Chap 1 economics The village Palampur

Subjective Test

Question 1

What are the various civic amenities available in village Palampur?

Solution:

Palampur is well connected with the adjacent villages and towns. All the houses in Palampur have electricity. Electricity is also available for operating tube wells for irrigating the fields. Palampur also has access to education. It has two primary schools and a high school. It is also equipped with a government health centre and a dispensary for treating the sick.

Question 2

What do you understand by the factors of production?

Solution:

Factors of production refer to the things that are the pre-requisites for starting the production of goods and services. There are four factors of production -

(1) Land and other natural resources.

 

(2) Labour i.e. workforce to carry out production activities.

(3) Physical capital that includes machinery and tools required for aiding the production process.

(4) Human capital which refers to the knowledge and enterprising skills required to club land, labour and capital for initiating production.

Question 3 ( 3.0 marks)

What are the reasons for the prosperity of agriculture in village Palampur?

Solution:

The farmers of Palampur grow a variety of crops in their fields throughout the year. Three different crops are cultivated by the farmers in a year during the kharif and the rabi seasons. The main reasons behind this robust agriculture in Palampur are the fertility of soil and availability of ample irrigation facilities. The soil in Palampur is fertile enough to support many crops. The well-developed irrigation system through tube wells adds to the agricultural production in Palampur.

Question 4 ( 3.0 marks)

Distinguish between fixed capital and working capital.

Solution:

Fixed Capital	Working Capital
1. Fixed capital refers to all the fixed assets (immovable assets) used in carrying out production. 2. Examples of fixed capital are tools, machinery, buildings, etc.	1. Working capital refers to those things that change hands during the production process. 2. Working capital includes the raw material used for production and the money.

Fixed capital and working capital together constitute the physical capital required in the production process.

Question 5 ( 3.0 marks)

What is multiple cropping?

Solution:

Multiple cropping refers to the practice of growing more than one crop on the same land during a particular year. Multiple cropping can be undertaken in areas having fertile soil and good irrigation facilities. It is the most common method for increasing the agricultural yield in a year. The farmers practicing multiple cropping grow crops in both the kharif and the rabi season for extracting more production from the same land.

Question 6 ( 3.0 marks)

What are the various modern techniques used in increasing the agricultural production?

Solution:

A number of modern techniques are used for increasing the agricultural production of the country.

(1) High Yielding Varieties (HYV) of seeds are used for producing more grain on a single plant and hence increase production.

(2) Chemical fertilizers and Pesticides are used for increasing the fertility of the soil and for protecting the crops against pests.

(3) Good irrigation facilities are employed to increase production. Irrigation through multipurpose river valley projects and electrically-run tube wells is useful in enhancing production.

Question 7 ( 3.0 marks)

What are the adverse effects of the Green Revolution on land?

Solution:

The Green Revolution considerably increased agricultural production in India. However, it had certain adverse effects on the quality of soil. The over-use of land by cultivating multiple crops in a year didn’t allow the land to regain its fertility naturally. Increasing the fertility of soil by using artificial chemical fertilizers further deteriorated the quality of the soil. The use of extensive irrigation through tube wells depleted the ground water level and created water scarcity in many parts of the country.

Question 8 ( 4.0 marks)

What is the condition of farm labourers in India?

Solution:

Farm labourers are those farmers who do not have land of their own. They cultivate the land of big farmers for earning their livelihood. They do not have any right over the agricultural produce cultivated by them and work for paltry wages that are paid in either cash or kind. The condition of farm labourers in India is very miserable. There is no security of job for them owing to the seasonal nature of the agricultural sector. The Indian government has fixed a minimum wage of Rs. 60 per day for a farm labourer. But most of them get less than that. This makes survival difficult for them.

Question 9 ( 4.0 marks)

What are the main reasons behind the poor condition of the majority of farmers in Palampur?

Solution:

Majority of farmers in Palampur are poor because they have either no land or very small land with them. Most of the farmers have agricultural fields measuring less than two hectares. Production on these fields is not sufficient to sustain them and their family. The big farmers are left with enough surpluses that they are in a position to sell it in the nearby market and earn profits. This adds up to their wealth. However, same is not true for small and landless farmers. They have to look for alternative means of livelihood to sustain themselves because the agricultural produce is not sufficient to meet their requirements. They have no surplus to sell in the market and are always hard-pressed for money.

Question 10 ( 4.0 marks)

Show on a map of India the states that benefitted the most by the Green Revolution.

Solution: