- This question paper contains five sections — A, B, C, D, and E.
- Section A: MCQs (1 mark each) | Section B: Very Short Answer (2 marks each) | Section C: Short Answer (3 marks each)
- Section D: Long Answer (5 marks each) | Section E: Source-based / Case Study (4 marks each)
- All questions are compulsory. Internal choice is provided where indicated.
- Draw neat, labelled diagrams wherever required.
(b) Over irrigation — Over-irrigation in Punjab leads to waterlogging, which increases salinity and alkalinity in the soil.
(c) Uttarakhand — Western and central Himalayas (Uttarakhand) have well-developed terrace farming.
(b) Maharashtra — Black soil is typical of the Deccan Trap region covering Maharashtra, Saurashtra, Malwa, MP and Chhattisgarh.
(c) Rio de Janeiro Earth Summit, 1992 — Agenda 21 was signed at UNCED, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 1992 to achieve global sustainable development.
(d) Regur (Black) soil — Black soil is ideal for growing cotton due to its excellent moisture-retaining capacity and is therefore called Black Cotton Soil.
(c) 43% — About 43% of India's land area is plains, providing facilities for agriculture and industry.
(c) Brundtland Commission Report, 1987 — This report (published as Our Common Future) introduced and advocated sustainable development as a means for resource conservation.
(c) Tea and coffee — After soil conservation in hilly areas of Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu, laterite soil is useful for growing tea and coffee. Red laterite soils are also suitable for cashew nut.
(c) Arunachal Pradesh — Arunachal Pradesh has abundance of water resources but lacks infrastructural development.
(b) Gullies — Running water cuts through clayey soils making deep channels called gullies. The land becomes unfit for cultivation (bad land). In the Chambal basin such lands are called ravines.
(c) Wind and water — Wind and water are flow/continuous renewable resources as they keep replenishing naturally without human intervention.
(b) Punjab — Punjab and Haryana have net sown area over 80% of their total area. States like Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram and Manipur have less than 10%.
(b) Indus, Ganga, Brahmaputra — The entire northern plains are made of alluvial soil deposited by these three important Himalayan river systems.
(c) Brick — The word 'laterite' comes from the Latin word 'later' meaning brick. This soil is hard and brick-like when dry.
(c) Haves and have-nots (rich and poor) — Accumulation of resources in few hands divides society into two segments — haves and have-nots, i.e., rich and poor.
(c) 3.28 million sq km — India's total geographical area is 3.28 million sq km, though land use data is available only for 93% of the total area.
(c) Deep ploughing up and down the slope — Ploughing up and down the slope creates channels for quick water flow, which actually CAUSES soil erosion. The correct method is contour ploughing (along altitude lines).
(c) Rajasthan — Rajasthan is very well endowed with solar and wind energy (potential resources) but lacks water resources.
(c) Wind erosion — In strip cropping, large fields are divided into strips with grass growing between crops. This breaks up the force of wind, protecting against wind erosion.
Reason (R): Resources are a function of human activities.
(a) Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A — Resources are indeed not free gifts of nature because they are a product of human activities — humans transform materials into resources through technology and institutions.
States: Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat (also Saurashtra, Malwa, Chhattisgarh) — any three = 1 mark
Crop: Cotton (also known as Black Cotton Soil / Regur soil) — 1 mark
Soil type: Alluvial soil (Khadar — new alluvial) — ½ mark
- Very fertile; contains potash, phosphoric acid, and lime — ½ mark
- Found in deltas of Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna, and Kaveri rivers — ½ mark
- Ideal for paddy, wheat, sugarcane and pulses — ½ mark
(Any two features for 1 mark total)
Stock: Materials that have potential to be used as a resource but humans do not have the appropriate technology to access them. Example: Hydrogen in water as a fuel source. — 1 mark
Reserves: A part of the stock which can be put to use with current technology but their use has not been started. They are kept for future needs. Example: Water in dams, forests. — 1 mark
Definition: Sustainable development means development should take place without damaging the environment, and development in the present should not compromise the needs of future generations. — 1 mark
Necessity: It is necessary because indiscriminate use of resources has led to depletion, ecological crises (global warming, ozone depletion), and unequal distribution. It ensures resources are available for present AND future generations. — 1 mark
- Over-irrigation → waterlogging → soil salinity/alkalinity — Punjab, Haryana, western UP — 1 mark
- Mining & Deforestation → deep scars, over-burdening — Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, MP, Odisha — 1 mark
- Also acceptable: Overgrazing (Gujarat, Rajasthan, MP, Maharashtra); Industrial effluents
A material must be: (1 mark each for all three)
- Technologically Accessible — We must have the technology to extract/use it.
- Economically Feasible — The cost of extraction should not exceed its value.
