Q 1. What is the main economic activity in Palampur?
Ans. The main economic activity in Palampur is farming.
Q 2. What was the status of upper-caste families in Palampur?
Ans. The 80 upper-caste families owned the majority of the land in Palampur. Some of their houses were quite large and made up of brick with cement plastering.
Q 3. What was the benefit of electricity in Palampur?
Ans. Most of the houses have electricity connections. Electricity is used to power the tubewells in the fields and also for many small businesses.
Q 4. Define Production.
Ans. Production is an activity that involves the making of goods or services that a person needs.
Q 5. Farmer’s plough is an example of which factor of production?
Ans. Farmer’s plough is an example of fixed capital.
Q 6. What do you mean by physical capital?
Ans. At every stage of production, we need a variety of inputs such as machines, raw materials and money. Together, these are called physical capital.
Q 7. What is the first and foremost requirement for the production of goods and services?
Ans. The first and foremost requirement for the production of goods and services is the land and other factors of production like labour and capital.
Q 8. What do you mean by working capital?
Ans. Working capital refers to the variety of raw material and money in hand during production, in order to make payments and buy other necessary items.
Q 9. What is human capital?
Ans. Human capital refers to knowledge and enterprise required to put together land, labour and physical capital and produce an output for self-consumption or to sell in the market.
Q 10. Name the Kharif and rabi crops grown in Palampur.
Ans. The Kharif crops are jowar, bajra and rabi crops are wheat and sugarcane which are grown in Palampur.
Potatoes are also grown in between these two seasons.
Q 11. What was the main reason for the growth of three different crops in a year?
Ans. The main reason for the growth of three different crops in a year was a well-developed system of irrigation.
Q 12. What is multiple cropping?
Ans. Multiple cropping means to grow more than one crop on the same piece of land.
Q 13. Define yield.
Ans. Yield means crop produced on a given piece of land during a single season.
Q 14. How did the Indian farmers benefit from Green Revolution?
Ans. The Green Revolution enabled the Indian farmers to cultivate wheat and rice using high yielding varieties of seeds, irrigation, chemical fertilisers, insecticides, pesticides etc.
Q 15. Which modern implements were used by the Indian farmers?
Ans. The modern implements used by the Indian farmers were tube -wells, tractors, threshers and harvesters.
Q 16. Who provides labour for medium and large farmers?
Ans. Labour for medium and large farmers is provided by landless labourers or those who are cultivating small plots of land.
Q 17. Which is the most labour absorbing sector of the economy?
Ans. Agriculture is the most labour absorbing sector of the economy.
Q 18. How do farm labourers get wages in Palampur?
Ans. In Palampur, the farm labourers get wages in the form of cash or kind, i.e., in terms of food grains.
Q 19. What is the minimum wage per day for a farm labourer set by the government?
Ans. Rs. 300/- per day.
Q 20. How much Dala gets as a minimum wage?
Ans. Rs. 160/-
Q 21. What do the medium and large farmers do with the surplus from farm production?
Ans. Medium and large farmers sell the surplus from farm production and a part of the earnings is saved and the other part of it is used to buy cattle, trucks etc. for the next season.
Q 22. Name any two non-farm activities in Palampur.
Ans. The non-farm activities in Palampur are:
1. Dairy farming
2. Small-scale manufacturing
3. Transport
4. Shopkeeping
Q 23. In which type of activity is dairy farming included?
Ans. Dairy farming is included in the non-farm activity.
Q 24. What is the aim of production?
Ans. The aim of production is to produce the goods and services that we want.
Q 25. There are four requirements for the production of goods and services. Name them.
Ans.
1- Land
2- Labour
3- Physical capital
4- Human capital
Q 26. What is meant by physical capital?
Ans. A variety of inputs are required at every stage during production. This is called physical capital.
Q 27. What do you mean by fixed capital?
Ans. Capital goods, as machinery and tools that are relatively durable and can be used repeatedly in the production of goods, are called fixed capital.
Q 28. What do you mean by working capital?
Ans. Raw materials and money in hand are called working capital. Unlike machinery and tools, these are used up in production.
Q 29. What are the factors of production?
