Class 10 Geography · Chapter 1
Resources and Development Class 10 Questions and Answers
Comprehensive CBSE Class 10 Geography question-answer practice covering resources, resource planning, land use, land degradation, soil types, soil erosion and conservation.
How to use this question bankHow to use this page: Try each question before opening the answer. Focus on key terms, differences, causes, measures and examples. Use the companion Hub for concept revision, then move to MCQs and Important Questions.
1.
46 QuestionsVery Short Answer Questions
Q1What is a resource?
Answer: A resource is anything that has utility and can satisfy human needs when it is technologically accessible, economically feasible and culturally acceptable.
Q2What are biotic resources?
Answer: Biotic resources are obtained from the biosphere and are associated with living organisms, such as flora, fauna and livestock.
Q3What are abiotic resources?
Answer: Abiotic resources are non-living resources such as rocks, minerals and land.
Q4What are renewable resources?
Answer: Renewable resources can be renewed or replenished through natural processes, although careless use can damage their availability.
Q5What are non-renewable resources?
Answer: Non-renewable resources occur in fixed quantities or take very long periods to form, such as minerals and fossil fuels.
Q6What are individual resources?
Answer: Individual resources are privately owned resources, such as a farmer's land or a privately owned house.
Q7What are community-owned resources?
Answer: Community-owned resources are available for use by members of a community, such as village ponds, public parks and grazing grounds.
Q8What are national resources?
Answer: National resources belong to the nation and are subject to national authority within its political boundaries.
Q9What are international resources?
Answer: International resources lie beyond national jurisdiction and their use is governed through international institutions or agreements.
Q10What are potential resources?
Answer: Potential resources are resources found in a region that have not yet been fully utilised.
Q11What are developed resources?
Answer: Developed resources are resources whose quantity and quality have been determined and which are currently being used.
Q12What is stock?
Answer: Stock refers to materials that can satisfy human needs but cannot currently be used because the required technology is unavailable.
Q13What are reserves?
Answer: Reserves are a part of stock that can be used to meet future requirements with existing technology.
Q14What is resource planning?
Answer: Resource planning is the systematic process of identifying, assessing and using resources in a planned and judicious manner.
Q15What is sustainable development?
Answer: Sustainable development means development that meets present needs while protecting the resource base and environment for future generations.
Q16What is land use?
Answer: Land use means the utilisation of land for different purposes such as cultivation, forests, settlements, transport and other activities.
Q17What is land degradation?
Answer: Land degradation is the deterioration of land quality and productive capacity.
Q18What is soil?
Answer: Soil is a renewable natural resource that supports plant growth and agriculture.
Q19What is a soil profile?
Answer: A soil profile is a vertical section through soil showing its different layers or horizons.
Q20What is soil erosion?
Answer: Soil erosion is the removal of the upper fertile layer of soil by agents such as running water and wind.
Q21What is gully erosion?
Answer: Gully erosion occurs when running water cuts deep channels or gullies in the soil.
Q22What is sheet erosion?
Answer: Sheet erosion occurs when running water removes a thin layer of soil over a broad surface.
Q23What is wind erosion?
Answer: Wind erosion is the removal and transport of loose soil particles by strong winds.
Q24What is contour ploughing?
Answer: Contour ploughing means ploughing along contour lines to reduce the speed of water flowing down slopes.
Q25What is terrace farming?
Answer: Terrace farming creates step-like fields on slopes to reduce runoff and soil erosion.
Q26What is strip cropping?
Answer: Strip cropping involves growing crops in alternate strips, often with strips of grass, to reduce erosion.
Q27What are shelter belts?
Answer: Shelter belts are rows of trees and shrubs planted to reduce wind speed and protect soil.
Q28What is Bangar?
Answer: Bangar is older alluvial soil.
Q29What is Khadar?
Answer: Khadar is newer alluvial soil deposited more recently by rivers.
Q30What is regur soil?
Answer: Regur is another name for black soil, which is especially suitable for cotton cultivation.
Q31Name the six major soil groups studied in the chapter.
Answer: They are alluvial, black, red and yellow, laterite, arid, and forest or mountain soils.
Q32Which soil is widely associated with cotton cultivation?
Answer: Black soil is widely associated with cotton cultivation.
Q33Which soil is formed mainly from river deposits?
Answer: Alluvial soil is formed mainly from river deposits.
Q34Which soil develops under high temperature and heavy rainfall with intense leaching?
Answer: Laterite soil develops under such conditions.
Q35Which soil is common in arid and semi-arid regions?
Answer: Arid soil is common in arid and semi-arid regions.
Q36Name two major agents of soil erosion.
