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By rohit.pandey1
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Updated on 15 Jul 2026, 16:26 IST
Resources and Development explains how people transform materials from nature into useful resources through technology, skills and institutions. The chapter covers resource classification, sustainable development, resource planning in India, land use, land degradation, major soil types, soil erosion and conservation.
For the CBSE Class 10 Social Science Notes, students should be able to explain why resources require careful planning, analyse land-use problems and suggest practical conservation measures. The current CBSE Class 10 Social Science syllabus also requires students to identify India’s major soil types on a map.
The Resources and Development chapter introduces the relationship between natural resources, human needs, technology and sustainable development. It explains how resources are classified, why India needs resource planning and how land and soil resources can be conserved.
Use the following table for a quick overview before beginning detailed revision.
| Chapter detail | Information |
| Subject | Social Science – Geography |
| Class | CBSE Class 10 |
| Textbook | Contemporary India–II |
| Chapter | Chapter 1: Resources and Development |
| Main themes | Resource classification, resource planning, land use, land degradation, soil types, soil erosion and conservation |
| Important processes | Resource planning, soil formation and soil conservation |
| Key comparisons | Renewable vs non-renewable resources, stock vs reserves, Bangar vs Khadar, gully vs sheet erosion |
| Important map work | Major soil types of India |
| Exam preparation | Definitions, three- and five-mark answers, competency-based questions, case studies and map practice |
| Recommended revision method | Study the NCERT chapter, prepare comparison tables, practise maps and solve application-based questions |
Students should pay special attention to the four classifications of resources, the three stages of resource planning, the causes of land degradation, the features of India’s six major soil types and the methods used to control soil erosion.
Download the Resources and Development Class 10 Notes PDF for quick revision at school or at home. The PDF brings the important concepts of the chapter together in a clear and organised format.
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A resource is anything in the environment that can satisfy human needs, provided it is:
A substance does not become a resource only because it exists in nature. People must have the knowledge, technology and social institutions required to use it.
For example, crude oil under the ground becomes a useful resource only when people can locate, extract, refine and distribute it.
NCERT therefore presents resources as the result of an interaction between nature, human beings, technology and institutions. Resources are not simply free gifts of nature.
Resources are classified on four main bases:
| Basis of classification | Types |
| Origin | Biotic and abiotic |
| Exhaustibility | Renewable and non-renewable |
| Ownership | Individual, community, national and international |
| Development status | Potential, developed, stock and reserves |
Biotic resources come from the biosphere and have life or were once living.
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Examples include:
Coal and petroleum were formed from organic matter over geological time. However, in the NCERT classification by exhaustibility, they are mainly discussed as non-renewable resources.
Abiotic resources are non-living.
Examples include:
Renewable resources can be renewed or reproduced through natural processes.
Examples include:
Renewable does not mean unlimited. Forests, groundwater and wildlife can still be depleted when people use them faster than they recover.
Non-renewable resources form over very long geological periods. Their stock is limited on the human timescale.
Examples include:
Some non-renewable resources, such as metals, can be recycled. Fossil fuels cannot be recycled after combustion.
Individual resources are privately owned.
Examples include:
Community resources are available for use by the members of a community.
Examples include:
Resources located within a country’s political boundaries belong to the nation. The national government has legal authority over them.
Examples include:
Private property can also be acquired by the government for a public purpose under applicable laws.
Resources beyond the exclusive economic zones of individual countries are regulated through international institutions and agreements. A country cannot use such resources without appropriate international consent.
Potential resources exist in a region but have not yet been fully developed or used.
Example: Rajasthan and Gujarat have strong potential for solar and wind energy.
Developed resources have been surveyed. Their quantity and quality are known, and they are being used.
Their development depends on:
Stock includes materials that could satisfy human needs but cannot currently be used because suitable technology is unavailable or impractical.
Example: Water contains hydrogen, which can provide energy, but using it efficiently and affordably at a large scale requires suitable systems and technology.
Reserves are part of the stock that can be used with existing technology but are saved or managed for future use.
Water stored in dams and forests protected for future use can be treated as reserves in the chapter’s classification.
Resources support survival and improve quality of life. However, indiscriminate exploitation creates serious problems.
NCERT identifies three major consequences:
Resource development must therefore include:
Sustainable development means meeting present development needs without damaging the environment or reducing the ability of future generations to meet their needs.
It seeks a balance among:
Suppose a village depends on groundwater.
An unsustainable approach is to pump water faster than rainfall can recharge the aquifer.
A more sustainable approach includes:
The second approach supports present needs while protecting future supplies.
The United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, commonly called the Rio Earth Summit, was held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in June 1992. More than 100 heads of state attended, according to the NCERT chapter.
The summit addressed environmental protection and socio-economic development. It also adopted Agenda 21, a programme for achieving sustainable development during the twenty-first century. One of its objectives was to encourage local governments to prepare their own local Agenda 21 plans.
Agenda 21 shows that environmental problems require action at several levels:
A global agreement has limited value unless governments and communities convert its goals into practical action.
India has great diversity in the distribution of resources. Some regions have abundant minerals but insufficient infrastructure. Other regions may have strong infrastructure but fewer natural resources.