- Culturally Acceptable — Society must agree to its use.
Example: Petroleum underground is just a material until we develop drilling technology (tech), it is profitable to extract (economic), and society accepts its use (cultural). Only then is it a resource.
- Step 1 — Identification & Inventory: Surveying, mapping, qualitative and quantitative estimation of resources across regions.
- Step 2 — Evolving a Structure: Developing appropriate technology, skills, and institutional set-up for implementing resource development plans.
- Step 3 — National Matching: Matching resource development plans with overall national development plans (India has done this since the First Five Year Plan).
Importance: India has enormous diversity in resources — some regions are rich, others deficient. Balanced planning at national, state, regional and local levels is essential.
| Feature | Bangar (Old Alluvial) | Khadar (New Alluvial) |
|---|---|---|
| Age | Older alluvial deposits | Newer alluvial deposits |
| Kanker nodules | Higher concentration | Lower concentration |
| Fertility | Less fertile | More fertile (finer particles) |
(1 mark per correct distinction, max 3)
Definition: The denudation (removal) of the soil cover and subsequent washing down is called soil erosion. — 1 mark
Two types: (1 mark each)
- Gully erosion: Running water cuts through clayey soils forming deep channels (gullies). The land becomes unfit for cultivation — called bad land or ravines (Chambal basin).
- Sheet erosion: Water flows as a sheet over large areas down a slope, washing away the topsoil uniformly.
- Also acceptable: Wind erosion — wind blows loose soil off flat or sloping land.
- Individual resources: Owned by private individuals. Example: plots, houses, plantations, ponds.
- Community resources: Accessible to all members of a community. Example: village ponds, public parks, grazing grounds.
- National resources: Belonging to the nation — minerals, forests, everything within political boundaries and territorial waters (12 nautical miles / 22.2 km from coast).
- International resources: Regulated by international institutions. Example: oceanic resources beyond 200 nautical miles (Exclusive Economic Zone).
(OR)
Explain how technological and economic development has led to more consumption of resources, resulting in a global crisis.
Land use categories (2 marks):
- Forests; Barren & waste land; Non-agricultural uses (roads, buildings); Permanent pastures; Land under misc. tree crops; Culturable wasteland; Fallow lands (current and other); Net Sown Area — any 5 points @ ½ mark each
Land under forests (2 marks):
- National Forest Policy 1952 desired 33% forest cover for ecological balance — ½ mark
- Forests support livelihoods of millions on forest fringes — ½ mark
- Forest area has not increased significantly because land is being diverted for agriculture, urbanisation, industrial use, and road construction — 1 mark
Regional variation (1 mark): NSA >80% in Punjab/Haryana; <10% in Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Manipur, Andaman & Nicobar Islands.
OR answer: Industrialisation and modernisation have accelerated resource use. The exploitation of resources has satisfied greed of a few → depletion; led to ecological crises (global warming, ozone layer depletion, pollution, land degradation); widened rich-poor divide. Rich nations use proportionally more resources. Technology makes extraction easier but unsustainable. — 5 marks distributed across these points.
Distribution (1½ marks):
- Most widely spread soil — entire northern plains (deposited by Indus, Ganga, Brahmaputra)
- Also found in Rajasthan and Gujarat through a narrow corridor
- Eastern coastal plains — deltas of Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna, Kaveri
Characteristics (2 marks):
- Consists of sand, silt, and clay in various proportions
- Contains potash, phosphoric acid, and lime — ideal for agriculture
- Two types: Bangar (old, higher kanker) and Khadar (new, more fertile)
- Coarser near piedmont plains (Duars, Chos, Terai); finer in plains
- Drier areas: more alkaline — can be productive after irrigation
Importance (1½ marks):
- Highly fertile → intensively cultivated → supports dense population
- Ideal for: sugarcane, paddy, wheat, pulses, cereals
- Forms the backbone of India's agricultural output (food security)
(OR)
Describe the soil profile of India with a neat diagram. Explain the factors responsible for soil formation.
Definition (1 mark): Land degradation refers to the deterioration of land quality due to continuous use without taking measures to conserve and manage it, resulting in loss of productivity and ecological damage.
