PEOPLE AS RESOURCE

Q1.What do you understand by 'people as a resource'?

Ans. The people of a country are an important resource if they become educated and healthy. In fact,
human resource is superior to other resources like land and physical capital. It is human resource that
makes use of land and capital. Land and capital cannot become useful on their own. They are made useful
by human beings.
Q2. How is human resource different from other resources like land and physical capital?
Ans. It is human resource that makes use of other resources such as land and physical capital. Land and
capital cannot become useful on their own. Instead they are made useful by human resources. Thus,
human resource is superior to other resources.
Q3. What is the role of education in human capital formation?
Ans. - Education is an important input for the growth of an individual. It plays a major role in human capital
formation, that adds to the productive power of the country. It helps a person to realise his potential and
the ability to do a work. Educated people gain through higher incomes. Society also gains in other indirect
ways because the advantages of a more educated population spreads to those also who themselves are not
directly educated.
Q4. What is the role of health in human capital formation?
Ans. Health is another important input for human capital formation. The health of a person helps him to
realise his potential and the ability to fight illness. An unhealthy person becomes a liability for an
organisation indeed. Health is an indispensable basis for realising one's well-being. It not only improves the
quality of life of an individual but also adds to the human resource development on which various sectors
of national economy depend.
Q5. What part does health play in the individual's working life?
Ans. Health is an important aspect of individual's life. It does not mean survival only. It involves the
physical, mental, economic and social well- being of an individual. Health covers a wide range of activities
including family welfare, population control, drug control, immunisation and prevention of food
adulteration etc. One cannot work better if he/ she is sick or physically weak. A sick labourer without access
to medical facilities withholds his own productivity and productivity of the nation. Hence, a sound health is
very much essential in the individual's working life.
Q6. What are the various activities undertaken in the primary sector, secondary sector and tertiary
sector?
Ans. Primary Sector: Agriculture, forestry, animal husbandry, poultry farming, fishing, mining and
quarrying. Secondary Sector: Manufacturing. Tertiary Sector: Trade, transport, communication, banking,
education, health, tourism, services, insurance, etc.
Q7. What is the difference between economic activities and non-economic activities?
Ans. Activities that add value to the national income are termed as economic activities. In other words,
activities which are performed for money are called economic activities. These include production of goods
or services including government service. On the other hand, non-economic activities are not performed
for monetary gains. Instead they are performed to satisfy emotional needs. You can understand the two
activities through an example: If a woman is a Chef in a hotel, she gets paid for it. This is an economic
activity. When she cooks food for her family she is performing a non- economic activity.
Q8. Why are women employed in low paid work?
Ans. Education and skill are the major determinants of the earnings of any individual in the market. A
majority of women have meagre education and low skill formation. They also lack scientific and
technological competence. Hence, they are paid low as compared to men. Most women work where job
security is not there. Various activities relating to legal protection is meagre. Employment in this sector is
characterised by irregular and low income.
Q9. How will you explain the term 'unemployment'?
Ans. Unemployment is a situation where people are willing to work at the going wages but fail to find jobs.
It can be seen in both rural and urban areas of India. It is a common phenomenon in the developing
countries. It leads to wastage of manpower resource. People, who are an asset for the economy, turn into a
liability due to unemployment.
Q10.What is the difference between disguised unemployment and seasonal unemployment?
Ans. Although both types of unemployment are found in rural areas, they differ from one another in some
aspects. Seasonal unemployment happens when people are not able to find jobs during some months of
the year. People, dependent upon agriculture, usually face such kind of problem. There are certain busy
seasons when sowing, harvesting, weeding and threshing is done. Certain months do not provide much
work to the people dependent on agriculture. In case of disguised unemployment, people appear to be
employed but actually they aren't. They have agricultural plot where they find work. This usually happens
among family members engaged in agricultural activity. The work requires the service of five people but
engages eight people. Three people are extra. The contribution made by the three extra people does not
add to the contribution made by the five people. If these three people are removed, the productivity of the
field will not decline. Thus, we can say that the three extra people are disguised unemployed.
Q11.Why is educated unemployed a peculiar problem of India?
Ans. The problem of educated unemployment is peculiar in itself. Many youth with matriculation,
graduation and post graduation degrees are not able to find job. A paradoxical manpower situation is
witnessed as surplus of manpower in certain categories co-exists shortage of manpower in others. Even the
technically qualified persons are also facing the same problem of unemployment. On one hand, these
people are unemployed, while on the other hand, there is a dearth of technical skills required for economic
growth.
Q13.Can you suggest some measures in the education system to mitigate the problem of the educated
unemployed?
Ans. The following measures can be taken in order to mitigate the problem of the educated unemployed:
(i) Education should be planned and executed properly so that future prospects might not be damaged.
(ii) Vocational education should be promoted. A farmer's son should be trained about how to improve the
productivity of his field rather than doing simple graduation.
(iii) Theoretical knowledge is important but technical education is in no way less important. If a child's brain
is technical, he/she should be encouraged in that direction, because only then he/she will be able to
achieve maximum in life.
(iv) Education should be given in such a way that it encourages people to become self-reliant and
enterprising.
(v) More and more employment opportunities should be generated so that maximum educated youth may
get absorbed
Q14.Which capital would you consider the best land, labour, physical capital and human capital? Why?
Ans. I think human capital is the best of all. Investment in human capital through education, training, etc.
can give high rates of return in the future. Also, human capital can be developed to any extent in the
benefit of a nation's economy. We can cite the example of Japan. It has invested in human resource as a
result of which it is one of the rich/ developed countries of the world. Thus, human resource is superior to
other resources like land and physical capital. Human resource can make use of land and capital. Land and
capital cannot become useful on their own. They are made useful by human beings.
Q15.Describe the harmful effects of unemployment. Or "Unemployment tends to increase economic
overload". Explain.
Ans.(i) Unemployment leads to wastage of manpower resource. People who are an asset for the economy
turn into a liability. There is a feeling of hopelessness and despair among the youth. People do not have
enough money to support their family. Inability of educated people who are willing to work to find gainful
employment implies a great social waste.
(ii) Unemployment tends to increase economic overload. The dependence of unemployed on the working
population increases. The quality of life of an individual as well as of society is adversely affected.
(iii) Unemployment has detrimental impact on the overall growth of an economy. Increase in
unemployment is an indicator of a depressed economy. It also wastes the resource, which could have been
gainfully employed. If people cannot be used as a resource, they naturally appear as a liability to the
economy.
(iv) The unemployed youth may turn to anti-social activities like cheating, thefts, murders, terrorism, etc.
(v) The quality of life of an individual as well as of society gets adversely affected which eventually leads to
decline in health status and rising withdrawal from the school system.

