Punjab Class 12 Geography 2023 : Most Important Question with Answers

Punjab Class 12 Geography 2023 : Most Important Question with Answers

Students preparing for Punjab Board Class 12th Geography paper must go through the practice questions for Class 12th 2023. You can read important practice questions in this article. Students can analyze their performance and work on the weak sections.

Most Important Question with Answers

Ques 1:- Define Human Geography?

Ans:- Human geography is the study of man and his adjustment to his natural environment.
According to Fredric Ratzel, “Human geography is the study of relationship between human societies and earth’s surface”.

Ques 2:- What do you understand by nature of human geography?

Ans:- Human geography covers three themes:-

1. Spatial analysis:- It contain the description of human phenomenas around the earth surface, with special attention to the significance of space as a variable.

2. Inter relationship between human and environment:- In this, we study inter relationship between human beings and environment both naturally and socio-economically.

3. Regional synthesis:- It is the combination of the above two themes spatial analysis and inter relationship between human and environment in different localities on spatial scale.

Ques 3:- Explain the scope of human geography in Detail?

Ans:-

1. Introduction :- Each of the Physical, biological and social science had its own philosophy and methodology. Geography has its relations with other subject also. It includes the study of

3) Population geography/Demography

4) Botany (study of plants)

5) Zoology (study of animals)

2. Scope of human Geography :- Geography subject is inter-related to many other subjects. Exactly like geography, our human geography, the major thrust or emphasis is on the study of man and his relationship with his environment. In other words, we can say that it is the study of human societies, his habitat and development.

Ques 4:- Discuss major developments in human Geography?

Ans:- Major developments in human geography are:-

Ques 5:- What is a geographical thought? Explain main geographical thoughts or philosophies of geography in detail?

Ans:- 1. Introduction:- Geographical thought or philosophy is the study of theories that have shaped the subject of geography as a full fledge discipline and helped it to become an important subject in itself. In brief, “Geographic thought is the development of geographic knowledge in particular places, time and context”.

i. Determinism:- This is the oldest philosophy of geography. According this philosophy, natural environment is more important and it is everything for us. It is only the natural environment which controls human, his activities, his history, his culture, his religion, his customs etc. Human is a slave of his natural environment.

Supporters of Determinism:-

These environmentalists or determinists supports the philosophy of determinism. According to all of them, “Man is just a slave to his master called natural environment. Natural environment is the supreme power.

ii. Possibiulism:- In this philosophy, an emphasis was given to human which was totally ignored in determinism philosophy. In determinism philosophy, the emphasis was on natural environment but in possibiulism, human was considered as master of natural environment. Human with the help of his intellect gave birth to so many possibilities

Supporters of Possibilism:-

According to Febver, “There are no necessities, but everywhere possibilities”. According to the supporters of possibiulism, man is not a slave of his natural environment rather he is the master of environment. Man is supreme.

iii. Neo- Determinism:- The concept of Neo- Determinism reflect middle path between determinism and possibiulism.

Supporters of Neo-Determinism:- The main supporter of Neo- determinism was. TAYLOR Taylor defined Neo- determinism as “stop and go determinism”. And said that those who have visited the cities might have seen that traffic is regulated by traffic lights an cross roads. Red light means “STOP” yellow light provides a gap between red and green light “TO GET SET ” and green light means “GO ”. It means that human being can conquer nature by obeying it. They have to respond to the red signals given by nature and proceed in the process of his own development only when nature permits the modifications. It means that possibilities can be created within the limits, and which further do not damage environment.

iv. Radical Approach/ Philosophy:- The radical approach in geography was developed in 1970. The word “radical” means to bring change are the bring a revolution in the primitive thoughts and philosophies present in the society. The followers of radical approach in geography mainly concentrated on the issues of the great social importance like:-

 Inequality

 Racisim

 Crime

 Discrimination against women

 Exploitation of Natural resources etc.

Ques 7:- Describe some important Philosophers of Human Geography?

Ans:-

Ques 8:- How many types of branches of Geography (Broadly) are there? What is the relation of Human geography with other subjects?

Ans:-

Ques 9:- Define spatial distribution as per Penguin Dictionary?

Ans:- According to Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography:- “Spatial distribution is a distribution or set of geographic observations representing the values or behavior of a particular phenomenon or characteristic across many locations on the surface of the earth”.

Ques 10:- Define Human Resources or Population?

Ans:- Human being is the most valuable resources of any country in the world. The people of country is called its population.

Ques 11:- What is Distribution of population?

Ans:- The total number of people living in a specific political boundary at a specific period of time is called distribution of population.

Ques 12:- What is Density of population?

Ans:- The number of persons per square kilometer in a specific political boundary and at a specific period of time is called Density of population. Formula:-

Ques 13:- What is Birth Rate? (B.R)?

Ans:- The total number of newly born infants in a specific political boundary and at a specific period of time is called Birth Rate (B.R.).

Ques 14:- What is Death Rate (D.R.)?

Ans:- The total number of deaths in a specific political boundary and at a specific period of time is called Death rate (D.R.).

Ques 15:- What is Population Growth or Growth of population? (G.R.)?

Ans:- The difference between the total Birth rate (B.R.) and total Death rate (D.R.) in a specific political boundary and at a specific period of time is called Growth of population.

Formula:-

Ques 16:- When is world Population Day celebrated?

Ans:- 11 July.

Ques 17:- What is the total population of India according to census 2011?

Ans:- According to 2011 Census:-

Ques 18:- Discuss factors effecting Population? OR Discuss factors effecting density or distribution of population.

Ans:- Some of the major causes or factors which influence the population distribution or the density of population are listed as under:-

1. Climate:- It is one of the most significant factor which influences the population distribution and population density to a greater extent. People do not want to settle in the regions of very hot or very cold climatic conditions therefore the population density in such areas will be very sparse or negligible only. On the other hand people have to live or reside in the areas of comfortable climatic conditions.

