NCERT Solutions for Class 12 Geography (India - People and Economy) Chapter 3 Land Resources and Agriculture

NCERT
SOLUTIONS
CLASS - 12th

aglase .co

Book : India- People and Economy Ncert Solutions | Chapter - 5 Social Science Geography

Class : 12th

Subject : Geography

Chapter : 5

Chapter Name : LAND RESOURCES AND AGRICULTURE

Q1 Choose the right answers of the following from the given options :

(i) Which one of the following is NOT a land-use category?

(a) Fallow land

(b) Marginal land

(c) Net Area Sown

(d) Culturable Wasteland

(ii) What one of the following is the main reason due to which share of forest has shown an
increase in the last forty years?

(a) Extensive and efficient efforts of afforestation

(b) Increase in community forest land

(c) Increase in notified area allocated for forest growth

(d) Better people' participation in managing forest area.

(iii) Which one of the following is the main form of degradation in irrigated areas?

(a) Gully erosion

(b) Wind erosion

(c) Salinisation of soils

(d) Siltation of land

Page 1 of 5

(iv) Which one of the following crops is not cultivated under dryland farming?

(a) Ragi

(b) Jowar

(c) Groundnut

(d) Sugarcane

(v) In which of the following group of countries of the world, HYVs of wheat and rice were
developed?

(a) Japan and Australia

(b) U.S.A. and Japan

(c) Mexico and Philippines

(d) Mexico and Singapore

(i) (b) Marginal land

(ii) (c) Increase in notified area allocated for forest growth

(iii) (c) Salinisation of soils

(iv) (d) Sugarcane

(v) (c) Mexico and Philippines

Page : 58 , Block Name : Multiple Choice Questions

Q2 Answer the following questions in about 30 words.

(i) Differentiate between barren and wasteland and culturable wasteland.

(ii) How would you distinguish between net sown area and gross cropped area?

Page 2 of 5

(iii) Why is the strategy of increasing cropping intensity important in a country like India?

(iv) How do you measure total cultivable land?

(v) What is the difference between dryland and wetland farming?

(i) Barren and Wastelands :- The land which normally cannot be brought under cultivation
because it is infertile. Here plant growth is sparse,stunted and limited such as barren hilly
terrains, desert lands, ravines, etc.

Culturable Wasteland :- Any land which is left fallow for more than five years is categorised as
culturable wasteland. After reclamation practices, like tilling, irrigation etc. it may be brought
back to use.

(ii) Net Area Sown- The physical area of land on which crops are sown ,it is only accounted for
once.

Gross Cropped Area- It is the total area sown once as well as more than once in a particular
year.The area is also accounted as many times it has been sown in a year.

(iii) India as an economy unsent major changes over the past few decades, which has
influenced the land-use changes in the country. Therefore proper planning and analysis of
increasing cropping intensity is required in order to cope up with the needs of the growing
population. The strategy is important because of the needs of an ever increasing population
which requires more yield per unit area. High cropping intensity will also lead to fuller utilisation
of land resources and will also reduce unemployment in the rural economy.

(iv) Total stock of agricultural land resources including net sown area, fallow lands and
culturable wasteland is the total cultivable land. (Total Cultivable land = Net sown area + Fallow
Land + Culturable wasteland)

(v) Dryland farming is confined to regions having annual rainfall less than 75 cm. These regions
are used to grow hardy and drought resistant crops such as ragi, bajra, gram etc. Soil moisture
conservation and rainwater harvesting techniques are used here to supplement irrigation.

In wetland farming, the rainfall is in excess to what plants require, therefore water logging
situation may arise and regions may face flood and soil erosion hazards. Crops such as rice,
jute and sugarcane are grown here and aquaculture is practiced.

Page 3 of 5

Page : 59 , Block Name : Short Answer Question

Q3 Answer the following questions in about 150 words.

(i) What are the different types of environmental problems of land resources in India?

(ii) What are the important strategies for agricultural development followed in the
post-independence period in India?

(i)The different types of environmental problems of land resources in India are :-

➔​ Soil erosion : Soil erosion removes fertile soil which is the most important for agricultural
purposes. The loss of this soil results in lower yields and higher production costs.

➔​ Waterlogging and salinisation : The accumulation of salts in soil leads to degradation of
soils and vegetation. It occurs due to less precipitation, prolonged wetness and poor drainage
system.

➔​ Alkalinisation of land : The chemical fertilizers applied to accelerate production of crops kills
the naturally occurring soil nutrients. Poor irrigation practices like irrigating with water that
contains sodium bicarbonate leads to poor soil structure.

➔​ Desertification : It is the process by which natural or human causes reduce the biological
productivity of drylands. Decline in productivity may be the result of climate change,
deforestation, overgrazing, poverty, political instability, unsustainable irrigation practices, or
combinations of these factors.

(ii) Before 1947, ndian agricultural economy was largely subsistence. After Independence, the
goal of the Government was to meet the growing needs of food.The reforms introduced
included, switching to food crops from earlier cash crops, intensification of cropping,
increasing cultivated area by bringing cultivable and fallow land under it. Initially, this strategy
helped.

However, agricultural production stagnated during late –1950s. Therefore, the government
introduced Intensive Agricultural District Programme (IADP) and Intensive Agricultural Area
Programme (IAAP). Under it “Green Revolution” comprising HYVs were introduced in irrigated
areas of Punjab, Haryana, Western Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat. This strategy

Page 4 of 5

Book : India- People and Economy Ncert Solutions | Chapter - 5 Social Science Geography

of agricultural development increased the foodgrains production at a very fast rate and helped
solve the problem of low availability and production of food.

This subsequently helped in the development of a number of agro-processing related industries
and small and medium scale enterprises. This strategy made the country self-reliant.

The Planning Commission in 1980’s focused on the problems of imbalance in agricultural
development It initiated agro-climatic planning to induce regionally balanced agricultural
development. It emphasised on the need for diversification of agriculture and development of
dairy farming, poultry, horticulture, livestock rearing and aquaculture industries.

Page : 59 , Block Name : Long Answer Question

Page 5 of 5