Yearly Archives: 2022

NCERT Most important question:

Q1.Define median.

Answer: Median is a value located centrally of a series in such a way that half of the value of the series is above it and the other half is below.

Q2.What is the mode?

Answer: The mode is a value that frequently occurs in the series. Which means the modal value has the highest frequency in the series.

Q3.Define the partition value.

Answer: The value that divides the series into more than two parts is known as a partition value.

Q4.Explain quartile.

Answer: The end value of the statistical series when divided into four parts is known as quartile.

Q5.What is positional average?

Answer: Positional average are those averages whose value is worked out on the basis of their position in the statistical series.

Q6.Define the central tendency.

Answer: All the methods of statistical analysis by which the average of the statistical series are analysed is known as a central tendency.

Q7.What are the purpose of average is the statistical method?

Answer: The purpose of the average is the statistical method are

• Brief description
• Comparison
• Formulation of policies
• Statistical analysis
• One value of all

Q8.What are the different kinds of statistical average?

Answer: The different kinds of statistical average are.

• Mathematical average
• Positional average

Q9.What are the two methods that can calculate the simple arithmetic mean in case of individual series?

Answer: The two methods that can calculate the simple arithmetic mean in the case of individual series are.

• Direct method
• Short-cut method

Q10.What are the methods calculating simple arithmetic mean?

Answer: The methods of calculating simple arithmetic mean are.

• Individual series
• Discrete series
• Frequency distribution

Stay tuned to CoolGyan’S for more CBSE Class 11 Statistics important questions, question papers, sample papers, syllabus and Commerce notifications.

Q11. If the arithmetic mean of the data given below is 28, find (a) the missing frequency, and (b) the median of the series:

Profit per retail shop (in Rs)	0-10	10-20	20-30	30-40	40-50	50-60
Number of retail shops	12	18	27	–	17	6

Answer
(a) Let the missing frequency be x
Arithmetic mean = 28 (given)

Profit per retail shop (in Rs) Class Interval	No. of retail shops Frequency (f)	Mid Value (m)	fm
0-10	12	5	60
10-20	18	15	270
20-30	27	25	675
30-40	x	35	35x
40-50	17	45	765
50-60	6	55	330
	Σf = 80 + x		Σfx = 2100 + 35x

Mean = Σfx/Σf
⇒ 28 = 2100 + 35x/80 + x⇒ 2240 + 28x = 2100 + 35
⇒ 2240 – 2100 = 35x – 25x⇒ 140 = 7x⇒  x = 140/7 = 20Missing frequency = 20
(b)

Class Interval	Frequency (f)	Cumulative frequency (CF)
0-10	12	12
10-20	18	30
20-30	27	57
30-40	x	77
40-50	17	94
50-60	6	100
Total	Σf = 100

Median = Size of (N/2)th item
             = 100/2 = 50th item
It lies in class 20-30.

Q12. The following table gives the daily income of ten workers in a factory. Find the arithmetic mean.

Workers	A	B	C	D	E	F	G	H	I	J
Daily Income (in Rs)	120	150	180	200	250	300	220	350	370	260

Answer

Workers	Daily Income (in Rs)X
A	120
B	150
C	180
D	200
E	250
F	300
G	220
H	350
I	370
J	260
Total	ΣX = 2400

N = 10
Arithmetic Mean = ΣX/N
                            = 2400/10
                            = 240
Arithmetic Mean = 240

Q13. Following information pertains to the daily income of 150 families. Calculate the arithmetic mean.

Income (in Rs)	Number of families
More than 75	150
More than 85	140
More than 95	115
More than 105	95
More than 115	70
More than 125	60
More than 135	40
More than 145	25

Answer

Income

No. of families Frequency (f)

Mid Class

urn:uuid:1076b3c7-1f66-96c0-b5d2-96c01f661076(x)fx75-85108080085-952590225095-105201002000105-115251102750115-125101201200125-135201302600 135-145 151402100 145-155 251503750
150
17450 Arithmetic Mean = Σfx/Σf
                            = 17450/150
                            = 116.33

Q14. The size of land holdings of 380 families in a village is given below. Find the median size of land holdings.

Size of Land Holdings (in acres)	Less than 100	100-200	200-300	300-400	400 and above
Number of families	40	89	148	64	39

Answer

Size of Land Holdings        Class Interval	Number of families(f)	Cumulative frequency (CF)
0-100	40	40
100-200	89	129
200-300	148	277
300-400	64	341
400-500	39	380
Total	Σf = 380

Σf = N = 380
Median = Size of (N/2)th item
             = 380/2 = 190th item
It lies in class 200-300.

Median size of land holdings = 241.22 acres

Q15. The following series relates to the daily income of workers employed in a firm. Compute (a) highest income of lowest 50% workers (b) minimum income earned by the top 25% workers and (c) maximum income earned by lowest 25% workers.

Daily Income (in Rs)	10-14	15-19	20-24	25-29	30-34	35-39
Number of workers	5	10	15	20	10	5

(Hint: Compute median, lower quartile and upper quartile.)

Answer

Daily Income (in Rs)       Class Interval	No of workers(f)	Cumulative frequency (CF)
9.5-14.5	5	5
14.5-19.5	10	15
19.5-24.5	15	30
24.5-29.5	20	50
29.5-34.5	10	60
34.5-39.5	5	65
Total	Σf = 65

(a) Σf = N = 65
Median = Size of (N/2)th item
             = 65/2 = 32.5th item
It lies in class 24.5-29.5.

Highest income of lowest 50% workers = Rs 25.12

(b) First, we need to find Q₁
Class interval of Q₁ = (N/4)th items
                                 = (65/4)th items = 16.25th item
It lies in class 19.5-24.5.

Minimum income earned by the top 25% workers = Rs 19.92

(c) First, we need to find Q₃
Class interval of Q₃ = 3 (N/4)th items
                                 = 3 (65/4)th items = 3 × 16.25th item
                                 = 48.75th item
It lies in class 24.5-29.5.

Maximum income earned by lowest 25% workers = Rs 29.19

Q16. The following table gives production yield in kg. per hectare of wheat of 150 farms in a village. Calculate the mean, median and mode values.

Production yield (kg. per hectare)	50-53	53-56	56-59	59-62	62-65	65-68	68-71	71-74	74-77
Number of workers	3	8	14	30	36	28	16	10	5

Answer

Production Yield  (kg. per hectare)	No. of farms Frequency (f)	Mid Class (x)	fx	Cumulative frequency (CF)
50-53	3	51.5	154.5	3
53-56	8	54.5	436	11
56-59	14	57.5	805	25
59-62	30	60.5	1815	55
62-65	36	63.5	2286	91
65-68	28	66.5	1862	119
68-71	16	69.5	1112	135
71-74	10	72.5	725	145
74-77	5	75.5	377.5	150
	Σf = 150		Σfx = 9573

Mean = Σfx/Σf  = 9573/150 = 63.82 hectare

Modal Class = 62-65

NCERT Most important question:

Q1.Define presentation of data.

Answer: The presentation of data is a representation of data in an attractively and transparent manner that everybody understands and analyses.

Q2.What is tabulation?

Answer: Tabulation means presenting data in tabular form.

Q3.Define table.

Answer: Table refers to the systematic representation of data with rows and columns.

Q4.Explain a simple table.

Answer: A simple table only displays one characteristic of the data.

Q5.What is a complex table?

Answer: It is a table that shows more than one characteristic of the data.

Q6.Define a derived table.

Answer: A derived data is something where the information is not displayed according to the way it was collected. It is first into rations or percentages and then presented.

Q7.What are the two principal parts of a table?

Answer: The two principal parts of a table are (i) Table number and (ii) Title

Q8.What are the different kinds of a table?

Answer: Tables can be classified into three parts. (i) Purpose (ii) Originality, and (iii) Construction

Q9.What are the two types of complex table?

Answer: The two types of a complex table are (i) Double or two-way table and (ii) Manifold table

Q10.What are a different forms of presentation of data?

Answer: The different form of presentation of data are (i) Textual and descriptive presentation (ii) Tabular presentation, and (iii) Diagrammatic presentation

Q11. What kinds of diagrams are more effective in representing the following?
(i) Monthly rainfall in a year
(ii) Composition of the population of Delhi by religion
(iii) Components of cost in a factory

Answer
(i) Monthly rainfall in a year – simple bar diagram as only one variable i.e. monthly rainfall is to be present and compared visually.
(ii) Composition of the population of Delhi by religion – Simple bar diagram Plotting different religion on the x-axis and the number of people on the y-axis, one can easily compare the number of the population religion-wise.
(iii) Components of cost in a factory – Pie chart as entire circle represents the total cost and various components of costsare shown by different portions of the circle.

Q12. Suppose you want to emphasise the increase in the share of urban non-workers and lower level of urbanisation in India as shown in Example 4.2. How would you do it in the tabular form?
Answer

Urban non workers	Rural Non Workers	Total Non workers
19 crores	42 crores	62 crores

The number of rural non-workers is greater than urban non-workers. The higher number of rural non-workers indicates lower level of urbanisation in India according to 2001 Census data.

Q13. How does the procedure of drawing a histogram differ when class intervals are unequal in comparison to equal class intervals in a frequency table?
Answer
When the class intervals are equal then by normal method we can make histogram which has equal width of rectangle. When the class intervals are unequal, heights of rectangles are to be adjusted to yield comparable measurements by using frequency density (class frequency divided by width of the class interval) instead of absolute frequency.

Q14. The Indian Sugar Mills Association reported that, ‘Sugar production during the first fortnight of December 2001 was about 3,87,000 tonnes, as against 3,78,000 tonnes during the same fortnight last year (2000). The off-take of sugar from factories during the first fortnight of December 2001 was 2,83,000 tonnes for internal consumption and 41,000 tonnes for exports as against 1,54,000 tonnes for internal consumption and nil for exports during the same fortnight last season.’
(i) Present the data in tabular form.
(ii) Suppose you were to present these data in diagrammatic form which of the diagrams would you use and why?
(iii) Present these data diagrammatically.
Answer

(i)

Sugar Production in India
Date	Total Production (tonnes)	Internal Consumption (tonnes)	Export of sugar (tonnes)
December, 2000	3,78,000	1,54,000	–
December, 2000	3,27,000	2,83,000	41,000

(ii) To present these data in diagrammatic form we can use multiple bar diagram because these are effective in comparing two or more sets of data.

(iii)

Q15. The following table shows the estimated sectoral real growth rates (percentage change over the previous year) in GDP at factor cost.

Represent the data as multiple time series graphs.
Answer

NCERT Most important question:

Q1. What is a variable? Distinguish between a discrete and a continuous variable.

Answer

A characteristic, number, or quantity whose value changes overtime is called variable. For example: weight, income etc. It can be either discrete or continuous.

