Chapter 2: People as Resource - NCERT Solutions
Exercises
Q1. What do you understand by 'people as a resource'?
Answer - People as a resource means the population of a country that is productive and contributes to the creation of wealth through skills, knowledge, and efforts. When people are educated, skilled, and healthy, they become valuable assets for the economy rather than a burden.
Q2. How is human resource different from other resources like land and physical capital?
Answer -
| Human Resource | Land and Physical Capital |
|---|---|
| Includes people with skills, education, and abilities. | Includes tools, machines, buildings, and land. |
| Active factor of production; can make other resources useful. | Passive factors of production; need human effort to be used. |
| Can grow over time through investment in education and health. | Limited and often depreciates with time. |
Q3. What is the role of education in human capital formation?
Answer - Education increases the skill and knowledge of people, making them more productive and efficient. It helps in better job opportunities, increases income levels, and contributes to economic development.
Q4. What is the role of health in human capital formation?
Answer - Health ensures that individuals can work regularly and efficiently. A healthy population is more energetic and productive, which leads to higher output and better economic growth.
Q5. What part does health play in the individual’s working life?
Answer - Health allows a person to work consistently without frequent illness. A healthy individual can earn more, has better concentration and stamina, and enjoys a longer and more productive working life.
Q6. What are the various activities undertaken in the primary sector, secondary sector and tertiary sector?
Answer - Primary Sector: Activities related to natural resources like farming, fishing, mining, and forestry.
Secondary Sector: Activities that involve manufacturing and processing, like making clothes, producing goods, etc.
Tertiary Sector: Activities that provide services like transport, education, healthcare, banking, etc.
Secondary Sector: Activities that involve manufacturing and processing, like making clothes, producing goods, etc.
Tertiary Sector: Activities that provide services like transport, education, healthcare, banking, etc.
Q7. What is the difference between economic activities and non-economic activities?
Answer -
| Economic Activities | Non-economic Activities |
|---|---|
| Activities that produce income or are done for earning money. | Activities done out of love, sympathy, or duty without earning money. |
| Example: A teacher teaching in a school. | Example: A mother teaching her child at home. |
Q8. Why are women employed in low paid work?
Answer - Women are often less educated and have fewer skill-training opportunities. Social norms and discrimination also lead to fewer job options, forcing them to accept low paid and less secure jobs.
Q9. How will you explain the term unemployment?
Answer - Unemployment refers to a situation where people who are willing to work at the prevailing wage rate cannot find jobs. It indicates an underutilisation of human resources in the economy.
Q10. What is the difference between disguised unemployment and seasonal unemployment?
Answer -
| Disguised Unemployment | Seasonal Unemployment |
|---|---|
| More people are working than required; extra workers don’t increase output. | People remain unemployed during certain seasons when work is not available. |
| Common in agriculture where family members share limited work. | Common in farming and tourism which depend on seasons. |
Q11. Why is educated unemployed, a peculiar problem of India?
Answer - Educated unemployment is peculiar to India because even educated youth are unable to find suitable jobs. This is due to:
• Mismatch between education and market needs
• Over-dependence on government jobs
• Lack of skill-based training
• Rapidly increasing population without proportional job growth
• Mismatch between education and market needs
• Over-dependence on government jobs
• Lack of skill-based training
• Rapidly increasing population without proportional job growth
Q12. In which field do you think India can build the maximum employment opportunity?
Answer - India can build maximum employment opportunity in the agriculture and allied activities (like dairy, fisheries, agro-processing), rural non-farm sector (like handicrafts, small-scale industries), and the service sector (like education, healthcare, IT-enabled services), especially in rural areas where underemployment is high.
Q13. Can you suggest some measures in the education system to mitigate the problem of the educated unemployed?
Answer - • Introduce skill-based and vocational education
• Update curriculum as per industry needs
• Promote entrepreneurship through training and support
• Strengthen digital literacy and soft skills
• Encourage internships and practical training
• Update curriculum as per industry needs
• Promote entrepreneurship through training and support
• Strengthen digital literacy and soft skills
• Encourage internships and practical training
Q14. Can you imagine some village which initially had no job opportunities but later came up with many?
Answer - Yes, imagine a village called Shramgaon. Initially, most villagers were unemployed and depended only on seasonal farming. But later:
• A small agro-processing unit was started
• A self-help group opened a dairy cooperative
• A vocational training centre was established
• Better road and electricity attracted small businesses
As a result, many job opportunities were created, and the village became economically active.
• A small agro-processing unit was started
• A self-help group opened a dairy cooperative
• A vocational training centre was established
• Better road and electricity attracted small businesses
As a result, many job opportunities were created, and the village became economically active.
Q15. Which capital would you consider the best — land, labour, physical capital and human capital? Why?
Answer - Human capital is the best because:
• It uses and enhances the value of other capitals
• It leads to innovation and productivity
• An educated and skilled population creates wealth
• Unlike land and physical capital, it grows with investment in education and health
• It uses and enhances the value of other capitals
• It leads to innovation and productivity
• An educated and skilled population creates wealth
• Unlike land and physical capital, it grows with investment in education and health