Resource and Development

1. Which of the following conditions must be met for something to be termed as a 'resource'?

(a) Technologically accessible only
(b) Economically feasible only
(c) Culturally acceptable only
(d) All of the above

Answer: (d) All of the above

2. What is the relationship between nature, technology, and institutions in the transformation of resources?

(a) Institutions create nature and technology
(b) Technology interacts with institutions only
(c) Human beings interact with nature through technology and create institutions
(d) Nature alone transforms resources without human intervention

Answer: (c) Human beings interact with nature through technology and create institutions

3. Why are resources not considered free gifts of nature?

(a) They are very expensive
(b) They require human effort and technology to be transformed and utilized
(c) They are scarce and limited
(d) They are always renewable

Answer: (b) They require human effort and technology to be transformed and utilized

4. Which of the following is NOT a basis for the classification of resources?

(a) Ownership
(b) Color
(c) Status of development
(d) Exhaustibility

Answer: (b) Color

5. Resources classified on the basis of origin are categorized into which two types?

(a) Renewable and Non-renewable
(b) Individual and Community
(c) Biotic and Abiotic
(d) Developed stock and Reserves

Answer: (c) Biotic and Abiotic

6. Which of the following is NOT a major problem caused by indiscriminate use of resources?

(a) Global ecological crises
(b) Depletion of resources
(c) Equitable distribution of resources
(d) Accumulation of resources in few hands

Answer: (c) Equitable distribution of resources

7. What has led to the division of society into 'haves' and 'have-nots'?

(a) Sustainable use of resources
(b) Accumulation of resources in few hands
(c) Equitable distribution of resources
(d) Lack of natural resources

Answer: (b) Accumulation of resources in few hands

8. Why is resource planning essential according to the chapter?

(a) To accelerate industrial growth
(b) To ensure sustainable existence of all forms of life
(c) To increase the wealth of rich countries
(d) To reduce the price of resources

Answer: (b) To ensure sustainable existence of all forms of life

9. What is the widely accepted strategy for judicious use of resources?

(a) Industrialization
(b) Planning
(c) Globalization
(d) Urbanization

Answer: (b) Planning

10. Which Indian state is rich in minerals and coal deposits?

(a) Rajasthan
(b) Jharkhand
(c) Arunachal Pradesh
(d) Ladakh

Answer: (b) Jharkhand

11. Which region is endowed with solar and wind energy but lacks water resources?

(a) Ladakh
(b) Chhattisgarh
(c) Rajasthan
(d) Madhya Pradesh

Answer: (c) Rajasthan

12. What is the first step involved in resource planning in India?

(a) Evolving planning structure
(b) Surveying and inventory of resources
(c) Implementing development plans
(d) Launching development programs

Answer: (b) Surveying and inventory of resources

13. Which of the following is necessary for resource development, along with availability of resources?

(a) Only human labour
(b) Technological development and institutional changes
(c) Only financial investment
(d) Only physical labour

Answer: (b) Technological development and institutional changes

14. In India, resource development involves availability of resources along with:

(a) Natural disasters and migration
(b) Wars and foreign investments
(c) Technology, quality of human resources, and historical experiences
(d) Only foreign aid and loans

Answer: (c) Technology, quality of human resources, and historical experiences

15. Which one of the following type of resource is iron ore?

(a) Renewable
(b) Biotic
(c) Flow
(d) Non-renewable

Answer: (d) Non-renewable

16. What is a major consequence of irrational consumption and over-utilization of resources?

(a) Economic growth
(b) Socio-economic and environmental problems
(c) Increase in exports
(d) Industrial development

Answer: (b) Socio-economic and environmental problems

17. According to Gandhiji, what is the root cause of resource depletion?

(a) Natural calamities
(b) Greedy and selfish individuals and exploitative modern technology
(c) Lack of awareness
(d) Overpopulation

Answer: (b) Greedy and selfish individuals and exploitative modern technology

18. What alternative to mass production did Gandhiji advocate?

(a) Increased imports
(b) Production by the masses
(c) Automation and robotics
(d) Large-scale farming