Causes (2 marks — ½ each, max 4):
- Deforestation → exposes soil to erosion
- Over-irrigation → waterlogging → salinity/alkalinity (Punjab, Haryana, W. UP)
- Overgrazing (Gujarat, Rajasthan, MP, Maharashtra)
- Mining & quarrying → deep scars (Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, MP, Odisha)
- Industrial effluents → water and land pollution
- Mineral processing dust → retards water infiltration
Conservation measures (2 marks — ½ each, max 4):
- Afforestation and proper management of grazing
- Planting shelter belts (stabilise sand dunes — western India)
- Control on overgrazing; stabilisation of sand dunes with thorny bushes
- Proper management of waste lands
- Control of mining; proper discharge and treatment of industrial effluents
| Soil Type | Region | Key Crop |
|---|---|---|
| Alluvial | Northern plains, river deltas | Wheat, paddy, sugarcane |
| Black (Regur) | Deccan Plateau (Maharashtra, MP, Gujarat) | Cotton |
| Red & Yellow | Eastern & southern Deccan, Odisha | Groundnut, millets |
| Laterite | W. Ghats, Karnataka, Kerala, TN, NE | Tea, coffee, cashew |
| Arid | Rajasthan, arid regions | Drought-resistant crops |
| Forest | Himalayan hilly areas, NE mountains | Tea (valley terraces) |
(OR)
Why are some resource-rich regions economically backward while some resource-poor regions are economically developed? Explain with examples.
Soil Conservation Methods (1 mark each, max 5):
- Contour ploughing: Ploughing along natural altitude lines slows water flow down slopes, reducing erosion. Effective in hilly areas.
- Terrace farming: Steps cut on slopes restrict water flow and conserve soil moisture. Well-developed in W. and Central Himalayas (Uttarakhand).
- Strip cropping: Strips of grass grown between crops break wind force — effective in plains against wind erosion.
- Shelter belts: Rows of trees break wind and stabilise sand dunes — significantly helped western India's desert regions.
- Afforestation: Large-scale tree planting holds soil together, prevents both wind and water erosion.
OR answer: Resources alone ≠ development. Jharkhand/Chhattisgarh (mineral-rich but economically backward) vs. developed cities with few natural resources. Technology, quality of human resources, and institutional framework are equally critical. Colonial history — colonisers exploited resource-rich regions. Historical experiences shape development trajectories. — 5 marks across these points.
"Resources are vital for human survival as well as for maintaining the quality of life. It was believed that resources are free gifts of nature. As a result, human beings used them indiscriminately and this has led to the following major problems: depletion of resources for satisfying the greed of a few individuals; accumulation of resources in few hands, which divided the society into two segments — haves and have-nots; indiscriminate exploitation has led to global ecological crises such as global warming, ozone layer depletion, environmental pollution and land degradation. An equitable distribution of resources has become essential for a sustained quality of life and global peace."
— NCERT Contemporary India II, Chapter 1
Reason: Because resources were believed to be free gifts of nature — people felt they were unlimited and did not need conservation. — 1 mark
Two social consequences: (i) Depletion to satisfy greed of a few; (ii) Accumulation in few hands → society divided into rich and poor (haves and have-nots). — 1 mark
- Global warming → Reduce use of fossil fuels; adopt renewable energy sources. — ½ + ½ mark
- Ozone layer depletion → Phase out CFC-emitting products; use ozone-friendly alternatives. — ½ + ½ mark
- Also acceptable: Environmental pollution, land degradation with appropriate measures.
"Soil is the most important renewable natural resource. It is the medium of plant growth and supports different types of living organisms on the earth. The soil is a living system. It takes millions of years to form soil up to a few cm in depth. Relief, parent rock or bed rock, climate, vegetation and other forms of life and time are important factors in the formation of soil. Various forces of nature such as change in temperature, actions of running water, wind and glaciers, activities of decomposers etc. contribute to the formation of soil."
— NCERT Contemporary India II, Chapter 1
Living system: Soil contains living organisms — bacteria, fungi, earthworms, decomposers — and supports all plant and animal life. It undergoes continuous biological processes. — 1 mark
Three factors: Relief / Parent rock or bed rock / Climate / Vegetation / Other life forms / Time — any three @ ⅓ mark each = 1 mark
Although soil can renew itself over millions of years, human activities degrade it much faster than natural renewal:
- Mining: Mining sites left abandoned with deep scars; overburden destroys topsoil — Jharkhand, Odisha. — 1 mark
- Over-irrigation: Creates waterlogging → soil becomes saline and alkaline, losing fertility — Punjab, Haryana. — 1 mark
- Also acceptable: Deforestation, overgrazing, industrial effluents.
| Column A — Place / Feature | Column B — Associated Resource / Fact | Match (Answer) |
|---|---|---|
| (i) Jharkhand | (a) Abundance of water resources | (c) |
| (ii) Arunachal Pradesh | (b) Black cotton soil region | (a) |
| (iii) Maharashtra | (c) Rich in minerals and coal | (b) |
| (iv) Rajasthan | (d) Sand dunes stabilised by shelter belts | (e) |
| (v) Chambal Basin | (e) Solar and wind energy potential | (d) |
Correct matches: (i)→(c), (ii)→(a), (iii)→(b), (iv)→(e), (v)→(d) — ½ mark each