2. Relief and type of Soil:- The people prefer to inhabit the regions with fertile soils and plains or gentle slope terrain. Highly slope and low land regions or the regions of poor soils are not preferred or the least preferred by the human beings for their settlement.

3. Availability of Water:- Humans require water for their various needs. Potable water is necessary for drinking purposes. The regions with salty or unsafe water are also not considered fit for settlement purposes.

4. Minerals or Natural Resources:- The minerals or the natural resources play a very decisive role in the economic development of the region, where they are available. The human development is directly linked with the economic development of a region. Therefore the areas rich in minerals and other natural resources become the choice areas for human settlement.

5. Means of transport and communication:- The development of means of transport and communication is one of the necessary factors for the movement and other economic activities of the people of an area. Therefore the people prefer to settle in the region or area with well developed network of transport and communication.

6. Supply of Electricity:- Today with the increase in human comforts, the electricity has become one of the most necessary requirement. The areas with cheaper and continuous supply of electricity become attraction for the human settlement, hence will have more population as compared to other electricity deficient areas.

7. Social causes or factors:- The social factors also influence the population distribution or the population density to some extent. People want to leave the areas with useless old customs and traditions and get attracted towards the areas where educated people with positive thinking reside.

8. Political factors:- Political factors do play a greater role in the population distribution over an area. If the Government is not able to meet the expectations of the people of the Government policies are against a particular community or religion, then the people will not prefer to settle over that region. They will find some other suitable and favourable place to settle down. That is why the inhabitant friendly areas are densely populated.

9. Historical factors:- Sometimes the people do not want to settle at a new place rather they prefer the place or the area where their ancestors used to live. People may prefer to live or concentrate over a place of their religions faith or a place of historical importance. The places like Sri Amritsar Sahib (Punjab) Mcleodganj (Himachal Pradesh). Agra (Uttar Pradesh), Jaipur (Rajasthan), Shirdi (Maharashtra) and Mecca the holiest city for Mulsims (Saudi Arabia) are worth mentioning having good concentration of population.

10. Economic Factors:- One has to adopt some economic activity to carry on his life as well as the family. Therefore the economically developed areas where there are good employment opportunities and possibilities of trade, business etc. attract a large number of people. The cities like Ludhiana, Delhi, Gurugram. Bangaluru etc. are densely populated because these are providing employment opportunities at a larger scale.

 

 

 

Ques 20:- Define Age composition? What do you know about age composition patterns in India?

Ans:- When population of any country at a specific period of time is divided into different age groups, then it is called age composition of that country. For example, how many children, old persons and young ones are there in a country. Children and old persons comes under the category of dependent population where as young population is called worker population on which children and old population (dependent population) is totally dependent for their survival. The knowledge of different age groups is significant from the point of creation of employment opportunities as well as providing them with the amenities and facilities. If we talk of age composition in India, the scenario is not the encouraging one because the percentage of dependent population is quite high.

DIFFERENT AGE GROUPS IN INDIA:-

Ques 21:- Define Sex Ratio. What is the position of this Ratio in India ?

Ans :- 1. Sex Ratio :- In India, the sex ratio means the number of women per thousand of men .

2. Formula :-

3. Perfect Balanced Sex Ratio :- If the sex ratio is 1000 it indicates the perfect balance between the number of males and females.

4. State / Position of Sex Ratio in India :-

Ques 22:- Define Literacy. What is the status of literacy in India ?

Ans :- 1. Literacy :- The dictionary meaning of literacy is the ability to read and write but as per the definition given by the Census of India, it is the ability to read and write with understanding in any language. Therefore, a person aged seven years or more who can read and write with understanding in any language is called a ‘literate’. Literacy is one of the most significant parameters of the Human Development Index (HDI) of a country.

2. The top ten countries in the world in the terms of literacy are :– Russia, Canada, Japan, Israel, USA, South Korea, New Zealand, UK, Finland and Australia. The literacy rate for whole of the world is 86.3% which shows that out of 100 persons 86.3 persons are literate.

3. Literacy Rates of Some Neighboring Countries of India :–

4. Literacy Rate :- It is the total percentage of the population aged seven years and above of an area at a particular time who can read and write any language with understanding.

It is calculated as :-

5. Literacy in India :- The total literacy rate of India as per census 2011 is 73% with 80.9% male literacy and 64.60% female literacy respectively

6. Literacy of India :- i. The state of Kerala with 94% literacy rate ranks first among the Indian states whereas the states of Mizoram (91.3%) and Goa (88.70%) stands at 2 nd and 3rd positions. The state of Bihar has the lowest literacy rate (61.80%) in the country. ii. The Union Territories like Lakshadweep (91.8%) and Daman & Diu (87.10%) rank 1st and 2nd amongst the Union Territories of the county. Dadra and Nagar Haveli has the lowest literacy rate (76.20%) of all the UTs. iii. The state of Punjab has 75.8% literacy as per the Census 2011 with 80.4% and 70.7% male and female literacy respectively. iv. Hoshiarpur district with 84.6% literacy rate ranks first and Mansa district with 61.8% literacy rate ranks last in the state.

Ques 23:- Discuss Demographic transition theory in detail?

Ans :- I. Introduction:- Demographic transition theory is the best documented and significant event of recent demographic history. The demographic transition theory in its original form was given by W.S. Thompson and Frank Notestein.

II. Stages of Demographic Transition Theory:-

Stage 1:- i. In stage one, pre-industrial society, death rates and birth rates are high and roughly in balance.

ii. Population growth is typically very slow in this stage, because the society is constrained by the available food supply.

