Friday 24 July 2015

Money & Credit

Money as a Medium of Exchange
Barter System - Goods are directly exchanged without the use of money, double coincidence of wants is an essential feature.
In an economy where money is in use, money by providing the crucial intermediate step eliminates the need for double coincidence of wants. A person holding money can easily exchange it for any commodity or service that he or she might want. Since money acts as an intermediate in the exchange process, it is called a medium of exchange
Modern Forms of Money
Early coins were made of precious metals thus they had their own value
Modern forms of money include currency - paper notes and coins (not made of precious metals), without any use of its own. It is accepted as a medium of exchange because the currency is authorized by the government of the country. Reserve Bank of India issues currency notes on behalf of the central government. No individual in India can legally refuse a payment made in rupees.
Deposites with Banks
People hold money as deposits with banks. Banks accepts the deposites, in Banks money is safe and it earn an amount as interest.
Since the deposits in the bank accounts can be withdrawn on demand, these deposits are called demand deposits. Since demand deposits are accepted widely as a means of payment, along with currency, they constitute money in the modern economy.
A cheque is a paper instructing the bank to pay a specific amount from the person’s account to the person in whose name the cheque has been issued.
Loan Activities of Banks
Banks in India these days hold about 15 percent of their deposits as cash, as a provision to pay the depositors who might come to withdraw money from the bank at any given day. Banks use the major portion of the deposits to extend loans. Banks mediate between those who have surplus funds (the depositors) and those who are in need of these funds (the borrowers). The difference between what is charged from borrowers and what is paid to depositors is their main source of income.
Two different Credit situations
Credit - Refers to an agreement in which the lender supplies the borrower with money, goods or services in return for the promise of future payment
Credit which leads to profit - Salim, the Shoe manufacturer recieved an order of 3000 pair of shoes to be delivered in month time. Salim asks the leather supplier to supply leather now and promises to pay later. He obtains loan in cash from the large trader as advance payment for 1000 pair of shoes. Is able to deliver the order in time, makes a good profit.
Credit which leads to debt - Swapna, a small farmer, borrows loan from the moneylender hoping that her harvest would help repay the loan. The crop is hit by pests and the crop fails. Swapna is unable to repay the moneylender, takes a fresh loan for cultivation next year. Its a normal crop this year, earnings are not enough to cover the old loan. She is caught in debt.
Conclusion - Whether credit would be useful or not depends on the risks in the situation and whether there is some support in case of loss
Terms of Credit
Collateral - An asset that the borrower owns and uses this as a guarantee to alender until the loan is repaid
Terms of Credit include Loan amount, Duration of loan, Documents required, Interest rate, Mode of Repayment, Collateral
Formal Sector Credit in India
The various types of loans can be conveniently grouped as formal sector loans and informal sector loans. The formal are loans from banks and cooperatives. The informal lenders include moneylenders, traders, employers, relatives and friends, etc.
“RBI (Reserve Bank of India) supervises the functioning of Formal sources of Loans”
RBI monitors the banks in maintaining the minimum cash balance
RBI sees that the banks give loans not just to profit-making businesses and traders but also to small cultivators, small scale industries, to small borrowers etc.
“Cheap and affordable credit is crucial for the country’s development”
Compared to the formal lenders, most of the informal lenders charge a much higher interest on loans
Higher cost of borrowings means a larger part of the earnings of the borrowers is used to repay the loan
High interest rate for borrowing can mean that the amount to be repaid is greater than the income of the borrower, can lead to increasing debt
Banks and cooperative societies need to lend more, would lead to higher incomes and many people could then borrow cheaply for a variety of needs
Formal and Informal Credit : Who gets what ?
85 percent of the loans taken by poor households in the urban areas are from informal sources. Rich households take only 10 per cent of their loans from informal sources, while 90 per cent are from formal sources
The rich households are availing cheap credit from formal lenders whereas the poor households have to pay a large amount for borrowing
Formal sector still meets only about half of the total credit needs of the rural people. The remaining credit needs are met from informal sources,it carries a very high interest rate and do little to increase the income of the borrowers
Thus it is necessary that banks and cooperatives increase their lending  particularly in the rural areas, also necessary that everyone receives these loans
Self-Help Groups for the Poor
Need of SHG - Banks are not present everywhere. Getting a loan from a bank is much more difficult than taking a loan from informal sources, banks require proper documents and collateral. The borrowers approach the moneylenders even without repaying their earlier loans. Moneylenders charge very high rates of interest, keep no records of the transactions and harass the poor borrowers
Concept of SHG - Self Help Groups a group of 15-20 members, meet and save regularly. Saving per member varies from Rs. 25 to Rs. 100 or more. Members can take small loans, group charges interest less than what the moneylender charges. If the group is regular in savings, it becomes eligible for availing loan from the bank. Loan is sanctioned in the name of the group and is meant to create self-employment opportunities. Important decisions regarding the savings and loan activities are taken by the group member. It is the group which is responsible for the repayment of the loan. Cases of non-repayment of loan are followed up seriously by other members in the group.
SHG help borrowers overcome the problem of lack of collateral, can get timely loans at a reasonable interest rate. It helps women to become financially self-reliant, provides a platform to discuss and act on a variety of social issues such as health, nutrition, domestic violence, etc.

