Test: Resources & Development - 4 - UPSC MCQ

Actually all the resources are natural in origin. A substance which became a resource when human being add value to it.For this purpose they require technological assistance.In short the determining factors of resources are nature,human being and technology.

Fossil fuels are the fuels which can't be renewed e.g coal petroleum once they get exhausted they can't be renewed in a short period of time.

Red soils develop on crystalline igneous rocks in areas of low rainfall in the eastern and southern parts of the Deccan Plateau.
These soils develop a reddish colour due to diffusion of iron in crystalline and metamorphic rocks. It looks yellow when it occurs in a hydrated form.

When humans use natural things to make something new that provides utility and value to our lives, it is called human-made resources. For instance, when we use metals, wood, cement, sand and solar energy to make buildings, machinery, vehicles, bridges, roads etc. they become man-made resources. Likewise, technology is also a man-made resource. Man-made resources are mostly renewable. One can re-build a building or fixed a broken machine.

Resources that cannot be recycled are those “mineral” energy resources, namely, fossil fuels (coal, oil, and natural gas), that presently supply better than 90 percent of our energy, and uranium that is used for nuclear (atomic) power. 

Non-renewable energy resources, such as coal, oil, and natural gas, can’t be recycled or reused. Once burned, the useful energy in these fossil fuels is gone, leaving behind waste, heat and polluting exhaust gases. 

Individual resources are those resources which can only be owned by a single person and cannot be accessed by someone else. They are also known as private resources. These are the indicators of capitalists country and its influence.

Oceanic resources beyond 200km of exclusive economic zone is internationaly owned resources which is regulated by international institutions.

Resources are vital for human survival as well as for maintaining quality of life. It was believed that resources are free gifts of nature. As a result, human beings used them indiscriminately. This led to the following major problems:-

1. Depletion of resources for the greed of few.
2. Accumulation of resources in a few hands which in turn, divided the society into rich and poor.
3. Indiscriminate use of resources causing various global ecological crises such as global warming, depletion of the ozone layer, environmental pollution & land degradation.

 (i) An equitable distribution of resources has become essential for a sustained quality of life and global peace.
(ii) If the present trend of resource depletion by a few individuals and countries continues, the future of our planet is in danger.
(iii) Therefore, resource planning is essential for sustainable existence of all forms of life. Sustainable existence is a component of sustainable development. 

It was from the very first five year plan that India implemented after it's independence, it started making concerted efforts towards achieving the goals of resource planning.

Gandhiji placed greedy and selfish individuals and exploitative nature of modern technology as the root cause of resource depletion at global level. He was against mass production and encouraged production in mass.

The seminal contribution with respect to resource conservation at the global level was made by the Brundtland Commission Report, 1987. This report introduced the concept of ‘Sustainable Development’ and advocated it as a means for resource conservation, which was substantially published in a book, entitled Our Common Future. 

Plateau- About 27% of the area of the country is the plateau region. It possesses rich reserves of minerals, fossil fuels and forests. The Peninsula plateau and the Chotanagpur plateau are the two most important plateau zones in India. The Damodar river drains the Chotanagpur plateau and the Peninsular plateau is drained by Tungabhadra, Bhima and Krishna river.

The gross cropped area is sown more than once in an agricultural year plus the net sown area.
India’s total gross cropped area is 195 million hectares. and 141 million hectares is the net sown area.
Whereas, around 65.3 million hectares is the net irrigated area.  
The land that is left is rain-fed.
When the area is sown two times the area is considered twice in GCA.

Pastures: a field covered with grass or herbage and suitable for grazing by livestock.

Sustainable Development

Sustainable development is the organizing principle for meeting human development goals while at the same time sustaining the ability of natural systems to provide the natural resources and ecosystem services upon which the economy and society depend. The desirable end result is a state of society where living conditions and resource use continue to meet human needs without undermining the integrity and stability of the natural systems.

Mining sites are abandoned after excavation work is complete leaving deep scars and traces of over-burdening. In Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Odisha, deforestation due to mining have caused severe land degradation. In Punjab, Haryana, western Uttar Pradesh, over irrigation is responsible for land degradation due to waterlogging leading to increase in salinity and alkalinity in the soil. 

Afforestation is the establishment of a forest or stand of trees in an area where there was no previous tree cover. Many government and non-governmental organizations directly engage in programs of afforestation to create forests, increase carbon capture.Afforestation is the process of planting trees, or sowing seeds, in a barren land devoid of any trees to create a forest. The term should not be confused with reforestation, which is the process of specifically planting native trees into a forest that has decreasing numbers of trees.As plant roots hold the soil, Afforestation prevents soil erosion and enables better retention of water.

Soil Profile
The soil is found in layers, which are arranged during the formation of soil. These layers called horizons, the sequence of layers is the soil profile. The layers of soil can easily be observed by their color and size of particles. The main layers of the soil are topsoil, subsoil and the parent rock. Each layer has its own characteristics.

Black soil is also called Regur soil. It is black in colour and ideal for growing cotton. This type of soil is typical of the Deccan trap (Basalt) region spread over North-West Deccan plateau and is made up of lava flows.Four characteristics of this soil are as follow 

(i) It is made up of fine clayey material with a high moisture retention capacity.

(ii) It is rich in soil nutrients like calcium carbonate, magnesium, potash and lime, but poor in phosphoric content.

(iii) It develops deep crack during hot weather, helping in proper aeration of the soil.

(iv) It is found in the plateau areas of Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh as well as in the Godavari and Krishna valleys.