SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS (3 MARKS)

Explain how poverty begets more poverty.

Ans. Poverty begets more poverty. It is both a cause as well as consequence of poverty. A poor country cannot save much out of its national income. As a result, it suffers from capital deficiency which adversely affects the level of production and income in the country.

Explain the concepts of :

• • 1. Social exclusion (b) Vulnerability

Ans. (a) Social Exclusion : According to this concept, poverty must be seen in terms of the poor who have to live only in a poor surroundings with other poor people. Poor people are excluded from better surroundings with better-off people. For example, in India people belonging to certain castes are excluded from equal opportunities.

• • 1. Vulnerability : There is a greater possibility of remaining poor in case of certain communities (such as members of a backward classes, widows, physically handicapped persons). These groups of people face greater risks at the time of natural disasters (earthquakes, tsunami). Thus vulnerability describes the greater possibility of being adversely affected in comparison of other people in odd times.

Who are poor in the rural areas?

Ans. In the rural sector, the poor include farm labourers, small and marginal farmers, rural artisans, backward classes and backward tribes. They lack basic literacy and skills. They are unable to find alternative employment elsewhere. They generally become victims of village moneylenders.

Who are poor in the urban sector?

Ans. In the urban sector, the poor consist of rickshaw-pullers, cobblers, street vendors, petty self-

employed persons, domestic servants and low-paid workers working in factories or in other occupations. They reside in poor localities where the conditions of living are very poor.

Explain how the low level of education can be held responsible for poverty in India.

Ans. Low level of education of the poor is a major cause behind their poverty. Poor people are illiterate. Because of their illiteracy, Indian farmers have failed to learn new methods of cultivation. Even the village moneylenders succeed in cheating them quite easily. Moreover, poor parents are not able to send their children to schools. Because of their illiteracy, poor people are employed as unskilled workers and are paid low wages.

Suggest some measures to reduce regional poverty.

Ans. Measures to reduce regional poverty : Several states of India like Orissa, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Nagaland, etc., are economically very poor. To remove this regional poverty the following measures may be suggested :

• • 1. More Central assistance and grants should be given to backward states.
    2. Special concessions may be given for investments in backward areas.
    3. Public sector enterprises should be set up in backward states.

Discuss any three measures to reduce poverty in India. [CBSE 2010]

Ans.  More Industrialisation : In order to remove poverty and unemployment, especially in cities, more and more industries are to be set up.

• Improvement in Agriculture : While latest methods should be adopted in improving agriculture, steps should also be taken so that land is provided to the tiller and it is not concentrated in the hands of few rich farmers and landlords.
• Education : Education is must for removing any evil, including poverty and unemployment. It must be made cheaper so that every person could get it easily.
  1. Discuss any three government programmes for poverty alleviation. [CBSE 2010] Ans. 1. Prime Minister’s Rojgar Yojana (PMRY) : These schemes have been started for the welfare of the educated unemployed in urban areas. Youth belonging to the weaker sections

of society are given priority.

1. Employment Assurance Scheme (EAS) : These were launched in 1999 to create wage employment to families below poverty line and to improve the quality of life in the rural areas.
2. Jawahar Gram Samridhi Yojana (JGSY) : The objective of this programme is to generate gainful employment for the unemployed and underemployed men and women in rural areas, community and social assets are created such as soil conservation work.
   1. Give brief account of inter-state disparities of poverty in India. [CBSE 2010] Ans.  Proportion of poor people is not the same in every state.

• In 20 states and union territories, the poverty ratio is less than national average.
• In the states of Orissa, Bihar, Assam, Tripura and Uttar Pradesh poverty percentage is more than 35. So poverty is serious problem in these states. Along with rural poverty, urban poverty is also high in these states.
• While in the states like Kerala, Jammu and Kashmir, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh there is significant decline in poverty.
• States like Punjab and Haryana have succeeded in reducing poverty with the help of high agricultural growth rates.
• In West Bengal, land reform measures have helped in reducing poverty.

Mention any three features of the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005.

[2011 (T-2)]

Ans. National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005 was passed in September 2005 with the following features :-

1. It provides 100-days assured employment every year to every rural household with the reservation for one-third of the proposed jobs for women.
2. The central government will establish a National Employment Guarantee Fund for Women and state governments will establish State Employment Guarantee Funds for implementation of the scheme.
3. If an applicant is not provided employment within 15 days, he/she will get daily unemployment allowance.

How is the regular growth of population one of the major causes of poverty?

[2011 (T-2)]

Ans. Problem of high population growth is the major hurdle for economic growth in Indian economy. This results in less job opportunities and low growth rate of incomes. These factors in combination make the growth rate of per capita income very low. The failure on two fronts

– promotion of economic growth and population control – perpetuates the cycle of poverty. Rapid growth of population increases the number of job seekers and job opportunities are again limited. So population is one of the major causes of poverty in India.

• 1. What are the main causes of poverty in India? [2011 (T-2)] Ans. Main causes of poverty in India are :-

1. Huge income inequalities makes it difficult for the government policies to implement properly for poverty elimination. Therefore income inequality is a major cause of poverty in India.
2. Exploitation of traditional Indian handicrafts and textile industries by British colonial administration is another major cause of poverty.
3. In order to fulfil social obligations and observe religious ceremonies, the poor spend a lot of money. Poor people borrow money for different reasons and become the victims of indebtedness.

How the policies of colonial government were responsible for poverty in India?

[2011 (T-2)]

Ans. Policies of colonial government is one of the historical reasons of poverty after and at the time of British colonial administration. The policies of the colonial government ruined traditional handicrafts and discouraged development of industries like textiles. The low rate of growth persisted until the nineteen eighties. This resulted in less job opportunities and low growth rate of incomes. This was accompanied by a high growth rate of population. The two combined to make the growth rate of per capita income very low. The failure at both the fronts – promotion of economic growth and population control – perpetuated the cycle of poverty.

• 1. Explain three ways in which poverty can be estimated in India. [2011 (T-2)] Ans. While determining the poverty line in India, a minimum level of food requirement, clothing, footwear, fuel and light, educational and medical requirement etc. are determined for

subsistence.

1. The calorie requirement depending upon the age, sex, area and type of work is the way of estimating poverty. Average calorie requirement in India is 2400 per person per day in rural areas and 2100 per person per day in urban areas.
2. Monetary expenditure per capita needed is also a way of estimating poverty. In the year 2000, poverty line for a person was fixed at Rs 328 per month for the rural areas and Rs 454 for the urban areas.
3. A uniform standard for poverty line is also used, which is given by international organisations like World Bank. This is equivalent of $ 1 per person per day.

Explain the principal measures taken in Punjab, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh to reduce poverty. [2011 (T-2)]

Ans. (i) The principal measures taken in Punjab to reduce poverty is increasing the agricultural growth rates.

1. Kerala focussed more on human resource development to reduce poverty.
2. Andhra Pradesh focussed on public distribution of foodgrains to reduce poverty.
   1. ‘‘In poor families all suffer but some suffer more than others.’’ Explain. [2011 (T-2)] Ans. Analysis of poverty on the basis of social exclusion and vulnerability shows that there are people in our economy who suffer more than others. Socially excluded people due to caste discrimination are excluded even from facilities, benefits and opportunities that others enjoy. Vulnerability brings greater risks to the people at the time of natural disasters or terrorism etc.

Vulnerable groups lack social and economic ability to handle risks.

What is poverty line? Give the income for poverty line fixed for the rural and urban areas in India according to 2000. [2011 (T-2)]

Ans. A person is said to be poor if his or her income or consumption level falls below a given ‘‘minimum level’’ necessary to fulfil basic needs. Each country uses an imaginary line that is considered appropriate for its existing level of development and its accepted minimum social norms.

In the year 2000, a family of five members living in rural areas and earning less than about Rs 1640 per month were below the poverty line, whereas in urban areas earning less than about 2270 per month in similar family were below the poverty line.

‘‘There is a strong link between economic growth and poverty reduction.’’ Explain.

[2011 (T-2)]

Ans. Economic growth widens the opportunities and provides the resources needed to invest in human development. This also encourages people to send their children, including the girl child, to schools in the hope of getting better economic returns from investing in education.

Since eighties, India’s economic growth has been one of the fastest in the world. The growth rate jumped from the average of about 3.5% a year in the 1970s to about 6% during the 1980s and 1990s which significantly helped in the reduction of poverty.

Give one positive and one negative side of poverty conditions in India, and mention the major weaknesses of poverty alleviation programmes. [2011 (T-2)]

Ans. Positive aspect :-

(i) India’s economic growth is one of the fastest in the world which helps in reducing poverty.

Negative aspect :-

(i) Large number of poors live in villages and dependent upon agriculture where growth is much below expectation.

Weakness of Poverty alleviation programme :-

(i) Lack of proper implementation and right targetting with lots of over lapping schemes.

 

MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS (1 MARK)

Every person in India is poor.

• • 1. third (b) fourth (c) fifth (d) sixth

Ans. (b)

Vulnerability to poverty is determined by the options for finding an alternative living in terms of

• • 1. assets (b) education (c) health (d) all the above

Social exclusion denies certain individuals the

• • 1. facilities (b) benefits (c) opportunities (d) all the above

Ans. (d)

How many people in India live below the poverty line?

