SURYA THE GLOBAL SCHOOL

Master notes
Chapter- 2
Land, Soil, Water, Natural Vegetation and Wildlife Resources

Learning Outcome:
 Land and its conservation.
 Soil, Factors of soil formation and conservation of resources.
 Water and its conservation.
 Natural Vegetation and Wildlife and its conservation.
Key words:
1. Mitigation
2. Mulching
3. Contour Ploughing
4. Terrace Farming
5. Terrace Cultivation
Definitions:
1.Topography: the arrangement of the natural and artificial physical features
of an area.
2. Weathering: breaking down of rocks due to natural factors like rain, wind
and snow.
3. Gullies: channel cut in the earth by running water.
4. National Park: A national park is a reserved area of land owned by the
government which is protected from industrialization, human exploitation and
pollution.
5. Wildlife Sanctuary: It is similar to a National Park, but it is supposed to
protect a particular animal, in some cases, or wildlife in general, in other cases.
6. Biosphere Reserves: These are series of protected areas linked through a
global network, intended to demonstrate the relation between conservation and
development.
Very Short Questions
1. Which are the two main climatic factors responsible for soil formation?
Ans. Temperature and rainfall are the two main climatic factors responsible for
soil formation.

2. Write any two reasons for land degradation today.

Ans. The two reasons for land degradation today are:
(i) Over grazing (ii) Deforestation.

3. Why is land considered as an important resource?

Ans. Land is an important resource because it is used for different purpose
agriculture, forestry, mining, building, houses, etc.
4. What is Land?
Ans. Land is among the most important natural resources. Land covers about
30% of the total area of the earth’s Surface.

5. Why do you mean by land use?

Ans. Land use refers to the use of land for different purposes such as
agriculture, forestry, mining, building houses, etc.

6. Define private land?

Ans. Private land refers to the part of land owned by an individual or group of
individuals like land used for personal purposes only.

7. What do you mean by community land?

Ans. Community land is owned by the community for common use like
collection of fodder, medical herds. These community lands are also called
common property resources.

8. What is the difference between deforestation and afforestation?

Ans, Deforestation refers to the actions of cutting down trees, whereas
afforestation refers to the action of planting trees.
9. What do you mean by conservation of land resources?
Ans. Conversation of land resources refers to the use of land properly and
carefully, so that we can save our land resources for future generations.

10. Define landslides?

Ans. Landslides refer to the mass movement of rock, debris or earth down a
slope. They often take place in conjunction with earthquakes, floods and
volcanoes.

11. Write the definition of soil.

Ans. Soil is the thin layer of grainy substance covering the surface of the earth.
It is made up of organic matter, minerals and weathered rocks found on the
earth.

12. What is weathering?

Ans. The breaking up and decay of exposed rocks by temperature changes,
frost action, plants and animals and human activity is called weathering.

13. Explain the term soil erosion.

Ans. Soil erosion refers to the removal of top soil by running waters, winds and
glacier or human action.

14. What do you mean by degradation of soil?

Ans. Soil erosion and depletion are the major threats to soil as a resource. Both
human and natural factors can lead to degradation of soils.
15. What is the importance of water resources?
Ans. Water is a vital renewable natural resource. Humans use large amounts of
water not only for drinking and washing but also inn processes of production
like agriculture, industries, generating electricity, etc.

16. Explain natural vegetation.

Ans. Natural Vegetation refers to the group of plants which grow in an area
without the interference of human beings.

17. What is wildlife?

Ans. Wildlife includes animals, birds, insects, aquatic forms which live in their
natural habitat.

18. Describe the various types of natural vegetation.

Ans. The various types of natural vegetation are as follows:
(i) Forest
(ii) Grasslands
(iii) Shrubs and Tundra

19. What is ecosystem?

Ans. In the biosphere living beings are inter-related and interdependent on
each other for survival. This life supporting system is known as the ecosystem.

20. What do you understand by “rainwater harvesting”?

Ans. It is the process of collecting rainwater from roof tops and directing it to
an appropriate location where it is stored for future use.

