NCERT Solutions Class 9 Social Science Economics Chapter 1 The Story of Village Palampur
The Class 9 Social Science Economics Chapter 1 The Story of Village Palampur helps students understand the basic concepts of production through a simple village example. The chapter explains how land, labor, capital, and organization work together to produce goods and services. It also describes farming practices, non-farming activities, and how resources are used in a rural economy.
These NCERT Solutions are based on the official NCERT textbook and simplify concepts for Class 9 students. They have simple explanations and help revise important points and prepare for the exams and helping understand how economic activities take place in the village of Palampur.
1.0Download NCERT Solutions Class 9 Social Science Economics Chapter 1 The Story of Village Palampur : Free PDF
Download the free PDF of the NCERT Solutions for Class 9 Social Science Economics Chapter 1 The Story of Village Palampur from the link below:
2.0Important Concepts Class 9 Social Science Economics Chapter 1 The Story of Village Palampur : Brief Explanation
Chapter 1 "The Story of Village Palampur" is an introductory chapter in Class 9 Economics that explains the basic principles of production through a fictional village called Palampur. It describes how resources are used, the role of different sectors, and the changes in farming methods over time.
- Overview of Palampur: Palampur is a small, well-connected village with basic infrastructure like roads, transport, electricity, schools, and healthcare facilities.
- Organisation of Production: The chapter explains that production needs four factors – land, labour, capital, and entrepreneurship. These resources must be combined for producing goods and services.
- Farming as the Main Activity: Most people in Palampur depend on agriculture, using land for crop production. The chapter introduces the concept of fixed land—the amount of land is limited.
- Methods to Increase Production: Higher yields are achieved through multiple cropping (growing more than one crop in a year) and modern farming methods (using HYV seeds, chemical fertilizers, and machinery).
- Non-Farming Activities: Apart from farming, some villagers engage in dairy, small-scale manufacturing, shopkeeping, and transport services.
- Distribution of Resources: The chapter highlights inequality in land ownership, where a few families own most of the land while others work as labourers.
- Economic Insights: Through Palampur’s example, students understand how production is organised, how technology impacts productivity, and how diversification of work supports the village economy.
3.0NCERT Class 9 Social Science Economics Chapter 1: Detailed Solutions
1. Every village in India is surveyed once in ten years during the census and some of the details are presented in the following format. Fill up the following based on information on Palampur.
(a) Location
(b) Total area of the village
(c) Land use (in hectares)
(d)
Ans. (a) Location Palampur is located 3 km from Raiganj which is a big village. The nearest town is Shahpur. It is well connected with neighbouring villages and towns. An all weather road connects the village to Raiganj and further to the nearest small town of Shahpur.
(b) Total Area of the Village
The total area of the Palampur village is 246 hectares.
(c) Land use (in hectares)
(d)
- Modern farming methods require more input which are manufactured in industry. Do you agree?
Ans. Yes, It is true that modern farming methods require more inputs which are manufactured in industry. For example HYV seeds, insecticides, pesticides and chemical fertilisers needed for increasing the yield per hectare are all manufactured in industries. Farmers use farm machinery like tractors, threshers and also combined harvesters which are also manufactured in industries. Tubewell equipment and water pumps used for irrigation are also manufactured in industries. - How did the spread of electricity help farmers in Palampur?
Ans. Most of the houses in Palampur have electric connections. Electricity powers all the tubewells in the fields that help to irrigate much larger areas of land more effectively as compared to the traditional Persian wheel drawn by bullocks. Since the entire cultivated area of 200 hectares had come under irrigation farmers did not have to depend on rainfall and could grow multiple crops. It helps small businesses run their machinery like Mishrilal's sugarcane crushing machine. - Is it important to increase the area under irrigation. Why?
Ans. Yes, it is important to increase the area under irrigation because water is very essential for agriculture. In India, the rainfall is unevenly distributed in the country and if rainfall Is less, then production Will be low, and they will be only able to grow one crop in a season. With good irrigation it will be possible to do multiple cropping, helping to increase the yield per hectare. - Construct a table on the distribution of land among the 450 families of Palampur.
Ans. Distribution of land among the 450 families of Palampur.
Families with no land (mainly Dalits) 150 families
Families with less than two hectares 240 families
Families with more than two hectare 160 families
Total - 450 families - Why are the wages for farm labourers in Palampur less than minimum wages?
Ans. The minimum wages for a farm labourer set by the government are Rs. 115 per day, but wages of farm labourers in Palampur are less than minimum wages because there is heavy competition for work among the farm labourers in Palampur, so people agree to work for lower wages. - In your region, talk to two labourers. Choose either farm labourers or labourers working at construction sites. What wages do they get? Are they paid cash or kind? Do they get work regularly? Are they in debt?
Ans. In our region, there are two labourers namely Ram Khilawan and Basanti, who are husband and Wife working as casual constructing labourers. Due to drought, they had to leave their village in search of employment. They get approximately 50 to 60 rupees per day which they are paid in cash. They do not get work regularly because there are a large number of workers seeking employment, due to which they agree to work for low wages. Because of irregular work and low wages they are unable to fulfill their needs and are in debt. - What are the different ways of increasing production on the same piece of land? Use examples to explain.
