Class 6 Civics Chapter 7 Practice Question Answers - Rural Livelihoods

Q1: What was zamindari system?
Ans: Zamindari system was the system in which the land was mostly owned by big landlords called zamindars.

Q2: What is the important sources of livelihood for the families of some villages in central India?
Ans: Farming and collecting forest produces.

Q3: Define private debt.
Ans: Loans which an individual takes for his/her personal consumption from other people or institutions.

Q4: When does the ''Community Development Programme'' was introduced?
Ans: 1952.

Q5: According to the chapter, Ramalingam, large farmer, in Kalpattu village borrowed money from government bank to start a ________.
Ans: Rice mill.

Q6: People use their power in democracy through _______.
Ans: Election.

Q7: What is the meaning of Five Year Plan of India?
Ans: The economy of India is based on planning through its five year plans developed and executed by the Planning Commission of India.

Q8: Briefly explain the term seasonal unemployment.
Ans: Seasonal unemployment is found basically in agricultural sectors. In industrial sectors, people are employed normally for all the days in the year. But, this is not true for agriculture. This is due to the fact that agricultural operations require labour only during certain seasons. In between the seasons, the workers in agriculture remain idle or have no productive work to be engaged in.

Q9: What are the main activities of people living near coastal village areas?
Ans: People in villages near coastal areas earn their livelihood by fishing. Their houses are close to sea and one finds rows of catamarans and nets lying around. At about 7 a.m. there are lot of activities on beach, this is the time when catamarans return with their catch and women gather to buy and sell fish.

Q10: List the main problems being faced by Indian farmers today.
Ans: The three problems faced by the Indian farmers are:

• Lack of availability of water for irrigation. The high yielding variety of seeds, chemical fertilizers, insecticides, pesticides etc. are very expensive, the farmers find it difficult to purchase them.
• Most of the farmers have small holdings which are uneconomical.
• In case of a crop failure, it becomes difficult in paying the loans taken from the banks and private money lenders. In order, to pay the debts, they are compelled to sell their produce at cheaper rates.

Q11: What changes did the arrival of electricity brought in the life of the villagers?
Ans: With the arrival of electricity, the output of agricultural produce has greatly increased. Tube wells driven by electricity helped in irrigating land. Besides agriculture, electrification also helped in industrial development in villages. Various comforts of life (such as radio, television etc.) made available to the villagers. Also, entertainment and education brought to the doorsteps of the villages by television and radio. Thus, the living standard of the villagers improved.

Q12: What was the condition of agriculture before independence?
Ans: Before independence, our villages were extremely backward. Most of the villages did not have modern facilities of irrigation. Farmers were mostly illiterate and superstitious. They did not have a scientific outlook, old methods of cultivation were followed. Zamindars or the British Government paid no heed towards the improvement of the farmers. People were mostly poor, though they worked hard.

Q13: Describe the causes for the growth of agricultural labourers.
Ans: The causes for the growth of agricultural labourers are:

• Increase in population
• Decline of cottage and handicraft industries.
• Increase in indebtness.
• Eviction of small farmers and tenants from land.

Q14: What is special about Chakhesang community?
Ans: The people of Chizami have their own individual fields but they also work collectively in each other’s fields. They form groups of six or eight and take an entire mountainside to clean the weeds on it. All groups eat together once their work for the day is over. This goes on for several days until the job is completed.

Q15: What is Plantation Agriculture?
Ans: Plantation agriculture is a type of commercial farming where single crop of tea, coffee, sugarcane, banana or cotton are grown. It requires the large amount of labour and capital. Major plantation are found in the tropical regions of the world like rubber in Malayasia, coffee in Brazil, tea in India etc.

Q16: Why do poor people stay poor in rural India?
Ans: The major cause of poverty among India’s rural people is lack of access to productive assets and financial resources. High level of illiteracy and lack of adequate health facilities are also responsible for the poor staying poor in rural India.

Q17: Discuss the problems faced by the fishermen during the monsoon season.
Ans: During the monsoon season, the fishermen cannot go to the sea because this is when the fish breed. These months are the most difficult ones. They survive by borrowing money from traders. Because of this they face a problem of selling the fish to traders on low prices and cannot do their own auctions.

Q18: Explain zamindari system.
Ans:

• A zamindar was an official employed by the Mughals to collect taxes from peasants.
• The practice was continued under the British. The zamindar was considered as land lord and would collect all taxes on his lands and then hand over the collected taxes to the British authorities.
• The zamindars exploited the tillers and took themselves a major share of the produce and the peasant was left with very little. Thus, they had to borrow money from the zamindars and in return, they served them as bonded labour till the debt was repaid.
• After independence, the government of India abolished both the systems.

Q19: Write a short note on rural livelihoods.
Ans: People in rural areas earn their living in various ways. Some work on farms while others earn their living on non-farms activates. Working on farms involves operations such as preparing the land, sowing, weeding and harvesting of crops. Most farmers grow crops both for their own requirements and also to sell in the market. There are some families in rural areas which thrive on large acres of lands, business and other activities. However, most small farmers, agricultural labourers, fishing families, crafts persons in the village do not find enough work to keep them employed throughout the year.

Q20: Give any five causes for the backwardness of Indian agriculture.
Ans: The main causes for the backwardness of the Indian agriculture are:

• Small and fragmented land holding
• Vicious circle of poverty
• Excessive dependence on monsoons
• No scientific method of cultivation
• Floods and droughts.