People as Resource: Overview

Learn how human capital formation through education and health drives economic growth. This NCERT Chapter 2 Economics (Grade 9) on people as resource covers how population becomes an asset through skill development, explores unemployment challenges, and examines India’s journey in human resource development.

What do you understand by people as resource?

‘People as a Resource‘ means that people, when educated, healthy, and skilled, become valuable assets for a country. Just like natural resources (land, water, etc.) contribute to the economy, people with proper knowledge, training, and good health can create goods, provide services, and innovate. This makes them a resource that helps in the development of a nation. Instead of being seen as a burden, a population can drive growth when given the right opportunities.

Why are people considered as resource?

People are considered a resource because they have the ability to contribute to the growth and development of a country through their knowledge, skills, and labor. Here’s why:

1. Productivity: Educated, healthy, and skilled people can work efficiently and produce goods or services, contributing to the economy.
2. Innovation: People can create new technologies, ideas, and solutions that drive progress.
3. Resource Utilization: Unlike land or physical resources, people can improve and make better use of natural and physical resources through their skills.
4. Economic Growth: When people are trained and given opportunities, they generate income for themselves and the nation, becoming assets rather than liabilities.

In short, people are not just consumers of resources; they can also create value and drive development, making them one of the most important resources for any society.

🎯 Click here for People as Resource Class 9 MCQs and challenge yourself with engaging questions designed to boost your understanding. 📚

Key topics NCERT Chapter 2 -People as Resource

These topics collectively explain how human resources contribute to economic development when properly developed through education, health, and skill formation.

1. Human Capital Formation

• Investment in education and health
• Role of skill development
• Transformation of population into human resource

2. Economic versus Non-Economic Activities

• Market and non-market activities
• Differentiation between sectors
• Value addition to national income

3. Three Sectors of Economy

• Primary sector (agriculture, mining)
• Secondary sector (manufacturing)
• Tertiary sector (services)

4. Role of Education

• Literacy trends in India (1951-2018)
• Government initiatives
• Educational infrastructure development
• Impact on economic growth

5. Health Infrastructure

• Healthcare facilities development
• Life expectancy improvements
• Infant mortality rate trends
• Health indicators progress

6. Types of Unemployment

• Seasonal unemployment
• Disguised unemployment
• Educated unemployment
• Rural vs urban unemployment

7. Women in the Workforce

• Gender-based division of labor
• Recognition of household work
• Wage disparities
• Employment challenges

8. Quality of Population

• Role of literacy
• Health indicators
• Skill formation
• Productive capacity

9.Investment Returns in Human Capital

• Economic benefits
• Social returns
• Productivity enhancement
• Income generation

10. Success Stories in Human Resource Development

• Green Revolution impact
• IT Revolution
• Village development case study
• Transformation through education

Click here for the Class 9 NCERT Economics chapter 1 The story of village Palampur