The CBSE Class 10th board exams 2026 are starting from 17 February, so students must begin revising all important chapters to ensure effective preparation. The Resources and Development Class 10 Notes help students understand the core concepts of Class 10 Geography Chapter 1, an essential part of the CBSE Class 10 Social Science syllabus.
This chapter explains what resources are, their types, and the significance of resource planning for sustainable development. These Class 10 Geography Chapter 1 Notes are structured, easy to revise, and aligned with the CBSE 10th board exam pattern, making them ideal for preparation for the CBSE 10th Social Science board exam.
What is Resources and Development?
Resources are important for human survival and economic growth. This chapter explains how resources are identified, classified, and managed for sustainable development. Understanding these concepts is important for students preparing for Class 10 board exams.
Resources And Development Class 10 Notes
Geography Class 10 Chapter 1 Notes are given here for effective exam preparation. These notes are based on the CBSE syllabus.
What are Resources?
A resource is anything in our environment that can satisfy our needs. It must be technologically reachable, economically viable, and culturally acceptable. Humans are crucial components of resources; they change materials into usable resources.
How is the Classification of Resources done?
Resources are classified in several ways:
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Origin: Biotic and Abiotic
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Exhaustibility: Renewable and Non-Renewable
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Ownership: Individual, Community, National, and International
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Status of Development: Potential, Developed Stock, and Reserves
On the Basis of Origin
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Biotic Resources: These come from the biosphere and have life. Examples include humans, plants, animals, and fish.
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Abiotic Resources: These consist of non-living things. Examples include rocks and metals.
On the Basis of Exhaustibility
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Renewable Resources: These can be replenished or reproduced by natural processes. Examples are solar energy, wind energy, water, forests, and wildlife.
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Non-Renewable Resources: These form over millions of years. Some, like metals, can be recycled. Others, like fossil fuels, cannot be recycled and get used up.
On the Basis of Ownership
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Individual Resources: These are owned privately. Examples are personal land, houses, and wells.
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Community Owned Resources: These are available to all community members. Examples include grazing grounds, public parks, and picnic spots.
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National Resources: These belong to a nation. All resources within a country's political borders, including territorial waters up to 12 nautical miles, are national resources. Examples include roads, canals, and railways.
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International Resources: These are managed by international organizations. Oceanic resources beyond 200 nautical miles need international agreement for use.
On the Basis of the Status of Development
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Potential Resources: These exist in a region but have not been used. For example, wind and solar energy in Rajasthan.
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Developed Resources: These are surveyed, and their quantity and quality are known for use. Their development depends on technology.
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Stock: Materials with the potential to meet human needs, but without suitable technology to access them. Hydrogen for energy is an example.
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Reserves: These are a part of the stock that can be used with current technology. Their use has not started yet. Examples include water in dams or forest resources for future needs.
Development of Resources
Humans have overused resources, causing problems. These include depletion for a few greedy individuals, wealth accumulation leading to social divisions, and global issues like global warming and pollution. Sustainable economic development is crucial. This means development without harming the environment, ensuring future generations also have resources.
Resource Planning
Resource planning is vital for sustainable life. India has regions rich in some resources and poor in others. This requires balanced planning at national, state, and local levels.
Resource Planning in India
This complex process involves:
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Identifying and inventorying resources through surveys, mapping, and measurement.
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Developing a planning structure with proper technology, skills, and institutions.
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Matching resource development with overall national development plans.
Resource conservation is important to overcome misuse and over-utilisation.
Land Resources
Land is a very important natural resource. It supports vegetation, wildlife, human life, and economic activities. India has diverse land features like mountains, plateaus, and plains.
Land Utilisation
Land is used for:
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Forests
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Barren and wasteland
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Non-agricultural uses (buildings, roads)
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Fallow lands
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Other uncultivated lands
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Net sown area
Land Use Pattern in India
Land use is shaped by physical factors like topography, climate, and soil, and human factors like population and technology. Continuous land use without proper management causes land degradation.