21. What is “biosphere”?

Ans. Natural vegetation and wildlife exists only in the narrow zone of contact
between lithosphere, hydrosphere and atmosphere that is called “biosphere”.

22. Which regions in the world face water scarcity?

Ans. Most of Africa, West Asia, South Asia, parts of western USA, North-West,
Mexico, Parts of South America and entire Australia are facing shortage in
fresh water supply.

23. What is a “National Park”?

Ans. A natural area designated to protect both flora and fauna for the present
and future generation is called a National Park.
Short Answer Questions
1. Name any two steps that the government has taken to conserve plants
and animals.
Ans. The steps taken by the government to conserve plants and animals are:
(i) Establishment of natural parks, wildlife sanctuaries, biosphere reserves.
(ii) Ban on killing animals and birds and cutting of trees.
2. Suggest three ways to conserve water.
Ans. Three ways to conserve water are:
(i) Efficient use of water
(ii) Rainwater harvesting.
(iii)Canals for irrigation should be checked for water losses through seepage
and promoting sprinkler irrigation to check evaporation and seepage.

3. Explain the mitigation techniques of landslides.

Ans. The mitigation techniques of landslides are:
(i) Hazard mapping to locate areas prone to landslides.
(ii) Construction of retention walls to stop land from slipping
(iii) Increase in the vegetation covers to arrest landslides.

4. Explain the soil profile.

Ans. Soil is made up of four layers which are
(i) Top soil: It contains humus and vegetation
(ii) Sub soil: It is the second layer and consists of sand, slit and clay.
(iii) Fragmented rock material: It is the third layer and is made up of weathered
rock material.
(iv)Parent rock: It is the solid un weathered rock.

5. Write the factors of soil formation.

Ans. The major factors of soil formation are:
(i) Nature of the Parent rock
(ii) Relief
(iii) Flora, fauna and micro-organism
(iv) Climate
(v) Time

6. Name some methods of soil conservation.

Ans. The methods of soil conservation are:
(i) Mulching
(ii) Contour barriers
(iii) Rock dam
(iv) Terrace farming
(v) Inter cropping
(vi) Contour ploughing
(vii) Shelter belts

7. Explain “Water Cycle”.

Ans. 1) Water cycle includes three atmospheric processed which are
evaporation, condensation and precipitation of water from earth’s surface.
2) It is in constant motion, cycling through the oceans, the air, the land
and back again, through the processes of evaporation, precipitation and run-
off.
8. Classify land on the basis of ownership.
Ans. (i) land can be classified on the basis of ownership as
(a) Private land (b) Community land
(ii) Private land is owned by individuals whereas community land is owned by
the community for common uses like collection of fodder, fruits, nuts or
medicinal herbs.
(iii) These community lands are also called “Common Property Resource”.

Long Questions
1. How we can conserve natural vegetation and wildlife?
Ans.(i) Natural parks, and wildlife, national parks, wildlife sanctuaries and
biosphere reserves are made to protect our natural flora and fauna.
(ii) Conservation of creeks, lakes and wetlands is also necessary to save the
precious resource from depletion.
(iii) Encouragement of awareness programmes like social forestry and
Vanmahotasava.
(iv) School children should be encouraged to bird watch and visit natural
camps to appreciate the habitat of varied species.

2. Briefly describe CITES?

Ans. 1) CITIES means the conversation on International Trade in Endangered
Species of wild Fauna and Flora.
2) It is an international agreement between governments that lists that,
there are several species of animals and birds in which trade is prohibited.
3) It aims to ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals
and plants does not threaten their survival.
4) Roughly 5,000 species of animals and 28,000 species of plants are
protected.
Examples: Bears, Dolphins, Cacti, Corals, Orchids and Aloes.

