women caste and reforms

Q Why in the earlier days most parents were apprehensive of sending their girls to school?

1. Ans. Most parents were apprehensive of sending their girls to school because they feared that schools would take girls away from home, prevent them from doing their domestic duties.
2. Moreover, girls had to travel through public places in order to reach school.
3. Many people felt that this would have a corrupting influence on them.
4. They felt that the girls should stay away from public spaces.

Q  How did new opportunities open up for the people of the lower caste under the British?  

1. Ans; during the course of the nineteenth century, Christian missionaries began setting up schools for tribal groups and “lower” – caste children.
2. At the same time, the poor began leaving their villages to look for jobs that were opening up in the cities.
3. There were new demands of labour –drains had to be dug, roads, laid, buildings constructed, and cities cleaned.  This required coolies, diggers, carriers, bricklayer’s sewage cleaners, sweepers, palanquin bearers, rickshaws pullers.
4. Some also went to work in plantations in Assam, Mauritius, Trinidad and Indonesia work in the new locations was often very hard.  
5. There were other jobs too. The army, for instance, offered opportunities. A number of Mahar people, who were regarded as untouchable, found jobs in the Mahar Regiment. The father of B.R. Ambedkar the leader of the Dalit Movement, taught at an army school.

Q Describe the reform movement by the people of the lower castes against caste discrimination across India.

1. The Satnami movement in Central India, founded by a leader named Ghasidas who came from a “low” caste, worked among the leather workers and organized a movement to improve their social status.
2. In eastern Bengal, Haridas Thakur’s Matua set worked among ‘low’ caste chandala cultivators. Haridas questioned Brahmanical texts that supported the caste system.
3. In 1972 Ambedkar started a temple entry movement, in which his Mahar caste followers participated. Brahman priests were outraged when the Dalits used water from the temple tank. Convinced that untouchable had to fight for their dignity,
4. Periyar founded the self Respect Movement. He argued that untouchables were the true upholders of an original Tamil and Dravidian culture which had been subjugated by Brahmans.

Q9. How did the knowledge of ancient texts help the reformers promote new laws? Whenever they wished to challenge a practice that seemed harmful, they tried to find a verse or sentence in the ancient sacred texts that supported their point of view.

They then suggested that the practice as it existed at present was against early tradition. Thus, the knowledge of ancient texts helped the reformers promote new laws.

Q  Why were Christian missionaries attacked by many people in the country? Would some people have supported them too? If so, for what reasons?

Ans) Christian missionaries attacked by many people in the country because they feared that the missionaries would change the religion of tribal groups. Some people may have supported them because:- • They were setting up schools for tribal groups and “lower” – caste children. • These children were thus equipped with some resources to make their way into a changing world.

Q How did Jyotiba the reformers justify their criticism of caste inequality in society?

1. Jyotiba Phule argued that the Aryans were foreigners who came from outside the subcontinent.
2. According to Phule, the “upper” caste had no right to their land and power: in reality the land belonged to indigenous people, and so –called low castes.
3. Phule claimed that before Aryan rule there existed a golden age when warrior – peasants tilled the land and ruled the Maratha countryside in just and fair ways.

 Q .Why did Phule dedicate his book Gulamgiri to the American movement to free slaves?

Phule dedicated his book to all those Americans who had fought to free slaves thus establishing a link between the conditions of the “lower” caste in India and the black slaves in America. Phule extended his criticism of the caste system to argue against all forms of inequality. He was concerned about the plight of “upper” –caste women, the miseries of the labourer, and the humiliation of the “low” caste.

Q What did Ambedkar want to achieve through the temple entry movement?

Ans. In 1972, Ambedkar started a temple entry movement, in which his Mahar caste followers participated. Brahman priests were outraged when the Dalits used water from the temple tank. Ambedkar led three such movements for temple entry between 1927 and 1935. His aim was to make everyone see the power of caste prejudices within society.

 Q Why were Jyotiba Phule and Ramaswamy Naicker critical of the national movement? Did their criticism help the national struggle in any way?

They were critical of the national movement run by the upper caste leaders because they held that this would serve the purpose of the upper caste. After the movement these people again would talk of untouchability. Even Periyar left the congress in the earlier days of an incidence of untouchability.

Yes, their criticism helped the national movement struggle as unity. In forceful speeches, writings and movements of such lower caste leaders did lead to rethinking and self – criticism among upper caste nationalist leader.

