Chapter 8: Resources, Agriculture and Industries (Part-4)
Resource utilisation becomes problematic when demand exceeds availability; which situation best represents resource scarcity in a developing economy?
A Balanced use of resources
B Technological innovation
C High population pressure on limited resources
D Export surplus
Resource scarcity arises when limited natural resources are stressed by rapid population growth, increasing demand and creating imbalance between availability and consumption.
Renewable energy contributes to environmental protection; which advantage distinguishes renewable sources from fossil fuels?
A Higher energy density
B Lower installation cost
C Reduced greenhouse gas emissions
D Continuous availability
Renewable energy sources generate power with minimal carbon emissions, reducing air pollution and mitigating climate change compared to fossil fuel-based energy.
Mineral extraction often affects landforms; which environmental issue results directly from open-cast mining?
A Groundwater recharge
B Soil conservation
C Land degradation
D Increased vegetation
Open-cast mining removes surface layers of soil and rock, causing permanent land degradation and loss of vegetation if not scientifically reclaimed.
Agriculture contributes to food security; which crop group is most important for calorie intake in India?
A Pulses
B Oilseeds
C Cereals
D Fibres
Cereals like rice and wheat are staple foods providing the majority of caloric intake for the Indian population, forming the foundation of food security.
Monsoon variability affects agriculture; which strategy reduces dependency on monsoon rainfall?
A Expansion of rainfed farming
B Development of irrigation infrastructure
C Increased monocropping
D Reduction in crop diversity
Irrigation ensures water availability independent of rainfall variability, stabilising agricultural production and reducing risk from monsoon failure.
Intensive farming increases output; which challenge commonly arises from its long-term practice?
A Improved soil structure
B Soil nutrient depletion
C Reduced productivity
D Lower input use
Continuous intensive cultivation without adequate replenishment exhausts soil nutrients, reducing fertility and requiring corrective soil management practices.
Crop insurance supports agricultural stability; which risk does it primarily address?
A Market competition
B Natural calamities
C Technological change
D Export decline
Crop insurance compensates farmers for losses due to droughts, floods, pests, and other natural hazards, reducing financial vulnerability.
Industrial production depends on capital goods; which industry produces capital goods?
A Textile industry
B Engineering industry
C Food processing industry
D Handicraft industry
Engineering industries manufacture machines, tools, and equipment used by other industries, making them producers of capital goods.
Industrial clustering improves productivity; which economic benefit results from shared services?
A Increased competition
B Reduced operational costs
C Decline in innovation
D Labour scarcity
Shared infrastructure and services lower individual firm expenses, improving efficiency and competitiveness within industrial clusters.
Sugarcane-based industries face sustainability issues; which factor increases production cost?
A Proximity to raw material
B Seasonal operation
C Mechanised processing
D Government support
Seasonal functioning limits capacity utilisation of sugar mills, increasing fixed costs per unit and reducing overall efficiency.
Industrial pollution control requires monitoring; which tool measures air quality?
A Effluent treatment plant
B Air quality index
C Buffer stock
D Water audit
Air Quality Index measures concentration of pollutants in the air, helping assess pollution levels and enforce environmental standards.
Agriculture adapts to climate stress; which farming method conserves water most effectively?
A Flood irrigation
B Drip irrigation
C Canal irrigation
D Tank irrigation
Drip irrigation supplies water directly to plant roots, minimising evaporation losses and improving water-use efficiency.
Industrial demand influences resource use; which resource is critical for thermal power generation?
A Uranium
B Coal
C Wind
D Solar radiation
Coal is the primary fuel for thermal power plants, generating electricity by converting heat energy into mechanical and electrical energy.
Agricultural mechanisation affects farm size; which type of farming benefits most from mechanisation?
A Subsistence farming
B Plantation agriculture
C Shifting cultivation
D Nomadic herding
Plantation farming involves large estates and uniform crops, making it suitable for extensive mechanisation and efficient large-scale operations.
Industrialisation contributes to regional imbalance; which policy addresses this issue?
A Export promotion
B Decentralised industrial policy
C Urban concentration
D Import dependence
Decentralised policies promote industrial development in backward regions, reducing regional disparities and promoting balanced growth.
Sustainable mineral use includes reclamation; which practice restores mined land?