Ans. Every production is organised by combining land, labour, physical capital and human capital, which are called factors of production.
Q 30. What is the standard unit for measuring the area of land?
Ans. The standard unit for measuring the area of land is hectare.
Q 31. What is called human capital?
Ans. The skills, knowledge, and experience possessed by an individual or population are called human capital. These are viewed in terms of their value or cost to an organisation or country.
Q 32. What is the main production activity in Palampur?
Ans. Farming is the main production activity in Palampur.
Q 33. What is the most important factor of production? Why?
Ans. The most important factor of production is human capital which puts together land, labour and physical capital and produces an output for various purposes.
Q 34. What is meant by yield?
Ans. Crop produced on a given piece of land during a single season is called yield.
Q 35. Give one difference between traditional seeds and HYV seeds.
Ans. Traditional seeds need less irrigation while HYV seeds need plenty of water.
Q 36. What does HYV stand for?
Ans. HYV stands for High Yielding Variety.
Q 37. Which is the most abundant factor of production?
Ans. Labour is the most abundant factor of production.
Q 38. Both land and capital are scarce. But there is a basic difference between the two factors of production. What is it?
Ans. The land is a natural resource whereas capital is man-made. It is possible to increase capital, whereas land is fixed.
Short Answer Questions
Q 39. Which is the main production activity in the village? Mention one important change in the way farming is practised? What is its side effect?
Ans.
- Farming is the main production activity in the village.
- Over the years there have been many important changes in the way farming is practised.
- These have allowed the farmers to produce more crops from the same amount of land. This is an important achievement since land is fixed and scarce.
- But it has its side effect. In raising production a great deal of pressure has been put on the land and other natural resources, which is a matter of great concern.
Q 40. Describe the major economic activities of the rural people.
Ans.
- Farming is the main economic activity of the rural people.
- Along with farming, people are engaged in some other economic activities like dairy, small manufacturing, transport, shop-keeping, etc.
- Besides, there are many farm labourers who work in the fields of medium and large farmers and are paid wages.
Q 41. What factors have led to the reduction of water levels in Palampur?
Ans.
- Electricity came early to Palampur. Its major impact was to transform the system of irrigation.
- People saw that the electric run tubewells could irrigate much larger areas of land more effectively.
- So, farmers began setting up tubewells for irrigation. This reduced the water table below the ground.
- Area under irrigation increased continuously in Palampur which badly affected the water table.
- With the introduction of the Green Revolution in the late 1960s, farmers in Palampur started to use HYV seeds which needed plenty of water. This also had a major role in the reduction of water level in the village.
Q 42. How was farming done till the mid-1960s?
Ans.
- Till the mid-1960s, farmers used the traditional method of farming.
- The seeds that they used in cultivation were traditional ones with relatively low yields.
- Traditional seeds needed less irrigation.
- Farmers used cow-dung and other natural manure as fertilisers.
- All these were readily available with the farmers who did not have to buy them.
Q 43. What are the items that come under physical capital?
Ans:
- Physical capital is the third requirement for production of goods and services.
- The following items come under this: Tools, Machines, buildings: Tools and machines range from very simple tools such as a farmer’s plough to sophisticated machines such as generators, turbines, computers, etc.
- Raw materials and money in hand: Production requires a variety of raw materials such as the yarn used by the weaver and the clay used by the potter.
- Also, some money is always required during production to make payments and buy other necessary items.
Q 44. Farmers of which states were the first to try out the modern farming method in India? How did they do it?
Ans:
- Farmers of Punjab, Haryana and Western Uttar Pradesh were the first to try out the modern farming method in India.
- The farmers in these regions set up tubewells for irrigation, and made use of HYV seeds, chemical fertilisers and pesticides in farming.
- Some of the farmers bought farm machinery like tractor and threshers, which made ploughing and harvesting faster.
- In this way, they got high yields of wheat.
Q 45. “Transport is a fast developing sector in Palampur”. Support the statement.
Ans:
- There are a variety of vehicles on the road connecting Palampur to Raiganj.
- Rickshawallahs, tongawallahs, jeep, tractors, truck drivers and people driving the traditional bullock-cart and bogey are people in the transport service.
