Page 36 - Understanding Economics for Class 10

Example: let’s take the case of Lakshmi with her two hectare plot of unirrigated land.
 If she gets loan from a bank or through government, she can construct a well for her
family to irrigate the land. With this she can grow one more crop, wheat during the
rabi season.
Goyal Brothers Prakashan
 If one hectare of wheat can provide employment to two people for 50 days (sowing,
harvesting etc.), more employment is created for 2 members of her family on her
own land.
 If a new dam is constructed or canal is built, many such farms could be irrigated.
This could create lot of employment within the agriculture sector itself.
 Because of the increasing ability to produce more it needs to be sold in the market.
For this, facilities like transport, storage, roads will be required. If government invest
some money in these areas, more employment opportunities can be created not only
in agriculture but in these areas as well.
 To cultivate land, farmers also need agricultural inputs like seeds, fertilizers, pump
sets. They need to have funds for that. Here the local bank plays the important role,
since they can provide loans at reasonable rate of interest. Cheap agricultural credit
is required to improve farming.
 Another way is to identify, promote and locate industries and services in semi-rural areas
where a large number of people can be employed.
Example:
 If farmers decide to grow arhar and chickpea, setting up of Dal mill to procure and
process these and selling in the cities will help in creating employment opportunities.
 Cold storage will give the farmers the facility to store their products like potatoes
and onions and sell them when the price is good.
 Honey collection centers can also be set up near forest areas where wild honey can
be sold.
 Setting up of industries that process vegetables and agricultural produce like potato,
sweet potato, rice, wheat, tomato, fruits, which can be sold in outside markets. In
this way employment can be created in industries located in semi-rural areas.

intext question (Page No. 28)
1. What group of people do you think are unemployed or underemployed in your area? Can
you think of some measures that could be taken up for them?
Ans. Some of the people who are underemployed around us are:
(i) Car washer- He cleans and washes car in the morning and could earn around `3000
per month. He is free for the rest of the day. So he is underemployed. He is working
less than his potential. If he is provided with some job opportunities in the day time
like working in factory etc. he would be able to earn more.
(ii) Person who is engaged in ironing clothes. He also works till 12 in the afternoon.
He can also work at shops, departmental store as a salesman. He can also buy auto
rickshaw or battery rickshaw if he gets cheap credit from the government and use it
to earn money.
(iii) Others are cobblers, vegetable vendors etc.
Creating employment opportunities in Education and Health Sector.
 In India out of the 60% of the population who are under the age group 5 to 29
years, only 51% are attending educational institutions. Those aged less than 18 years
are mainly at home or working as a child labour. If these children start attending

E-30 Economics Class X