3. Write a note on distribution of natural vegetation.

Ans. The distribution of natural vegetation has been classified into three types:
(i) Forests (ii) Grasslands (iii) Scrubs and Tundra
(i) Forests: Forests are associated with areas having abundant water supply.
Forests consist of two divisions which are evergreen and deciduous.
(a) Evergreen forests do not shed their leaves simultaneously in any season of
the year.
(b)Deciduous forests shed their leaves in a particular season to conserve loss of
moisture through transpiration.
(ii) Grasslands: It refers to the short stunted trees and grasses that grow in the
regions of moderate rainfall.
(iii) Scrubs and Tundra: Scrubs and thorny shrubs grow in dry areas of low
rainfall. In these areas plants have deep roots and leaves with thorny and waxy
surface that reduce loss of moisture through transpiration. They are found in
dry deserts.
(iv)Tundra vegetation: They are mainly found in cold Polar Regions and
comprise of mosses and lichens. These areas are covered with snow throughout
the year.

4. Elaborate the methods of soil conservation.

Ans. Some methods of soil conservation are:
(i) Mulching: The bare ground between plants is covered with a layer of organic
matter like straw. It helps to retain soil moisture.
(ii) Rock Dams: Rocks are piled up to slow down the flow of water. This
prevents gullies and further soil loss.
(iii) Intercropping: Different crops are grown in alternate rows and are sown at
different times to protect the soil from rain wash.
(iv) Shelter belts: Rows of trees are planted to check the wind movements to
protect soil cover.
(v) Contour barriers: Stones, grass, soil are used to build barriers at contours.
Trenches are made in front of them to collect water.
(vi) Terrace farming: Broad that steps or terraces are made on the steep
slopes so that surfaces are available to grow crops. It reduces the surface
runoff and soil erosion.

5. How conservation of water resources can be done?

Ans. (i) Forest and other vegetation uses slow the surface run off and replenish
underground water.
(ii)Water harvesting is another method to save surface runoff.
(iii) The canals used for irrigation field should be properly lined to minimise
losses through seepage and evaporation.
(iv) In dry regions with high rates of evaporation, drip or trickle irrigation is
very useful.
 SURYA THE GLOBAL SCHOOL
Master notes
Ch- 3
Why do we need a Parliament?
Learning Outcome
 Why should People Decide?
 People and their Representatives.
 The Role of the Parliament.
 Who are people in Parliament?

Keywords
1. Coalition
2. Unresolved
3. Consent
4. Marginalised
5. Elicit
Definitions:
1. Approval: It refers to the formal consent through elected representatives
that Parliament has as well as the fact that it needs to continue to enjoy the
people’s trust.
2. Opposition Party: The opposition in Parliament is formed by all the political
parties that oppose the majority party or coalition formed. The largest amongst
these parties is known as the opposition party.
3. Unresolved: It refers to the situations in which there are no easy solutions
to problems.
4. Parliament: The Parliament in India consists of the President, the Rajya
Sabha and the Lok Sabha. It is the highest law-making body of the country. It
is also known as “SANSAD”

Short Answer Questions

1. How do the individuals give approval to the government?

Ans: a) One way of giving approval to the government is through conducting
elections.
b) People would elect their representatives to the Parliament.
c) Then one group from among these elected representatives forms the
government.
d) The parliament which is made up of all representatives together-
controls and guides the government.
e) Thus people through their chosen representatives form the government
and also control it.
2. What is the role of Prime Minister in India?
Ans: a) The Prime Minister of India is the leader of the ruling party in the Lok
Sabha.
b) From the MPs who belong to his/ her party, the Prime Minister selects
ministers to work with him to implement decisions.
c) These ministers then take charge of different areas of government
functioning such as health, education, foreign, tourism etc.

3. Under what circumstances is the coalition government formed?

or
Write a note on the coalition government
Ans: a) The coalition government is a phenomenon of the recent past.
b) At times it so happens that one political party does not get a clear
majority that is required to form the government.
c) These political parties are usually interested in similar concerns.
d) The government formed by these parties is popularly known as the
coalition government.