Answer: (b) Production by the masses

19. What percentage of India's land area is plain, supporting agriculture and industry?

(a) 27%
(b) 43%
(c) 30%
(d) 54%

Answer: (b) 43%

20. Which region possesses rich reserves of minerals, fossil fuels, and forests?

(a) Plains
(b) Islands
(c) Plateaus
(d) Mountains

Answer: (c) Plateaus

21. Which of the following is NOT a category under land utilization?

(a) Forests
(b) Permanent pastures and grazing lands
(c) Deserted settlements
(d) Culturable waste land

Answer: (c) Deserted settlements

22. What is meant by 'Net Sown Area'?

(a) Land left uncultivated for 5 years
(b) Land under buildings and roads
(c) Land on which crops are sown and harvested
(d) Land left uncultivated for grazing

Answer: (c) Land on which crops are sown and harvested

23. What determines land use patterns in India besides physical factors?

(a) Only government policies
(b) Only forest cover
(c) Human factors like population density, technological capability, and culture
(d) Only agricultural production

Answer: (c) Human factors like population density, technological capability, and culture

24. Why is land use data unavailable for some parts of India?

(a) No land exists there
(b) Lack of population
(c) Land use reporting is incomplete in some north-east states and disputed areas in Jammu and Kashmir
(d) Land is under cultivation continuously

Answer: (c) Land use reporting is incomplete in some north-east states and disputed areas in Jammu and Kashmir

25. What is the desired percentage of forest area according to the National Forest Policy (1952)?

(a) 20%
(b) 30%
(c) 33%
(d) 40%

Answer: (c) 33%

26. Which states are majorly affected by overgrazing leading to land degradation?

(a) Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh
(b) Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra
(c) Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Odisha
(d) Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka

Answer: (b) Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra

27. In Punjab, Haryana, and Western Uttar Pradesh, which factor is mainly responsible for land degradation?

(a) Mining
(b) Deforestation
(c) Overgrazing
(d) Over-irrigation causing salinity and alkalinity

Answer: (d) Over-irrigation causing salinity and alkalinity

28. What is one method suggested to check land degradation in arid areas?

(a) Industrialization
(b) Growing thorny bushes to stabilize sand dunes
(c) Building dams
(d) Expanding cities

Answer: (b) Growing thorny bushes to stabilize sand dunes

29. Which of the following is a method to reduce land degradation caused by mining?

(a) Ignoring abandoned mines
(b) Planting shelter belts of plants
(c) Increasing mining activities
(d) Building new industries around mines

Answer: (b) Planting shelter belts of plants

30. What environmental issue is caused by dust from grinding minerals like limestone, calcite, and soapstone?

(a) Increase in soil fertility
(b) Retardation of water infiltration into the soil
(c) Formation of new landforms
(d) Creation of forests

Answer: (b) Retardation of water infiltration into the soil

31. According to the National Forest Policy (1952), what minimum percentage of India's geographical area should be under forests to maintain ecological balance?

(a) 20%
(b) 25%
(c) 33%
(d) 40%

Answer: (c) 33%

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Soil Chapter Questions

1. Which of the following statements about soil is correct?

(a) Soil is a non-renewable natural resource.
(b) Soil formation takes only a few decades.
(c) Soil is a living system supporting plant growth and other organisms.
(d) Soil consists only of inorganic materials.

Answer: (c) Soil is a living system supporting plant growth and other organisms.

2. Which natural force does NOT contribute to soil formation?

(a) Running water
(b) Wind
(c) Glacier movement
(d) Volcanic eruption

Answer: (d) Volcanic eruption

3. What is the organic component of soil called?

(a) Silica
(b) Humus
(c) Clay
(d) Silt

Answer: (b) Humus

4. Which factor is NOT important for the formation of different types of soils?

(a) Parent rock
(b) Vegetation
(c) Industrialization
(d) Climate

Answer: (c) Industrialization

5. Alluvial soils have been mainly deposited by which river systems?

(a) Ganga, Brahmaputra, and Indus
(b) Krishna, Kaveri, and Godavari
(c) Narmada, Tapti, and Mahanadi
(d) Yamuna, Chambal, and Ghaghara