Ans. Multiple cropping and use of modern farming methods are two different ways of increasing production on the same piece of land. e.g.,
(i) Multiple Cropping: When more than one crop is grown on a piece of land during the year it is known as multiple cropping.
(a) It is the most common way to increase production on a given piece of land.
(b) All farmers in Palampur grow atleast two main crops, many are growing potato as the third crop in the past fifteen to twenty years.
(ii) Use of Modern Farming Method: Modern farming methods also help to increase the yield per hectare. Farmers of Punjab, Haryana and Western Uttar Pradesh were the first to try modern farming methods in India. The farmers in these regions set up tube wells for irrigation and made use of HYV seeds, chemical fertilisers and pesticides in farming. Some also used farm machinery like tractors and threshers, which made ploughing and harvesting faster. They were rewarded with high yields of wheat, increasing from 1300 kg per hectare to 3200 kg per hectare with HYV seeds. - Describe the work of a farmer with 1 hectare of land.
Ans. A farmer having 1 hectare of land for farming is called a subsistence farmer
because 1 hectare of land is too less; for even the sustenance of a small family. Production Is very low and it is very difficult for the farmer to provide for his family. Apart from working on his own field he has to work on the field of the rich farmers or work as a casual labourer to survive. The small farmer has no irrigation facilities. He has no working capital so he is also not able to buy modern machinery, HYV seeds or insecticides and pesticides. In the absence of capital, he has to take loan from moneylender who charges a high interest rate. He is rarely able to repay the loan and eventually falls into a debt trap. - How do the medium and large farmers obtain capital for farming? How is it different from the small farmers?
Ans. Modern farming methods such as use of HYV seeds, insecticides, pesticides, etc require a great deal of capital so the farmer needs more money than before. The medium and large farmers have their own savings from farming. They are thus able to arrange for the capital needed. In contrast, the small farmers have to borrow money to arrange for the capital. They borrow from large farmers or the village moneylenders or the traders who supply various inputs for cultivation. The rate of interest on such loans is very high. They are put to great distress to repay the loan, which is not so in the case of medium and large farmers. - On what terms did Savita get a loan from Tejpal Singh? Would Savita's condition be different if she could get a loan from the bank at a low rate of interest?
Ans. Savita, a small farmer, in order to cultivate wheat on her 1 hectare of land, decides to borrow money from Tejpal Singh a large farmer on the following terms. Tejpal Singh agrees to give Savita the loan at an interest rate of 24 per cent for four months which is a very high interest rate. Savita also has to promise to work on his field as farm labourer during the harvest season at Rs. 35 per day. The rate of interest charged by Tejpal Singh was higher than that of banks. If Savita had taken the loan from the bank, interest would have been lower and she could have easily repaid the loan and her condition would have been far better. - Talk to some old residents in your region and write a short report on the changes in irrigation and changes in production methods during the last 30 years.
Ans. On talking to two old residents Ramlal and Dharam Singh, I came to know about the irrigation methods that were traditionally in use in our area. They told me that earlier they were dependent on rainfall and later on they started to use the Persian wheel to draw water from the wells. With development of technology, tubewells were used for more better and effective irrigation. In the farming methods, traditionally they ploughed the field with ploughs drawn by bullocks which was a very difficult and time consuming process. They used ordinary seeds and cow dung manure for fertilisation. However with changes in technology the farmers started using HYV seeds, chemical fertilisers, insecticides, pesticides and modern machinery like
tractors and threshers which has led to an increase in yield per hectare and improved the lives of the farmers. - What are the non farm activities taking place in your region (or Palampur)? Make a short list.
Ans. Dairy is a common activity in many families of our region. Some people are involved in small scale manufacturing in their homes or in the field like production of jaggery by Mishrilal.
A few people are involved as shopkeepers and traders who buy various goods from the wholesale market in the cities and sell them in the villages.
Some people near the bus stand have opened shops selling eatables. Some people are in the transportation sector ferrying people and carrying goods from one place to another In different types of vehicles. People like Kareem opened a computer class centre and also provided employment to two women who had a diploma in computer application. - What can be done so that non-farm production activities can be started in villages?
Ans. Banks should provide loans at low Interest rates so that the poor villagers can start some business to help them earn a living. Government should be more active and start and effective employment generating schemes. Government should provide training to the villagers in different small crafts. Government should provide facilities for transportation and selling of locally manufactured goods of the villagers in the cities. Industries can be set up in rural areas.
EXERCISE-01
Multiple choice questions
- How many families live in village Palampur?
(1) 150
(2) 250
(3) 350
(4) 450 - Which of the following is fixed capital?
(1) Tools and machines
(2) Fertilisers and pesticides
(3) Soil
(4) Seeds - A person who puts land, labour and capital together is called
(1) Moneylender
(2) Entrepreneur
(3) Zamindar
(4) Manager - Which Kharif crop is used for cattle feed?
