India - Human Resources Chapter Notes - Class 8 PDF Download

Introduction

India - Human Resources

• Human resources are people who use their skills and abilities to benefit a country.
• Managing people is known as human resource management.
• Humans are a resource because they help improve and make things convenient for society.
• They contribute to the growth of a country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) through productive work.
• Humans, with proper knowledge, skills, and technology, can turn physical materials into valuable resources.
• India is rich in human resources due to its large population, with 65% aged between 25 and 35.
• Investing in education, vocational training, and medical care turns a population into a valuable resource.
• Human resources are more powerful than other resources because people can be educated, healthy, and determined.
• Like natural resources, human resources are not evenly distributed across the world.
• Human resources hold unique and irreplaceable value for a country.

Population Distribution

• Population is the total number of people living in a specific area at a specific time.
• People are not evenly spread across the Earth due to physical and human factors.
• Relief, soil, and climate affect population density.
• Low, flat lands with a temperate climate attract dense populations.
• Areas with extreme heat, cold, mountains, deserts, or hostile environments have fewer people.

Population Distribution in India

• India’s demography is diverse, with over 2,000 ethnic groups.
• Factors like income, education, sex ratio, geography, and rural-urban divide add to this complexity.

Rural-urban Distribution

• India is largely an agrarian society, with more than three-fourths of people living in rural areas.
• Most rural people depend on agriculture and related jobs for their livelihood.
• Agriculture remains a key part of India’s economy in the 21st century.
• Urban areas have 75% of people working in non-agricultural jobs like IT or marketing.
• About 27.8% of India’s population lives in urban areas, according to a recent census.
• Cities like Kolkata, Chennai, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Delhi, Chandigarh, Pune, Bengaluru, Ahmedabad, and Kanpur are highly urbanized.
• The average density in these urban centers is around 6,888 persons per square kilometer.
• Maharashtra, Gujarat, and Tamil Nadu are the most urbanized states in terms of economy and development.
• Large-scale migration from rural to urban areas is happening due to urbanization.
• Over the last 50 years, rural population growth has been slow, while urban population has grown significantly.

Table Showing the Distribution of Rural-urban Population

Migration Effect

• Rural areas face issues like limited job opportunities, low income, and lack of education and medical facilities.
• To escape these problems and seek better opportunities, people migrate to urban areas.
• This migration increases the urban population and changes population distribution.

Benefits of Urban Life

• Urban areas offer better education, medical, and health facilities.
• They provide more job opportunities, better transport, and recreation options.
• These benefits attract rural people to settle in towns and cities.
• The National Sample Survey Organisation notes that rural men migrate for jobs, while women often move for marriage.
• Urban population grows yearly, while rural population decreases.

Geographical Features

• Geographical features and location influence population density and distribution.
• Fertile agricultural land, good soil, and water availability attract large agrarian populations.
• The northern plains, especially the Ganga Plain, have the highest population concentration.
• India’s diverse geography and weather affect population patterns.
• Coastal areas and cities near large water bodies draw people due to favorable climates.
• The Thar Desert in western India is sparsely populated due to its harsh climate.
• Plains support modern development, better infrastructure, and transport like roadways and railways.
• Cities like Srinagar Valley, Delhi, Pune, and Nasik benefit from good connectivity.
• Some areas are ideal for industries due to connectivity and raw material availability, leading to population growth.

Sex Ratio

•  The number of females per 1,000 males is the indicator of the sex ratio in any country. 
•  This composition is a very significant and important indicator of the quality of population of a country. 
•  It also indicates the status of women in a country. 
•  In the last two decades, there has been a considerable improvement in the Indian sex ratio. 
•  Sex ratio in India, as per the recent census, is 940 which is largely comparable to the best performance (941 in 1961) in the last fifty years. 
•  The sex ratio directly reflects the status and position of women in a society. 
•  In the regions with rampant gender discrimination, the sex ratio tends to bend towards males. 
•  Areas where such discrimination occurs usually have many cases of female foeticide, female infanticide and domestic violence against women. 

Sex ratio is calculated as follows:

Suppose in a district, the total number of females is 11,500 and the total number of males is 14,000. Thus,
Sex ratio = (11500/14000) x 1000
= 822 females per thousand males.