Answer: Running water and wind are two major agents of soil erosion.
Q37Name two factors of soil formation.
Answer: Parent rock and climate are two factors of soil formation; relief, organisms, vegetation and time also influence soil formation.
Q38Why is resource conservation necessary?
Answer: Resource conservation is necessary to reduce depletion and ensure that resources remain available for present and future needs.
Q39Why is resource planning necessary in India?
Answer: It is necessary because resources are unevenly distributed and need to be used judiciously for balanced and sustainable development.
Q40Which soil is also called black cotton soil?
Answer: Black soil is also called black cotton or regur soil.
Q41What does Khadar generally contain fewer kankar nodules than?
Answer: Khadar generally contains fewer kankar nodules than Bangar.
Q42Which soil is generally sandy in arid regions?
Answer: Arid soil is generally sandy in texture.
Q43What is a major human cause of land degradation?
Answer: Deforestation, overgrazing, mining, over-irrigation and industrial pollution are major human causes.
Q44Which conservation method is especially useful on steep slopes?
Answer: Terrace farming is especially useful on steep slopes.
Q45Which method reduces the force of wind across agricultural fields?
Answer: Shelter belts and strip cropping can reduce the force of wind; shelter belts are rows of trees or shrubs.
Q46Which CBSE map skill is associated with this chapter?
Answer: Students should practise identifying and locating the major soil types on an outline map of India.
2.
48 QuestionsShort Answer Questions
Q47Explain why resources are not simply free gifts of nature.
Answer: A resource must have utility and be technologically accessible, economically feasible and culturally acceptable. Natural materials become resources when people can use them to satisfy needs.
Q48Explain the classification of resources on the basis of origin.
Answer: Resources are classified as biotic and abiotic. Biotic resources are associated with living organisms, while abiotic resources are non-living, such as rocks, minerals and land.
Q49Distinguish between renewable and non-renewable resources.
Answer: Renewable resources can be replenished through natural processes, though they may still be degraded by overuse. Non-renewable resources occur in limited quantities or take very long periods to form.
Q50Explain individual resources with examples.
Answer: Individual resources are privately owned by people. Examples include privately owned agricultural land, houses, wells and plots.
Q51Explain community-owned resources with examples.
Answer: Community-owned resources are accessible to members of a community. Examples include village ponds, public parks, grazing grounds and playgrounds.
Q52Explain national resources.
Answer: National resources belong to the nation and fall under national authority. Resources within political boundaries, including land, forests, minerals and wildlife, are subject to national control.
Q53Explain international resources.
Answer: Resources beyond national jurisdiction are international resources. Their use is regulated through international institutions and agreements rather than by a single country.
Q54Differentiate between potential and developed resources.
Answer: Potential resources exist in a region but have not been fully utilised. Developed resources have been surveyed, their quantity and quality determined, and are currently being used.
Q55Differentiate between stock and reserves.
Answer: Stock has the potential to satisfy human needs but cannot currently be used because appropriate technology is unavailable. Reserves are a part of stock that can be used with existing technology for future needs.
Q56Why is indiscriminate resource utilisation harmful?
Answer: It can cause depletion of resources, environmental degradation, unequal distribution of benefits and conflicts over resource use. It can also reduce the availability of resources for future generations.
Q57Why is resource planning important for India?
Answer: India has an uneven distribution of resources. Some regions are rich in particular resources while others face shortages, so systematic planning is needed for judicious use and balanced development.
Q58State the main stages of resource planning.
Answer: The major stages are identification and inventory of resources through surveys and mapping; development of planning structures using suitable technology and skills; and integration of resource-development plans with wider national plans.
Q59Why is resource planning a complex process?
Answer: Resources differ in distribution, quality, availability and usefulness. Planning must therefore coordinate physical conditions, technology, institutions, skills and wider development priorities.
Q60Explain the idea of sustainable development in resource use.
Answer: Sustainable development balances present development with conservation. It seeks to meet current needs without damaging the resource base and environmental conditions required by future generations.
Q61What factors influence land use?
Answer: Topography, climate and soil influence land use. Population pressure, settlement, technology, irrigation, infrastructure, economic activities and government policies also affect how land is used.
Q62Why does land use vary from region to region?
Answer: Regions differ in relief, climate, soil, water availability, population pressure, technology, infrastructure and economic activities. These differences produce different land-use patterns.
Q63Why is land an important natural resource?
Answer: Land supports agriculture, forests, settlements, transport, industries and other activities. Its quality and availability strongly influence human development.
Q64What is land degradation? Mention two causes.
