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.
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?
Discuss the importance of credit in rural development.
Bring out the importance of animal husbandry, fisheries and horticulture as a source of diversification.
Explain the role of micro-credit in meeting credit requirements of the poor.
What is organic farming and how does it promote sustainable development?
Critically evaluate the role of the rural banking system in the process of rural development in India.
What do you mean by rural development? Bring out the key issues in rural development.
Identify the benefits and limitations of organic farming.
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?
Define worker-population ratio.
Raj is going to school. When he is not in school, you will find him working in his farm. Can you consider him as a worker? Why?
Explain ‘growth with equity’ as a planning objective.
The following table shows distribution of workforce in India for the year 1972-73. Analyse it and give reasons for the nature of workforce distribution. You will notice that the data is pertaining to the situation in India 30 years ago!
Place of Residence | Workforce (in millions) | ||
Male | Female | Total | |
Rural Urban |
125 32 |
69 7 |
195 39 |
Compared to urban women, more rural women are found working. Why?
Who is a casual wage labourer?
Why are tariffs imposed?
Indicate the volume and direction of trade at the time of independence.
Compare and contrast India and China’s sectoral contribution towards GDP in 2003. What does it indicate?
Were there any positive contributions made by the British in India? Discuss.