Natural Resources

Overview

Natural resources form a foundational topic in EVS for Varg-3 (Primary level) of MP TET. This topic connects children's everyday experiences—breathing air, drinking water, playing in soil—with larger concepts of resource conservation and sustainability. Questions typically test factual knowledge about types of resources, their sources, uses, and conservation methods.

For the exam, you must understand the classification of resources (renewable vs non-renewable), properties of air/water/soil, types of minerals and energy sources found in India and Madhya Pradesh, and basic conservation practices. MP-specific content like the state's mineral wealth (diamonds from Panna, coal from Singrauli) frequently appears in questions.

This topic integrates science and social studies, making it a high-scoring area if you master the key facts and their environmental implications.

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Key Concepts

• **Natural resources** are materials or substances found in nature that humans use for survival and development—they are not made by humans.

• **Renewable resources** can be replenished naturally within a human lifetime (sunlight, wind, water, forests), while **non-renewable resources** take millions of years to form and are exhaustible (coal, petroleum, minerals).

• **Air** is a mixture of gases; nitrogen (78%) and oxygen (21%) are the main components. Oxygen supports life and burning; carbon dioxide is used by plants in photosynthesis.

• **Water** exists in three states (solid, liquid, gas) and follows the **water cycle**—evaporation, condensation, precipitation, collection. Only about 3% of Earth's water is freshwater, and less than 1% is accessible for human use.

• **Soil** is formed over thousands of years through weathering of rocks; it contains minerals, organic matter (humus), water, and air. Soil types in India include alluvial, black (regur), red, and laterite.

• **Minerals** are naturally occurring inorganic substances with a definite chemical composition. They are classified as metallic (iron, copper, gold) and non-metallic (limestone, mica, coal).

• **Energy sources** are classified as conventional (coal, petroleum, natural gas) and non-conventional/alternative (solar, wind, hydel, biogas, nuclear).

• **Conservation** means using resources wisely to ensure availability for future generations—the 3R principle (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle) is central to this concept.

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Formulas / Key Facts

| Resource | Key Facts to Remember | |----------|----------------------| | **Air** | 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen, 0.03% carbon dioxide, rest are argon and other gases | | **Water** | 97% saline (oceans), 3% freshwater; major sources—rivers, lakes, groundwater, glaciers | | **Soil** | Layers: topsoil (humus-rich), subsoil, bedrock; black soil best for cotton, alluvial for wheat/rice | | **Coal** | Found in Singrauli, Sohagpur (MP); types—anthracite, bituminous, lignite, peat | | **Petroleum** | Called "black gold"; found in Bombay High, Assam, Gujarat; used for fuel, plastics | | **Iron ore** | Found in Jharkhand, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka; used for making steel | | **Diamonds** | Panna (MP) is famous for diamond mines—only diamond-producing region in India | | **Solar energy** | Abundant in Rajasthan and Gujarat; MP has solar plants in Rewa (one of Asia's largest) | | **Biogas** | Made from cattle dung and organic waste; used for cooking in rural areas |