Long Answer Questions

1. Discuss the role and functions of the parliament?
Ans: The Parliament is the most important institution in a democracy. It
performs the following role and functions:
i) It consists of two houses- the Lok Sabha (the lower house of the
Parliament) and the Rajya Sabha (the upper House of the Parliament)
ii) The Parliament controls, guides and informs the government.
iii) The Question Hour with which the Parliament session begins, is an
important mechanism through which MPs can elicit information about the
working of the government.
iv) This is a very important way through which the Parliament controls the
valuable feedback and is kept on its toes by the questions asked by the MPs.
v) In all matters dealing with finances, the Parliament's approval is crucial
for the government.
vi) This is one of the several ways in which the Parliament controls, guides
and informs the government.
vii) The Parliament makes new laws for the entire country.
viii) It amends or repeals them, if necessary.
ix) It passes the budget of the union Government.
x) Also it is empowered to vote a reduction in the budget or reject it
altogether.
xi) The Parliament can remove the President of India through
impeachment.
xii) It can also impeach the judges of the Supreme Court of the High
Court, in case they are found violating the Constitution or misusing their
status.
2. Describe briefly about the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha.
Ans: The Lok Sabha:
i) It is the lower house of the Parliament.
ii) It is the house of the people because the members are directly elected
by the people.
iii) The elections of the Lok Sabha are held on the basis of Universal
Adult Franchise, i.e. all adults, citizens in the country who are above 19 years
of age, have the right to vote.
iv) Electronic Voting Machines (EVM) were used for the first time
throughout the country in the 2004 in Lok Sabha elections.
v) At present, the total membership of the Lok Sabha is 545 , in which
543 are elected members while 2 are nominated .
vi) The speaker conducts the proceedings of the Lok Sabha and
maintains order within the House.
vii) He /She may be a member of any political party.
viii) In his /her absence, a Deputy Speaker carries out the proceedings
of the House for a day or a few days .
ix) The term of the Lok Sabha is of 5 years.
xi) The term can be extended by the Parliament in case of emergency.
xii) It can be dissolved before the expiry of its term by the president, if the
ruling party loses it majority.
The Rajya Sabha:
i) It is the upper House of the Parliament.
ii) It is also called the Council of States.
iii) It functions primarily as the representative of the states of India in the
Parliament.
iv) It can also initiate legislation and a bill is required to pass through the
Rajya Sabha in order to become law.
v) In this way, it plays an important role of reviewing and altering, if
alterations are required, the laws initiated by the Lok Sabha .
vi) The members of the Rajya Sabha are elected by the elected members of
the Legislative Assemblies of various states.
vii) The total strength of the Rajya Sabha is 245 in which 233 members
are nominated by the President.
viii) The Rajya Sabha is chaired by the Vice- President of India.

3. Why do you think our national movement supported the idea that all
adults should have a right to vote?
Ans: i) Under colonial rule, people had lived in fear of the British government
as they were severely punished for criticizing the government’s policies.
ii) The nationalists realized the injustice of such a situation and felt that
since the lives of the people is affected by the acts of the government, they have
a right to participate in government decision making.
iii) Hence they supported the idea of universal adult franchise, that is all
adults be given the right to vote.
4. Why do people participate in decision making?
Ans: i) The constitution gave the right to the people of India to decide whom
they want as their representatives.
ii) The Constitution wanted that the people of India should be free to elect
and decide for their dreams, demands and aspirations. The government had to
be sensitive to people’s needs and demands.
iii) After the freedom struggle, the participation in decision making was the
initial step taken for people’s freedom.
iv) The constitution laid the principle of universal adult franchise. i.e. all
adult citizens of the country have the right to vote without any discrimination
on the basis of caste, colour, creed or religion, sex etc.
 SURYA THE GLOBAL SCHOOL
Master notes
Chapter -1
How, What and Where?
Learning Outcome
 How Important are dates?
 How do we Periodise?
 What is Colonial?
 How do we know?
 What do Official records do not tell us?
Key Words
1. Governor- General 6. Anthropological
2. Viceroy 7. Archaeological
3. Religious intolerance
4. Colonial
5. Conviction
Definitions:
1. Subjugation: gaining control over a country.
2. Archives: a place where historical documents or records of a government,
an organisation, etc. are stored.
3. Colonization: Colonization is a process in which in which one country
subjugates another and thus brings political, economic, social and cultural
changes.
4. Survey: the act of examining and recording the measurements, features etc.
of an area of land to prepare a map or plan for it.