Stage 2:- i. This stage is characterised by high but gradually declining fertility rate (Birth Rate) of over 30 per thousand and a sharply reduced mortality rate (Death Rate) of over 15 per thousand.

ii. In this stage medical, sanitation and food facilities result in sharp decline in mortality rate but the fertility rate maintain a high level through with some signs of graduate decline.

iii. Here in this stage, the population growth rate will be very high.

iv. This stage with high fertility rate (High Birth Rate) and low mortality rate (Low Death Rate) is also called the stage of ‘Population explosion’.

v. Most of the developing countries of the world are passing through this explosive stage of demographic transition.

vi. India is also passing through this stage but it is appreciable that the fertility rate (Birth Rate) in the country is showing the gradual decline.

Stage 3:- i. The third or the last stage is attained when both the fertility and mortality rates (Birth & Death Rates) decline to a considerable extent.

ii. The population is either stable or grows very slowly.

iii. The technical know- how of the society is abundant, there is deliberate control over the family size.

iv. The literacy level is very high. v. The society is fully industrialized and highly urbanised.

vi. The countries or the regions like USA, Canada, Europe, former. USSR, Japan, Australia, Newzealand etc. are supposed to have reached this stage of demographic transition.

Ques 24:- Define Urbanisation? Discuss its state in India?

Ans :- URBANISATION:-

I. Introduction:- Majority of the population of India resides in the villages but due to better conditions many want to settle in the cities or the urban centres. People from the villages also get attracted towards the cities for better amenities & facilities as well as the employment opportunities available to them. In the year 1911 only 10.29 percent people of India used to live in the cities but as per census 2011 this percentage has reached 31.16 percent.

II. As the guidelines of United Nations, the census department of India has categoriesed the cities (Urban Centres) into the following classes:-

i. First Class Cities:- The cities which have population of one Lakh or more are included in this category.

ii. Second Class Cities:- These are the cities which have population of 50,000 to 99,999 persons.

iii. Third Class Cities:- The cities having population between 20,000 to 49,999 persons.

iv. Fourth Class Cities:- The Urban centres or cities which have population between 10,000 to 19,999 persons are included in this category.

v. Fifty Class Cities:- The Urban centres where the population ranges between 5,000 to 9,999 pesons are recognised as fifth class cities.

vi. Sixth Class Cities:- The Urban centres which have population less than 5000 persons are included in this category.

III. Major Problems:- Some of the major problems being faced by the cities due to over urbanization are listed as uunder:-

i. Problem of Space

ii. Shortage of Houses

iii. Emerging of Slums

iv. Shortage in means of transportation

v. Problem of Drinkable water

vi. Problems of Pollution in the cities

vii. Rise in number of crimes in the cities

viii. Over crowding and traffic problems

IV. URBANISATION IN INDIA:-

V. URBAN PLANNING:- To overcome the sharply rising urban problems, there is strong need for sincere efforts at the government level. Appropriate planning at the right time saves money as well as time in providing the required amenities and facilities to the citizens of the cities or other urban centres. The urban planning should be done by keeping the future needs and problems of the citizens.

Ques 25:- Describe Indian Diaspora in detail?

Ans :- INDIAN DIASPORA:-

I. Introduction:- The term ‘Diaspora is derived from a Greek word meaning dispersion'. It was used by Jewish people denoting their worldwide dispersion outside their homeland,’ the land of Israel'.

II. INDIAN DIASPORA:- i. The history of Indian Diaspora refers to the ages immemorial. ii. During the Colonial Period' (British Rule in India) the indentured (bonded) labour from India and other parts of Asia was employed by the British.

iii. Much of the recruitment of this type of labour was done from Western Bihar, U.P., Bengal and Orissa to work on the sugar, cotton, tea, plantations and rail construction projects in British Colonies in West Indies. Africa, S-E Asia or other countries.

iv. The dispersion (migration in the Post Colonial Period (Independent India) is entirely different as compared to the Ancient, Medieval and Colonial Period. The people mostly from middle class have migrated to other countries. They constitute skilled as well as nonskilled persons.

v. Even a large number of people from Doaba belt of Punjab have migrated to the countries like UK, Canada, USA, Australia etc.

vi. The Indian Diaspora is a generic term to describe the people who migrated from territories that are currently within the borders of the Republic of India. It also refers to their descendants.

vii. The Diaspora covers practically every part of the world. Indian Diaspora in some of the countries is shown as under:-

viii. All the Indian Diaspora should be woven into an integrated network so that they can do betterment for their own homeland too. Indian public needs to acquaint with the achievements as well as the burning issues of the Indian Diaspora.

Ques 27:- Define Human settlements ?

Ans :- The place or locality where one builds his/her house is known as settlement. This settlement may be a permanent or temporary one. Because Food, Clothing and Shelter Constitute the three basic needs of the human beings, hence every person has a dream to have his own house and desires to have a settled life.

The settlement may include buildings used for residential, industrial, commercial, administrative, religious, educational or recreational purpose.

The human settlement can be classified on the basis of their –

• Site
• Location
• Size
• Shape
• Function
• Origin
• Planning etc.

Ques 28:- What are Growth Poles and Growth Centres ?

Ans :- 1. Introduction :- The concept of ‘Growth Pole’ was firstly developed by Francis Perroux in 1955 and further expanded by Mr. Bouldville. According to them the growth does not appear everywhere at the same time rather it occurs in Poles, Centres and Points with variable intensity.

2. According to R.P. Mishra ‘Growth foci’ or ‘Growth Focal Point’ includes four tiers i.e. :-

i. Service Centres of the local level.

ii. Growth Points.

iii. Growth Centres.

iv. Growth Poles.

3. Growth :- Service Centres and Growth points are the smaller level service centres and local centres as for as the Growth is concerned. The Growth Centres occupy the third level of hierarchy in the Growth foci or ‘Growth focal points’.

