CBSE Class 8 Social Science Chapter 01 Natural Resources And Their Use MCQs Set 01

Answer: (B) It must be technologically accessible, economically feasible, and culturally acceptable

Explanation:
The chapter explicitly states that for an entity to be called a resource, it should be technologically accessible, and its exploitation should be economically feasible and culturally acceptable. The example given is petroleum deep under the ocean—it exists but cannot be called a resource if we lack the technology or if extraction costs are prohibitively high.

Answer: (B) Renewable resources can regenerate naturally if managed sustainably, whereas non-renewable resources are consumed faster than they can be replenished

Explanation:
The key distinction lies in regeneration capacity. Renewable resources like sunlight, wind, and forests can maintain themselves through natural processes if not overexploited; non-renewable resources like coal and petroleum take millions of years to form and deplete faster than they replenish. This is why sustainable management is critical for renewables and judicious use matters for non-renewables.

Answer: (A) • Traditional farming was abandoned entirely without replacement crops • High-yielding crop varieties required more water than traditional seeds • Free electricity supply encouraged over-pumping of groundwater • Chemical fertilizers and pesticides dissolved in groundwater

Explanation:
The Punjab caselet describes a convergence of factors: the shift to high-yielding wheat and paddy requiring more water, availability of free power leading to over-pumping, and use of chemical inputs. All three together caused extraction rates far exceeding natural replenishment, with nearly 80% of Punjab now classified as overexploited.

Answer: (B) Having rich natural resources does not guarantee economic prosperity and development

Explanation:
The chapter describes how some regions blessed with abundant natural resources experience slower economic growth—a phenomenon economists call the 'natural resource curse' or 'paradox of plenty.' This occurs when economies fail to develop industries that convert raw materials into higher-value products, though the chapter notes India has largely avoided this by investing in such industries.

Answer: (B) Forests naturally filter water, prevent soil erosion, and provide habitat for pollinating organisms

Explanation:
The chapter distinguishes between ecosystem functions (what nature does inherently, like water filtration and soil protection) and ecosystem services (the benefits humans receive from these functions). When a forest filters water, prevents erosion, and provides pollinator habitat, humans receive ecosystem services without having to build treatment plants or hire workers for these tasks.

Answer: (B) Detailed knowledge of soil types, irrigation timing, pest management through natural means, and soil organism health

Explanation:
Vṛikṣhāyurveda, dating back millennia and formalized around the 10th century, offers elaborate recommendations on plant selection by soil type, natural pest control, crop rotation, mulching, and methods to retain soil moisture and support beneficial organisms like fungi and bacteria. This contrasts sharply with modern chemical-intensive approaches that often degrade soil health.

Answer: (B) It demonstrates India's transition from traditional fossil fuel dependency toward renewable energy while sharing expertise and financing with developing nations

Explanation:
The chapter presents IASE as an example of responsible resource management, where India—blessed with abundant sunlight—channels investment into solar projects, shares technical knowledge, and creates affordable financing for developing nations. This exemplifies both environmental responsibility and economic opportunity through renewable transition rather than continued fossil fuel dependence.

Answer: (B) By 2016, Sikkim became 100% organically certified through government policy, resulting in restored biodiversity, increased tourism, and a 20% average rise in farmers' incomes

Explanation:
Pema's caselet illustrates how transitioning from chemical-dependent farming to organic practices—using compost, natural pest repellents from neem and garlic, and multi-cropping—restored soil health over five years. When Sikkim adopted this statewide, the results were transformational: beneficial insects and birds returned, tourists came to observe the model, and economic outcomes improved alongside ecological restoration.

Answer: (B) The extraction rate of groundwater exceeds the rate at which the water table is replenished through natural processes

Explanation:
The chapter states that in most states, extraction rates exceed replenishment rates, creating a cumulative deficit over time. This leads to higher extraction costs and eventual unavailability, with predictions that growing cities will soon run out of groundwater. Initiatives like water harvesting and tank rejuvenation aim to reverse this imbalance.

Answer: (B) While cement is essential for infrastructure, its production releases fine dust damaging to lungs, crops, and water bodies, prompting guidelines and moves toward alternative materials like mud, plant-based, and recycled plastic options

Explanation:
Cement production meets critical infrastructure needs but ranks among the most polluting industries, with dust affecting human health, plant yields, and soil-water quality. The chapter shows how this challenge is being addressed through Central Pollution Control Board guidelines and development of sustainable alternatives combining traditional materials with modern techniques.

Answer: (B) We must limit extraction to rates that do not disturb Nature's natural rhythm of restoration and regeneration

Explanation:
The chapter emphasizes that while solar energy, wind, water, and timber are renewable, they remain renewable only if harvested sustainably. If timber is harvested faster than forests grow, or glaciers melt faster than precipitation replaces them, the renewable resource becomes effectively non-renewable. Sustainable management is the condition that preserves renewability.

Answer: (B) Using natural resources in ways that enable restoration and regeneration of renewables while using non-renewables judiciously

Explanation:
Stewardship involves respecting Nature and managing resources responsibly—enabling restoration and regeneration of renewable resources and judicious use of non-renewables so they last long enough for humanity to find alternatives. The chapter references lokasangraha from the Bhagavad Gītā, suggesting stewardship means acting for the wellbeing of all rather than personal desires alone.