• • 1. 30 crores (b) 26 crores (c) 28 crores (d) 24 crores

Ans. (b)

Which organisation carries out survey for determining the poverty line?

• • 1. NSSO (b) CSO (c) Planning Commission (d) None of the above

Ans. (a)

Which social group is most vulnerable to poverty in India?

• • 1. Scheduled castes (b) Scheduled tribes (c) Casual labourers (d) All the above

Ans. (d)

Which two states of India continue to be the poorest states?

• • 1. Madhya Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir (b) Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand

(c) Orissa, Bihar (d) None of the above

Ans. (c)

Poverty line in rural areas is (As per 1999 – 2000 prices)

(a) Rs 328 (b) Rs. 370 (c) Rs 454 (d) Rs. 460

Ans. (a)

Who are the poorest of the poor?

• • 1. Women (b) Old people (c) Children (d) All the above

Ans. (d)

What is the poverty ratio in the state of Orissa?

(a) 50% (b) 47% (c) 60% (d) 57%

Ans. (b)

In which state has the high agricultural growth helped to reduce poverty?

• • 1. Jammu & Kashmir (b) West Bengal (c) Punjab (d) Gujarat

Ans. (c)

In which state have the land reform measures helped to reduce poverty?

• • 1. Tamil Nadu (b) Punjab (c) West Bengal (d) Kerala

Ans. (c)

Which state has focused more on human resource development?

• • 1. Gujarat (b) Madhya Pradesh (c) Maharashtra (d) Kerala

Ans. (d)

In which state is the public distribution system responsible for the reduction in poverty?

• • 1. Andhra Pradesh (b) Tamil Nadu (c) Both (a) and (b) (d) None of the above

Ans. (c)

What is the main cause of poverty in India?

• • 1. High income inequalities (b) Less job opportunities

(c) High growth in population (d) All the above

Which of the following is responsible for high poverty rates?

• • 1. Huge income inequalities (b) Unequal distribution of land

1. Lack of effective implementation of land reforms
2. All the above

Ans. (d)

In rural areas, which of the following are not poor?

• • 1. Landless agricultural workers (b) Backward classes

(c) Rural artisans (d) Medium farmers

Ans. (d)

Nutritional level of food energy is expressed in the form of

• • 1. calories per day (b) wheat consumption

(c) rice consumption per day (d) none of the above

Ans. (a)

As per Planning Commission, minimum daily intake of calories for determining poverty line for rural area is

• • 1. 2100 (b) 2400 (c) 1500 (d) none of the above

Ans. (b)

Poverty ratio in India as compared to Pakistan is

• • 1. same (b) half (c) two times (d) two and a half times

Ans. (c)

What are accepted average calories required in India in urban areas? [CBSE 2010]

(a) 2100 (b) 2400 (c) 2800 (d) 2500

Ans. (b)

Who is considered as poor? [CBSE 2010]

• • 1. A rich landlord (b) A businessman (c) A landless labourer (d) A teacher

Ans. (c)

Which among the following is the method to estimate the poverty line? [CBSE 2010]

• • 1. Investment method (b) Income method

(c) Capital method (d) Human method

Ans. (b)

Which state has the largest percentage of poors in India? [CBSE 2010]

• • 1. Bihar (b) Orissa (c) Kerala (d) Punjab

Ans. (b)

When was National Rural Employment Guarantee Act passed? [CBSE 2010]

• • 1. September 2005 (b) August 2004 (c) May 2009 (d) None of these

Ans. (a)

Who advocated that India would be truly independent only when the poorest of its people become free of human suffering ? [2011 (T-2)]

• • 1. Mahatma Gandhi (b) Indira Gandhi

(c) Jawahar lal Nehru (d) Subhash Chandra Bose

Which of the following programmes was launched in the year 2000? [2011 (T-2)]

• • 1. National Rural Employment Guarantee Act
    2. Prime Minister Rojgar Yojana
    3. Swarna Jayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojna
    4. Pradhan Mantri Gramodaya Yojana

Ans. (d)

Who do not come under the category of urban poor? [2011 (T-2)]

• • 1. The casual workers (b) The unemployed

(c) The shopkeepers (d) Rickshawpullers

Ans. (c)

How many percent of Indian people were poor in the year 2000? [2011 (T-2)]

(a) 36% (b) 46% (c) 26% (d) 29%

Ans. (c)

Which scheme was started in 1993 to create self-employment opportunities for educated unemployed youth in rural areas and small towns? [2011 (T-2)]

• • 1. Prime Minister Rojgar Yojana
    2. National Rural Employment Guarantee Act
    3. Rural Employment Generation Programme
    4. Swarnajayanti Gram Swarojgar Yojana

Ans. (a)

For how many days NREGA provides employment? [2011 (T-2)]

(a) 70 (b) 80 (c) 90 (d) 100

Ans. (d)

Which one of the social groups are vulnerable to poverty? [2011 (T-2)]

• • 1. Scheduled caste (b) Urban casual labour

(c) Rural agricultural households (d) All the above

Ans. (d)

• 1. By which year governments are aiming to meet the Milennium Development Goals including halving the rate of global poverty? [2011 (T-2)] (a) 2011 (b) 2015 (c) 2045 (d) 2035

Ans. (b)

Which one is not the major causes of income inequality in India? [2011 (T-2)]

• • 1. Unequal distribution of land (b) Lack of fertile land

(c) Gap between rich and the poor (d) Increase in population

Ans. (b)

In which of the following countries did poverty actually rise from 1981 to 2001?

[2011 (T-2)]

• • 1. Sub-Saharan Africa (b) India

(c) China (d) Russia

The calorie requirement is higher in the rural areas because : [2011 (T-2)]

• • 1. they do not enjoy as much as people in the urban areas.
    2. food items are expensive.
    3. they are engaged in mental work.
    4. people are engaged in physical labour.

Ans. (d)

Which of the following is an indicator of poverty in India? [2011 (T-2)]

• • 1. Income level (b) Illiteracy level

(c) Employment level (d) All of these

Ans. (d)

Which of the following is not a valid reason for the poverty alleviation programme in India? [2011 (T-2)]

• • 1. Lack of proper implementation (b) Lack of right targeting

(c) Corruption at the highest level (d) Overlapping of schemes

Ans. (c)

Which industry suffered the most during colonial period? [2011 (T-2)]

• • 1. Jute (b) Textile

(c) Indigo (d) All the above

Ans. (a)

Poverty ratio in which of the following states is above the national average?

[2011 (T-2)]

• • 1. West Bengal (b) Tamil Nadu

(c) Andhra Pradesh (d) Karnataka

Ans. (a)

Which of the following is not considered a social indicator of poverty? [2011 (T-2)]

• • 1. Less number of means of transport (b) Illiteracy level

(c) Lack of access to health care (d) Lack of job opportunities

Ans. (a)

Full form of NFWP is : [2011 (T-2)]

• • 1. National Federation for Work and Progress (b) National Forest for Wildlife Protection

(c) National Food and Wheat Processing (d) National Food for Work Programme

Ans. (d)

Which country of South-East Asia made rapid economic growth resulting in a significant decline in poverty? [2011 (T-2)]

• • 1. India (b) China (c) Nepal (d) Pakistan

Ans. (b)

In which part of the world poverty has remained the same during 1981 to 2001?

[2011 (T-2)]

• • 1. South Asia (b) Sub-Saharan Asia

(c) China (d) Latin America

Ans. (d)

Which of the following states has the poverty ratio below the national average?

[2011 (T-2)]

• • 1. West Bengal (b) Uttar Pradesh (c) Assam (d) Maharashtra

Ans. (d)

The current anti-poverty programme consists of two planks. They are: [2011 (T-2)]

• • 1. Socio-economic reasons and public distribution system.
    2. Promotion of economic growth and targeted anti-poverty programme.
    3. Anti-poverty programme and public distribution system.
    4. None of the above.

Ans. (b)

According to World Bank, poverty is measured by: [2011 (T-2)]

• • 1. People living below Rs. 100 per day (b) People living below 1$ per day

(c) People living below Rs. 550 per month (d) None of the above

Ans. (b)

Kerala has tried to control poverty by: [2011 (T-2)]

• • 1. Investing in human resource (b) Investing in medical science

(c) Investing in infrastructure (d) None of the above

Ans. (a)

NCERT TEXTBOOK QUESTIONS

Questions within the Lesson

Discuss the following :

• • 1. Why do different countries use different poverty lines?
    2. What do you think would be the “minimum necessary level” in your locality?

Ans. (a) Basic needs in different countries are different. Therefore, different countries use different poverty lines.

(b) The minimum necessary level should not only include food requirements but also include medical and educational requirements.

Observe some of the poor families around you and try to find the following :

• • 1. Which social and economic group do they belong to?
    2. Who are the earning members in the family?
    3. What is the condition of the old people in the family?
    4. Are all the children (boys and girls) attending schools?

Ans. (a) They are Scheduled Caste people and are agricultural labourer households.

1. Both men and women work as agricultural workers.
2. They are ‘the poorest of the poor.’
3. Some of the boys are attending schools while most of the girls are denied educational opportunities.

Graph 3.2 Poverty Ratio in Selected Indian States, 1999-2000.

Study the Graph 3.2 and do the following :

• • 1. Identify the three states where the poverty ratio is the highest.
    2. Identify the three states where poverty ratio is the lowest.