Discrete Variable	Continuous Variable
• A variable that takes only whole number as its value is called discrete variable. • These variables increase in jumps or in complete numbers. • For example- Number of people in a family, number of students in a class, etc.	• A variable that can take any value, within a reasonable limit is called a continuous variable. • These variables assume a range of values or increase in fractions and not in jumps. • For example- age, height, weight, etc.

Q2. Explain the ‘exclusive’ and ‘inclusive’ methods used in classification of data.
Answer

Exclusive method: The classes, by this method, are formed in such a way that the upper class limit of one class equals the lower class limit of the next class for example, 0-10, 10-20, and so on . Thus, the continuity of the data is maintained. The upper class limit is excluded but the lower class limit of a class is included in the interval. This method is most appropriate for data of continuous variables.

Inclusive method: This method does not exclude the upper class limit in a class interval. It includes the upper class in a class. Thus both class limits are parts of the class interval for example, 1-5, 6-10, 11-15 and so on. The interval 1-5 includes both the limits i.e. 1 and 5.

Q3. Use the data in Table 3.2 that relate to monthly household expenditure (in Rs) on food of 50 households and obtain the range of monthly household expenditure on food.

(i) Obtain the range of monthly household expenditure on food.

Answer

Range = Highest Value – Lowest Value
Highest Value = 5090
Lowest Value = 1007
So, Range = 5090 – 1007 = 4083

Q4.Divide the range into appropriate number of class intervals and obtain the frequency distribution of expenditure.
Answer

Q5. Find the number of households whose monthly expenditure on food is(a) less than Rs 2000(b) more than Rs 3000
c) between Rs 1500 and Rs 2500

Answer

(a) Number of households whose monthly expenditure on food is less than Rs 2000
= 20 + 13 = 33

(b) Number of households whose monthly expenditure on food is more than Rs 3000
= 2+1+2+0+1 = 6
(c) Number of households whose monthly expenditure on food is between Rs 1500 and Rs 2500
= 13 + 6 = 19
Page No: 39

Q6. In a city 45 families were surveyed for the number of domestic appliances they used. Prepare a frequency array based on their replies as recorded below.

Answer

No. of Domestic Appliances	No. of Households
0	1
1	7
2	15
3	12
4	5
5	2
6	2
7	1
Total	45

Q7.. What is ‘loss of information’ in classified data?

Answer

The classified data summarises the raw data making it concise and comprehensible, it does not show the details that are found in raw data. Once the data are grouped into classes, an individual observation has no significance in further statistical calculations. Further, the statistical calculations are based on the values of the class marks, ignoring the exact observations of the data leading to the problem of loss of information.

Q8. Do you agree that classified data is better than raw data?

Answer

The raw data are usually large an fragmented, it is very difficult to draw any meaningful conclusion from them. Classification makes the raw data comprehensible by surprising them into groups. When facts of similar characteristics are placed in the same class, it enables one to locate them easily, make comparison, and draw inferences without any difficulty. Therefore, classified data  is better than raw data

Q9. Distinguish between Univariate and Bivariate frequency distribution.

Answer

The frequency distribution of a single variable is called a Univariate Distribution. Income of people, marks scored by students, etc. are examples of Univariate Distribution.

The frequency distribution of two variables is called Bivariate distribution. Sales and advertisement expenditure, weight and height of individuals, etc. are examples of Bivariate distribution.

Q10. Prepare a frequency distribution by inclusive method taking class interval of 7 from the following data:

Answer

NCERT Most important question:

Q1. You want to research on the popularity of Vegetable Atta Noodles among children. Design a suitable questionnaire for collecting this information.

Answer

QUESTIONNAIRE

Name: ……………………
Age: ……….
Sex:  ☐ Male ☐ Female

1. Do you eat Noodles?
☐ Yes ☐ No

2. Do you like Vegetable Atta Noodles more than other snacks?
☐ Yes ☐ No

3. How many packets do you consume in one month?
☐ Less than 2 ☐ Less than 5 ☐ More than 5

4. Do you prefer Atta noodles over Maida noodles?
☐ Yes ☐ No

5. Which vegetable according to you should be added in present Atta noodles?
………………………………………………………….

6. When do you prefer to have Vegetable Atta Noodles?
☐ Breakfast ☐ Lunch  ☐ Evening Snacks ☐ Dinner

7. Do your parents accompany you while having noodles?
☐ Yes ☐ No

Q2. In a village of 200 farms, a study was conducted to find the cropping pattern. Out of the 50 farms surveyed, 50% grew only wheat. Identify the population and the sample here.

Answer
Population or the Universe in statistics means totality of the items under study. So, the population here is 200 farms.Sample refers to a group or section of the population from which information is to be obtained. Out of 200 farms, only 50 farms are selected for survey. Therefore, the sample population is 50 farms.

Q3. Give two examples each of sample, population and variable.

Answer

Example 1: A study was conducted to know the average income of people in a village. The total number of person was 750. Out of these, 70 villagers selected and their average income was recorded. So, in this example:
(i) Population is the number of total villagers which is equal to 750.
(ii) Sample is the 70 villagers whose average income was recorded.
(iii) Variable under study is the income of the villagers

Example 2: In order to study the to record the level of sugar in the blood, blood sample of 1000 people was taken from 10,000 people. So, in this example
(i) Population is the total number of people i.e., 10,000.
(ii) Sample is the 1000 people.
(iii) Variable is the sugar level.

Q4. Which of the following methods give better results and why?
(a) Census
(b) Sample

Answer

Sample Method gives better results than the Census Method as:
→ Less time consuming: It requires a lot of time to conduct census as evry record have to obtain while sample can be done in lesser time. Economically feasible: The cost of approaching each individual unit for interrogation and collection of data is comparatively lower due to small size of sample.→ Accuracy- Although census method provides more accurate and reliable results as compared to the sample method but in the sample method the errors can be easily located and rectified in the sampling methods due to the smaller number of items.
→ Lesser Non-sampling Errors- The probability of Non-sampling Errors is also low as the sample size is smaller as compared to that of the Census Method.

Q5. Which of the following errors is more serious and why?
(a) Sampling error
(b) Non-Sampling error

Answer

Non-sampling errors are more serious than sampling errors because a sampling error can be minimised by taking a larger sample. It is difficult to minimise non-sampling error, even by taking a large sample as it use of faulty means of collection of data.

Q6. Suppose there are 10 students in your class. You want to select three out of them. How many samples are possible?

Answer

We have to use combinations to determine the number of samples which are possible. The formula for the number of such combination is
nCr = n!/(n-r)!r!
where n! = n(n-1)(n-2)(n-3)…..(3)(2)(1)
(Note: 0! = 1)
Therefore the answer will be ¹⁰C₃ = (10 × 9 × 8)/(3 × 2 × 1) = 720/6 = 120
Number of samples possible = 120

Q7. Discuss how you would use the lottery method to select 3 students out of 10 in your class?

Answer

Make ten paper slips with name of each student of equal size. Now, there are ten cards available. Mix them well. Now draw three slips at random without replacement one by one. By this method we can select three students.

Q8. Does the lottery method always give you a random sample? Explain.

Answer

Yes, the lottery method always gives a random sample if it is used in the proper manner without any bias. In a random sample, each individual unit has an equal chance of getting selected. Similarly, in a lottery method, each individual unit is selected at random from the population and thereby has equal opportunity of getting selected.

Q9. Explain the procedure of selecting a random sample of 3 students out of 10 in your class, by using random number tables.

Answer

For selecting a random sample of 3 students out of 10 by random number tables we consult one digit random numbers and we will skip random numbers greater than value 10 as it the largest serial number. We have other 9 one digit numbers. Thus, the 3 selected students out of 10 are with serial numbers 5,9,2.

Q10. Do samples provide better results than surveys? Give reasons for your answer.

Answer

Sample gives provide better results than surveys because
→ A sample can provide reasonably reliable and accurate information at a lower cost and shorter time.
→ As samples are smaller than population, more detailed information can be collected by conducting intensive enquiries.
→ Sample need a smaller team of enumerators, it is easier to train them and supervise their work more effectively.

NCERT Most important question:

Q1. Write some lines on the comparative development experiences of India and its neighbouring countries. 

Ans: India and its neighbors have nearly identical growth policies, which are as follows:

1. Following their independence in 1947, India, Pakistan, and China all embarked on their respective developmental paths at the same time. The People’s Republic of China, on the other hand, was founded in 1949.
2. All three countries had begun to outline their development strategies in a similar manner. India introduced its Five Year Plan in 1951-56, whereas Pakistan presented its first Five Year Plan, known as the Medium Term Plan, in 1956. In 1953, China unveiled its first Five-Year Plan. 
3. India and Pakistan pursued similar methods, such as establishing a large public sector and increasing government spending on social development.
4. Until 1980, the three countries had comparable growth rates and per capita incomes.
5. Economic reforms were implemented in all three countries. The reforms began in India in 1991 while in 1978, and 1988 in China and Pakistan respectively.

Q2. Write a short note on the history of revolution of PRC. 

Ans: The People’s Republic of China (PRC) is a country with a long history and culture. Unlike many other countries, practically the entire country of China was ruled by a single authority for many centuries. Several dynasties ruled China, including the Xia, Shang, Han, and Tang. The Qing Dynasty was China’s last ruling dynasty (also known as Manchu Dynasty). China, like many other countries around the world, has a long history of fighting tyrants and dictatorships for equality and prosperity. 

The founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949 appeared to be the conclusion of the quest for a better living. At the time, China’s Communist Party (CPP), a leading political union, was established. Workers, peasants, the tiny bourgeoisie, and national capitalists were defined as an alliance of four socioeconomic classes. 

The CPP, as the working-class leader, was to lead the four classes. The Chinese Communist Revolution, also known as the 1949 Revolution, was the climax of the Chinese Communist Party’s ascension to power since its formation in 1921, as well as the second half of the Chinese Civil War (1946–1949). This time is referred to as the War of Liberation in the official media. The Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, also known as the Cultural Revolution, was a social-political movement that occurred in the People’s Republic of China from 1966 to 1976.

Q3. What are the reasons for the low population growth in China? 

Ans: The reasons for the low population growth in China are:

• One Child Policy: For many years, China has rigidly enforced the “one child” restriction. This rigidly enforced rule meant that many Chinese couples could only have one child for more than three decades. If they possessed more than one, they risked hefty penalties and varied degrees of harassment from local authorities. 

China’s Communist Party authorities implemented the strategy in 1980 in order to slow the country’s out-of-control population growth. This approach also resulted in a decrease in China’s sex ratio, or the proportion of females per thousand males.

However, in 2015, one child policy was ruled out in China, thus allowing families to have two children owing to massive decline in population growth. 

• Costs of Raising Children: In China, raising a child is expensive, especially in cities, thus it acts as a hindrance for the couples to think of another child. 
• Better Socio-Economic Position of Women: The average improvement in female socioeconomic position over the last 20 years has contributed to a decline in population rate. 
• High Cost of Real Estate: Another lethal factor is the high cost of real estate in China.