Understanding Marginalisation chapter

Understanding Marginalisation

Exercises
 

1. Write in your own words two or more sentences of what you understand by the word 'marginalisation'.
Answer
The word ‘marginalisation’ simply means exclusion from the mainstream.
Marginalisation of any community or a person can be because of many reasons like
→ Speaking a different language,
→Following different customs,
→ Belonging to different religious group from the minority community etc. 

Marginalisation is linked to experiencing disadvantage, prejudice, poverty and powerlessness.

2. List two reasons why Adivasis are becoming increasingly marginalized.
Answer
The two reasons why Adivasis are becoming increasingly marginalized are:

→ The people often wrongly believe that Adivasis are exotic, primitive and backward.
→ That often Adivasis are blamed for their lack of advancement as they are believed to be resistant to change or new ideas.

3. Write one reason why you think the constitution's safeguards to protect minority communities are very important?
Answer
The Constitution's safeguards to protect minority communities are very important because they ensure that India's cultural diversity is protected from becoming largely unitary and they also help to promote equality and justice to all.

4. Re-read the section on Minorities and marginalization. What do you understand by the term minority?
Answer
Minority is the term which means the communities which are small in number in comparison to the communities which are more in number. For example, Muslims are in minority in comparison to Hindus.

5. You are participating in a debate where you have to provide reasons to support the following statement: 'Muslims are a marginalized community'. Using the data provided in this chapter, list two reasons that you would give.
Answer
Two reasons in support of the statement "Muslims are a marginalized community":
→ The Muslim community has not been able to gain from the country's socio-economic development such as, literacy rate and public employment.

63.6% Muslims live in kutcha houses as compared to only 55.2% Hindus also the literacy rate amongst Muslims was the lowest at 59% in a 2001 survey.
→ Their customs are distinct from other religious communities, so that they are identified as separate from the "rest of us" leading to unfair treatment and discrimination against Muslims.

6. Imagine that you are watching the Republic Day parade on TV with a friend and she remarks, "Look at these tribals. They look so exotic. And they seem to be dancing all the time". List three things that you would tell her about the lives of Adivasis in India.
Answer
The three things I would tell a friend about the Adivasis in India would be:

→ Lives of Adivasis are actually very rich but people seem to know very little about the realties of their lives.
→ They are usually shown in sympathetically in colourful costumes, headgear and dancing.
→Often people wrongly believe that Adivasis are exotic, primitive, backward and immune to development.

8. Would you agree with the statement that economic marginalisation and social marginalisation are interlinked? Why?
Answer
Yes, economic and social marginalisations are interlinked. This can be described by the following:
→The minorities are made marginalized economically because they are not allowed access to the benefits of economic development.

→ When there is no economic development the minorities do not develop socially. Their society does no experience the fruits of social development. They remain backward.

Questions solution Agriculture chapter

(i) What is agriculture?

1. Agriculture is the science and art of cultivation on the soil, raising crops and rearing of livestock. 

2. Agriculture is a primary activity and favourable climate and fertile soil are crucial for agricultural activity.

(ii) Name the factors influencing agriculture

The topography and fertility of the soil and the climate are the two main factors that influence agriculture. 

Crops need fertile soil, adequate rainfall and plenty of sunlight to grow well.

(iii) What is shifting cultivation? What are its disadvantages?

In the thickly forested areas of tropical Africa, Amazon basin and Northeast India, farmers clear a piece of land by felling the trees. The felled trees are then burnt and ashes are mixed into the soil. Crops like yam, potatoes, cassava and maize are grown in these farms. When the soil loses its fertility, they will abandon the land and move to another plot. This is known as shifting cultivation.

The major disadvantage of shifting cultivation 

1. it leads to deforestation and soil erosion. 

2. It is also highly labor intensive. 

3. The farmer has to prepare the land every time he wants to grow crops.

4. In addition, this method of farming is not suitable for producing crops in large quantities.

(iv) What is plantation agriculture?

 Plantation agriculture is a type of commercial farming where a single crop of tea, sugarcane, coffee, cashew, rubber, banana or cotton is grown. 

Large amounts of labor and capital are required. 

Brazil has large plantations of coffee and India has large plantations of tea.

(v) Name the fibre crops and name the climatic conditions required for their growth.

Cotton and jute are the chief fibre crops. 

Cotton requires light rainfall, bright sunshine, high temperature and at least 210 frost free days for optimum growth. It grows on black and alluvial soil. 

Jute requires high temperature, heavy rainfall and humid climate. It grows well on alluvial soil.

