61) [Rmoeunestoncerravesrions Q.1, What do you mean by rural development? Bring out the key issues in rural development. Ans, Rural Development refers to continuous and comprehensive socio-economic process, attempting to improve all aspects of rural life. Some of the key issues in rural development include: 1, Development of Human Resources: The quality of the human resource needs to be improved by giving proper attention to literacy and better Health facilities. 2, Development of Infrastructure: It involves improvementin electricity, irrigation, credit, marketing and transport facilities. 3, Land Reforms: It includes: (i) Elimination of exploitation in land relations; (i) Actualisation of the goal of'land to the tiller’ (ii) Improvement of socio-economic conditions of rural poor by widening their land base; (iv) Increasing agricultural productivity and production. 4, Alleviation of Poverty:Itincludes taking serious steps for alleviation of poverty and bringing significant improvement in living conditions of weaker sections. 5. Development of the productive resources of each locality to enhance opportunities of employment (particularly other than farming). .2, Discuss the importance of credit in rural development. ‘Ans. In agriculture, due to long time gap between crop sowing and realisation of income, farmers are in strong need for credit. Farmers need money to meet initial investment on seeds, fer iplements and other family expenses of marriage, death, religious ceremonies, etc. So, credit is one of the important factors, which contribute to agricultural production. An efficient and effective rural credit delivery system is crucial for raising agricultural productivity and incomes. Q.3. Exp in meeting credit requirements of the poor. or Discuss briefly the importance of micro-credit programmes in rural development. (CBSE, Sample Paper 2022-23) ‘Ans. Micro-credit or Self-Help Group (SHG) has emerged as the major micro finance programme in the country in recent years. * Their focusis largely on those rural poor, who have no sustainable access to the formal banking system. So, their target groups comprise of small and marginal farmers, agricultural and non-agricultural labourers, artisans, etc, * SHGs promote thrift in small proportions by a minimum contribution from each member. * From the pooled money, credit is given to the needy members at reasonable interest rates, which is to be repaid in small installments. * By May 2019, nearly 6 crore women in India have become member in 54 lakh women SHGs. Such Credit provisions are generally referred to as micro-credit programmes. SHGs have also helped in the empowerment of women, the role of micro-cre Q4, Explain the. steps taken by the government in developing rural markets. Ans. The steps taken by the government in developing rural markets, include the following measures: |. Regulated Markets: Regulated markets have been organised with a view to protect the farmers from " the malpractices of sellers and brokers. This policy benefited farmers as well as consumers. 2. Infrastructural Facilities: The Government aims to provide physical infrastructure facilities like roads, railways, warehouses, godowns, cold storages and processing units. Scanned with CamScanner3. Cooperative Marketing: The aim of cooperative marketing is to realise falr price for farmers’ products, Cooperative Marketing is a system in which the farmers pool their marketable surplus of crops and distribute the sale proceeds on the basis of each individual share. 4. Different Policy Instruments:in order to protect the farmers, the government has initiated the following Policies: (i) Minimum Support Prices (MSP):To safeguard the interest of farmers, government fixes the minimum support prices, which is regarded as an offer price, at which the Governmentiis willing to buy any amount of grains from the farmers. i) Maintenance of Buffer Stocks: The Food Corporation of India (FC!) purchases wheat and rice at the procurement prices, to maintain buffer stock. Buffer stock ensures regularity In supply and stability in prices. Ail) Public Distribution System (PDS): PDS operates through a network of ration shops and fair price shops, in which essential commodities like wheat, rice, kerosene, etc. are offered at a price below the market price, to the weaker sections of the society. as. ‘Why Is agricultural diversification essential for sustainable livelihoods? Ans. Agricultural diversification is essential for sustainable livelihoods because: (i) There is greater risk in depending exclusively on farming for livelihood; i). To provide supplementary gainful employment to rural people and to enable them to overcome Poverty by earning higher levels of income. as, Critically evaluate the role of the rural banking system in the process of rural development in India. Ans. Rapid expansion of the banking system had a positive effect on rural fatm and non-farm output, income and employment. After the green revolution, credit facilities helped farmers to avail variety of loans for meeting thelr production needs. With buffer stocks of grains, famines became events of the past. Even then, the following problems are being faced in the rural banking: (Insufficiency: The volume of rural credit in the country is still insufficientin comparison to its demand. AW) Inadequate Coverage of instit tional sources: The institutional credit arrangement continues to be 'madequate as they have failed to cover the entire rural farmers of the country. (Wi) Inadequate Amount of Sanction: The amount of loan sanctioned to the farmers is also inadequate. (Wv)_Lessattention to poor or marginal farmers: of needy farmers, ‘Lesser attention has been given on the credit requirements (¥) Growing Overdues: The problem of overdues in agricultural credit continues to! beanareaof concern. Agriculture loan default rates have been chronically hi refusing to pay back loans, which is a threat to the smo to be controlled. Thus, the expansion and promotion of the rural banking sector has taken a ba the commercial banks, other formal institutions failed to develop a culture of d to needy borrowers and effective loan recovery. To improve the situation: + Banks need to change their approach from just being lenders to buildin with the borrowers; and igh. Its alleged that farmers are deliberately oth functioning of banking system and needs \ckseat after reforms, Except leposit mobilization, lending 9 UP relationship banking + Farmers should also be encouraged to inculcate the habit of thrift and efficient utilisation of financial resources. 