VERY SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS

1. How important are dates?

Ans: Dates tell about the events, kings, and their policies and battles which
occurred at a particular time.

2. What is history?
Ans: History is a record of people, places and changes that occur over time.

3. What is the importance of history?

Ans: The study of history is very important to us. It tells about the past of the
present.

4. Who was the first Governor- General of India?

Ans: The first governor general of India was Warren Hastings.
5. Who was the last governor-General of India?
Ans: The last Governor-General of India was Lord Mountbatten.

6. Who was James Mill?

Ans: James Mill was a Scottish economist and political philosopher.

7. Write the name of the book which was published by James Mill.
Ans: James Mill published a massive-three volume work ie. A History Of British
India.

8. What do you mean by colonisation?

Ans: When the subjugation of one country by another leads to political,
economic, social and cultural changes, that is known as colonisation.

9. How did historians divide Indian history?

Ans: The historians divided Indian history into ancient, medieval and modern.

10. Name the types of surveys.

Ans: The types of surveys were botanical surveys, zoological surveys,
archaeological surveys anthropological surveys and forest surveys.

SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS

1. Why did the British preserve official documents?
Ans: a) The British preserved official documents because they believed that the
act of writing was important
b) Every document had to be clearly written up which could be properly
studied and debated.
c) Specialised institutions like archives and museums were established to
preserve important records

2. How will the information historians get from old newspapers be

different from that found in police reports?
Ans: The information that historians get from old newspapers were published
in large number that served as the voice of the common man but what
historians find in police reports are usually different and realistic.

3. How do people associate history with a string of dates?

Ans. a) People associate history with a string of dates.
b) There was a time when history was an account of battles and big
events.
c) It was about rulers and their policies.
d) Historians wrote about the year when a king was crowned, the year he
married, the rear he fought a particular battle, etc.
e) For such events, specific dates were fixed.
4. How did James Mill view India?
Ans. a) James Mill did not cherish any positive idea about India.
b) He was of the opinion that all Asian societies were at a lower level of
civilisation than Europe.
c) According to his report on history, before the British came to India, the
Hindu and the Muslim despots ruled the country.
d) Religious intolerance, caste taboos and superstitious practices
dominated social life.
e) He felt that only British rule could civilise India.
f) He suggested that the British should conquer all the territories of India
to ensure the enlightenment and happiness of the Indian people.
g) For India was not capable of progress without the help of the British.

5. Historians divide Indian history into ancient, medieval and modern.

But this division too has its problems. What are these problems?
Ans .a) This periodization has been borrowed from the West where the modern
period was associated with the growth of all the forces of modernity such as
science, reason, democracy, liberty and equality.
b) Medieval was a term used to describe a society where these features of
modern society did not exist.
c) It is difficult for all of us to accept this characterisation of the modern
period.
d) Hers, it is worth-mentioning that Indians did not have equality,
freedom or liberty under the British rule.
e) The country also lacked economic growth and progress in that period.
f) It is therefore many historians refer to modern period as colonial
period.

6. What did the British do to preserve important official documents and

letters?
Ans. a) The British felt the need to preserve all the important official documents
and letters.
b) For this, they set up record rooms attached to all administrative
institutions.
c) The village tahsildar’s office, the collectorate, the commissioner’s office,
the provincial secretariats, the law courts- all had their record rooms.
d) The British also established specialised institutions such as archives
and museums to preserve important records.
7. What do official records not tell? How do we come to know about
them?
Ans. a) Official records do not always help us understand what other people in
the country felt, and what lay behind their actions.
b) For that we have diaries of people, accounts of pilgrims and travellers,
autobiographies of important personalities, and popular books, etc.
c) Those were sold in the local bazaars.
d) With the spread of printing press, newspapers came to be published
and issues began to be debated in public.
e) Leaders and reformers wrote to spread their ideas, poets and novelists
wrote to express their feelings.

