Explain the role of non-farm employment in promoting rural diversification.
The non-farm areas of employment are essential with a view to raise income and exploring alternative avenues of sustainable livelihood besides agriculture. The following are the importance of non-farm employment opportunities in promoting rural diversification:
1. A substantial portion of Indian farming is dependent on the vagaries of monsoon, making it a risky affair to rely upon solely. Hence, non-farm employment opportunities are to be explored to enable the farmers to earn from alternative non-farm occupations. This will lessen the excess burden on agriculture by reducing disguised unemployment.
2. The kharif season opens up ample opportunities for agricultural employment. However, due to lack of irrigation facilities, the farmers fail to get gainful employment opportunities during the Rabi season. Therefore, absence of opportunities in agriculture sector should be compensated in non-farm sectors.
3. Agriculture being over crowded cannot further generate employment opportunities to the farmers. Therefore, the prospects of the non-farm sectors should be opened up in the rural areas to provide job opportunities, thereby, diverting workforce from the already crowded agricultural sector.
4. The non-farming sector has several segments that have dynamic linkages. Such linkages enhance the healthy growth of the rural areas.
5. The non-farm sector provides employment opportunities for the whole year as compared to the farming occupation. So, it helps to eradicate poverty from the rural areas.
6. Most of the output of non-farm sectors acts as an input for the large scale industries. For example, agro-processing industries, food processing industries, leather industry, tourism,etc. This has two-fold benefits. First, the large scale industries can specialise in their final output by relying on the processed inputs from the non-farm sectors. Secondly, such dependence of the large scale industries provides impetus to the non-farm sectors reducing the urban-rural regional disparities.
Compare and contrast the development of India, China and Pakistan with respect to some salient human development indicators.
How is RBI controlling the commercial banks?
Explain the steps taken by the government in developing rural markets.
What are the functions of the environment?
Distinguish between the following
(i) Strategic and Minority sale
(ii) Bilateral and Multi-lateral trade
(iii) Tariff and Non-tariff barriers.
Why was the public sector given a leading role in industrial development during the planning period?
Match the following:
1. Prime Minister 3. Quota 4. Land Reforms 5. HYV Seeds 6. Subsidy |
A. Seeds that give large proportion of output C. Chairperson of the planning commission D. The money value of all the final goods and services produced within the economy in one year. E. Improvements in the field of agriculture to increase its productivity F. The monetary assistance given by government for production activities. |
Infrastructure contributes to the economic development of a country. Do you agree? Explain.
Find the odd man out (i) owner of a saloon (ii) a cobbler (iii) a cashier in Mother Dairy (iv) a tuition master (v) transport operator (vi) construction worker.
Highlight any two serious adverse environmental consequences of development in India. India’s environmental problems pose a dichotomy — they are poverty induced and, at the same time, due to affluence in living standards — is this true?
How are the rates of consumption of energy and economic growth connected?
Explain ‘growth with equity’ as a planning objective.
Explain how the opportunity costs of negative environmental impact are high.
What was the focus of the economic policies pursued by the colonial government in India? What were the impacts of these policies?
Explain the term ‘infrastructure’.
Discuss economic reforms in India in the light of social justice and welfare.
What are the three basic sources of generating power?
Mention the various indicators of human development.
Define worker-population ratio.
How will you know whether a worker is working in the informal sector?