CBSE Class 10 Social Science Agriculture Important Questions Set 04

Question 1. Explain any three features of Indian agriculture.
Answer:
Two-thirds of India's population is engaged in agricultural activities.
Agriculture is a primary activity, which produces most of the food that is consumed.
It also produces raw material for various industries.
Some agricultural products like tea, coffee and spices are also exported to earn foreign exchange.

Teacher's Note:
a) Indian agriculture employs about two-thirds of the population.
b) It supplies both food for consumption and raw material for industry, and some products are exported.

Question 2. Why is there enormous pressure on land in intensive subsistence farming?
Answer:
Right of inheritance leading to the division of land among successive generations has rendered land holding size uneconomical.
The farmers continue to take maximum output from the limited land, in the absence of alternative sources of livelihood.
Thus, there is an enormous pressure on agricultural land.

Teacher's Note:
a) Repeated division of land through inheritance shrinks each holding over generations.
b) With no alternative livelihood, farmers push the same small plot for maximum output.

Question 3. Which crop is known as the 'golden fibre'? Explain any two geographical conditions essential for the cultivation of this crop. Mention its four uses.
Answer:
Jute is known as the 'golden fibre'.
It grows well on well-drained fertile soils in the flood plains where soils are renewed every year.
West Bengal, Bihar, Assam, Odisha and Meghalaya are the major jute-producing states of India.
It is used in making gunny bags, mats, ropes, yarn, carpets and other artefacts.
Due to its high cost, it is losing market to synthetic fibres and packing material, particularly nylon.

Teacher's Note:
a) Jute needs well-drained, fertile, annually-renewed flood-plain soil.
b) It is used for gunny bags, mats, ropes, yarn and carpets, but faces competition from synthetic fibres like nylon.

Question 4. “Agriculture is the mainstay of Indian economy.” Explain this statement.
Answer:
Agriculture has been the backbone of the Indian economy.
Agriculture's share in providing employment and livelihood to the population continues to be as high as 63 per cent (2001).
The government provides facilities like irrigation, power, rural roads, market access and mechanisation subsidy on fertilisers.
Reduction of import duties on agricultural products has proved detrimental to agriculture in the country.

Teacher's Note:
a) Agriculture remains India's largest source of employment and livelihood.
b) Government support (irrigation, power, roads, subsidies) sustains it, though falling import duties on farm products have hurt domestic farmers.

Question 5. Explain four technological reform initiatives taken by the government to ensure an increase in agricultural production.
Answer:
The Green Revolution in agriculture and the White Revolution in milk were introduced.
Tractors, harvesters, threshers, tubewells and other technological devices were introduced.
For better production, fertilisers, insecticides and pesticides were also produced.
The government also announced the minimum support price, which checks the exploitation of farmers by speculators and middlemen.

Teacher's Note:
a) The Green and White Revolutions boosted food grain and milk output respectively.
b) Mechanisation (tractors, tubewells) and minimum support prices together protect and raise farm production.

Question 6. Why do we need to have technical and institutional reforms in India's agriculture?
Answer:
Agriculture has been practised in India for thousands of years.
Sustained use of land without compatible techno-institutional changes has hindered the pace of agricultural development.
In spite of the development of sources of irrigation, most farmers in large parts of the country still depend upon monsoon and natural fertility to carry on their agriculture.
For a growing population, this poses a serious challenge.
Agriculture, which provides livelihood for more than 60 per cent of the population, needs serious technical and institutional reforms.

Teacher's Note:
a) Old land-use practices without matching institutional change have slowed farm growth.
b) Continued dependence on monsoon and natural soil fertility, despite irrigation development, makes reform urgent for a growing population.

Question 7. Suggest the initiatives taken by the government to ensure an increase in agricultural production.
Answer:
The right of inheritance led to fragmentation of landholdings; collectivisation, consolidation of landholdings, cooperation and abolition of zamindari were given priority to bring about institutional reforms after independence.
The Green Revolution, based on package technology, and the White Revolution were initiated to improve Indian agriculture.
A land development programme was initiated, including provision for crop insurance against famine, flood, cyclone, fire and disease, and the establishment of Grameen banks and cooperative societies.
Kissan Credit Cards and the Personal Accident Insurance Scheme were introduced for the benefit of farmers.
Special weather bulletins and agricultural programmes for farmers are run on radio and television.
To check the exploitation of farmers by speculators and middlemen, the government announces minimum support, remunerative and procurement prices for important crops.

Teacher's Note:
a) Post-independence land reforms (consolidation, cooperation, abolition of zamindari) addressed fragmented holdings.
b) Crop insurance, Kissan Credit Cards and assured minimum prices together protect farmers from both natural and market risks.

