Question : 'Oil has placed in the hands of Arab nations a tremendous geopolitical weapon with which to wield power'. Comment.
(1994)
Answer : No other commodity of the present day has so close relation with the eco-political affairs of the world than petroleum and its different by-products. Conquest or control of oil - rich regions has been a major objective in the battles of Post-world War era, many of which were closely associated with the Arab nations.
The rapidly expanding production of petroleum and its overgrowing importance in the sphere of industrial world can simply be attributed to a ....
Question : Measures of agricultural efficiency.
(1993)
Answer : Agricultural efficiency can be defined as the ratio of output to the inputs into agricultural activities. These inputs may include the amount of manpower, or number of man-hours spent) and the cost of investment in terms of irrigation, fertilizers, seeds, pesticides, machines etc. Agricultural efficiency is reflected in productivity which is measured either in terms of yield per hectare of land or yield per person employed.
Agricultural efficiency is a function of the combined interplay of ....
Question : Give an account of the agricultural typology of the world presented by Whittlesey and critically examine the parameters used in its delineation.
(1993)
Answer : Agricultural typology of the world presented by D.Whittlesey was based on the functioning forms of agriculture. The regional pattern in any classification of agriculture are basically determined by the interaction between two sets of variables i.e. the physical and non-physical. Hence, following combinations should be considered in this regard:
(1) The combination of natural environment which includes elements like soil, climate, terain, water, etc.
(2) Non-physical factors which includes those which humans use to exploit natural ....
Question : Write down main agricultural types and their associated features with special reference to Whittlesey. Show these regions on the world map provided to you.
(2006)
Answer : The first scientific attempt for the demarcation of agricultural system was made by D. Whittlesey in his paper “Major Agricultural Regions of Earth” published in 1936.
Bases of Classification:
Whittlesey identified the following 13 types of agricultural system.
1. Nomadic Herding: This is practised in ....
Question : Examine the spatial patterns of development disparity prevailing in the world?
(2001)
Answer : In the distribution of natural resources, capital, technology, etc. a large scale disparity prevails all over the world. Consequently, an imblanced economic development has been visualised world over. The world has been divided into two camps. In one side, there are few developed nations, who have made a large scale progress in the social and economic fields. On the other hand, there are a large number of developing and underdeveloped countries who are very backward ....
Question : How far do the patterns of economic development and those of human development correspond with each other in the world? Illustrate your answer with examples.
(1999)
Answer : The ultimate aim of development is the well-being of each and every individual. Apart from economic development human development also becomes sine qua non for achieving this ultimate objective. Development as a whole is more than the purely economic and physical. The achievement of development must be seen in terms of:
Question : Explain the term resource management. Discuss its relevance in the context of global resource scarcity and the future of mankind.
(1998)
Answer : A resource is something material or abstract that can be used to satisfy some human want or deficiency, i.e., by definition the existenceof a resource depends on its value to humans. Resources are therefore a cultural concept, and those things considered to be resources by one society may not be considered so by others who lack the knowledge or desire to use them.
On the basis of rate of replenishment, resources are usually subdivided into Non-renewable ....
Question : Examine the impact of advanced agricultural technology on the environment. Support your answer with examples.
(1998)
Answer : Middle of the 19th century was the watershed in the development of agricultural technology. Invention of engine had a revolutionary impact on agriculture which led to marked improvement in the agricultural techniques. Now advanced agricultural technology is employed especially in the western countries where complete mechanisation of agriculture has taken place.
Such advanced agricultural technology includes:
i)Efficient and adequate irrigation facilities.
ii)Chemical fertilizers
iii)Agricultural mechanisation such as tractors, harvesters etc.,
iv)High yielding variety of Seeds (HYV)
v)Insecticides and Pesticides
These advanced ....
Question : Globalisation of trade and industry.
(1997)
Answer : Globalisation means integrating the economy of the country with the world economy. Under this process, goods and services along with capital labour and resources can move freely from one nation to another. The thrust of globalisation has been to increase the domestic and external competition through extensive application of market mechanism and facilitating forging of dynamic relationship with the foreign investors and suppliers of technology. What is striking in the current episode of globalisation is ....
Question : Dryland farming.
(1995)
Answer : Farming done without the facility of irrigation in the regions of inadequate rainfall is called dryland farming. The characteristics of dry land farming are as follows:
(1) Dryland farming is practised in those regions where moisture deficiency occurs due to low amount of rainfall. Besides low rainfall, these regions face uncertainty of rainfall.
(2) Dryland farming is characterised by lack of assured irrigation. Hence it is also known as rainfed agriculture.
(3) Mainly subsistence farming is practised in ....