NCERT gives several examples:
This unequal distribution makes balanced resource planning necessary at national, state, regional and local levels.
Resource availability alone does not guarantee development. A region also needs:
Resource planning is a complex process with three major stages.
Authorities identify resources across different regions.
This stage includes:
The country develops the systems required to implement resource plans.
These systems include:
Resource-development plans must be connected with broader national goals.
For example, developing a mineral deposit may require coordination with:
NCERT states that India has pursued resource planning since the First Five-Year Plan after Independence.
Natural resources are only one factor in development.
A resource-rich region may remain economically backward when it lacks:
Resource extraction can also occur without sufficient local development. Raw materials may leave a region while local communities receive limited employment, infrastructure or public services.
Therefore, development depends on the quality of human resources, technology and institutions, not only on the presence of minerals, forests or water.
Land supports:
Land is finite. It cannot be increased to match every new demand. Careful land-use planning is therefore essential.
Land use is shaped by physical and human factors.
For example, level and fertile plains generally support intensive agriculture and dense settlements. Steep mountains are less suitable for large-scale cultivation but may support forestry, grazing, tourism or terrace farming.
The chapter discusses categories such as:
Net sown area is the land on which crops are grown at least once during an agricultural year.
It varies greatly among Indian states. Physical relief, rainfall, irrigation, population pressure and economic activities all affect the proportion of land under cultivation.
Fallow land is left uncultivated for a period so that it may recover its fertility or because cultivation is temporarily difficult.
It includes:
Land degradation is the decline in the quality and productive capacity of land.
It can reduce:
Continuous use without proper conservation and management can cause serious damage to land and the environment.
| Cause | Important regions mentioned by NCERT | Effect |
| Deforestation linked to mining | Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Odisha | Loss of vegetation and damaged land |
| Overgrazing | Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra | Removal of protective vegetation |
| Over-irrigation | Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh | Waterlogging, salinity and alkalinity |
| Mining and quarrying | Mineral-producing regions | Deep scars and overburden |
| Mineral processing | Industrial regions | Dust reduces water infiltration |
| Untreated industrial waste | Industrial and suburban areas | Land and water pollution |
These examples demonstrate why land degradation is not caused by a single activity. Its cause changes from one region to another.
The correct conservation measure should address the local cause.
NCERT specifically recommends afforestation, controlled grazing, shelter belts, sand-dune stabilisation, mining control and proper treatment of industrial waste.
Soil is the medium in which most land plants grow. It supports agriculture and many forms of life.
Soil forms very slowly. NCERT explains that producing even a few centimetres of soil can take millions of years.
Important soil-forming factors include:
Temperature changes, running water, wind, glaciers and decomposers contribute to the physical, chemical and organic processes of soil formation.
A soil profile is a vertical section through the soil.
Its broad layers include:
The thickness and properties of these layers vary with climate, relief, rock type, vegetation and time.
India has six major soil groups in the NCERT map:
CBSE includes the identification of major soil types in the prescribed map work for Resources and Development.
| Soil type | Major distribution | Important properties | Suitable crops or uses |
| Alluvial | Northern Plains and eastern coastal deltas | Fertile; mixture of sand, silt and clay | Wheat, rice, sugarcane, cereals and pulses |
| Black | Deccan Trap region, including parts of Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat | Clayey; holds moisture; develops cracks | Cotton and other crops |
| Red and yellow | Eastern and southern Deccan Plateau and adjoining regions | Red due to iron; yellow when hydrated | Depends on fertility, irrigation and treatment |
| Laterite | High-rainfall tropical regions, parts of Western Ghats, Odisha, West Bengal and the Northeast | Strongly leached; often acidic and nutrient-poor | Tea, coffee and cashew after conservation and treatment |
| Arid | Western Rajasthan and other dry areas | Sandy, saline and low in humus | Cultivable with proper irrigation |
| Forest and mountainous | Himalayan and other hilly regions | Texture changes with altitude and slope | Forestry, orchards and some farming in fertile valleys |
Alluvial soil is India’s most widespread and agriculturally important soil.
It is deposited by river systems such as:
It is also found in the eastern coastal deltas formed by rivers including:
Alluvial soil contains different proportions of sand, silt and clay. It is generally fertile and supports intensive agriculture.
| Bangar | Khadar |
| Older alluvial soil | Newer alluvial soil |
| Found above active floodplains | Renewed by regular flood deposits |
| Contains more kankar nodules | Contains finer particles |
| Generally less fertile than Khadar | Generally more fertile |
Black soil is also called:
It is associated with the basaltic lava rocks of the Deccan Trap region.
Its important features include:
The cracks improve aeration. The soil becomes sticky when wet, which can make cultivation difficult. It is especially suitable for cotton.
Red soil develops mainly on crystalline igneous rocks in low-rainfall areas of the eastern and southern Deccan Plateau.
Its red colour is linked to iron in the rock material. It appears yellow where the iron occurs in a hydrated form.
It is also found in parts of:
Laterite soil develops in tropical and subtropical climates with alternating wet and dry seasons.
Heavy rainfall causes intense leaching, in which water carries soluble nutrients downward.