Question 8. Describe the geographical conditions required for production of Maize.
Answer:
(1) Geographical requirement: Maize is a Kharif crop. It requires a temperature between 21°C and 27°C and grows well in old alluvial soil.
(2) States: major maize-producing states are Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Andhra Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.

Teacher's Note:
a) Maize's temperature range (21-27°C) is a specific number worth remembering.
b) Five states listed; naming any two or three is usually enough for shorter questions.

Question 9. Why is a breakthrough in dry land farming most essential in Indian agriculture?
Answer:
(1) Dry land farming means raising drought-enduring crops in certain regions which receive inadequate rainfall and lack irrigation facilities.
(2) It is very essential in Indian agriculture, necessary in areas which lack irrigation and adequate rainfall.
(3) Bunding and contour ploughing are highly beneficial to retain maximum moisture and avoid soil erosion.

Teacher's Note:
a) Bunding and contour ploughing are the two named techniques to remember here.
b) Dry land farming is about drought-resistant crops, distinct from irrigated farming.

Question 10. State four main features of intensive farming.
Answer:
(1) Suitable for small landholdings.
(2) Two or three crops are grown each year.
(3) Production per acre is higher.
(4) More labour and capital investment is required.

Teacher's Note:
a) Intensive farming trades more labour/capital for higher output per acre on small land.
b) Contrast this with extensive farming, which uses large landholdings and less input per acre.

Question 11. Differentiate between settled agriculture and shifting agriculture.
Answer:
Settled agriculture: when any form of agriculture (primitive or modern) is practised permanently on a big or small piece of land or farm, it is known as settled agriculture.
Shifting agriculture: a form of agriculture in which continuous change or shifting of land is made for carrying on agricultural activities. A patch of land is cleared either by burning or cutting of trees and shrubs, and cultivated for a short period. The land is then left when it is overrun by weeds or exhausted by leaching.

Teacher's Note:
a) Shifting agriculture is also called ‘slash and burn’ — see the local names question further down.
b) Permanence of land use is the key difference examiners test.

Question 12. Write the main characteristics of intensive subsistence farming.
Answer:
(1) It is practised in areas of high population pressure on land.
(2) It is labour-intensive farming.
(3) Yield per hectare is high because high doses of biochemical inputs and irrigation are used.
(4) The size of the land-holdings is small and uneconomical.
(5) Farmers take maximum output from the limited land by raising two or three crops a year from the same land, i.e. multiple cropping is practised.

Teacher's Note:
a) ‘Intensive subsistence’ combines two ideas: high labour input AND farming mainly for the family's own use.
b) Multiple cropping on small holdings is the single most distinctive feature.

Question 13. Describe any three changes in Indian agriculture after the Green Revolution.
Answer:
(1) High-yielding variety (HYV) seeds are used for higher output of major crops like rice and wheat.
(2) For irrigation, canals were laid to provide water to water-thirsty states or areas having a shortage of water supply.
(3) Use of fertilisers, insecticides and pesticides has enhanced the production of various crops.

Teacher's Note:
a) HYV seeds, irrigation expansion, and chemical inputs are the three pillars of the Green Revolution.
b) This overlaps with the 'main features of Green Revolution' question below — revise together.

Question 14. What are the main features of the Green Revolution?
Answer:
(1) Large-scale use of high-yielding varieties of seeds.
(2) Development of surface and groundwater irrigation.
(3) Use of fertilizers, insecticides and pesticides.

Teacher's Note:
a) A shorter, three-point version of the previous answer — use whichever length the marks require.

Question 15. What improvements should be made in Indian agriculture to provide sufficient food to a fast-growing population? Answer in four points.
Answer:
(1) The Green Revolution should be extended to other crops and cereals.
(2) Wider use of HYV seeds for other crops, along with research and development of HYV seeds for cereals and other crops.
(3) Sufficient irrigation facilities — linking rivers across India would benefit agriculture and reduce dependence on rainfall.
(4) Use of bio-fertilizers and bio-pesticides to help crops and soil, while reducing the harmful effects of overusing chemical fertilizers and pesticides.

Teacher's Note:
a) Four forward-looking suggestions — note the shift towards 'bio' inputs as a more sustainable alternative.
b) The river-linking plan is a specific policy idea worth naming.

Question 16. What is slash and burn agriculture? Mention its local names, with the states or regions where each name is used.
Answer:
Under slash and burn agriculture, farmers clear a patch of land, grow crops on it for some years, and then move to a new patch.
Local names of slash and burn agriculture:
(1) Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Nagaland — Jhumming.
(2) Manipur — Pamlou.
(3) Bastar, Andaman and Nicobar Islands — Dipa.
(4) Madhya Pradesh — Bewar or Dahiya.
(5) Andhra Pradesh — Podu or Penda.
(6) Odisha — Pama Dabi, Koman or Bringa.
(7) Western Ghats — Kumari.
(8) South-eastern Rajasthan — Valre or Waltre.
(9) Himalayan belt — Khil.
(10) Jharkhand — Kuruwa.