4. Growth Centres :- Growth centres are generally the production centres where manufacturing is the chief function. It is a centre of marked secondary and tertiary functions. Growth centres can serve a population of 1 to 2 lakh within their zones of influence. Due to their functional nature these are called the Growth Centres. They serve the industrial hub of the area. These Centres are equipped with the facility of grain collection, storage, sale centres of agricultural equipment, fertilizers and pesticides apart from the educational institution.

5. Growth Poles :- Growth Poles occupy the highest level of the growth ‘foci’ hierarchy. Such centres generally have a population of 5 lakh to 25 lakh. The tertiary service have a higher share than the secondary and the primary activities. Growth poles are the nodal centres of regional economic development where financial educational, technological and industrial sectors predominate.

Ques 29:- Define Economic Geography ? Discuss its sectors in detail.

Ans :- 1. Economic Geography :- Economic geography is the study of the location, distribution and spatial organization of economic activities across the world. A geographer may also examine material flow, commodity flow, population flow and information flow from different parts of the economic activity system. Through analysis of flow and production, industrial areas, rural and urban residential areas, transportation site, commercial service facilities and finance and other economic centres are linked together in an economic activity system.

2. Sectors of Economic Geography :-

Ques 30:- Discuss Changing trends in Agriculture in detail ?

Ans :- 1. Introduction :-  Agriculture patterns in the world have been changing rapidly. Agriculture profession is turning obnoxious to most of the farmers in the world.

2. Changing trends in agriculture :-

i. The share of agricultural and allied sectors to the global GDP is decreasing rapidly. India has a reduced share of 17 percent while China with 10 percent and USA has left with 1.5 percent share to their GDP.

ii. There are four agricultural seasons : Kharif (rainy season)-zaid (changing season)-rabi (winter crops)-Zaid(transitional season).

iii. Tropical lands will maintain its lead in tobacco, marijuana, hemp and opium production. Politically disturbed areas will remain the progenitors of narcotics.

iv. The global production is highly responsive to elnino and laNina. There is a decline in food grains production in tropical world during elnino years while observes the boost in laNina years. The reverse is true for temperate world.

v. Alluvial soils are dominated by food grains crops while volcanic soils have preponderance of cotton and sugarcane fields. Wheat is the main staple food of the world while rice is the main staple food of Asia and India. vi. The temperate world will remain dominant in dairy farming.

vi. The temperate world will remain dominant in dairy farming.

vii. Tropical and subtropical countries with harsh climates and low lactation livestock have started competing with the rest of the world.

Ques 31:- Define Pastoralism ?

Ans :- 1. People living in the different climatic conditions selected and domesticated animals found in those regions. Depending on the geographical factors, and technological development, animal rearing today is practiced either at the subsistence or at the commercial level.

2. Pastoralism in the Indian Himalayas :- Pastoralism in the Himalayas is based on transhumance practices and involves cyclical movements from lowlands to highlands to take advantage of seasonally available pastures at different elevation in the Himalayas. During the summer, when the snow melts in the higher alpine regions, Himalayan pastoralists move up to these areas to graze their animals. After the monsoon, they move down to occupy the low altitude pasture for the winter months.

3. Major Pastoralist groups in selected states of India :-

Ques 32:- Define Nomadic Herding ?

Ans :- 1. Meaning :- Nomadic herding or pastoral nomadism is a primitive subsistence activity, in which the herders rely on animals for food, clothing, shelter, tools and transport. They move from one place to another along with their livestock, depending on the amount and quality of pastures and water.

2. Areas :- Geographically, nomadic pastoralism is most prevalent in the drylands of Western India (Thar Desert) and on the Deccan Plateau, as well as in the mountainous regions of North India (Himalayas).

3. Animals :- Types of livestock kept in mobile pastoral system include buffaloes, sheep, goats, camels, cattle, donkeys, yaks, and even ducks are raised under transhumance conditions.

4. Example :- There are also more sedentary forms of pastoralism, represented for instance by the buffalo breeding Toda in the ghat region of Southern India.

Ques 33:- Define Transhumance ?

Ans :- Transhumance :- Transhumance is a type of nomadism or pastoralism, a seasonal movement of people with their livestock between fixed summer and winter pastures. In montane regions (vertical transhumance), it implies movement between higher pastures in summer and lower valleys in winter.

Ques 34:- Write different Pastoral Groups with their location in India ?

Ans :-

Ques 35:- Define Agriculture ? and write about the land use in India?

Ans :- 1. Agriculture :- It is an art and science of cultivating crops as well as animal husbandary.

2. Land Use in India :- Area According to village papers :- It is according to village papers and is based on returns of area prepared by village staff for revenue purposes in the districts whereas area by professional survey is worked out by the Surveyor General of India.

i. Area under Forests :- This includes actually forested area on the lands, administered as forests under forests.

ii. Land not available for Cultivation :- This includes absolutely barren and unculturable land like mountains deserts etc., which cannot be brought under plough except at exorbitant cost or land cover by buildings, roads and railways and water or otherwise appropriated for non-agricultural purposes.

iii. Other Uncultivated Land excluding Follow Lands :- This denotes land available for cultivation either not taken up for cultivation or abandoned later on for one reason or the other and includes culturable waste, permanent pastures and others grazing land and lands under miscellaneous tree crops and groves.

iv. Fallow Lands :- It denotes cultivable land which after abandonment remains uncultivated over long period called “old fallow”, those kept uncultivated during the current year are called “current fallows.”

v. Net Area Sown :- It is the net area sown under crops, the area sown more than once during the year being counted once only.

vi. Total Cropped Area :- It includes total area covered with crops during the year. In case different crops are raised on the same land during the year, the same area is counted more than once.

Ques 36:- Discuss Types of Agriculture in detail ?

