NCERT Solutions for Class 10 Social Science (Contemporary India II) Chapter 1: Resources and Development (NCERT 2026–27)

These Class 10 Geography Chapter 1 solutions cover Resources and Development from Contemporary India II, the NCERT Geography textbook for the 2026–27 session. The chapter explains what a resource is, how resources are classified (by origin, exhaustibility, ownership and status of development), why resource planning and conservation matter, how land is utilised in India, the major soil types, and how land and soil degradation can be checked. Below you get every end-of-chapter Exercise question solved verbatim, clear notes on key terms, extra practice, MCQs, Assertion–Reason and FAQs.

Class: 10 Subject: Social Science (Geography) Book: Contemporary India II Chapter: 1 Topic: Resources and Development Session: 2026–27
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Class 10 Geography Chapter 1 – Overview

Chapter 1, Resources and Development, begins by defining a resource as everything in our environment that can be used to satisfy our needs, provided it is technologically accessible, economically feasible and culturally acceptable. Resources are not free gifts of nature but a function of human activity. They are classified on the basis of origin (biotic, abiotic), exhaustibility (renewable, non-renewable), ownership (individual, community, national, international) and status of development (potential, developed stock, reserves). The chapter stresses that indiscriminate use has caused depletion, inequality and global ecological crises, making resource planning (across national, state, regional and local levels) and conservation essential for sustainable development. It then studies land resources and the land-use pattern of India, the major soil types (alluvial, black, red and yellow, laterite, arid and forest soils), and finally land degradation and the conservation measures — such as afforestation, contour ploughing, terrace farming, strip cropping and shelter belts — that can heal it.

Key Concepts & Terms

Resource: everything available in our environment which can be used to satisfy our needs, provided it is technologically accessible, economically feasible and culturally acceptable.

Classification of resources: by origin — biotic and abiotic; by exhaustibility — renewable and non-renewable; by ownership — individual, community, national and international; by status of development — potential, developed stock and reserves.

Sustainable development: development that takes place without damaging the environment, and that does not compromise the needs of future generations.

Resource planning: a complex process involving (i) identification and inventory of resources through surveying, mapping and estimation; (ii) evolving a planning structure with appropriate technology, skill and institutions; and (iii) matching resource development plans with national development plans.

Net sown area (NSA): the physical extent of land on which crops are sown and harvested. Gross cropped area = net sown area + area sown more than once in a year.

Land degradation: the loss of land quality from continuous use without conservation, caused by deforestation, overgrazing, mining, over-irrigation (water-logging, salinity) and industrial dust/effluents.

Major soil types: Alluvial (most fertile, northern plains; old Bangar and new Khadar), Black/regur (cotton soil of the Deccan trap), Red and yellow (crystalline igneous rocks of the eastern and southern Deccan), Laterite (intense leaching, wet–dry climate), Arid (sandy, saline, with kankar layers) and Forest (hilly, mountainous areas).

Soil conservation methods: contour ploughing, terrace cultivation, strip cropping and planting shelter belts of trees.

Key milestones: Club of Rome (1968), Small is Beautiful by Schumacher (1974), Brundtland Commission Report & Our Common Future (1987), and the Rio de Janeiro Earth Summit (1992) that adopted Agenda 21.

“Exercises” — Full Solutions

All questions below are reproduced verbatim from the NCERT textbook’s end-of-chapter Exercises section. Answers are original, written in exam-ready style.

1. Multiple choice questions.

(i) Which one of the following is the main cause of land degradation in Punjab? (a) Intensive cultivation    (b) Deforestation    (c) Over irrigation    (d) Overgrazing

ANSWER (c) Over irrigation. In Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh, excessive irrigation causes water-logging, which increases the salinity and alkalinity of the soil and thereby degrades the land.

(ii) In which one of the following states is terrace cultivation practised? (a) Punjab    (b) Plains of Uttar Pradesh    (c) Haryana    (d) Uttarakhand

ANSWER (d) Uttarakhand. Terrace cultivation is practised on hill slopes such as those of the western and central Himalayas in Uttarakhand, where steps are cut out on the slopes to restrict soil erosion.

(iii) In which of the following states black soil is predominantly found? (a) Uttar Pradesh    (b) Maharashtra    (c) Rajasthan    (d) Jharkhand

ANSWER (b) Maharashtra. Black (regur) soil is typical of the Deccan trap (Basalt) region and covers the plateaus of Maharashtra, Saurashtra, Malwa, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.

2. Answer the following questions in about 30 words.

(i) Name three states having black soil and the crop which is mainly grown in it.

ANSWER Three states having black soil are Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat (Chhattisgarh and parts of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh also have it). The crop mainly grown in black soil is cotton, which is why it is called black cotton soil.

(ii) What type of soil is found in the river deltas of the eastern coast? Give three main features of this type of soil.

ANSWER Alluvial soil is found in the river deltas of the eastern coast (the deltas of the Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna and Kaveri). Three main features are: (i) it is highly fertile and contains adequate potash, phosphoric acid and lime; (ii) it is made of varying proportions of sand, silt and clay; (iii) it is ideal for sugarcane, paddy, wheat and other cereal and pulse crops.