Ans. (a) (i) Orissa, (ii) Bihar and (iii) Madhya Pradesh.

1. (i) Jammu and Kashmir,
   1. Punjab and
   2. Haryana.

Graph 3.4 Poverty Ratio in Selected Indian States, 1999-2000

Study the Graph 3.4 and do the following :

• • 1. Identify the areas of the world, where poverty ratios have declined.
    2. Identify the area of the globe which has the largest concentration of the poor.

Ans. (a) Poverty has subtantially fallen in China.

(b) Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa.

(a) Some people say that the Bengal famine happened because there was a shortage of rice. Study the table and find out whether you agree with the statement?

(b) Which year shows a drastic decline in food availability?

Ans. (a) Yes, total food availability in the famine year (1943) was 79 which was less than that in 1942.

(b) The year 1941.

QUESTIONS IN THE EXERCISE

Describe how the poverty line is estimated in India.

Ans. Estimation of Poverty Line in India : In India, poverty has been defined as a situation in which a person fails to earn income sufficient to buy him bare means of subsistence. Bare means of subsistence consist of minimum physical quantities of cereals, pulses, milk, butter, etc. Thus the measurement of poverty line is based on the income or consumption levels.

While determining the poverty line, the Planning Commission has fixed the minimum nutritional level of food energy at 2400 kilo calories per person per day for rural areas and 2100 kilo calories per person per day for urban areas. Those persons whose consumption levels falls below this minimum level are considered poor.

Poverty line has also been determined on the basis of consumption expenditure. This again has been separately fixed for rural and urban areas. The level of consumption expenditure per person per month has been fixed at Rs 328 and Rs 454 for rural and urban areas separately. Those persons whose monthly consumption expenditure falls short of this level are treated as poor.

Do you think that the present methodology of poverty estimation is appropriate?

Ans. The official definition of poverty line is not appropriate, as it is based on the minimum subsistence level of living rather than a reasonable level of living. It is suggested that the concept of poverty must be broadened so as to include other indicators such as basic education, health, drinking water, sanitation, etc. A large number of people may have been able to feed themselves. But they do not have education, health care, job security, gender equality, etc. Therefore, a proper definition of poverty should not only be given in terms of income level but should be based on their factors also.

Describe poverty trends in India since 1973.

Ans. Poverty Trends in India : The Planning Commission of India has made estimations about the incidence of poverty since the early 1970s. These estimates are given in the following table :

Table 3.1 : Estimates of Poverty in India

	Poverty ratio (%)			Number of poor (in millions)
Year	Rural	Urban	Combined	Rural	Urban	Combined
1973-74	56.4	49.0	54.9	261	60	321
1993-94	37.3	32.4	36.0	244	76	320
1999-00	27.1	23.6	26.1	193	67	260

Source : Economic Survey 2002-03, Ministry of Finance, Government of India.

Table 3.1 shows that there is a substantial decline in the poverty ratio in India from about 55 per cent in 1973 to 36 per cent in 1993. This ratio has further come down to about 26 per cent in 2000. Although the poverty ratio during 1973-93 declined but the number of poor remained stable at around 320 million during this period of two decades. It may also be noted that poverty ratio always remained higher in rural areas compared to urban areas.

Discuss the major reasons for poverty in India.

Ans. Major Reasons for Poverty in India : The major causes/factors responsible for existence of poverty in India are discussed below :

• • 1. Fast Population Growth Among the Poor : The rapid growth of population, particularly among the poor, is considered one of the major causes behind Indian poverty. Poor people are illiterate and have traditional outlook. Hence, they are either ignorant of birth control measures or not convinced of the need of birth control. Moreover, they consider male child as an asset, that is, as a source of income and a source of security during old age.
    2. Low Rate of Economic Development : The actual rate of growth in India has always been below the required level. It has been around 4 per cent since 1951. This has resulted in less job opportunities. This was accompanied by a high growth rate of population. These two combined kept the growth rate of per capita income very low. The failure at

both fronts — promotion of economic growth and population control

— aggravated the problem of poverty.

• • 1. Unemployment : Another important factor that can be held responsible for the incidence of high poverty in India is the high degree of unemployment and underemployment. The job seekers are increasing at a higher rate than the increase in the employment opportunities.
    2. Unequal Distribution of Income : Although national income of India has been increasing since 1951, it was not properly distributed among different sections of the society. A large proportion of increased income has been pocketed by a few rich. They become richer. Consequently, the majority of people have to live below the poverty line.
    3. Social Factors : Various social factors, viz., caste system, joint family system, religious faiths, law of inheritance, etc., have blocked the path of economic development. For example, because of religious beliefs, people regard poverty as God given. Similarly, joint family system has prevented people from doing hard work and made them dependent.

Identify the social and economic groups which are most vulnerable to poverty. Ans. Social Groups Vulnerable to Poverty :

1. Scheduled caste households
2. Scheduled tribe households

Economic Groups Vulnerable to Poverty :

1. Rural agricultural labour households
2. Urban casual labour households.

Give an account of inter-state disparities in poverty in India. Ans. Inter-state Disparities in Poverty

There are wide disparities in poverty across the country. The poverty ratio is not the same in every state. Recent estimates show that in 20 states and union territories, the poverty ratio is less than the national average. Orissa and Bihar continue to be the two poorest states with poverty ratios of 47 and 43 per cent respectively. In comparison, there has been a significant fall in poverty ratio in the states of Kerala, Jammu and Kashmir, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat and West Bengal. States like Punjab and Haryana have continuously succeeded in reducing their poverty ratio to 6.16 per cent and 8.7 per cent respectively. The lowest incidence of poverty is found in Jammu and Kashmir with a poverty ratio of 3.5 per cent.

Describe global poverty trends.

Ans. Global Poverty Trends : The proportion of people in developing countries living in poverty has declined from 28 per cent in 1990 to 21 per cent in 2001. Although there has been a substantial reduction in global poverty, there are great regional differences visible. Poverty has substantially fallen in China and South-East Asian countries. The number of poor in China has drastically come down from 606 million in 1981 to 212 million in 2001. But the decline in poverty in India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan has not been so rapid. Despite decline in the poverty ratio, the number of poor has declined marginally from 475 million in 1981 to 428 million in 2001. However, in Sub-Saharan Africa, poverty rose from 41 per cent to 46 per cent during the same period.

Describe the current government strategy of poverty alleviation. Ans. Government Strategy Towards Poverty Alleviation :-

The current government strategy towards poverty alleviation has broadly been two-dimensional :

• • 1. Promotion of economic growth and, (2) Anti-poverty programmes.

1. Economic Growth : To fight against poverty our government laid emphasis on promotion of economic growth. This strategy is based on the belief that the benefits of economic growth would automatically ‘trickle down’ to the poor people in form of more employment and more income.
2. Anti-Poverty Programmes : With a view to launch a direct attack on poverty, our government formulated several schemes to benefit the poor. Important among them are :
   1. Prime Minister Rojgar Yojana
   2. Swarna Jayanti Gram Swarojgar Yojana
   3. Pradhan Mantri Gramodaya Yojana
   4. Sampoorna Grameen Rojgar Yojana
   5. National Rural Employment Guarantee Act

Through the programmes, the government has tried to help the poor by way of income generation, wage employment and asset building. However, the results of there programmes have not been so satisfactory as were desired.

Answer the following questions briefly :

1. What do you understand by human poverty?
2. Who are the poorest of the poor?
3. What are the main features of the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005?

Ans. (i) Human Poverty : Human poverty is a wider concept than poverty. It refers to the lack of human development. It reflects the state of deprivation in the society. It is measured in Human Development Index and Human Poverty Index.

1. The Poorest of the Poor : People from poor families like old people, women and female infants are the poorest of the poor. These people are denied equal access to resources available to the family.

Main Features of National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005

• 1. NREGA provides 100 days assured employment every year to every rural household in 200 districts. Later, the scheme will be extended to 600 districts. One-third of the proposed jobs would be reserved for women.
  2. The central government will establish a National Employment Guarantee Fund. Similarly, state governments will establish State Employment Guarantee Funds for the implementation of the scheme.

 

 

3	POVERTY AS A CHALLENGE

	CONCEPTS
Who are poor? In our daily life we come across many poor people such as landless labourers in villages, people living in jhuggis, daily wage workers at construction sites, child labourers in dhabas, rickshaw-pullers, domestic servants, cobblers, beggars, etc. Meaning of Poverty : Usually the levels of income and consumption are used to define poverty. In India, poverty has been defined as a situation in which a person fails to earn income sufficient to buy him bare means of subsistence. Other Indicators of Poverty : Now poverty is looked through other indicators like illiteracy level, lack of access to health care, lack of job opportunities, lack of access to safe drinking water, sanitation, etc. Nowadays, the concept of social exclusion is becoming very common in the analysis of poverty. Estimates of Poverty : The incidence of poverty in India was around 55 per cent in 1973 which declined to 36 per cent in 1993 and further to 26 per cent in 2000. Social groups which are most vulnerable to poverty are Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe households. Inequality of Incomes within a Family : In poor families, old people, women and female children are denied equal access to family’s available resources. They are the poorest of the poor. Inter-State Disparities : The proportion of poor people is not the same in every state. In 20 states and union territories the poverty ratio is less than the national average. Orissa and Bihar are the poorest states of India with poverty ratios of 47 per cent and 43 per cent respectively. Lowest incidence of poverty is found in Jammu and Kashmir with poverty ratio of just 3.5 per cent. Global Poverty Scenario : There has been substantial decline in global poverty. However, it is marked with great regional differences. Poverty has declined more in China and South-East Asian countries. Causes of Poverty : There are a number of causes for the widespread poverty in India. These are : Rapid growth of population, particularly among the poor is considered a major cause of Indian poverty. Our agricultural sector has failed to generate much employment opportunities for the farm labourers. Similarly, our industries could not provide much job for the job seekers. One of the major causes of poverty is the unequal distribution of land and other resources. Various land reform measures introduced after Independence could not improve the life of millions of rural poor because of their poor implementation. Social factors : People in India, including the very poor, spend a lot of money on social occasions like marriages, festivals, etc. Poor people hardly have any savings; they are, thus forced to borrow. Unable to pay because of poverty, they became victims of indebtedness. Joint family system has prevented people from doing hard work.

