CBSE Class 10 Social Science Geography Resources, Agriculture and Industries Important Questions Set 10

Answer: It was held in June 1992 at Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It endorsed the global Agenda 21 for achieving sustainable development.

Teacher's Note:
1. The Summit was attended by over a hundred heads of state.
2. Agenda 21 asks every local government to draw up its own local plan for sustainable development.

Answer: Sustainable development means development that meets the needs of the present generation without damaging the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

Teacher's Note:
1. It balances economic growth with the care of natural resources.
2. Overuse of resources today would leave very little for the future.

Answer: Commercial farming is a type of farming in which crops are grown on a large scale for sale in the market, using high doses of modern inputs such as HYV seeds, fertilisers and pesticides.

Teacher's Note:
1. Punjab and Haryana are good examples, where rice is a commercial crop.
2. The same crop may be a subsistence crop in another region.

Answer: Magnetite is the finest iron ore, with over 70 per cent iron content.

Teacher's Note:
1. It has excellent magnetic qualities, which is useful in the electrical industry.
2. Hematite, with about 50 to 60 per cent iron, is the most important in terms of quantity used.

Answer: Cotton textile and sugar industries (jute, tea, coffee and edible oil industries are other examples).

Teacher's Note:
1. These industries use farm produce as the main raw material.
2. They are therefore called agro-based industries.

Answer: The information technology (IT) and software industry has been a major earner of foreign exchange.

Teacher's Note:
1. It earns foreign exchange mainly through exports of software and IT-enabled services.
2. Software Technology Parks in cities such as Bengaluru and Hyderabad support its growth.

Answer: It is known as sericulture.

Teacher's Note:
1. Silkworms feed on mulberry leaves.
2. Karnataka, Assam and West Bengal are leading producers.

Answer: Shillong uses roof-top rainwater harvesting; rain falling on roofs is collected in storage tanks and used in homes, mainly in times of scarcity.

Teacher's Note:
1. About 15 to 25 per cent of the water needs of most houses are met this way.
2. This is a low-cost and practical solution in a place with heavy rain but poor supply.

Answer: Tamil Nadu is the only state where roof-top rainwater harvesting has been made compulsory for all houses.

Teacher's Note:
1. Legal provisions were made and defaulters face penalties.
2. It has helped to recharge groundwater in the state.

Answer: Bokaro is in Jharkhand and Tarapur is in Maharashtra.

Teacher's Note:
1. Bokaro draws coal from nearby Jharia and iron ore from Jharkhand and Odisha.
2. Tarapur was the first nuclear power station of India.

Answer: Gandhinagar has a Software Technology Park and it is in Gujarat.

Teacher's Note:
1. Software Technology Parks provide infrastructure to IT firms and support software exports.
2. Other examples are Noida, Pune, Bengaluru and Chennai.

Answer: Tuticorin is on the Coromandel (east) coast in Tamil Nadu.

Teacher's Note:
1. It is a major port, with a natural harbour, serving the southern states.
2. It handles goods such as coal, salt, edible oil and fertilisers.

Answer: Salal Dam on the River Chenab is in Jammu and Kashmir.

Teacher's Note:
1. The dam is used to produce hydroelectric power.
2. It is one of the important multi-purpose and power projects of north India.

Answer: Kerala has the major area under rubber plantation (Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and the Garo Hills of Meghalaya also grow rubber).

Teacher's Note:
1. Rubber is an equatorial crop that needs a hot and humid climate and over 200 cm of rainfall.
2. It is also grown in some areas of tropical and sub-tropical regions.

Answer: 1. Air travel is the fastest and most comfortable mode of transport and saves a great deal of time.
2. It can reach difficult terrains such as high mountains, deserts and dense forests, where roads and railways are hard to build.
3. It is vital during natural calamities such as floods, earthquakes and famines, when relief supplies have to be sent quickly.

Teacher's Note:
1. The north-eastern states and the Himalayan region depend on air links to a great extent.
2. Any three well-explained points will earn full marks.

Answer: 1. It is the most widely spread soil in India, made of silt carried by the Indus, Ganga and Brahmaputra river systems; it is found in the northern plains and in coastal regions.
2. It is very fertile and rich in potash, phosphorus and lime, but poor in nitrogen and humus.
3. It is ideal for crops such as sugarcane, wheat, rice and pulses.
4. Khadar (new alluvium) is finer and more fertile than bhangar (old alluvium).

Teacher's Note:
1. Alluvial soil is found in the plains because rivers deposit sediment there.
2. Exam answers must always mention that it is fertile and widely spread.

Answer: 1. It is black in colour, also called regur soil, and is formed from the weathering of volcanic rocks (lava); it is found in the Deccan plateau (Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and others).
2. It is made of fine clayey material, holds moisture for a long time and develops deep cracks in summer.
3. It is rich in lime, iron, magnesium and potash but poor in phosphoric content; it is best suited for cotton.