Give reasons

(i) In India agriculture is a primary activity

 Two-thirds of the population of India still depends on agriculture. Most farmers in India practice intensive agriculture. 

Commercial farming is not practiced here and most farmers simply take their produce to the mandi and sell it even when the prices are low. 

Since the farmer only grows crops and is not involved in its commercial trade or processing, agriculture in India is considered as a primary activity.

(ii) Different crops are grown in different regions

 Different crops grown in a particular region depends upon several factors such as the topography of the soil, demand for the produce, availability of technology and climate. 

For example, rice requires high temperature and heavy rainfall available in tropical and sub-tropical climates. Wheat, on the other hand, requires moderate temperature and rainfall.

4. Distinguish between the following

(i) Primary activities and tertiary activities

Primary activities include all those activities connected with the extraction and production of natural resources.

 Fishing and farming are good examples of primary activities.

Tertiary activities support the primary and secondary activities through services.  Examples of tertiary activities include trade, advertising, banking and transport.

(ii) Subsistence farming and intensive farming

Subsistence farming is the type of farming practiced to meet the needs of the farmer and his family.
In which old tools and primitive methods are used.

Intensive farming 

1. is a kind of subsistence farming in which the farmer cultivates a small piece of land using simple tools and manual labour. 
2. The farmer may grow two or three crops in a year on the same land. 
3. This type of farming is mainly practiced in the thickly populated areas of south, southeast and east Asia.

Difference between a farm in India and  a farm in USA.

Size  farm size in India approximately 1.5 hectare.
An average farm size in USA is 200 hectare.
Crops  farmers in India  grows at least two crops in a year which are normally wheat or rice and pulses.
In USA farmers grow single crop such as  corn, soybean, wheat, cotton and sugar beet.
Tools farmers in India  still use traditional method of using bullocks for ploughing.
In USA farmers uses tractors, seed drills, leveler, combined harvester and thresher to perform various agricultural operations.
In India majority of the farmers do not have storage facilities.
In USA A grains are stored in the automated grain storage or dispatched to market agencies.

History notes

SYSTEMS OF INDIGO CULTIVATION:

Nij Cultivation:

In this system, the planter produced indigo on those lands which were under his direct control. The planter either bought the land or rented it from other zamindars. He directly employed labourers to produce indigo.

The problem with nij cultivation

• Indigo could only be cultivated on fertile lands.   This made it difficult to expand the area under nij cultivation.
• A large plantation required a large number of workers. Work at indigo plantation coincided with the time when peasants were busy with rice cultivation. Hence, mobilizing the labour for indigo cultivation was a difficult task.
• Large scale nij cultivation also required many ploughs and bullocks. It was a big problem to bur and maintain the ploughs.  
• Till the late nineteenth century, planters were not willing to expand the area under nij cultivation. Less than 25% of the indigo cultivation was done under nij system.

---

Ryoti System

Under the ryoti system, indigo cultivation was done by the ryots. The planters made the ryots to sign a contract or an agreement. Sometimes, they pressurized the village headmen to sign the contract on behalf of the ryots. After signing the contract, the ryots got cash advances from the planters. But after taking the loan, the ryot was committed to grow indigo on at least 25% of his land holding. 

But the planters bought indigo at low prices and hence the ryots were always in debt trap.

“Blue Rebellion”

• Thousands of ryots in Bengal refused to grow indigo in March 1859. The ryots refused to pay rents to the planters. They attacked indigo factories. They used to be armed with swords and spears, bows and arrows. Women also fought with pots, panda and kitchen implements. Those who worked for the planters were socially boycotted.  
• In many villages, headmen mobilized the indigo peasants against the lathiyals.  
• After the Revolt of 1857, the British government was worried about the possibility of another popular rebellion. When the news of indigo revolt spread, the Lieutenant Governor toured the region in the winter of 1859. This was seen as a sign of sympathy by the ryots. They began to believe that the British government would support them in their struggle.
• When the rebellion spread, intellectuals from Calcutta rushed to the indigo districts. They began writing about the misery of the ryots and the horrors of the indigo system.
• The government called in the military to protect the planters. The Indigo Commission was set up to enquire into the system of indigo production.  
• Answer the following:-
  1. Describe Ryotwari system of land revenue collection.
  2. Describe the Mahalwari system of land revenue collection
  3. Why did the British expand areas under indigo cultivation? Who were the new plantation owners?
  4. Why did East India Company feel the need to improve agriculture between 1773-1793?
  5. Describe features of Permanent settlement.
  6. What were the problems created by permanent settlement?
  7. What was the reason for demand of Indian Indigo?
  8. How was Mahalwari system different from Permanent Settlement system?
  
