Resources and Development – Class 10 Geography Notes, Concepts, and Map Work

Are you a Class 10 student preparing for Geography Chapter 1 – Resources and Development?

These concise and easy-to-understand revision notes are perfect for your exam prep.
They cover all key topics such as types of resources, sustainable development, and resource conservation.
You can also download the Class 10 Resources and Development notes in PDF format for printing and offline study.

Subject	Social Science (Geography)
Class	10
Board	CBSE and State Boards
Chapter No.	1
Chapter Name	Resources and Development
Type	Notes
Session	2025-26
Weightage	4 marks

Table of Contents

What are Resources?
Classification of Resources
Development of Resources
Resource Planning
Land Resources
Land Utilization
Land Use Pattern in India
Land Degradation and Conservation Measures
Soils
Classification of Soils

· Alluvial Soils

· Black Soil

· Red and Yellow Soil

· Laterite Soil

· Arid Soils

· Forest Soils

Soil Erosion and Soil Conservation

What are Resources?

Resources: Everything available in our environment which can be used to satisfy our needs, provided, it is

technologically accessible,
economically feasible and
culturally acceptable

can be termed as a ‘Resource’.

Interdependent relationship between nature, technology, and institutions:

The process of transformation of things available in our environment involves an interactive relationship between nature, technology, and institutions.
Human beings interact with nature through technology and create institutions to accelerate their economic development.

Classification of Resources

On the basis of origin – biotic and abiotic

On the basis of exhaustibility – renewable and non-renewable
On the basis of ownership – individual, community, national, and international
On the basis of the status of development – potential, developed, stock, and reserves.

Classification of Resources

Development of Resources

The problems created as a result of indiscriminate utilization of natural resources are:

Depletion of resources at a faster rate for satisfying the greed of a few individuals.
Accumulation of resources in few hands, as a result, dividing the society into two segments i.e., haves and have-nots or rich and poor.
Increase in global ecological crises such as global warming, ozone layer depletion, environmental pollution, and land degradation.

Sustainable Development:

Sustainable economic development means ‘development should take place without damaging the environment, and development in the present should not compromise with the needs of the future generations.’

Rio de Janeiro Earth Summit, 1992:

In June 1992, more than 100 heads of state met in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, for the first International Earth Summit.
The Summit was convened for addressing urgent problems of environmental protection and socio-economic development at the global level.

Agenda 21:

Agenda 21 is the declaration signed by world leaders in 1992 at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), which took place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
It aims at achieving global sustainable development.

The two principles are:

To combat environmental damage, poverty, and disease through global cooperation on common interests, mutual needs, and shared responsibilities.
Every local government should draw its own local Agenda 21.

Resource Planning

Need for resource planning

Resource planning is a widely accepted strategy for the judicious use of resources.
Resources in India are not evenly distributed. Some parts of the country are rich in one resource but deficient in other important resources. For example – Rajasthan is rich in solar and wind energy but lacks water resources. Jharkhand is rich in minerals and coal deposits but lacks industrialization.
Most of the resources present in our environment are limited. Therefore, if these resources are not preserved or not used rationally we will be in great trouble.
To reduce regional disparity.
To save for future generations and to avoid wastage or overutilization of resources.

Three stages of resource planning

Identification and inventory of resources across the regions of the country. This involves surveying, mapping, and qualitative and quantitative estimation and measurement of the resources.
Evolving a planning structure endowed with appropriate technology, skill, and institutional setup for implementing resource development plans.
Matching the resource development plans with overall national development plans.

Land Resources

India has land under a variety of relief features, namely; mountains, plateaus, plains, and islands.

About 43% of the land area is plain, which provides facilities for agriculture and industry.
Mountains account for 30% of the total surface area of the country and ensure the perennial flow of some rivers, providing facilities for tourism and ecological aspects.
About 27% of the area of the country is the plateau region. It possesses rich reserves of minerals, fossil fuels, and forests.

Land Utilization

Land resources are used for the following purposes:

Forests
Land not available for cultivation

· Barren and wasteland

· Land put to non-agricultural uses, e.g. buildings, roads, factories, etc.

Other uncultivated lands (excluding fallow land)

· Permanent pastures and grazing land

· Land under miscellaneous tree crops groves (not included in the net sown area)

· Culturable wasteland (left uncultivated for more than 5 agricultural years)

Fallow lands

· Current fallow (left without cultivation for one or less than one agricultural year)

· Other than the current fallow (left uncultivated for the past 1 to 5 agricultural years)

Net Sown Area

· the physical extent of land on which crops are sown harvested is known as the net sown area.