Answer: Land degradation is deterioration of land quality and productive capacity. Deforestation, overgrazing, mining, over-irrigation and industrial pollution are important causes.
Q65How does deforestation cause land degradation?
Answer: Removal of vegetation leaves soil exposed to erosion, reduces protective cover and can lower the productive capacity of land.
Q66How does overgrazing cause land degradation?
Answer: Excessive grazing removes vegetation cover faster than it can recover, leaving soil exposed and increasing the risk of erosion.
Q67How can mining degrade land?
Answer: Mining removes vegetation and soil and can leave pits, waste and other disturbances after extraction. These changes can reduce land quality.
Q68How can over-irrigation cause land degradation?
Answer: Excessive irrigation can cause waterlogging and, in some areas, increase salinity and alkalinity, reducing soil productivity.
Q69How do industries contribute to land degradation?
Answer: Untreated industrial effluents and wastes can contaminate land and water and reduce the quality of soil.
Q70Mention measures for controlling land degradation.
Answer: Afforestation, controlled grazing, shelter belts, sand-dune stabilisation, better mining management and treatment of industrial wastes can help control land degradation.
Q71Why is soil called a renewable resource?
Answer: Soil can form and regenerate through natural processes, but formation is extremely slow. Therefore, soil must be conserved because erosion can remove fertile soil much faster than it forms.
Q72Name the main factors of soil formation.
Answer: Parent rock, climate, relief, vegetation and other organisms, and time are major factors controlling soil formation.
Q73What is the importance of a soil profile?
Answer: A soil profile shows the different layers or horizons of soil and helps explain differences in colour, texture, composition and other characteristics.
Q74Describe the main features of alluvial soil.
Answer: Alluvial soil is formed by river deposits and is widespread in the northern plains and other river and delta regions. It is generally fertile and supports many crops.
Q75Differentiate between Bangar and Khadar.
Answer: Bangar is older alluvium, generally above the newer floodplain deposits and often containing more kankar nodules. Khadar is newer alluvium deposited more recently by rivers and is generally renewed by fresh deposits.
Q76Why is black soil suitable for cotton?
Answer: Black soil has high moisture-retaining capacity and develops deep cracks when dry, which helps in moisture retention and makes it especially suitable for cotton.
Q77Mention two characteristics of black soil.
Answer: Black soil has high moisture-retaining capacity and develops deep cracks when dry. It is also known for its association with cotton cultivation.
Q78How are red and yellow soils formed?
Answer: They develop on crystalline igneous rocks in areas with relatively low rainfall. Iron compounds contribute to their red or yellow colour.
Q79State the main characteristics of laterite soil.
Answer: Laterite soil develops under high temperature and heavy rainfall with intense leaching. It can be relatively poor in plant nutrients and may require appropriate management for cultivation.
Q80Where are arid soils generally found and what are they like?
Answer: They occur mainly in arid and semi-arid regions. They are often sandy and may contain salts.
Q81What are forest or mountain soils?
Answer: They are soils found in hilly and mountainous regions. Their characteristics vary with altitude, slope, vegetation and local environmental conditions.
Q82What is soil erosion and why is it harmful?
Answer: Soil erosion is the removal of soil, especially the fertile upper layer, by water or wind. It reduces soil fertility and can lower agricultural productivity.
Q83Differentiate between gully and sheet erosion.
Answer: Gully erosion cuts deep channels or gullies into the soil through running water. Sheet erosion removes a relatively thin layer of soil over a wider surface.
Q84How does contour ploughing control soil erosion?
Answer: Ploughing along contour lines slows the downward flow of water on slopes, reducing runoff and the removal of soil.
Q85How does terrace farming control erosion?
Answer: Terraces create step-like fields on slopes, reducing the speed of runoff and limiting soil loss.
Q86How does strip cropping help conserve soil?
Answer: Alternating crop strips with protective strips such as grass breaks the force of wind and slows water movement, reducing erosion.
Q87How do shelter belts help conserve soil?
Answer: Rows of trees and shrubs reduce wind speed and protect loose soil from wind erosion. They are particularly useful in dry and windy regions.
Q88How does afforestation help conserve soil?
Answer: Tree and plant cover protects the soil surface, reduces runoff and wind action, and helps bind soil with roots.
Q89Why should soil conservation be treated as a long-term priority?
Answer: Soil formation is slow while erosion can remove fertile soil quickly. Protecting soil therefore supports agricultural productivity, ecological stability and long-term resource security.
Q90Why are resources unevenly distributed in India?
Answer: India has major regional differences in relief, climate, geology, soils, water availability and other natural conditions. These differences create uneven resource distribution.