Teacher's Note:
1. Its capacity to hold water allows crops to grow even in dry spells.
2. The soil is also called the black cotton soil for this reason.

Answer: 1. Use petroleum carefully and avoid waste, for example by using public transport and by carpooling.
2. Increase the use of alternative sources such as solar, wind and hydro power, natural gas and biogas.
3. Make use of better technology to improve fuel efficiency and make more use of non-conventional sources of energy.

Teacher's Note:
1. Petroleum and coal are non-renewable fossil fuels which take millions of years to form.
2. Saving energy is therefore the most practical solution.

Answer: 1. Transport moves raw materials to factories and finished goods to markets, which widens the market for goods.
2. It links remote areas with the developed urban areas and reduces regional imbalance.
3. Faster delivery of goods lowers costs, and relief can be rushed in times of war, famine, floods and other calamities.

Teacher's Note:
1. A country with good transport networks can benefit from trade and tourism.
2. Roads, railways, waterways and airways all help in this process.

Answer: 1. Dust and noxious fumes inhaled by the miners make them prone to lung diseases.
2. Roofs of mines may collapse, and flooding and fires in coal mines are constant threats.
3. Mining contaminates water sources in the region.
4. The dumping of waste and slurry leads to degradation of land and soil.
5. It increases the pollution of streams and rivers.

Teacher's Note:
1. The costs of mining are borne by the miners and the environment.
2. A balanced answer must mention both aspects.

Answer: Region: Most jute mills are concentrated in West Bengal, mainly along the Hugli river.
Reasons: 1. West Bengal is the main producer of raw jute. 2. Cheap water transport and a good network of roads and railways. 3. Plenty of water for processing the fibre. 4. Cheap labour from Bihar, Odisha and Uttar Pradesh. 5. Kolkata is a large urban centre with port facilities.
Challenges: 1. Stiff competition from synthetic substitutes. 2. Competition from other jute-producing countries such as Bangladesh. 3. Old machinery. 4. Fluctuating demand in the international market.

Teacher's Note:
1. Jute is called the 'golden fibre' and is mostly used in making sacks and bags.
2. The government has promoted its use in packaging to help the industry.

Answer: Importance: 1. It provides fuel for heating, lighting and motor vehicles. 2. It gives lubricants for machinery. 3. It is the raw material for many manufacturing industries; petroleum refineries are nodal industries for synthetic textiles, fertilisers and chemicals.
Occurrence: 1. Most petroleum in India occurs in anticlines and fault traps in rock formations of the tertiary age. 2. In regions of folding, it is trapped in the crest of the upfold. 3. The oil-bearing layer is a porous limestone or sandstone through which oil can flow, and it is prevented from rising or sinking by non-porous layers above and below. 4. Major oil fields: Mumbai High, Digboi, Naharkatia, Gujarat and the Krishna-Godavari basin.

Teacher's Note:
1. Mumbai High is the largest oil-producing field of the country.
2. Mention of the process of oil trapping is a must for the second part.

Answer: 1. Manufacturing creates a variety of goods and helps agriculture by providing machines and inputs such as fertilisers.
2. It creates jobs and reduces poverty and unemployment, particularly in rural areas.
3. Export of manufactured goods expands trade and earns valuable foreign exchange.
4. It adds value to raw materials by converting them into goods of higher value.
5. Countries that turn raw materials into a variety of finished goods are prosperous, and India's prosperity lies in diversifying its manufacturing.

Teacher's Note:
1. Industry is the backbone of development in the modern world.
2. The answer should link manufacturing with jobs, exports and growth.

Answer: Beverage crops: Tea and coffee.
Tea: It grows in tropical and sub-tropical climates, in deep, fertile, well-drained, acidic soil rich in humus and organic matter, on hill slopes. It is grown in Assam, the hills of Darjeeling and Jalpaiguri in West Bengal, the Nilgiris in Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
Coffee: The Arabica variety, introduced from Yemen, is the main variety, grown in the Nilgiri region, and in Karnataka (Baba Budan Hills), Kerala and Tamil Nadu.

Teacher's Note:
1. Tea needs warm and moist conditions with frequent showers throughout the year.
2. Karnataka is the largest coffee producer of the country.

Answer: 1. Minimise water use in industries by recycling and reusing water in two or more successive stages.
2. Harvest rainwater to meet water requirements.
3. Treat hot water and effluents before releasing them into rivers and ponds.
4. Use ground water in a controlled manner and install effluent treatment plants.
5. Enforce laws strictly and have regular checks on industries.

Teacher's Note:
1. Industries discharge organic and inorganic wastes, chemicals and heavy metals into water.
2. Thermal pollution is reduced by cooling hot water before it is released.