Steps taken by the Government for Poverty Alleviation

Our government’s strategy to poverty reduction has been twofold. One, promotion of economic growth and, two, targeted poverty alleviation programmes.

Poverty Alleviation Programmes : To address the poor, a need for targeted anti-poverty programmes was strongly felt.

Some of them are given below :

• 1. Prime Minister Rojgar Yojana (PMRY) : The aim of this programme (which was started in 1993) was to create self-employment opportunities for educated unemployed youth in rural areas and small towns.
  2. Rural Employment Generation Programme (REGP) : REGP was launched in 1995 to create self-employment opportunities in rural areas.
  3. Swarna Jayanti Gram Swarojgar Yojana (SGSY) : SGSY was started in 1999. The programme aims at bringing the assisted poor families above the poverty line.
  4. Pradhan Mantri Gramodaya Yojana (PMGY) was launched in 2000.
  5. Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) for ‘the poorest of poors’ and elders.
  6. National Food for Work Programme (NFWP) was launched in 2004.
  7. National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) was passed in September 2005. The Act provides 100-days assured employment every year to every rural household in 200 districts.

The Challenges Ahead

Though poverty has declined in India, poverty reduction remains India’s most compelling challenge. We will have to do something special to fight against wide regional disparities. We must broaden the definition of poverty from ‘a minimum subsistence level of living to a reasonable level of living’. Bigger challenges before us are : providing health care, education and job security for all the achieving gender equality.

 

Chapter 2 People as Resources

Social Science Economics [Class IX]

Content’s

• Concept’s of People as Resources Class 9th Social Science Economics
• Notes of People as Resources Class 9th Social Science Economics
• NCERT Textbook Questions Solution’s of People as Resources Class 9th Social Science Economics
• Multiple Choice Questions [Solved] [1 Marks] of People as Resources Class 9th Social Science Economics
• SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS (3 MARKS) of People as Resources Class 9th Social Science Economics
• LONG ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS (4 MARKS) of People as Resources Class 9th Social Science Economics

Tags: resources class 9th social science, class 9th social science economics, resources class 9th social, class 9th social science, 9th social science economics,

LONG ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS (4 MARKS)

Q.1. Describe in brief the role of human resources in economic development.
Ans. Role of Human Resource.
(i) Higher Productivity. Investment in human capital yields a return just like investment in
physical capital. This can be seen directly in form of higher incomes earned because of
higher productivity of the more educated or the better trained persons as well as the higher
productivity of healthier people. India’s Green Revolution and IT Revolution are good
examples of human resources development.
(ii)Better Utilisation of Resources. Countries like Japan have invested in human resource.
They did not have any natural resource. They could become rich/developed because of
investments in people specially in the fields of education and health. These people have
made efficient use of other resources like land and capital. Efficient technology developed
by people have made these countries developed.
(iii)Source of Demand. Human beings make demand for the output of goods and services
produced in the country. Expansion of market for various types of foods and services
further leads to increase in production.
Q.2. Is it necessary to check population growth?
Ans.India has vast manpower. But she could not utilise this manpower for country’s economic
development. Rather, population growth has posed a big threat for the country. It needs to be
controlled without further delay. It has become a big hurdle in the way of country’s economic
development in the following ways :
(i) Despite considerable growth in national income, per capita income could not increase
much due to fast population growth.
(ii) Fast population growth is considered as one of the major causes of unemployment in
India.
(iii) Heavy pressure of population has led to the problem of overcrowding in cities, unplanned
urbanisation, emergence of slums etc.
All these factors lead us to believe that rapidly growing population has become a big
challenge before the Indian economy. It is the biggest roadblock in the path of its
economic development. Indian poverty is deeply rooted in population growth. It, therefore,
becomes highly necessary to check population growth in India.
Q.3. What are the strategies that the government has undertaken to reduce unemployment?
[CBSE 2010]
Ans. Strategies undertaken by the government to reduce unemployment.
(i) Rural Self-Employment Scheme : Our government has introduced various schemes for  creating self-employment opportunities in rural areas. In April 1999, Swarna Jayanti
Gram-Sewa Rozgar Yojana (SGSY) was introduced whose main aim was to improve
opportunities of self-development in rural areas.
(ii)Wage-employment Schemes : Main objective of this scheme was to provide
opportunities for wage earning to rural people. Since June 23, 1999, all these schemes
were merged with Jawahar Gram Samridhi Yojana (JGSY).
(iii)Various schemes for providing employment to educated in urban areas : Various
schemes (like Prime Minister Rozgar Yojana PMRY), Swarn Jayanti Shahri Rozgar Yojana
(SJSRY) has been started by the government for providing employment to the educated
youth in urban area.
Q.4. What is an economic activity? What are various activities undertaken in the primary
sector, secondary sector and tertiary sector? [CBSE 2010]
Ans. Economic activities :All such activities which give us some income are called economic
activities. Pulling cycle-rickshaw, cleaning houses, selling vegetables and working in schools,
factories, banks etc. are economic activities.
Activities undertaken in Primary, Secondary and Tertiary sectors :
(i) Primary Sector : Activities concerned with collecting or making available material
provided by nature are included in primary sector like agriculture, poultry farming,
mining, fishing etc.
(ii)Secondary Sector : The activities which are associated with transforming raw material or
primary products into commodities useful to man such as manufacturing etc.
(iii)Tertiary Sector : The activities which are essential for running modern factories in a big
way are termed as tertiary sector. Activities like trading, banking, health, education,
insurance etc. are included in tertiary sector.
Q.5. Study the graph and answer the following questions : [CBSE 2010]

(a) By how much have literacy rates of the population gone up since 1951? 1
(b) Why is the literacy rate lower among women? 1
(c) Explain two measures introduced by the government to improve enrolment in elementary
education in the country. 2
Ans. (a) Literacy rate of population in 1951 was 19%, while in 2001 the rate shot up to 65%.
So there is an increase of 46% in 50 years.
(b) Literacy rate is low among women because of sex-discrimination. Females are not
provided equal opportunities of education in rural areas as of male members of family.
(c)Sarva Siksha Abhiyan : Main objective of this initiative introduced by Central
government was to provide elementary education to all children in the age group of 6-14
years by 2010.
Mid-day Meal Scheme : This scheme was introduced to encourage attendance and
retention of children and improve their nutritional status.
Q.6. Why did Japan emerge as a developed country inspite of its poor natural resource?
[2010 (T-1)]
Ans.Japan emerged as a developed country inspite of its poor natural resource because :
(i) as they did not have any other resource they invested in the development of human
resource and import other required resources.
(ii) they invested in better health and education facilities for people to make them efficient so
that they can efficiently use resources like land and capital.
(iii) efficiency and the technology evolved by the educated and literate people have made it
rich and developed.
(iv) they provide skill based education to the population so that they largely supported in the
national income.
Q.7. Discuss about the employment scenario in the three sectors in India. [2010 (T-1)]
Ans. Primary Sector :Agriculture is the most labour absorbing sector of the economy. In recent
years, there has been a decline in the dependence of population on agriculture partly because
of disguised unemployment. Some of the surplus is moving from primary to secondary or
tertiary sectors.
Secondary Sector : Small scale manufacturing units absorb most of the labour in secondary
sector.
Tertiary Sector : Various new services have started employing labour in tertiary sector like
biotechnology, information technology and so on.
Q.8. “In the past and present migration of the people from rural to urban areas has shown
an upward trend.” What factors compel the rural people to migrate to cities?
[2010 (T-1)]
Ans.People have started moving from rural to urban areas because of the following factors :
(i)Education facilities : Urban areas have more organised and better quality education
facilities opportunities vocational education and education in specialised areas has
increased in urban areas. In urban areas focus is on increasing access, quality,
vocationalisation and networking on the use of information technology.
(ii)Health facilities : Availability of better hospitals and medical facilities make people move
from rural to urban areas. States like Bihar and Uttar Pradesh has poor health indices.
Therefore, in search of proper medical assistance people often move from rural to urban
sectors.
(iii)Employment facilities : Disguised unemployment in primary sector and rise of
employment opportunities in secondary and tertiary sector has given rise to migration of
people from rural areas to urban areas. In order to increase the income of family, people
move from one occupation to another and one area to another.
Q.9. How does Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan help in improving elementary education in India?
[2010 (T-1)]
Ans.‘Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan’ aims at providing elementary education to all children in the age group
of 6-14 years of age by the year 2010. It is the initiative of central government in partnership
with the states, the local government and the community for achieving the goal of
universalisation of elementary education.
As a result of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan there has been a significant growth in literacy rate from
18% in 1951 to 65% in 2001. The primary school system has expanded to over 5,00,000
villages in India. Mid day meal scheme has also started by government to ensure attendence
and improve nutritional states of the children. Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan has added to the literate
population of India.
Q.10. Explain some strategies made by Government to solve the problem of unemployment in
India. [2010 (T-1)]
Ans.(i) Opening schools in villages : Opening vocational and elementary schools in villages
create employment opportunities for people living these. Earlier people were involved in
primary sector only but now they have better employment opportunities in other sectors
also.
(ii)Small scale manufacturing : Opening opportunities of self-employment in the form of
small scale manufacturing units like basket weaving etc adds to the employment
opportunities in removes disguised and seasonal unemployment away people.
(iii)Introduction to modern farming methods : Use of modern farming methods gave the
surplus members of family to get involved in other employment opportunities.
(iv)Proper health facilities : Improvement in health facilities in urban and rural areas
improved in quality of human resource which in turn work more efficiently and
contributed to national income.
Q.11. How the investment in Human Capital can be of immense importance for a society as a
whole? State any four advantages. [2010 (T-1)]
Ans.Human Capital can be defined as the knowledge, ability, skill and physical capactity of the
people which help them to produce more.
Human beings can be turned into resources only if their qualitative aspects are developed.
Education and health are the major human resource inputs of a country. Human capital is
beneficial both individually as well as socially.
(i) Human capital contributes to the social development of the country.
(ii) Human capital contributes to the economic development of the country.
(iii) Human capital helps in proper utilisation of resources available or imported in the country.
(iv) Human capital also contributes in the race of development from an underdeveloped to a
developed nation.
Q.12. Explain difference between vicious and virtuous cycle of life with reference to human
resource. [2010 (T-1)]
Ans.Quality of present human resource affects the quality of human resource for the coming
generation. For example, educated parents are found to invest more heavily on the education,
health and nutrition of their child. They are more conscious about the qualtiy upbringing of
their child. Thus, they create a virtuous cycle of life.
On the other hand, uneducated parents who are themselves lacking in education, health,
nutrition and hygiene and are not conscious of the importance of these in the lives of their
children. They are unable to provide quality upbringing of their children. Thus, they create a
vicious cycle of life.

SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS (3 MARKS)

Q.1. Is begging an economic activity?
Ans.No. Begging is a non-economic activity. Two reasons can be given in support of it. One, the
beggar receives money without doing anything. Second, begging is an unlawful activity and
cannot become an economic activity.
Q.2. Why are domestic services performed by women not treated as economic activities?
Ans. Domestic Services by Women.
In India, most women generally look after domestic affairs like cooking of food, washing of
clothes, cleaning of utensils, looking after children, etc. They are not treated as
economic / productive activities. This is mainly because of two reasons :
(i) Such activities are performed out of love and affection and hence their valuation is not
possible.
(ii) They do not add to the flow of goods and services in the economy.
Q.3. Are the following activities economic or non-economic activities? Give reasons.
(a) Vilas sells fish in the village market.
(b) Vilas cooks food for his family.
(c) Sakal works in a private firm.
(d) Sakal looks after his younger brother and sister.
Ans. (a) It is an economic activity, as it involves remuneration.
(b) It is a non-economic activity, as it is a domestic service.
(c) It is an economic activity, as it is done in expectation of monetary reward.
(d) It is a non-economic activity, as it is done out of love and affection.
Q.4. Differentiate between Market Activities and Non-Market Activities.
Ans. Difference between Market Activities and Non-Market Activities.
Economic activities can be classified into market activities and non-market activities. Market
activities involve remuneration to anyone who performs the activity. These include production
of goods and services for sale in the market. On the other hand, non-market activities are the
production activities performed for self-consumption. These include consumption and
processing of primary products and own account production of fixed assets.
Q.5. Differentiate between voluntary and involuntary unemployment. Give an example.
Ans.A person is said to be unemployed when he is able and willing to work at the prevailing wage
rate but does not find work. This is involuntary unemployment. If some persons are voluntarily
unemployed (i.e., they prefer to remain out of work at prevailing wage rates) they will not be
treated as unemployed. This is voluntary unemployment.
Q.6. Distinguish between labour force and work force.
Ans.Labour force of a country includes all those persons in the age group of 15-60, who are
actually working or willing to work. Workforce, on the other hand, consists of persons who are
actually engaged in some kind of work and excludes those who are willing to work but do not
find work. Thus, the difference between the two (i.e. labour force and workforce) is the number
of persons unemployed.
Q.7. What is the nature of unemployment as found in India?
Ans. Nature of unemployment in India. In India, unemployment is widespread. Unemployment is found both in its rural and urban
areas. There is seasonal and disguised unemployment in its rural areas. People here are
dependent on agriculture. Certain months do not provide much work to the people depending
upon agriculture.
In urban areas, educated unemployment has become a serious problem. Many educated youths
are not able to find jobs. Unemployment among graduates and post-graduates has increased
faster than among the matriculates.
Q.8. ‘Unemployment is an economic as well as a social evil.’ Explain the statement.
Ans. Unemployment — A Serious Problem
Today, unemployment is considered one of the most threatening problems before the country.
The society is deprived of the goods and services that the unemployed people could have
produced. Unemployment among the educated persons is more serious. This is due to
investments made in them.
Unemployment is not only an economic evil, it is a social problem too. Unemployment spreads
social unrest and tension as unemployed people are a frustrated class of the society.
Q.9. Discuss the factors responsible for the distribution of population in India.
[CBSE 2010]
Ans. Physical factorslike shape and height of land, resources, climate etc. that affect distribution
of population in India like;
Resources : Areas rich in resources (e.g., coal, oil, wood etc.) tend to be densely populated
like western Europe.
Shape and height of land : Low land which is flat, e.g., Ganges valley in India.
Climate : Areas with moderate temperature climates tend to be densely populated as there is
enough rain and heat to grow crops like U.K.
Human factors : Political, social and economic factors also affect distribution of population
in India like good job opportunities encourage high population densities, particularly in large
cities like Mumbai, Bangalore, Ahmedabad having dense population.
z Countries with stable governments tend to have high population density.
Q.10. Why is human resource the most important resource? What steps can be taken to
improve the quality of human resource? How does an improved quality of human

resource help in establishing a virtuous cycle?	[CBSE 2010]
Ans. z Existing ‘human resource’ is further developed by becoming more educated and healthy,
which adds to the productive power of the country just like ‘physical capital formation’. So
human resource is the most important resource.
z Steps to be taken to improve quality of human resource :
Quality of human resource can be improved through better education, food and health
facilities. The quality of population depends upon the literacy rate, health of a person
indicated by life expectancy and skill formation acquired by the people of the country.
Role of improved quality of human resource in establishing a virtuous cycle :
z Better contribution to productive power of country : Existing human resource with
good educational background can acquire specific skills in a better way and can contribute
to national productivity more efficiently.

z Higher earnings and greater contributions to society :
Improved quality of human resources can give higher rates of return in future in the form
of higher earnings and greater contributions to society.
Q.11. How does unemployment have a detrimental impact on the overall growth of an
economy? [CBSE 2010]
Ans.z Wastage of manpower resource : In case of unemployment, manpower who is an asset for
an economy turns into liability because utilisation of manpower becomes nil.
z Economic overload : Unemployment tends to increase economic overload because
dependence of unemployed on the working population increases. So the quality of life is
adversely affected.
z Unemployement leads to social waste : Inability of educated people who are willing to
work to find gainful employment implies a great social waste. Increase in employment in
an indicator of a depressed economy.
Q.12. What is the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan? What are its objectives? [2010 (T-1)]
OR
Write a short note on sarva Shiksha Abhiyan.
Ans.Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan’ is a significant step towards providing elementary education to all the
children of the age group 6-14 years by the year 2010. It is a time bound initiative of central
government, in partnership with the states, the local government and the community for
achieving the goal of universalisation of elementary education. They also took an initiative to
increase the enrollment of students in elementary education by introducing the schemes like
mid-day meal.
Q.13. Define human resource. When does a human resource become human capital?
[2010 (T-1)]
Ans.The population of a country available for the production activities is called human resource.
Human resource becomes human capital when there is investment made in the form of
education, training and medical care. When the existing ‘human resource’ is further developed
by becoming more educated and healthy, we call it ‘human capital formation’. Human capital
adds to the productive power of the country. It is the stock of skills and productive knowledge
embodied in them.
Q.14. What is unemployment? How many types it is? Explain. [2010 (T-1)]
OR
How will you explain the term unemployment?
OR
What is meant by unemployment? Name the types of unemployment that exist in rural
as well as urban areas.
OR
Define unemployment and explain its any two types.
Ans.Unemployment is said to exist when people who are willing to work at the prevailing wages
rates cannot find jobs. When we talk of unemployed people, we refer to those in the age group
of 15-59 years. Children below 15 years of age and the old people above 60 are not considered
while counting the number of unemployed In India, unemployment is found both in rural and urban areas. In rural areas there is seasonal
and disguised unemployment. In urban areas there is educated unemployment.
Unemployment in rural areas :
(i) Disguised unemployment : When more persons are working in a job than actually
required, the situation is termed as disguised unemployment. For example, if in an
agricultural activity eight people are engaged but this work activity actually requires the
services of five people, then three persons are extra. It these three people out of eight are
withdrawn, total production will remain unaffected.
(ii)Seasonal Unemployment : Seasonal unemployment occurs when people are able to find
jobs only during some months of the year. This kind of unemployment is generally found
in agricultural sector.
Umemployment in urban sector :
Educated unemployment :Many people who are unable to get employment even after
having academic and professional qualification are called educated unemployed.
Q.15. What is Infant Mortality Rate? Why infant mortality rate is decreasing? [2010 (T-1)]
Ans.Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) is the total number of children dying under one year of age in a
particular period of time.
Infant Mortality Rate is decreasing due to following reasons :
(i) Increase in life expectancy due to improved medical facilities.
(ii) Better protection of children from infection, ensuring nutrition along with mother and
child care.
Q.16. Why is human capital significant? Mention three points. [2010 (T-1)]
OR
Why is the human resource important for development?
OR
People are the greatest resource that a country has. Explain.
Ans.Human resource is a positive asset and a precious national resource which needs to be
cherished, nurtured and developed with tenderness and care, coupled with dynamism.
Contribution to national income : Skilled, educated and healthy population work for
contribution in production activities. Better specialised labour can be easily adapted.
Therefore, investment in human capital yields a return just like investment in physical capital.
Investment in human resource can give high rates of return in the future. This investment on
people is the same as investment in land and capital. A child with proper education and health
can yield a high return in the future in the form of higher earnings and greater contribution
to society.