Q91How can resource planning promote balanced regional development?
Answer: Planning can identify regional strengths and shortages, coordinate investment and technology, reduce wastage and help direct development toward areas where resources are available or underused.
Q92Why must resource development be linked with conservation?
Answer: Development depends on resources, but careless exploitation can deplete them and damage ecosystems. Linking development with conservation protects the resource base for future use.
Q93What is the relationship between land degradation and soil erosion?
Answer: Soil erosion is one process that can cause land degradation. Land degradation is a broader decline in land quality and productive capacity.
Q94Why is map practice important for Resources and Development?
Answer: The chapter includes identification and location of soil types on an outline map of India. Regular practice improves accuracy and reduces last-minute map errors.
3.
26 QuestionsLong Answer Questions
Q95Classify resources on the basis of four major criteria.
Answer: Resources are classified on four major bases. By origin, they are biotic and abiotic. By exhaustibility, they are renewable and non-renewable. By ownership, they are individual, community-owned, national and international. By status of development, they are potential, developed, stock and reserves.
Q96Explain why resource planning is essential in India.
Answer: Resource planning is essential because resources are unevenly distributed and differ in quality and availability. Some regions are rich in particular resources while others face shortages. Planning helps identify and map resources, assess their potential, develop appropriate technology and institutions, coordinate use with national priorities and promote judicious, balanced and sustainable development.
Q97Describe the main stages of resource planning in India.
Answer: First, resources are identified and inventoried through surveys, mapping and assessment. Second, appropriate planning structures are developed with suitable technology, skills and institutions. Third, resource-development plans are integrated with broader national development plans so that resource use supports wider economic and social goals.
Q98Explain the consequences of indiscriminate resource utilisation.
Answer: Indiscriminate use can lead to depletion of resources, environmental degradation, unequal access to resources and conflicts over their use. It can also increase pollution and reduce the ability of future generations to meet their needs. Sustainable and planned use is therefore necessary.
Q99Explain sustainable development and its importance.
Answer: Sustainable development seeks to meet present needs without destroying the resource base and environmental conditions needed by future generations. It is important because economic growth without conservation can create long-term environmental and resource problems. Sustainable development balances development, conservation and intergenerational responsibility.
Q100Explain the different categories of resources on the basis of ownership.
Answer: Individual resources are privately owned. Community-owned resources are available to members of a community. National resources belong to the nation and are subject to national authority. International resources lie beyond national jurisdiction and are regulated through international arrangements.
Q101Explain the classification of resources on the basis of status of development.
Answer: Potential resources are available in a region but have not been fully utilised. Developed resources have been surveyed and are currently used. Stock has potential but cannot currently be used because suitable technology is unavailable. Reserves are a part of stock that can be used with existing technology for future requirements.
Q102Explain the importance of land and the factors controlling its use.
Answer: Land supports agriculture, forests, settlements, transport and industries. Its use is controlled by physical factors such as topography, climate and soil, and by human factors such as population, technology, irrigation, infrastructure, economic activities and government policies. These factors create different land-use patterns in different regions.
Q103Explain land degradation and the major human activities responsible for it.
Answer: Land degradation is the decline of land quality and productive capacity. Deforestation removes protective vegetation; overgrazing exposes soil; mining disturbs land and removes vegetation and topsoil; over-irrigation can cause waterlogging and salinity; and industrial wastes can contaminate land and water. These activities reduce the productive and ecological value of land.
Q104Describe measures for controlling land degradation.
Answer: Afforestation restores protective vegetation. Controlled grazing reduces pressure on grasslands. Shelter belts help protect dry areas from wind erosion. Sand dunes can be stabilised with suitable vegetation. Better management and restoration of mined areas reduce mining damage. Treatment and proper disposal of industrial wastes reduce pollution.
Q105Explain soil formation and the factors that influence it.
Answer: Soil develops through the interaction of parent rock, climate, relief, vegetation and other organisms over long periods. Temperature and rainfall influence weathering and leaching, relief affects drainage and erosion, organisms add and transform organic matter, and time allows soil horizons to develop.
Q106Describe alluvial soil, including Bangar and Khadar.
Answer: Alluvial soil is formed mainly from river-deposited sediments and is widespread in the northern plains and river and delta regions. Bangar is older alluvium, generally lying above newer floodplain deposits and often containing more kankar nodules. Khadar is newer alluvium deposited more recently by rivers and is renewed by fresh deposits.
Q107Describe the main characteristics of black soil.
Answer: Black soil is widely associated with the Deccan region and is also called regur or black cotton soil. It has high moisture-retaining capacity and develops deep cracks when dry. These characteristics, together with its fertility in suitable conditions, make it particularly suitable for cotton.