Wednesday 22 July 2015

Print Culture and The Modern World

1. The First Printed book
Print tech. developed in China, Japan and Korea
Hand printing - Rubbing paper, against the inked surface of woodblocks
Accordian book - folded and stitched at side
Contribution of Chinese State in Promotion of Print
Personal of bureaucratic system recruited through examinations. Textbook for the examination was printed, as the number of candidates went up, increased the volume of print
By the 17th century, Print was used by scholar officials, merchants, reading became a leisure activity
Rich women began to read, began publishing their poetry and plays
Western printing techniques and Mechanical press were imported in the late 19th century
1.1 Print in Japan
Introduced by Buddhist missionaries
Oldest Japanese book - Buddhist Diamond Sutra, AD 768-770, Six sheets of woodcut illustrations
In late 18th Century, libraries & bookstores had printed material on various topics - women, musical instruments, calculations, tea ceremony, flower arrangements, proper etiquette, cooking and famous places

2. Print Comes to Europe
In 11th Century Chinese paper reached Europe
In 1295 Marco Polo brought woodblock printing to Europe
Luxury editions were handwritten on ‘vellum’
Rich people scoffed at printed books as cheap vulgarities
Booksellers began exporting books, book fairs were held, Scribes were employed by booksellers
Shortcomings of Manuscripts
Expensive, labourious and time consuming business
Fragile, awkward to handle, could not be carried around or read easily
First Printing Press
Johann Gutenberg of Strasbourg (Germany) knew the art of polishing stones, a master Goldsmith, had expertise to create lead moulds, used Olive Press to create first Printing Press in 1430’s
By 1448 Gutenberg printed his first book, the Bible, 180 copies in 3 years
First printed books closely resembled the written manuscripts, metal letters imitated the ornamental hand-written styles, Borders were illuminated by hand with foliage, illustrations were painted
By 1450 and 1550, printing press were set up in most countries of Europe.
The second half of the 15th century saw 20 million copies, went up to 200 million copies in 16th century

3. The Print Revolution & its Impact
Transferred the lives of people, changed  their relationship to information & knowledge, with institutions and authorities
3.1 A New Reading Public
“Access to books created a new culture of reading.”
“Due to print, the hearing public and reading public became intermingled.”
Earlier reading was restricted to elites, for common people knowledge was transformed orally
Books were expensive, not in sufficient numbers.
But now books can reach to a wider section thus gave birth to a reading public.
To attract the masses, publishers began publishing popular ballads, filktales and the books were illustrated with pictures.
Oral culture this entered print and printed material was orally transmitted.
3.2 Religious debate and the Fear of print
“Not everyone welcomed the printed books.”
People believed can lead to the fear of the spread of rebellious and irreligious thoughts
A threat to the authority of valuable literature
“Printing is the ultimate gift of the God and the greatest one”
In 1517, Martin Luther wrote Ninety-Five thesis criticizing rituals and practices of Roman Catholic Church and challenged Church to debate his ideas. His writings became immense popular, second edition appeared within three months. It lead to a division within the Church and to the beginning of the Protestant Reformation.
Deeply grateful to the print, Luther said, ‘Print is the ultimate gift of the God and the Greatest one.’
3.3 Print and Dissent
Menocchio, a miller in Italy, reinterpreted the message of the Bible and formulated a view of God and creation that enraged the Roman Catholic Church. Menochhio was hauled up twice and ultimately executed.
Roman Church imposed sever control over publishers and booksellers and began to maintain an Index of Prohibited Books from 1558.

4. The Reading Mania
Booksellers employed pedlars who roamed around villages, carrying little books for sale
Almanacs or ritual calendars, along with ballads and folktales
In England, Penny chapbooks were carried by petty pedlars known as chapmen, and sold for a penny
In France were the ‘Biliotheque Bleue’ - low priced small books printed on poor quality paper and bound in cheap blue covers
Romances printed four to six pages, and the more substantial ‘histories’
Periodical press combining information about current affairs with entertainment, newspaper and journals
Ideas of scientists, philosophers and thinkers were widely published
4.1 Tremble, therefore, Tyrants of the World
People believed that book were a mean of spreading progress and enlightenment
Louis Sebestian Mercier declared -’The printing press is the most powerful engine of progress and public opinion is the force that will sweep despotism away.
Convinced of the power of print in bringing enlightenment and destroying the basis of despotism, Mercier proclaimed - ‘Tremble, therefore, tyrants of the world. Tremble before the virtual writer.’
4.2 Print, Culture and The French Revolution
Print popularized the ideas of the enlightenment thinkers. Their writings provided a critical commentary on tradition, superstition and despotism. Books saw the world through new eyes, eyes that questioning, critical and rational.
Print created a new culture of dialogue and debate. All values, norms and institutions were re-evaluated and discussed.
By the 1780’s there was an outpouring of literature that mocked the royalty and criticized their morality

5. The Nineteenth Century
5.1 Children, Women & Workers
Production of school textbooks became critical for the publishing industry. A children’s press, devoted to literature for children alone, was set up in France in 1857. Grimm Brothers in Germany published collection of stories in 1812
Penny Magazines were especially meant for women, manuals teaching proper behaviors and housekeeping.
Women wrote novels - Jane Austen, Bronte sisters, George Eliot etc. Defined a new type of woman : a person with will, strength of personality, determination and the power to think
In 19th century, lending libraries in England came up, workers also wrote political tracts and autobiographies in large numbers.
5.2 Further Innovations
By mid 19th Century - Richard M. Hoe  perfected the power driven cylindrical press
Late 19th century - offset press was developed, can print up to six colours at a time
by 20th century - Electrically operated presses accelerated printing operations
Method of feeding paper improved, quality of plates became better, automatic paper reels and photoelectric controls register were introduced.
New strategies to sell products
Serialized important novels
In 1920’s in England, popular works were sold in cheap series, the ‘Shelling series’
Dust cover or book jacket, a 20th century innovation
1930s publishers brought out cheap paperback editions.

6. India and The World of Print
6.1 Manuscripts before the Age of Print
Sanskrit, Arabic, Persian, various vernacular language
on palm leaves or handmade paper
continued to be produced till well after the introduction of print, down to the late 19th century
Problems - expensive & fragile, to be handled carefully, could not be read easily, written in different styles
6.2 Print Comes to India
First came to Goa with Portuguese Missionaries in the mid 16th century
Contribution of British in promotion of Print
1780, James Augustus Hickey began to edit the Bengal Gazette. Published a lot of gossips about the company’s senior officials. Enraged by this Governor General Warren Hastings encouraged the officially sanctioned newspapers. By 18th century, a number of newspapers and journals appeared in print. First Indian Newspaper was weekly Bengal Gazette by Gangadhar Bhattacharya

7. Religious Reforms and Public Debates
A variety of new interpretations of the belief of different religions started a debate in public and in print
Ideas against prevailing social evils were printed in the everyday spoken languages
Raja RamMohan Roy published - Sambad Kaumudi (1821)
Hindu orthodoxy came up with ‘Samachar Chandrika’
from 1821, Persian Newspaper - Jam i Jahan Nama & Shamsul Akhbar
Gujarati Newspaper - Bombay Samachar
Islamic followers published Persian & Urdu translations of holy scriptures and printed newspapers and tracts. Published Fatwas telling muslims how to conduct themselves in their everyday lives and explaining the meaning of Islamic Doctrine
Among Hindus, first printed edition of Ramcharitmanas by Tulsidas came out in 1810. From the 1880s, the Naval Kishor Press at Lucknow and the Shri Venkateshwar Press in Bombay published numerous religious texts in vernaculars

8. New Forms of Publication
Novel - a literary firm which developed in Europe soon acquired distinctively Indian forms and styles
New Literary forms - lyrics, short stories, essays about social & political matters developed
Visual culture began shaping popular ideas about modernity and traditions, religion and politics and society and culture. Painters like Raja Ravi Verma produced images for mass circulation.
Caricature and cartoon were published
8.1 Women & Print
Women reading increased enormously in middle-class homes. Writings by women, why women should be educated, syllabus, suitable reading material were now available
Conservative people (both Hindu and Muslim) opposed women education
Girl in a conservative Muslim family of North India secretly learnt to read and write in Urdu.
Rashsundari Devi, learnt to read in the secrecy of her kitchen, wrote about her life - Amar Jiban (1876), first full-length autobiography published in the Bengali language
Kailashbashini Devi wrote books highlighting the experiences of women
In Maharashtra, Tarabai Shine and Pandita Ramabai wrote about the miserable lives of upper caste Hindu women, especially widows
A woman in a Tamil novel expressed what reading meant to woman who were so greatly confined by social regulations.
Early 20th century journals written for and sometimes edited by women became extremely popular
In Punjab, Ram Chaddha published Istri Dharam Vichar. Khalsa Tract Society published cheap booklets
In Bengal an entire area in central Calcutta - the Battala was devoted to the printing of popular books
8.2 Print and the Poor People
Cheap small books were brought and Public libraries were set up for workers
Jyotiba Phule wrote Gulamgiri (1871) B.R.Ambedkar in Maharashtra & E.V.Ramaswamy Naicker in
Madras wrote powerfully on caste and their writings were read by people all over India
Kashibaba wrote and published ‘Chote aur Bade ka sawal’ in 1938
Kanpur mill worker published ‘Sacchi Kavitayan’ under the name of ‘Sudarshan Chakra’

9. Print and Censorship
In 1820s Calcutta Supreme Court passed certain regulations to control press freedom
1835, Governor General Bentinck agreed to revise press laws
Thomas Macaulay, formulated new rules that restored the earlier freedoms
1878, Vernacular Press Act, provided the govt extensive rights to censor reports and editorials in the Vernacular Press
Nationalist Newspapers grew in numbers in all parts of India, reported on colonial misrule and encouraged nationalist activities.

Mineral & Energy Resources

Mineral - Homogeneous naturally occurring substance with a definable internal structure
Rocks - Combinations of homogeneous substances called minerals
Geologists classify minerals on the basis of colours, hardness, crystal forms, luster and density
Ores - accumulation of nay mineral mixed with other elements
Forms in which Minerals occur -
In Igneous and Metamorphic rocks, minerals occur in cracks, crevices, faults or joints. Smaller occurances or called veins, larger are lodes. Metallic minerals - tin, copper, zinc and lead
In sedimentary rocks, minerals occur in beds or layers. Formed as a result of deposition, accumulation and concentration in horizontal strata. Coal, some forms of iron ore, gypsum, potash salt and sodium salt. Formed as a result of evaporation especially in arid regions.
The decomposition of surface rocks, removal of soluble constituents leavs a residual mass of weathered material containing ores. Bauxite
Certain minerals may occur as alluvial deposits in sands of valley floors and the base of hills are called 'placer deposits', minerals, which are not corroded by water. Gold, silver, tin and platinum
Ocean waters contain vast quantities of minerals. Common salt, magnesium and bromine

“India is fortunate to have fairly rich and varied mineral resources.” 
Peninsular rocks contains coal, metallic minerals, mica and many other non-metallic minerals.
Sedimentary rocks on the western and eastern flanks of the peninsula, in Gujarat and Assam have most of the petroleum deposits.
Rajasthan has reserves of many non-ferrous minerals.
Alluvial plains of north India are almost devoid of economic minerals.
Variations exist largely because of the differences in the geological structure, processes and time involved in the formation of minerals.

Ferrous Minerals
Iron Ore
Imp. : Iron ore is the basic mineral and the backbone of industrial development.
Types -
Magnetite, the finest iron ore, content of iron up to 70 per cent, has excellent magnetic qualities, especially valuable in the electrical industry.
Hematite ore is the most important industrial iron ore in terms of the quantity used, iron content 50- 60 per cent
The major iron ore belts :
Odisha-Jharkhand belt: high grade hematite ore, in Badampahar mines in the Mayurbhanj and Kendujhar districts. Singbhum district of Jharkhand, is mined in Gua and Noamundi.
Durg-Bastar-Chandrapur: In Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra. Very high grade hematites, Bailadila range of hills in the Bastar district of Chhattisgarh. Has the best physical properties needed for steel making. Is exported to Japan and South Korea via Vishakhapatnam port.
Ballari-Chitradurga-Chikkamagaluru-Tumakuru belt : In Karnataka, Kudremukh mines, a 100 per cent export unit. One of the largest in the world. Is transported as slurry through a pipeline to a port near Mangaluru.
Maharashtra-Goa belt : Goa and Ratnagiri district, Maharashtra. Exported through Marmagao port.

Manganese
Imp. : Used in the manufacturing of steel and ferro-manganese alloy. In manufacturing bleaching powder, insecticides and paints.
Area : Odisha, the largest producer of manganese ores in India. Accounted for one-third of the country's total production in 2000-01.

Non-Ferrous Minerals 
Reserves and production is not very satisfactory. Play a vital role in a number of metallurgical, engineering and electrical industries.
Copper - India deficient in the reserve and production of copper.
Imp. : Malleable, ductile. good conductor - used in electrical cables, electronics and chemical industries.
Areas - Leading producers are Balaghat mines (M.P), Khetri (Rajasthan), Singhbhum (Jharkhand).
Bauxite - Aluminium is extracted from Bauxite.
Imp. : Combines the strength of metals such as Iron, extreme lightness, good conductivity and great malleability.
Areas : Amarkantak Plateau, Maikal Hills, Plateau regions of Bilaspur-Katni. Odisha, largest producing state. Pachpatmali deposits in Koraput District.

Non-Metallic Minerals
Mica : Made up of a series of plates or leaves. It splits easily into thin sheets. Mica can be clear, black, green, red yellow or brown.
Imp. : Excellent di-electric strength, low power loss factor, insulating properties and resistance to high voltage, mica is one of the most indispensable minerals used in electric and electronic industries.
Area : In the northern edge of the Chota Nagpur plateau. Koderma Gaya - Hazaribagh belt of Jharkhand is the leading producer. Ajumer in Rajasthan, Nellore of Andhra Pradesh Rock Minerals
Limestone : is the basic raw material for the cement industry and essential for smelting iron ore in the blast furnace.