Gross cropped area

· Area sown more than once in an agricultural year plus the net sown area is known as gross cropped area.

Land Use Pattern in India

Land use data is available only for 93% of the total geographical area because

the land use reporting for most of the northeast states except Assam has not been done fully.
Moreover, some areas of Jammu and Kashmir occupied by Pakistan and China have also not been surveyed.

33% of the geographical area should be under forest as mentioned in the National Forest Policy of 1952 because:

it is essential for maintaining ecological balance.
It provides a livelihood to millions of people who live on the fringes of these forests and depend upon it.

Land Degradation and Conservation Measures

Mining: In states like Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, and Odisha deforestation due to mining has caused severe land degradation.
Overgrazing: In states like Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Maharashtra overgrazing is one of the main reasons for land degradation.
Over-irrigation: In the states of Punjab, Haryana, and western Uttar Pradesh, over-irrigation is responsible for land degradation due to water logging leading to an increase in salinity and alkalinity in the soil.

Ways to Prevent Land Degradation:

Afforestation and proper management of grazing.
Planting of shelter belts of plants, control over grazing, and stabilization of sand dunes by growing thorny bushes are some of the methods to check land degradation in arid areas.
Proper management of waste lands, control of mining activities, and proper discharge and disposal of industrial effluents and wastes after treatment can reduce land and water degradation in industrial and suburban areas.

Soils

Factors on which soil formation depends:

Relief, parent rock or bedrock, climate, vegetation, and other forms of life and time are important factors in the formation of soil.
Various forces of nature such as changes in temperature, actions of running water, wind, and glaciers, activities of decomposers, etc. contribute to the formation of soil.
Chemical and organic changes which take place in the soil are equally important.

Classification of Soils

Alluvial Soils

Alluvial soil is found in the entire northern plain. It is the most widely spread soil in India.

The main features of alluvial soil are:

It is formed by the sediments deposited by river water.
It consists of various proportions of sand, silt, and clay.
It is very fertile. It contains an adequate proportion of potash, phosphoric acid, and lime.
It is ideal for the growth of sugarcane, paddy, wheat, and other cereals.
Due to its high fertility, regions of alluvial soils are intensively cultivated and densely populated.

On the basis of age, alluvial soils can be classified into: Khadar and Bangar.

Khadar	Bangar
It is a new alluvial soil.	It is an old alluvial soil.
Lower concentration of kankar nodules.	Higher concentration of kankar nodules.
It has more fine particles.	It has less fine particles.
It is more fertile.	It is less fertile.

Black Soil

The following are the characteristics of regur soil (also known as black soil):

It is made up of extremely fine clayey material. They are well-known for their capacity to hold moisture.
It is rich in soil nutrients such as calcium carbonate, magnesium, potash, and lime.
These soils are generally poor in phosphoric contents.
They develop deep cracks during hot weather, which helps in the proper aeration of the soil.
It is ideal for growing cotton, so it is also known as ‘black cotton soil’.

Red and Yellow Soil

Red soil develops on crystalline igneous rocks in areas of low rainfall in the eastern and southern parts of the Deccan plateau.
Yellow and red soils are also found in parts of Odisha, Chhattisgarh, southern parts of the middle Ganga plain, and along the piedmont zone of the Western Ghats.
These soils develop a reddish color due to the diffusion of iron in crystalline and metamorphic rocks.
It looks yellow when it occurs in a hydrated form.

Laterite Soil

The laterite soil develops under tropical and subtropical climates with alternate wet and dry seasons.
This soil is the result of intense leaching due to heavy rain.
Lateritic soils are mostly deep to very deep, acidic (pH<6.0), and generally deficient in plant nutrients
Occurs mostly in southern states, the Western Ghats region of Maharashtra, Odisha, some parts of West Bengal, and the North-east regions.

Arid Soils

Arid soils range from red to brown in color.
They are generally sandy in texture and saline in nature.
In some areas, the salt content is very high, and common salt is obtained by evaporating the water.
Due to the dry climate, and high temperature, evaporation is faster and the soil lacks humus and moisture.

Forest Soils

They are loamy and silty on valley sides and coarse-grained on the upper slopes.
In the snow-covered areas of the Himalayas, these soils experience denudation and are acidic with low humus content.
The soils found in the lower parts of the valleys, particularly on the river terraces and alluvial fans are fertile.

Soil Erosion and Soil Conservation

Soil erosion is the displacement of the upper layer of soil, caused by various agents such as water, wind, and human activities. This can lead to loss of fertile land, reduced crop yields, and increased risk of landslides and flooding.

