India: Human Resources ICSE Class 8 - Population, Skills and Development

What India: Human Resources is about

Weightage: CISCE publishes no question paper, marking scheme or chapter weightage for Class VIII Geography: your school sets and marks the exam. India: Human Resources sits in the India: Human Resources theme of the CISCE Curriculum for Upper Primary Classes (VI-VIII).Source: CISCE Curriculum for Upper Primary Classes (VI-VIII), RDCD 2016

Key concepts

Meaning of human resources

Human resources are the people of a country considered as a resource: their number, health, knowledge, skills, abilities and attitudes that make them capable of producing goods and services.

• People are both producers and consumers.
• A large population becomes an asset (human capital) only when it is healthy, educated and skilled; otherwise it can become a burden on resources.
• Human resource development (HRD) means improving the quality of people through education, health care, training and nutrition, so that they become more productive.

Why people are called a resource:
1. They use natural resources and turn them into useful goods (for example, iron ore into steel).
2. They create new resources and technologies through knowledge and innovation.
3. They provide services: teaching, healing, building, managing.
Example: Japan has few natural resources but became a developed country largely by investing in its people.

Worked example

(2 marks) What is meant by human resources? Why are people considered a resource?

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

1. Human resources: the people of a country with their skills, knowledge and health, capable of producing goods and services - 1 mark.
2. People use natural resources, create technology and provide services, so they are a resource - 1 mark.

Answer: Human resources are a country's people, together with their health, knowledge and skills, which enable them to produce goods and services. People are considered a resource because they use and develop natural resources, create new technology and provide services.

Distribution of population in India

According to the 2011 Census, India had about 121 crore people, with an average density of 382 persons per sq km.
Geographical distribution: very uneven.

• Densely populated: the Northern Plains (fertile alluvial soil, water, flat land), especially Bihar, West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh; coastal plains such as Kerala; and large urban regions.
• Sparsely populated: the high Himalaya (cold, rugged), the Thar Desert (dry), dense forests and hilly areas of the north-east (for example Arunachal Pradesh) and parts of the Peninsular Plateau with poor soils.
• Most populous state: Uttar Pradesh. Highest density among states: Bihar. Lowest density: Arunachal Pradesh.

Rural-urban distribution (2011): about 69 per cent rural and 31 per cent urban. Most people still live in villages, but the urban share is rising due to migration and the growth of towns.

Sex ratio (females per 1,000 males):

• India: 943 (2011).
• Highest among states: Kerala (above 1,000); lowest among states: Haryana.
• Causes of a low sex ratio: preference for sons, neglect of girls' health and nutrition, and sex-selective practices, which are illegal. Male out-migration can raise the sex ratio in villages they leave.

Worked example

(3 marks) Explain the uneven distribution of population in India with one densely and one sparsely populated region.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

1. Distribution depends on relief, climate, soil, water and economic opportunities - 1 mark.
2. Dense: Northern Plains (e.g. Bihar, UP, West Bengal) with fertile soil and water - 1 mark.
3. Sparse: Himalaya / Thar Desert / Arunachal Pradesh due to cold, dryness or rugged relief - 1 mark.

Answer: India's population is uneven because relief, climate, soil and jobs vary. The Northern Plains, including Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, are densely populated because of fertile alluvial soil, water and flat land, while the Thar Desert and the high Himalaya are sparsely populated because of dryness, cold and rugged terrain.

Role of health and education

Health:

• Healthy people can work longer and better, earn more and miss fewer days of work or school.
• Good health care lowers death rates, especially infant mortality, and raises life expectancy.
• Measures: hospitals and primary health centres, vaccination, clean water and sanitation, nutrition programmes (such as mid-day meals in schools).

Education:

• Educated people can learn new skills, use technology and take up better-paid jobs.
• Education spreads awareness of health, hygiene and rights; educated mothers tend to have healthier children and smaller families.
• It promotes innovation, entrepreneurship and active citizenship.
• India's literacy rate was about 74 per cent in 2011 (about 82 per cent for males and 65 per cent for females), showing a gender gap that schemes for girls' education aim to close. The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009 makes education a right for children aged 6 to 14.

Together, health and education turn a large population into productive human capital.

Worked example

(3 marks) Explain how health and education help in developing human resources.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

1. Health: healthy people are more productive and live longer - 1 mark.
2. Education: gives knowledge and skills for better jobs and use of technology - 1 mark.
3. Together they raise income, reduce poverty and improve quality of life - 1 mark.

Answer: Good health allows people to work efficiently and live longer, while education gives them knowledge and skills to take up better jobs and use technology. Together they increase productivity and incomes and improve the quality of life, turning people into valuable human resources.

Skilled and unskilled human resources

Skilled human resources: people who have special knowledge, training or expertise to do a particular job, gained through education, training or experience.

• Examples: doctors, nurses, engineers, scientists, teachers, software developers, electricians, plumbers, mechanics and pilots.
• Semi-skilled workers have some training, such as machine operators or drivers.

Unskilled human resources: people who do work that needs little or no formal training or special skill, mainly using physical labour.

• Examples: construction labourers, head-load carriers, farm labourers, cleaners and helpers.

Differences:

• Training: skilled workers need education or training; unskilled workers do not.
• Wages: skilled workers usually earn more.
• Productivity: skilled workers can use advanced tools and technology.

Unskilled workers can become skilled through vocational training, apprenticeships and skill development programmes such as those under the national Skill India mission.

Worked example

(2 marks) Distinguish between skilled and unskilled human resources with two examples of each.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

1. Skilled: people with special training or expertise, e.g. doctors, electricians - 1 mark.
2. Unskilled: work requiring little training, mainly physical labour, e.g. construction labourers, head-load carriers - 1 mark.

Answer: Skilled human resources are people with special training or expertise, such as doctors and electricians. Unskilled human resources do work needing little or no training, mainly physical labour, such as construction labourers and head-load carriers.

Impact of skilled human resources on India's development

Skilled people raise productivity, attract investment and create new industries. Examples from India:
1. Information technology: skilled engineers and programmers made cities such as Bengaluru and Hyderabad major centres of software and IT services, earning large export income and creating millions of jobs.
2. Space and science: ISRO's scientists and engineers have built satellites and missions at relatively low cost; Chandrayaan-3 landed near the Moon's south polar region in August 2023.
3. Health care: skilled doctors and nurses have made Indian hospitals attractive for medical treatment, and Indian pharmaceutical companies supply affordable medicines and vaccines to many countries.
4. Kerala: high literacy and good health indicators are often linked with its high life expectancy and low infant mortality, showing how investment in people improves quality of life.
5. Agriculture: trained scientists developed high-yielding seeds during the Green Revolution, raising food production.

Socio-economic effects: higher incomes and living standards; reduced poverty; growth of industries and services; better health and education for the next generation; India's image as a knowledge economy.

Worked example

(4 marks) Explain with two examples how skilled human resources have contributed to India's socio-economic development.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

1. Skilled people increase productivity and attract investment - 1 mark.
2. Example 1: IT sector in Bengaluru and Hyderabad - export earnings and jobs - 1 mark.
3. Example 2: ISRO's space missions / pharmaceuticals / Kerala's health and literacy - 1 mark.
4. Result: higher incomes, less poverty, better living standards - 1 mark.

Answer: Skilled people raise productivity and attract investment. Software engineers have made Bengaluru and Hyderabad global IT centres, earning export income and creating jobs, and ISRO's scientists have achieved low-cost missions such as Chandrayaan-3. Such achievements raise incomes, reduce poverty and improve living standards across society.

Factors responsible for the development of an area

1. Natural resources: fertile soil, water, minerals and forests (for example, the mineral-rich Chota Nagpur Plateau).
2. Human resources: a healthy, educated and skilled population.
3. Infrastructure: roads, railways, ports, electricity, internet, water supply.
4. Capital and investment: money for industries, farms and services.
5. Technology: modern machines, methods and research.
6. Government policies: education, health, industrial and agricultural policies; good governance and law and order.
7. Location and accessibility: nearness to ports, cities and markets (coastal cities like Mumbai and Chennai grew as trade centres).
8. Social factors: peace, stability and an enterprising culture.
An area with natural resources but without skilled people and infrastructure may remain underdeveloped, while an area with few resources can prosper through skilled people and good infrastructure.