A Overburden dumping
B Afforestation
C Increased extraction
D Abandonment
Afforestation restores vegetation cover on mined land, improving soil stability, ecological balance, and environmental recovery.
Agricultural productivity depends on inputs; which input corrects soil acidity?
A Fertiliser
B Lime
C Pesticide
D Compost
Lime neutralises acidic soils, improving nutrient availability and enhancing crop growth in acidic soil regions.
Industrial safety ensures sustainability; which hazard is most common in heavy industries?
A Biological hazard
B Chemical and mechanical hazards
C Radiation hazard
D Psychological hazard
Heavy industries involve machinery and chemicals, making workers vulnerable to mechanical injuries and chemical exposure without proper safety measures.
Agricultural marketing infrastructure supports farmers; which facility reduces post-harvest losses?
Industrial output depends on labour productivity; which factor improves productivity most directly?
A Longer working hours
B Skill training
C Labour surplus
D Wage reduction
Skill training enhances worker efficiency, quality of output, and adaptability to technology, directly improving industrial productivity.
Agricultural sustainability includes biodiversity; which practice preserves crop diversity?
A Monoculture
B Crop rotation
C Chemical dependency
D Over-irrigation
Crop rotation maintains biodiversity, reduces pests, and improves soil health by alternating crops with different nutrient requirements.
Industrial linkages strengthen economy; which linkage supports raw material supply?
A Forward linkage
B Backward linkage
C Vertical linkage
D Spatial linkage
Backward linkage connects industries with suppliers of raw materials, encouraging growth of input-producing sectors.
Agriculture contributes to rural employment; which activity is labour intensive?
A Mechanised harvesting
B Plantation pruning
C Automated irrigation
D Precision farming
Plantation agriculture requires manual operations like pruning and plucking, making it labour intensive and employment generating.
Industrial diversification enhances resilience; which sector diversification reduces economic risk?
A Dependence on agriculture alone
B Dependence on one industry
C Balanced sectoral growth
D Export monoculture
Balanced growth across agriculture, industry, and services reduces vulnerability to sector-specific shocks and stabilises the economy.
Water resource management supports agriculture; which structure stores rainwater locally?
A Dam
B Check dam
C Canal
D Reservoir
Check dams slow water flow, promote groundwater recharge, and support irrigation at local levels.
Industrial efficiency improves competitiveness; which factor reduces production cost?
A Outdated machinery
B Economies of scale
C Labour shortage
D Transport bottlenecks
Large-scale production lowers average cost per unit by spreading fixed costs, improving industrial competitiveness.
Agricultural research promotes sustainability; which institution supports research in India?
A RBI
B ICAR
C SEBI
D CPCB
Indian Council of Agricultural Research conducts research and develops technologies to improve agricultural productivity and sustainability.
Industrial pollution affects soil; which pollutant causes soil contamination?
A Nitrogen gas
B Heavy metals
C Oxygen
D Water vapour
Heavy metals from industrial waste accumulate in soil, reducing fertility and posing health risks through food chains.
Agriculture responds to price incentives; which crop shift reflects market orientation?
A Food crops to subsistence crops
B Food crops to cash crops
C Cash crops to food crops
D Plantation to subsistence
Farmers shift to cash crops when market prices are favourable, aiming to increase income and profitability.
Industrial infrastructure supports logistics; which facility speeds up cargo movement?
A Warehouse
B Inland container depot
C Retail outlet
D Cold storage
Inland container depots streamline cargo handling and customs clearance, reducing transportation time and logistics cost.
Resource conservation needs awareness; which approach educates communities?
A Legal enforcement only
B Environmental education
C Industrial expansion
D Resource export
Environmental education builds awareness about sustainable resource use, encouraging responsible behaviour and community participation.
Agricultural input efficiency improves yield; which practice ensures balanced fertiliser use?
A Excess nitrogen application
B Soil testing
C Random fertilisation
D Uniform application
Soil testing determines nutrient requirements, ensuring balanced fertiliser use and preventing soil degradation.
Industrial production generates waste; which method converts waste into energy?
A Recycling
B Landfilling
C Waste-to-energy plants
D Open dumping
Waste-to-energy plants convert industrial and municipal waste into usable energy, reducing waste volume and generating power.