  
  II Answer in a line:-
  1. When was Permanent settlement introduced in Bengal?
  2. Who devised system of Mahalwari system?
  3. Who fought for indigo planter’s rights in India?
  4. Why did the demand of indigo rise in Britain?
  5. Name the two main system of growing indigo.
  6. Name the four plantation crops introduced by British in India and places they were grown in.
  7. Who was Holt Mackenzie? Who created Kalamkari & how was it done?

Very very Important questions

Q 1. What would happen if there were no restrictions on the power of elected representatives?
Q2. Describe fundamantal rights.
The Fundamental Rights in
the Indian Constitution
include:
1. Right to Equality: All persons are
equal before law.
It also states that no citizen can be
discriminated against on the basis of
their religion, caste or sex. Every
person has access to all public places
including playgrounds, hotels, shops
etc. The State cannot discriminate
against anyone in matters of
employment.
 The practice of untouchability has also been abolished.
2. Right to Freedom: This includes
the right to freedom of speech and
expression, the right to form
associations, the right to move freely
and reside in any part of the country,
and the right to practise any
profession, occupation or business.
3. Right against Exploitation: The
Constitution prohibits trafficking,
forced labour, and children working
under 14 years of age.
4. Right to Freedom of Religion:
Religious freedom is provided to all
citizens. Every person has the right
to practise, profess and propagate
the religion of their choice.
5. Cultural and Educational Rights:
The Constitution states that all
minorities, religious or linguistic, can
set up their own educational
institutions in order to preserve and
develop their own culture.
6. Right to Constitutional Remedies:
This allows citizens to move the
court if they believe that any of their
Fundamental Rights have been
violated by the State.
Q3. Name some national and state political parties in india.
Ans: National Parties
Bharatiya Janta Party
Communist Party of India (CPI)
Communist Party of India
(Marxist) (CPM)
Indian Congress Socialist (ICS)
Indian National Congress (INC)
Janata Party (JNP)
Lok Dal (LKD)
State Parties
All India Anna DMK (AIADMK)
Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK)
All India Forward Block (FBL)
Indian Congress (J) (ICJ)
Jammu & Kashmir Conference (JKN)
Kerala Congress (J) (KCJ)
Muslim League (MUL)
Peasants and Workers Party of India (PWP)
Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP)
Telugu Desam Party (TDP)
Q 4. Describe indian parliament.
Ans:1. The Parliament of India (Sansad) is the supreme law-making institution. It has two Houses, the Rajya Sabha and the Lok Sabha.
2. Rajya Sabha (Council of States), with a total strength of 245 members, is chaired by the Vice-President of India.
3. Lok Sabha (House of the People), with a total membership of 545, is presided over by the Speaker

important note for all

students you must concentrate on map and revise conventional and non conventional sources of energy  advantage and disadvantage from book chapter 3..

Between December 1946 and November 1949, the Constituent Assembly drafted a constitution for independent India.

Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar is known as the Father of the Indian Constitution.

 Key Features of The Indian Constitution:

1 Federalism: This refers to the existence of more than one level of government in the country. In India, we have governments at the state level and at the centre.

2. Parliamentary Form of Government: The different tiers of government consist of representatives who are elected by the people.

Constitution of India guarantees universal adult suffrage for all citizens.

3 Separation of Powers: According to the Constitution, there are three organs of the State. These are the legislature, the executive and the judiciary.

4. Fundamental Rights:

1. Right to Equality:

2. Right to Freedom:

3. Right against Exploitation:

4. Right to Freedom of Religion:

5. Cultural and Educational Rights:

6. Right to Constitutional Remedies:

5. Secularism: A secular state is one in which the state does not officially promote any one religion as the state religion.

Glossary

Arbitrary: When nothing is fixed and is instead left to one’s judgment or choice.

Ideal: A goal or a principle in its most excellent or perfect form.

Indian national movement: The Indian national movement emerged in nineteenth century India and saw thousands of men and women coming together to fight British rule.

Polity: A society that has an organised political structure. India is a democratic polity

Sovereign: refers to an independent people.

Trafficking: The practice of the illegal buying and selling of different commodities across national borders. It refers to illegal trade in human beings, particularly women and children.

important notes geography

Patent: It means the exclusive right over any idea or invention.

Value means worth. Some resources have economic value, some do not. For example, metals may have an economic value, a beautiful landscape may not.

