Test: People as Resource- 1 - UPSC MCQ

Option A: Primary Sector - Manufacturing
Incorrect: The primary sector includes activities related to natural resources such as agriculture, forestry, fishing, and mining. Manufacturing is part of the secondary sector, which involves processing raw materials into finished goods.

Option B: Secondary Sector - Fishing
Incorrect: The secondary sector comprises industries that produce a finished, usable product or are involved in construction. Fishing, being an extraction of natural resources, is part of the primary sector.

Option C: Tertiary Sector - Communication
Correct: The tertiary sector involves the provision of services rather than goods. Communication services (such as telecommunications) are a part of this sector.

Option D: Primary Sector - Banking
Incorrect: Banking falls under the tertiary sector, which provides services such as trade, transport, communication, and banking. The primary sector deals with natural resource extraction and agriculture.

By analyzing the sectors and their corresponding activities, it's clear that the correctly matched pair is "Tertiary Sector - Communication."

• Assertion (A): Human capital is considered superior to other resources like land and physical capital. This assertion is accurate because human capital can enhance the productivity of land and physical capital through its skills and knowledge.

• Reason (R): Human resource can make use of land and capital, while land and capital cannot become useful on their own. This reason correctly explains why human capital is considered superior. Without human capital to operate or utilize land and capital, these resources remain unproductive.

• Explanation: The reason effectively explains why human capital is viewed as superior—it is the human resource that can make land and capital productive. Thus, both the assertion and reason are true, and the reason accurately explains the assertion. Therefore, Option A is the correct choice.

• The Sarva Siksha Abhiyan initiative primarily aims at providing elementary education to all children in the age group of 6-14 years.
• This program is a time-bound effort led by the Central government in collaboration with states, local governments, and communities to achieve universalization of elementary education, emphasizing the importance of foundational learning for all young learners.

The correct answer is C: (i), (ii), and (iv), as statements (i), (ii), and (iv) accurately describe aspects of human capital formation, while statement (iii) is incorrect.

Agricultural activities in India are season-specific. Therefore, there are huge demands for workers only in specific seasons. This leads to seasonal unemployment in rural areas. Moreover, due to the lack of alternative employment opportunities, more and more people get involved in agriculture. In reality, however, they do not contribute anything to the output. This common type of unemployment is known as disguised employment.

Each individual's growth presents a different range of problems and requirements, indicating the diverse and specific nature of challenges and needs faced by each person.

Education and skill are major determinants of earning in the market. Individuals with higher education and skill levels tend to earn more due to better access to economic opportunities and higher demand for their expertise.

• Assertion (A): The number of medical colleges in India is insufficient compared to the population's healthcare needs. This assertion is correct because India has a large and growing population with significant healthcare needs that are not fully met due to the limited number of medical colleges.

• Reason (R): Limited availability of medical colleges leads to a shortage of healthcare professionals in various regions. This reason supports the assertion well. Fewer medical colleges result in fewer medical graduates, which directly contributes to the shortage of healthcare professionals, affecting the ability to meet the healthcare needs of the population.

• Explanation: The reason accurately explains why the number of medical colleges being insufficient leads to a shortage of healthcare professionals. Thus, both the assertion and the reason are true, and the reason correctly explains the assertion. Therefore, Option A is the correct answer.

• The National Education Policy, 1986, primarily aims to cherish, nurture, and develop individuals as precious national resources that need to be cared for and developed with tenderness and dynamism.
• This policy emphasizes the positive asset of each human being and stresses the importance of education in facilitating individual growth with sensitivity.

Health is an indispensable basis for realizing one's well-being. Maintaining good health allows individuals to achieve a sense of overall wellness and quality of life.

• Human Capital Formation involves investment in education, training, and medical care
• This investment contributes significantly to the productive power of a country
• As a result, higher incomes are earned because of the increased productivity of more educated, better-trained, and healthier individuals
• However, it is not synonymous with physical capital formation, which involves investment in physical assets like machinery and buildings
• Thus, statements (i), (iii), and (iv) are correct

- Explanation - The assertion that human capital is crucial for economic development is true as skilled and educated individuals contribute significantly to a nation's growth.

The reason that investment in education and training boosts productivity is also accurate.

However, while the reason supports the assertion, it does not fully explain the causal relationship between human capital and economic development, making Option B the correct choice.

Option B is correct because both statements are true, but the reason is not a direct explanation of the assertion.

• Option A: Literacy Rate in Kerala (2011) - 94% is correctly matched. As per the provided information, the literacy rate in Kerala was 94% according to the 2011 Census.
• Option B: Expenditure on Education as a Percentage of GDP (2020-21) - 3.8% is incorrect. The correct figure is 2.8% as mentioned in the source material.
• Option C: Literacy among males is nearly 14.4% higher than females and it is about 14.2% higher in urban areas as compared to rural areas.so (c) option is incorrect
• Option D: Gross Enrolment Ratio in Higher Education (2019-20) - 25% is not incorrect, but Option A is the exact match. Option A is more precisely aligned with the given data.Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) in Higher education in India is 27.1, which is calculated for 18-23 years of age group.

Option A: Investment in human capital - No return on investment
This statement is incorrect. Investment in human capital (through education, training, medical care) yields a return just like investment in physical capital. This return can be seen in the form of higher incomes earned due to higher productivity of the more educated or better-trained individuals, as well as the higher productivity of healthier people.

Option B: India's Green Revolution - Increased productivity of land resources
This statement is correct. India's Green Revolution is a dramatic example of how the input of greater knowledge in the form of improved production technologies can rapidly increase the productivity of scarce land resources.

Option C: Human capital formation - Physical capital formation
This statement is partially correct but misleading. Human capital formation refers to the process of increasing the productive capacities of people through education and health improvements, while physical capital formation refers to the accumulation of physical assets like machinery and buildings. While both are forms of capital formation, they are not the same.

Option D: Human resource - Non-productive skills
This statement is incorrect. Human resources refer to the working people in terms of their existing productive skills and abilities, emphasizing their ability to contribute to the creation of the Gross National Product. It is the positive side of a large population, often overlooked when considering only the problems of providing food, education, and health facilities.

Based on the analysis, the correctly matched pair is: Option B: India's Green Revolution - Increased productivity of land resources