Q4. What were the economic reforms introduced in all the three countries (India, China and Pakistan)? 

Ans: Following their independence in 1947, India and Pakistan implemented planned development programs that relied on the public sector to drive the process of growth and development. 

In 1949, China adopted a more strict growth strategy and decided to place government control over all essential areas of manufacturing activity. In 1958, the Great Leap Forward (GLF) initiative was initiated, with the goal of extensive industrialization of the economy. 

China adopted the Commune system of agricultural production, which was a collective agriculture method. China’s export-driven manufacturing is a critical component of its economic success story. 

Until roughly 1980, the economies of India, China, and Pakistan did not show much variance in GDP growth rate, which was around 4% per year. The breakthrough in GDP growth rate was recorded in the early 1980s in China, the mid-1980s in Pakistan, and the 1990s in India. In 2005, India and Pakistan both saw GDP growth of 6 to 8%, while China experienced GDP growth of around 10% each year.

Q5. Is it possible for India to introduce ‘One Child Norm’ like China to reduce population? Write your views. 

Ans: Rising population has been a major source of concern for our country in recent decades. To combat the dramatic increase, we have so far resorted to measures such as giving free Family Health Planning services to married couples etc. 

One of the conceivable options is to implement a one-child policy, similar to what the Chinese have done, but true to say is not easy to implement such a policy in a country like ours. 

Implementing this would be a difficult task, given the likelihood of protests from political parties, ethnic communities, religious bodies, and other idle social organizations. 

Assume that if India implements it, there will be a great deal of confusion. For example, it should be in both rural and urban areas, or in either. In India, around 70% of the population lives in rural areas, with the remainder living in metropolitan or semi-urban areas. 

China, too, has a rural majority, but its program has only been applied for families residing in cities. Given that India is a labor-intensive nation recognized for its inexpensive labor, such a restriction may result in a labor shortage in the long run, affecting the nation’s economic growth. 

To summarize, the One Child Norm appears to be a need, but its implementation in India necessitates careful juxtaposition of facts and data.

Q6. What is demography and demographic indicators? 

Ans: Demography is the study of population science. Demographers study population dynamics by focusing on three major demographic processes: 

• Birth, 
• Migration, and 
• Ageing (including death). 

The quantitative and qualitative features of the human population are studied in this. The quantitative elements of the population include its composition, density, distribution, growth, migration, size, and structure. 

Sociological elements such as school quality, crime, development, diet and nutrition, race, social class, wealth, and well-being are examples of qualitative features. 

Demography’s significance stems from its contribution to better preparing the government and society to deal with the difficulties and demands of population expansion, aging, and migration. Demographic dynamics and distributions have an impact on a wide range of social outcomes.

Demography employs a wide range of demographic indicators. For example:

• Life expectancy at birth is the number of years that newborn infants would survive if they were subject to the mortality risks that existed at the time of their birth for a cross-section of the population.
• The annual number of deaths per 1,000 people is known as the crude death rate. 
• The annual number of births per 1,000 people is referred to as the crude birth rate. 
• The total fertility rate is the number of children born per woman if she lived to the end of her child-bearing years and had children at each age based on current age-specific fertility rates. 
• The percentage of the population residing in urban areas, as determined by the most recent population census, is referred to as the urban population.

Q7. Explain the following:- 

(a) Special Economic Zones (SEZ) 

Ans. A Special Economic Zone (SEZ) is a clearly defined duty-free enclave that is treated as foreign territory for the purposes of trade operations, duties, and tariffs. In other words, a special economic zone (SEZ) is a geographical area with economic rules that differ from those of the rest of the country. It is a region where business and trade laws differ from those found elsewhere in the country. 

SEZs are placed within a country’s borders and have the following goals

• Improved commerce, 
• Increased investment, 
• Job development, and 
• efficient administration. 

There are currently eight operational SEZs in India, which are located in Santa Cruz (Maharashtra), Cochin (Kerala), Kandla and Surat (Gujarat), Chennai (Tamil Nadu), Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh), Falta (West Bengal), and Noida (Uttar Pradesh). In addition, a SEZ in Indore (Madhya Pradesh) is now operational. 

(b) Great Leap Forward (GLF) 

China’s Second Five Year Plan was named the Great Leap Forward (1958-62). The Great Leap Forward was a 1950s economic and social movement that intended to transform China from an agrarian economy to modern society. It was a short-term endeavor by the Communist Party of China (CPC) led by Mao Zedong, also known as Mao Tse-tung, to turn China into a society capable of competing with other Western industrialized nations. 

The Great Leap Forward, China’s second five-year plan, was inaugurated in January 1958, and millions of Chinese citizens were relocated to communes to work on farms or in industry. Private farming was forbidden. It was the result of Mao Zedong’s impatience for industrial and manufacturing development.

(c) GPCR (Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution) 

In the 1960s, Chinese Communist Party leader Mao Zedong became concerned that the current party leadership in China was increasingly heading towards a revisionist direction, with a major focus on expertise rather than ideological purity. The Cultural Revolution was a political, social, and cultural movement inspired by Mao Zedong’s cult and directed by a group of political figures known as the ‘Gang of Four.’ 

The Cultural Revolution rallied and encouraged Chinese youth to criticize and attack anyone perceived to be an enemy of the Chinese Communist Revolution’s objectives. Although the origins of the Cultural Revolution were diverse, at least two variables had a role in it. Mao Zedong’s efforts to reclaim his dominant position as China’s policymaker were one cause. The second was the ‘Mao Cult.’

Q8. What are the reasons for the slow growth and re-emergence of poverty in our neighbouring country, Pakistan?  

Ans. Experts feel that Pakistan’s progress has been driven primarily by years of a good harvest. Furthermore, growth was driven by finance from external borrowings and Middle Eastern remittances. The economy suffered when the crops failed. These issues contributed to Pakistan’s slow growth and the re-emergence of poverty. 

India has always had an advantage over Pakistan in some areas, such as having more trained labor, making good investments in education, and improving basic health care facilities. 

Agriculture and food production was not founded on an institutional framework of technology. Rather, it was founded on favorable circumstances. When conditions were favorable, economic growth exhibited positive trends and vice versa. They are becoming more reliant on foreign borrowings, and repaying the loans is becoming increasingly challenging. Inadequate infrastructure in the manufacturing sector, which also impedes expansion. 

There are numerous causes for this, some of which are highlighted below:

• Terrorism: It is a major impediment to Pakistan’s economic development. It has been a war-torn country since 2002. This has long been a contributing factor to Pakistan’s unfavorable worldwide image, limiting foreign investment in the country.
• Corruption: Since 1947, corruption has firmly established its roots. It has now become a very political subject, with even the country’s prime leaders being accused of it.
• A Lack of High-Quality Education: Education is a critical component of economic success. Unfortunately, our present literacy rate is 60%, with the lowest rate in South Asian countries. Around 25 million children are not attending school.
• Inadequate Health-Care Facilities: Public hospitals paint grim visions of a lack of proper drugs, beds, and equipment, among other things. Because of a lack of basic health care, approximately 170 women die from pregnancy for every 100,000 births.
• Tax Evasion: A regressive tax system takes roughly 90% of taxable income from ordinary males. Large firms, landlords, business owners, and politicians fail to pay their fair amount of taxes. They earn a lot but pay less tax; on the other side, the poor earn less yet pay more tax. Pakistan should improve its export competitiveness by lowering the cost of doing business.

Hence, Pakistan should take a strategic approach to increase its exports to neighboring markets, and work upon enhancing its general economic condition as because of the country’s general economic challenges, ordinary men and and women has to face economic inadequacy and deprivation.

NCERT Most important question:

Q1. What do you mean by global warming? 

Ans: The gradual rise in the earth’s temperature caused by high quantities of carbon dioxide and other chemicals emitted in the atmosphere is known as global warming. It is an increase in global average temperature that is thought to be produced by the greenhouse effect. 

The natural greenhouse effect keeps the Earth’s temperature stable, allowing humans and many other lifeforms to exist. However, human activities have considerably increased the greenhouse effect since the Industrial Revolution, causing the Earth’s average temperature to rise by nearly 1°C. This is causing global warming. However there are various natural and man-made reasons behind the cause of global warming, such as deforestation, industrialisation, forest fires, increasing population, chlorofluorocarbons, etc.

Q2. Write some lines on ozone depletion. 

Ans: Depletion of the ozone layer is simply the wearing down (decrease) of the amount of ozone in the stratosphere. Unlike pollution, which has many different types and causes, Ozone depletion can be traced back to a single main human activity. 

Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) are used to make insulating foams, soaps, solvents and cooling products like air conditioners, refrigerators, and take-out containers. When CFCs reach the stratosphere, depletion begins. The sun’s ultraviolet light degrades these CFCs. Chlorine atoms are released as a result of the breaking up event. 

When chlorine atoms react with Ozone, a chemical cycle begins that destroys the beneficial ozone in that area. More than 100,000 ozone molecules can be broken apart by a single chlorine atom. The amount of UVB (Type-B ultra violet)that reaches the Earth’s surface increases as the ozone layer depletes. 

UVB induces non-melanoma skin cancer and plays a significant influence in the development of malignant melanoma, according to laboratory and epidemiological research.

Q3. What is Chipko Movement? How has India benefited from it? 

Ans: The Chipko movement was a nonviolent movement that started in 1973 with the purpose of conservation and protection of trees. However, it is mainly remembered for the mass mobilisation of women for the cause of forest preservation, which also resulted in a shift in attitudes and opinions about women’s status in the society. Hence, In Uttar Pradesh’s Chamoli district (now Uttarakhand), an uprising against tree felling and the preservation of ecological balance began in 1973 . 

The name ‘chipko’ originated from the phrase ‘embrace,’ since the locals clasped and encircled the trees to keep them from being chopped. 

Also the first Chipko andolan was founded in the 18th century by Rajasthan’s Bishnoi people. Sunderlal Bahuguna, a well-known environmentalist, founded it. Bahuguna is also credited with coining the Chipko proverb “ecology is perpetual economy.”

In 1980, one of the Chipko movement’s key achievements was a 15-year moratorium on tree cutting in Uttar Pradesh’s forests. The restriction was later extended to Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Bihar, the Western Ghats, and the Vindhyas. All of this was done on the orders of the Indian Prime Minister, following widespread demonstrations by activists across the country.

Q4. What is a pollution control board? 

Ans: The Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act of 1974 established the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). It was also given powers and functions under the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act of 1981. 

Its functions include:

• Promoting the purity of streams and wells in various parts of the states through water pollution prevention, control, and abatement. 
• They must monitor the improvement of air quality and work to avoid, control, or reduce air pollution in the country. 
• They are expected to coordinate the work of the State Pollution Control Boards and handle disputes among them, 
• To establish, alter, or repeal the requirements for stream or well in conjunction with the state governments concerned, 
• To establish criteria for the quality of air. 
• They coordinate the actions of the State Pollution Control Boards by providing technical help and guidance.

