CH 1- THE STORY OF VILLAGE PALAMPUR

SOCIAL STUDIES(ECONOMICS)

CLASS-IX

1. Modern farming methods require more inputs which are manufactured in industries. Do you
agree?
Answer:
Yes, it is correct to say that modern farming methods require more inputs which are manufactured
in industries. It is because modern farming methods use high-yielding varieties of seeds. These seeds
require both chemical fertilisers and pesticides, agricultural implementations like tractors and
proper irrigation facilities like electric tube wells, and all these elements are manufactured in
industries. However, on the other hand, traditional farming methods use a relatively low-yielding
variety of seeds and use cow dung and other natural manures as fertiliser, which is why they are less
dependent on industrial outputs.
2. How did the spread of electricity help farmers in Palampur?
Answer:
The spread of electricity helped the farmers of Palampur as it aided in the transformation of the
irrigation system of the village. The farmers earlier used Persian wheels to draw water from wells
and irrigate small fields. But after the spread of electricity, electric tube wells replaced these Persian
wheels. The first tube well was installed by the Government, but later, private tube wells were also
set up by the farmers, resulting in the cultivation of the entire 200 hectares of irrigated land by the
1970s.
3. Is it important to increase the area under irrigation? Why?
Answer:
It is important to increase the land under irrigation because farming is the main source of income for
the maximum part of the population in India and only less than 40 per cent of the land is cultivable
in the country. Farmers are dependent on the erratic monsoon season, and if the rainfall is less,
farmers are bound to suffer a major loss. So if the water is provided for irrigation to the farmers for a
larger portion of land, it would give better output and make more land cultivable in India and also
encourage farmers to take up newer farming methods without the fear of suffering loss.
4. Construct a table on the distribution of land among the 450 families of Palampur.
Answer:
The distribution of land among the 450 families of Palampur is as given below:

5. Why are the wages for farm labourers in Palampur less than minimum wages?
Answer:
There are many landless farm labourers who are paid less than the minimum wages in Palampur.
The Government-declared wage for a farm labourer is Rs 300 per day, but the competition for work
among the farm labourers is very high, which is why people agree to work for lower wages.
6. What are the different ways of increasing production on the same piece of land? Use examples
to explain.
Answer:
To grow more than one crop on a piece of land during the year is known as multiple cropping. It is
the most common way of increasing production on a given piece of land. The best example of this is
the cultivation in Palampur. In Palampur, jowar and bajra grow during the rainy season, followed by
potato between October and December, and during the winter season, wheat is sown in the fields.
The main reason for this is the well-developed system of irrigation.
7. Describe the work of a farmer with 1 hectare of land.
Answer:
A farmer with 1 hectare of land will be called a small farmer. Since the area for cultivation is small,
the outcome may also not be high. So, in order to be able to get the best possible yield, the farmer
needs money. This money is borrowed from a moneylender at a high interest rate and at times may
also have to work as a farm labourer for the moneylender. Once the farm is cultivated, the produce
has to be divided for personal use and for selling in the market. Whatever profit is earned, the
farmer has to usually give it away to the moneylender, and little money is left for the use of the
farmer himself. The only help a small farmer gets is that of his family members.
8. How do the medium and large farmers obtain capital for farming? How is it different from the
small farmers?
Answer:
Large and medium farmers sell surplus farm products from a part of their produce. A part of the
earnings is saved and kept for buying capital for the next season. A few of them give away the
savings to small farmers and loans at high interest rates and get back the amount by the next
season. Thus, they are able to arrange for the capital for farming from their own savings. Some
farmers might also use the savings to buy cattle, trucks, or to set up shops.
9. On what terms did Savita get a loan from Tejpal Singh? Would Savita’s condition be different if
she could get a loan from the bank at a low rate of interest?
Answer:
Savita got a loan from Tejpal Singh at the rate of interest of 24 per cent for four months and also had
to work for Tejpal Singh as a farm labourer at the wage of Rs 100 per day during the harvest season.
The case would have been different if Savita had taken the loan from a bank. The rate of interest
would have been lesser than what was asked by Tejpal Singh and also she would have been able to
pay complete attention to her own field during the time of harvest.
10. What are the non-farm production activities taking place in your region? Make a short list.
Answer:
The non-farm production activities taking place in our region are as follow:

1. Dairy
2. Transportation
 3. General Stores
4. Fishing
5. Mining

11. What can be done so that more non-farm production activities can be started in villages?
Answer:
To promote more non-farm production activities in villages, the following steps can be taken:

1. Loans must be available for people at lower interest rates so that they can start the non-
farm production activities.
2. Proper markets should be set up so that the produced goods can be sold.
3. The concerned authorities must set up better transportation between cities and villages so
that the produced goods can be transported to cities and more money can be earned
through the non-farming activities.

12. How can you say that Palampur is a well-developed village?

Answer:
Palampur is a well-developed village because :

• This village has about 450 families belonging to several different castes. The 80 upper
caste families own the majority of land in the village. Their houses, some of them
quite large, are made of brick with cement plastering.
• The SCs (dalits) comprise one-third of the population and live in one corner of the
village and in much smaller houses, some of which are of mud and straw.
• Most of the houses have electric connections. Electricity powers all the tubewells in
the fields and is used in various types of small business.
• Palampur has two primary schools and one high school. There is a primary health
centre run by the government and one private dispensary where the sick are treated.

13. Mention the main features of the Green Revolution.

Answer:
The main features of Green Revolution are :

• Increase in the production of wheat and rice.

• Use of chemical fertilizers.
• Use of insecticides and pesticides.
• Use of High Yielding Varieties (HYVs) of seeds.
• Mechanisation of agriculture. (Any three)

14. What are the harmful effects of the Green Revolution.

Answer:
The harmful effects of the Green Revolution are :

• The Green Revolutions is responsible for the loss of soil fertility due to increased use
of chemical fertilizers.
• The chemical fertilizers provide minerals which dissolve in water and are immediately
available to plants. But, these may not be retained in the soil for long.
15. What do you mean by working capital?
Answer:
Production requires a variety of raw materials such as the yarn used by the weaver and the clay used
by the potter. Also, some money is always required during production to make payments and buy
other necessary items. Raw materials and money in hand are called working capital. Unlike tools,
machines and buildings, these are used up in production.

16. What was the major disadvantage associated with HYV seeds? Explain.
Answer:
The biggest disadvantage associated with HYV seeds is the requirement of plenty of water and
chemical fertilisers and pesticides to produce best results. Higher yields are possible only from
combination of HYV seeds, irrigation, chemical fertilisers, pesticides, etc. Chemical fertilisers and
pesticides degrade our environment by killing necessary bacteria in soil. Poor farmers can not afford
HYV seeds due to increased requirement of fertilisers and machinery. New machinery replaced
manual labour leading to unemployment and rural-urban migration.

17. Discuss dairy farming, a non-farming, activity in village Palampur, in detail.

Answer:
Dairy is a common activity in many families of Palampur. People feed their buffalos on various kinds
of grass, the jowar and bajra that grow during the rainy season. The milk is sold in Raiganj, the
nearby large village.
Two traders from Shahpur town have set up collection cum chilling centers at Raiganj from where
the milk is transported to far away towns and cities.

18. Discuss small-scale manufacturing, a non-farming activity in village Palampur, in detail.

Answer:

• Less than fifty people are engaged in manufacturing in Palampur.

• Unlike the manufacturing that takes place in the big factories in the towns and cities,
manufacturing in Palampur involves very simple production methods and are done on
a small scale.
• They are carried out mostly at home or in the fields with the help of family labour.
Rarely are labourers hired.

19. 4Describe transportation, a non-farming activity in village Palampur, in detail.

Answer:

• There are varieties of vehicles on the road connecting Palampur to Raiganj.

• Rickshawallahs, tongawallahs, jeep, tractor, truck drivers and people driving the
traditional bullock cart and bogey are people in the transport services.
• They ferry people and goods from one place to another, and in return get paid for it.
The number of people involved in transport has grown over the last several years.

20. How did Mishrilal managed to get a small profit in his business?
Answer:
Mishrilal has purchased a mechanical sugarcane crushing machine that run on electricity and has set
it up on his field. Sugarcane crushing was earlier done with the help of bullocks, but people prefer to
do it by machines these days.

• Mishrilal also buys sugarcane from other farmers and processes it into jaggery. The jaggery is
then sold to traders at Shahpur. In the process, Mishrilal makes a small profit.

21.What do you mean by physical capital? What are the items that come under physical capital?
Answer:
Physical capital includes the variety of inputs required at every stage during production. The
following items come under the category of physical capital:
(a) Tools, machines, buildings: Tools and machines range from very simple tools such as a farmer’s
plough to sophisticated machines such as generators, turbines, computers, etc. Tools, machines,
building can be used in production over many years.
(b) Raw materials and money in hand: Production requires a variety of raw materials such as the
yarn used by the weaver and the clay used by the potter. Also, some money is always required
during production to make payments and buy other necessary items. Raw materials and money in
hand are called working capital.

22. Write a short note on shopkeeping, a non-farming activity in village Palampur.

Answer:
There are very less people involved in trade in Palampur. The traders of Palampur are shopkeepers
who buy various goods from wholesale markets in the cities and sell them in the village. There are
small general stores in the village selling a wide range of items like rice, wheat, sugar, tea, oil,
biscuits, soap, toothpaste, batteries, candles, notebooks, pen, pencil, even some clothes. A few of
the families whose houses are close to the bus stand have used a part of the space to open small
shops. They sell eatables.

23. What are the various types of crops grown in village Palampur?
Answer:
The entire land is cultivated in village Palampur. There are different types of crops grown in the
village.
During the rainy season (kharif,) farmers grow jowar and bajra. These plants are used as cattle feed.
It is followed by cultivation of potato between October and December. In the winter season (rabi),
fields are sown with wheat. A part of the land area is also devoted to sugarcane which is harvested
once every year. Sugarcane, in its raw form, or as jaggery, is sold to traders in Shahpur.

24. What do you mean by surplus? How is the sale of surplus farm products done?
Answer:
Surplus is the difference between the quantity of total production of the crop produced by the
farmer and the quantity that he keeps for self-consumption.

Medium and large farmers produce a large surplus of the crop. By selling this surplus crop in the
market, they earn income. The traders at the market buy the crop and sell it further to the
shopkeepers in the towns and cities.

25. How is the required capital in farming arranged?

Answer:
• Most small farmers have to borrow money to arrange for the capital. They borrow
from large farmers or the village moneylenders or the traders who supply various
inputs for cultivation. The rate of interest on such loans is very high. They are put to
great distress to repay the loan.
• In contrast to the small farmers, the medium and large farmers have their own
savings from farming. They are, thus, able to arrange for the capital needed.