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Tertiary and Quaternary Activities – Class 12 Geography notes, important questions and MCQs

NCERT Class 12 Geography, chapter 6. Notes, key terms, important questions with answers and MCQs.

Chapter overview

Tertiary activities provide services rather than goods, such as trade, transport, communication, health, education and tourism. As economies develop, the share of the service sector in employment and income rises. Quaternary and quinary activities are knowledge-based services: quaternary activities involve the collection, processing and dissemination of information, while quinary activities involve top-level decision-making. Outsourcing and business process outsourcing (BPO) have created new jobs, especially in India.

Tertiary activities

Tertiary activities include trade and commerce (retail and wholesale), transport, communication and services such as health, education, banking and administration.
Rural marketing centres and urban markets, periodic markets (such as weekly haats) and retail outlets serve different needs.
Tourism is the largest tertiary activity in terms of jobs and revenue; it depends on climate, landscape, history, culture and accessibility; medical tourism is growing in India.

Quaternary and quinary activities

Quaternary activities involve knowledge workers in research and development, information technology, education, consultancy and financial services; they are white-collar jobs.
Quinary activities are the highest level of decision-making by senior executives, government officials, scientists and policy makers; they are called gold-collar jobs.
Outsourcing is giving work to an outside agency to cut costs; BPO and knowledge processing outsourcing (KPO) have grown in India because of skilled, English-speaking labour and lower costs.

Key terms

Tertiary activities: activities that provide services
Quaternary activities: knowledge-based services such as research and information technology
Quinary activities: top-level decision-making activities
Outsourcing: giving work to an outside agency to reduce costs
Medical tourism: travelling to another country for medical treatment

Important questions with answers

What is outsourcing?2 marks

Outsourcing is the practice of giving work to an outside agency, often in another country, to improve efficiency and reduce costs. Business process outsourcing, such as call centres and data processing, and knowledge processing outsourcing, such as research and analysis, have grown in India.

Distinguish between quaternary and quinary activities.3 marks

Quaternary activities are knowledge-based services involving the collection, production and dissemination of information, such as research, IT, education and consultancy. Quinary activities are the highest level of decision-making and policy-making by senior executives, government leaders and top experts.

Describe tertiary activities and their growing importance.5 marks

Tertiary activities are services that support production and consumption rather than producing goods directly. They include trade and commerce, through which goods reach consumers via rural marketing centres, urban markets, periodic markets, retail shops and wholesale markets; transport and communication, which move people, goods and information; and services such as health care, education, banking, insurance, administration, entertainment and personal services. Tourism is one of the largest tertiary activities, creating jobs in hotels, transport, guides and handicrafts; it depends on attractions such as a pleasant climate, landscape, history, art and culture, and on accessibility, and India is also developing medical tourism. As economies develop, the share of the service sector in employment and national income rises, while the shares of agriculture and manufacturing fall; in many developed countries, services employ a large majority of workers. In India, the service sector has become the largest contributor to GDP. Advances in information and communication technology have created new forms of services, including quaternary activities based on knowledge and quinary activities of high-level decision-making, and have encouraged outsourcing, BPOs and KPOs, which generate employment for educated young people.

Quick revision

Tertiary: services, trade, transport, tourism.
Periodic markets; retail and wholesale.
Quaternary: knowledge work; quinary: top decisions.
Outsourcing, BPO, KPO; medical tourism.

Exam tips

Learn the colours: red-collar, blue-collar, white-collar, gold-collar.
Give two reasons for the growth of BPOs in India.

Practice MCQs

Activities that provide services are
1. primary
2. secondary
3. tertiary
4. none of these
Show answer
Answer: (c) tertiary. They do not produce goods directly.
Weekly markets in rural areas are examples of
1. periodic markets
2. shopping malls
3. stock markets
4. wholesale markets only
Show answer
Answer: (a) periodic markets. They meet at fixed intervals.
Senior decision-makers are engaged in
1. primary activities
2. secondary activities
3. quinary activities
4. gathering
Show answer
Answer: (c) quinary activities. They are called gold-collar workers.
Research and development and information technology services are
1. quaternary activities
2. primary activities
3. secondary activities
4. pastoral activities
Show answer
Answer: (a) quaternary activities. They are knowledge-based.
Giving work to an outside agency to reduce costs is called
1. insourcing
2. outsourcing
3. exporting
4. mining
Show answer
Answer: (b) outsourcing. BPOs are an example.
The largest tertiary activity in terms of jobs and revenue worldwide is
1. banking
2. retail only
3. tourism
4. telecommunication
Show answer
Answer: (c) tourism. It depends on attractions and accessibility.
Why has India become a major destination for BPOs
1. lack of skilled workers
2. very high wages
3. availability of skilled, English-speaking workers at lower costs
4. no internet
Show answer
Answer: (c) availability of skilled, English-speaking workers at lower costs. Time-zone differences also help.
Which statement about medical tourism in India is correct
1. patients from many countries come for quality treatment at lower cost
2. no foreigners visit Indian hospitals
3. it is banned
4. it involves only ayurveda
Show answer
Answer: (a) patients from many countries come for quality treatment at lower cost. It is a growing service export.

All chapters of Class 12 Geography

Written by Kundali IQ from standard, well-established facts to help with revision. This is not an official NCERT publication; always read your textbook too.