CONSERVATION OF MINERALS 
Why - Strong dependence of industry and agriculture upon mineral deposits
Total volume of workable mineral deposits is an insignificant fraction
Rates of replenishment are infinitely small in comparison to the present rates of consumption. Mineral resources are finite and non-renewable.
Continued extraction of ores leads to increasing costs, with decrease in quality.
How - Use mineral resources in a planned and sustainable manner.
Improved technologies need to be constantly evolved
Recycling of metals, using scrap metals and other substitutes

Energy Resources
Energy is needed to cook, to provide light and heat, to propel vehicles and to drive machinery in industries. Conventional sources of energy include: firewood, cattle dung cake, coal, petroleum, natural gas and electricity (both hydel and thermal). Non-conventional sources include solar, wind, tidal, geothermal, biogas and atomic energy.

Conventional Sources of Energy
Coal Most abundant available fossil fuel. Provides a substantial part of the nation’s energy needs Types : Peat, Lignite, Bituminous, Anthracite
Rock series of two main geological ages Gondwana - 200 million years. Found in Damodar, Godavari, Mahanadi, Son & Wardha valley Tertiary - 55 million years. Found in Meghalaya, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh & Nagaland
Petroleum Is the next major energy source in India after coal. Provides fuel for heat and lighting, lubricants for machinery and raw materials for a number of manufacturing industries. Petroleum refineries act as a "nodal industry" for synthetic textile, fertiliser and numerous chemical industries.
Areas : 63 per cent of India's petroleum production is from Mumbai High, 18 per cent from Gujarat and 16 per cent from Assam. Ankeleshwar, the most important field of Gujarat. Assam, the oldest oil producing state. Digboi, Naharkatiya and Moran-Hugrijan are the important oil fields in the state.
Natural Gas - An important clean energy resource. Used as a source of energy as well as an industrial raw material in the petrochemical industry. Environment friendly fuel because of low carbon dioxide emissions, the fuel for the present century.
Reserves - In the Krishna- Godavari basin, Mumbai High, Gulf of Cambay, Andaman and Nicobar islands
The 1700 km long Hazira-Vijaipur - Jagdishpur gas pipeline. This artery, an impetus to India's gas production. The power and fertilizer industries are the key users of natural gas. Use of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG ) for vehicles

Electricity- Its per capita consumption is considered as an index of development. Is generated mainly in two ways: by running water which drives hydro turbines to generate hydro electricity; and by burning other fuels such as coal, petroleum and natural gas to drive turbines to produce thermal power.

Non-Conventional Sources of Energy - Growing consumption of energy has resulted in rising prices of fossil fuels such as coal, oil and gas and their potential shortages. Increasing use of fossil fuels also causes serious environmental problems.
Nuclear or Atomic Energy - Obtained by altering the structure of atoms. Uranium and Thorium, which are available in Jharkhand and the Aravalli ranges of Rajasthan are used for generating atomic or nuclear power. The Monazite sands of Kerala is also rich in Thorium.
Solar Energy - India is a tropical country, has enormous possibilities of tapping solar energy. Photovoltaic technology converts sunlight directly into electricity. Will minimise the dependence of rural house holds on firewood and dung cakes, which in turn will contribute to environmental conservation and adequate supply of manure in agriculture.
Wind power - The largest wind farm cluster is located in Tamil Nadu from Nagarcoil to Madurai. Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Gujarat, Kerala, Maharashtra and Lakshadweep have important wind farms. Nagarcoil and Jaisalmer are well known for effective use of wind energy in the country.
Biogas - Shrubs, farm waste, animal and human waste are used. Higher thermal efficiency in comparison to kerosene, dung cake and charcoal. Plants using cattle dung are known as 'Gobar gas plants' in rural India. Provide twin benefits to the farmer in the form of energy and improved quality of manure.
Tidal Energy - Gulf of Khambhat, Gulf of Kuchchh in Gujarat, Sunderban regions of W.Bengal
Geo-Thermal Energy - Heat and electricity produced by using the heat from the interior of the earth. Parvati valley near Manikaran in HP and Puga valley in Ladakh
Conservation of Energy Resources-
Using public transport systems instead of individual vehicles; switching off electricity when not in use, using power -saving devices and using non-conventional sources of energy