Ans :- Types of subsistence farming are –

1. Primitive or Simple Subsistence Farming 2. Intensive Subsistence Farming. 1. Primitive or Simple Subsistence Farming :-

1) Introduction :- Majority of farmers in India practices subsistence farming. This means farming for own consumption. In other words, the entire production is largely consumed by the farmers and their family and they do not have any surplus to sell in the market.

2) Features :-

i. In this type of farming, landholdings are small and fragmented.

ii. Cultivation techniques are primitive and simple.

iii. In other words, there is a total absence of modern equipments like tractors and farm inputs like chemical fertilizers, insecticides and pesticides.

iv. In this farming, farmers mostly cultivate cereals along with oil seeds, pulses, vegetables and sugarcane.

v. Despite eleven five year plans, in greater part of the country, Indian agriculture is subsistence in character.

2. Intensive Subsistence Agriculture Dominated by Wet Paddy :-

1) Introduction :- Intensive subsistence agriculture dominated by wet paddy is practiced mostly in the monsoon Asia.

2) Features :-

i. In this agricultural typology, the size of holding is generally very small.

ii. Farm sizes are also very small and they, through many generations, have been subdivided so that they have become extremely small and often uneconomic to run.

iii. In some parts of Kerala and West Bengal the land holdings are smaller.

iv. Individual peasants grow crops mainly to support their families, though there may be some surplus for sale which fetches some amount for the farmers secondary and tertiary needs.

v. In the Monsoon India the farmers are so ‘land hungry’ that almost every bit of tillable land is utilized for agriculture.

3. Intensive Subsistence Agriculture Dominated by Other Crops :- Owing to variations in terrain, soil, vegetation, temperature, length of growing seasons, moisture conditions, sunlight, wind and many socio-economic constraints, it is neither practicable nor profitable to grow paddy in many parts of the monsoon world. In the intensive subsistence farming, dominated by other crops, the methods and operations of cultivation are equally intensive and farming is on subsistence basis. In Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh, wheat, maize, millets, pulses, soyabean and oilseeds are intensively grown.

Ques 37:- Discuss Geographical Distribution of Major Crops in India ?

Ans :- Introduction :- Agriculture and allied activities remain the major source of livelihood for nearly half of the Indian population. The share of agriculture employment was 48.9 percent of the of the workforce. Indian crops can be divided into following categories :-

1. Food crops :- Rice, Wheat, Maize, Millets-Jowar, Ragi, Pulses-Gram, Tur(Arhar).

2. Cash crops :- Cotton, Jute, Sugarcane, Tobacco, Oilseeds, groundnut, Linseed, Sesamum, Castor seed, Rapeseed, Mustard seed etc.

3. Plantation crops :- Tea, coffee, Spices, Cardamom, Chillies, Ginger, Turmeric, coconut, Arecanut and Rubber.

4. Horticulture :- Fruits – Apple, Peach, Pear, Apricot, Almond, Strawberry, Walnut, Mango, Banana, Citus Fruits, Vegetables.

5. Food Crops :- Agriculture forms the backbone of Indian economy and food crops forms the backbone of the Indian agriculture. No part of the country is without food crops. They are grown in all parts of the country. The importance of food crops grows with the growth of population because these crops provide the basic and essential food for man.

Ques 38:- Discuss Agriculture region according to Dr. M.S Randhawa ?

Ans :- An agricultural region defined as an area having homogeneity in relief, soil type, climatic conditions, farming practices crops produced and drop association. Mohinder Singh Randhawa or M.S. Randhawa was born on 2 February 1909 at Zira, Ferozepur district, Punjab. He presented a simple and comprehensive classification of agriculture regions in India. It is based on the predominance of crops and crop associations. Accordingly, India can be divided into following agricultural regions :-

1. The Temperate Himalayan Region :- The Temperate Himalayan region includes the states of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand in the west, and –

i. Arunachal Pradesh and Upper Assam in the east. It has two sub-divisions :- 1) The eastern part comprising Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Nagaland, Tripura and Upper Assam records heavy rainfall and are covered with thick forests.

2) Here rice and tea are the dominant crops.

ii. 1) The western temperate Himalayan region consists of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, this region is characterized by horticulture.

2) Apples, cherries, pears, peach, almond, apricot and walnut. Other crops grown are maize, rice, wheat, and potatoes.

2. The Northern Dry (Wheat) Region :-

i. This region stretches over Punjab, Haryana, western Uttar Pradesh, north-western Madhya Pradesh, and irrigated parts of Rajasthan.

ii. The average annual rainfall in this region is less then 75cm. parts of it are adequately irrigated by canals and tube wells.

iii. The main crops of this region are wheat, maize, cotton, mustard, gram, rice, sugarcane, and millets.

3. The Eastern Wet (Rice) Region :-

i. It includes the greater parts of the states of Assam, Meghalaya, Manipur, Mizoram, West Bengal, Jharkhand, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, eastern Uttar Pradesh, Orissa and coastal Andhra Pradesh.

ii. This region records more than 150cm of rainfall.

iii. Rice, jute, pulses, oil seeds, tea, and sugarcane are the main crops of this region.

4. The Western Wet (Malabar) Region :-

i. This region stretches over from Maharashtra to Kerala.

ii. The average annual rainfall in this region is over 200cm.

iii. Rice is the main food crop although coconut and plantation crops (rubber, coffee, spices, cashew nut, etc.) are the main cash crops.

5. The Southern Coarse (Cereals) Region :-

i. This agricultural region sprawls over Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Southern Uttar Pradesh (Bundelkhand), eastern Maharashtra, western Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and western Tamil Nadu.

ii. These areas records rainfall between 50 to 100cm.

iii. Millets, Bajra, Cotton, groundnut, oilseeds, and pulses are the main crops.

Ques 39:- Discuss Agricultural Seasons ?

Ans :-

Ques 40:- Discuss Main crops & their geographical requirements ?