Laterite soil is often:
With suitable soil-conservation methods, it can support tea and coffee in parts of Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Red laterite soils in parts of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala are useful for cashew cultivation.
Arid soil occurs in dry regions and ranges from red to brown.
Its common characteristics are:
The lower kankar layer can restrict water infiltration. With proper irrigation, some arid soils become cultivable, as seen in western Rajasthan.
Forest soils occur in hilly and mountainous regions.
Their texture varies with the local environment:
Some soils in snow-covered Himalayan regions are acidic and low in humus because of erosion and climatic conditions.
Soil erosion is the removal and washing away of the upper soil cover.
Soil formation and erosion normally happen together. Problems arise when soil is removed faster than it can form.
Important causes include:
Running water may cut deep channels called gullies into clayey soil.
When gullies become extensive, the land may become unsuitable for cultivation. Such damaged land is called badland. Ravines in the Chambal Basin are a major example.
Sheet erosion occurs when water flows across a broad slope and removes a thin, relatively even layer of topsoil.
It can be difficult to notice at first because the soil is not cut into obvious channels.
Wind erosion occurs when strong winds lift and carry loose soil from flat or sloping land.
It is common in dry areas with:
| Conservation method | How it works |
| Contour ploughing | Ploughing across a slope slows the downward flow of water |
| Terrace farming | Steps cut into slopes reduce the speed and distance of runoff |
| Strip cropping | Bands of grass between crops reduce the force of wind and water |
| Shelter belts | Rows of trees reduce wind speed and stabilise soil |
| Afforestation | Roots hold soil and vegetation reduces the impact of rain |
| Controlled grazing | Prevents excessive removal of protective grass |
| Correct ploughing | Avoids channels that allow water to flow rapidly downhill |
Terrace farming is well developed in parts of the western and central Himalayas. Shelter belts have helped stabilise sand dunes and protect land in western India.
Use a blank political outline map of India and follow these steps:
Do not try to memorise exact soil boundaries as straight state borders. Soil regions follow physical landscapes and often cross political boundaries.
Create a single chart for:
Add one example for every type.
Use the sequence:
Identify → Implement → Integrate
For example:
This prepares you for competency-based and case-study questions.
For each soil, learn four points:
CBSE competency-based material is designed to test conceptual understanding and application rather than memorisation alone. Practice explaining why a solution works, not merely naming it.
Practise identifying the six broad soil regions on an India map. Map knowledge also improves your written answers about soil distribution.
Resource planning is essential in India because resources are unevenly distributed across the country. Some regions have abundant minerals or water but lack technology and infrastructure. Other regions have limited natural resources but are economically developed. Resource planning begins with the identification, mapping and measurement of resources.
It then creates a structure of technology, skills and institutions for their development. Finally, resource-development plans are coordinated with national development goals. This process promotes balanced regional development, prevents wasteful exploitation and supports sustainable use for present and future generations.
Forests and groundwater are renewable only when their rate of use does not exceed their rate of recovery.
Stock cannot be used effectively with current practical technology. Reserves can be used with present technology but are managed for future use.
In land-degradation answers, connect activities with regions whenever the question asks about India.
Explain why a soil suits a crop. For example, black soil supports cotton partly because its clayey texture retains moisture.
Major soil types are part of CBSE map preparation for this chapter.
Resources become useful through the interaction of nature, people, technology and institutions. They can be classified by origin, exhaustibility, ownership and development status. Their careless use causes depletion, inequality and environmental damage.
Resource planning is especially important in India because resources and infrastructure are unevenly distributed. Land must be managed carefully because it is finite and supports most human activities. Major causes of land degradation include mining, deforestation, overgrazing, over-irrigation and industrial waste.
India’s major soils are alluvial, black, red and yellow, laterite, arid, and forest and mountainous soils. Students should understand their distribution, properties and uses. They should also learn how contour ploughing, terrace farming, strip cropping, shelter belts and afforestation control soil erosion.
These notes provide a structured summary, but they do not replace the NCERT textbook. Read the original chapter, study its maps and figures, complete the exercise questions and check instructions issued by your school or CBSE before the examination.
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A resource is anything in the environment that can satisfy human needs when it is technologically accessible, economically feasible and culturally acceptable.
Materials become resources through human knowledge, technology and institutions. A material that people cannot locate, access or use may not function as a resource.
India’s resources are unevenly distributed. Planning connects resource availability with technology, skilled people, infrastructure and national development goals.
The stages are resource identification and inventory, creation of a suitable planning structure, and coordination of resource plans with national development plans.
Sustainable development improves present living conditions without damaging the environment or compromising the needs of future generations.
Black soil is considered ideal for cotton because it is clayey and has a high moisture-retaining capacity.
Alluvial soil occurs in the deltas of rivers such as the Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna and Kaveri.
Gully erosion creates deep channels in the land. Sheet erosion removes a thin layer of topsoil across a wider area.
Contour ploughing follows lines of equal elevation across a slope. The furrows slow water flow and reduce the amount of soil carried downhill.
Students should identify alluvial, black, red and yellow, laterite, arid, and forest and mountainous soils.