NCERT Solutions for Chapter 8 Rural Livelihoods Class 6 Civics
Various methods are used by rural people to earn a living. There are farmers and non-farmers who earn their living in many ways. Farmers prepare the land and sow, weed, and harvest crops as part of their work. The growth of these crops is dependent on nature. A coastal village in Tamil Nadu, Kalpattu is situated on the coast. Due to its low hills, paddy is the main crop in the village. The majority of families earn their living through agriculture. Other activities besides agriculture include making baskets, utensils, pots, bricks, bullock carts, etc. Thulasi works on Ramalingam's property as a labourer. Aside from working on the land, she takes care of all household chores. She cooks food, wash clothes and clean the house. To collect firewood, she goes to the forest nearby, while to fetch water, she goes one kilometer away to a borewell. The land that Sekar owns is only two acres. His family members help him grow paddy in his field. In addition to working for Ramalingam's rice milk, he also works in a restaurant. Other farmers in neighboring villages help him collect paddy. Ramalingam and Karuthamma are large landowners, along with some smaller farmers like Sekar and several landless labourers like Thulasi.
Rural Livelihoods Questions and Answers
Chapter Name | Rural Livelihoods NCERT Solutions |
Class | CBSE Class 6 |
Textbook Name | Civics |
Related Readings |
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Answer the following questions briefly.
Question 1: You have probably noticed that people in Kalpattu are engaged in a variety of non-farm work. List five of these.
Answer
The people of Kalpattu village are engaged in several non-farm activities. Some of them are Baskets, utensils, pots, bricks and bullock-cart makers. There are people who go to nearby villages to work as construction workers. The village also has lorry drivers, washer men, weavers, blacksmiths, teachers, nurses. There are also cycle repair mechanics in the village.
Question 2: List the different types of people you read about in Kalpattu who depend on farming. Who is the poorest among them and why?
Answer
There are big farmers like Ramalingam and Karuthamma who own lands along with some small farmers like Sekar and several landless labourers like Thulasi. While Ramalingam and Karuthamma provide employment to landless labourers and small farmers like Thulasi and Sekar, at the same time they exploit the poor people by paying them less and taking extra work from them.
Landless labourers like Thulasi are the poorest among all because they do not have land and are forced to work on lesser pay which is insufficient for their survival. At times, these people have to sell whatever they have to when they get into problems. Also, these people do not have a fixed income, therefore, their survival is always difficult. In India, nearly two out of every five families are agricultural labourer families. All of them depend upon the work they do on other people's fields to earn a living.
Question 3: Imagine you are a member of a fishing family and you are discussing whether to take a loan from the bank for an engine. What would you say?
Answer
If I were a member of a fishing family, then I would have said that taking loan from a bank for engine is a very good idea. An engine can be fixed to a catamaran and the catamaran can travel long distance in the sea where we can get a better catch. Moreover, taking a loan from the bank is safer than any local trader, because the bank rates are fixed and there is no chance of fraud or exploitation.
Question 4: Poor rural laborers like Thulasi often do not have access to good medical facilities, good schools, and other resources. You have read about inequality in the first unit of this text. The difference between her and Ramalingam is one of inequality. Do you think this is a fair situation? What do you think can be done? Discuss in class.
Answer
1. The situation presented in the chapter is not at all fair. On one hand, we have Ramalingam who owns huge land and also owns a rice mill. His living conditions are very good, he can afford to send his children to good schools and can fulfil every requirement of his family members.
2. While, Thulasi on the other hand is forced to work on Ramalingam's land to provide basic services to her family. When she was young she could easily work on the paddy fields, but with age she finds it hard to bend down for longer hours during the day.
3. The government can offer schemes for the betterment of the landless farmers. Even distribution of land is also a good idea in which, those who do not have land should be given some land to cultivate.
4. The government can also, provide easy loans and seeds, fertilizers at subsidized rates to the small farmers until they become financially sound.
Question 5: What do you think the government can do to help farmers like Sekar when they get into debt? Discuss.
Answer
Yes, the government can help farmers like Sekar when they get into debt, by safeguarding their interests. The government should provide easy loans to small farmers at lesser rates with certain flexible terms. Insuring the crops is also a good option to compensate for the loss of the small farmers. Small funds can be given to the farmers so that they can buy seeds, pesticides and fertilizers etc. The government can also educate small farmers by opening farming schools free of cost.
Question 6: Compare the situation of Sekar and Ramalingam by filling out the following table:
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SEKAR |
RAMLINGAM |
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Land cultivated |
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Labour required |
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Loan required |
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Selling of harvest |
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Other work done by them |
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Answer
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SEKAR |
RAMLINGAM |
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Land cultivated |
About 2 acres
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About 20 acres |
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Labour required |
Not required. Sekar gets help from other farmers during the time of harvesting and in return he also help them during their harvest. |
Labour is required in large number as the land is huge.
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Loan required |
Yes, for seeds, fertilizers, pesticides.
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No loan is not required, as the land owner already has sufficient funds. |
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Selling of harvest |
Forced to sell the harvest to the moneylender at lesser prices from whom he has taken money. |
Free to sell the harvest to any trade at higher rates.
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Other work done by them |
Work at Ramalingam's rice mill where he collects paddy from other farmers in the neighbouring villages.
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No other work is required to be done by Ramalingam as he is financially well of. Owns a good amount of land and several rice mills and shops.
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