Ans :-

Ques 41:- Discuss the distribution and production of wheat in India ?

Ans :- 

1. Introduction :- Wheat is a cereal grain originally from the Levant region(Eastern area of mediterranean sea) but now cultivated worldwide. India is the fourth largest producer of the wheat in the world after Russia, USA, China. And India accounts for 8.7% in the total production of the World.

2. Conditions for Growth of wheat crop :-

3. Production of wheat :- The area under Wheat cultivation is 31.0 Million hectare in 2014-15. The production of wheat in 2014-15 is 88.9 million tones. The per hectare yield is low as compare to china, USA, Canada, Russia and Australia.

4. Distribution of wheat :-

i. Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Haryana are the three prominent wheat producing states.

iii. In fact, Punjab, Haryana and the contiguous western parts of U.P. have earned the distinction of being called the ‘Granary of India.’

iv. The other major wheat producing states are Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Bihar.

v. Punjab is the second largest producer of wheat after U.P. (which is six time larger than the Punjab).

5. Patterns in Trade of Wheat :-

1. About one-third of the total production of wheat enters trade.

2. Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh are surplus states and supply wheat to deficit states like Maharashtra, West Bengal, Bihar and Union Territory of Delhi.

Ques 42:- Discuss the distribution and production of Rice in India ?

Ans :-1. Introduction :- Rice (Oryza sativa) is the seed of the grass species. As a cereal grain, it is the most widely consumed staple food for a large part of the world’s human population, especially in Asia. India is the second largest producer of rice in the world after China.

2. Geographical conditions required for rice cultivation :-

3. Production of Rice :- Production of rice in 2014-15 is 104.8 million tones and per hectare yield is 2390 kg/ha.

4. Distribution of Rice :-

i. The premier rice producing areas include the lower and the middle Ganga Plains, the east and the west Coastal Plains, the Brahmaputra valley and parts of the Peninsular plateau.

ii. Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh have assumed considerable importance after the introduction of the Green Revolution.

iii. It is clear that about half of rice production in India is contributed by four states namely W. Bengal, Punjab, U.P, Andhra Pradesh.

iv. The other major producers are Tamil Nadu, Bihar, Assam, Orissa, Chhattisgarh, Haryana, Karnataka, Jharkhand and Maharashtra in order importance.

5. Rice in Punjab :-

1. Punjab is traditionally a wheat producing state.

2. The enterprising farmers of Punjab have made full use of package technology including perennial irrigation water by canals and tube wells, HYV seeds and fertilizers.

3. Since 1953-54, Punjab has recorded a annual growth rate of over 12% as against only 2.8% for the country as a whole.

4. All 22 districts of Punjab are producing rice but major part of production comes from Patiala, Ferozepur, Ludhiana, Sangrur, Amritsar, Faridkot and Jalandhar.

6. Trade :-

1. India is one of the leading rice exporters in the world. In the year 2012, India surpassed Thailand as the top exporter of rice, shipping 10.3 million tons of rice as compared with Thailand’s 7.0 million.

2. According to Food and Agriculture organization by the end of year 2013, India could export 8.3 million tons of rice making it the top slot out of world’s leading rice exporters for two years in a row ahead of Vietnam and Thailand.

Ques 43:- Discuss the distribution and production of Tea in India ?

Ans :- 1. Introduction :- Tea is the dried leaf of a bush. It contains theine and when added to boiling water along with sugar and milk, it gives a very cheap and stimulating drink. Thus it is the most important beverage crop of India.

2. Types of Tea :- At least six different types are produced :-

3. Conditions of Growth of Tea :-

4. Production of Tea :- Tea cultivation does not have long tradition in India as it started in the middle of nineteenth century only, when first tea plantations were established in Assam. The total area under tea cultivation is 563.98 thousand hectare and total production is 1208.78 million kilogram in 2013-14.

5. Distribution of Tea in India :-

1) North-Eastern India

2) South India

3) North-West India

i. North-Eastern India :-

1. Assam :- a. Assam is the largest producer of tea accounting for over 51% of the production and over 53% of area is under tea cultivation in India.

b. There are 676 tea estates mainly in the districts of Dibrugarh, Lakhimpur, Sibsagar, Darrang, Kamrup, Nagaon, and Goalpara.

2. West Bengal :- a. West Bengal is the second largest producer contributing over 22% of India’s tea from about one-fourth of the country’s total area under tea cultivation.

b. Tea of West Bengal is produced in three northern districts of Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri and Coochbehar.

ii. South India :- In South India tea is produced in Nilgiri, Cardamom, Palni and Anaimalai hills in Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka states.

iii. North-West India :- Some of tea is produced in Dehra Dun, Almora and Garhwal districts of Uttaranchal and in Kangra Valley and Mandi district of Himachal Pradesh. Green tea is produced in Kangra Valley of Himachal Pradesh. Tea in small quantity is also produced in Ranchi and Hazaribagh districts of Chhota Nagpur plateau in Jharkhand.

6. Trade of Tea :- Besides being the largest producer, India is also the leading exporter of tea in the world. India is at fourth position in terms of Tea Export.

Ques 44:- Discuss the distribution and production of Coffee in India ?

Ans :- 1. Introduction :- Coffee is a brewed drink prepared from roasted coffee beans, which are the seeds of berries from the ‘ Coffee ’ plant. The genus ‘ Coffee ’ is native to tropical Africa, and Madagascar, the Comoros, Mauritius and Reunion in the Indian Ocean.

2. History & Origin of Coffee in India :-

1) The history (and origin) of coffee in India dates back to around 1600 AD, when the Indian Sufi saint, Baba Budan, went on a pilgrimage to Mecca.

2) After returning from his pilgrimage, Baba Budan planted the Seven Seeds of Mocha in the courtyard of his hermitage in Chikmagalur, Karnataka – the birthplace and origin of coffee in India. The Coffee plants gradually spread as backyard plantings, and later on to the hills of what is now know as Baba Budan Hills.

