Voyage Solutions for ICSE Class 8 Geography Chapter 11 Human Resources In India

A. Fill in the blanks

Question 1. A ________ is something that helps us to meet our needs and create wealth.
Answer: resource
In simple words: A resource is any useful thing that helps people fulfill their needs and make money.

Exam Tip: Pay attention to keywords like "wealth" and "needs" to identify general resource definitions.

Question 2. The working population of a country includes both ________ and unskilled human resources.
Answer: skilled
In simple words: A nation's working class is made up of both trained and untrained people.

Exam Tip: Remember that working populations are always divided into these two main categories based on training.

Question 3. Scientists and doctors are example of ________ human resources.
Answer: skilled
In simple words: Highly trained experts like doctors and scientists are considered skilled workers.

Exam Tip: Highly educated professionals requiring specialized degrees are always classified under skilled human resources.

Question 4. Unskilled human resources include people with little ________.
Answer: education
In simple words: Workers who do not have special skills usually have very little schooling.

Exam Tip: Lack of formal schooling is a primary identifier for unskilled labor categories.

Question 5. Good education changes the attitude and ________ of people.
Answer: behaviour
In simple words: Proper schooling helps shift how people think and act.

Exam Tip: Focus on spelling "behaviour" exactly as it is written in standard British/Indian English textbooks.

B. Write true or false

Question 1. A skilled person can easily be replaced.
Answer: False. It is hard to find someone else to do the job of a trained worker.
In simple words: False. Trained workers cannot be replaced quickly because of their special education.

Exam Tip: Always state the reason why the statement is false to ensure you get full marks.

Question 2. IT professionals are unskilled resources.
Answer: False. Computer specialists are highly skilled workers.
In simple words: False. People working in technology are highly trained.

Exam Tip: Remember that modern technical fields like information technology require advanced formal education.

Question 3. Unskilled workers have a high income.
Answer: False. Workers without training usually earn lower pay.
In simple words: False. Untrained workers generally receive low wages.

Exam Tip: Connect skill levels directly with earning potential in your explanations.

Question 4. Education improves the understanding of people.
Answer: True.
In simple words: True. Going to school helps people comprehend things better.

Exam Tip: Simply write "True" clearly and legibly as requested by the question format.

Question 5. India has 16.9 per cent of the world’s land area.
Answer: False. This percentage actually represents how much of the global population resides in India.
In simple words: False. India holds about 16.9 percent of the world's people, not its land.

Exam Tip: Do not confuse population percentage with land area percentage, which is much smaller for India (2.4%).

C. Match the columns

Question 1. Match the items of Column A with Column B.
Answer:

In simple words: Doctors are skilled, helpers are unskilled, the northern plains are crowded, the northeast is sparse, and village people mostly farm.
Exam Tip: Draw straight lines or present matched pairs side-by-side in a table to make your answers easy to read.

D. Answer these questions briefly

Question 1. What do you understand by the term human resources ?
Answer: Human resources are the citizens of a country who use their skills and talents to work. They use other natural things to make useful goods, which helps the nation grow.
In simple words: Human resources means the people who use their skills to help a country grow.

Exam Tip: Always define human resources in terms of human ability to make other resources useful.

Question 2. What are the differences between skilled and unskilled human resources ?
Answer: Skilled human resources:

• These workers undergo special training to do their jobs.
• They have completed various stages of school or college.
• Their work needs special knowledge, making them hard to replace.
• They usually make good money.
• Examples include medical doctors, engineers, scientists, lawyers, and teachers.

Unskilled human resources:

• These individuals possess very basic or limited abilities.
• They usually have not gone to school for very long.
• Their tasks do not need training, so others can easily replace them.
• They generally receive lower pay for their work.
• Examples include builders at construction areas, house helpers, and cleaners.

In simple words: Skilled workers have special training and earn more, while unskilled workers do simple jobs that need no training.
Exam Tip: Use a comparative list to contrast the education, training, pay, and examples of both groups clearly.

Question 3. Which areas in India are thickly populated ?
Answer: Great plains in the north, which include states like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and West Bengal, along with the flat coastal regions, have a very high concentration of people.
In simple words: The flat northern regions and sea coasts in India have the most people.

Exam Tip: Remember to name specific states like Uttar Pradesh and Bihar when writing about crowded plains.

Question 4. Define sex ratio.
Answer: This term refers to the count of females for every one thousand males in a population.
In simple words: It shows the number of girls and women compared to every one thousand boys and men.

Exam Tip: Always state "per thousand males" as this is the standard unit of measurement.

Question 5. Why is the sex ratio low in Punjab and Haryana ?
Answer: These two states have fewer females than males (893 in Punjab and 877 in Haryana) due to:

• Higher death rates among baby girls
• The practice of ending pregnancies if the baby is a girl

In simple words: Punjab and Haryana have fewer females because more baby girls die, and some are not allowed to be born.
Exam Tip: State the exact average numbers for both states to show detailed knowledge.