- They ferry people and goods from one place to another, and in return get paid for it.
- The number of people involved in transport has grown over the last several years.
Q 46. Why is it always the medium and large farmers who supply wheat and other farm products to the markets?
Ans:
- Small farmers have little surplus wheat because their total production is small and from this a substantial share is kept for their own family needs.
- On the other hand, medium and large farmers have enough surplus wheat.
- They retain a part of it for the family’s consumption and sell the surplus wheat at the market to make earning for fulfilling other needs.
Q 47. What do the large farmers do with their earnings?
Or
How do the large farmers utilize surplus farm products to arrange for the capital needed for farming?
Ans:
- Large farmers have enough surplus farm products which they sell at the market and earn good money. They use this money for lending to small farmers, who are in need of loan.
- They also sometimes use the savings to arrange for the working capital for farming in the next season.
- They can increase the number of tractors which would increase their fixed capital.
- Some of these farmers might also use the savings to buy cattle, trucks, or to set up shops. These constitute the capital for non-farm activities.
Q 48. Mention two characteristics of the traditional method of farming. How are the HYV seeds different from the traditional ones?
Ans. Two characteristics of the traditional method of farming:
- Farmers use cow-dung and other natural manure as fertilisers.
- These are readily available with the farmers who do not have to buy them.
- Traditional seeds, need less irrigation. So farmers do not have to make arrangements for setting up tubewells.
- Unlike traditional seeds, HYV seeds promise to produce much greater amounts of grain on a single plant.
- As a result, the same piece of land produces far larger quantities of food grains that was not possible earlier—by using traditional seeds.
Q 49. Give a brief assessment of the shopkeepers of Palampur.
Ans.
- The shopkeepers of Palampur buy various goods from wholesale markets in the cities and sell them in the village.
- There are several small general stores in the village selling a wide range of items like rice, wheat, sugar, tea, oil, biscuit, soap, toothpaste, etc.
- A few of the families whose houses are close to the bus stand have used a part of the space to open small shops. They sell eatables.
Q 50. Explain the term physical capital. Mention its different types with examples.
Ans. A variety of inputs are required at every stage during production. This is called physical capital.
Physical capital is of two types:
Fixed capital:
It is relatively durable and can be used repeatedly in the production of goods, for example, machinery, tools, building, etc.
Working capital:
Raw material and money in hand are called working capital. Unlike machinery and tools, these are used up in production. For example, the yarn used by the weaver and the clay used by the potter.
Q 51. How do farmers of Palampur practise multiple cropping?
Ans.
- All land is cultivated in Palampur. No land is left idle. During the rainy season, farmers grow jowar and bajra. These plants are used as cattle feed.
- It is followed by the cultivation of potatoes between October and December.
- In the winter season, fields are sown with wheat.
- A part of land/area is also devoted to sugar cane which is harvested once every year.
Q 52. What are the merits and demerits of HYV seeds?
Ans
Merits:
- By using HYV seeds, farmers can produce much greater amounts of grain on a single plant.
- As a result, the same piece of land now produces far larger quantities of food grains than was earlier.
- The use of HYV seeds has contributed a lot in improving the farmers condition.
Demerits:
- HYV seeds, however, need plenty of water and also chemical fertilisers and pesticides to produce best results.
- Too much use of chemical fertilisers leaves adverse effect on the soil fertility.
- Continuous use of groundwater for tubewell irrigation has reduced the water-table below the ground.
Q 53. How is land distributed between the farmers of Palampur?
Ans.
- The distribution of cultivated land is highly unequal in Palampur. About one-third of the 450 families are landless there.
- These 150 families are mostly dalits who have no land for cultivation.
- Of the remaining families who own land, 240 families cultivate small plots of land less than 2 hectares in size.
- Cultivation of such plots doesn’t bring adequate income to the farmer family.
- On the other hand, 60 medium and large farmers cultivate more than 2 hectares of land.
- A few of the large farmers have land extending over 10 hectares or more. This shows that medium and large farmers have more land though their number is very small.
- A similar situation can be found in India also. About 80% farmers are small who cultivate only 36% of the cultivated areas whereas 20% of the large farmers cultivate 64% of the cultivated area.