(iii) What steps can be taken to control soil erosion in the hilly areas?

ANSWER In hilly areas soil erosion can be controlled by contour ploughing (ploughing along contour lines to slow the flow of water down the slope), terrace cultivation (cutting steps into slopes to restrict run-off), and strip cropping with strips of grass left between crops to break the force of the wind. Planting trees as shelter belts also helps.

3. Answer the following questions in about 120 words.

(i) Explain land use pattern in India and why has the land under forest not increased much since 1960-61?

ANSWER India’s total geographical area is about 3.28 million sq km, but land-use data are available only for about 93 per cent of it, as the reporting for most north-eastern states (except Assam) and the areas of Jammu and Kashmir occupied by Pakistan and China has not been done. Land is used for forests; land not available for cultivation (barren/waste land and land put to non-agricultural uses); other uncultivated land (pastures, tree crops, culturable waste land); fallow lands (current and other fallow); and net sown area. The net sown area is over 80 per cent in Punjab and Haryana but under 10 per cent in states like Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Manipur and the Andaman & Nicobar Islands. Forest area is far below the desired 33 per cent set by the National Forest Policy (1952). It has not increased much since 1960-61 mainly because of growing demand for agricultural land, settlements, roads, industry and mining, and continued deforestation, which have prevented any significant rise in the area under forests.

(ii) How have technical and economic development led to more consumption of resources?

ANSWER Technological and economic development greatly increase our capacity and demand to use resources. With better technology, human beings can transform more of the environment into usable resources — mining deeper, clearing more land and tapping new energy sources — so more is extracted and consumed. Economic development raises incomes and living standards, which increases the demand for goods, energy, transport and industrial products, all of which consume natural resources. For example, the history of colonisation shows that the higher technological development of colonising countries helped them exploit the resources of their colonies. Today, industrialisation and rising consumption mean more coal, water, minerals and land are used than ever before. Thus, while technology and economic growth improve life, they also accelerate the consumption — and often the depletion — of resources, making conservation and planning essential.

Extra Practice Questions

Short Answer Type Questions

Q1. On what bases are resources classified by exhaustibility, and give one example of each.

ANSWEROn the basis of exhaustibility, resources are classified as renewable — those that can be renewed or reproduced, like solar energy, wind and water — and non-renewable — those that take millions of years to form and get exhausted, like coal, petroleum and minerals.

Q2. What is sustainable development?

ANSWERSustainable economic development means that development should take place without damaging the environment, and that development in the present should not compromise the needs of future generations. It balances economic growth with conservation of resources.

Q3. Differentiate between Bangar and Khadar soils.

ANSWERBangar is old alluvial soil with a higher concentration of kanker (calcareous) nodules. Khadar is new alluvial soil with more fine particles and is more fertile than Bangar, as it is renewed by fresh deposits of silt almost every year.

Q4. What was the significance of the Rio de Janeiro Earth Summit, 1992?

ANSWERAt the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, over 100 heads of state met to address environmental protection and socio-economic development. They signed the Declaration on Global Climatic Change and Biological Diversity, endorsed the Forest Principles and adopted Agenda 21 for achieving sustainable development.

Q5. Why is laterite soil deficient in nutrients, and where is it found?

ANSWERLaterite soil develops under a tropical climate with alternate wet and dry seasons, and intense leaching by heavy rain washes away the nutrients, making it acidic and deficient. It is found mainly in the southern states, the Western Ghats of Maharashtra, Odisha, parts of West Bengal and the north-east.

Long Answer Type Questions

Q1. Why is resource planning essential in a country like India? Describe its three stages.

ANSWERResource planning is the widely accepted strategy for the judicious use of resources, and it is especially important in India because of its enormous diversity in resource availability. Some regions are rich in certain resources but deficient in others — Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh are rich in minerals and coal; Arunachal Pradesh has abundant water but little infrastructure; Rajasthan is rich in solar and wind energy but short of water; and Ladakh has a rich cultural heritage but lacks water and vital minerals. This calls for balanced planning at national, state, regional and local levels. Resource planning in India involves three stages: (i) identification and inventory of resources through surveying, mapping and qualitative and quantitative estimation; (ii) evolving a planning structure with appropriate technology, skill and institutions to implement resource development plans; and (iii) matching these plans with overall national development plans.

Q2. Discuss the main causes of land degradation in India and the measures to control it.

ANSWERLand degradation results from continuous use of land without conservation. The main causes are: deforestation and mining (in Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Odisha, mining leaves deep scars and over-burdening); overgrazing (in Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra); over-irrigation (in Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh, causing water-logging, salinity and alkalinity); and industrial dust and effluents (limestone grinding for cement, and untreated industrial waste polluting land and water). Measures to control it include afforestation and proper management of grazing; planting shelter belts of plants and controlling overgrazing; stabilising sand dunes by growing thorny bushes in arid areas; proper management of waste lands; control of mining activities; and proper discharge and disposal of industrial effluents and wastes only after treatment, which can reduce land and water degradation in industrial and suburban areas.