3. Essential growth conditions required for the cultivation of coffee are as follows :-

4. Production of Coffee :- India has emerged as the seventh largest coffee producer globally; after Brazil, Vietnam, Columbia, Indonesia, Ethiopia and Honduras. In 2015-16, India accounted for 4.05% of global coffee production.

5. Trade of Coffee :- India exports coffee to over 45 countries. In rupee terms, the exports recorded a growth of 8.22% at Rs 596.17 crore in 2017. India mainly ships robusta and Arabica varieties of coffee besides instant coffee.

6. Map of Coffee areas in India :-

Ques 45:- Discuss the distribution of Cotton in India ?

Ans :- 1. Introduction :- Cotton (Gossypium) is the most important fibre crop not only of India but of the entire world. It provides the basic raw material (cotton fibre) to cotton textile industry.

2. Types of Cotton :-

1) Long Staple Cotton :- It has the longest fibre whose length varies from 24 to 27 mm. The fibre is long, fine and shining. It is used for making fine and superior quality cloth. Obviously, it fetches the best price.

2) Medium staple cotton :- The length of its fibre is between 20 mm and 24 mm. About 44% of the total cotton production in India is of medium staple. Rajasthan, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka and Maharashtra are its main producers.

3) Short staple cotton :- This is inferior cotton with fibre less than 20 mm long. It is used for manufacturing inferior cloth and fetches less price.

3. Condition of Growth :-

4. Production of Cotton in India :-

i. India is at number one in the terms of area under cotton and second in terms of production after China.

ii. It is grown mainly in Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Gujrat, Haryana and Rajasthan.

iii. In Punjab it is grown in Malwa Belt

Ques 46:- Discuss the distribution and production of Jute in India ?

Ans :- 1. Introduction :- Jute (Corchorus olitorius) is a natural fibre with golden and silky and hence called The ‘Golden Fibre’.

2. Uses of Jute :- It is the cheapest vegetable fibre procured from the bast or skin of the plant’s stem and the second most important vegetable fibre after cotton, in terms of usage, global consumption, production, and availability. It has high tensile strength, low extensibility, and ensures better breath ability of fabrics.

3. Condition of Growth for Jute :-

4. Production of Jute :- India suffered a great setback in the production of jute as a result of partition of the country in 1947 because about 75% of the jute producing areas went to Bangladesh. Fortunately, most of the jute mills remained in India.

5. Distribution of Jute :-

i. West Bengal :- West Bengal is the undisputed king of jute production in India accounting for over four-fifths of the production and nearly three-fourths of the area under jute. Here hot and humid climate and alluvial, loamy soil coupled with cheap abundant labour provide the par excellence conditions for the growth of jute. Major part of the production comes from Nadia, Murshidabad, 24 Parganas, Coochbehar, Jalpaiguri, Hugli, West Dinajpur, Bardhaman, Maldah and Medinipur districts.

ii. Bihar :- Bihar is the second largest producer. Purnea is the largest producing district accounting for 60% of Bihar’s production. Katihar, Saharsa and Darbhanga are the other producing districts.

iii. Assam :- Assam is the third largest jute producing state of India. The main concentaration is in the Brahmaputra and surma valleys. Goalpara, Kamrup, Nowgong, Darrang and Sibsagar are the main producing districts.

6. Trade of Jute :- India’s production of Jute always falls short of her requirements and it is imported to feed our jute mills. Bangladesh is chief supplier of jute to India.

Ques 47:- Discuss the distribution and production of Sugarcane in India ?

Ans :- 1. Introduction :- Sugarcane (Saccharum) is widely grown crop in India, belongs to bamboo family of plants and is indigenous to India. It is the main source of sugar, gur and khandsari. About two-thirds of the total sugarcane produced in India is consumed for making gur and khandsari and only one third of it goes to sugar factories. It also provides raw material for manufacturing alcohol. Bagasse, the crushed cane residue, can be more beneficially used for manufacturing paper instead of using it as fuel in the mills.

2. Condition of Growth for Sugarcane :-

3. Production of Sugarcane :-

i. Maharashtra, the country’s leading sugar producing state, has projected sugar output to decline to 8.6 mt in the 2015-16 marketing year, compared with 10.51 mt last year.

ii. Similarly in Karnataka, sugar output is estimated to decline to 4 mt in 2015-16 marketing year from 5 mt last year.

iii. Sugarcane cultivation in both Maharashtra and Karnataka is largely rainfed unlike Uttar Pradesh where it is irrigated.

4. Distribution of Sugarcane :-

i. The Satluj-Ganga plain from Punjab to Bihar - containing 51% of the total area and 60% of the country’s total production.

ii. The black soil belt from Maharashtra to Tamil Nadu along the eastern slopes of the Western Ghats.

iii. Coastal Andhra and the Krishna Valley. 5. Areas of Sugarcane :- U.P, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Gujrat, Punjab, Haryana, Bihar, Uttrakhand are also important sugarcane producing areas in India

Ques 48 :- Discuss SWOT Analysis on Punjab Agriculture ?

Ans :- 1. Introduction :- SWOT analysis is a strategic planning method used to evaluate the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats involved in any venture. Punjab Agricultural sector played an important role in the success of Green Revolution in 1960’s with just 1.54% of the total geographical area. It earned the status of food basket of the country owing to its outstanding achievements in Agricultural development. The Green Revolution brought significant changes to traditional Punjab agriculture. The farming system promoted by the green revolution was resource-intensive.

