Class 10 Social Science Chapter 9 Agriculture (Geography) PYQ

Class: X Subject: Social Science Session: 2025-26 Book: Geography Type: PYQ (Board Exam) Board: CBSE Chapter 4 : Agriculture

SECTION A : Multiple Choice Questions (1 Mark Each)

Q1. Which of the following is a Rabi crop? [CBSE 2023] [1]
(a) Rice
(b) Wheat
(c) Jowar
(d) Cotton Ans:
(b) Wheat. Rabi crops are sown in winter (October-December) and harvested in summer (April-June). Other Rabi crops: barley, peas, gram, mustard. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Q2. Which of the following is the largest producer of rice in India? [CBSE 2022] [1]
(a) Punjab
(b) West Bengal
(c) Uttar Pradesh
(d) Bihar Ans:
(b) West Bengal. It is the largest rice-producing state due to alluvial soil, high rainfall, and warm climate suitable for paddy cultivation. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Q3. Green Revolution was most successful in the production of: [CBSE 2024] [1]
(a) Pulses
(b) Wheat and rice
(c) Cotton
(d) Oilseeds Ans:
(b) Wheat and rice. The Green Revolution (1960s-70s) introduced high-yielding variety seeds, chemical fertilizers, and irrigation, dramatically increasing wheat and rice output. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Q4. Which crop is known as the "golden fibre"? [CBSE 2021] [1]
(a) Cotton
(b) Silk
(c) Jute
(d) Hemp Ans:
(c) Jute. Known as the golden fibre due to its golden colour and economic value. Mainly grown in West Bengal, Bihar, Assam. Used for making bags, mats, and textiles. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Q5. Slash and burn agriculture is known as: [CBSE 2020] [1]
(a) Intensive farming
(b) Jhum/shifting cultivation
(c) Plantation farming
(d) Commercial farming Ans:
(b) Jhum or shifting cultivation. Forests are cleared by burning, crops are grown for 2-3 years, then farmers move to new area. Practised in NE India. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Q6. Which of the following is a plantation crop? [CBSE 2023] [1]
(a) Wheat
(b) Rice
(c) Tea
(d) Bajra Ans:
(c) Tea. Plantation crops are grown on large estates for commercial purposes. Others: coffee, rubber, sugarcane, banana, coconut. Requires large capital and labour. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Q7. The main focus of food security was which programme? [CBSE 2024] [1]
(a) Green Revolution
(b) White Revolution
(c) Blue Revolution
(d) Yellow Revolution Ans:
(a) Green Revolution. Introduced in 1960s, it used HYV seeds, fertilizers, and irrigation to boost foodgrain production, making India self-sufficient in wheat and rice. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Q8. Rubber is mainly grown in: [CBSE 2022] [1]
(a) Assam
(b) Kerala
(c) West Bengal
(d) Punjab Ans:
(b) Kerala. Rubber requires tropical climate with heavy rainfall, warm temperature, and well-drained soil. Kerala produces over 90% of India's natural rubber. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Q9. Which revolution is associated with milk production? [CBSE 2021] [1]
(a) Green Revolution
(b) White Revolution
(c) Blue Revolution
(d) Golden Revolution Ans:
(b) White Revolution (Operation Flood). Led by Dr. Verghese Kurien through Amul cooperative, it made India the world's largest milk producer. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Q10. Assertion
(a) : Indian agriculture is over-dependent on monsoons. Reason (R): Most of India's farmland lacks irrigation facilities. [CBSE 2024] [1]
(a) Both true and (R) correctly explains
(a)
(b) Both true but (R) does not explain
(a)
(c)
(a) is true but (R) is false
(d)
(a) is false Ans:
(a) Both true and (R) correctly explains
(a) . Only about 50% of farmland is irrigated. The rest depends entirely on monsoon rainfall, making agriculture risky. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

SECTION B : Short Answer Questions (3 Marks Each)

Q11. Distinguish between Rabi and Kharif crops with examples. [CBSE 2023] [3] • Rabi: Sown in winter (Oct-Dec), harvested in summer (Apr-Jun). Need cool climate for growth and warm for ripening. E.g., wheat, barley, peas, mustard, gram. • Kharif: Sown at the start of monsoon (Jun-Jul), harvested in autumn (Sept-Oct). Need warm climate and abundant rainfall. E.g., rice, jowar, bajra, maize, cotton. • Zaid: Short season crops grown between Rabi and Kharif (March-June). E.g., watermelon, muskmelon, cucumber.

Grown using irrigation in summer months. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Q12. What is the importance of agriculture in the Indian economy? [CBSE 2024] [3] • Employment: Agriculture employs about 42% of India's workforce. It is the primary livelihood for rural India where over 65% of the population lives. • Food Security: India is self-sufficient in foodgrains due to Green Revolution. Agriculture feeds 1.4 billion people and provides raw materials for food processing industry. • GDP Contribution: Though its share in GDP has declined to about 14%, agriculture remains crucial for economic stability and has strong linkages with industry and services.

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Q13. Explain the geographical conditions required for growing tea and coffee. [CBSE 2022] [3] • Tea: Requires warm, moist climate with 150-300 cm rainfall. Well-drained slopes at high elevation. Cheap, skilled labour. Grown in Assam, Darjeeling, Nilgiris, Kerala. • Coffee: Requires warm, moist tropical climate with 150-250 cm rainfall. Grown on shaded hill slopes at 900-1800m altitude. Major areas: Karnataka (Coorg), Kerala, Tamil Nadu. • Common: Both are plantation crops requiring large capital investment, well-drained acidic soil, and intensive labour for plucking. India is a major exporter of both.