Q.17. What does IMR stand for? Write its functions.	[2010 (T-1)]
Ans. Infant mortality rate (IMR) is the number of children who die under one year of age in a year.
IMR has come down form 147 in 1951 to 75 in 2000.
Functions of IMR is that it indicates the increase in life expectancy and improvement in child
care which is useful in assessing the future progress of the country. Reduction in infant
mortality involves the protection of children from infection, ensuring nutrition along with
mother and child care.

Q.18. Explain in detail the disadvantages of unemployment.	[2010 (T-1)]
Ans. Disadvantages of unemployment are :
(i) It leads to wastage of man power resources. It turns the population into liability for
economy instead of asset. It even fills the country’s youth with the feeling of hopelessness
and despair.
(ii) It increases the economic load. The dependence of unemployed on the working population
increases. Due to unemployment which adversely affects the quality of life of an
individual as well as society.
(iii) It affects the overall growth of an economy. It indicates a depressed economy and wastage
of resources which could have been gainfaully employed.

Q.19. Give three measures taken by government to improve literacy condition in India.
[2010 (T-1)]
Ans.(i) Opening of Navodaya Vidyalayas : Government has started to estabish Navodaya
Vidyalayas in each district vocational streams have been developed to equip large number
of high school students with occupations related to knowledge and skills.
(ii)Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan : It is a significant step towards providing elementary education
to all the children of age group 6-14 years. It is an initiative of the central government in
partnership with states, local government and the community for achieving the goal of
universalisation of elementary education.
(iii)Mid-day Meal Scheme : It is a programme aimed to encourage attendance and retention
of children in schools and improve their nutritional status.

Q.20. Suggest any three ways to transform population load into an asset.	[2010 (T-1)]
Ans. The three ways to transform population load into an asset are :
(i) To improve literacy rate : Education provides new aspirations and developed values of
life. Education helps in enhancing the national income, cultural richness nad increases the
efficiency of governance.
(ii) Health : The health of a person helps him to realise his potential and the ability to fight
illness. Increase in longevity of life in an indicator of good quality of life marked by self

confidence. It involves protection of children from infection, ensuring nutrition and along
with mother and child care.
(iii)Formation of skills : Providing vocational and skilled based education helps the people
to get employment and therefore they contribute to the national income later on.
Q.21. What are the two types of economic activity? State two characteristics of each.
[2010 (T-1)]
Ans.Economic activities are those activities which add value to the national income. Economic
activities have two parts :
(i) Market activities.
(ii) Non-market activities.
Market activities : (i) These are the activities performed for payment or profit. (ii) They
include production of goods and services.
Non-market activities : (i) These involve production for self-consumption. (ii) It includes
consumption of primary production and production of fixed assets.

Q.22. How are children of educated parents different from those of uneducated parents? Give
three points of difference. [2010 (T-1)]
Ans.(i) Children of educated parents get better opportunity and support in their education.
(ii) Their nutritional values are taken more care by the educated parents in comparison to
uneducated parents.
(iii) They do not lack in hygiene as the educated parents are conscious about it.

 MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS (1 MARK)

Q.1. Why is literacy rate low among the females?
(a) lack of equal education opportunities (b) lack of transport facilities
(c) lack of infrastructure (d) lack of income
Ans. (a)
Q.2. In which state was the literacy rate highest as per 2001 study?
(a) Kerala (b) Madhya Pradesh (c) Bihar (d) Orissa
Ans. (a)
Q.3. Which of the following is a significant step towards providing elementary education to
all the children in the age group of 6-14 years? [CBSE 2010]
(a) Sarva Siksha Abhiyan (b) Adult Education Programme

(c) Mid-day meal	(d) None of the above
Ans. (a)
Q.4. Market activity refers to production for

(a) exchange (b) earning income (c) earning profit (d) all the above
Ans. (d)
Q.5. Increase in longevity of life is an indicator of
(a) good quality of life (b) improvement in health sector
(c) better HDI (Human Development Index) (d) all the above
Ans. (a)
Q.6. Self-consumption is
(a) non-production activity (b) non-market activity

(c) non-economic activity	(d) none of the above
Ans. (b)
Q.7. Secondary sector includes

(a) trade (b) marketing (c) manufacturing (d) education
Ans. (c)
Q.8. One who can read and write in any language with understanding is termed as
(a) student (b) adult (c) child (d) literate
Ans. (d)
Q.9. What is India’s position in scientific and technical manpower in the world?
(a) first (b) second (c) third (d) fourth
Ans. (c)
Q.10. Investment in human capital is expenditure on
(a) education (b) training (c) medical care (d) all the above
Ans. (d)
Q.11. The scheme for the establishment of residential schools to impart education to talented
children from rural areas is
(a) Kendriya Vidyalayas (b) Navodaya Vidyalayas
(c) Sarvodaya Vidyalayas (d) None of the aboves
Ans. (b)
Q.12. Services of housewives are included in
(a) national income (b) domestic income (c) household income (d) none of the above
Ans. (d)
Q.13. Infant mortality rate refers to the death of a child under the age of
(a) 1 year (b) 2 years (c) 3 years (d) 4 years
Ans. (a)
Q.14. Choose the non-market activities
(i) Vilas sells fish in the village market (ii) Vilas cooks food for his family
(iii) Sakal works in a private firm
(iv) Sakal looks after his younger brother and sister
(a) (i) & (ii) (b) (iii) & (iv) (c) (i) & (iii) (d) (ii) & (iv)
Ans. (d)
Q.15. Choose the primary sector activities
(i) Forestry (ii) Poultry farming
(iii) Animal husbandry (iv) Manufacturing
(a) (i) (b) (i), (ii), (iii) (c) (ii), (iii), (iv) (d) All the above
Ans. (b)
Q.16. Tertiary sector provides
(a) services (b) goods

(c) both goods and services	(d) none of the above
Ans. (a)

Q.17. Quality of population depends upon [CBSE 2010]
(a) literacy rate (b) health (c) skill (d) all the above
Ans. (d)
Q.18. People as a resource refers to their
(a) educational skills (b) productive skills (c) health skills (d) none of the above
Ans. (b)
Q.19. Seasonal unemployement is found in
(a) urban areas (b) rural areas

(c) in remote areas	(d) both in rural and urban areas
Ans. (b)

Q.20. Bribe taking is an
(a) economic activity (b) marketing activity

(c) non-economic activity	(d) none of the above
Ans. (c)

Q.21. The persons who are not working by choice are covered under
(a) seasonal unemployment (b) disguised unemployment

(c) educated unemployment	(d) none of the above
Ans. (d)

Q.22. Disguised unemployment occurs when the number of persons working on a farm is
(a) only what is required (b) more than required
(c) less than required (d) None of the above
Ans. (b)
Q.23. If a person in rural areas cannot find jobs during some months of the year, which type
of employment is this called? [CBSE 2010]
(a) Structural unemployment (b) Cyclical unemployment
(c) Seasonal unemployment (d) None of these
Ans. (c)
Q.24. What is the literacy rate of India as per 2001 census? [CBSE 2010]
(a) 60% (b) 62% (c) 65% (d) 70%
Ans. (c)
Q.25. According to 2001 census, sex-ratio of India is : [CBSE 2010]
(a) 921 females per 1000 (b) 930 females per 1000
(c) 928 females per 1000 (d) 933 females per 1000
Ans. (b)
Q.26. Which of the following sectors is related to agriculture, forestry and dairy?
[CBSE 2010]
(a) Primary Sector (b) Tertiary Sector (c) Secondary Sector (d) None of the above
Ans. (a)
Q.27. PHC stands for [CBSE 2010]
(a) Public Health Club (b) Private Health Club

(c) Primary Health Centre	(d) None of these
Ans. (c)