As a technical wing of the MoEF (Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change), it is the country’s highest organization in the subject of pollution control. Meteorological data such as wind speed and direction, relative humidity (RH), and temperature were also monitored in conjunction with air quality. This information about ITO’s air quality is updated once a week. 

The CPCB, in partnership with the relevant SPCBs/PCCs, built a statewide network of water quality monitoring stations, with 1019 stations operating in 27 states and 6 union territories. The inland water quality monitoring network is organized into three levels: 

• Global Environment Monitoring System (GEMS), 
• Monitoring of Indian National Aquatic Resources System (MINARS), and 
• Yamuna Action Plan (YAP).

Q5. Define Biocomposting. 

Ans: Bio-composting is a method of waste disposal in which organic waste decomposes organically in an oxygen-rich environment. Although all waste eventually decomposes, only certain waste materials are biodegradable and should be placed in compost bins. 

Compostable food waste includes banana peels, coffee grinds, and eggshells. Yard trash, such as grass clippings and leaves, can be added to compost bins in addition to food waste. As materials decompose, these items will aid in decomposition, and lessen odor. 

Perennial weeds, or plants that return year after year, should not be composted since they will regrow and spread. Composting these products helps to limit the amount of waste that is transferred to landfills and mass-burn incinerators. 

Composting not only reduces trash, but it also produces a valuable product. Instead of utilizing artificial fertilizers, the final compost, humus, is nutrient-rich and may be used to improve weak soils and nourish gardens. Compost also improves soil retention power, which can boost growing conditions.

Q6. What is air pollution? Write some measures to control it. 

Or 

India has an increasing rate of air pollution. What shall be done to check the same? 

Ans: Air pollution is the polluting of natural air by the presence of various pollutants such as toxic gases and chemicals. This form of contamination can be created by burning materials, gases emitted by cars, or hazardous fumes emitted as a byproduct of industry. 

According to experts, one of the most serious side effects of air pollution is global warming. Because of the high degree of industrialization, air pollution is a major concern throughout the world, particularly in large cities. The release of such air pollutants in high quantities, such as smog, particles, solid materials, and so on, is settling over the city, generating air pollution and posing health risks to the population. People generate a lot of unclean garbage on a daily basis, especially in big cities, which pollutes the entire atmospheric air to a large extent.

The following are some methods for reducing air pollution:

• Industrial estates should be located away from residential areas.
• Poisonous gases should be removed by running the vapors through a water tower scrubber or spray collector.
• Attempts should be undertaken to produce pollution-free automotive fuels, such as alcohol, hydrogen, and battery power. Automobiles should have exhaust emission controls.
• Growing plants that can metabolize nitrogen oxides and other gaseous pollutants, such as Vitis, Pimis, Juniperus, Quercus, Pyrus, Robinia pseudoacacia, Viburnum, Crataegus, Ribes, and Rhamnus.
• Priority afforestation of the mining area.
• Research and development of non-combustible energy sources, such as nuclear power, geothermal power, solar power, tidal power, wind power, and so on.
• In nations such as India, traditional fuel sources such as wood, coal, and so on should be reconsidered in favor of newly developed smoke-free furnaces. Filtering, settling, dissolving, absorption, and other methods of mitigating air pollution are examples. 
• Low-cost gadgets should be developed for these strategies.
• Burning of leaves, plastic, trash etc, and burning of crackers should be avoided as much as possible.
• Practicing recycling and reuse.

Q7. State some major environmental issues which the world is facing today? 

Or 

What are the biggest challenges the world is facing today in terms of the environment? 

Ans: Our surroundings are continuously changing, and there is no doubt about that. However, as our environment evolves, so does our need to become more aware of the issues that surround it. 

With a tremendous flood of natural disasters, warming and cooling phases, various forms of weather patterns, and much more, people must be aware of the environmental difficulties that our world is experiencing. Increasing food, water, energy, and infrastructural needs are pushing nature to its breaking point. And the effects of climate change can be seen everywhere we look.

The following are today’s most serious environmental issues:

• Pollution: Pollution of the air, water, and soil takes millions of years to recover from. The most significant pollutants are those emitted by industry and motor vehicles. While oil spills, acid rain, and urban runoff create water pollution, different gases and pollutants generated by industry and factories, as well as the combustion of fossil fuels, cause air pollution.
• Global Warming: Climate change, such as global warming, is caused by human activities such as greenhouse gas emissions. Global warming causes rising ocean and earth surface temperatures, resulting in the melting of polar ice caps, rising sea levels, and unusual precipitation patterns such as flash floods, heavy snow, and deserts.
• Overpopulation: The planet’s population has reached unsustainable levels due to a lack of resources such as water, fuel, and food. Population growth in less developed and emerging countries is putting a burden on already scarce resources.
• Urban Sprawl: The term “urban sprawl” refers to population migration from densely populated urban areas to low-density rural areas, resulting in the city invading more and more rural land. Land degradation, increased traffic, environmental challenges, and health concerns all come from urban sprawl.
• Public Health Concerns: The existing environmental challenges endanger both human and animal health. Dirty water is the world’s greatest health danger, threatening both quality of life and public health. Toxins, pollutants, and disease-carrying organisms are carried by run-off into rivers.
• Genetic Engineering: Genetic engineering refers to the use of biotechnology to modify food genetically. Food genetic manipulation causes an increase in poisons and diseases because genes from an allergic plant can transfer to the target plant. Because an altered gene may be hazardous to wildlife, genetically modified crops can cause major environmental problems. 

The desire for change in our daily lives and our government’s movements is growing. Although it is true that we cannot physically stop the weakening of our ozone layer. There are still a plethora of things we can do to make a dent in what we already know. We can contribute to a more ecologically conscious and compassionate community by raising awareness about these concerns in our local community and within our families.

Q8. Write a short note on sustainable development. 

Or 

How can nations today achieve sustainable development? 

Ans: Sustainable development is a method for people to utilise resources without running out of them. The Brundtland Commission described it as development with sustainability that “meets the requirements of the present without jeopardizing future generations’ ability to satisfy their own needs.” 

It is the idea of needs and the restrictions placed by technology and society on the ability of the environment to meet current and future requirements. Thus, the notion of sustainable development provides a framework for the integration of environmental policies and development plans with global, national, regional, and local ramifications. 

Natural systems that support life on Earth should not be jeopardized by development. As a result, the concept of sustainable development leads to new resource consumption techniques, which are as follows:

• Excessive resource use must be conserved or reduced.
• Material recycling and reuse.
• Increasing the use of renewable resources such as solar energy over nonrenewable resources such as oil and coal.

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Sustainable development also entails addressing the basic requirements of all impoverished individuals on the planet and providing opportunity for all to realize their dreams for a better life. Otherwise, the globe would always be prone to ecological and other crises since poverty and unfairness are endemic. 

Individual ownership and governmental domains are not respected in ecological interactions. For example, the irrigation procedures, herbicides, and fertilizers employed on a farm have an impact on the productivity of neighboring farms, particularly small farms. Today’s progress must not jeopardize the development and environmental demands of future generations. 

To achieve sustainable development and meet the needs of the majority of people, poverty must be eradicated and inequities in living standards must be reduced all over the world. To protect the environment, nations must take preventative measures. When there are significant or irreversible environmental threats, scientific uncertainty should not be put to you in order to postpone cost-effective steps to prevent environmental damage or depletion. 

Environmental challenges are best addressed with the involvement of all concerned persons. Nations must make environmental information publicly available in order to facilitate and encourage public knowledge and engagement.

Today, all aspects of sustainability are at stake, including physical, economic, and social sustainability. Integration of many realms of knowledge such as disciplines, sectors, and institutions shows to be a necessary task in order to get sustainable results and well-supported development processes.

Q9. India has plenty of natural resources. How much do you agree with this statement? 

Or 

Comment on India’s natural resource availability. How much is India lucky? 

Ans: Yes, I agree with this assertion. Natural resources are broadly defined as all of the things provided by nature on, above, and beneath the earth’s surface. Land, water, forests, fisheries and animals, mineral ores, and energy sources such as coal, petroleum, gas, and uranium are all examples of natural resources.

India in terms of natural resources:

1. Land Resources: India has over 10% of the world’s agricultural land. Despite being only the seventh largest country, India boasts the world’s most alluvial plains, the world’s largest deltas, and the world’s largest area of agricultural land by a wide margin.
2. Forest Resources: India has a considerably smaller per capita forest (0.5 hectares) than the rest of the globe (1.9 hectares). According to the National Policy on Woods (1988), forests should encompass one-third (33%) of the country’s land area in order to maintain ecological equilibrium.
3. Mineral Resources: Massive quantities of iron ore and a booming economy. India was a forerunner in the use of iron and several smelting technologies. It created the Crucible steel and Wootz steel, which became quite popular around the world. Iron and steel strength produced both formidable weapons and huge implements that aided the establishment of several empires in India.
4. Textile production leadership: Since the Indus Valley Civilization 5000 years ago, India has possessed vast supplies of cotton and has been a pioneer in textile manufacture. India was the world’s greatest textile industry by the 18th century. This is one of the primary factors that drew Europeans in. Later, the English took control, automated, and ushered in the industrial revolution.
5. The availability of a large workforce: India has always had a vast workforce. This was beneficial to anyone establishing a large army or an army of employees. Europeans employed Indian labor to fight their battles and to develop their other colonies.
6. Extensive shoreline: India’s long coastline in the center was unrivaled by other civilizations, allowing India to connect to innovations coming from both the east and the west. It was via trade that they were able to export their beliefs and rituals to the rest of the world.
7. Water Resources: Rainwater, seawater, ground and surface water are the primary sources of water. Water quality standards must be enforced in order to specify the acceptability of water for drinking, agriculture, industry, public health, and environmental safety.

NCERT Most important question :

Q1. Why are fluorescent lamps and LED bulbs getting promoted nowadays? 

Ans: The light-emitting diode (LED) is emerging as the most energy-efficient lighting source. To provide the same amount of light, an LED bulb requires one-tenth the energy of a standard incandescent bulb and half the energy of a Compact Fluorescent Lamp (CFL). LED lighting is up to 70-90% more efficient than traditional lighting such as fluorescent and incandescent bulbs. Also it has life for almost 12 years longer than incandescent bulbs. Only 5% of the energy in LEDs is wasted as heat, hence reduced energy use reduces demand from power plants and minimizes greenhouse gas emissions. Upgrading to fluorescent, LED, or halogen light bulbs can help us save money on our electricity bill while also saving our time and energy by reducing the frequency with which we change them. 

Q2. Write a few lines about power distribution supply in the national capital of India. 

