Explain the role of micro-credit in meeting credit requirements of the poor.
Micro credit refers to credit and other financial services provided to the poor through Self Help Groups (SHGs) and non government organisations. The Self Help Groups are playing a crucial role in meeting the credit requirements of the poor by inculcating saving habits among the rural households. The individual savings of many farmers are pooled together to meet the financial requirements of the needy members of the SHGs. The members of these groups have been linked with the banks. In other words, SHGs enable the economically poor individual to gain strength as part of a group. Also, the financing done through SHGs reduces transaction costs for both the lenders and the borrowers. The National Bank for Agricultural and Rural Development (NABARD) played a key role in providing credit at special concessional rates. Presently, more than seven lakhs SHGs are operating across different rural areas. SHGs' programmes are becoming popular among the small and marginal borrowers owing to their informal credit delivery mechanism along with minimum legal formalities.
Explain the steps taken by the government in developing rural markets.
Distinguish between ‘Green Revolution’ and ‘Golden Revolution’.
Why is agricultural diversification essential for sustainable livelihoods?
Bring out the importance of animal husbandry, fisheries and horticulture as a source of diversification.
Discuss the importance of credit in rural development.
Critically evaluate the role of the rural banking system in the process of rural development in India.
What is organic farming and how does it promote sustainable development?
Explain the role of non-farm employment in promoting rural diversification.
What do you mean by rural development? Bring out the key issues in rural development.
‘Information technology plays a very significant role in achieving sustainable development and food security’ - comment.
What was the focus of the economic policies pursued by the colonial government in India? What were the impacts of these policies?
What are the two major sources of human capital in a country?
Define a plan?
Who is a worker?
Explain the term ‘infrastructure’.
What is meant by environment?
Why are regional and economic groupings formed?
Why were reforms introduced in India?
Why calorie-based norm is not adequate to identify the poor?
Name some notable economists who estimated India’s per capita income during the colonial period?
Education is considered to be an important input for the development of a nation. How?
What are the two major sources of human capital in a country?
The following table shows the population and worker population ratio for India in 1999-2000. Can you estimate the workforce (urban and total) for India?
Region | Estimates of Population (in crores) |
Worker Population Ratio |
Estimated No. of Workers (in crores) |
Rural Uraban Total |
71.88 28.52 100.40 |
41.9 33.7 39.5 |
71.88/100 x 41.9 = 30.12 ? ? |
What is sustainable development?
What was the focus of the economic policies pursued by the colonial government in India? What were the impacts of these policies?
Explain the supply-demand reversal of environmental resources.
Explain the statement that the green revolution enabled the government to procure sufficient food grains to build its stocks that could be used during times of shortage.
What is meant by ‘Food for Work’ programme?
Why, despite the implementation of the green revolution, 65 percent of our population continued to be engaged in the agriculture sector till 1990?
How do the following factors contribute to the environmental crisis in India? What problem do they pose for the government?
(i) Rising population
(ii) Air pollution
(iii) Water contamination
(iv) Affluent consumption standards
(v) Illiteracy
(vi) Industrialisation
(vii) Urbanisation
(viii) Reduction of forest coverage
(ix) Poaching
(x) Global warming