Q.28. In which of the following fields is disguised unemployment found? [2010 (T-1)]
(a) Industries (b) Agriculture (c) Mining (d) Fisherise
Ans. (b)

Q.29. What is the major aim of Sarva Siksha Abhiyan?	[2010 (T-1)]
(a) To provide elementary education to women
(b) To provide elementary education to the rural poor
(c) To provide elementary education to all children in the age group 6-14 years
(d) To provide elementary education to the urban poor
Ans. (c)

Q.30. Which one of the following is related to the tertiary sector? [2010 (T-1)]
(a) Agriculture (b) Forestry (c) Mining (d) Communication
Ans. (d)
Q.31. Which one among the following is the most labour absorbing sector? [2010 (T-1)]
(a) Agriculture (b) Fisheries (c) Poultry farming (d) Mining
Ans. (a)
Q.32. Which is an economic activity in the following? [2010 (T-1)]
(a) Work of Nurse at her home (b) Work of Doctor at their home
(c) Work of Teacher in the school (d) None of the above
Ans. (c)
Q.33. Which one of the following is considered important to create a ‘virtuous cycle’ by the

parents?	[2010 (T-1)]
(a) To sand their children to the school
(b) To provide goods food to their children
(c) To join their children in corporate schools
(d) To take care of the health and education of their children
Ans. (d)
Q.34. Infant mortality rate in 2000 was :	[2010 (T-1)]

(a) 85 (b) 70 (c) 75 (d) 35
Ans. (c)
Q.35. What is the life expectancy in India according to the census of 2000? [2010 (T-1)]
(a) 72 years (b) 53 years (c) 64 years (d) 80 years
Ans. (c)
Q.36. Tenth Plan endeavoured to increase enrolment in higher education from 6% to :
[2010 (T-1)]
(a) 7% (b) 9% (c) 10% (d) 12%
Ans. (b)
Q.37. Decrease in IMR (Infant Mortality Rate) of a country signifies : [2010 (T-1)]

(a) Increase in life expectancy	(b) Increase in GNP
(c) Economic development of a country (d) Increase in number of colleges in a country
Ans. (a)

Q.38. Strike the odd one out (with reference to population) : [2010 (T-1)]
(a) Education (b) Medical Care (c) Training (d) Computers
Ans. (d)
Q.39. The number of females per thousand males refers to : [2010 (T-1)]

(a) Sex Ratio	(b) Literacy Rate
(c) Infant Mortality Rate	(d) Birth Rate

Ans. (a)
Q.40. At Rampur village, in an agricultural field 6 men are required for weeding, but 10 people
are doing the work. This kind of employment is known as : [2010 (T-1)]

(a) Disguised unemployment	(b) Seasonal unemployment
(c) Rural unemployment	(d) All of these

Ans. (a)
Q.41. Which one of the following is not a cause of urban unemployment? [2010 (T-1)]
(a) Mass migration from rural to urban areas
(b) Slow rate of economic development
(c) Maladjustment between the demand and supply of labour
(d) Caste system
Ans. (d)
Q.42. Census refers to : [2010 (T-1)]
(a) Total no. of babies born
(b) Official counting of population done after every then years
(c) Total no. of infants that are vaccinated
(d) Recording of Births and Deaths every year
Ans. (b)
Q.43. Which one of the following statements is correct with reference to tertiary sector?
[2010 (T-1)]
(a) In these activities goods are either grown on the earth or dug out from the earth
(b) These activities transform primary goods into some commodities with the help of manual
labour or machines
(c) These activities generate services rather than goods
(d) This sector is primarily known as service sector
Ans. (d)
Q.44. When there is investment made in the form of education, training and medical care, the
population becomes : [2010 (T-1)]
(a) Working capital (b) Human capital (c) Fixed capital (d) Capital growth
Ans. (b)
Q.45. Education contributes towards the growth of a society. It also enhances the : [2010 (T-1)]

(a) National income	(b) Cultural richness
(c) Efficiency of governance	(d) All of the above

Ans. (d)

Q.46. Educated unemployment is partly because of : [2010 (T-1)]
(a) slower rate of industrial expansion (b) improper educational system
(c) both a and b (d) none of these
Ans. (c)
Q.47. The workforce population of India includes people from the age group of : [2010 (T-1)]
(a) 10-59 years (b) 15-59 years (c) 20-59 years (d) 25-59 years
Ans. (b)
Q.48. Activities like trade, transport, health, banking, insurance etc. are included in the
________ sector. [2010 (T-1)]
(a) Secondary (b) Primary

(c) Manufacturing	(d) Tertiary
Ans. (d)

Q.49. In rural India, two types of unemployment exist : [2010 (T-1)]
(a) Disguised and optional (b) Seasonal and undisguised

(c) Seasonal and optional	(d) Seasonal and disguised
Ans. (d)

Q.50. Number of babies born for every 1000 people during a year is called [2010 (T-1)]
(a) Death rate (b) Birth rate

(c) Growth rate	(d) Population increase
Ans. (b)

 

Q.51. In the secondary sector, which is the most labour absorbing unit?	[2010 (T-1)]
(a) Small scale manufacturing
(b) Medium scale manufacturing
(c) Large scale manufacturing
(d) None of these
Ans. (a)
Q.52. Which one of the following cannot be regarded as building of the human capital in a
country?	[2010 (T-1)]

(a) Spending resources on education (b) Providing training of industrial workers
(c) Increasing salary of workers (d) Providing health to all
Ans. (c)

Q.53. Government has set schools in each district called	[2010 (T-1)]
(a) Army Schools
(b) Navodaya Vidyalayas
(c) Sainik Schools
(d) Missionary Schools
Ans. (b)
Q.54. Number of deaths for every 1000 people in a year is called	[2010 (T-1)]

(a) Death Rate (b) Birth Rate

(c) Decrease Rate	(d) Population Decrease
Ans. (a)

 

Questions Within The Lesson

Q.1. Looking at the photograph (as given in the textbook) can you explain how a doctor,
a teacher, a engineer and a tailor are an asset to the economy?
Ans.Doctors, teachers, engineers and tailors are assets to the economy because of their existing
skills and abilities.
Q.2. Do you notice any difference between the two friends? What are those?
Ans. Difference between two friends — Sakal and Vilas
(i) Sakal’s parents wanted him to study, while Vilas’s mother cannot afford to send him to
school. Moreover, Vilas was a patient of arthritis.
(ii) Sakal was meritorious and interested in studies, while Vilas wasn’t.
(iii) Sakal completed his vocational course in computer and got a well paid job, while Vilas
was faced to sell fish like his mother.
(iv) Sakal earns a good amount of money, while Vilas earns only a meagre income.
Q.3. Say whether these activities are economic or non-economic activities : Vilas sells fish in
the village market. Vilas cooks food for his family. Sakal works in a private firm. Sakal
looks after his younger brother and sister.
Ans.See S.A.Qs. No. 3.
Q.4. (a) Has the literacy rate of the population increased since 1951?
(b) In which year India had the highest literacy rates?
(c) Why literacy rate is high among the males of India?
(d) Why are women less educated than men?
(e) How would you calculate literacy rate in India?
(f) What is your projection about India’s literacy rate in 2010?
Ans.(a) Yes. (b) In 2001.
(c) Males in India are provided better educational opportunities.
(d) Because of sex discrimination, females are not treated at par with males. Females are not
provided equal educational opportunities.
(e)Literacy Rate = Total literate people in the age group of 17 years and above
Total number of people in the age group of 17 years and above
(f) India’s literacy rate may rise to nearly 75 percent.
Table 2.1 : Number of institutions of higher education, enrolment and facility
Year Number of Number of Students Teachers
Colleges Universities
1950–51 750 30 2,63,000 24,000
1990–91 7,345 177 49,25,000 2,72,000
1996–97 9,703 214 67,55,000 3,21,000
1998–99 11,089 238 74,17,000 3,42,000
Q.5. Discuss this table in the classroom and answer the following questions.
1. Is the increase in number of colleges adequate to admit the increasing number of students?
2. Do you think we should have more number of universities?
3. What is the increase noticed among the teachers in the year 1998-99.
4. What is your idea about future colleges and universities?
Ans. 1. Yes. 2. No.
3. The number of teachers in 1998-99 increased by 21,000m when compared with that in
1996–97.
4. The number of colleges and universities in future will increase.
Q.6. Table 2.2 : Health infrastructure over the years.

1951	1981	2001
SC/PHC/CHC Dispensaries and Hospitals Beds Doctors (Allopathy) Nursing Personnel	725 9,209 1,17,198 61,800 18,054	57,363 23,555 5,69,495 2,68,700 1,43,887	1,63,181 43,322 8,70,161 5,03,900 7,37,000

Study the Table 2.2 and answer the following questions.
1. What is the percentage increase in dispensaries from 1951 to 2001?
2. What is the percentage increase in doctors and nursing personnel from 1951 to 2001?
3. Do you think the increase in the number of doctors and nurses adequate for India?
If not, why?
4. What other facilities would you like to provide in a hospital?
5. Discuss about the hospital you have visited?
6. Can you draw a graph using this table?
Ans.1. 370 per cent
2. 715 per cent increase in case of doctors and 3982 per cent in case of nursing personnel.
3. No, because the number of doctors and nurses per thousand of population is very low
compared to advanced countries.
4. There should be sufficient number of doctors, nurses and beds in a hospital. Besides, a
hospital must be equipped with all modern facilities.
5. I have visited a MCD hospital in Delhi. The hospital had all basic facilities.
Graph showing health infrastructure over the years.

