The Story of the Village of Palampur

Village of Palampur

A fictional village studied by Gilbert Etienne, located in Bulandshahr district, Uttar Pradesh.

Main Economic Activity

Farming, along with smaller activities like dairy farming, manufacturing, transport, and shopkeeping.

Factors of Production

The four key elements required for production: Land, Labour, Physical Capital, and Human Capital.

Land

The basic requirement for production, including natural resources such as water, minerals, and forests.

Labour

Human effort used in production, which can be manual or skilled.

Physical Capital

Includes fixed capital (long-term investments) and working capital (raw materials and money used up in production).

Fixed Capital

Long-term investments like buildings, machines, and tools that are used repeatedly in production.

Working Capital

The raw materials and money in hand that are used to buy and sell goods.

Human Capital

Knowledge and skills that help organize other inputs for production.

Irrigation System

A well-developed system in Palampur, powered by electricity to facilitate farming.

High-Yielding Variety (HYV) seeds

Seeds introduced in the late 1960s that provide better yields than traditional seeds but require more water and fertilizers.

Multiple Cropping

The practice of growing more than one crop on the same piece of land each year.

Sugarcane Cultivation

A farming activity in which sugarcane is harvested once a year and sold in local markets.

Dalits

Members of the Scheduled Castes (SCs) in Indian society, often landless laborers in Palampur.

Land Distribution

The division of land among families in Palampur, with inequalities where some families are landless and others own large plots.

Farm Labor

The work done by laborers who may be landless or from families with small plots, often paid in crops instead of cash.

Surplus Farm Products

Excess agricultural products sold in the market by large and medium farmers for income.

Non-Farm Activities

Economic activities in Palampur that are not related to agriculture, including dairy farming, manufacturing, and trade.

Dairy Farming

The second most common economic activity in Palampur, involving the raising of dairy animals and milk production.

Chemical Fertilizers

Fertilizers used in modern farming, which can quickly supply minerals but may harm long-term soil health.