Jhuming Agriculture

1. What is Jhuming (also known as Paida) system? [M.P.P.C.S. (Pre) 1999]

(a) Cutting of jungle and leaving it to dry
(b) Excessive use of chemical fertiliser
(c) Irrigation
(d) Dry farming

Correct Answer: (a) Cutting of jungle and leaving it to dry

Solution:Jhuming is a type of shifting cultivation which is done by the tribes by clearing the forests. When fertility of that place degrades they shift to other place and the same procedure is followed again and again. Shifting cultivation is commonly practiced by many tribal communities in tropical regions like in Mexico, Central Africa, South America, and Southeast Asia. It goes by various names: milpa in Mexico, taungya in Myanmar, humah in Indonesia, and jhum in India. In India, jhum cultivation occurs in small areas of the northeast hills, the Western Ghats, and parts of Central India. The shifting cultivation is called Poruh in Madhya Pradesh and Bewar in the Western Himalayas. In shifting cultivation, people grow root crops like tapioca, cassava (or manioc), and yams. They also plant corn (maize), millet, upland rice, beans, and bananas. These crops are mainly starchy foods, which are important for their diet.

2. Jhoom is- [Uttarakhand P.C.S. (Pre) 2021]

(a) A type of folk dance
(b) Name of a river
(c) A tribe in the North-East
(d) A type of agriculture (cultivation)

Correct Answer: (d) A type of agriculture (cultivation)

Solution:Jhuming is a type of shifting cultivation which is done by the tribes by clearing the forests. When fertility of that place degrades they shift to other place and the same procedure is followed again and again. Shifting cultivation is commonly practiced by many tribal communities in tropical regions like in Mexico, Central Africa, South America, and Southeast Asia. It goes by various names: milpa in Mexico, taungya in Myanmar, humah in Indonesia, and jhum in India. In India, jhum cultivation occurs in small areas of the northeast hills, the Western Ghats, and parts of Central India. The shifting cultivation is called Poruh in Madhya Pradesh and Bewar in the Western Himalayas. In shifting cultivation, people grow root crops like tapioca, cassava (or manioc), and yams. They also plant corn (maize), millet, upland rice, beans, and bananas. These crops are mainly starchy foods, which are important for their diet.

3. What is 'Jhum'? [M.P.P.C.S.(PRE) 2000]

(a) A folk dance
(b) A type of cultivation
(c) A tribe
(d) the name of a river vallley

Correct Answer: (d) the name of a river vallley

Solution:Jhuming is a type of shifting cultivation which is done by the tribes by clearing the forests. When fertility of that place degrades they shift to other place and the same procedure is followed again and again. Shifting cultivation is commonly practiced by many tribal communities in tropical regions like in Mexico, Central Africa, South America, and Southeast Asia. It goes by various names: milpa in Mexico, taungya in Myanmar, humah in Indonesia, and jhum in India. In India, jhum cultivation occurs in small areas of the northeast hills, the Western Ghats, and parts of Central India. The shifting cultivation is called Poruh in Madhya Pradesh and Bewar in the Western Himalayas. In shifting cultivation, people grow root crops like tapioca, cassava (or manioc), and yams. They also plant corn (maize), millet, upland rice, beans, and bananas. These crops are mainly starchy foods, which are important for their diet.

4. Jhuming is practised mostly in [U.P.P.C.S. (Pre) 2005]

(a) Assam
(b) Andhra Pradesh
(c) Nagaland
(d) Madhya Pradesh

Correct Answer: (c) Nagaland

Solution:Jhuming cultivation is practised mouly in hilty areas of north eastern States. It is more prevalent in Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh and Meghalaya. In the hilly regions of Assam aho Jhum cultivation is practised by the tribals Shifting cultivation is commonly practiced by many tribal communities in tropical regions like in Mexico, Central Africa, South America, and Southeast Asia. It goes by various names: milpa in Mexico, taungya in Myanmar, humah in Indonesia, and jhum in India. In India, jhum cultivation occurs in small areas of the northeast hills, the Western Ghats, and parts of Central India. The shifting cultivation is called Poruh in Madhya Pradesh and Bewar in the Western Himalayas. In shifting cultivation, people grow root crops like tapioca, cassava (or manioc), and yams. They also plant corn (maize), millet, upland rice, beans, and bananas. These crops are mainly starchy foods, which are important for their diet.

5. Slash and burn agriculture, commonly called as Jhum cultivation is practiced in the [Chhattisgarh P.C.S. (Pre) 2823]

(a) North eastern States of India
(b) North western States of India
(c) Western coast of India
(d) None of the above

Correct Answer: (a) North eastern States of India

Solution:Slash and burn agriculture, commonly called as cultivation practiced in the North eastern states of India like Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram end Nagaland, Tripura, Sikkim Pamlou in Manipur etc. Slash and burn agriculture, farmers clear a patch of land and produce cereals and other food crops to sustain their family. When the Soil Fertility decrease, the farmers shift and clear a fresh of land for cultivation. This type of shifting allows nature to replenish the fertility of the soil through natural process, land productivity in this type of agriculture is low as the farmer does not use fertiliser or other modern inputs.

6. Jhum cultivation is a problem in the hilly areas of- [U.P.P.C.S. (Pre) 1990]

(a) Assam and Bihar
(b) Bihar and Odisha
(c) Odisha and Madhya Pradesh
(d) Maharashtra and U.P.

Correct Answer: (a) Assam and Bihar

Solution:When the question was asked option (a) was correct answer currently, its answer would be Odisha and Madhya Pradesh

7. Which is not a correct match? [R.A.S./R.T.S. (Pre) 2018]

Shifting Agriculture	State
(a) Pondu	Odisha
(b) Mashan	Himachal Pradesh
(c) Poonam	Kerala
(d) Jhoom	Assam

(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)

Correct Answer: (b)

Solution:

Shifting Agriculture	State
Pondu	Odisha
Mashan	Madhya Pradesh
Poonam	Kerala
Jhoom	Assam

hence (b) Mashan - Himachal Pradesh is not correctly matched.

8. Match List-I with List-II and select the correct answer by using the codes given below: [U.P.P.C.S. (PRE) 2017]

List-1	List-ii
(A) Western Ghat	1. Dahiya
(B) South-east Rajasthan	2. Waltre
(C) North-east India	3. Jhum
(D) Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh	4. Kumari

code :

	A	B	C	D
(a)	4	2	3	1
(b)	4	3	2	1
(c)	3	4	1	2
(d)	3	2	1	4

(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)

Correct Answer: (a)

Solution:The correct match of List-I and List-II is as follows:

Area	Shifting Cultivation
Western Ghat	Kumari
South-east Rajasthan	Waltre
North-east India	Jhum
Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh	Dahiya