Saturday 18 July 2015

Saturday 11 July 2015

Hariyana-NTSE-Stage-1-2013-14

UP NTSE Stage1 2015

NTSE Stage I 2014-15 (Rajasthan) Paper

NTSE Stage I (Rajasthan) Paper is divided into three parts
Part I is MAT, carries 50 questions to be solved in 45 minutes, followed by half-n-hour break
Part II is LCT, carries 40 questions (English/Hindi) to be solved in 45 minutes, followed by half-n-hour break. Is an qualifying paper, marks are not included in the final merit, u just have to score passing marks in this part.
Part III is SAT, carries 90 questions (35 of Science, 35 of Social Science & 20 of Maths) to be solved in 90 minutes
For finalizing the merit marks scored in MAT and SAT (50+90=140) are counted

https://www.scribd.com/doc/271235701/QP-SAT-NTSE-Stage1-2014-15-Rajasthan

Ntse Stage-1 Bihar 2015

Punjab NTSE Stage I 2014 Paper

Punjab NTSE Stage I 2014 paper
SCERT Punjab,
Chandigarh

Students of Punjab have advantage in comparison to other states.
In other States Paper is generally divided into Three parts
LCT, MAT & SAT. Each pert has to be solved in given time. For e.g. for LCT 45 minutes are given, students generally solve LCT in hardly 15 to 20 minutes. For MAT 45 minutes are given, students generally want more time, same way for SAT 90 minutes are given, students want more time for this paper also.
But have to finish all papers in specified time only. Time left after solving LCT cannot be utilised for solving MAT or SAT. But students of Punjab State will definitely have this advatage

https://www.scribd.com/doc/271221982/Punjab-NTSE-Stage-I-2014

Thursday 9 July 2015

People as Resource

MCQ on
'People as Resource'
Chapter No.2
Economics, Class IX

https://www.scribd.com/doc/271111396/People-as-Resource

Gender, Religion & Caste

MCQ on
Gender, Religion & Caste
Chapter no. IV
Civics, Class X

https://www.scribd.com/doc/271111240/Gender-Religion-Caste

Forest, Society & Colonialism

MCQ on Forest, Society & Colonialism
History Chapter
Class IX
Q.1. The Imperial Forest Research Institute was set up in :
(a)  Dehradun                 (b) Delhi                       (c) Calcutta                   (d) Kanpur
Q.2. This river                           flows through Bastar.
(a)  Ganga                      (b) Indus                       (c) Indrawati                 (d) None of these
Q.3. Java was                          colony.
(a)  French                     (b) English                    (c) Dutch                       (d) None of these
Q.4. Sarnas ar                          .
(a)  Sacred groves         (b) Forests                    (c) Grasslands               (d) None of these
Q.5. The Forest Act meant severe hardship for the villagers across the country, because : (a)  Cutting wood, grazing cattle, collecting fruits, roots, hunting and fishing became illegal 
        (b)  People were forced to steal and if caught, they had to pay bribes to the forest guards (c)  Women who collected firewood were harassed by guards
(d)  All the above
Q.6. Shifting cultivation was banned by the Government in India because :
(a)  European foresters regarded this practice as harmful for the forests
(b)  When a forest was burnt there was the danger of flames spreading and burning valuable timber
           (c)  It also made it harder for the government to calculate taxes
(d)  All the above

Q.7. How did the American writer Richard Harding justify the conquest of Honduras in   Central America?
(a)  The Central Americans were semi-barbarians, who failed to understand the value of their land
(b)  Uncultivated land had to be taken over by the colonisers and improved (c)  Land could not be allowed to remain unimproved with its original owner (d)  All the above

Q.8. Why does the story of the forests and people of Bastar not end with the rebellion of 1910?
(a)  Practice  of  keeping  people  out  of  the  forests  and  reserving  them  for  industrial  use continued even after Independence
(b)  The World Bank proposed that 4,600 hectares of national sal forest should be replaced by tropical pine for paper industry. It was scrapped later.
(c)  Both (a) and (b) (d)  None of the above

Q.9. Which of the following problems were faced by the people of Bastar under the colonial government?
(a)  People of villages were displaced without any notice of compensation
(b)  Villagers suffered from increased rents, frequent demands for free labour and goods by colonial officials
(c)  Terrible famines in 1899-1900, 1907 and 1908 (d)  All the above

Q.10. About how much percentage of the worlds total forest area was cleared between 1700 and 1995?
(a)  9%                           (b) 9.3%                       (c) 20.5%                      (d) 30%

Q.11. How much of Indias landmass was under cultivation in 1600?
(a)  One-sixth                 (b) One-third                (c) Two-third                 (d) Half