Agriculture faces labour migration; which solution supports labour retention?
A Mechanisation only
B Rural industrialisation
C Crop monoculture
D Export restriction
Rural industries create local employment, reducing migration and stabilising rural livelihoods.
Industrial location depends on policy incentives; which incentive attracts industries to backward areas?
A Higher taxes
B Subsidies and tax exemptions
C Strict regulations
D Labour shortage
Financial incentives reduce initial costs and risks, encouraging industries to locate in underdeveloped regions.
Agriculture sustainability includes water quality; which practice reduces chemical runoff?
A Flood irrigation
B Precision farming
C Over-fertilisation
D Canal overflow
Precision farming applies inputs accurately, reducing chemical runoff into water bodies and improving environmental sustainability.
Industrial demand shapes transport networks; which mode suits petroleum transport?
A Railways
B Roadways
C Pipelines
D Airways
Pipelines provide safe, continuous, and cost-effective transport of petroleum and natural gas over long distances.
Agricultural diversification improves nutrition; which crop group enhances protein intake?
A Cereals
B Pulses
C Sugar crops
D Fibre crops
Pulses are rich in protein and essential nutrients, improving dietary quality and nutritional security.
Industrial innovation supports sustainability; which innovation reduces energy consumption?
A Manual processes
B Energy-efficient machinery
C Increased coal use
D Extended working hours
Energy-efficient machines consume less power while maintaining output, reducing costs and environmental impact.
Agriculture-based employment stabilises income; which allied activity supports farmers during lean seasons?
A Mining
B Dairy farming
C Software services
D Heavy industry
Dairy farming provides regular income through milk production, supplementing agricultural earnings during off-season periods.
Industrial development affects land use; which change commonly occurs near industrial hubs?
A Increase in forest cover
B Urban expansion
C Decline in transport
D Reduced population
Industries attract workers and services, leading to urban growth and transformation of surrounding land use.
Agricultural sustainability requires pest control; which method is eco-friendly?
A Chemical pesticides
B Biological control
C Excess spraying
D Random application
Biological control uses natural predators to manage pests, reducing chemical use and environmental harm.
Industrial safety culture prevents accidents; which measure improves safety awareness?
A Ignoring guidelines
B Regular safety training
C Increased workload
D Reduced supervision
Safety training educates workers about hazards and precautions, reducing accidents and promoting safe industrial practices.
Agriculture contributes to export earnings; which product category adds value through processing?
A Raw cotton
B Textile products
C Unprocessed grain
D Raw sugarcane
Processing cotton into textiles adds value, increasing export earnings and employment compared to exporting raw materials.
Industrial resource efficiency includes circular economy; which principle defines it?
A Linear production
B Reuse and recycling
C Resource disposal
D One-time use
Circular economy emphasises reusing and recycling materials to minimise waste and conserve resources.
Agricultural land use planning reduces risk; which crop choice reduces water stress?
A Rice in arid areas
B Sugarcane in dry regions
C Millets in semi-arid regions
D Tea in deserts
Millets require less water and tolerate drought, making them suitable for semi-arid regions and reducing water stress.
Industrial growth requires governance; which body formulates industrial policy in India?
A State Pollution Boards
B Ministry of Commerce and Industry
C RBI
D ICAR
The Ministry of Commerce and Industry formulates and implements industrial policies to guide industrial development.
Agriculture adapts to technology; which digital tool supports farmers’ decisions?
A Traditional almanac
B Mobile-based advisory services
C Manual records
D Paper notices
Digital advisory services provide real-time information on weather, prices, and farming practices, improving decision-making.
Industrial sustainability integrates social goals; which outcome reflects inclusive growth?
A Capital concentration
B Employment generation
C Resource depletion
D Profit maximisation
Inclusive growth ensures that industrial development creates employment opportunities and benefits a broad section of society.
The balanced development of resources, agriculture, and industries is essential; which conclusion best summarises this relationship?
A Sectoral isolation ensures growth
B Integrated and sustainable planning ensures long-term development
C Industrial dominance is sufficient
D Agricultural decline is inevitable
Coordinated and sustainable planning of resources, agriculture, and industries promotes economic growth, environmental protection, and social equity over the long term.