CBSE Class 10 Social Science Geography Contemporary India II Important Questions with Answers Set 01

Answer: Resources and Development: 1. Resources are classified as renewable and non-renewable. 2. Laterite soil is suitable for cashew nut. 3. Alluvial soil is the most widespread and important soil in India.
Agriculture: 1. Jute is the golden fibre. 2. Two schemes: Kisan Credit Card (KCC) and Personal Accident Insurance Scheme (PAIS).
Minerals and Energy: 1. Mumbai High, Gujarat and Assam are rich in mineral oil.
Manufacturing: 1. Agglomeration economies are the benefits that industries get by locating near each other, such as services, banking, transport and a market. 2. More cotton mills are in Gujarat and Maharashtra because of the black cotton soil, a humid climate, ports, and a good market.
Lifelines: 1. India has been able to develop her trade and extend her boundaries because of a well-developed transport and communication network. 2. National Highway 1 runs from Delhi to Amritsar. 3. The Golden Quadrilateral is a six-lane super highway linking Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai and Mumbai. 4. Jammu and Kashmir has the lowest road density.

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Answer: Resources are used to satisfy greed, so they are depleted, and accumulate in the hands of a few, who divide society into rich and poor. Reckless use has caused global ecological problems such as global warming, ozone layer depletion, environmental pollution and land degradation.

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Answer: Pollution and its effects spread across borders. Ozone depletion, global warming and acid rain affect all countries, and polluted rivers and air flow into neighbouring states and nations. So all countries must cooperate to protect the environment.

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Answer: Soil erosion is the removal of the top layer of soil by wind, water and human activities. It can be prevented by contour ploughing, terrace farming, strip cropping, planting shelter belts of trees, afforestation, and controlling overgrazing.

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Answer: Potential resources: found in a region but not yet used, e.g. Rajasthan's solar and wind energy. Developed resources: surveyed and in use, depending on technology and cost. Stock: materials that could be used but we lack the technology, e.g. hydrogen from water. Reserves: the part of the stock that can be used with the present technology but has not been used yet, e.g. water in dams.

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Answer: Resource planning is the widely accepted strategy for the judicious use of resources. Its three stages: (1) identifying and inventorying resources across the regions through surveys, mapping and measuring; (2) evolving a planning structure with the right technology, skill and institutions; (3) matching the resource development plans with the national development plans.

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Answer: To protect farmers against the exploitation by middlemen, to ensure a fair price, to encourage the production of important crops, and to build food stocks for the public distribution system.

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Answer: More than half of the people depend on it for a living. It supplies raw material to industries such as cotton, jute and sugar. It provides food for the large population and contributes to exports, e.g. tea, coffee, spices and rice.

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Answer:

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Answer: Land reforms were done: consolidation of holdings, abolition of zamindari. The Green and White Revolutions improved production. The government set up Grameen banks, cooperative societies and Kisan Credit Cards, crop insurance (PAIS), and announced MSP. Radio and TV agricultural programmes spread information.

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Answer:

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Answer: Fast-flowing water from a dam drives turbines, which run the generators. Advantages: it is a renewable and non-polluting source, it is cheap to run, no fuel is needed, and dams give irrigation and flood control as well.

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Answer: India has abundant sunshine for most of the year. Photovoltaic cells change sunlight into electricity. Solar energy can reduce the use of firewood and dung cakes in rural areas, which saves the forests and gives manure. It is a pollution-free, renewable source and suits remote villages.

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Answer: Raw materials, iron ore, coal, manganese and limestone, are available nearby. There is cheap labour from the region, rivers such as Damodar and Subarnarekha give water, and railways and Kolkata port are near. The government's policies and the large demand also help.

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Answer: Coal. Lignite is low-grade brown coal, soft, with high moisture; bituminous is the most popular commercial coal, used for coke and metallurgy; anthracite is the highest-quality hard coal with the most carbon. Peat, with low carbon and a high moisture content, is the first stage.

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Answer: It is the most abundant fossil fuel, so it is available in large quantities, and cheap. It is used for power generation, in the iron and steel industry, and as a source of coke and chemicals, and for domestic use.

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Answer: Minerals are non-renewable, and take millions of years to form, while the rate of consumption is much higher than the rate of replenishment. Reserves are limited, so they will not last long. We should use them judiciously, reduce wastage, recycle metals, and use substitutes.

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Answer: Agro-based industries give a market for farm produce, and give farmers better prices. Industry provides fertilisers, pesticides, pumps and machines, which raise agricultural production. The growth of both together has made the economy strong.

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Answer: All other industries depend on it for their machines and tools, so it is the base. It supplies raw material for engineering, construction and transport goods. Its production and consumption are a measure of the country's economic strength.

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Answer: Manufacturing changes raw materials into valuable products, creates jobs, and brings in foreign exchange through exports. It reduces dependence on agriculture and removes unemployment and poverty. Countries that have developed their industries, such as Japan and the USA, are rich.

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Answer: Minimise water use by recycling it, treat effluents before releasing them into rivers, harvest rainwater, fit electrostatic precipitators and filters on smokestacks, use oil or gas instead of coal, use noise-reducing devices, and plant trees.

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Answer: Railways are suitable for long distances and heavy goods. Roads are better for short distances and door-to-door delivery, and can reach remote areas where trains cannot. Roads feed the goods to the railway stations, so the two work together.

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Answer: Goods and services must move from the producing to the consuming areas. Raw materials must reach industries, and finished goods the markets. Transport also helps in tourism, trade and national integration. So development cannot occur without it.

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Answer: Railways carry both passengers and freight over long distances, and are the principal mode of transport in India. They help in trade, tourism and the movement of bulk goods such as coal and iron ore. They bring people together and help national integration.

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Answer: Road construction costs much less, and roads can go over the hilly and rugged areas where railway lines cannot. Roads give door-to-door service, and are better for short distances and perishable goods. Roads are also more flexible in terms of routes and can reach the villages.

Teacher's Note: Learn this point and write it in your own words.