Teacher's Note:
a) Jhumming (north-east India) is the most commonly tested of these ten local names.
b) Learn at least three or four names with their states — a frequent fill-in-the-blank/matching topic.

Question 17. ‘Animal husbandry is an auxiliary activity of Indian agriculture.’ Explain this, giving four examples.
Answer:
(1) Farms, farm animals and farmers together make a farming eco-system in India.
(2) Oxen, he-buffaloes and camels are used as plough animals on the farm.
(3) They help in ploughing, sowing, threshing and transporting farm products.
(4) Animal wastes are used as farm manure. Animals and dairy development play a key role in rural development.

Teacher's Note:
a) ‘Auxiliary’ means supporting — animal husbandry supports crop farming rather than replacing it.
b) Dairy development is the modern extension of this traditional role.

Question 18. Describe any three geographical conditions required for tea cultivation. Name any two tea-producing states.
Answer:
Climatic conditions required for tea cultivation:
(i) Tea grows well in tropical and subtropical climates, with deep and fertile well-drained soil rich in humus and organic matter.
(ii) A warm and moist, frost-free climate is required throughout the year.
(iii) Frequent showers throughout the year; high humidity ensures continuous rapid growth of tender leaves.
Major tea-producing states of India include Assam; the hills of Darjeeling and Jalpaiguri districts in West Bengal; Tamil Nadu; Kerala; and Himachal Pradesh.

Teacher's Note:
a) Tea is labour-intensive, so cheap and skilled labour is also a geographical/economic requirement.
b) Assam and Darjeeling (West Bengal) are the two most frequently named tea-producing areas.

Question 19. Describe any five features of primitive subsistence farming.
Answer:
(1) It is practised on small patches of land with the help of primitive tools like hoe, dao and digging sticks, with the help of family members.
(2) It depends upon monsoons, the natural fertility of the soil, and environmental suitability.
(3) It is also called ‘slash and burn’ agriculture.
(4) Farmers clear a patch of land and produce crops for their own sustenance.
(5) When soil fertility decreases, farmers shift to a new area, clear forest by burning, and sow crops again.

Teacher's Note:
a) Primitive subsistence farming = small scale + simple tools + family labour + dependence on nature.
b) This links directly to the 'slash and burn' and 'shifting agriculture' questions above.

Question 20. ‘The Government of India has introduced various institutional and technological reforms to improve agriculture in the 1980s and 1990s.’ Support this statement with examples.
Answer:
The Government of India introduced various institutional and technological reforms under a comprehensive Land Development Programme to improve agriculture in the 1980s and 1990s.
Land Development Programme: (1) provision for crop insurance against drought, flood, cyclone, fire and disease; (2) establishment of Grameen (regional rural) banks and cooperative societies/banks, providing loan facilities to farmers at lower rates of interest.
Other reforms: (1) the Kisan Credit Card (KCC) scheme, giving easy and cheap loans to small farmers, along with the Personal Accident Insurance Scheme (PAIS) for KCC holders; (2) special weather bulletins and agricultural programmes for farmers through radio and television; (3) the Minimum Support Price (MSP), announced for various agricultural products like cereals and pulses, to check the exploitation of farmers by middlemen.

Teacher's Note:
a) Three named schemes to remember: Kisan Credit Card, crop insurance, and Minimum Support Price (MSP).
b) MSP is especially important — it protects farmers from being underpaid by traders/middlemen.

Teacher's Note:
a) This table's two columns were swapped in the source and have been corrected here — see the note below.
b) Simple test to tell them apart: ‘Is this crop grown to sell, or to eat?’

Teacher's Note:
a) Kharif = monsoon crop (sown in rains), Rabi = winter crop (sown after monsoon withdrawal).
b) Rice is the standout Kharif example; wheat is the standout Rabi example.

Teacher's Note:
a) Tamil Nadu and Kerala grow both crops — Assam/West Bengal for tea and Karnataka for coffee are the distinguishing states.
b) Coffee needs slightly cooler, drier conditions and different soil than tea.

Question 24. How is biotechnology beneficial to farmers? How is it able to maintain a safe and sustainable environment?
Answer:
Biotechnology is beneficial to farmers in the following ways:
(1) It can be used to modify different crops genetically to increase yield per hectare.
(2) This technology makes crops resistant to insects, pests and diseases.
(3) This reduces the consumption of insecticides and pesticides.
(4) Genetically modified seeds require less water.
(5) It reduces the cost of production.
(6) It benefits both rich and poor farmers and is environmentally safe and sustainable.