(1) Sugarcane
(2) Potato STS026
(3) Jowar and bajra
(4) Wheat - Which of the following transformed the system of irrigation in Palampur?
(1) Tube wells
(2) Persian Wheel
(3) Rainwater harvesting
(4) None of these - Multiple cropping means growing
(1) Only two crops
(2) Only three crops
(3) Up to four crops
(4) More than one crop - Which of the following is a modern farming method?
(1) Multiple cropping
(2) Use of HYV seeds
(3) Use of chemical fertilisers
(4) Both (2) and (3) - Modern farming methods were tried in India for the first time in
(1) Punjab
(2) Western U.P.
(3) Haryana
(4) All of the above - Expand HYV
(1) High Yielding Variety
(2) High Yielding Viscosity
(3) High Velocity
(4) None of the above - Which one of the following terms is used for measuring crop produced on a given piece of land during a single season?
(1) Yield
(2) Productivity
(3) Cultivation
(4) Output - The concept of White Revolution is associated with
(1) food crops
(2) milk
(3) cotton
(4) pesticides - The minimum wages for a farm labourer set by the government is
(1) Rs. 50
(2) Rs. 300
(3) Rs. 70
(4) Rs. 80 - Consumption of chemical fertilisers is highest in which state of India? STS035
(1) Punjab
(2) Haryana
(3) Rajasthan
(4) Himachal Pradesh - A farmer who works on a piece of 1 hectare of land is treated as
(1) medium farmer
(2) small farmer
(3) large farmer
(4) none of these - How much land area is cultivated by large farmers?
(1) 5 hect.
(2) 6 hect.
(3) 8 hect.
(4) 10 hect. - Where do most of the small farmers borrow money from to arrange for the capital in Palampur?
(1) Banks
(2) Co-operative Societies
(3) Village money lenders
(4) Friends and relatives - What is done with the surplus wheat in Palampur?
(1) Sold in the market
(2) Destroyed
(3) Stocked by self
(4) Given in charity - The activities such as small manufacturing, transport, shopkeeping are referred to as
(1) Non-economic activities
(2) Non-farming activities
(3) Non-traditional activities
(4) Non-market activities - Bigha and Guintha are
(1) the type of village houses.
(2) the type of hybrid seeds.
(3) the measuring unit of grain.
(4) the measuring unit of land area in village. - People involved in trade in Palampur are-
(1) farmers
(2) shopkeepers
(3) weavers
(4) milkman
True or false
- All weather road connects Palampur to Raiganj and further on to the nearest small town of Shahpur.
- Tools, machines, buildings can be used in production over many years, and are called working capital.
- During the winter season (rabi), farmers grow jowar and bajra. These plant are used as cattle feed.
- Yield is measured as crop produced on a given piece of land during a particular year.
- In Palampur, the yield of wheat grown from the traditional varieties was 1300 kg per hectare. With the HYV seeds, the yield went up to 3200 kg per hectare. STS047
Fill in the blanks
- Every production is organised by combining land, labour, physical capital and human capital, which are known as __________ .
- All farmers in Palampur grow at least two main crops; many are growing _________ as the third crop in the past fifteen to twenty years.
- _________ powers all the tube wells in the fields and is used in various types of small business.
- The ________ in the late 1960s introduced the Indian farmer to cultivation of wheat and rice using high yielding varieties of seeds.
- In many areas, Green Revolution is associated with the loss of soil fertility due to increased use of _______ fertilizers.
Match the columns
1.
ANSWER KEY
Multiple choice questions
True or false
Fill in the blanks
- Factors of Production
- Potato
- Electricity
- Green Revolution
- Chemical
Match the column
(A) → (iii) ; (B) → (vi) ; (C) → (i) ; (D) → (ii) ; (E) → (iv) ; (F) → (v)
EXERCISE-02
Short Answer Type Questions
- What do you mean by working capital?
- Explain the term physical capital. Mention its different types with examples.
- What do you mean by Rabi crops and Kharif crops? When are they sown and harvested? Give examples also. STS056
- What was the major impact of electricity on the farmers of Palampur? Explain.
- Where and why has the Green Revolution been started in India? Give one advantage and one disadvantage of Green Revolution.
Long Answer Type Questions
- What are the four requirements for production of goods and services? Explain.
- Why modern farming methods require more inputs which are manufactured in industry?
- What is land? Suggest any three ways to sustain land.
- What is the main source of capital for medium and large farmers? How is it different for the small farmers? Explain.
- Describe the various non-farming activities in Palampur.
4.0Key Features and Benefits of Class 9 Social Science Economics Chapter 1 The Story of Village Palampur
- Understanding Rural Economy: This chapter introduces students to how a village economy works using Palampur as an example.
- Farming as the Main Activity: Explains how most villagers depend on farming for their livelihood and the methods they use.
- Use of Land and Resources: Shows how land, labour, and capital are important for production.
- Non-Farming Activities: Highlights other sources of income like dairy, small shops, and transport services.
- Real-Life Connection: Helps students relate textbook learning to real village life and understand India’s rural setup.
- NCERT-Aligned Content: Covers concepts directly from the NCERT syllabus, making it useful for exams and projects.