Q.12. What was the ‘scorched earth’ policy followed by the Dutch in Java during the First and the Second World Wars?
(a)  Dutch weapons were destroyed on the land of Java
(b)  The earth was exploited further to grow more trees
(c)  Huge piles of giant teak logs were burnt and saw mills destroyed
(d)  None of the above
Q.13. What was the policy followed by the British in India towards forests during the First and the Second World Wars?
(a)  The forest department cut trees freely to meet British war needs
(b)  Cutting of trees was strictly prohibited for everyone, including the British
(c)  More and more trees were planted to give employment to Indians
(d)  None of the above
Q.14. How have some of the dense forests survived across India from Mizoram to Kerala?
(a)  Villagers have protected them in sacred groves
(b)  Some villagers have been patrolling their own forests
(c)  By strict patrolling of forest officers
(d)  Both (a) and (b)
Q.15. Out of three categories, which forests were regarded as the best?
(a)  Reserved forests     (b) Protected forests    (c) Village forests         (d) Both (a) and (b)
Q.16. The new forest laws changed the lives of forest dwellers in yet another way. What was it?
(a)  The forest laws prohibited people from hunting animals
(b)  The people could not build houses in the forest areas (c)  Women were not allowed to work in the forest areas (d)  None of the above
Q.17. Large areas of natural forests were also cleared to make way for which of these?
(a)  Tea plantations        (b) Coffee plantations  
(c) Rubber plantations  (d) All the above
Q.18. During the colonial period, the British directly encouraged the production of which of these crops?
(a)  Jute                          (b) Sugar and wheat    
(c) Cotton                      (d) All the above
Q.19. Which of these trade regulations in colonial India had serious effects on pastoralist and nomadic communities?
(a)  Many communities became slave labours in tea and coffee plantations
(b)  Some of them were called criminal tribes
(c)  Grazing and hunting were restricted and many communities lost their livelihood
(d)  All the above
Q.20. Why did the cultivated area in India rise between 1880 and 1920?
(a)  The British directly encouraged the production of commercial crops like jute, sugarcane, wheat and cotton
(b)  Forests were considered to be wilderness. They had to be cultivated to yield agricultural products and revenue
            (c)  The growing urban populations in Europe needed more crops and more raw materials                   for industry
(d)  All the above
Q.21. The British believed that by killing dangerous animals, the British would civilise India.
What did they do to encourage these killings?
(a)  They gave rewards for killing tigers, wolves and other large animals
(b)  Over 80,000 tigers, 150,000 leopards and 200,000 wolves were killed during 1875-1925 alone
(c)  Gradually the tiger came to be seen as a sporting trophy
(d)  All the above
Q.22. Which of the following problems were faced by the tribal communities from Assam, Jharkahand, Chhattisgarh etc?
(a)  Stopping of ‘shifting cultivation’ had left them without a source of earning
(b)  In tea plantations their wages were low and conditions of work were very bad
(c)  They could not return easily to their home villages from where they had been recruited
(d)  All the above
Q.23. Where is Bastar located?
(a)  Southernmost part of Chhattisgarh              (b) In central Jharkhand region
(c)  In Andhra Pradesh                                        (d) None of the above
Q.24. What were ‘forest villages’?
(a)  ‘Reserved forests’ where some villagers were allowed to stay
(b)  Forests which were cut down to make new villages
(c)  Villages where forests were to be grown
(d)  None of the above
Q.25. Who was Gunda Dhur?
(a)  A rebel of Java                                             (b) First Inspector General
(c)  A leader of Santhal rebellion                       (d) A leader of Dhurwa tribe
Q.26. What was the result of the rebellion by the Dhurwas?
(a)  The British sent troops to suppess the rebellion
(b)  Work on reservation was temporarily suspended
(c)  Area to be reserved was reduced to roughly half of that planned before 1910 (d)  All the above
Q.27. Who were the colonial power in Indonesia?
(a)  British                      (b) Dutch                      (c) French                     (d) Portuguese
Q.28. Which place is now famous as a rice-producing island in Indonesia?
(a)  Java                         (b) Sumatra                   (c) Borneo                     (d) Kalimantan
Q.29. Where did the Dutch start forest management in Indonesia?
(a)  Java                          (b) Sumatra                   
(c) Bali                          (d) None of the above
Q.30. Who were ‘Kalangs’ of Java?
(a)  Dynasty of rulers                    (b) Skilled forest cutters and shifting cultivators
(c)  A community of moneylenders                    (d) None of the above
Q.31. The Kalangs resisted the Dutch in
(a)  1700                        (b) 1750                        (c) 1770                        (d) 1800
Q.32. According to the forest laws enacted by the Dutch in Java,
(a)  villagers’ access to forest was restricted
(b)  wood could be cut only for specified purposes like making river boats or constructing houses
(c)  villagers were punished for grazing cattle
(d)  all the above
Q.33. What was the system of ‘blandongdiensten’?
(a)  A system of education                 (b)  Industrialisation
(c)  First imposition of rent on land and then exemption
(d)  None of the above
Q.34. What  did  Surontiko  Samin  of  Randublatung  village,  a  teak  forest  village,  begin questioning?
(a)  The foreign policy of the Dutch                  (b) State ownership of the forest