MCQs & Assertion–Reason

1. A resource is something that is technologically accessible, economically feasible and:

(a) naturally abundant    (b) culturally acceptable    (c) found underground    (d) imported

2. On the basis of origin, resources are classified as:

(a) renewable and non-renewable    (b) potential and developed    (c) biotic and abiotic    (d) national and international

3. Which soil is also known as regur soil?

(a) Alluvial soil    (b) Black soil    (c) Laterite soil    (d) Arid soil

4. The new alluvial soil with more fine particles is called:

(a) Bangar    (b) Khadar    (c) Regur    (d) Kankar

5. Agenda 21 was adopted at the Earth Summit held in 1992 at:

(a) Stockholm    (b) Kyoto    (c) Rio de Janeiro    (d) Johannesburg

6. According to the National Forest Policy (1952), the desired forest cover is:

(a) 22 per cent    (b) 27 per cent    (c) 33 per cent    (d) 43 per cent

7. The deep channels cut by running water in clayey soils, making the land unfit for cultivation, are called:

(a) sheet erosion    (b) gullies    (c) shelter belts    (d) terraces

8. The bad land in the Chambal basin formed by gully erosion is locally called:

(a) ravines    (b) duars    (c) chos    (d) terai

9. Which book introduced the concept of ‘Sustainable Development’ through the Brundtland Commission Report, 1987?

(a) Small is Beautiful    (b) Our Common Future    (c) Silent Spring    (d) Limits to Growth

10. About what percentage of India’s land area is plain, providing facilities for agriculture and industry?

(a) 27 per cent    (b) 30 per cent    (c) 43 per cent    (d) 54 per cent

Answer key: 1-(b), 2-(c), 3-(b), 4-(b), 5-(c), 6-(c), 7-(b), 8-(a), 9-(b), 10-(c).

For each Assertion–Reason question, choose: (A) Both true and the Reason correctly explains the Assertion; (B) Both true but the Reason is not the correct explanation; (C) Assertion true, Reason false; (D) Assertion false, Reason true.

A-R 1. Assertion: Resources are not free gifts of nature.

Reason: Resources are a function of human activities, as human beings transform materials in the environment into resources.

A-R 2. Assertion: Over irrigation causes land degradation in Punjab and Haryana.

Reason: Over irrigation leads to water-logging, which increases the salinity and alkalinity of the soil.

A-R 3. Assertion: Black soil is ideal for growing cotton.

Reason: Black soil is found only in the river deltas of the eastern coast.

A-R 4. Assertion: Resource planning is essential in India.

Reason: India has enormous diversity in the availability of resources across its regions.

A-R 5. Assertion: Contour ploughing helps reduce soil erosion on slopes.

Reason: Ploughing along the contour lines decelerates the flow of water down the slopes.

Answer key: 1-(A), 2-(A), 3-(C), 4-(A), 5-(A).

Exam Tips & Common Mistakes

How to score full marks in this chapter

Memorise the four bases of classification (origin, exhaustibility, ownership, status of development) with examples for each. For soil questions, link each soil type to its region, formation and crops — alluvial (northern plains, paddy/wheat/sugarcane), black/regur (Deccan trap, cotton), laterite (leaching, tea/coffee/cashew). State the three stages of resource planning in order, and match each cause of land degradation to the right state (over-irrigation → Punjab; overgrazing → Rajasthan; mining → Jharkhand). Quote figures the textbook gives — 3.28 million sq km, 33 per cent forest target, 43 per cent plains — to show you have studied the chapter.

Common mistakes to avoid

  • Confusing the bases of classification — origin gives biotic/abiotic, exhaustibility gives renewable/non-renewable.
  • Mixing up Bangar (old, more kanker) and Khadar (new, more fertile) alluvial soils.
  • Writing that black soil is found in eastern deltas — that is alluvial soil; black soil is on the Deccan plateau.
  • Saying intensive cultivation, not over irrigation, is the main cause of land degradation in Punjab.
  • Confusing net sown area with gross cropped area (which includes area sown more than once).
  • Forgetting that terrace cultivation is for hilly/Himalayan states like Uttarakhand, not the plains.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Chapter 1 of Class 10 Geography (Contemporary India II) about?

Chapter 1, Resources and Development, explains what a resource is, how resources are classified by origin, exhaustibility, ownership and status of development, why resource planning and conservation matter, how land is used in India, the major soil types, and how land and soil degradation can be controlled.

What are the major types of soil found in India?

The major soil types in India are alluvial soil, black (regur) soil, red and yellow soil, laterite soil, arid soil and forest soil. Alluvial soil is the most widely spread and fertile, while black soil is ideal for growing cotton.

What is the exercise heading for Chapter 1 of Contemporary India II?

The end-of-chapter exercise in Contemporary India II Chapter 1 is headed Exercises and contains 3 multiple choice questions, 3 short questions (about 30 words) and 2 long questions (about 120 words), all answered step by step on this page.

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