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):

d. FACILITIES:

Ans.

a. LOCATION: Bulandshahr District, Western Uttar Pradesh
b. TOTAL AREA OF THE VILLAGE: 226 hectares
c. LAND USE (in hectares):

d. FACILITIES:

2. Modern farming methods require more inputs, which are manufactured in industry. Do you agree?

Ans: Yes, modern farming methods need more inputs than traditional farming. These inputs include:

• Chemical fertilizers
• Pesticides
• Pump sets
• Farm machinery (like tractors)
• Electricity and diesel
• High Yield Variety (HYV) seeds
• Water supply (canals, tanks, etc.)

Most of these inputs are made in industries:

1. Fertilizers and Pesticides: Made by chemical industries to protect crops and improve soil quality.
2. Farm Machinery: Tools like tractors, irrigation pumps, and other equipment are made by machine industries to save time and effort.
3. HYV Seeds: These are developed in agricultural research labs to give better crop production.
4. Electricity and Diesel: Provided by power plants and fuel industries to run machines and pump sets.
5. Water Supply: Managed through canals, tanks, or irrigation systems.

Modern farming depends on industries to supply these inputs, making farming faster and more productive compared to traditional methods.

3. How did the spread of electricity help farmers in Palampur?

Ans: The spread of electricity greatly benefited the farmers of Palampur by transforming the village's irrigation system. Previously, farmers relied on Persian wheels to draw water from wells and irrigate small fields. However, with the advent of electricity, electric tube wells replaced these Persian wheels. The first tube well was installed by the government, and soon after, farmers began setting up private tube wells, leading to the cultivation of all 200 hectares of irrigated land by the 1970s.

4. Is it important to increase the area under irrigation? Why?

Ans: It is crucial to expand the land under irrigation as farming is the primary income source for most of India’s population, while less than 40% of the land is cultivable. Farmers rely on the unpredictable monsoon, and insufficient rainfall leads to significant losses. Providing irrigation for more land would improve crop output, make additional land cultivable, and encourage farmers to adopt modern farming methods without the fear of heavy losses.

5. Construct a table on the distribution of land among the 450 families of Palampur.

Ans: The distribution of land among Palampur's 450 families is shown below:

6. Why are the wages for farm labourers in Palampur less than minimum wages?

Ans: There are numerous landless farm laborers in Palampur who earn less than the Government-mandated minimum wage. Although the official wage for farm laborers is Rs 300 per day, intense competition for jobs forces many 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?

Ans: Students should complete this activity independently and answer the question using their survey results.

8. What are the different ways of increasing production on the same piece of land? Use examples to explain.

Ans: Growing more than one crop on the same piece of land in a year is called multiple cropping. It is a widely practiced method to increase production on limited land. A prime example is the farming system in Palampur. Here, jowar and bajra are cultivated during the rainy season, potatoes between October and December, and wheat during the winter season. This is possible due to the village's well-established irrigation system.

9. Describe the work of a farmer with 1 hectare of land.

Ans: A farmer with 1 hectare of land is considered a small farmer. Due to the limited area for cultivation, the yield is often low. To achieve the best possible outcome, the farmer requires money, which is typically borrowed from a moneylender at high interest rates. In some cases, the farmer may even have to work as a laborer for the moneylender. After cultivation, the produce is split for personal use and for sale in the market. Most of the profits are given to the moneylender, leaving the farmer with very little. The only support a small farmer receives comes from family members.

10. How do the medium and large farmers obtain capital for farming? How is it different from the small farmers?

Ans: Large and medium farmers sell surplus farm products from part of their harvest. They save a portion of the earnings to buy capital for the next season. Some lend their savings to small farmers at high interest rates, recovering the amount by the next season. In this way, they manage to arrange capital for farming from their own savings. Additionally, some farmers may use their savings to purchase cattle, trucks, or set up shops.

11. On what terms did Savita get a loan from Tejpal Singh? Would Savita’s condition be different if she could get a loan from the bank at a low rate of interest?

Ans: Savita took a loan from Tejpal Singh at an interest rate of 24 percent for four months and had to work as a farm labourer for him at Rs 100 per day during the harvest season.

The situation would have been different had Savita borrowed the loan from a bank. The interest rate would have been lower than what Tejpal Singh charged, and she could have focused entirely on her own field during the harvest time.

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.

Ans: Students should perform this activity and write an answer based on their personal observation.

13. What are the non-farm production activities taking place in your region? Make a short list.

Ans: The non-farm production activities taking place in our region are as follows:

• Mining
• Dairy
• General Stores
• Fishing
• Transportation

14. What can be done so that more non-farm production activities can be started in villages?

Ans: To encourage more non-farm production activities in villages, the following steps can be taken:

• Loans should be provided at lower interest rates, enabling people to start non-farm production activities.
• Proper markets should be established to sell the goods produced.
• Authorities should improve transportation between cities and villages to facilitate the easy transport of goods, helping to increase earnings from non-farming activities.