Here are the notes, questions, solutions, textual answers, pdf, and extras for Chapter 19: People as a Resource, which is a part of the social science class 9 syllabus for students studying under the Nagaland Board of School Education.
Introduction
Human resources refer to human beings. If their qualitative aspects are developed, they can contribute a lot to the economic development of the nation. From this standpoint, the population helps in economic development. The relationship between population and economic development is very complex. Many things can be said in favour of and against this complex relationship. The population is an asset to the economy rather than a liability. The population becomes human capital when there is an investment made in the form of education, training, and medical care. An investment in human capital yields a return just like an investment in physical capital. Educated, skilled, and healthier people generate higher productivity and income.
‘People as Resources’ is a way of referring to a country’s working people in terms of their existing productive skills and abilities. Looking at the population from this productive aspect emphasises its ability to contribute to the creation of the Gross National Product. Like other resources population also is a resource ‘human resource’. This is the positive side of a large population that is often overlooked when we look only at the negative side, considering only the problems of providing the population with food, education and access to health facilities.
Textual questions and answers
Choose the correct answer
1. Which of the following best describes the concept of the demographic dividend?
A. A situation where the working-age population is smaller than the dependent population
B. A situation where the working-age population is larger than the dependent population
C. A situation where the birth rate is higher than the death rate
D. A situation where the elderly population is larger than the youth population
Answer: B. A situation where the working-age population is larger than the dependent population
2. How does the quality of education and training impact human capital development?
A. It has no significant impact on human capital.
B. Higher quality education and training result in a higher level of human capital.
C. It only affects the quantity of human capital, not the quality.
D. It only affects individuals, not the overall workforce.
Answer: B. Higher quality education and training result in a higher level of human capital.
3. In the context of human resources, what is “brain drain”?
A. A process where individuals gain knowledge and skills but remain unemployed
B. A process where highly skilled individuals emigrate to other countries for better opportunities
C. A process where individuals with low education levels are trained for specialized jobs
D. A process where individuals invest in their health but do not contribute to the workforce
Answer: B. A process where highly skilled individuals emigrate to other countries for better opportunities
4. There are two statements marked as Assertion (A) and Reason (R). Mark your answer as per the codes provided below.
Assertion (A): Investment in human capital yields a return just like investment in physical capital.
Reason (R): A country endowed with a vast amount of natural resources cannot exploit them properly unless it has enough supply of skilled labour.
A. Both (A) and (R) are true and (R) is the correct explanation of (A)
B. Both (A) and (R) are true but (R) is not the correct explanation of (A)
C. (A) is correct but (R) is wrong
D. (A) is wrong but (R) is correct
Answer: B. Both (A) and (R) are true but (R) is not the correct explanation of (A)
5. Consider the statements given below and choose the correct answer.
Statement 1: Education is the most important component of human resource development.
Statement II: Education improves human behaviour, produces skilled and trained workers.
A. statement I is correct and II is incorrect
B. statement I is incorrect and II is correct
C. Both I & II are incorrect
D. Both I & II are correct
Answer: D. Both I & II are correct
6. Evaluate the adverse effects of population growth by identifying the appropriate statements among the following options.
I. Despite considerable growth in national income, per capita income could not increase much
II. The population has increased much faster than increase in employment opportunities
III. Rapidly growing population increases the land-man ratio
IV. In spite of large increases recorded in foodgrain production, their per capita availability has not improved much.
A. I and II are appropriate
B. I, II and III are appropriate
C. I, II and IV are appropriate
D. all statements are appropriate
Answer: C. I, II and IV are appropriate
Very short answer type questions
1. What is human capital?
Answer: Human capital can be defined as the knowledge, ability, skill and physical capacity of the people which help them to produce more.
2. Mention two things necessary for good health.
Answer: Two things necessary for good health are (i) Balanced and nutritious diet and (ii) healthcare facilities.
3. Define unemployment.
Answer: When a person is unable to find any gainful work or job, that person is said to be unemployed.