Role of Health and Education

• Health and education are vital for developing a country’s human resources.
• Education indirectly supports health and connects individuals, families, and society.
• It shapes present actions and future plans, helping people understand the world.
• Education and literacy indicate a society’s development level.
• At the end of British rule, India’s literacy rate was only 12%.
• In the 1950s, it rose to 18.33%, reaching 65.37% by 2001 and 74.04% by 2011.
• Kerala has the highest literacy rate at 94%, followed by Mizoram (91.33%) and Lakshadweep (91.85%).
• Female literacy is lower at 65.46%, compared to 80% for males.

Education Helps People Become Better Citizens

• Education raises awareness of socioeconomic issues in one’s own and other countries.
• Educated people contribute to progress by conserving water or using public transport to save fuel.
• Uneducated people often lack awareness of their surroundings, rights, and duties.

Education Shows the Importance of Rights and Duties

• Educated people understand actions that benefit themselves and their country.
• They know their duties and vote for leaders who can improve the economy.
• This raises their standard of living and supports national growth.

Education Helps in Getting Jobs

• Uneducated people struggle to find good jobs, and unemployment slows economic growth.
• Education exposes people to new ideas, economics, politics, and science.
• It helps them engage globally and perform their duties effectively.
• The Government of India passed the Right to Education Act 2009 on August 4, 2009.
• This act ensures free and compulsory education for children up to age 14.
• Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan also aims to universalize education in a time-bound manner.
• Education boosts productivity and speeds up technological advancements.
• It leads to healthier, more productive children and promotes economic development.
• Education empowers people to build a better society.

Skilled and Unskilled Human Resources

Skilled Human Resources

• Skilled labor, with specialized training or skill sets, drives economic growth.
• These workers can be blue-collar (manual, technical labor) or white-collar (office, administrative work).
• They have the knowledge and aptitude to perform specific tasks well.
• A skilled workforce ensures business success, even with limited resources.
• Businesses with skilled workers help the country’s economy grow.
• Skilled people work efficiently and are dedicated to their fields.
• Examples include teachers, doctors, and engineers.

Unskilled Human Resources

• Unskilled labor involves jobs that don’t require special skills or training.
• These workers perform manual tasks without using reasoning or intellectual skills.
• Examples include packagers, assemblers, apprentices, and farm workers.
• Unskilled jobs need little formal education and can be done by most people.
• Technology and societal changes are reducing unskilled jobs.
• Manual tasks are now often done by computers, requiring workers to learn new skills.
• Remaining unskilled jobs include farm laborers, grocery clerks, hotel maids, and cleaners.

Unskilled Human Resources in India

• India has a large population, but only 5% are trained and skilled.
• Most people lack formal training or specialized skills.
• Investing in vocational education and training can benefit the country.
• With a changing economy, improving the skills of young people is essential.

Various Programmes Run by Some Corporations in the Country

Increasing Skilled Human Resources in India

• The Government of India created a Skills Ministry to promote innovative skill development ideas.
• This ministry supports youth in skilling and entrepreneurial activities.
• The National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) identified 24 high-growth sectors needing skilled workers.
• Key sectors include manufacturing, textile, construction, automotives, retail, healthcare, and transportation.
• Companies can gain by investing in skill development programs for these sectors.
• The Skill India Mission encourages companies to bridge the skill gap.
• Private sector involvement, alongside government and agencies, is vital for widespread impact.
• Training programs can skill the large unskilled population, benefiting industries and the country.

Impact of Skilled Human Resources on the Development of a Country

• Human beings are everywhere, but only skilled ones are true human resources.
• Human resources are the active age group contributing to economic growth.
• Their value in a country grows daily due to their impact.

Agricultural Development

• Agriculture is a priority in agrarian countries like India and requires skilled labor.
• Skilled workers use scientific tools, new ideas, and methods to boost agriculture.
• Transforming agriculture from subsistence to a business needs skilled human resources.
• Development in agriculture also strengthens the economy.

Optimum Use of Resources

• Skilled human resources use a country’s resources carefully and efficiently.
• Progress depends on sustainable use of water, forests, and minerals.
• Active human initiatives ensure resources are used wisely.

Development of Industries

• Skilled human resources drive industrial growth.
• Industries need modern technology, new ideas, machinery, raw materials, and energy.
• These essentials rely on skilled and trained workers.

Large-scale Production

• Human resources are active factors in production, using land, capital, and organization.
• With optimum resource use, large-scale production is possible.

Economic Development

• Skilled human resources are key to economic development.
• Other infrastructure development relies on active, skilled people.
• They act as agents of change for a better life and progress.

Agent of Foreign Trade

• Skilled human resources excel in foreign trade.
• They understand how to expand trade and maximize benefits.
• They also help minimize losses in international trade.