Answer: (a) Ganga, Brahmaputra, and Indus

6. Which of the following is TRUE about Khadar soil compared to Bangar soil?

(a) Less fertile
(b) Older and has kanker nodules
(c) More fertile and newer
(d) Found only in coastal areas

Answer: (c) More fertile and newer

7. Alluvial soil is ideal for the cultivation of which crops?

(a) Millets and maize
(b) Cotton and jute
(c) Paddy, sugarcane, and wheat
(d) Tea and coffee

Answer: (c) Paddy, sugarcane, and wheat

8. Black soil is best suited for growing which crop?

(a) Tea
(b) Rice
(c) Cotton
(d) Wheat

Answer: (c) Cotton

9. Which region is most associated with black soil in India?

(a) Northern Plains
(b) Eastern Ghats
(c) Deccan Plateau
(d) Himalayan Foothills

Answer: (c) Deccan Plateau

10. Which characteristic makes black soil ideal for farming?

(a) High sand content
(b) High moisture retention capacity
(c) High salt content
(d) Rich in phosphorus

Answer: (b) High moisture retention capacity

11. What gives red soil its reddish color?

(a) Excess of humus
(b) Presence of silica
(c) Diffusion of iron
(d) Abundance of aluminum

Answer: (c) Diffusion of iron

12. In which region are red and yellow soils NOT typically found?

(a) Odisha
(b) Chhattisgarh
(c) Rajasthan
(d) Piedmont zone of Western Ghats

Answer: (c) Rajasthan

13. Laterite soil is formed due to which process?

(a) Weathering by glaciers
(b) Heavy leaching due to rainfall
(c) Sediment deposition
(d) Volcanic eruptions

Answer: (b) Heavy leaching due to rainfall

14. Laterite soil is suitable for the cultivation of which crop after soil conservation?

(a) Rice
(b) Wheat
(c) Tea and coffee
(d) Cotton

Answer: (c) Tea and coffee

15. The term 'laterite' is derived from the Latin word meaning?

(a) Stone
(b) Brick
(c) Clay
(d) Soil

Answer: (b) Brick

16. Arid soils are generally characterized by:

(a) High moisture content
(b) High humus content
(c) High salinity and sandy texture
(d) High organic matter

Answer: (c) High salinity and sandy texture

17. In arid soil regions, which layer restricts the infiltration of water?

(a) Humus layer
(b) Clay layer
(c) Kankar layer
(d) Bedrock layer

Answer: (c) Kankar layer

18. Forest soils found in the Himalayas are generally:

(a) Fertile and alkaline
(b) Infertile and acidic
(c) Sandy and neutral
(d) Highly saline

Answer: (b) Infertile and acidic

19. Forest soils are loamy and silty in which areas?

(a) Upper slopes
(b) River terraces and valleys
(c) Desert regions
(d) Coastal plains

Answer: (b) River terraces and valleys

20. What farming method involves cutting steps on slopes to restrict soil erosion?

(a) Contour ploughing
(b) Strip cropping
(c) Terrace cultivation
(d) Shelter belt formation

Answer: (c) Terrace cultivation

21. Which of the following human activities is NOT a cause of soil erosion?

(a) Deforestation
(b) Over-grazing
(c) Mining
(d) Terrace farming

Answer: (d) Terrace farming

22. The process of soil erosion that occurs when wind blows loose soil off flat or sloping land is called:

(a) Sheet erosion
(b) Wind erosion
(c) Gully erosion
(d) Ravine erosion

Answer: (b) Wind erosion

23. What is the term used to describe land that becomes unfit for cultivation due to soil erosion in the Chambal Basin?

(a) Bad land
(b) Wasteland
(c) Ravines
(d) Desertification

Answer: (a) Bad land

24. Which of the following is a method to reduce soil erosion in hilly areas?

(a) Over-grazing
(b) Ploughing along slopes
(c) Terrace farming
(d) Deforestation

Answer: (c) Terrace farming

25. Shelter belts of trees are used in desert areas primarily to:

(a) Increase soil fertility
(b) Reduce wind speed and prevent sand dunes
(c) Provide shade for crops
(d) Enhance water retention in soil

Answer: (b) Reduce wind speed and prevent sand dunes