The Story of Village Palampur Class 9 Questions Answers – The Story of Village Palampur offer answers to the exercises presented in the NCERT economics book. These solutions are designed to help Class 9 students hone their ability to write effective responses. The solutions are sourced directly from the NCERT textbooks, making them a valuable resource for school exams.
The Story of Village Palampur Class 9 Questions Answers
1. Every village in India is surveyed once in ten years during the Census and some of details are presented in the following format. Fill up the following based on information on Palampur.
a. LOCATION:
b. TOTAL AREA OF THE VILLAGE:
c. LAND USE (in hectares):
| Irrigated | Unirrigated | Land not available for cultivation (Area covering dwellings, roads, ponds, grazing ground) |
| 26 hectares |
d. FACILITIES:
| Educational | |
| Medical | |
| Market | |
| Electricity Supply | |
| Communication | |
| Nearest Town |
Answer –
- LOCATION: Bulandshahr District, Western Uttar Pradesh
- TOTAL AREA OF THE VILLAGE: 226 hectares
- LAND USE (in hectares):
| Irrigated | Unirrigated | Land not available for cultivation (Area covering dwellings, roads, ponds, grazing ground) |
| 200 hectares | —- | 26 hectares |
d.
| Educational | 1 high school, 2 primary schools |
| Medical | 1 private medical clinic, 1 government-operated primary healthcare facility. |
| Market | Two markets: Raiganj and Shahpur. |
| Electricity Supply | Many houses in the area have electricity connections, which they use to power tubewells in the fields and for various small businesses. |
| Communication | The neighboring villages are well connected to Raiganj, which is located within 3 kilometers. There are various forms of transportation available, including bullock carts, tongas, and bogeys for carrying jaggery, as well as motor vehicles such as motorcycles, jeeps, tractors, and trucks. This allows for easy transportation in the area. |
| Nearest Town | Shahpur |
2. Modern farming methods require more inputs which are manufactured in industry. Do you agree?
Answer – It is accurate to say that modern farming techniques often require more inputs that are produced by industries. These inputs, such as chemical fertilizers, pesticides, and agricultural equipment, are necessary for the successful implementation of modern farming methods, which often involve the use of high-yielding seeds and other advanced techniques. In contrast, traditional farming methods may be less reliant on industrial inputs, as they often rely on low-yielding seeds and natural fertilizers like cow dung.
3. How did the spread of electricity help farmers in Palampur?
Answer – Before electricity, farmers used a traditional method called Persian wheels to pump water from wells and water their small fields. However, after electricity became available, electric tube wells were introduced and replaced the Persian wheels. The government initially installed the first electric tube well, but eventually, individual farmers also bought and set up their own tube wells. This resulted in all 200 hectares of land in the village being able to be used for irrigation by the 1970s.
4. Is it important to increase the area under irrigation? Why?
Answer – Increasing the amount of land used for irrigation is crucial because farming is the main livelihood for a large portion of the population in India, and only a small percentage of the land is suitable for cultivation. Due to India’s unreliable monsoon season, farmers often experience significant losses if there is not enough rainfall. By providing more land with irrigation, farmers would be able to increase their crop yields and make more land usable for farming. This would also give farmers the confidence to try new farming techniques without worrying about the risk of financial loss.
5. Construct a table on the distribution of land among the 450 families of Palampur.
Answer – In the table that shows the distribution of land among the 450 families of Palampur:
| Area of land Cultivated | Number of Families |
|---|---|
| 0 | 150 |
| Less than 2 hectares | 240 |
| More than 2 hectares | 60 |
6. Why are the wages for farm labourers in Palampur less than minimum wages?
Answer – There are many farm workers in Palampur who do not own their own land and are paid less than the legally mandated minimum wage of Rs 300 per day. This is due to a surplus of workers and a lack of job opportunities, which results in many individuals being willing to accept lower wages.
7. In your region, talk to two labourers. Choose either farm labourers or labourers working at construction sites. What wages do they get? Are they paid in cash or kind? Do they get work regularly? Are they in debt?
Answer – It is important for students to conduct the activity independently and use the information they gather to formulate their own responses to the question, rather than relying on external sources or assistance.
8. What are the different ways of increasing production on the same piece of land? Use examples to explain.
Answer – farmers in Palampur use a method called multiple cropping where they grow multiple different crops on the same land during one year, this is done to increase the overall production, it is common practice in Palampur. They use this technique by planting crops like jowar, bajra during the rainy season, then planting potatoes in October to December and wheat in the winter season, it is made possible by a good irrigation system in place in Palampur.
9. Describe the work of a farmer with 1 hectare of land.
Answer – A small farmer have less then 1 hectare of land for cultivation. Due to the limited size of the land, their crop yields are also low. To improve their yields, these farmers often need to borrow money from moneylenders at high interest rates. This can lead to a cycle of debt, where they may also have to work as a laborer for the moneylender. Once the crops are harvested, they have to be divided between personal consumption and selling in the market. Often, the profits are not enough to cover the debt and the farmer ends up giving most of the money to the moneylender, leaving little for personal use.
10. How do the medium and large farmers obtain capital for farming? How is it different from the small farmers?
Answer – large and medium farmers sell the extra farm products they produce and save a portion of the profits for next season. Some of them give loans to small farmers at high interest rate and get the money back next season, this way they can have enough money for the next season. Some farmers might use the savings to buy livestock, vehicles or establish a small business.
11. On what terms did Savita get a loan from Tajpal Singh? Would Savita’s condition be different if she could get a loan from the bank at a low rate of interest?
Answer – Savita had to pay a high-interest rate of 24% to Tejpal Singh for a 4-month loan and also had to work for him as a farm laborer during the harvest season, at the wage of Rs 100 per day. If Savita had taken the loan from a bank, the interest rate would have been lower and she would not have to work for Tejpal Singh during the harvest season and could have focused on her own farm.
12. Talk to some old residents in your region and write a short report on the changes in irrigation and changes in production methods during the last 30 years.
Answer – It is important for students to conduct the activity independently and use the information they gather to formulate their own responses to the question, rather than relying on external sources or assistance.
13. What are the non-farm production activities taking place in your region? Make a short list.
Answer – The different types of non-farming related business or activities present in the region are:
- Dairy farming
- Transportation services
- Running small general stores
- Fishing
- Mining
14. What can be done so that more non-farm production activities can be started in villages?
Answer – To promote more non-farm production activities in villages –
- Loans should be provided to people at more favorable interest rates, which can help them start new non-farming businesses.
- Adequate markets should be established so that people can sell the goods they produce from their non-farming activities.
- The government should improve transportation infrastructure between cities and villages, which can help people transport the products they produce and earn more revenue from their non-farming businesses.