CONTEMPORARY INDIA – II

DEVELOPMENT OF RESOURCES Resources are vital for human survival as well as for maintaining the quality of life. It was believed that resources are free gifts of nature. As a result, human beings used them indiscriminately and this has led to the following major problems. • Depletion of resources for satisfying the greed of a few individuals.

• Accumulation of resources in few hands, which, in turn, divided the society into two segments i.e. haves and have nots or rich and poor. • Indiscriminate exploitation of resources has led to global ecological crises such as, global warming, ozone layer depletion, environmental pollution and land degradation. An equitable distribution of resources has become essential for a sustained quality of life and global peace.

If the present trend of resource depletion by a few individuals and countries continues, the future of our planet is in danger. Therefore, resource planning is essential for sustainable existence of all forms of life. Sustainable existence is a component of sustainable development. Sustainable development Sustainable economic development means ‘development should take place without damaging the environment, and development in the present should not compromise with the needs of the future generations.’