- This shows that there is inequality in the distribution of cultivated area in village Palampur as well as in India.
Q 54. What problems do farm labourers face in terms of employment?
Ans.
- Farm labourers come either from landless families or families cultivating small plots of land. They work on the fields of large farmers for livelihood. They do not have a right over the crops grown on the land.
- Farm labourers usually work on daily wages which are lower than the minimum wages fixed by the government.
- There is heavy competition for work among them, so they agree to work for lower wages.
- There is also a wide variation in the duration of employment. A farm labourer might be employed on a daily basis or one particular farm activity like harvesting, or for the whole year.
- Large farmers are now increasingly using various farm machinery on their land. This has adversely affected the job opportunities of the farm labourers.
Q 55. Describe what various types of crops are grown in Palampur.
Ans.
- All land is cultivated in Palampur. No land is left idle. During the rainy season, farmers grow jawar and bajra. These plants are used as cattle feed.
- It is followed by the cultivation of potatoes between October and December. In the winter season, fields are sown with wheat.
- A part of land/area is also devoted to sugar cane which is harvested once every year.
Q 56. Define the meaning and aim of production.
Ans. Production is the creation of value in a commodity, e.g., the manufacturing of a car from steel.
Aim: The aim of production is to produce the goods and services that we want. There are four requirements for the production of goods and services: Land, labour, physical capital and human capital.
Q 57. Mention three characteristics of the traditional method of farming,
Ans.
- Traditional seeds with low yields were used.
- Cow-dung and natural manures were used.
- Less irrigation was required.
Q 58. Explain the problems which arise due to unequal distribution of land.
Ans. Economic Inequality: Unequal distribution of land leads to economic inequality.
Unemployment: It leads to unemployment.
Poverty and Hunger: Lack of economic opportunities leads to poverty and hunger.
Q 59. Describe the role of human capital in the production process. Name two investments that can improve the quality of human capital.
Ans. Human capital can be built only in the long run through education and training.
Human capital includes competent and trained people who put together land, capital and other factors of production to produce goods.
Q 60. Farmers of which two states were the first to use modem farming methods in India? Mention any four positive effects of it.
Ans. (i) The farmers of Punjab, Haryana and Western Uttar Pradesh were the first to use modem farming methods in India.
(ii) (a) Modern farming methods increased the productivity of the land.
(b) It increases foodgrain production in the country.
(c) It brought the Green Revolution in the 1960s which resulted in a high increase in the production of cereal grains, particularly, wheat and rice.
(d) It has played a very important role in food security.
(e) It has led to the growth of agro-based industries.
Q 61. Write any three differences between land and capital.
Ans.
| Land | Capital |
| (i) It is a fixed factor of production. | It is a man-made factor of production. |
| (ii) It is a free gift of nature. | It is a man-made source of production. |
| (iii) Land varies infertility. | It is of two types, i.e., fixed and working capital. |
Q 62 .‘Capital is a basic need in agriculture.’ How is it arranged by Indian farmers? Explain.
Ans.
- Most of the small farmers borrow money from moneylenders or traders to arrange the capital.
- The moneylenders and traders charge a high rate of interest from the farmers.
- Medium and large farmers have their own savings from farming.
- They also get loans from banks.
Q 63. What problems do farm labourers face in terms of unemployment? Explain any three problems.
Ans. Problems of Farm Labourers: - They come either from landless families or families cultivating small plots of land.
- They do not have a right over the crops grown on the land.
- They got wages in cash or in kind.
- Wages vary widely from region to region and from crop-to-crop etc.
- Wide variation in the duration of employment was also seen.
Q 64. Mention any four characteristics of an entrepreneur or human capital as a factor of production.
Ans.
- It is a factor of production that combines or arranges all the factors of production to produce.
- It is an active factor of production.
- It produces goods and services for self-consumption or to sell in the market.
- It is the most important factor of production.
Q 68. How do small farmers obtain capital for farming? What is its consequence? Explain.
Ans.
Most small farmers have to borrow money to arrange for the capital. They borrow from large farmers or moneylenders or traders who supply various inputs for cultivation.
