its share was 18.11 in 1960-61 and it has increased to 22.57 in 2002-03 it has increased due to massive afforestation and government policies iii area under non agricultural use its share in 1960-61 was 4.95 and it has increased to 7.92 in 2002-03 iv permanent pastures and grazing land its share in 1960-61 was 4.47 and it is reduced to 3.45 in 2002-03 this shows tremendous pressure of livestock population on agricultural land v culturable waste its share was 6.23 in 1960-61 which has reduced to 4.41 in 200203 the reduction in this category is mainly due to its conversion into net sown area vi fallow land the share of the current fallow land was 3.73 in 1960-61 which has been increased to 7.03 in 2002-03 fallow other than current fallow has increased from 3.50 to 3.82 41 how have technical and economic development led to more consumption of resources i it was primarily the higher level of technological development of the colonizing countries that helped them to exploit resources of other regions and establish their supremacy over the colonies ii technical development led to mechanization and over exploitation of resources economic development led to invention of modern machineries which accelerated over exploitation of resources iii economic development increases the standard of living of the people it helps them to enjoy a number of facilities and use more resources 42 prove by giving examples that the pattern of net sown area varies greatly from one state to another net sown area in punjab and haryana is over 80 and in arunachal pradesh mizoram manipur and andaman and nicobar islands it is less than 10 43 what is the importance of resources why is it necessary to conserve them resources are vital for any developmental activity economic development of a country is depended on the availability of resources resources are in limited quantity most of them are non renewable irrational consumption and over-utilization of resources may lead to socio-economic and environmental problems to overcome these problems resource conservation at various levels is important it helps in the sustainable development it helps to conserve the isb 62

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resource for the future generation it also helps in avoiding wastages and preventing pollution additional questions 01 draw a neat diagram showing the soil profile.02 on what grounds are soils classified i soils are classified based on colour thickness texture age chemical and physical properties 03 what is the main purpose of resources to satisfy basic needs of mankind 04 which mineral is mined in the indian ocean manganese nodules 05 what is the ill effect of accumulation of resources in few hands the society will be divided in to rich and poor 06 what was the aim of rio de janeiro summit achieve global sustainable development 07 name four ecological crisis global warming ozone layer depletion environmental pollution and land degradation 08 what were the two aims of first earth summit environmental protection and economic development 09 name two river valleys in south india where black soil is found godavari valley and krishna valley 10 what do you mean by deccan trap it is the plateau formed by deposition of basalt lava 11 why are yellow soils yellow in colour due to the presence of iron in hydrated form 12 despite enormous potential solar power is not developed in rajasthan and gujarat why due to lack of technology and demand 13 when and where was the first international earth submit held it was held in rio de janeiro in brazil in 1992 14 what is meant by agenda 21 i it was the declaration signed by the world leaders in 1992 at the united nations conference on environment and development which took place at rio de janeiro in brazil in 1992 ii it was an agenda to combat environmental damage poverty diseases through global cooperation on common interests mutual needs and shared responsibilities in the 21st c iii one major objective of the agenda 21 is that every local government should draw its own local agenda 21 15 name any two books that advocate resource conservation `small is beautiful written by schumacher and `our common future 16 name any two types of piedmont plains where alluvial soil is found duars chos and terai any two chapter 3 water resources 1 how does water become a renewable resource explain fresh water is obtained from surface water and ground water it is continuously renewed and recharged through the hydrological cycle all water moves in the hydrological cycle and ensures that water is a renewable resource 2 how does water threaten human welfare or why is it necessary to conserve water resources give reasons a scarcity of water due to high population increasing urbanization and rising standard of living there is a growing scarcity of water felt all over india isb 63