Ans: The Delhi Vidyut Board was established in 1997 by the Government of NCT Delhi with the purpose of generating and distributing electricity throughout the NCT of Delhi, with an exception of territories under the jurisdiction of the NDMC and the Delhi Cantonment Board. On July 1, 2002, he Delhi Vidyut Board (DVB) was divided into six successor corporations: 

• The Delhi Power Supply Company Limited (DPCL) is the holding company; 
• The Delhi Transco Limited (DTL) is the TRANSCO; 
• The Indraprastha Power Generation Company Limited (IPGCL) is the GENCO; 
• The BSES Rajdhani Power Limited (BRPL) is the DISCOM; and 
• The North Delhi Power Limited (NDPL) is the DISCOM. 

According to extant documents, the first diesel power station was created in Delhi in 1905 when a private English company called M/s. John Fleming was granted authorization to generate electricity under the rules of the Indian Electricity Act 1903. Also government plants are the major source of power for Delhi, and any increase in cost generation is passed on to Discoms (allowed (allowed by CERC / DERC).

Q3. What is morbidity? 

Ans: Morbidity is defined as a departure from a state of physical or psychological well-being caused by disease, illness, injury, or sickness, particularly when the affected individual is conscious of his or her condition. 

Morbidity, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), may be quantified in terms of the number of people who were ill, the illnesses they encountered, and the length of time they were ill. 

Chronic diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, are normally not lethal, but they can cause significant morbidity in individuals, resulting in a reduced quality of life. 

Ill patients are assigned morbidity scores or anticipated morbidity using methods such as the APACHE II, SAPS II and III, Glasgow Coma scale, PIM2, and SOFA. Data is gathered based on disease type, gender, age, and location. 

Hence, morbidity can be said to be the prevalence of illness in a population.

Q4. What is the reason that state electricity boards suffer losses in India? 

Ans: Despite substantial electricity growth over the previous 60 years, India continues to experience persistent power shortages. 

The main causes of power shortages are, 

• Rising demand that is not being met by rising output; 
• Reliance on monsoon for hydel power; 
• Delays in commissioning of additional capacity in coal in thermal and nuclear facilities; 
• Non-availability of coal; 
• Difficulties with new power plants; 

Reasons

• Wrong pricing of power.
• Also, the losses incurred by the state power board are the result of transmission inefficiencies, including theft. 
• The agricultural industry is responsible for a significant portion of theft. 
• The SEBs(State Electricity Board), according to popular belief, are inefficient and poorly administered. 
• Furthermore, for political reasons, they provide massive subsidies to the agriculture industry and hence are not financially viable. 

According to this assessment of the issues, removing the agriculture sector should allow the SEBs to restore a significant amount of financial health. 

The SEBs’ financial difficulties can be attributed to three factors:

• T&D losses, especially commercial losses from power, are quickly increasing while revenue is not. As a result, the economics of power generation is utterly skewed.
• Pattern of investment in generating is unsuitable, resulting in a rapid increase in the cost per unit of power. 
• The high cost of power imposed on the industry, the mainstay of the SEBs, which is now abandoning the grid in favor of the captive route, is aggravating the SEBs’ dilemma. 

Q5. What are the indicators of the health status of a country? 

Ans: Health indicators are measurable characteristics of a population that scientists use to assist their explanations of the health status of the country. Typically, researchers will utilize a survey methodology to collect information on specific people, then use statistics to try to generalize the information acquired to the entire population, and then using the statistical analysis, make a statement on the population’s health. Governments frequently utilize health indicators to form healthcare policy. 

Some of the indicators are:

• Life Expectancy is the most common example. .
• Other examples are 
  • Infant Mortality Rate, 
  • Maternal Mortality Rate, 
  • Hiv Prevalence, 
  • Mortality Due To Diseases (Malaria, Tuberculosis Etc), 
  • Fertility Rates Etc.

Global health indicators are classified as either directly measuring health phenomena (e.g., diseases, deaths, and service utilization) or indirectly measuring health phenomena (e.g., social development, education, and poverty indicators), these are known as proximal and distal indicators respectively. 

Based on demographic statistics reflecting levels of education acquired as well as access to adequate water and sanitation, a country can be classified as having a population with a high, medium, or low illness burden.

Q6. A study estimates that medical costs alone push down 2.2 per cent of the population below the poverty line each year. How? 

or 

Rising healthcare is pushing the Indian population towards the poverty line. Comment. 

Ans: The number of world-class hospitals and highly qualified medical workers in India has increased, and the country’s emergence as a favoured destination for medical tourism has been the subject of great excitement and acclaim. However, the less-than-optimistic side of the story is that healthcare services continue to be out of reach for millions of Indians in terms of both access and pricing. In terms of hospital-bed density, physician-to-population ratio, number of doctors graduating each year, and per capita public expenditure on healthcare, India ranks low in comparison to other developing countries.

The following points depicts how medical expenses pushed people down the poverty line:

• The rising expense of diagnosis, drugs, and hospitalization is forcing millions of Indians into poverty, according to a World Health Organization official (WHO).
• The majority of Indians spend over 70% of their income on drugs and healthcare, compared to 30-40% in other Asian nations such as Sri Lanka. 
• According to a survey conducted in six Indian states by the Indian Institute of Population Sciences and WHO, more than 40% of low-income households in India must borrow money from outside the family to fulfill their healthcare bills.
• According to the survey, this tendency has driven 16% of households below the poverty line. Despite the rising investment, experts say the issue of low-quality healthcare goes unaddressed. 
• The country’s public hospitals have grievance redressal committees in place, but few individuals are aware of how to approach the MCI.
• Between 8 and 9 percent of all households in urban and rural areas reported taking out loans to cover medical expenses. 
• In the event of a medical emergency, the consequences for financially challenged households might be devastating. 
• Preventive medicine is almost non-existent among the poor, and illnesses are only treated when they reach a critical stage. As a result, there is a double risk: loss of income during illness as well as significant medical costs. 
• The majority of bottom-of-the-pyramid households (40 percent) experienced income loss due to illness. Almost 22% of Metro’s financially disadvantaged households reported a negative surplus income. 
• The share of such households in Developed Rural is 33%. As a result, for such homes, which already spend more than they make on basic necessities, a medical emergency might tip them over the edge.
• It comes as no surprise, then, that over 60% of households save primarily to be able to deal with medical emergencies. Healthcare-related savings were identified as a top priority by over 60% of households in underdeveloped rural areas and 50% of households in metro cities.

Q7. What are the six systems of Indian medicine? Explain. 

Ans: Systems medicine is an interdisciplinary field of study that examines the human body’s system as a whole, including biochemical, physiological, and environmental connections. 

The Ministry of Ayurveda, Yoga, and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, and Homoeopathy, abbreviated as AYUSH, is an Indian governmental entity charged with the development, education, and research of Ayurveda (Indian traditional medicine), Yoga, Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, Homeopathy, Sowa Rigpa (Traditional Tibetan medicine), and other Indigenous medical systems are all examples of complementary medicine. 

The Department of Indian Systems of Medicine and Homoeopathy was established in March 1995. (ISM&H). It is administered by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. In March 2003, AYUSH was given its current name. The Ministry of AYUSH was established on November 9, 2014, with the elevation of the Department of AYUSH. They are also referred to as AYUSH.

There are six major systems of Indian medicine, which are as follows:

1. Ayurvedic medicine: Ayurvedic ideology strives to maintain structural and functional elements in a functional condition of equilibrium, which denotes good health. 

Any imbalance caused by internal or environmental factors creates disease, and restoring balance by various techniques, procedures, routines, nutrition, and medicine constitutes treatment. Ayurvedic philosophy is founded on the Pancha bhootas (five element theory) notion, which all items and living bodies are made out of. 

2. Siddha: The Siddha system of medicine emphasizes that medical therapy must consider the patient, surroundings, age, habits, and physical condition in addition to the disease. Siddha literature is written in Tamil and is widely practiced in Tamil-speaking India and beyond.
3. Unani: The Unani System of medicine is based on established knowledge and practices relating to the promotion of good health and disease prevention. Although the Unani system originated in Greece and spread to many nations, Arabs improved it with their knowledge and experience, and the system was carried to India throughout the Middle Ages. 

The Unani system emphasizes the use of naturally occurring, primarily botanical medicines, however, it does employ animal and marine substances. 

4. Homeopathy: Homeopathy is a medical system that believes in a specific way of curing ailments through the administration of potent medications that have been experimentally proven to have the ability to produce similar artificial systems on humans. 
5. Yoga: Yoga is a way of life that has the ability to promote social and personal behavior, physical health by stimulating better circulation of oxygenated blood in the body, restraining sense organs, and so generating mental peace and tranquility. 
6. Naturopathy: Naturopathy is also a way of life, with drug-free disease treatment. The system is based on the old practice of applying simple natural laws. Naturopaths emphasize healthy eating and living habits, the use of purifying procedures, and the use of hydrotherapy, baths, and massage, among other things.

Q8. What is the consumption pattern of conventional energy sources in India? 

Ans: Energy is widely acknowledged to be one of the most significant inputs for economic progress and human development. 

Economic development and energy use have a significant two-way link. On the one hand, the availability of cost-effective and environmentally friendly energy sources is critical to an economy’s growth and worldwide competitiveness. The level of economic development, on the other hand, has been seen to be reliant on energy demand. 

India is the Non-OECD East Asia’s second-largest commercial energy consumer, accounting for 19% of the region’s overall primary energy consumption. India’s economic progress has been largely attributed to increased energy usage. While commercial energy sources meet 60% of overall energy needs in India, the remaining 40% is met by non-conventional fuels. Climate change has emerged as one of the primary concerns influencing energy policy in recent years. 

More than 150 nations, including India, have committed to developing and implementing climate change mitigation and adaptation measures under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. India is responsible for more than 3.5 % of global carbon emissions. Because energy use is a major source of emissions, it is critical to focus on energy demand and supply management as a strategy for mitigating emissions. 

While energy demand rises in tandem with economic expansion, this relationship shifts throughout time, depending on a variety of factors. Technological advancement, energy efficiency programs, and structural changes all contribute to variations in energy consumption. Understanding the many components of energy consumption is thus critical for dealing with future emissions. 

Economic growth and structural change are the primary drivers of India’s positive growth in energy intensity. The structural component is primarily influenced by income and forces unrelated to energy or energy legislation. Because it is impossible to directly limit energy demand that rises from increased output or activity, emphasis should be placed on conservation measures at the outset of development. Housing, commercial structures, industrial, and transportation policy must incorporate energy efficiency at the local, regional, and national levels. 

Q9. How can energy sources be overcome with the use of renewable sources of energy? 

or 

Justify that the energy crisis can be overcome with the use of renewable sources of energy. 

Ans: Renewable energy comes in a variety of forms. The majority of these renewable energies rely on sunlight in some way. 

• Wind and hydropower are direct results of differential heating of the Earth’s surface, which causes air to flow around (wind) and precipitation to form when the air temperature rises.
• Solar energy is the direct conversion of sunlight into electricity via panels or collectors. 
• Biomass energy is the stored sunlight in plants. 
• Other non-solar renewable energies include geothermal energy, which is produced by radioactive decay in the crust paired with the original heat of the Earth’s formation, and tidal energy, which is a conversion of gravitational energy. 