Teacher's Note:
a) Lower chemical use and lower water use are the two main environmental benefits to highlight.
b) Six benefits listed — group them as yield-related and environment-related.

Question 25. What challenges are being faced by Indian farmers? What has this resulted in?
Answer:
Challenges faced by Indian farmers:
(1) Reduction in public investment by the government in the agricultural sector, particularly in irrigation, power, rural roads, markets and mechanisation.
(2) Subsidy on fertilizers has decreased, leading to an increase in the cost of production.
(3) Reduction in import duties on agricultural products has proved detrimental to agriculture in the country.
These factors have led to stiff international competition. Farmers are thus withdrawing their investment from agriculture, causing a downfall in agricultural employment.

Teacher's Note:
a) The end result — falling investment and falling agricultural employment — is the key takeaway to state explicitly.
b) Lower subsidy + lower import duty together squeeze farmers from both sides: higher costs, cheaper foreign competition.

Question 26. By which name is the specialised cultivation of fruits and vegetables known?
Answer:
Horticulture is the name given to the specialised cultivation of fruits and vegetables.

Teacher's Note:
a) Horticulture refers to fruit and vegetable cultivation.
b) It is distinct from general field-crop farming.

Question 27. Describe 'Jhumming cultivation' in one sentence.
Answer:
Jhumming is slash-and-burn cultivation practised in the north-eastern region of India.

Teacher's Note:
a) Jhumming = slash-and-burn farming in North-East India.
b) Land is cleared by burning vegetation before sowing.

Question 28. How can small and marginal farmers be supported by the government?
Answer:
Through loan facilities to farmers at lower rates of interest, the Kisan Credit Card (KCC), and crop insurance, among other measures.

Teacher's Note:
a) Cheap loans, KCC and crop insurance all support small/marginal farmers.
b) These measures reduce the financial risk farmers face from crop failure or debt.

Question 29. By which other name is 'slash and burn' agriculture known?
Answer:
Slash-and-burn agriculture is also known as Jhum cultivation.

Teacher's Note:
a) 'Jhum cultivation' is another name for slash-and-burn farming.
b) It is practised mainly in India's North-East.

Question 30. India is the largest producer as well as consumer of which agricultural product in the world?
Answer:
India is the largest producer as well as consumer of pulses in the world.

Teacher's Note:
a) India leads the world in both producing and consuming pulses.
b) Pulses are a key source of dietary protein in India.

Question 31. What soil is perfect for the growth of cashew nuts?
Answer:
Deep, well-drained sandy or sandy-loam soil is recommended for the best production of cashew nuts.

Teacher's Note:
a) Cashew needs deep, well-drained sandy/sandy-loam soil.
b) This is often linked to laterite soil regions along India's coasts.

Question 32. What are the growing conditions required for the main staple food crop of India? Mention the main growing regions.
Answer:
Rice requires high temperature (above 25°C) and is a Kharif crop; it needs high humidity, with annual rainfall above 100 cm.
Main growing regions: the northern plains, north-eastern India, coastal areas, deltaic plains and river valleys.

Teacher's Note:
a) Rice needs high heat, high humidity and heavy rainfall (over 100 cm).
b) It thrives in plains, deltas and river valleys across India.

Question 33. How many cropping seasons are found in India? Name them and write a short note on each.
Answer:
There are three cropping seasons in India: Kharif, Rabi and Zaid.
Kharif largely coincides with the south-west monsoon, allowing cultivation of tropical crops such as rice, cotton, jute, jowar, bajra and tur.
Rabi begins with the onset of winter in October-November and ends in March-April; low temperatures during this season favour temperate and subtropical crops such as wheat, gram and mustard.
Zaid is a short-duration summer cropping season beginning after the Rabi crops are harvested.

Teacher's Note:
a) India's three seasons: Kharif (monsoon), Rabi (winter), Zaid (short summer).
b) Each season supports a different set of crops suited to its temperature and rainfall.

Question 34. Name the two most important staple food crops of India, the states where they are produced, and the geographical conditions required for their growth.
Answer:
The most important staple crops are rice and wheat.
Rice is mainly grown in West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Odisha (in decreasing order); wheat is mainly grown in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh.
Rice needs high temperature (above 25°C) and high humidity, with annual rainfall above 100 cm; wheat is a Rabi crop needing cool growing conditions and moderate rainfall, with a relatively dry period at harvest.

Teacher's Note:
a) Rice and wheat are India's two most important staple crops.
b) Rice dominates the wetter eastern/southern states; wheat dominates the drier northern plains.