Q108Describe the main features and formation of red and yellow soils.
Answer: Red and yellow soils develop on crystalline igneous rocks, especially in parts of the eastern and southern Deccan. Iron compounds contribute to their colour. Their characteristics vary with local climate, relief and parent material.
Q109Describe laterite soil and explain why it may require careful management.
Answer: Laterite soil develops under high temperature and heavy rainfall where intense leaching removes soluble nutrients. It may therefore be relatively poor in plant nutrients. With suitable management and inputs, however, it can support cultivation in appropriate areas.
Q110Describe arid soil and forest or mountain soil.
Answer: Arid soils occur mainly in arid and semi-arid regions and are often sandy, with salts in some areas. Forest or mountain soils occur in hilly and mountainous regions and vary with altitude, slope, vegetation and local climate. Their properties therefore differ considerably from place to place.
Q111Explain soil erosion, its major forms and its effects.
Answer: Soil erosion is the removal of soil by agents such as running water and wind. Gully erosion cuts deep channels, sheet erosion removes a thin layer over a broad surface, and wind erosion transports loose soil particles. Erosion removes fertile topsoil, lowers productivity and can contribute to land degradation.
Q112Explain the major methods of soil conservation.
Answer: Contour ploughing slows water on slopes. Terrace farming creates steps that reduce runoff. Strip cropping breaks the force of wind and slows water. Shelter belts reduce wind speed in dry regions. Afforestation protects soil with vegetation cover and roots. These methods reduce the removal of fertile soil.
Q113Compare renewable and non-renewable resources and explain why both require careful management.
Answer: Renewable resources can be replenished naturally, but overuse can still degrade them. Non-renewable resources occur in limited quantities or take very long periods to form. Renewable resources require sustainable rates of use, while non-renewable resources require efficient use, recycling where possible and careful planning.
Q114Explain how resource planning can support sustainable development in India.
Answer: Resource planning identifies available resources, assesses their quality and potential, coordinates technology and institutions, and integrates resource use with national development. By reducing wastage and encouraging judicious use, it helps meet present needs while protecting resources and the environment for the future.
Q115Explain why land-use patterns differ across India.
Answer: Land-use patterns differ because regions have different relief, climate, soils, water availability and vegetation. Human factors also matter: population density, settlement, irrigation, technology, infrastructure, markets and government policies influence whether land is used for farming, forests, settlements, industry or other purposes.
Q116Explain the relationship between deforestation, soil erosion and land degradation.
Answer: Deforestation removes vegetation that protects soil from wind and water. Increased runoff and wind action can then remove fertile topsoil, causing soil erosion. Continued erosion and loss of vegetation reduce land productivity and contribute to broader land degradation.
Q117Explain how human activities can both develop resources and create resource problems.
Answer: Mining, irrigation, agriculture, industry and infrastructure can make resources available for economic development. However, if these activities are poorly planned, they can cause depletion, pollution, waterlogging, salinity, deforestation and soil erosion. Development therefore needs planning, regulation and conservation.
Q118Prepare a structured answer explaining why soil conservation is important for India.
Answer: Soil supports agriculture and natural vegetation and is essential for food production. Erosion removes fertile topsoil and can reduce productivity. Since soil formation is slow, conservation is necessary to maintain fertility, reduce land degradation, protect water quality and support sustainable agriculture and livelihoods.
Q119Write a comprehensive note on Resources and Development for board revision.
Answer: The chapter explains the meaning and classification of resources, their development and the need for sustainable use. It covers resource planning in India, land resources and land-use patterns, land degradation and conservation, soil formation and the major soil groups, soil erosion and soil conservation. For examination preparation, students should master definitions, comparisons, causes and measures, soil characteristics, resource-planning stages and the prescribed soil map work.
Q120Why is conservation important even for renewable resources?
Answer: Renewable resources can be replenished, but they can still be depleted or degraded when used faster than they recover. Conservation ensures their continued availability, protects ecosystems and supports sustainable use.
Continue Your Preparation
Revise the chapter, test your recall, then focus on high-priority exam practice.
5. Official Syllabus and Textbook Basis
This question bank is structured around the current CBSE Class 10 Social Science curriculum and Learning Standards and the NCERT Class X Geography chapter on Resources and Development. CBSE identifies resource types, resource development, resource planning, land resources and land use, land degradation and conservation, soil as a resource, soil classification, soil erosion and soil conservation as the chapter content.
CBSE Curriculum 2026–27 · CBSE Learning Standards – Social Science · NCERT Contemporary India-II