People as Resource – MCQs with Answers and Explanations
CBSE Class 9 Social Science – Economics
Chapter 2: People as Resource
Topics: Overview | Economic Activities by Men and Women | Quality of Population | Unemployment
CBSE Board Examinations – NCERT Based MCQs with Answers & Explanations
Topic 1 – Overview & Concept of People as Resource (Q1–Q8)
Q1. The term “people as resource” refers to:
Correct Option: (B)
“People as resource” means viewing people as an asset when they are educated, healthy and skilled. They then contribute to production and development. It does not refer only to rich people or only to urban workers.
Q2. Which one of the following best describes human capital?
Correct Option: (C)
Human capital is the stock of educated, skilled and healthy people. Buildings and machines are physical capital, money is financial capital, while foodgrains are part of physical stock.
Q3. Which of the following is the most important way of forming human capital?
Correct Option: (B)
Human capital is created mainly by investment in education and health. These raise people’s skills and productivity. Shares, machines and roads are also important, but they relate more to physical or financial capital.
Q4. A person becomes an asset for the country when he or she is:
Correct Option: (B)
The chapter clearly states that people are an asset when they are educated, healthy and skilled. Simply being rich or old does not ensure that a person contributes productively to the economy.
Q5. The working population in India is defined as people in the age group:
Correct Option: (C)
According to the chapter, people in the age group 15–59 years are considered the working population, as they are generally fit and able to work and earn.
Q6. Which of the following is NOT an example of investment in human capital?
Correct Option: (C)
Buying shares is a financial investment but does not directly improve education or health. Training institutes, vaccination and medical colleges directly add to human capital.
Q7. Which pair represents examples of expenditure on human capital?
Correct Option: (B)
Schools (education) and hospitals (health) directly add to human capital formation. Roads, dams, airports and seaports are important, but they mainly create physical capital.
Q8. Human capital is superior to other resources because:
Correct Option: (B)
Human capital is considered superior because people use their knowledge to operate machines, manage resources and innovate. Thus, it is human beings who make all other resources productive.
Topic 2 – Economic Activities by Men and Women (Q9–Q16)
Q9. Which of the following is a primary sector activity?
Correct Option: (C)
Primary sector activities use natural resources directly. Wheat cultivation is farming, which belongs to the primary sector. Teaching and banking are services (tertiary), car manufacturing is secondary.
Q10. Making sugar from sugarcane in a factory is an example of:
Correct Option: (B)
Converting raw materials (sugarcane) into a finished product (sugar) is a secondary sector activity, because it involves manufacturing.
Q11. Which of these is a market activity?
Correct Option: (C)
Market activities are done for pay or profit. A teacher teaching in a school receives salary, so it is a market activity. The others are non-market or non-economic activities.
Q12. Which statement about non-market activities is true?
Correct Option: (B)
Non-market activities are usually done for self-consumption or without payment, such as cooking for the family. They are not included in national income and are done by both men and women.
Q13. Which of the following best explains “gender division of labour”?
Correct Option: (C)
Gender division of labour refers to the social division of work between men and women, where certain jobs are considered “men’s work” and others “women’s work”, often undervaluing women’s contribution.
Q14. Which statement about women’s work in India is correct according to the chapter?
Correct Option: (C)
The chapter highlights that women do a lot of work in households and farms, but much of it is unpaid and unrecognised. Hence, it is often not counted as “work” in official records.
Q15. In which sector are women workers mostly found in India?
Correct Option: (B)
Many women in India are employed in the unorganised sector, such as casual labourers and domestic workers, often with low wages and no job security.
Q16. Who among the following is a self-employed worker?
Correct Option: (C)
A shopkeeper who runs his own shop is self-employed. The clerk, teacher and nurse are regular salaried employees working for someone else.
Topic 3 – Quality of Population (Q17–Q23)
Q17. The quality of population depends mainly on:
Correct Option: (B)
The chapter states that the quality of population depends on their education, health and training. Mere numbers or income do not fully show quality.
Q18. Literacy rate means:
Correct Option: (A)
Literacy rate is the percentage of people who can read and write with understanding. It is an important indicator of educational level in a country.
Q19. Which pair is correctly matched?
Correct Option: (B)
The Right to Education (RTE) Act makes free and compulsory education a right for children aged 6–14. SSA is also related to education, not health. PHC refers to primary health centre.
Q20. Infant mortality rate (IMR) refers to:
Correct Option: (B)
IMR is defined as the number of children who die before the age of one year per 1,000 live births. A high IMR indicates poor health and nutrition conditions.
Q21. Why is expenditure on health considered an investment?
Correct Option: (C)
Spending on health improves people’s physical and mental well-being, enabling them to work more efficiently. This increases productivity and income, giving a return on the investment.
Q22. Which of the following problems is NOT directly related to low quality of population?
Correct Option: (C)
High productivity is a sign of good quality of population. High illiteracy, poor health and lack of skills indicate low quality of human resources.
Q23. Which statement correctly shows the relation between education and earnings?
Correct Option: (C)
The chapter explains that investment in education increases one’s earning capacity. On average, people with higher education and skills earn more than those with less education.
Topic 4 – Unemployment (Q24–Q30)
Q24. Unemployment is a situation when people:
Correct Option: (B)
Unemployment is defined as a condition where people who are willing and able to work at current wages do not get work. It is not about students or people on vacation.
Q25. Disguised unemployment is generally found in:
Correct Option: (C)
Disguised unemployment is common in rural agriculture where more people are engaged than actually needed. Removing some workers does not reduce output.
Q26. Seasonal unemployment occurs when:
Correct Option: (A)
Seasonal unemployment occurs in activities like agriculture where work is available only in particular seasons such as sowing or harvesting; in other months, people remain unemployed.
Q27. Educated unemployment is a situation where:
Correct Option: (B)
Educated unemployment refers to educated people, like graduates or diploma holders, who are unable to find suitable jobs according to their qualifications.
Q28. Which of the following is an effect of unemployment on the economy?
Correct Option: (C)
When people who are able to work remain unemployed, their skills and time are wasted. This leads to wastage of human resources and lower production.
Q29. Which measure can help reduce disguised unemployment in rural areas?
Correct Option: (B)
Disguised unemployment can be reduced by creating alternative employment in non-farm activities such as dairy, poultry, small-scale industries and services so that surplus workers move out of agriculture.
Q30. Why is unemployment considered a serious problem in India?
Correct Option: (C)
Unemployment reduces incomes, increases poverty and frustration, and results in wastage of human resources, thereby slowing down the economic growth of the country.