Technology: It is the application of latest knowledge and skill in doing or making things.

Time and technology are two important factors that can change substances into resources.

TYPES OF RESOURCES

Resources are generally classified into natural, human made and human. Natural Resources

Natural Resources that are drawn from Nature and used without much modification are called natural resources. The air we breathe, the water in our rivers and lakes, the soils, minerals are all natural resources.

People use natural resources to make buildings, bridges, roads, machinery and vehicles, which are known as human made resources.

Human Resources People are human resources. Education and health help in making people a valuable resource.

Improving the quality of people’s skills so that they are able to create more resources is known as human resource development.

Natural resources are classified into different groups depending upon their level of development and use; origin; stock and distribution.

On the basis of their development and use resources can be classified into two groups, actual resources and potential resources.

Actual resources are those resources whose quantity is known. These resources are being used in the present. The dark soils of the Deccan plateau in Maharashtra are all actual resources.

Potential resources are those whose entire quantity may not be known and these are not being used at present. These resources could be used in the future. The uranium found in Ladakh is an example of potential resource.

Based on their origin, resources can be Abiotic or biotic.

Abiotic resources are non-living while biotic resources are living. Soils, rocks and minerals are Abiotic. plants and animals are biotic resources.

Natural resources can be broadly categorized into renewable and non-renewable resources.

Renewable resources are those which get renewed or replenished quickly such as solar and wind energy.

Non-renewable resources are those which have a limited stock. Once the stocks are exhausted it may take thousands of years to be renewed or replenished.

On the basis of their distribution resources can be ubiquitous or localized.

Resources that are found everywhere like the air we breathe, are ubiquitous.

Those which are found only in certain places are localised, like copper and iron ore.

Using resources carefully and giving them time to get renewed is called resource conservation.

Balancing the need to use resources and also conserve them for the future is called sustainable development.

Some Principles of Sustainable Development

Respect and care for all forms of life Improve the quality of human life Conserve the earth’s vitality and diversity Minimize the depletion of natural resources Change personal attitude and practices toward the environment Enable communities to care for their own environment.

Ways of conserving resources. Each person can contribute by reducing consumption, recycling and reusing thing.

Land, Soil, Water, Natural Vegetation and Wildlife Resourceschapter 2

The rugged topography, steep slopes of the mountains, low-lying areas susceptible to water logging, desert areas, and thick forested areas are normally sparsely populated or uninhabited.

Plains and river valleys offer suitable land for agriculture. Hence, these are the densely populated areas of the world.

Land is used for different purposes such as agriculture, forestry, mining, building houses, roads and setting up of industries.

The use of land is determined by physical factors such as topography, soil, climate, minerals and availability of water. Human factors such as population and technology are also important.

Community land is owned by the community for common uses like collection of fodder, fruits, nuts or medicinal herbs. These community lands are also called common property resources.

Land degradation, landslides, soil erosion, desertification are the major threats to the environment.

CONSERVATION OF LAND RESOURCE

Afforestation, land reclamation, regulated use of chemical pesticide and fertilizers and checks on overgrazing are some of the common methods used to conserve land.

Soil

The thin layer of grainy substance covering the surface of the earth is called soil.

Soil is made up of organic matter, minerals and weathered rocks found on the earth.

Factors of soil formation

The major factors of soil formation are the nature of the parent rock and climatic factors. Other factors are the topography, role of organic material and time taken for the composition of soil formation.

DEGRADATION OF SOIL AND CONSERVATION MEASURES

Factors which lead to soil degradation are deforestation, overgrazing, overuse of chemical fertilizers’ or pesticides, rain wash, landslides and floods.

Some methods of soil conservation

 Mulching: The bare ground between plants is covered with a layer of organic matter like straw. It helps to retain soil moisture.

Contour barriers: Stones, grass, soil are used to build barriers along contours. Trenches are made in front of the barriers to collect water.

Rock dam: Rocks are piled up to slow down the flow of water. This prevents gullies and further soil loss.

Terrace farming: These are made on the steep slopes so that flat surfaces are available to grow crops. They can reduce surface run-off and soil erosion

. Intercropping: Different crops are grown in alternate rows and are sown at different times to protect the soil from rain wash.

Contour Ploughing: Ploughing parallel to the contours of a hill slope to form a natural barrier for water to flow down the slope.