Consequence:
The rate of interest on such loans is very high. The small farmers are put in great distress to repay the loan.
Q 69. Describe any three features of small-scale manufacturing as a non-farm activity in Palampur.
Ans.
- Less than 50 people are engaged in manufacturing in Palampur.
- Manufacturing in Palampur involves very simple production methods and are done on a small scale.
- Manufacturing activities are carried out mostly at home or in the fields with the help of family labour.
- Labourers are hired rarely.
Q 70. How do the medium and large farmers make their own savings and how do they utilize it? Explain.
Ans. The medium and large farmers have surplus production even after keeping a substantial part for their own family needs. They sell it in the market and have good earnings and save it in their bank accounts. They utilize their savings:
- By lending to small farmers who are in need of a loan.
- As working capital for farming in the next season.
- As fixed capital for buying tractors etc.
Q 71. What factors have led to the reduction of water levels in Palampur?
Ans. Continuous use of groundwater for tubewell irrigation has reduced the water table below the ground.
While environmental resources like soil fertility and groundwater are built up over many years. So, once destroyed, it is very difficult to restore them.
Misuse of groundwater is another important factor for lowering of the water table.
Q 72. Explain any two differences between physical capital and human capital.
Ans. Differences:
- Physical capital has a variety of inputs while human capital is laboured, using those inputs.
- Physical capital includes tools, machines that can be used over the years while human capital can produce output only if they have experience.
Q 73. What is modem farming methods? Explain its drawbacks.
Ans. It is a scientific way of increasing production. Under this, production is increased by using HYV seeds and other inputs.
Drawbacks:
- It is used by rich farmers as it requires more inputs.
- Loss of soil fertility due to increased use of chemical fertilizers.
- Continuous use of groundwater for tubewell irrigation has reduced the water table below the ground.
Q 74. Describe the role of the farmers after the crops are harvested and production is complete.
Ans. Role of the Farmer:
- The farmers retain a part of the crop for their family consumption and sell the surplus in the market.
- The small farmers grow the crops just to fulfil the needs of the family. So, they do not have any surplus to sell in the market.
- The big farmers make big earnings by selling main crops in the market.
- They sell the crops and earn huge profits from them.
Q 75. Why was the initial impact of the Green Revolution limited to wheat and only to a few regions?
Ans. It was limited to wheat because HYV seeds were available only for wheat.
Its impact was limited only to few regions as the HYV seeds need higher inputs which only the rich farmers can afford. HYV seeds need assured means of irrigation which were available only in northern parts of India.
Long Answers Question
Q 77. What island? Suggest any three ways to sustain the land.
Ans. (i) Land is the basic natural, resource required as a factor or an input in any production activity. Various activities or human activities take place on land which is a fixed asset.
(ii) (a) Land is a free gift of nature. So, it is necessary that we should be very careful in its use. We must avoid the pollution of land.
(b) Soil is a vital part of the land and the basis of agricultural activities. So, it becomes necessary that we should use bio-compost and eco-friendly methods in place of using chemical fertilizers and pesticides.
(c) We have to see that the Modern Farming Methods are used scientifically in such a way that the natural resource base that the land provides is saved from further damage.
(d) Some farming practices can if used carefully and judiciously, certainly help in making land sustainable.
Such practices include the intensity of cropping, rotation of crops, multiple cropping, fallowing etc.
(e) We should give encouragement to community agriculture system or cooperative farming, instead of individual farming which is often exploitative. This could be another sustaining land productivity.
Q 78. How do large farmers utilise surplus farm products to arrange for the capital needed for farming?
Ans. The large farmers generally sell the surplus farm products and have good earnings.
They put most of their earnings or money in their bank accounts and get adequate interest on the same.
A part of their earnings is saved and kept to arrange for the working capital for farming in the next season.
They also use savings for lending to small farmers and other persons in the village.
A part of their earnings is used to increase their ¦xed capital like tractor, thresher, cattle etc.
Q 79. Distinguish between Fixed, Working and Human Capital.