 

QUESTIONS IN THE EXERCISE

Q.1. What do you understand by ‘people as a resource’?
Ans.People as a resource is a way of referring to the country’s working population in terms of their
existing productive skills and abilities.
Q.2. How is human resource different from other resources like land and physical capital?
Ans.Human resource is different from other resources like land and physical capital. Human
resource refers to human capital which can make use of land and capital. Land and capital
cannot become useful on their own.
Population becomes a human resource when there is investment made in form of education,
training and medical care. On the other hand, land is a natural resource. And physical capital
includes tools, machines, buildings, raw materials, etc. Land and physical capital, therefore, are
tangible.
Q.3. What is the role of education in human capital formation?
Ans.Education is the most important component of human resource development. The role of
education in human capital formation can be judged from the following facts :
(i) Education increases labour productivity.
(ii) Education modifies /improves human behaviour.
(iii) It develops personality and sense of national consciousness among the people which are
important for rapid economc growth.
(iv) It promotes science and technology.
Q.4. What is the role of health in human capital formation?
Ans. Role of Health in Human Capital Formation.
Unhealthy persons become a liability and healthy persons prove an asset for the economy.
Therefore, improvement in the health status of the population is regarded very essential.
Improved health contributes to economic growth in the following ways :
(i) It reduces production loss caused by worker’s illness.
(ii) It increases the efficiency of workers.
(iii) It permits the use of natural and other resources.
(iv) It increases the enrolment of children in schools and makes them better able to learn.
Q.5. What part does health play in an individual’s working life?
Ans. Role of health in an individual’s working life.
Health is a yardstick of one’s well-being. Efficiency of a person largely depends on his health.
If a person falls sick quite often, he will not be able to do his job/work efficiently. Therefore,
his income will be low. Because of low level of income, he will not be able to get proper food
and proper education for his children. This will further reduce his efficiency of work and
thereby income. In fact, good health improves the quality of life.
Q.6. What are the various activities undertaken in the primary sector, secondary sector and
tertiary sector?
Ans. Classification of Economic Activities.
The economic activities of an economy can broadly be classified into three main producing
sectors. These are :
Primary sector. Primary sector produces goods by exploiting natural resources. Therefore, the
activities of this sector include agriculture, forestry, animal husbandry, fishing, poultry and
mining.
Secondary sector. It converts raw materials into finished goods. It includes all manufacturing
and construction activities.
Tertiary sector. This sector includes trade, transport, communication, banking, education,
health, tourism, insurance etc. i.e. all those producing services.
Q.7. What is the difference between economic activities and non-economic activities?
Ans. Difference between Economic and Non-Economic Activities.

Economic Activities	Non-Economic Activities
1. Economic activities bring income to their performers.	1. Non-economic activities do not bring income to their performers.
2. Income accruing from economic activities is included in the country’s national income.	2. These activities are not accounted in the national income.

Q.8. Why are women employed in low-paid work?
Ans.Women in India are generally employed in low-paid work. This is because of the reason that
most women have meagre education and low skill formation as compared to men. They work
under insecure working conditions. Besides, Indian women prefer to work at nearby places
only. Also, they have to go on frequent maternity leave. All these factors force them to work
at low wages. However, women with higher education and skill formation are paid at par with
men.
Q.9. How will you explain the term unemployment?
Ans.Unemployment is said to exist when people who are willing to work at the current prevailing
wages cannot find work/job. If some one is not interested in doing work at the ongoing wage
rate or outside his/her domestic domain he/she will not be counted as unemployed.
Q.10. What is the difference between disguised unemployment and seasonal unemployment?
Ans. Disguised Unemployment.
When more persons are working in a job than actually required, the situation is termed as
disguised unemployment. For example, if in an agricultural activity eight people are engaged
but this work/activity actually requires the services of five people, then three persons are extra.
If these three people out of eight are withdrawn, total production will remain unaffected.
Seasonal Unemployment.
Seasonal unemployment occurs when people are able to find jobs only during some months of
the year. This kind of unemployment is generally found in the agricultural sector.
Q.11. Why is educated unemployment a peculiar problem of India?
Ans. Problem of Educated unemployment.The joblessness among the educated, i.e. matriculates
and above, is called educated unemployment. Unemployment problem signifies the wastage of
human resources. If unemployment is high among the educated persons the quantum of
wastage of resources will be greater. This is due to investments in education and skill
formation. There is a feeling of hopelessness among the educated youth. India has to spend a
lot of money on education every year. People who should have been assets for the economy
have turned into a liability. In this way educated unemployment is one of the big problems for
India.
Q.12. In which field do you think India can build the maximum employment opportunity?
Ans.India can build the maximum employment opportunity in the agricultural sector. Agriculture
is the most labour absorbing sector of the economy. Multiple cropping may help a lot in this
regard.
Q.13. Can you suggest some measures in the education system to mitigate the problem of the
educated unemployed?
Ans. Measures to Reduce Educated Unemployment.The education system in India is not
employment oriented. There is too much emphasis on general education rather than vocational
education. More employment exchange offices may be opened in the country. Though these
employment exchanges do not directly provide employment, they are of great assistance in
directing the educated job seekers to the possible areas of employment.
Q.14. Can you imagine some village which initially had no job opportunity but later came up
with many?
Ans.There was a village inhabited by several families, Initially the village was self-reliant in the
sense that each family produced all goods to meet the needs of its members. But later, it came
up with many job opportunities. One of the families decided to send one of its sons to an
agriculture college. After completing his education, he became an agro-engineer in the village.
Inspired by this, all the families of the village requested the panchayat to open a school in the
village. The panchayat opened a school with the help of the government and a teacher was
recruited for the school. After some time, one of the families sent its daughter for training in
tailoring. After getting necessary training, she started stitching clothes for the villagers. Thus,
there was another job – that of a tailor in the village. In this way, many jobs were created in
the village.

CONCEPTS
* Human beings perform many activities which can be grouped into economic and non
economic.
Economic Activities : Economic activities refer to those activities of man which are
undertaken for a monetary gain or to satisfy his/her wants. The activities of workers, farmers,
shopkeepers, manufacturers, doctors, lawyers, taxi drivers, etc. fall under this category.
Non-Economic Activities : Non-economic activities are ones that are not undertaken for any
monetary gain. These are also called unpaid activities, e.g., Puja-paath, housekeeping, helping
the poor or disabled, etc.

*Classification of Economic Activities. Various economic activities can be classified into
three main sectors, that is primary sector, secondary sector and tertiary sector. The primary sector includes activities like agriculture, forestry, animal husbandry, fishing, poultry, farming and mining. In this sector, goods are produced by exploiting nature. In the secondary sector, manufacturing (small and large) and construction activities are included. The tertiary sector (also called service sector) provides various types of services like transport, education,banking, insurance, health, tourism, etc.

*Market Activities and Non-Market Activities. Economic activities, i.e. production of goods
and services can be classified into market activities and non-market activities. Market
activities are performed for remuneration. Non-market activities are the activities carried out
for self-consumption.

*Activities of Women. Women generally look after domestic affairs like cooking of food,
washing of clothes, cleaning of utensils, housekeeping and looking after children.

*Human Capital. Human capital is the stock of skill and productive knowledge embodied in
human beings. Population (human beings) become human capital when it is provided with
better education, training and health care facilities.

*People as a Resource. People as resource is a way of referring to a country’s workforce in terms of their existing skills and abilities.

*Human Capital Formation. When the existing human resource is further developed by
spending on making the workforce more educated and healthy, it is called human capital
formation.

*Quality of Population. The quality of population depends upon the literacy rate, life
expectancy and skills formation acquired by the people of the country.

*Role of Education. Education is the most important component of human resource
development.
In view of its contribution towards the growth of the society, government expenditure on
education as a percentage of GDP rose from 0.64% in 1951-52 to 3.98% in 2002-03.
However, our national goal is 6% of GDP.
There has been considerable improvement in the country’s health standard. For instance, the
life expectancy at the time of birth in India rose from 37.2 years in 1951 to 63.9 years in
2001. Similarly, infant mortality rate has come down from 147 to 70 during the same time
period.
* Unemployment. Unemployment is said to exist when people who are willing to work at the prevailing wage rates cannot find jobs. When we talk of unemployed people, we refer to
those in the age group of 15-59 years. Children below 15 years of age and the old people
above 60 are not considered while counting the number of unemployed.

* Nature of Unemployment in India. Seasonal unemployment occurs when people fail to get work during some months of the year (that is, during off-season). Farm labourers usually face this kind of problem. Disguised unemployment is another kind of unemployment found in
rural areas. Such kind of problem arises due to excessive pressure of population on
agriculture. Disguised unemployment refers to a situation wherein the number of workers in
a job is more than actually required to do the job. The extra number of workers are
disguisedly unemployed.
Consequences of Unemployment :
(i) Unemployment leads to wastage of manpower resource.
(ii) Unemployment tends to increase the economic overload that is dependence of the
unemployed on the working population.
(iii) Unemployment may lead to increase in social unrest and tension.

*Health. Health is another very important component of human resource development.
Efficiency of workers largely depends on their health.