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Q14. What is food security? How has India tried to achieve it? [CBSE 2021] [3] • Meaning: Food security means availability, accessibility, and affordability of food for all people at all times. No one should go hungry. • Green Revolution: Introduction of HYV seeds, chemical fertilizers, pesticides, and irrigation in 1960s transformed India from a food-deficit to food-surplus nation. • Government Measures: Public Distribution System (PDS), Minimum Support Prices (MSP), Food Corporation of India (FCI), and schemes like MGNREGA ensure food security.

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Q15. What are the challenges facing Indian agriculture today? [CBSE 2020] [3] • Small Holdings: Average farm size is shrinking due to fragmentation. Small farms are uneconomical to cultivate with modern technology and expensive inputs. • Monsoon Dependence: Over 50% farmland is rainfed. Erratic monsoons cause droughts and floods, devastating crops and farmer incomes. • Debt Crisis: High input costs, low output prices, and dependence on moneylenders trap farmers in debt. Farmer suicides remain a tragic reality in many states.

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SECTION C : Long Answer Questions (5 Marks Each)

Q16. "Agriculture has been the backbone of the Indian economy." Discuss the importance and challenges. [CBSE 2024] [5] Ans: Agriculture's significance and challenges: • Employment: About 42% of workforce depends on agriculture. In rural India, it is the primary and often only source of livelihood for most families. • Food Security: India produces over 300 million tonnes of foodgrains annually. Green Revolution made India self-sufficient. We are among the world's top producers of rice, wheat, and milk.

• Industrial Linkage: Agriculture provides raw materials to industries - cotton to textiles, sugarcane to sugar, oilseeds to vegetable oil. Agro-industries create rural employment. • Challenge - Climate: Monsoon dependence, climate change, water scarcity, and soil degradation threaten food production. Farmers face uncertainty every season. • Challenge - Economic: Low prices, rising input costs, small landholdings, inadequate credit, and poor infrastructure keep farmers trapped in poverty despite hard work.

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Q17. Explain the impact of globalisation on Indian agriculture. [CBSE 2023] [5] Ans: Globalisation has had mixed effects on Indian agriculture: • Export Opportunities: Indian farmers can now sell rice, spices, tea, coffee, fruits, and vegetables in global markets, earning better prices. • Technology Transfer: Modern farming techniques, hybrid seeds, drip irrigation, and cold storage technology from developed countries have improved productivity. • Competition: Cheap imports of palm oil, pulses, and other commodities hurt domestic farmers who cannot compete with subsidised foreign products.

• Contract Farming: MNCs like PepsiCo, ITC enter agriculture through contract farming. This provides guaranteed prices but can also make farmers dependent on corporations. • Policy Need: Government must protect small farmers through MSP, trade barriers where needed, investment in infrastructure, and access to credit and technology. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Q18. Describe the different types of farming practised in India. [CBSE 2022] [5] Ans: India has diverse farming systems: • Subsistence Farming: Practised on small plots for family consumption. Uses traditional tools, family labour, and depends on monsoon. Common in most of India. • Intensive Subsistence: High use of labour per unit area. Small plots but very high output through multiple cropping. Common in rice-growing regions of eastern India. • Commercial Farming: Crops grown for sale. Uses modern inputs - HYV seeds, fertilizers, pesticides, machines. E.g., Punjab wheat, Maharashtra sugarcane, Gujarat cotton.

• Plantation: Large estates growing single crop (tea, coffee, rubber). Requires heavy capital, technical know-how, and large labour force. Products mainly for export. • Shifting Cultivation: Forests cleared, crops grown for 2-3 years, then abandoned. Known as Jhum in NE India. Declining due to forest conservation policies. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Q19. Explain the geographical conditions and main producing areas for rice and wheat in India. [CBSE 2021] [5] Ans: Rice and wheat are India's most important food crops: • Rice - Climate: Requires high temperature (above 25C), high humidity, and annual rainfall above 100 cm. Grows well in alluvial soil of floodplains. • Rice - Areas: Major areas: West Bengal, UP, Andhra Pradesh, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Bihar. Plains of north and east India and coastal regions are ideal. • Wheat - Climate: Requires cool growing season (10-15C) and warm harvesting season. Moderate rainfall (50-75 cm). Well-drained fertile loamy soil.

• Wheat - Areas: Indo-Gangetic plains: Punjab, Haryana, UP, MP, Rajasthan. Punjab-Haryana are the wheat bowl of India due to Green Revolution success. • Production: India is the world's 2nd largest producer of both rice and wheat. Together they provide food security for 1.4 billion people. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Q20. What was the Green Revolution? Discuss its impact on Indian agriculture. [CBSE 2020] [5] Ans: Green Revolution transformed Indian agriculture: • Introduction: Started in 1960s under M.S. Swaminathan. Introduced High Yielding Variety (HYV) seeds of wheat and rice with chemical fertilizers and pesticides. • Production Boost: Wheat production increased from 11 million tonnes (1960) to over 100 million tonnes. India became self-sufficient in foodgrains. • Regional Impact: Initially successful in Punjab, Haryana, and western UP. Later spread to other states. These states became India's "food bowl." • Negative Effects: Soil fertility declined due to chemical overuse. Groundwater depleted by tube wells. Biodiversity reduced as traditional varieties were abandoned.

• Social Impact: Benefited large farmers more than small and marginal farmers. Created regional inequality. Rich farmers prospered while many small farmers remained poor. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ --- End of Chapter 4 PYQ ---