Ans.
| Fixed Capital | Working Capital | Human Capital |
| (i) Tools, machines, buildings, etc. which can be used in production over many years is called fixed capital. |
(ii) Fixed capital cannot be changed or built-in short period of time. |
Human capital includes competent and trained people who put together land, capital, and other factors of production to produce goods. |
| The factors of production which are used up in the production the process is known as working capital. |
Working capital can be changed or built-in short period. |
Human capital can be built only in the long-run through education and training. |
Q 80. What is the difference between Rabi crops and Kharif crops? When are they sown and harvested? Mention some necessary conditions for multiple cropping.
Ans.
Kharif crops are grown in the rainy season. They are sown in June-July and harvested in October-November. Farmers in Palampur mainly grow jowar and bajra which are used as cattle feed.
Rabi crops are grown in the winter season. They are sown in. October-November and harvested mainly in March-April. Wheat is the main crop grown in this season.
Necessary Conditions for Multiple Cropping: Adequate irrigation facilities should be available on land. Farmers should also have sufficient capital to invest and meet farm expenses.
Q 81. Explain the distribution of the workforce engaged in non-farming activities in the rural areas. Suggest some measures to increase non-farming activities.
Or
Explain any four efforts which can be made to increase non-farming production activities in villages.
Ans. 25% of the total workforce is engaged in non-farming activities. Measures to Increase Non-farming Activities:
Infrastructure: Infrastructure includes building roads, establishing of banks and improving communication. All these are basic inputs for economic development.
Expansion of Market: To increase non-farming activities, rural markets should be linked to urban markets.
Education and Health: Improvement in education will lead to human capital formation.
Cheap Loan: Non-farming activities can be promoted by providing cheap and affordable loans to the farmers.
Q 82. State any five reasons as to why farm labourers are considered poor. –
Ans. Farm labourers are generally landless. They have no permanent jobs. They have to look for work on a daily basis. They are not even paid minimum wages. The minimum wages for a farm labourer set by the government is ₹ 60 per day.
- They have a large family.
- They are illiterate, unhealthy and unskilled.
Q 83. Why do modern farming methods require more capital? Explain.
Ans. Modern farming methods need inputs like chemical fertilizers, pesticides, tractors etc. which are manufactured in industry. So, they require the farmer to start with more cash than before. In modem farming methods, HYV seeds are used which require more irrigation. In the traditional method, the farmers use cow-dung as natural fertilizer, which they do not need to buy while chemical fertilizers need more cash to buy from the market.
Modem farming is machine-oriented. Hence, farmers need more capital to purchase them.
To operate the machines, semi-skilled or skilled manpower is required which need more investments.
Q 84. State three reasons for the variation in the wages of farm labourers all over India.
Ans. There is a wide variation in the wages of farm labourers in the country. They generally get wages less than the minimum wages set by the government. The reasons for the variation in the farm wages are as follows.:
- The farm labourers come either from landless families or families cultivating small plots of land.
- They are poor and helpless. They work on daily wages. They regularly have to look for work. Since there is heavy competition for work among the farm labourers in the country, these labourers agree to work for less than the minimum wages.
- Most agricultural labourers are from low castes and the depressed classes. They have little courage to challenge the upper caste people.
- Farm labourers are generally illiterate and ignorant. They are not organised in unions. So, it is difficult for them to bargain with the landowners and secure good wages.
Q 85. Explain the basic requirements for the production of goods and services. Which one is the most important?
Ans. (i) Land: Land is the most important factor of production. It is required for growing crops, building factories and infrastructure. The first requirement is land. We also need other natural resources such as water, forests, minerals etc.
(ii) Labour: The second requirement is labour, i.e., people who will do the work. Different production activities require different types of workers, such as highly educated, skilled or those doing some manual work. Each worker provides labour necessary for production.
(iii) Physical Capital: The third requirement is physical capital, comprising various inputs required during production. It has two components. Tools, machines and buildings fall under ‘fixed capital’. They can be used in production for many years. Raw materials and money in hand are called working capital. These are used up in production.
(iv) Human Capital: The fourth requirement is human capital. Knowledge and enterprise are needed to put together land, labour and physical capital in order to produce an output.
Q 86. Define Green Revolution. How is Green Revolution different from traditional farming?