(c)  The export policy of the Dutch                   (d) None of the above
Q.35. What was the policy followed by the British in India towards forests during the First and the Second World Wars?
(a)  The forest department cut trees freely to meet British war needs
(b)  Cutting of trees was strictly prohibited for everyone, including the British
(c)  More and more trees were planted to give employment to Indians
(d)  None of the above
Q.36. What is the goal of governments across Asia and Africa since the 1980s?
(a)  Conservation of forests                            (b)  Collection of timber
(c)  Settling people in forest areas
(d)  Destroying old forests and growing new ones
37. Who wrote the book ‘The Forests of India’ in the year 1923?
(a)  David Spurr            (b) E.P. Stebbing          (c) Verrier Elvin           (d) John Middleton
38. Which of the following is not associated with swidden agriculture?              
(a)  Karacha                   (b) Jhum                       (c) Bewar                      (d) Penda
39. Indian Forest Service was set up in the year:                                                    
(a)  1865                        (b) 1864                        (c) 1854                        (d) 1884
40. Which of the following was not a tribal community?                                       
(a)  Karacha                   (b) Jhum                       (c) Korava                     (d) Yerukula
41. The system of scientific forestry stands for:                                                       
(a)  system  whereby  the  local  farmers  were  allowed  to  cultivate  temporarily  within  a plantation
(b)  system of cutting old trees and plant new ones
(c)  division of forest into three categories
(d)  disappearance of forests
42. In which year the Bastar rebellion took place?                                                  
(a)  1910                        (b) 1909                        (c) 1911                         (d) 1912
43. In South-East Asia shifting agriculture is known as:                                        
(a)  Chitemene               (b) Tavy                        (c) Lading                     (d) Milpa
44. The Gond forest community belongs to which of the following?                    
(a)  Chhattisgarh            (b) Jharkhand               (c) Jammu and Kashmir    (d) Gujarat
45. Forests consisting of which type of trees were preferred by the Forest Department?
(a)  Forests having trees which provided fuel, fodder and leaves
(b)  Forests having soft wood
(c)  Forests having trees suitable for building ships and railways
46. Which of the following term is not associated with shifting agriculture in India?
 (a)  Penda                       (b) Bewar                     (c) Khandad                  (d) Lading
     47. Which of the following is a community of skilled forest cutters?                   
(a)  Maasais of Africa                                         (b) Mundas of Chotanagpur
(c)  Gonds of Orissa                                            (d) Kalangs of Java
48. Why did the government decide to ban shifting cultivation?                           
(a)  To grow trees for railway timber
(b)  When a forest was burnt, there was the danger of destroying valuable timber
(c)  Difficulties for the government to calculate taxes
(d)  All the above reasons
49. Wooden planks laid across railway tracks to hold these tracks in a position are called:
(a)  Beams                      (b) Sleepers                  (c) Rail fasteners          (d) None of these
50. Which of the following was the most essential for the colonial trade and movement of goods?      
 (a)  Roadways                (b) Railways                 (c) Airways                   (d) Riverways
51. Which of the following is a commercial crop?                                                   
(a)  Rice                         (b) Wheat                     (c) Cotton                      (d) Corn
52. Colonial rulers considered forests as unproductive because:                            
(a)  the forests were not fit for habitation         (b) forest had wild grown trees only
(c)  forest did not yield revenue to enhance income of the state
(d)  forests were full of wild animals
53. Who were the colonial power in Indonesia?                                                       
(a)  British                      (b) Dutch                      (c) French                     (d) Portuguese
54. Java is famous for:                                                                                                  
(a)  Rice production      (b) Mining industries   (c) Huge population    (d) Flood and famines
55. Latex can be collected from which of the following trees?                              
(a)  Rubber tree             (b) Eucalyptus tree       (c) Pine tree                  (d) Deodar tree
56. Who among the following led the forest revolt in Bastar?                               
(a)  Siddhu                     (b) Birsa Munda           (c) Kanu                        (d) Gunda Dhur
57. Villagers wanted forests to satisfy their following needs:                                 
(a)  Fuel, fodder and shelter                               (b) Fuel, fodder and fruit
(c)  Fuel, fodder and cultivation                         (d) Fuel, fodder and minerals

1.        
1.    1. (a), 2. (c), 3(c), 4(a),5(d), 6(d),7(d),8(c),9(d),10(b),11(a),12.(c),13.(a),14.(d),15.(a),16.(a),17.(d),18.(d),19.(d),20.(d),21.(d),22(d),23(a),24.(a), 25.(d), 26.(d), 27.(b), 28.(a), 29.(a), 30.(b), 31.(c), 32.(d), 33.(c), 34.(b), 35.(b), 36.(a), 37.(b), 38.(a), 39.(b), 40.(b), 41.(b), 42.(a), 43.(c), 44.(a), 45.(c), 46.(d), 47.(d), 48.(b), 49.(b), 50.(b), 51.(c), 52.(c), 53.(b), 54.(a), 55.(a), 56.(d), 57.(b),
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