Q1. [3] § TYPES OF FARMING § Technological and Institutional Reforms
Rinjha lived with her family in a small village at the outskirts of Diphu in Assam. She enjoys watching her family members clearing, slashing and burning a patch of land for cultivation. She often helps them in irrigating the fields with water running through a bamboo canal from the nearby spring. She loves the surroundings and wants to stay here as long as she can, but this little girl has no idea about the declining fertility of the soil and her family's search for a fresh patch of land in the next season.
Read the story of Rinjha and answer the question that follows :
- Suggest any three measures to Rinjha so that the fertility of the soil of her fields remains intact for a long time. [3]
Previously asked in CBSE board exam
2025 32/2/1 Q26
Generated by claude-sonnet-4-6 · 2026-06-15 07:01 · grounding stimulus
Model Answer
Rinjha's family practises shifting cultivation (Jhum), which degrades soil fertility. Three measures to maintain fertility are:
- Avoid burning vegetation — Instead of clearing and burning, use plant residues as compost/green manure to enrich the soil naturally.
- Crop rotation — Grow different crops alternately on the same land to restore soil nutrients and prevent exhaustion.
- Terrace farming — Construct terraces on slopes to reduce soil erosion and retain moisture, keeping the soil fertile longer.
Source: Contemporary India – II, Chapter 1: Resources and Development
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Explanation
- The question is directly linked to shifting/jhum cultivation described in the passage — examiners expect you to connect measures to the problem shown (burning, soil exhaustion).
- Each measure = 1 mark. Name it + give a one-line reason. Don't just list; briefly explain the benefit.
- Other acceptable answers: use of organic fertilisers, controlled irrigation, agroforestry, contour ploughing. Any three valid measures with explanation earn full marks.
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cbse.gov.in.