0.7. What do you mean by agricultural marketing? ral marketing is a process that involves assembling, storage, Processing, transportation, packaging, Ans. eed distribution of different agricultural commodities across the country. grading Scanned with CamScannerete Q.8. Mention some obstacles that hinder the mechanism of agricultural marketing. Ans, Some of the obstacles that hinder the mechanism of agricultural marketing are: () Agricultural markets are still dominated: by the private traders like moneylenders, rural political leaders, big merchants and rich farmers, Gi) The quantity of agricultural products, handled! by the government agencies and consumer cooperatives, constitutes only 10%, while the rest Is handled by the private sector. (iil) Lack of Storage Facility: The facilities avail far from satisfactory. (iv) Lack of Transportation: Due to absence produce at the village markets itself. () Lack of Market Information: Farmers were often forced to sell at low prices due to lack of required information on prices prevailing in markets, lable for storing the food grains and commercial crops are of proper road transportation facilities, they have to sell their 9, What are the alternative channels avallable for agricultural marketing? Give some examples. ‘Ans. Some of the alternative channels available for agricultural marketing are: (0) Farmers Market: The concept of farmers market has been started to give boost to the small farmers by Providing them direct access to the ‘consumers and eliminating the middlemen. Some examples of these channels are: (i) Apni Mandi in Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan; i) Hadaspar Mandi in Pune: (i) Rythu Bazars in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana; iv) Uzhavar Sandies (farmers market in Tamil Nadu). (il) Alliance with National and Multinational Companies: Several national and multinational fast food chains are increasingly entering into contracts/alllances with farmers. * They encourage the farmers to cultivate farm products (vegetables, fruits, etc.) of the desired quality. * They provide them with not only seeds and other inputs, but also assure procurement of the produce at pre-decided prices. + Such arrangements help in reducing the price risk of farmers and expand the market for farm products. Q.10. Distinguish between ‘Green Revolution’ and ’Golden Revolutio: Green Revolution ES Green Revolution refers to the large increase | The period during which there was rapid in production of food grains due to use of | growth in the production of horticultural high yielding variety (HYV) seeds. crops such as fruits, vegetables, flowers, etc. Is known as Golden Revolution. 2. | Itled toincreasein the production, especially, | It led to increase In production of fruits, : of rice and wheat. vegetables, flowers, etc. 4 | 7 Green Revolution made India self-sufficient | Golden Revolution made India a world leader ; in the production of food grains, in the production of mangoes, bananas, coconut and spices. V1. Doyou think various measures taken by the government to improve agricultural marketing are sufficient? Discuss. NS. Government has adopted varlous measures for Improving agricultural marketing such as regulation of markets, provision of infrastructural facilities, cooperative marketing and different policy instruments like Minimum Support Prices (MSP), Public Distribution System (PDS), etc. However, even after these Measures taken by the government, there are varlous obstacles that hinder the mechanism of agricultural marketing. For‘obstacles that hinder the mechanism of agricultural marketing; refer Ans. 8 of Guidelines to NCERT Questions: Scanned with CamScannerQ. 12. Explain the role of non-farm employment in promoting rural diversification. Ans. The following are the importance of non-farm employment opportunities in promoting rural diversification: (i) Theres greater riskin depending exclusively on farming for livelihood. Non-farm employment provides Productive sustainable livelihood options to rural people. (ii) Most of the agricultural employment activities are concentrated in the Kharif season. However, during the Rabi season, it becomes difficult to find gainful employment in the areas where there are inadequate irrigation facilities. So, diversification into non-farm areas proves to be crucial Non-farm Activities have several segments. Some segments of non-farm activities possess dynamic linkages that permit healthy growth. (iv) The output of non-farm sectors acts as an input for the large scale industries. For example, agro- processing industries, leather industry, etc. Q. 13. Bring out the importance of animal husbandry, fisheries and horticulture as a source of diversification. Ans, The importance of animal husbandry or livestock farming will be clear from the following points: (i) Animal husbandry provides alternate livelihood options to over 70 million small and marginal farmers, including landless labourers. (i) It provides increased stability in income, food security, transport, fuel and nutrition for the family, without disrupting other food producing activities. (iid A significant number of women also find employment in the livestock sector. Fisheries sector plays an important role in the socio-economic development of the country. (West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu are major