Answer: (B) It explains why sharing of natural resources across states and countries leads to tensions, requiring negotiation and management as shown in the Kaveri River example

Explanation:
Rivers like the Kaveri flow across political borders, requiring negotiations among Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Puducherry for fair sharing. Similarly, international boundaries do not stop air pollution, groundwater flow, or climate impacts. This creates both opportunities for cooperation and sources of conflict, necessitating careful management and agreements between governments.

Answer: (B) Water harvesting, pond rejuvenation, and waste reduction—drawn from traditional knowledge—represent strategies to remedy groundwater depletion by improving replenishment rates

Explanation:
The chapter presents traditional water harvesting, tank rejuvenation, and water reuse not as nostalgic practices but as active solutions to the groundwater crisis. These complement modern initiatives and demonstrate how indigenous knowledge can inform contemporary resource management when extraction has pushed systems beyond their natural regeneration capacity.

Answer: (C) Soil that grows food through cultivation

Explanation:
The chapter defines resources essential for life as those we cannot manufacture—air to breathe, water to drink, and soil to grow food. While timber, gold, and coal serve important purposes, soil directly provides the foundation for food production, which is non-negotiable for human survival. Without air, water, and food from soil, life on Earth could not exist.

Answer: (A) Technological accessibility, economic feasibility, and cultural acceptability

Explanation:
The chapter explicitly states that for an entity to be called a resource, it should be technologically accessible, and its exploitation should be economically feasible and culturally acceptable. The example of cutting trees in sacred groves being culturally unacceptable demonstrates this principle.

Answer: (B) Restoration returns something to its original healthy state, while regeneration involves creating new life and thriving conditions

Explanation:
The chapter clearly distinguishes between these concepts: restoration is returning something to its original healthy state if degraded, while regeneration goes beyond restoration—it's about Nature's ability to create new life and conditions for thriving. Planting trees in areas that lost them demonstrates restoration, which then enables regeneration through the ecosystem support it provides.

Answer: (A) The crops required significantly more water than traditional varieties, leading to excessive groundwater extraction

Explanation:
In the 1960s, when farmers shifted to high-yielding wheat and paddy varieties, these required more water than traditional seeds. Combined with free power supply, this drove over-pumping of groundwater. The chapter notes that almost 80% of Punjab is now classified as 'overexploited,' with groundwater inaccessible at depths of about 30 metres.

Answer: (B) Natural water filtration by the forest results in humans receiving clean water; soil erosion prevention protects farmland; these are examples of humans benefiting from forest functions

Explanation:
The chapter distinguishes ecosystem functions (what nature does inherently, like filtering water and preventing erosion) from ecosystem services (when humans benefit from these functions). When a forest filters water naturally and we receive clean water, or prevents erosion and we have protected farmland, we are receiving ecosystem services—the human benefit from the forest's natural processes.

Answer: (B) It prescribes specific plants for different soil types, natural pest management through repellents, crop rotation, and methods to retain soil moisture and support soil organisms

Explanation:
Vṛikṣhāyurveda, the ancient Indian botanical science, provides recommendations for specific plants on different soils, natural pest management strategies, crop rotation and mixed cropping, proper ploughing methods to retain moisture, and practices that support soil organisms like fungi and bacteria. These contrast sharply with modern intensive farming relying on chemical fertilisers and pesticides that have led to soil degradation.

Answer: (B) It channels billions into solar projects in developing nations while sharing expertise and financing, allowing India to transition from fossil fuels and help other countries do the same

Explanation:
The alliance focuses on sunshine-rich countries and involves India channeling billions into solar projects across developing nations, sharing technical expertise, and creating affordable financing. The Bhadla Solar Park exemplifies this transition from traditional to renewable energy sources, representing both environmental stewardship and economic growth opportunities for India and partner nations.

Answer: (C) The transition involved initial yield drops, recovery through compost and natural methods, and eventually became 100% organic with improved biodiversity, tourism, and 20% income growth for farmers

Explanation:
Pema's family farm story exemplifies the complete trajectory: declining yields under chemicals prompted a shift to organic methods, initial yield drops occurred as soil recovered, but within five years the farm thrived. By 2016, Sikkim became fully certified organic, resulting in restored biodiversity, increased tourism, and average 20% farmer income growth—proving sustainable practices work at regional scale.

Answer: (B) Extraction rates exceed the rate at which water tables are replenished through natural processes

Explanation:
The chapter states that in most states, the extraction rate is greater than the rate at which the water table is replenished. Over time this deficit builds up, leading to higher extraction costs and eventual unavailability. This structural imbalance—drawing water faster than Nature can restore it—underpins the groundwater crisis affecting multiple states and cities.

Answer: (C) Cement production can minimise pollution through guidelines, and alternatives using traditional and recycled materials can reduce environmental harm while still meeting construction needs

Explanation:
Cement is essential for infrastructure, yet production ranks among the most polluting industries, releasing fine dust that damages lungs and causes soil and water pollution. The chapter shows how this tension can be addressed: through pollution control guidelines and innovation—combining traditional materials like stone and mud with new plant-based and recycled materials—allowing us to meet building needs more sustainably.

Answer: (B) Harvesting or consumption rates that outpace the natural rhythm of restoration and regeneration

Explanation:
The chapter explicitly states that renewable resources remain renewable only if the natural rhythm of restoration and regeneration is not disturbed. If timber is harvested faster than forests can grow trees, the forest will eventually deplete, turning what was once renewable into a depleted resource.