The Indian energy crisis is the outcome of the country’s heavy usage of nonrenewable energy sources for current consumption, which has posed a threat to the country’s long-term development. 

The conventional energy sources, particularly the commercial sources, are generally depleted (except hydropower). As a tropical country, India has nearly endless potential for producing all three sources of energy. There are already some acceptable cost-effective technologies available that can be used to generate energy from these sources. 

Research should be conducted to develop even cheaper technologies that would make the production of renewable energy viable and useful. This will solve the problem of depleting all energy sources while also preserving resources for future generations.

There are several options for restoring renewable energy. It is demonstrated in the following points:

1. Solar Energy: This type of energy is based on the nuclear fusion power of the Sun’s core. This energy can be captured and converted in a variety of ways. From solar water heating with solar collectors or attic cooling with solar attic fans for residential use to the complicated technologies of direct conversion of sunlight to electrical energy utilizing mirrors and boilers or photovoltaic cells, there is something for everyone. 
2. Wind Power: The movement of the atmosphere is caused by temperature changes at the Earth’s surface as a result of the different temperatures of the Earth’s surface when lit by sunlight. Wind energy can be utilized to pump water or create power, however, producing considerable amounts of energy needs wide geographical coverage.
3. Hydroelectric energy: This form takes advantage of the gravitational potential of raised water lifted from the oceans by sunlight. It is not strictly renewable because all reservoirs ultimately fill up and require costly excavation to be used again.
4. Biomass: It is a phrase for plant-based energy. This type of energy is widely used all around the world. Unfortunately, the most common is the use of firewood for cooking and heating. This process emits a large amount of carbon dioxide gas into the atmosphere and is a major contributor to poor air quality in many regions. 
5. Hydrogen and fuel cells: These are not precisely renewable energy resources, but they are abundant and emit very little pollution when used. Hydrogen can be consumed as fuel, generally in a car, with the combustion product being just water. 
6. Geothermal power: The heat energy emitted from the planet slowly oozes out everywhere, and this is further stimulated by the heat from radioactive decays. In some regions, the geothermal gradient is strong enough to generate energy. 
7. Other forms of energy: Other kinds of energy that can be used to generate electricity include tides, oceans, and hot hydrogen fusion. Each of them is explored at some length, with the end result being that each has one or more serious drawbacks and cannot be relied on to solve the future energy crisis at present time.

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NCERT Most important question:

Question 1.Who is a worker?
Answer.A worker is an individual who is doing some productive employment to earn a living.

Question 2.Define worker-population ratio.
Answer.Workforce Participation Rate (or ratio)

Participation ratio is defined as the percentage of total population which is actually participating in productive activity. It is also called workers-population ratio. It indicates the employment situation of the country. A high ratio means that more proportion of population is actively contributing to the production of goods and services of a country.

Question 3. Are the following workers — a beggar, a thief, a smuggler, a gambler? Why?
Answer: No, they are not workers because they, are not doing any productive activity.

Question 4.Find the odd man out (i) owner of a saloon with more than 10 employees (ii) a cobbler
(iii) a cashier in Mother Dairy (iv) a tuition master (v) transport operator (vi) construction worker.
Answer.Owner of a saloon.

Question 5.The newly emerging jobs are found mostly in the sector (service/manufacturing).
Answer.Service.

Question 6.An establishment with four hired workers is known as (formal/informal) sector establishment.
Answer.Informal.

Question 7.Raj is going to school. When he is not in school, you will find him working in his farm. Can you consider him as a worker? Why?
Answer.Raj is disguisedly unemployed.

Question 8.Compared to urban women, mSre rural women are found working. Why?
Answer.Participation rate for women is higher in rural areas compared with urban areas. It is because in rural areas, poverty forces women to seek employment. Without education, women in rural areas find only less productive jobs and get low wages.
In urban areas, men are able to earn high incomes. So they discourage female members from taking up jobs.

Question 9.Meena is a housewife. Besides taking care of household chores, she works in the cloth shop which is owned and operated by her husband. Can she be considered as a worker? Why?
Answer.Meena is a self-employed worker. She is working in her husband’s cloth shop. She will not get salary.

Question 10.Find the odd man out (i) rickshaw puller who works under a rickshaw owner (ii) mason (iii) mechanic shop worker (iv) shoeshine boy.
Answer.Shoeshine boy.

Question 11.The following table shows distribution of workforce in India for the year 1972-73. Analyse it and give reasons for the nature of workforce distribution. You will notice that the data is pertaining to the situation in India 30 years ago.

Place of Residence	Workforce(in millions)
	Male	Femal	Total
Rural	125	70	195
Urban	32	7	39

Answer. In 1972-73, out of total workforce of 234 million, 195 million was in rural areas and 39 million in urban areas. It shows 83% workforce lived in rural areas. Gender differences were also observed. In rural areas, males accounted for 125 million workforce and women 70 million of workforce. In urban areas, 32 million males formed the workforce whereas women workforce was only 7 million. In the country only 77 million female workers were there as compared to 157 million male workers. In other words, 32% of female workers were there and 68% male workers were there in the country in 1972-73. The data shows:
(a) pre dominance of agriculture.
(b) more male workers both in urban and rural areas.
(c) less female workers in both rural and urban areas. Also, female workers were much lesser in urban areas.

Question 12. The following table shows the population and worker population ratio for India in 1999-2000. Can you estimate the workforce (urban and total) for India?

Region	Estimation of Population ( in crores)	Workers Population	Estimated Workers (in crores)
Rural	71.88	41.99	(71.88/100)x41.9 = 30.12
Urban	28.52	33.7	?
Total	100.40	39.5	?

Answer. Estimated number of workers (in crores) for urban =28.52100 x 33.7 = 9.61 crores
Total workforce = 30.12 + 9.61 = 39.73 crores

Question 13. Why are regular salaried employees more in urban areas than in rural areas?
Answer. In urban areas, a considerable section is able to study in various educational institutions. Urban people have a variety of employment opportunities. They are able to look for an appropriate job to suit their qualifications and skills.J3ut in rural areas, people cannot stay at home as they are economically poor.

Question 14. Why are less women found in regular salaried employment?
Answer. Female workers give preference to self-employment than to hired employment. It is because women, both in rural and urban areas, are less mobile and thus, prefer to engage themselves in self-employment.

Question 15. Analyse the recent trends in sectoral distribution of workforce in India.
Answer. l.The data in occupational structure is as follows (for the year 1999-2000):
(a) Industry wise the distribution is:
(i) 37.1% of workforce is engaged in primary sector.
(ii) 18.7% of workforce is engaged in secondary sector.
(iii) 44.2% of workforce is engaged in tertiary sector.
(b) Area wise the data is:
(i) In rural areas:
77% of workforce is in primary sector.
11% of workforce is in secondary sector.
12% of workforce is in tertiary sector.
(ii) In urban areas:
10% of workforce is in primary sector.
31% of workforce is in secondary sector.
59% of workforce is in tertiary sector.
2. The data reveals that:
(a) Economic backwardness in the country as 60% of workforce is engaged in agricultural activities. A large proportion of population depend on agriculture for their livelihood.
(b) In urban area, tertiary sector account for 59% of workforce. It shows development and growth in the tertiary sector and the fact that this sector is able to generate sustainable employment and provide livelihood to 59% of the workforce.
3. It can be concluded that in the urban areas, tertiary sector is the main source of livelihood for majority of workforce.

Question 16. Compared to the 1970s, ’there has hardly been any change in the distribution of workforce across various industries. Comment.
Answer. It is true that no much change is observed in the distribution of workforce across various industries. It is because the plans did not emphasise the need for development of:
(a) non-agricultural rural employment industries.
(b) small scale, village and cottage industries.

Question 17. Do you think that in the last 50 years, employment generated in the country is commensurate with the growth of GDP in India? How?
Answer. Jobless growth is defined as a situation in which there is an overall acceleration in the growth rate of GDP in the economy which is not accompanied by a commensurate expansion in employment opportunities.This means that in an economy, without generating additional employment we have been able to produce more goods and services. Since the starting of economic reforms in 1991, our economy is experiencing a gap between GDP growth rate and employment growth rate that is, jobless growth.

Question 18. Is it necessary to generate employment in the formal sector rather than in the informal sector? Why?
Answer. With economic reforms in 1991, there has been significant rise in informalisation of workers. Since informal workers face uncertainties of making of living, it is surprising that such a high percentage of total workforce prefer to be employed in the informal sector. All necessary steps should be taken to generate employment in the formal sector, which is only 7% at present.

Question 19. Victor is able to get work only for two hours in a day. Rest of the day, he is looking for work. Is hie unemployed? Why? What kind of jobs could persons like Victor be doing?
Answer. No. he is employed because Victor has work for 2 hours daily for which he gets paid. He is a casual worker.

Question 20. You are residing in a village. If you are asked to advice the village panchayat, what kinds of activities would you suggest for the improvement of your village which would also generate employment.
Answer. Digging of wells, fencing, building roads and houses, etc.

Question 21. Who is a casual wage labourer?
Answer. Those people who are not hired by their employers on a regular/permanent basis and do not get social security benefits are said to be casual workers. Example: construction workers.

Question 22. How will you know whether a worker is working in the informal sector?
Answer. Informal Sector:
(a) It is an unorganised sector of an economy which includes all those private sector enterprises which employ less than 10 workers. Example: agriculture labourers, farmers, owners of small enterprises, etc.
(b) The workers of this sector are called informal workers.
(c) The workers are not entitled to social security benefits.
(d) The workers cannot form trade union and are not protected by labour laws

NCERT Most important question:

Q1. What is TANWA? Or Define the term TANWA. Where is it used? 

Ans: TANWA is an acronym for Tamil Nadu Women in Agriculture. It is a Tamil Nadu-based project that aims to train women in cutting-edge farming techniques. It encourages women to take an active role in increasing agricultural output and household income. They support small-scale family activities like mushroom cultivation, soap manufacturing, doll making, and other income-generating activities using the collected funds.

Q2. What is horticulture? How does it work? 

Ans: Horticulture is a subset of crop agriculture, along with agronomy and forestry. Horticulture traditionally involves the cultivation of garden crops such as nuts, fruits, culinary herbs, vegetables, spices, beverage crops and ornamental plants.  Horticulture is bifurcated into the production of:

• Food plants, it mainly includes olericulture and pomology 
• Ornamental plants, it mainly includes landscape horticulture and floriculture.

There are two types of crops, permanent and temporary. The permanent crops are only planted once, they are not replanted again and again. While the temporary crops can be sown as well as harvested more than one time in the same year. These crops can be sown in some module trays or plant mats.

Q3. What is the adoption of a village by Parliamentarians? 

Ans: Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana (SAGY) is another name for it. It is a rural development program that focuses on village development, including social and cultural development. The program was started by India’s Prime Minister, Narendra Modi in 2014. Under this initiative, each Member of Parliament must select one village from the constituency that they represent, excluding their own or their in-laws’ villages, and set requirements for it to become a model village by 2019.