E. Answer these questions in one or two paragraphs

Question 1. Why is human resource important for a country ?
Answer: People are the most valuable asset of a nation because they drive its progress. By using their minds and skills, humans can turn natural items like soil, water, and minerals into useful things that help everyone. Without human effort and intelligence, other resources would remain unused.
In simple words: People are important because their brains and work make all other natural resources useful.

Exam Tip: Explain how humans are active agents who make passive resources like land and minerals valuable.

Question 2. Explain briefly the impact of skilled human resource on the socio-economic development of the country.
Answer: Having trained people helps a nation grow in many ways. Skilled workers know how to use natural assets like forests, water, and minerals without wasting them. This wise usage boosts the total goods produced and raises the nation's wealth.
Since trained people understand how to operate modern machines, they can create better products faster. Bettering human skills also changes how people think. It makes them healthier, smarter, and more open to new ideas. This inspires citizens to start new businesses, invent things, and work harder to improve their lives.
In simple words: Trained workers use technology to make high-quality goods, which increases a country's wealth and improves life for everyone.

Exam Tip: Break down your answer into two parts: how skilled labor uses natural resources better, and how it improves technology and lifestyle.

Question 3. Discuss the role of health and education in developing human resources.
Answer: Both health and learning are vital to building strong human resources. Healthy citizens can work hard and complete tasks quickly. They make good use of available tools. In contrast, sick people cannot work as well and must spend money on medicine instead of learning new skills.
Schooling is just as important. Getting a good education helps people understand things better. It makes their minds sharper, allowing them to produce more. It also builds self-confidence and improves how people behave toward others. A nation with many educated citizens grows much faster.
In simple words: Healthy people work better, and educated people work smarter, helping the whole country grow quickly.

Exam Tip: Discuss health and education in separate paragraphs to show their distinct benefits clearly.

Question 4. What do you know about the rural-urban population composition in India ?
Answer: We can divide India's population into two groups based on where they live:

• Rural population: These people reside in villages. Most of them earn money through farming, raising animals, and other basic tasks. Around 69 percent of Indians live in villages. Lately, many villagers are moving to cities to find better jobs, schools, and homes.
• Urban population: These people live in towns and cities. They make a living by working in offices, factories, shops, and transport services. About 31 percent of India's population is urban. This movement from villages to cities is rapidly growing the size of urban areas.

In simple words: Most Indians live in villages and farm, while the rest live in cities and work in offices or factories.
Exam Tip: Remember the key percentages: 69% rural and 31% urban population in India.

Question 5. Give an account of the distribution of population in India.
Answer: India has the second largest population globally, following China. Though we occupy only 2.4 percent of the global land, we hold nearly 16.9 percent of the world's people. According to the 2011 count, India's population was over 1.21 billion. About 69% of these people live in villages, and 31% live in cities.
The crowd is not spread evenly. The flat northern plains, containing states like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and West Bengal, are extremely crowded, as are the coastal regions. On the other hand, very few people live in the dry western deserts and the hilly northeastern states. The central Deccan plateau has a medium level of crowd. Also, the average gender ratio stands at 940 females for every 1000 males.
In simple words: India has a huge population that is packed into the fertile northern plains and coasts, but spread thin in deserts and mountains.

Exam Tip: Mention specific areas with high, medium, and low population densities to get full marks.

Question 6. Write a note on sex ratio in India.
Answer: The sex ratio measures how many females live in an area for every 1000 males. On average, India has 940 females per 1000 males. This ratio is quite low in some states like Haryana (877) and Punjab (893). This imbalance happens mainly because baby girls face higher death rates and some are killed before or at birth.
In contrast, Kerala and Puducherry have more females than males, with Kerala at 1084 and Puducherry at 1038. This positive balance exists because these regions have high literacy rates. Overall, having fewer females is a major problem that can create many social difficulties.
In simple words: India has fewer women than men on average, but places with high education like Kerala have more women than men.

Exam Tip: Contrast the low sex ratio of Punjab and Haryana with the high sex ratio of Kerala and Puducherry.

F. Picture study

Question 1. In these pictures (i) and (ii) identify the two types of human resources in terms of skills.
Answer:

• The builder at the construction area represents an unskilled worker.
• The computer specialist represents a skilled worker.

In simple words: Picture 1 shows a manual laborer who is unskilled, and Picture 2 shows a computer professional who is skilled.
Exam Tip: Identify the work setting in each photo to correctly name the skill level.

Question 2. Mention a characteristics of each type.
Answer:

1. Unskilled workers: These individuals have very little schooling and limited work abilities. Examples include cleaners, house helpers, and builders. Their tasks do not need special training, they are easily replaced, and they usually earn lower pay.
2. Skilled workers: These individuals have received special training to do their jobs. Examples include scientists, lawyers, and IT experts. Their duties require formal education and unique talents, making them hard to replace. They typically earn high salaries.

In simple words: Unskilled workers do simple jobs for lower pay, while skilled workers do complex jobs using special training for higher pay.
Exam Tip: Contrast the ease of replacing the worker and their salary levels to clearly show the difference.