Land Degradation and Conservation Measures
Human activities like deforestation, overgrazing, mining, and industrial waste contribute to land degradation.
Conservation measures include:
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Afforestation and better grazing management.
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Planting shelter belts.
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Stabilizing sand dunes with thorny bushes.
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Managing wastelands effectively.
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Controlling mining activities.
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Treating and disposing industrial waste properly.
Soil as a Resource
Soil is a key renewable natural resource. It supports plant growth and various life forms. Soil formation takes millions of years, influenced by temperature changes, water, wind, glaciers, and organisms. Parent rock, climate, and vegetation are important factors. Soil contains organic (humus) and inorganic materials.
Classification of Soils
Soils in India are classified based on formation factors, color, thickness, texture, age, and chemical properties.
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Alluvial Soils: Found across the northern plains by Indus, Ganga, Brahmaputra rivers. Also in eastern coastal plains. Very fertile, ideal for sugarcane, paddy, wheat. Old alluvial is 'Bangar' (more Kanker nodules), New alluvial is 'Khadar' (finer, more fertile).
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Black Soil: Also called regur soil, black in color. Ideal for growing cotton (black cotton soil). Typical of the Deccan trap region. Made of fine, clayey material, known for moisture retention. Rich in calcium carbonate, magnesium, potash, and lime.
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Red and Yellow Soils: Develop on crystalline igneous rocks in low rainfall areas of the Deccan plateau. Red color from iron diffusion. Yellow when hydrated. Found in Odisha, Chhattisgarh, and parts of Western Ghats.
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Laterite Soil: Forms in tropical and subtropical climates with wet and dry seasons. Result of intense leaching from heavy rain. Acidic and low in plant nutrients. Good for tea and coffee. Found in Southern states and parts of Maharashtra, Odisha, West Bengal, and northeast regions.
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Arid Soils: Range from red to brown, generally sandy and saline. High salt content in some areas. Lacks humus and moisture. Lower layers have Kankar due to increasing calcium.
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Forest Soils: Found in hilly and mountainous areas. Loamy and silty on valley sides, coarse on upper slopes. Acidic with low humus in snow-covered areas. Fertile on river terraces.
Soil Erosion and Soil Conservation
Soil erosion is the removal and washing away of topsoil. It occurs due to human actions like deforestation, over-grazing, construction, mining, and natural forces like wind and water. Defective farming methods also contribute.
Running water creates deep channels called gullies, making land unusable ('bad land'). When water flows as a sheet over slopes, washing away topsoil, it is 'sheet erosion'. Wind blowing loose soil is 'wind erosion'.
Key Mechanisms of Soil Conservation
Contour Ploughing
Ploughing along the contour lines of a slope slows down water flow, reducing erosion.
Terrace Cultivation
Building terraces on hillsides restricts soil erosion. This is common in the Himalayas.
Strip Cropping
Large fields are divided into strips. Grass strips are grown between crop strips to break the force of the wind.
Shelter Belts
Planting rows of trees creates shelter. This helps stabilize sand dunes and checks desert spread in western India.
Last-Minute Preparation Tips for Resources and Development
These tips will help students revise important concepts quickly and score better in the CBSE Class 10 board exam by avoiding confusion and improving answer presentation.
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Revise all definitions and keywords like sustainable development and resource planning.
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Learn the classification of resources with proper examples.
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Memorise types of soils, their regions, and crops for map-based and short-answer questions.
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Practice difference-based questions such as Renewable vs Non-renewable and Stock vs Reserves.
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Use headings and bullet points in answers to improve presentation.
Common Mistakes to Avoid in CBSE Class 10 Board Exam
Many students lose marks due to avoidable errors despite knowing the concepts well.
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Mixing up resource classifications and writing wrong examples.
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Confusing Stock and Reserves, a frequently asked topic.
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Not mentioning states or regions while explaining soil types.
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Writing lengthy paragraphs instead of structured answers.
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Ignoring keywords related to environment protection and sustainability.