fish producing states. (i) A significant number of women also find employment in the fishing, 60% of the workforce in export marketing and 40% in internal marketing are women, (ll) Fish production contributes 0.9% to India’s GOP, Horticulture s an important sector for potential diversification and value addition in agriculture. india has emerged as a world leader in Producing a variety of fruits, vegetables and a number of spices. (Horticulture has improved economic condition of man livelihood for many unprivileged classes too. (il) Flower harvesting, in rural areas. yy farmers and has become a Meansof improving Nursery maintenance, etc.are highly remunerative employment options for women Q.14, ‘Information technology plays a very signifi security’ comment. Ans. Information Technology (7) has revolutionized many sectors in the Indian economy. tis widely accepted {hat I will playa critical role in achieving sustainable development and food security in the 21 century. * Through appropriate information and software tools, government has been able to predict areas of food insecurity and vulnerability, to prevent or reduce the likelihood of an emergency. * FTalso circulates information regarding emerging technologies and its applications, prices, weather and soil conditions for growing different crops, etc. * ITsector is also generating employment opportunities in th (ie. PC with internet, scanner, etc.) have been started in the a reasonable income by providing different services like e- + Taimstomake every villagea knowledge center, where it and livelihood. Q.15. What is organic farming and how does it promote sustainable development? ‘Ans, Organic farming isthe form of agriculture that relies on techniques such as crop rotation, compost and biological pest control, icant role in achieving sustainable development and food 'e backward areas, For example, info kiosks Turalareas, to enable the kiosk owner earn ‘mail, video-conferens green manure, Scanned with CamScannerOrganic farming is the process of producing safe and healthy food, without leaving any adverse impact on the environment. This method avoids the use of synthetic chemical fertilizers and genetically modified organisms. It means, organic farming promotes sustainable development as it restores, maintains and enhances the ecological balance. The produce of organic farming Is pesticide-free and is produced in an environmentally sustainable way. Q.16, Identify the benefits and limitations of organic farming, ‘Ans, The benefits of organic farming are: (i) Economical Farming: Organic Farming offers a means to substitute costlier agricultural inputs (such as HYV seeds, chemical fertilizers, pesticides, etc.) with locally produced cheaper organic inputs. (ii) Generates income through exports: It generates income through international exports as demand for organically grown crops is on a rise. (i) Provides Healthy Food: It provides healthy food as organically grown food has more nutritional value than food grown through chemical farming, iv) Source of Employment: Organic farming generates more employment opportunities as it requires more labour input than conventional farming. (V) Safety of environment: the produce of organic farming is pesticide-free and is produced in an environmentally sustainable way. The limitations of organic farming are: () Less Popular: Organic farming needs to be popularized by creating awareness and willingness on the part of farmers, for adoption of new technology. Thereis a serious need for an appropriate agriculture policy to promote organic farming. (i) Lack of infrastructure and marketing facilities: Organic farming faces problems of inadequate infrastructure and marketing facilities. (il) Low Yield; Organic farming has a lesser yield in the initial years as compared to modern agricultural farming, As a result, small and marginal farmers find difficult to adapt to large-scale production. (iv) Shorter food rganic produce has a shorter shelf life as compared to sprayed produce. (v) Limited choice of crops: The choice in production of off-season cropsis quite limited in organic farming. Q.17. Enlist some problems faced by farmers during the initial years of organic farming. (CBSE, Sample Paper 2022-23) Ans. Some of the problems faced by farmers during the initial years of organic farming are: (i) In the initial years, organic farming has a lesser yield as compared to modern agricultural farming. As a result, small and marginal farmers find difficult to adapt to large-scale production. {i Organic farming faces problems of inadequate infrastructure and marketing facilities. (ii) Organic produce has a shorter shelf life as compared to sprayed produce. (iv) The choice in production of off-season crops is quite limited in organic farming. .18, “Jan-Dhan Yojana helps in the rural development” Do you agree with this statement? Explain. ‘Ans. | totally agree with the given statement. The Pradhan Mantri Jan-Dhan Yojana (PMUDY) isa) financialinclusion scheme launched by Indian Government. The term financial inclusion’ means that more and more people should be included in the country's financial system and avail financial services. In acountry like India, there nefits are millions of individuals living in rural areas that do not have a bank account and cannot avail the ben a thata banking account can provide. The Jan-Dhan Yojana aims to help such persons and make sure they car credit services, pensions and insurance get affordable financial products like bank accounts, remittances, P . Account holders under Jan-Dhan Yojana are entitled to get @ 1-2 lakh accidental insuranc® cota and overdraft facilities upto % 10,000 and get their wages, old age pension and other social security pay! i ini ince. It has of the government transferred to bank accounts. There is no need to keep minimum bank bala i i 2a. indirectly promoted thrift habit and led to efficient allocation of financial resources in rural ar Scanned with CamScanner