Worked example

(3 marks) State three factors responsible for the development of an area.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

1. Skilled and healthy human resources - 1 mark.
2. Infrastructure: transport, power, communication - 1 mark.
3. Natural resources / capital / technology / government policy / location - 1 mark.

Answer: An area develops when it has (1) a healthy and skilled population, (2) good infrastructure such as transport, electricity and internet, and (3) natural resources along with capital, technology and supportive government policies.

India: Human Resources in real life

Each concept, met in an everyday situation. Read the situation, answer the question in your own words, then compare with the model answer. The one-line hook is what to remember.

Topics in this chapter

• Health, Education, Skilled Workers and Development of an Area
• Human Resources: Meaning, Population Distribution and Sex Ratio in India

India: Human Resources: key facts

Literacy rate

$Literacyrate=literatesaged7andabove/populationaged7andabovex100$

India about 74% (2011).

Sex ratio

$Sexratio=females/malesx1,000$

India 943 (2011).

Density

$Density=population/area$

India 382 per sq km (2011).

Infant mortality rate

$IMR=infantdeaths(under1year)/livebirthsx1,000$

Census 2011 summary

About 121 crore people; about 69% rural, 31% urban; literacy about 74% (male 82%, female 65%)

India: Human Resources: map work

The places on the official CISCE map list for this chapter. Find each one on an outline map of India and practise marking it.

How the school exam asks India: Human Resources

The question patterns to expect, and the method that works for each.

Tricks to remember India: Human Resources

Short memory aids. Say each one aloud once, then use it on a question the same day.

• H-E-S makes human capital

  Health + Education + Skills = Human capital.

  Use it when: Meaning of human resource development.

• Census 2011 numbers

  '121-382-943-74': crore people, density, sex ratio, literacy per cent.

  Use it when: Key Census figures.

• Development factors: N-H-I-C-T-G-L

  'Nice Houses In Cities Take Good Locations': Natural resources, Human resources, Infrastructure, Capital, Technology, Government, Location.

  Use it when: Factors for development of an area.

India: Human Resources: exam-level solved questions

Ordered from exam level to HOTS. Cover the solution, write your own, then compare step by step.

Case-study practice (Section B style)

Read the situation, then answer every part. In a school exam set on the board pattern this is a 7-mark question split into 2 + 2 + 3 marks.

Where the marks are

How a typical answer is split into step marks. Show every step: a right final answer alone rarely earns full marks.

Where students lose marks in India: Human Resources

The slips examiners see most often, and what to write instead.

• ✗Mistake: Calculating literacy using the whole population

  Forgetting the age rule.

  ✓Do this: In India, literacy is calculated for people aged 7 and above.

  Usually costs: 1 mark.

• ✗Mistake: Writing long answers on health and education

  The topic seems important.

  ✓Do this: The curriculum asks for these to be done briefly: two or three clear points each.

  Usually costs: Time.

• ✗Mistake: Giving examples of skilled work for unskilled workers

  Confusing drivers or electricians with labourers.

  ✓Do this: If a job needs training or a licence, it is skilled or semi-skilled.

  Usually costs: 1 mark.

• ✗Mistake: Quoting Census figures without the year

  Figures change.

  ✓Do this: Always write '2011 Census' or the year of the data.

  Usually costs: Half a mark.

Practice questions on India: Human Resources

Write each answer on paper first. Open the hint only if you are stuck, and the answer only when you have finished.

1. Q1 · 1 mark · MCQExam level

   Which of the following is an example of a skilled worker?
   (a) Head-load carrier
   (b) Construction labourer
   (c) Electrician
   (d) Farm helper

   Hint

   Needs training.

   Answer

   (c) Electrician.

2. Q2 · 1 mark · MCQHarder exam level

   According to the 2011 Census, the population density of India was:
   (a) 243 persons per sq km
   (b) 324 persons per sq km
   (c) 382 persons per sq km
   (d) 943 persons per sq km

   Hint

   943 is the sex ratio.

   Answer

   (c) 382 persons per sq km.

3. Q3 · 1 mark · Very short answerExam level

   Which state had the highest population density in 2011?

   Hint

   In the Ganga plains.

   Answer

   Bihar.