 Shelter belts: In the coastal and dry regions, rows of trees are planted to check the wind movement to protect soil cover

Water

Two-thirds of the earth’s surface and support a rich variety of plant and animal life.  Fresh water accounts for only about 2.7 per cent. Nearly 70 per cent of this occurs as ice sheets and glaciers in Antarctica, Greenland and mountain regions. Only 1 per cent of freshwater is available and fit for human use. It is found as ground water, as surface water in rivers and lakes and as water vapour in the atmosphere.

Shortage of Water

Increasing population, rising demands for food and cash crops, increasing urbanisation and rising standards of living are the major factors leading to shortages in supply of fresh water.

CONSERVATION OF WATER RESOURCES

Water pollution can be controlled by treating chemical effluents suitably before releasing them in water bodies.

Water harvesting is another method to save surface runoff.

The canals should be properly lined to minimize losses by water seepage.

Sprinklers, drip or trickle irrigation is very useful.

Ecosystem

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

Vulture is a scavenger and considered a vital cleanser of the environment.

Classification of forests

Evergreen forests do not shed their leaves simultaneously in any season of the year. Deciduous forests shed their leaves in a particular season to conserve loss of moisture through transpiration.

CONSERVATION OF NATURAL VEGETATION AND WILDLIFE

The animals are poached for collection and illegal trade of hides, skins, nails, teeth, horns as well as feathers. Some of these animals are tiger, lion, elephant, deer, black buck, crocodile, rhinoceros, snow leopard, ostrich and peacock.

National parks, wildlife sanctuaries, biosphere reserves are made to protect our natural vegetation and wildlife.

Awareness programmes like social forestry and Vana mohatasava should be encouraged.

Many countries have passed laws declaring that the trades as well as killing of birds and animals are illegal.

An international convention CITES has been established that lists several species of animals and birds in which trade is prohibited.

CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) is an international agreement between governments.

Chapter 3Mineral and Power Resources

A naturally occurring substance that has a definite chemical composition is a mineral.

TYPES OF MINERALS

There are over three thousand different minerals. On the basis of composition, minerals are classified mainly as metallic and non-metallic minerals.

The metallic minerals contain metal in raw form. Iron ore, bauxite, manganese ore are some examples.

The non-metallic minerals do not contain metals. Limestone, mica and gypsum are examples of such minerals.

The process of taking out minerals from rocks buried under the earth’s surface is called mining.

Minerals that lie at shallow depths are taken out by removing the surface layer; this is known as open-cast mining.

To reach mineral deposits that lie at great depths. This is called shaft mining.

Deep wells are bored to take Petroleum and natural gas out, this is called drilling.

Minerals that lie near the surface are simply dug out, by the process known as quarrying.

DISTRIBUTION OF MINERALS

metallic minerals are found in igneous and metamorphic rocks.

Sedimentary rocks contain non-metallic minerals like limestone.

A green diamond is the rarest diamond. • The oldest rocks in the world are in Western Australia. They date from 4,300 million years ago, only 300 million years after the earth was formed.

DISTRIBUTION OF MINERALS

China and India have large iron ore deposits.

China, Malaysia and Indonesia are among the world’s leading tin producers

Europe is the leading producer of iron-ore in the world

Brazil is the largest producer of high grade iron-ore in the world.

Africa is rich in mineral resources. It is the world’s largest producer of diamonds, gold and platinum.

DISTRIBUTION IN INDIA

India has deposits of high grade iron ore. The mineral is found mainly in Jharkhand, Orissa.

: Major bauxite producing areas are Jharkhand, Orissa,

Copper: It is mainly produced in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh.

USES OF MINERALS

Minerals are used in many industries. These are then set in various styles for jewellery.

Copper is another metal used in everything from coins to pipes.

Silicon, used in the computer industry is obtained from quartz.

Aluminum obtained from its ore bauxite is used in automobiles and airplanes, bottling industry, buildings and even in kitchen cookware.

CONSERVATION OF MINERALS

To reduce wastage in the process of mining. Recycling of metals is another way in which the mineral resources can be conserved.

POWER RESOURCES

Power resources may be broadly categorized as conventional and non-conventional resources.

Conventional sources of energy are those which have been in common use for a long time. Firewood and fossil fuels.

Remains of plants and animals which were buried under the earth for millions of years got converted by the heat and pressure into fossil fuels.

The coal which we are using today was formed millions of years ago when giant ferns and swamps got buried under the layers of earth. Coal is therefore referred to as Buried Sunshine.

Petroleum and its derivatives are called Black Gold as they are very valuable.

NON-CONVENTIONAL SOURCES OF ENERGY

Non-conventional sources such as solar energy, wind energy, tidal energy which are renewable.