8. How did the British conquer India and establish their rule?
Ans. The British conquered India in the following ways.
 They subjugated local nawabs and rajas.
 They established control over the economy and society collected revenue
to meet all their expenses, bought goods they wanted at lower prices and
produced crops they needed for export.
 They brought changes in rulers and tastes, customs and practices.
 Thus, they moulded everything in their favour and subjugated the
country very soon.

LONG ANSWER QUESTIONS

1. What is the problem with periodization of Indian history that James
Mill offers?
Ans: a) James Mill, Scottish economist divided the Indian history into three
periods- Hindu, Muslim and British.
b) This division had its own problem.
c) Before the British came to India, Hindu and Muslim despots ruled the
country.
d) It is difficult to refer to any period of history as Hindu or Muslim
because a variety of faiths existed simultaneously in these periods.
e) An age can’t be characterised only through the religion of the rulers of
the time and to do so is to suggest that the lives and practices of the others do
not really matter.
f) We should remember that even rulers in ancient India did not all share
the same faith.

2. Why are official records important for British administration?

Ans: a) The official records are important for British administration as they
believed that the act of writing was important.
b) Every instruction, plan, policy decision, agreement, investigation was
clearly written up.
c) They produced an administrative culture of memos, nothings and
reports.
 d) The British felt that all important documents and letters needed to be
carefully preserved.
e) For that, specialised institutions like archives and museums beside
record rooms were established.

3. Why is British period in India refer to“Colonial”?

Ans: a) During this period, British came to conquer the country and establish
their rule, subjugating local nawabs and rajas.
b) They established control over the economy and society, collected
revenue to meet their all expenses.
c) British brought goods they wanted at low prices, produced crops they
needed for export.
d) They also brought about changes in the values and tasks, customs and
practices.
e) When the subjugation of one powerful country over a weaker country
leads to political, economic, social and cultural changes, we refer to this
process as colonisation.

4. Why did the practice of surveying become common under British

administration?
Ans: a) The British believed that a country had to be properly known before it
could be effectively administered.
b) Detail surveys were carried to map the entire country.
c) In the villages, revenue surveys were conducted.
d) The effort was to know the topography, the soil quality, the flora, the
fauna, the local histories and cropping pattern to administer the region.
e) Even the census operations were held every 10 years.
f) These were many other surveys like botanical surveys, zoological
surveys archaeological surveys, anthropological surveys and forest
surveys.

“ Not fit for human consumption”

Newspaper provide accounts of the movements in different parts of the
country. Here is a report of a police strike in 1946.
More than 2000 policemen in Delhi refused to take their food on Thursday
morning as a protest against their low salaries and the bad quality of fool
supplied to them from the Police Lines kitchen.
As the news spread to the other police station, the men there also refused to
take food … One of the strikes said: “the food supplied to us from the Ploice
Lines kitchen is not fit for human consumption. Even cattle would not eat
the chappattis and dal which we have to eat”
Hindustan Times, 22 march,1946
 Source based questions
Q1. Read the following extract taken from the NCERT textbook, page 7
and answer the questions that follow.

i) Why did the policemen in Delhi refuse to take their food on Thursday
mornings?
ii) How did the men in other police station react when they came to know
about the protest?
iii) What was the comment of one of the strikers on the food supplied to
them?
Ans. i) They did so as a protest against their low salaries and the inferior
quality of food supplied to them from the Police Line kitchen.
ii) They also refused to take food.
One of the strikers said that the food supplied to them was not fit for human
consumption. Even cattle would not eat the chappatis and dal which they had
to eat.