4. Q4 · 2 marks · Very short answerExam level

   What is human resource development?

   Hint

   Improving quality.

   Answer

   Improving the quality of a population through education, health care, nutrition and training so that people become more productive.

5. Q5 · 2 marks · Very short answerHarder exam level

   A state has 10 crore people and an area of 94,000 sq km. Find its population density (to the nearest whole number).

   Hint

   Population / area.

   Answer

   10,00,00,000 / 94,000 = about 1,064 persons per sq km.

6. Q6 · 2 marks · Very short answerHarder exam level

   Why does Kerala have good human development indicators?

   Hint

   Education and health.

   Answer

   It has long invested in education and public health, giving it high literacy, high life expectancy and low infant mortality.

7. Q7 · 2 marks · Very short answerExam level

   Give two reasons why health is important for human resource development.

   Hint

   Work and life.

   Answer

   Healthy people can work efficiently and miss fewer days of work or school, and good health increases life expectancy, so people contribute for longer.

8. Q8 · 3 marks · Short answerHarder exam level

   Explain how ISRO shows the impact of skilled human resources on India's development.

   Hint

   Satellites and missions.

   Answer

   ISRO's scientists and engineers design and launch satellites used for weather forecasting, communication, disaster warning and resource mapping, which help farmers, fishermen and planners. Low-cost missions such as Chandrayaan-3 (2023) have brought international recognition and encouraged science education and industry.

9. Q9 · 3 marks · Short answerHOTS / competency

   State three factors responsible for the development of Bengaluru as an IT centre.

   Hint

   People, institutions, policy.

   Answer

   A large pool of skilled engineers from its many colleges and research institutions; government policies and technology parks that attracted IT companies; and good communication infrastructure and investment, along with a pleasant climate that attracted professionals.

10. Q10 · 4 marks · Long answerHOTS / competency

    Suppose a country has a large, young population but low literacy and poor health. Is this a 'demographic dividend' or a burden? Explain what it must do.

    Hint

    Young people are an opportunity only if...

    Answer

    A large young population is a potential dividend because many people are of working age, but with low literacy and poor health it can become a burden through unemployment and poverty. To gain the dividend, the country must invest in schooling and vocational skills, improve health care and nutrition, and create jobs so that young people become productive human resources.

11. Q11 · 1 mark · Very short answerExam level

    What is the literacy rate of a town where 72,000 of 90,000 people aged 7 and above are literate?

    Hint

    x 100.

    Answer

    72,000/90,000 x 100 = 80 per cent.

Test your recall

Answer in your head or on paper first, then open the card. Pulling an answer out of memory makes it stick far better than re-reading.

1. 1.What was India's population in 2011?Show answer

   About 121 crore.

2. 2.What was India's literacy rate in 2011?Show answer

   About 74 per cent.

3. 3.Which state had the lowest sex ratio among states in 2011?Show answer

   Haryana.

4. 4.Which state had the lowest population density?Show answer

   Arunachal Pradesh.

5. 5.Which Act made education a right for children aged 6 to 14?Show answer

   The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009.

6. 6.Give an example of unskilled work.Show answer

   Construction labour (or head-load carrying).

Quick revision checklist

The night before the exam: can you do each of these without looking?

• ☐Human resources: people with health, knowledge and skills who produce goods and services; HRD = education, health, training, nutrition.
• ☐India 2011: about 121 crore; density 382; about 69% rural, 31% urban; sex ratio 943 (Kerala highest, Haryana lowest among states); literacy about 74% (male 82%, female 65%).
• ☐Dense: Northern Plains (Bihar highest density, UP most populous), Kerala; sparse: Himalaya, Thar, Arunachal Pradesh (lowest density).
• ☐Health: productivity, life expectancy; education: skills, awareness, innovation; RTE Act 2009.
• ☐Skilled: doctors, engineers, electricians; unskilled: labourers, head-load carriers; Skill India for training.
• ☐Impact: IT (Bengaluru, Hyderabad), ISRO (Chandrayaan-3, 2023), pharmaceuticals, Kerala's indicators, Green Revolution. Development factors: natural resources, people, infrastructure, capital, technology, policy, location.

India: Human Resources: frequently asked questions