2. Strengths of Punjab Agriculture :- a. Favourable Natural factors :- The progress made by agriculture in Punjab state is unparalleled in the history of world agriculture. From a food deficient state at the time of independence it turned out to be the food basket of the country. Punjab is blessed with the fertile soils having potential for agricultural production in view of their high reserves of minerals. The state has excellent surface and ground water irrigation infrastructure. About 98% of the net sown area is irrigated. Climatic conditions of the state are favourable for intensive agriculture.

b. Hard Working People :- In Punjab two-third of its population is indirectly dependent on agriculture. Hard working peasantry is a pillar of strength of the Agriculture in Punjab. Punjab’s robust growth in agriculture sector is mainly due to the adoption and proper execution of various strategies by the farmers, who are always open to new ideas. Domination rural based political power with agricultural background provide favourable environment.

c. Technological Advances :- Punjab has made various technological advances in the field of Agricultural Technological adoptions need that a farmer should be aware of the benefits of the technology, finances, price incentives and farm sizes etc. All these requirements have been fulfilled by the Punjab farmers adequately.

d. Results of Green Revolution :- Punjab is reaping the benefits of green revolution. The strategy initiated in 1960’s is paying off well to the Punjab economy. Earlier developed as a model state for green revolution with HYV seeds, Chemical fertilizers, irrigation and various institutional and technological factors, Punjab Agriculture has shown outstanding achievements.

3. Weaknesses of Punjab Agriculture :-

i. Low yields :- Agriculture in Punjab had high growth for a long time up to early 1990’s. It slowed down thereafter due to the available potential of resources and technology getting exploited closer to the possible limits, which led to increasing cost, shrinking resource vase, declining productivity, profitability and income.

ii. Low value addition and food processing :- Food processing and value addition are the upcoming sectors which have the potential to generate lot of employment opportunities in the rural areas. Unfortunately, in Punjab this potential has not been properly exploited.

iii. Post-Harvest losses :- Due to low processing levels in the state there is a considerable amount of wastage of agricultural and horticultural produce. Due to lack of adequate facilities for post-harvest handling of high value crops, line grading and packing houses, cold storage etc. lead to serious post-harvest losses to the producers.

iv. Limited access to Modern technology :- No doubt adoption of green revolution strategy led to the technology up-gradation in Punjab use of machines, tube-wells, tractors, chemical fertilizers HYV seeds and modern irrigation methods have changed the agriculture scenario in Punjab.

4. Opportunities for Punjab Agriculture :-

i. Diversification :- As the growth in market demand for wheat and rice has considerably slowed down, the time has come when Punjab farmers should be discreetly helped to shift land and other productive resources from under wheat-paddy rotation to other crops. The overdependence on the wheat-paddy rotation must give way to more sustainable crops and other farm enterprises.

ii. Encouragement to Organic Farming :- Non judicious use of fertilizers poses a serious challenge to soil health. In order to address this problem, there is a need for whole hearted efforts to improve nutrient use efficiency and to improve soil health. The one very valuable measure is encouragement to organic farming by application of farmyard manures, compost, green manuring to supplement inorganic fertilizers. The fertility of the soils which has diminished because of deficiency of vital micro and macro nutrients can be regained with the introduction of Organic farming.

5. Threats to Punjab Agriculture :-

a. Farmers suicides :- Compiling the farm suicides figures released officially so far, between 1995 and 2015, a period of 21 years, a total of 3,18,528 farmers have Committed suicide. This is nothing but a serial death dance being enacted on the farm. The unending saga of farmer suicides is certainly an outcome of the faulty economic policies being promulgated all these years whereby farmers have been deliberately kept impoverished.

b. Uncertain Weather condition :- Rainfall has ever remained unpredictable adding to the woes of the farmers and thus putting extra pressure on ground water sources. The effects of weather on agriculture are far reaching, affecting the crop plants right from germination till maturity. Owing to various environmental changes Punjab is facing drought like conditions. In the year 2015 rainfall is 31% below normal in Punjab.

c. Crop Losses due to pest Attacks :- The Pest problem accentuated with the introduction of high yielding varieties of crops, intensive use of inputs and developing of new cropping pattern. Crops like cotton, sugarcane, paddy, oilseeds and vegetables have shown greater reliance on pesticides. Excessive and indiscriminate use of pesticides and weedicides has lead to several new problems, such as development of pest resistance, pest resurgence and outbreaks.

d. Deteriorating Soil Health :- Deteriorating soil health conditions are one of the reasons for the stagnant productivity of various crops thus reducing the farmer’s income. The soils have great potential for agricultural production in view of their high reserves of minerals.

e. Indebtedness :- Commercialization of agriculture needs more money to invest and in the agricultural setup borrowing is a necessity. Farming demands regular outflow of cash to acquire various agricultural inputs but the inflow is not continuous due to seasonal nature of agriculture.

f. Low Interest in Agriculture :- Farming as a profession is not attractive enough for young people in Punjab where unemployment is becoming a problem. Like many farming communities, Punjab is characterized by an ageing farmer population, with few young entrants. This phenomenon may limit the scope of innovations and adoption of often resistant to changes. Most of the time big zamindars leave the farming in the hands of the tenants. Most of the farmers are sending their ward abroad.

g. Problem of Drug abuse :- The success story of Punjab’s economy has seemingly come to an end. Once, the torch bearer of green revolution and known for its hard working people Punjab is in news for drug epidemic that has swept across the state, accompanying the decline in economic growth.

h. High Cost of Production :- The remarkable progress of Punjab agriculture is credited to the use of inputs like fertilizers, improved seeds, irrigation, plant protection chemicals, machinery and technology backup. Thus what has happened in the post-green revolution and post-liberalization phase is the integration of the farming sector into the market network and its increasing assumption of capital intensive character.

Ques 49 :- Discuss important revolution related to agriculture ?

Ans :-

Ques 50:- Discuss Various Productivity Cultures ?

Ans :- 

Punjab Board Class 12 Study Material

Punjab Board Class 12 Study Material
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