Lifelines of National Economy – PYQs – Answers

Ans. (i) The Golden Quadrilateral Super Highways is a major road development project linking Delhi— Kolkata—Chennai—Mumbai and Delhi by six lane super highways.

(ii) The two major objectives of these Super Highways projects are to:

(a) reduce the time and (b) distance between the mega cities at India.

(iii) The North-South corridors linking Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir) and Kanniyakumari (Tamil Nadu) and East-West corridor connecting Silchar (Assam) and Porbander (Gujarat).

Ans. (i) Border roads are constructed and maintained by the Border Roads Organisation–a government of India undertaking in the bordering areas of the country.

(ii) The Border Roads Organisation developed the roads of strategic importance in the northern and north-eastern border areas of the country.

(iii) These roads have improved accessibility in areas of difficult terrain and have helped in the economic development of these areas.

Ans. (i) Rural roads link rural areas and villages with towns.

(ii) These roads received special impetus under the Pradhan Mantri Grameen Sadak Yojana.

(iii) Special provisions are made so that every village in the country is linked to a major town in the country by an all season motorable road.

Ans. Efficient means of transport are pre-requisite for national development because:

(i) The pace of development of country depends upon the production of goods and services as well as their movement over space.

(ii) Today, the world has been converted into a large village with the help of efficient and fast moving transport system.

(iii) The trades from local to international levels have added to the vitality of our economy with the help of dense and efficient network of transport in the country.

(iv) It has enriched our life and added substantially to growing amenities and facilities for the comforts of life.

Ans. (i) Roads can traverse comparatively more dissected and undulating topography than rail lines.

(ii) Roads can negotiate higher gradients of slopes and as such can traverse mountains such as the Himalayas.

(iii) Road transport is economical in transportation of few persons and relatively smaller amount of goods over short distances.

(iv) Roads also provides door-to-door service, thus the cost of loading and unloading is much lower.

(v) Road transport is also used as a feeder to other model of transport and they provide a link between railway stations, airports and seaports.

Ans. Road transportation in India faces a number of problems. These are as follows:

(i) Keeping in view the volume of traffic and passengers, the road network is inadequate.

(ii) About half of the roads in our country are unmetalled and this limits their usage during the rainy season.

(iii) The National Highways are inadequate too.

(iv) The roads are highly congested in cities.

(v) Most of the bridges and culverts are old and narrow which led to traffic jam.

Ans. Importance of means of transport as a pre-requisite for the development of a country:

(i) Different machineries and raw materials are supplied through roads, ships, motors, buses, trains, aero planes to industries.

(ii) It shows that transport system of a country affects economic development of a country in different manner.

(iii) Transport system helps to send raw materials, fuel and machineries to different industries at right time and runs the industry.

(iv) It helps to raise the production of raw materials, fuels and machineries etc. by providing market to it. It widens the size of the market.

(v) Transport system is regarded as a strong pillar to protect the people from the difficulties of war, natural calamities and other problems. A developed transport system is necessary to send necessary helps to the affected people during the period of natural calamities.

Ans. Pipelines

Ans. River Ganga and River Brahmaputra.

Ans. Advantages of railways in India are as follows:

(i) It is both convenient and safer to travel long distances by railways.

(ii) They give employment to a large number of people.

(iii) Railways also make it possible to conduct multifarious activities like business, sightseeing, pilgrimage along with transportation of goods over longer distances.

Ans. (i) