(a) (i) Why are less women found in regular salaried employment? (ii) Distinguish between human capital and physical capital.

Less women are found in regular salaried employment in India as such jobs require skills and a higher level of literacy. Moreover, due to a lot of social constraints, mobility of women is generally restricted.

Human capital refers to the stock of knowledge, skill and ability imbibed in the owner of the same, i.e., human capital is inseparable from its owner. It cannot be sold in the market, only its services can be sold in the market.

Whereas;

Physical capital are the assets (plant and machinery, building etc.), which are tangible in nature. It is separable from its owner. It can be transacted in the market.

Mini-hydel Plants- In mountainous regions, streams can be found almost everywhere. A large percentage of such streams are perennial. Mini-hydel plants use the energy of such streams to move small turbines. The turbines generate electricity which can be used locally. Such power plants are more or less environment-friendly as they do not change the land use pattern.

Micro-credit programmes have emerged to fill the gap in the formal credit system. The formal credit delivery mechanism has not been fully integrated into the rural social structure. Since, some collateral is required, vast proportion of poor rural households go out of the credit network. Micro-credit system has brought these poor households in the ambit of formal credit system by providing them loans at the concessional rate of interest.