Chapter 18 - People as Resource

 NCERT Solutions

 Class 9

 Social Science

 People as Resource
Question 1:
What do you understand by ‘people as a resource’?
Answer:
‘People as a resource’ is a way of referring to the working population of a country, in terms of their existing
productive skills and abilities. A large population is considered as a liability, rather than an asset. However, a
large population can be turned into a productive asset by investing in education, training and the medical
care of the people. A productive population contributes considerably towards creation of Gross National
Product. ‘People as a resource’ is the positive side of a large population that is often overlooked.
Hide Answer
Question 2:
How is human resource different from other resources like land and physical capital?
Answer:
The following are the main differences between human resources and other resources such as land and
physical capital:
Hide Answer
Question 3:
What is the role of education in human capital formation?
Answer:
(i) An educated society facilitates better development than an illiterate one.
(ii) Education provides new aspirations and imparts a modern outlook to children.
(iii) Education makes people concerned for themselves and others, improves productivity and prosperity,
and enriches life experience.
(iv) It not only contributes towards the growth of an individual but also helps in the development of the
society as a whole.
(v) Along with increasing the efficiency of the government, education also increases the national income
along with our cultural richness.
Hide Answer
Question 4:
What is the role of health in human capital formation?
Answer:
Health does not mean survival only. It involves not only the physical fitness of the individual but also his
mental capabilities. Health contributes towards human capital formation in the following ways:
(i) A healthy person provides uninterrupted labour supply for a longer period than an unhealthy person.
(ii) The health of a person helps him to realise his potential and ability to fight illness.
(iii) Good health increases the efficiency of a worker.
(iv) Good health increases the learning capacity of a worker.
Hide Answer
Question 5:
What part does health play in the individual’s working life?
Answer:
Health plays an important role in an individual’s working life. A healthy person provides uninterrupted
labour supply for a longer period than an unhealthy person. Good health helps him to discover his true
potential and his ability to fight illness along with increasing the efficiency of a worker.
Hide Answer
Question 6:
What are the various activities undertaken in the primary, secondary and the tertiary sectors?
Answer:
The various activities undertaken in the primary, secondary and the tertiary sectors are classified in the
table below:

Hide Answer
Question 7:
What is the difference between economic activities and non-economic activities?
Answer:
Following are the main points of difference between economic activities and non-economic activities:

Hide Answer
Question 8:
Why are women employed in low paid work?
Answer:
Women are employed in low paid work due to the following reasons:
i. There is a division of labour between men and women due to the historical and cultural reasons.
ii. Among women, the literacy rate and skill formation are low.
iii. The legal protection of women employees is meager.
iv. Most women find jobs in fields, where there is no job security.
Hide Answer
Question 9:
How will you explain the term unemployment?
Answer:
Unemployment is a situation when a person is not involved in any gainful occupation. It also exists when a
person is able and willing to work, but cannot find jobs It creates a feeling of despair among the educated
youth. It has a negative impact on the overall economic growth of a country.
Hide Answer
Question 10:
What is the difference between disguised unemployment and seasonal unemployment?
Answer:
Following are the main points of difference between disguised and seasonal unemployment:

Hide Answer
Question 11:
Why is educated unemployment, a peculiar problem of India?
Answer:
Educated unemployment is a peculiar problem of India due to the following reasons:
i. There is unemployment in the technically qualified population, while there is a scarcity of technical
skills required for the economic growth of a country.
ii. According to a study, unemployment among graduates and post graduates has increased faster than
the matriculates.
iii. In a paradoxical manpower situation, there is surplus manpower in certain categories while there is
shortage of manpower in others.
iv. Not being able to find job for long periods creates a feeling of depression among the youth.
Hide Answer
Question 12:
In which field do you think India can build the maximum employment opportunity?
Answer:
Most of the population is engaged in the agriculture sector. India can develop employment opportunities in
the field of primary sector by introducing modern methods of cultivation and production. The government
can also ensure employment in secondary and tertiary sectors by focusing on skill development and the
training of individuals.
Hide Answer
Question 13:
Can you suggest some measures in the education system to mitigate the problem of the educated
unemployed?
Answer:
Following are some of the measures that can be undertaken to mitigate the problem of educated
unemployment:
i. Educational institutions should focus on imparting job-oriented education.
ii. The structure of education should be such that it successfully caters to the employment market.
iii. Vocational and professional education should be promoted to introduce the future prospects of
various career opportunities to the youth.
iv. The students should be provided educational counselling to help them identify their areas of
interest and persuade them to pursue their career in the same.
Hide Answer
Question 14:
Can you imagine some village which initially had no job opportunities but later came up with many?
Answer:
There are a large number of villages in India which initially had no job opportunities but later came up with
many jobs. The generation of different types of employment opportunities takes place with the
development of industry and infrastructure near a village. Gurgaon is one of the most appropriate
examples. Prior to the setting up of the Maruti Udyog Limited in Gurgaon, it was a small village. However,
with subsequent development of the industry, Gurgaon has now been converted into an international
business hub.
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Question 15:
Which capital would you consider the best—land, labour, physical capital and human capital? Why?
Answer:
Among land, labour, physical capital and human capital, human capital is the best because it can make use
of land, labour and physical capital. Land and capital cannot become useful on their own.