4. What is disguised unemployment?
Answer: Disguised unemployment implies that more than the required number of people are engaged in a given job.
5. Define seasonal unemployment.
Answer: There are some industries and occupations which offer employment for only a certain period of time in a year. Unemployment during the off-season is known as seasonal unemployment.
6. Define structural unemployment.
Answer: This type of unemployment is related to the structural setup of the economy.
Short answer type questions
1. Describe in brief the role of human resources in economic development.
Answer: Human resource refers to human beings. If their qualitative aspects are developed, they can contribute a lot to the process of economic development of the nation. Investment in human capital (through education, training, and medical care) yields a return just like an investment in physical capital.
2. Explain the positive relationship between population growth and the economic development of a country.
Answer: Like other resources population also is a resource ‘human resource’. If the growing population is provided with better education, better health and a better environment, the quality of the labour force may be improved to a great extent. Thus, people can produce more and hence national production/output is increased. In this way, the population can help in the economic development of a country.
3. Discuss the role of education in human capital formation.
Answer: Education plays the following roles in human capital formation:
i Education modifies/improves human behaviour.
ii. It produces skilled and trained workers.
iii. It increases labour productivity.
iv. It develops personality and a sense of national consciousness.
v. It promotes science and technology.
5. Why is population growth a major cause of unemployment in India?
Answer: The rapid population has created an army of the labour force. When the number of people increases in a country much faster than the increase in employment opportunities, that situation may lead to unemployment. This is what has happened in India.
Long answer type questions
1. Differentiate between physical capital and human capital. How can human capital be created?
Answer: Physical capital can be defined as a factor of production such as machinery, buildings, or computers. Human capital, on the other hand, can be defined as the knowledge, ability, skill and physical capacity of the people which help them to produce more.
Human beings can be turned into resources only if their innovative aspects are developed. Qualitative aspects in human beings cannot be developed automatically. This requires investments in them. Education and health are the major human resources of a country. When we make adequate inputs of education and health in the people, the quality of human resources will definitely increase. They convert human beings into human capital.
2. “The quality of human resources in India is very poor when compared with advanced nations.” Justify the statement by giving examples.
Answer: Human beings can be turned into resources only if their innovative aspects are developed. When we provide adequate inputs in education and health to the people, the quality of human resources will definitely increase.
In India, the situation on the literacy front still remains disappointing. Of the total world population, India’s share is one-sixth, but among the world’s illiterates, her share is one-third. This underlines the need to improve literacy rates even further. Even now public expenditure on education in India is inadequate
Though India has made many improvements in the healthcare sector, health conditions are far from satisfactory in India. One-fourth of the total population is under-nourished. The sanitation level is extremely poor. About 72 per cent of our population lives in unsanitary conditions. Hence, the role of the government in providing healthcare is still important. But it is disappointing that public expenditure on health has been quite low, even less than one per cent of GDP.
Thus, the quality of human resources in India is very poor when compared with advanced nations.
3. “Population is an asset, rather than a liability.” Explain.
Answer: Population is an asset for the economy rather than a liability. Population becomes human capital when there is an investment made in the form of education, training and medical care. Investment in human capital yields a return just like an investment in physical capital. Educated, skilled and healthier people generate higher productivity and income.
4. How does good health contribute to economic development?
Answer: Good health contributes to economic development in the following ways:
(a) It increases the efficiency of workers.
(b) It reduces production loss caused by workers’ illness.
(c) It permits the use of natural and other resources.
(d) It increases the enrollment of children in schools and makes them better able to learn.
(e) It spares/frees resources that otherwise would have to be spent on treating illness.
Extra MCQs
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Extra questions and answers
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Ron’e Dutta is a journalist, teacher, aspiring novelist, and blogger. He manages Online Free Notes and reads Victorian literature. His favourite book is Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte and he hopes to travel the world. Get in touch with him by sending him a friend request.
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