Types of soil erosion:

Gullies: The running water cuts through the clayey soil and makes deep channels/gullies. The unfit land caused by gullies is called bad land or ravines (bad land called ravine in the Chambal basin).
Sheet erosion: Water flows as a sheet over large areas down a slope. The topsoil is washed away. This process is known as sheet erosion.

Causes of soil erosion:

Human activities like deforestation, over-grazing, construction, mining, etc. are responsible for soil erosion.
Natural forces like wind, glaciers, and water also lead to soil erosion. Running water cuts through the clayey soil and makes deep channels known as gullies, which makes the land unfit for cultivation. The wind blows loose soil off flat or sloping land known as wind erosion.
Soil erosion is also caused due to defective methods of farming. Ploughing in the wrong way i.e., up and down the slope forms channels for the quick flow of water leading to soil erosion.

Measures to prevent soil erosion:

Contour ploughing: Ploughing along the contour lines can decrease the speed of water flow down the slopes and soil erosion can be prevented.
Terrace cultivation: Step or terrace cultivation on slopes restricts erosion. Western and Central Himalayas have well-developed terrace farming.
Strip cropping: Large fields can be divided into strips and strips of grass are left to grow between the crops. This breaks up the force of the wind and prevents soil erosion.
Shelter belts: Rows of trees called shelter belts have led to the stabilization of sand dunes in the desert in western India.

CBSE BOARD EXAM PREVIOUS YEAR QUESTIONS

1 Mark Questions

Who designed the Swaraj Flag?
→ Mahatma Gandhi.
What is the significance of the year 1930 in Indian nationalism?
→ Civil Disobedience Movement was launched with the Salt March.
Who were the leaders of the Khilafat Movement?
→ Muhammad Ali and Shaukat Ali.
What is the meaning of ‘Satyagraha’?
→ Non-violent insistence on truth and justice.
When was the Rowlatt Act passed?
→ 1919.
What happened on 13 April 1919?
→ Jallianwala Bagh massacre took place in Amritsar.

✅ 2 Marks Questions

Mention two effects of the First World War on India.
→ Price rise and forced recruitment of soldiers.
State any two features of the Rowlatt Act.
→ No trial for political prisoners; detention without cause.
Why did Gandhiji withdraw the Non-Cooperation Movement?
→ Due to the violent incident at Chauri Chaura in 1922.
Name any two social groups who participated in the Civil Disobedience Movement. Why?
→ Rich peasants (wanted revenue reduction), women (symbolic nationalism).
Why did the Khilafat Movement gain support in India?
→ Muslims wanted to protest against British insults to Caliphate; Hindus joined for unity.

✅ 3 Marks Questions

How did the Salt March become an effective symbol of resistance against colonialism?
→ Mass participation, broke unjust salt law, inspired nationwide civil disobedience.
Why did the Non-Cooperation Movement slow down in cities?
→ Lack of alternative institutions, expensive khadi, and boycotts lost momentum.
What was the significance of the Lahore Congress of 1929?
→ Resolution of ‘Purna Swaraj’ passed; 26 January declared Independence Day.
Why did rich peasants and business classes support the Civil Disobedience Movement?
→ Wanted to reduce taxes and protect indigenous industries from British control.
What were the effects of the Jallianwala Bagh incident on Indians?
→ Shock, anger, and strengthened anti-British feelings across the nation.

✅ 5 Marks Questions

Explain the economic, political, and social impact of the First World War on India.
→ Heavy war expenditure, taxes and prices rose, forced recruitment, crop failures, and influenza epidemic created national discontent.
Describe the main features of the Civil Disobedience Movement.
→ Launch with Salt March, breaking of salt law, boycotts, refusal to pay taxes, foreign cloth picketing, mass involvement.
How did different social groups participate in the Civil Disobedience Movement?
→
- Rich peasants: protested against high revenue.
- Poor peasants: wanted rent relief.
- Businessmen: opposed colonial restrictions.
- Women: participated in picketing and marches.
How did cultural processes help in creating a sense of collective belonging in India?
→
- Symbols like Bharat Mata.
- National songs like Vande Mataram.
- Reinterpretation of Indian history.
- Promotion of folklore, festivals, and common heritage.
Why did Gandhiji launch the Salt March? How did it become a mass movement?
→
- To protest British monopoly on salt.
- Thousands joined, broke salt laws, picketed shops, showed united defiance across regions and classes.