Q4. What is sustainable development? 

Ans: Sustainable development is the concept for achieving human development goals while preserving natural systems’ ability to supply the natural resources and ecosystem services on which the economy and society rely. Sustainable development is defined as the development that meets the requirements of the present without jeopardizing future generations’ ability. 

A simple graphic of three overlapping circles symbolizing social, economic, and environmental progress, emphasizing the necessity for balancing and regulating the trade-offs between them, is frequently used to depict sustainable development. 

Sustainable development has an impact that crosses political boundaries, necessitating collaboration. One of the best instances of sustainable development is the use of wind energy at power houses, workplaces, and other buildings or to pump water. Wind, after all, is a free resource. 

Q5. Which state has an efficient implementation of milk cooperatives? Explain with examples. 

Ans: Gujarat is the Indian state with the most effective milk cooperative implementation. Amul, the Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation’s brand, is Asia’s largest dairy brand. 170 Milk Producers’ Co-operative Unions and 15 State Cooperative Milk Marketing Federations process and market milk. Cooperative-created brands have been synonymous with quality and value throughout the years. Vijaya (AP), Verka (Punjab), Saras (Rajasthan), and Nandini (Karnataka) are some of the other brands . 

Q6. What do you mean by organic food? 

Ans: Organic food is grown by farmers who prioritize the use of renewable resources as well as soil and water conservation in order to improve environmental quality for future generations. Organic meat, eggs, poultry and dairy products come from animals that were not given antibiotics or growth hormones.

Organic food is grown without the use of most common pesticides, synthetic fertilizers or sewage sludge, biotechnology, or ionizing radiation. Farmers who raise organic products do not utilize traditional techniques of fertilization or weed and bug control. 

Pyrethrin, which is naturally contained in the Chrysanthemum flower, is an example of a natural pesticide. Crop rotation, green manures and compost, biological pest management, and mechanical cultivation are the main methods of organic farming. 

Its goal is to generate food while maintaining an ecological balance in order to avoid soil fertility or pest problems. Organic agriculture adopts a preventative strategy rather than reacting to problems as they arise.

Q7. Explain green revolution and golden revolution with suitable examples. 

Ans: The explanations are given below:

1. Green Revolution: 

• Green revolution refers to the use of HYV (High Yielding Variety) seeds, and various other measures such as increased and better use of fertilizers, irrigation facilities, pesticides etc in order to enhance productivity.
• The Green Revolution is associated with increased wheat and rice output.
• It was initiated by Norman Borlaug in the 1960s
• It is generally known that the Green Revolution in Punjab in the mid 1960s contributed significantly to India’s food self-sufficiency by bringing about a quantum leap in food grain wheat and rice output and productivity. Chemical fertilizers enabled crops to receive additional nutrients, resulting in increased yield. 
• Synthetic herbicides and pesticides, which were newly developed, controlled weeds, discouraged or killed insects, and avoided diseases, resulting in increased output. As a result, India became self-sufficient in wheat and rice production. 
• As a result of the Green Revolution and the introduction of chemical fertilizers, synthetic herbicides and insecticides, high-yield crops, and the process of multiple cropping, the agricultural industry’s produce was significantly higher.
• Productivity growth made it possible to feed the world’s rising population. 
• There have been numerous achievements in India as a result of the green revolution, such as an increase in per hectare productivity, industrial development, farmer prosperity, a positive effect on consumers, an increase in food production, capitalistic farming, ploughing back profits, a very positive effect on rural employment, and so on.

2. Golden Revolution

• The Golden Revolution is associated with the increased use of horticulture crops, which is the production of fruits, vegetables, tuber crops, flowers, and so on, so as to increase their production. 
• It was from the period ranging between 1991 to 2003.
• As a result of the Golden Revolution, India became the world leader in the production of fruits such as bananas, mangoes, spices, and coconut. 
• The reason for the Indian farmer’s increased preference for horticultural crops is because vegetables are short-season crops that are typically farmed on small patches of ground by marginal farmers, generally on less than an acre of land. 
• As land holdings become more fragmented, vegetable cultivation provides farmers with immediate returns, as opposed to some pulse kinds, which can take up to six months to harvest. 
• Improved salaries, urbanization, and increased consumption of fruits and vegetables appear to be fuelling demand. 
• Farmers continue to plant perishables despite frequent price swings, indicating that the returns are higher for these crops than for traditional food grains. This represents a significant shift in Indian agriculture. 
• Farmers appear to be taking additional risks by growing perishables, where annual losses might reach Rs 32, 000 crore.

Q8. Is rural banking successful in India? What are the difficulties? 

Ans: Rural residents require the same banking services as those in larger towns and cities. A rural community bank may provide typical retail banking services, such as loans and mortgages, to help personal and business customers handle their financial needs close to home. Some rural banks acquire specific commercial expertise in sectors such as agribusiness, depending on their location and local business focus. 

Rural Banking Successful or not?

• With the bulk of the Indian population still residing in rural or semi-urban areas, rural banking has become an essential component of the Indian financial markets.
• The Government of India and the Reserve Bank of India have been working tirelessly to achieve total financial inclusion, i.e. timely and adequate access to financial services and credit at an affordable cost, across our huge country. 
• Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana is one of the new government’s latest initiatives that has undoubtedly contributed to bringing banking to every home.
• This scheme will, over time, significantly reduce the financial inclusion gap between rural and urban areas, but the fact that approximately 70% of India’s population is still rural and banking facility penetration is as low as 24%, i.e. only this percentage of people in these areas have formal bank accounts, cannot be overlooked.
• These banks’ activities have strengthened the banking culture by making formal credit available to rural households. 
• These facilities have aided in the modernization of the agriculture-dominated economy. 
• Banks must consider the nuances of rural culture and recognize that the norms of rural economy differ from those of metropolitan dynamics. Everything, however, has its limitations, hence we can say that rural banking still has a long way to go for being fully successful in a country like India.

Constraints of Rural Banking:

• Losses: This could be due to high overhead costs, a fall in lending rates, smaller profit margins, a significant increase in employee pay and allowances, and so on.
• Poor progress: RRBs’ progress falls short of expectations and is slow when compared to other types of banks due to numerous constraints on their operations.
• Limited investment scope: The primary goal of RRBs was to provide credit to the poor and vulnerable segments of society, such as small and marginal farmers and other vulnerable groups.
• Lack of training facilities: RRB employees are often urban-oriented, and they may be unfamiliar with the challenges and conditions that exist in rural areas. The growth of RRBs is further hampered by a lack of training facilities in these locations
• Capital deficiency: Capital adequacy is the fundamental foundation of financial stability. RRBs have capital inadequacy because most of them have significant losses on their balance sheets that are eating away at all of their capital.

Q9. What are the problems faced by farmers in the initial years of organic farming?

Ans: Farmers encountered the following issues during their first years of organic farming:

• Inability to procure: Organic farming necessitates the use of organic manure, biofertilizers, and pesticides. Although these inputs are less expensive to purchase, poor farmers are still unable to obtain them.
• Infrastructure: There is inadequacy of infrastructure required for organic farming.
• Income Generation: Because the income generated by organic farming is lower than that of modern agricultural farming, small and marginal farmers do not use it.
• Expensive: Because organic foods are expensive, it is difficult for them to find a market for their product.
• Insufficient Yield: The yields from organic farming are not as much as modern farming.
• Awareness: Lack of awareness regarding organic farming, its financing and market aspects is there.
• Shorter Shelf Life:These products have a shorter shelf life.
• Choice: The production choice of organic crops during off season is very limited.

However, because this method of farming requires more labor, farmers gain a comparative advantage in organic farming.

Q10. What are the steps taken by the Indian government in developing rural markets? 

Or  

Explain the steps necessary to develop rural markets. 

Ans: Rural shoppers, in particular, aspire to acquire branded, high-quality products. As a result, Indian firms are very optimistic about the country’s rural consumer markets, which are predicted to grow faster than urban consumer markets. Since 2000, India’s per capita GDP in rural areas has grown at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.2%. In rural and semi-urban India, the FMCG sector is expected to exceed ＄20 billion by 2018 and reach ＄100 billion by 2025.

The following are some of the most significant investments and advancements in India’s rural economy.

• The Ministry of Rural Development needs to complete 48,812 kilometers of rural roads by March 31, 2017 as part of the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY), which has a completion rate of 67.53 percent (32,963 kilometers) as of January 27, 2017.
• The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) plans to install over 200,000 point-of-sale (PoS) devices in 100,000 villages and distribute RuPay cards to over 34 million farmers across India to enable farmers to conduct cashless transactions.
• Magma Fincorp, a non-banking financing company (NBFC) located in Kolkata, intends to extend its activities in South India, with a particular emphasis on rural and semi-urban markets, in order to assist the company grow swiftly.
• In order to capitalize on considerable revenue opportunities from the Reserve Bank of India’s financial inclusion effort, Bharti Airtel has applied for a payments bank license and has enlisted Kotak Mahindra Bank as a potential investor.
• Payments banks are intended to spread throughout the country’s rural and remote areas, providing limited but important services such as money transfers and loans. Banks have the expertise, while telecom companies have the network, making it an excellent fit.
• The government is doing everything it can to correct the situation. For example, in order to ensure a fair price for farm produce, the government releases MSP (Minimum Support Price) for certain farm products such as wheat, rice, and sugarcane. 

Q11. How can IT help achieve the target of sustainable development and food security? 

Ans: Many contemporary thinkers feel that information technology can play an important role in attaining sustainable development and food security. IT cannot bring about change on its own, but good use of IT as a tool can assist in changing the situation. 

• The government can employ information technology to distribute timely information about areas prone to food insecurity, allowing for quick response.
• Farmers can access real-time weather, seed pricing, and farm produce price information. If they have access to the internet, they can also obtain pertinent information about optimal farming methods. 
• Today, mobile phones have reached the majority of Indian villages, and they can be used as a tool to bring the benefits of information technology to farmers.
• As the global population grows, much more work and ingenuity will be required to sustainably expand agricultural production, strengthen the global supply chain, reduce food losses and waste, and ensure that all people suffering from hunger and malnutrition have access to nutritious food. 
• Many people around the world feel that eradicating hunger within the next generation is doable, and they are working together to achieve this goal. 
• The Sustainable Development Goal to “End Hunger, Achieve Food Security, Improve Nutrition, and Promote Sustainable Agriculture” (SDG2) acknowledges the interdependence of supporting sustainable agriculture, empowering small farmers, promoting gender equality, ending rural poverty, ensuring healthy lifestyles, addressing climate change, and other issues addressed within the set of 17 sustainable development goals. 
• The Sustainable Development Goals encompass a wide range of themes, including urban living and education, as well as oceans, inequality, and gender. These are 17 in total, all of which were launched in 2015 with a long list of targets that must be reached by 2030. 
• E-agriculture services can provide farming advice, weather forecasts, and market pricing to farmers in their local area via short messaging service (SMS). Farmers can use the internet to learn about new practices, trade, and form new alliances.
• In India, e-Choupal provides services that assist farmers in increasing yields and securing higher prices. TradeNet, based in Accra, Ghana, has developed a platform that allows farmers and dealers from all over the world to share market information via mobile networks and the Internet. In Kenya, similar platforms are being built. 
• A comprehensive monitoring of global food supplies is an essential step in addressing food security. This includes mapping agricultural production and food shortages, as well as developing extensive databases. 
• Monitoring may be considerably aided by ICT, which allows for remote sensing of agricultural and water resources, as well as the use of computers and software to gather, analyze, and distribute information essential to food security. 
• Geographic information systems also offer excellent tools for statistical analysis.
• Rural radio connects individuals in outlying locations and assists them in improving their farming methods and productivity. 
• Farmers in rural areas can also have access to information through community telecentres, or digital villages, which provide rural residents with Internet, telephone, and fax services.