Extra Questions

Question 1. What do you mean by mortality rate ?
Answer: This term describes the count of deaths for every 1000 live births. It is commonly referred to as the death rate.
In simple words: Mortality rate is how many people die out of every one thousand.

Exam Tip: Mention that mortality rate is also called the death rate to show complete understanding.

Question 2. Name the two categories of working population (human resource).
Answer: The active workforce of any country is split into:

• Skilled human resource
• Unskilled human resource

In simple words: The working population is divided into skilled and unskilled workers.
Exam Tip: Present these two categories clearly as bullet points.

Question 3. What is the impact of skilled human resource on the socio-economic development of India ?
Answer: Learning is crucial for a country's social and financial growth because it creates skilled workers. The government of India spends a lot on human training to boost the economy. While fields like medicine, engineering, and IT get plenty of training, other areas still need focus.
To solve this, the government launched the 'Skill India Mission'. This program helps women, unemployed youth, school dropouts, and college graduates get job training. It teaches valuable hands-on skills to people like builders, tailors, blacksmiths, weavers, and carpenters, helping them find stable work.
In simple words: The 'Skill India Mission' helps train regular citizens in hands-on jobs, which boosts India's economy.

Exam Tip: Be sure to mention the 'Skill India Mission' as a prime example of government efforts to build skilled labor.

Question 4. What is HDI ?
Answer: The Human Development Index (HDI) is a scale created by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to check how well a nation is doing. It looks at three main factors: how much money people make, how educated they are, and how long they live on average. In the year 2015, India was ranked 130th out of 188 countries.
In simple words: HDI is a score that shows how healthy, educated, and wealthy a country's people are.

Exam Tip: List the three main pillars of HDI: income, education, and life expectancy.

Question 5. What is census ?
Answer: The official count of a nation's people, which takes place once every ten years in India, is known as the Census.
In simple words: A census is when the government counts every single person in the country once every ten years.

Exam Tip: Highlight the specific 10-year gap for census counts in India.

Question 6. Mention various factors that affect the distribution of population in our country.
Answer: The way people are spread across India is influenced by elements like the shape of the land, weather patterns, access to water and materials, and the presence of factories and businesses.
In simple words: People choose to live in places with good weather, jobs, water, and flat land.

Exam Tip: List all four main factors: physical features, climate, natural resources, and industrial development.

Question 7. Why are northern plains thickly populated ?
Answer: The northern plains are very crowded because they have rich soil that is great for farming. Additionally, it is easy to travel and send messages there, and there are plenty of jobs for everyone.
In simple words: Many people live in the northern plains because the soil is great for growing food and there are plenty of jobs and roads.

Exam Tip: Focus on two key reasons: fertile soil for farming and excellent transport links.

8. Fill in the blanks

Question 8.1. ________ human resource cannot be easily replaced while ________ human resource can be easily replaced.
Answer: Skilled, unskilled
In simple words: Trained workers are difficult to replace, but untrained workers are easy to replace.

Exam Tip: Contrast the availability of skill levels in the labor market.

Question 8.2. A country with a high proportion of well-educated people can achieve ________ economic growth.
Answer: rapid
In simple words: Countries with more educated citizens can develop their economy much faster.

Exam Tip: Link education levels with faster economic growth rates.

Question 8.3. India’s population is more than the population of North America, South America and ________ put together.
Answer: Australia
In simple words: India has more people than three major continents combined.

Exam Tip: Remember the list of regions compared to India's population size: North America, South America, and Australia.

Question 8.4. India has ________ % of the land area of the world but about ________% of the world’s population.
Answer: 2.4, 16.9
In simple words: India holds only 2.4 percent of global land but has nearly 16.9 percent of global population.

Exam Tip: Memorize these exact statistics as they highlight India's high population density.

Question 8.5. In India sex ratio is ________ females for every 1000 males.
Answer: 940
In simple words: On average, India has 940 girls and women for every 1000 boys and men.

Exam Tip: Learn the national average sex ratio from the 2011 census.

Question 8.6. ________ are the most important resource of a country as they can exploit other resources.
Answer: Human beings
In simple words: People are the ultimate resource because only they can make other natural resources useful.

Exam Tip: Identify humans as active elements that utilize other passive physical resources.

Question 8.7. ________ and ________ play an important role in developing human resources.
Answer: Health, education
In simple words: Good physical well-being and proper schooling are the key factors that develop people's potential.

Exam Tip: Remember health and education as the two fundamental pillars of human capital formation.

Question 8.8. The Northern plains are ________ populated in India while north eastern states and desert in the west are ________ populated.
Answer: thickly, thinly
In simple words: The northern plains are crowded, whereas the western deserts and northeastern hills have very few people.

Exam Tip: Contrast the geographic extremes of population density in India.

Question 8.9. ________ is the number of females per thousand males.
Answer: Sex ratio
In simple words: The gender balance in an area is measured by the sex ratio.

Exam Tip: This term is a key demographic definition, always calculated per 1000 males.