NCERT QUESTIONS ANSWERS:

Q1. What do you mean by ‘Satyagraha’?
Ans:
Satyagraha is a non-violent method of protest introduced by Mahatma Gandhi. It means the "insistence on truth." It aims to bring change through moral force rather than physical force.

🔸 Page 34

Q2. Why did Gandhiji decide to launch a nationwide Satyagraha against the Rowlatt Act (1919)?
Ans:
The Rowlatt Act allowed the British to arrest Indians without trial. Gandhiji saw it as unjust and a denial of civil rights. He called for a peaceful protest against it through Satyagraha.

🔸 Page 36

Q3. Why did the Non-Cooperation Movement gradually slow down in the cities?
Ans:

Khadi was expensive.
Alternative Indian institutions were limited.
Students and teachers returned to government schools.
Lawyers resumed practice in British courts.

🔸 Page 40

Q4. How did different social groups participate in the Civil Disobedience Movement?
Ans:

Rich peasants: protested against high land revenue.
Poor peasants: wanted reduction of rent and unpaid debts.
Industrialists: supported to reduce colonial trade barriers.
Workers: were inspired but not fully involved.
Women: participated in marches and picketing.

🔸 Page 41

Q5. Why did Gandhiji relaunch the Civil Disobedience Movement in 1932?
Ans:

The Gandhi-Irwin Pact failed.
British continued repression.
Gandhiji resumed the movement to continue the struggle for freedom.

🔸 Page 43

Q6. What do you understand by the term ‘sense of collective belonging’?
Ans:
It refers to the feeling of being part of one nation. It was created through common symbols (flag, songs), history, folklore, and cultural identity.

🟢 NCERT Exercise Questions & Solutions

🔸 1. Explain:

(a) Why growth of nationalism in the colonies is linked to an anti-colonial movement.
Ans:
Colonial rule exploited native people economically and politically. Shared experiences of oppression led to unity and the birth of nationalist movements aimed at independence.

(b) How the First World War helped in the growth of the National Movement in India.
Ans:

Economic hardship due to war loans.
Forced recruitment and price rise.
Led to political awareness and unity.
Prepared ground for mass movements.

(c) Why Indians were outraged by the Rowlatt Act.
Ans:

No trial for arrested people.
Restricted civil rights.
Seen as unjust and repressive.

(d) Why Gandhiji decided to withdraw the Non-Cooperation Movement.
Ans:
After the Chauri Chaura incident (1922) where police were killed in violence, Gandhi felt the movement was turning violent and withdrew it.

🔸 2. What is meant by the idea of satyagraha?

Ans:
Satyagraha is a non-violent resistance based on truth and justice. It was used by Gandhiji to oppose unjust laws and policies of the British.

🔸 3. Write a newspaper report on:

(a) Jallianwala Bagh massacre
Model Answer:
On 13 April 1919, General Dyer ordered open fire on a peaceful gathering in Amritsar’s Jallianwala Bagh. Over 1000 people were killed. It led to nationwide outrage and increased support for the national movement.

(b) Simon Commission
Model Answer:
In 1928, the British government sent the Simon Commission to India without any Indian members. It was boycotted across India with slogans of “Simon Go Back.” Lala Lajpat Rai was injured in a protest and later died.

🔸 4. Compare Non-Cooperation and Civil Disobedience Movements.

Feature	Non-Cooperation Movement (1920)	Civil Disobedience Movement (1930)
Objective	Swaraj through non-cooperation	Complete independence via defiance
Methods	Boycotts of institutions and goods	Breaking laws (e.g., Salt Law)
Participation	Urban middle class, peasants	Peasants, women, industrialists
Outcome	Withdrawn after Chauri Chaura	Repressed, later revived by Gandhi

🔸 5. Why were different social groups attracted to the Civil Disobedience Movement?

Ans:

Peasants wanted tax reduction.
Businessmen sought protection from British economic policies.
Women saw it as a national duty.
All were united in desire for freedom.

🔸 6. Why did the Muslim political organizations not fully participate in the Civil Disobedience Movement?

Ans:

Growing communal divide post-1920s.
Failure of Khilafat Movement.
Disagreements over political representation.
Feeling of underrepresentation in Congress.

🔸 7. Describe the role of folklore, songs, symbols in shaping nationalism.

Ans:

Folklore revived Indian heritage.
Songs like “Vande Mataram” created unity.
Symbols like Bharat Mata and the tricolor flag united people across regions.

🔸 8. List all the features of the Salt March.

Ans:

Started on 12 March 1930 from Sabarmati to Dandi.
240-mile journey by Gandhi and followers.
Protested British monopoly on salt.
Inspired nationwide Civil Disobedience.

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