Important Questions with Answers

Most frequently repeated

• 5 marksWhat is resource planning? Explain the three stages involved in resource planning in India.

  Resources and DevelopmentHow to answer: Define resource planning as a widely accepted strategy for the judicious use of resources, then list the three stages: identification and inventory of resources through surveying, mapping and measurement; evolving a planning structure with appropriate technology, skill and institutional set-up; and matching resource-development plans with overall national development plans. Add why planning is essential in a country with enormous diversity in resources.

• 5 marksWhy is soil considered an important renewable natural resource? Explain any four types of soil found in India.

  Resources and DevelopmentHow to answer: State that soil supports plant growth and takes millions of years to form yet is renewable. Then describe any four of: alluvial (most widespread, fertile, northern plains), black/regur (made of lava, ideal for cotton), red and yellow (on crystalline igneous rocks of the Deccan), laterite (high temperature with heavy rainfall, leaching), arid (sandy, saline in dry areas) and forest soils — one defining feature and crop/region for each.

• 3 marksDistinguish between in-situ and ex-situ conservation, OR explain the Chipko movement as an example of community participation.

  Forest and Wildlife ResourcesHow to answer: Either contrast in-situ conservation (protecting species in their natural habitat — national parks, biosphere reserves) with ex-situ (conserving outside the habitat — zoos, seed banks), OR describe the Chipko movement in the Himalayas where villagers hugged trees to resist felling and linked deforestation to local ecological and social problems.

• 3 marksExplain any three reasons for the depletion of flora and fauna in India.

  Forest and Wildlife ResourcesHow to answer: Pick any three NCERT causes: expansion of railways, agriculture and commercial forestry; mining; large development projects; unequal access and over-exploitation; or the colonial forest policy. Briefly explain how each reduces habitat and biodiversity.

• 5 marks"Water scarcity may be an outcome of large and growing population and over-exploitation of water resources." Justify the statement.

  Water ResourcesHow to answer: Argue that scarcity is caused not just by low availability but by over-use and unequal access: a growing population needs more water for food (over-drawing groundwater, falling water tables), expanding urban/industrial demand, and energy needs. Add that pollution makes available water hazardous, so even water-abundant regions face scarcity.

• 3 marksWhat are multi-purpose river projects? Mention any three objections raised against them.

  Water ResourcesHow to answer: Define multi-purpose projects as those serving several uses together — irrigation, hydroelectricity, flood control, water supply, navigation (Nehru's 'temples of modern India'). Then give three objections: they fragment rivers and obstruct fish movement, displace local communities (Narmada Bachao Andolan), induce sedimentation, and the benefits often bypass the displaced.

• 3 marksDistinguish between primitive subsistence farming and commercial farming in India.

  AgricultureHow to answer: Contrast inputs (primitive tools and family labour, monsoon-dependent vs HYV seeds, fertilisers and irrigation), purpose (self-consumption vs sale in the market) and example (slash-and-burn 'jhumming' vs plantation crops or Punjab wheat). Note the same crop can be commercial in one region and subsistence in another.

• 3 marksDescribe the geographical conditions required for the cultivation of rice (paddy) in India.

  AgricultureHow to answer: State that rice is a kharif crop needing high temperature (above 25°C), high humidity and annual rainfall above 100 cm; in low-rainfall areas it grows with irrigation. Mention rich alluvial/clayey soil, and that India is the second-largest producer, grown in the northern plains, north-east, coastal and deltaic regions.

• 5 marksWhy do we need to conserve mineral resources? Suggest any three measures to conserve them.

  Minerals and Energy ResourcesHow to answer: Explain that minerals are finite, non-renewable, take millions of years to form, and the rate of consumption far exceeds replenishment. Then suggest measures: planned and sustainable use, improved technology to use low-grade ore cheaply, recycling of metals, and substitutes/scrap. Frame conservation as essential for industry and future generations.

• 3 marksDifferentiate between conventional and non-conventional sources of energy, with examples.

  Minerals and Energy ResourcesHow to answer: Define conventional sources (firewood, cattle dung, coal, petroleum, natural gas, thermal and hydro electricity) as widely used and largely exhaustible/polluting, versus non-conventional/renewable sources (solar, wind, tidal, geothermal, biogas, nuclear) as eco-friendly and sustainable. Give one or two examples per category.

• 5 marksWhy is the iron and steel industry called a basic and heavy industry? Give reasons for its concentration in the Chhotanagpur plateau region.

  Manufacturing IndustriesHow to answer: Call it 'basic' because other industries depend on its products and 'heavy' because raw materials and finished goods are bulky and costly to move. For Chhotanagpur cite low-cost iron ore, good coking coal, manganese, cheap labour, a large market and port links — name Jamshedpur, Burnpur, Durgapur, Bokaro.

• 5 marks"Roadways still have an edge over railways in India." Support the statement with arguments.

  Lifelines of National EconomyHow to answer: Give NCERT reasons: lower construction cost than railways, ability to negotiate dissected terrain and higher gradients, reach to remote and hilly areas, door-to-door service lowering loading/unloading cost, and the role of roads as a feeder to other modes. Mention National Highways/Golden Quadrilateral for a fuller answer.

Chapter-wise question bank

Resources and Development · Forest and Wildlife Resources · Water Resources · Agriculture · Minerals and Energy Resources · Manufacturing Industries · Lifelines of National Economy