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b c d use of degraded water in many areas people are forced to drink and use polluted water which causes various water borne diseases lowering the water table increased use of tube wells in recent years has lowered the water table and has caused depletion of underground water resources inadequate supply water for irrigation two third of the cropped area in india is still rainfed which is uncertain and irregular which affects agriculture 3 what are the causes of growing water scarcity in india i variation in the annual rainfall the rainfall in india is unequally distributed the desert areas of rajasthan receive less than 20 cm of annual rainfall and hence is drought prone ii rapidly growing population a large population needs more water not only for domestic use but also for production of more food iii over exploitation of water resources for more food production water resources are over exploited which leads to its scarcity iv industrialization and urbanization industries require a lot of water for processing and as a cleaning agent much of the energy for industrial use is obtained from hydro electricity urbanization changes the life style of people and demand of water increases it leads to water scarcity what are the quantitative and qualitative aspects of water scarcity in india i quantitative aspects a large part of india is facing the problem of shortage of fresh water variation in the annual rainfall makes these areas drought prone rising population makes the situation worse ii qualitative aspects a number of villages and cities in india are facing the problem of pure drinking water water in these areas is polluted due to domestic and industrial wastes chemicals pesticides and fertilizers why did jawaharlal nehru proclaim the dams as the `temples of modern india dams would integrate development of agriculture and the village economy with rapid industrialization and growth of the urban economy therefore jawaharlal nehru proclaimed the dams as the `temples of modern india 4 5 6 why are dams now referred as multipurpose projects dams are now used for number of purposes at a time they are a flood control b irrigation c navigation d electricity e soil conservation and preservation of wildlife through afforestation ftourism or recreation f.i.n.e.s.t hence they are called multipurpose projects explain points why do the dams in india come under great scrutiny and opposition what are the arguments against large dams 7 isb 64

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i regulating and damming of river water affect their natural flow causing poor sediment flow and excessive sedimentation at the bottom of the reservoirs resulting in rockier streambeds and poorer habitat for the river s aquatic life ii dams prevent the migration and spawning of aquatic fauna iii construction of dams leads to submergence of land and vegetation leading to its decomposition over a period of time iv it leads to loss of livelihood to many tribal and village people and find it difficult to rehabilitate them v dams did create conflicts between people wanting different uses and benefits from the same water in gujarat the sabarmati-basin farmers agitated against the higher priority given to water supply in urban areas particularly during drought vi inter-state dispute also becoming common over sharing the cost and benefit of multi purpose river valley projects give example 8 compare the advantages and disadvantages of multi purpose river valley projects explain the above two answers 9 what is meant by rainwater harvesting mention a few traditional techniques of rain water harvesting i it is a technique of increasing the recharge of ground water by capturing and storing rainwater ii roof top rainwater harvesting was commonly practiced to store drinking water particularly in rajasthan iii in the flood plain of bengal people developed inundation channels to irrigate their fields iv in arid and semi arid regions of rajasthan agricultural fields were converted into rain fed storage structures that allowed the water to stand and moisten the soil 10 discuss how rainwater harvesting is carried out in semi arid regions of rajasthan i almost all the houses in these regions had traditional underground tank or `tankas for storing drinking water define the term tanka ii the tanks could be as large as a big room iii the tanks were part of the well-developed roof top rainwater harvesting system and were built inside the main house or courtyard they were connected to the slopping roofs of the houses through a pipe iv the rainwater falling on the roof would travel down through the pipe and is stored in the underground tanks 11 describe how modern adaptations of traditional rainwater harvesting methods are being carried out to conserve and store water i today in western rajasthan the practice of roof top rainwater harvesting is declined due to availability of ample supply of water from the rajasthan canal ii in gendathur a remote village in mysore nearly 200 houses have installed roof top rain water harvesting system iii in tamil nadu the roof top rainwater harvesting structure is made compulsory to all houses across the state there are legal provisions to punish the defaulters isb 65

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iv in some areas the ground water is recharged through hand pumps or using abandoned wells 12 name any two social movements against multi purpose river valley projects i `narmada bachao andolan ii `tehri dam andolan these resistance movements are started against large scale displacement of local communities 13 who are the people benefited by multi purpose river valley projects i land owners and large farmers ii industrialists and a few urban centres 14 how does river valley projects transform social landscape give an example i river valley projects increase the social gap between the richer landlords and land less poor ii it creates conflicts between people wanting different uses and benefits from the same water resources iii in gujarat the sabarmati basin farmers were agitated and almost caused a riot over the higher priority given to water supply in urban areas particularly during droughts 15 what is the krishna godavari dispute raised by the karnataka and andhra pradesh governments it is regarding the diversion of more water at koyna by the maharashtra government for a multi purpose project this would reduce down stream flow in their states with adverse consequences for agriculture and industry 16 prove by giving examples that river valley projects fail to achieve the purpose for which they were built i the dams were constructed to control floods but it has triggered floods due to sedimentation in the reservoir and due to dam failure release of water from dams during heavy rains aggravated the flood situation in maharashtra and gujarat in 2006 ii multi purpose projects induced earthquakes caused waterborne diseases and pollution resulting from excessive use of water 17 what is the ecological consequence of irrigation and changing of cropping pattern salinization of soils 18 name two structures built to harvest water in hilly areas guls kuls 19 name two water harvesting system in rajasthan khadins and johads 20 what is meant by hydraulic cycle movement of water in different forms from ocean to atmosphere and from atmosphere to ocean 21 define the term `matkas these are the earthen pots used by rajasthan women for collecting and storing water 22 why did the sabarmati basin farmers agitate and almost cause a riot in gujarat it was over the higher priority given to water supply in urban areas chapter 4 agriculture 1 `india is an agricultural country comment or why is agricultural development a precondition for our national prosperity or what is the importance of agriculture in india 1 india is an agricultural country nearly two-third of its population depends directly on agriculture for its livelihood 2 agriculture is the mainstay of india s economy it accounts for 26 of the gross isb 66

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domestic product 3 agriculture provides 10 of our total exports and a source of fodder for animals 4 its share in providing employment and livelihood to the population is 63 per cent in 2001 2 define the term agriculture the term agriculture is derived from two latin words ager meaning land and cultur meaning cultivation agriculture thus means land cultivation however it includes animal husbandry forestry horticulture and pisiculture state any two reasons for the change in the methods of cultivation i change in the physical environment ii change in the technological know-how iii change in the socio cultural practices explain differentiate between net sown area and gross cropped area 1 the total land cultivated in a year is called net sown area the net sown area and the land in the net sown area cultivated more than once together make gross cultivated area 2 the net sown area in india at the present is 143 million hectares it is about 46.6 of the total geographical area mention in brief the various limitations from which the indian agriculture suffers presently drawback of indian agriculture i agriculture is not generating sufficient employment opportunities in the country the growth rate in agriculture is decelerating which is an alarming situation ii today indian farmers are facing a big challenge from international competition and our government is going ahead with reduction in the public investment in agriculture sector particularly in irrigation power rural roads market and mechanization iii subsidy on fertilizers is decreased leading to increase in the cost of production moreover reduction in import duties on agricultural products have proved detrimental to agriculture in the country iv farmers are withdrawing their investment from agriculture causing a downfall in the employment in agriculture 6 what is primitive subsistence farming why do majority of indian farmers follow it 3 4 5 i subsistence farming is the cultivation of crops for domestic use and not for sale it is practiced in small patches of land with the help of primitive tools like hoe digging sticks and family labour ii this type of farming depends on monsoon natural fertility of the soil and suitability of other environmental conditions to the crops grown iii majority of indian farmers practise subsistence farming because they have scattered land holdings and they use only primitive tools iv they are poor farmers and they can t use fertilizers and machinery facilities like electricity and irrigation are not available to them 7 name any two local names of primitive subsistence farming i it is jhumming in assam meghalaya mizoram and nagaland ii in manipur it is pamlou isb 67

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iii it is dipa in bastar districts of chattisgarh and andaman and nicobar islands 8 what is shifting agriculture what are its features a shifting agriculture is the old type of agriculture in this system forestland is cleared to cultivate crops are grown for two or three years when the fertility is reduced the farmers move to another area to cultivate by clearing forests again it allows the land to replenish the fertility of the soil through natural processes b dry paddy maize and vegetables are grown in this farming the per hectare yield is low it is other wise known as `slash and burn agriculture features a it is a subsistence type of agriculture c the rotation of field is practiced d simple implements are used e per capita or the per-hectare production is low f it is practiced in the region of low density of population what is intensive subsistence farming why do the farmers follow this type of farming i it is a type of farming practiced in the areas of high population pressure on land it is a labour intensive farming where high dozes of bio-chemical inputs and irrigation are used for obtaining high production ii the farmers follow this type because their holding of land is very small due to continuous family partition and the `right of inheritance and the absence of alternative sources of livelihood 9 10 what is commercial farming what are its characteristics it is the type of farming practised mainly for sale so they produce more than what they require for domestic consumption plantation agriculture is an example of commercial farming its characteristics are the following i modern inputs like high yielding varieties of seeds chemical fertilizers insecticides and pesticides are used ii the yield per hectare or productivity is very high iii it is a mechanized farming system in which modern machinery is used iv irrigation facilities are available to this farming technique 11 what are the features of plantation agriculture plantation agriculture is bush or tree farming the british introduced it in the 19th century its features are the following 1 it is a single crop farming in a large area it includes tea coffee cocoa spices coconut apples grapes oranges etc 2 it is a capital-intensive agriculture and requires good managerial ability 3 it requires technical know-how sophisticated machinery fertilizes irrigation and transport facilities 4 it is normally developed in hilly areas of northeastern india nilgiri aanamalai and isb 68

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