NCERT Solutions for Class 9 Economics Chapter 2 People as Resource
NCERT Solutions for Class 9 Economics Chapter 2 covers Human Capital Formation, Economic Activities (Primary, Secondary, Tertiary), Quality of Population (Education, Health), and Unemployment Types.
Overview of Topics & Subtopics (Click to Jump)
1. Human Capital & Economic Activities
Short Note:
• People as Resource: A way of referring to a country's working workforce in terms of their existing productive skills and abilities.
• Human Capital Investment: Investment in education, training, and healthcare turns population from a liability into a productive asset.
• Sectors of Economic Activities:
1. Primary Sector: Extraction of natural resources (Agriculture, forestry, animal husbandry, fishing, mining).
2. Secondary Sector: Manufacturing and processing of goods (Factories, construction).
3. Tertiary Sector: Services (Trade, transport, banking, education, health, tourism).
• Market vs Non-Market Activities: Market activities involve remuneration/profit; Non-market activities are done for self-consumption.
2. Quality of Population: Education & Health
Short Note:
The quality of population depends upon the literacy rate, life expectancy, and skill formation.
• Education: Increases literacy, national income, cultural richness, and governance efficiency. Schemes like Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan and Mid-day Meal scheme enhance enrollment.
• Health: Healthy individuals realize their full potential and contribute maximum output. Health status is measured by Infant Mortality Rate (IMR), Life Expectancy, and birth/death rates.
3. Unemployment & Its Types
Short Note:
Unemployment exists when people who are willing to work at going wages cannot find jobs (workforce age: 15–59 years).
• Disguised Unemployment: More people are engaged in a job than actually required (common in rural agriculture). Output remains unaffected if extra workers are removed.
• Seasonal Unemployment: People are unable to find jobs during certain months of the year (agricultural off-seasons).
• Educated Unemployment: Metric, graduate, and post-graduate degree holders are unable to find suitable employment (common in urban areas).
Intext & Conceptual Questions
| Market Activities | Non-Market Activities |
|---|---|
| Activities performed for remuneration, profit, or salary. | Activities performed for self-consumption or family care. |
| Examples: A teacher teaching in a school, a worker in a factory. | Examples: A farmer growing food for family consumption, unpaid domestic chores. |
Textbook Chapter End Exercise Questions
| Disguised Unemployment | Seasonal Unemployment |
|---|---|
| Occurs when more people are employed in an activity than actually required. | Occurs when people cannot find work during specific months of the year. |
| Marginal productivity of extra workers is zero. | Workers remain unemployed during off-peak seasons (e.g., between harvest and sowing). |
| Mostly seen in rural agricultural smallholdings. | Seen in agriculture and seasonal industries like sugarcane/ice factories. |
1. Low Skill & Literacy: A large proportion of women have lower education levels and limited technical skill training.
2. Unorganized Sector: Most women work in the unorganized sector where wage rates are low, and job security or maternity benefits are absent.
3. Social Factors: Domestic responsibilities restrict mobility and choice of work hours.
1. Higher Productivity: Educated and skilled workers adopt modern technology faster, increasing productivity.
2. Higher Earnings: Educated individuals command higher wages, lifting family living standards.
3. Reduced Burden: Good health reduces absenteeism and medical expenses, creating an efficient and energetic workforce.
Read More & Chapter Resources
These short notes are designed for quick revision. Read the main points once, then use the related material below to practise the same chapter. Revising a concept and checking it with questions can make your preparation more focused.