Ans. The large increase in agriculture production after 1967-68 due to the adoption of a new agriculture strategy implied a simultaneous use of better and modern agriculture inputs.
Green Revolution involves the introduction of high yielding varieties of seeds. It also encompasses the use of fertilizers and irrigation techniques that increases production and make countries like India self-sufficient in food grains.
So, this technique is mainly used to improve the status of agriculture. It was brought to India at the initiative of the Indian government. Dr Norman Borlaug brought high yielding wheat to India.
M.S. Swaminathan and his team also contributed to the success of the Green Revolution in India. Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh are the main regions where Green Revolution was started.
Difference between Green Revolution and Traditional Farming: Green Revolution refers to the use of artificial fertilizers, technology, high yielding variety of seeds that are genetically engineered. Traditional farming emphasises the use of natural seeds and fertilizers.
Till the mid-1960s, the seeds used in cultivation were traditional ones with relatively low yields.
Traditional seeds needed less irrigation. Farmers used cow-dung and other natural manure as fertilizers.
All these were readily available to the farmers who did not have to buy them.
The Green Revolution in the late 1960s introduced the Indian farmer to the cultivation of wheat and rice using High Yielding Varieties (HYVs) of seeds.
Compared to the traditional seeds, the HYV seeds promised to produce much greater amounts of grain on a single plant. As a result, the same piece of land would now produce far larger quantities of foodgrains than was possible earlier. HYV seeds, however, needed plenty.
Q 87. Describe the significance of the Green Revolution in the Indian economy.
Ans. The Green Revolution has two types of effects on the Indian economy, namely (i) economic effect’s and (ii) sociological effects.
(i) Economic Effects:
(a) Increase in Agricultural Production and Productivity:
Due to the adoption of HYV technology, the production of foodgrains increased considerably in the country. The production of wheat has increased from 8.8 million tonnes in 1965-66 to 184 million tons in 1991-92. The productivity of other food grains has increased considerably. It was 71% in the case of cereals, 104% for wheat and 52% for paddy over the period 1965-66 and 1989-90.
(b) Employment: The new agricultural technology has created more amounts of employment opportunities in the agricultural sector. The new technology is early maturing and makes multiple cropping possible.
(c) Market Orientation: The new technology has made the farmers market-oriented. Due to excess production, the farmers have to go to the market for selling their surplus production.
(ii) Sociological Effects:
(a) Personal Inequalities: Due to Green Revolution, the income of rich farmers increased considerably whereas the poor farmers couldn’t reap any benefit. This led to a class conflict between the rich and the poor farmers. The small and marginal farmers were deprived of enjoying the gains of new technology.
(b) Regional Inequality: The new technology was successfully implemented in the wheat-producing belt of the country whereas the rice-producing zones were not at all affected by this Green Revolution. Hence, the disparity between the two regions increased considerably. Further Green Revolution became successful in irrigated areas whereas, in the rained belt the new technology couldn’t be properly implemented.
Q 88. Where and why has the Green Revolution been started in India? Give advantages and disadvantages of the Green Revolution.
Ans. Green Revolution involves the introduction of high yielding varieties of seeds. It also encompasses the use of fertilizers and irrigation techniques that increases production and make countries like India self-sufficient in foodgrains. So, this technique is mainly used to improve the status of agriculture. It was brought to India by the I initiative of the Indian government. Dr Norman Borlaug brought high yielding wheat to India.
M.S. Swaminathan and his team also contributed to the success of the Green Revolution in India. Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh are; the main regions where the green Revolution was started.
Advantages / Merits of Green Revolution:
The HYV seeds produce a much greater amount of grains in comparison to normal seeds.
It has increased the production on the same pieces of land which produces large quantities of food grains than it was produced earlier.
Disadvantages / Demerits of Green Revolution:
Poor farmers are unable to afford HYV seeds, fertilizers and machinery.
This may lead to an end with large debts.
HYV seeds need more fertilizers and water and they are expensive.
Since Green Revolution introduced new types of machinery, it led to the replacement of labour, and further leading to unemployment and rural-urban migration.
It was limited to rice and wheat only.