CBSE Class 10 Science 2017 · Paper 31/2 · Question 5

Equitable distribution of resources is essential so that all people, and not just a handful of rich and powerful people, benefit from the development of natural resources. Everyone depends on resources such as water, forests, coal and petroleum for basic needs; when a few control them, the poor who depend on them most are deprived and the resources are exploited for short-term gain. Two forces against such distribution: (1) industrialists and large businesses that exploit resources as cheap raw material for their own profit; (2) a few rich and powerful people with vested interests, often helped by corruption, who control resources for their own benefit.