NCERT Most important question:

Q1. Write three differences between physical capital and human capital?

Ans: Three differences between physical capital and human capital are:

Basis of comparison	Physical capital	Human capital
Meaning	The assets other than the non-human assets, which are tangible in nature, and act as an aid in the  manufacturing and production process are referred to as physical capital. For example, plant and machinery, tools and equipment, office supplies, and so on.	Human capital is the stock of knowledge, talent, skills, and competencies brought into the organization by the employee.
Formation	Economic and technical processes lead to the formation of physical capital.	Social process and a conscious decision made by the possessor leads to the formation of human capital.
Financial statement	It is reflected in the financial statements.	It is not reflected in the financial statements.

Q2. What is meant by financial capital? Explain with examples. 

Ans: Financial capital is any monetary economic resource utilised largely by entrepreneurs and firms to purchase the resources required to make their goods or deliver services to the economy. Retail, corporate, and investment banking are a few examples. The most common categories include equity, debt, sweat equity etc.

Q3. How does human capital formation improve quality of life? 

Ans: Human capital formation is influenced by factors such as investment in education, healthcare, on-the-job training, migration, and so on. People who are literate, healthy, skilled, and trained are valuable assets to an economy. As a result, higher population quality indicates higher economic growth. Human capital formation is linked to investment in man and his growth as a creative and productive resource. Also human capital formation will make people capable of performing skilled work, thus increasing their employability, which will further raise their standard of living and quality of life through improved income.

Q4. What is the difference between literacy and education? 

Ans:  The difference between literacy and education is given below:

Basis	Literacy	Education
Meaning	Literacy is primarily concerned with learning to read and write.	Education is concerned with the holistic development of a person, resulting in a whole human who can not only read and write but also think in broader terms and analyze things rationally.
Effect	Literacy cannot make people wise.	Education can by teaching people to distinguish between right and evil and to do the right thing at the right moment.
Scope	Literacy is a narrow concept.	Education is a broader concept.

Q5. What do you mean by investment in education? 

Ans: The investment in education is an investment in the acquisition of skills and knowledge of an individual that will boost income or bring long-term advantages such as literary appreciation. It is critical to remember that when a person performs in his chosen sector and increases his income, he also contributes to the nation’s economic progress. Hence, investment in education encourages economic growth.

Q6. ‘School dropouts are giving way to child labour.’ Discuss how this is a loss to human capital? 

Ans: School dropout and child labor are related to the low socioeconomic position since parents want to send their children to work in order to raise household income.

Reasons for school dropout:

• Poverty.
• Migration.
• Child marriage.
• Child labour.

Out of all the above reasons, child labour and poverty are the major ones. 

• Due to the gruesome situation of poverty, children are forced to leave their education, and work as labourers. 
• Child labor deprives children of their childhood and is harmful to the emotional, physical and mental health of these children. 
• School dropouts prevent children from acquiring literacy skills and pave the way for child labor. 
• These children are typically employed in dhabas, houses, construction sites, and other menial jobs.
• Being illiterate accelerates the poverty cycle and, as a result, the process of human capital formation is incomplete.
• Had these children remained in school, they would have gotten education, thus paving their way for a better earning job  where they could employ their skills and knowledge. But working in menial jobs, neither adds to the skills, nor their income, thus leading to a loss of human capital.

The following economic impact of child labor are examined:

• Child labor’s effects at the microfamily level, particularly on family poverty in the short and long term.
• Child labor’s impact on long-run growth and social development via various transmission mechanisms.
• The international economic implications of child labor, particularly the effects on foreign direct investment.
• Child labor’s impact on the adult labor market.

Findings at the micro family level:

• Child labor, in the long run, reinforces household poverty by lowering human capital.
• Child labor and education are not always mutually exclusive.
• Child labor in most wage-employment non-agricultural industries does not result in skill development.
• Child labor, in the long run, exacerbates poverty through increasing fertility.

Findings at the macro family level:

• Child labor can impair long-run growth and social development by reducing human capital accumulation. 
• Child labor can be commonly seen in the unorganized and tiny sectors of the economy.
• The influence on adult pay determines whether lowering child labor would accelerate capital investment and technological advancement. 
• Child labor may harm more girls than boys, contributing to gender disparities in education. 
• Child labor does not attract foreign direct investment.
• Both children and adults can work as substitutes for one another.
• It is unclear whether children truly substitute for adult employees, hence increasing adult unemployment and/or lowering adult wage rates.

Hence, the above explanation clarifies that school dropouts adds to the child labour in the economy, and creates a loss to human capital.

Q7. Discuss the educational achievements of India and what are the future prospects in education? 

Ans: After the ideas were put into action, efforts were undertaken to promote education. In order to streamline education, the government implemented the Kothari Commission’s recommendations under the “National Policy on Education” in 1968. The key recommendations were universal primary education and universal secondary education. Introduction of a new educational pattern, three-language formula, inclusion of regional languages in higher education, advancement of agricultural and industrial education, and adult education. The following points describe the evolution of education in India post-independence:

• Expansion of General Education: During the planning period, general education was expanded. Primary education has always been free and mandatory. Since 1995, schools have served a midday meal to reduce dropout rates.
• Technical Education Development: Technical education, in addition to general education, plays a significant role in the building of human capital. The government has built several Industrial Training Institutes, Polytechnics, Engineering colleges, Medical and Dental colleges, Management institutes, and so on. Examples include IITs, IIMs, and NITs.
• Women’s literacy: In India, women’s literacy was extremely poor, and was 52% as per 2011 Census. Men had a literacy rate of 75.8 percent. Women’s education was prioritized in the National Policy on Education.
• Vocational education: The National Education Policy of 1986 strives for vocational secondary education. Since 1988, the federal government has provided subsidies to state governments to help them carry out the program.
• Adult education: Simply put, adult education refers to education for illiterate adults between the ages of 15 and 35. The First Five Year Plan established the National Board of Adult Education.
• Education for all: The 93rd Amendment makes obligatory education for all. Elementary education is a fundamental entitlement of all children aged 6 to 14 years. It’s also completely free, and for the fulfilment of this purpose, Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan has been launched.

Q8. What do you think about India’s current situation on gender equality? 

Ans: Gender equality indicates that men and women’s different behaviors, desires, and needs are evaluated, respected, and favored equally. It does not imply that men and women must become the same, but that their rights, duties, and opportunities will not be determined by whether they are born male or female. 

For ages, gender inequality has been a major societal concern in India. In India, the child sex ratio among children aged 0 to 6 years is 918 girls for every 1000 boys, according to Census 2011. This figure speaks for itself, indicating the need for immediate and effective measures to address the root causes of gender disparity.

The inequality between a girl and boy begins even before they are born. In many cases, she is not allowed to be born. The girl kid is regarded as a liability. She is frequently denied fundamental rights and equitable chances to have a healthy childhood and adult life.

Girls account for 48 percent of India’s overall child population, according to Census 2011, and many of them are involved in child labour, child trafficking, and child marriage. As evidenced by the following figures, the future of many females appears to be bleak:

• In India, 12.15 million children are married, with 8.9 million of them being females; married girls outnumber boys three to one. (According to the 2011 Census)
• Children made up 51% of all victims of human trafficking, with more than 80% of them being females. (National Cancer Research Board, 2018).
• In India, there are 223 million child brides, 102 million of whom were married before the age of 15. (UNICEF)

Efforts to modify the situation include the following:

• Education to assist people change their minds on gender prejudice, as well as initiatives to raise awareness.
• Continual efforts to dispel gender preconceptions and misconceptions.
• Assuring the state’s accountability for different plans, policies, laws, constitutional guarantees, and international obligations.
• Gender-sensitive procedures are becoming institutionalised in different institutions, such as law and programmes.
• Promoting community responsibility in the prevention of gender discrimination breaches.

All girls deserve equal chances and an empowering environment to grow, whether it’s in terms of education, health, protection, or involvement.

Q9. What is the role of human capital formation in an economy? 

OR

State the importance of human capital formation in a country. 

Ans: Human capital is the primary driver of economic progress. It is a source of both increasing output and technological advancement. The main distinction between industrialized and developing countries is the rate of human capital advancement. 

Human capital is required in developing countries to staff new and expanding government services, to implement new land-use systems and agricultural practices, develop new modes of communication, advance industry, and strengthen the education system. 

• To be more specific, a country’s citizens are said to have greater human capital if they are well educated, well-nourished, skilled, and healthy. 
• Underdeveloped countries around the world are investing in people in order to improve their programming skills, social abilities, ideas, and health. 
• These investments are intended to boost productivity. Their economies’ success is dependent on growing human capacities. 
• Human capital, on the other hand, does not exist in a vacuum. 
• To have a better understanding of this complex subject, we must evaluate the physical/passive variables that relate to a country’s ability to make these investments.
• Human capital formation is the act of enhancing the productive qualities of the labor force by giving more education and boosting the working population’s skills, health, and notarization level. 
• It is the process of changing a country’s inhabitants into employees capable of generating goods and services. 
• Relatively unskilled individuals are given the tools they need to contribute to the economy during this process. 
• It is vital to a country’s long-term economic progress and offers the same advantages as new technology or more efficient industrial equipment. 
• While this process takes time, it frequently results in a higher quality of life for the population of a country within a few generations, if not sooner. 
• This procedure can be accomplished through the use of public health policy, education, or training opportunities.

Methods for creating human capital:

1. The provision of health-care services that affect people’s life expectancy, strength, energy, and vitality.
2. Provision of on-the-job training to improve labor force skills.
3. Organizing education at the elementary, intermediate, and tertiary levels.
4. Adult education and training programs.
5. Adequate migration facilities for families to adapt to changing job possibilities.

Human capital is inextricably linked to economic growth. The amount of money put into people’s education might be used to gauge the relationship. Many nations, for example, provide free higher education to citizens. These governments recognize that the information gained through education contributes to the development of an economy and leads to economic progress.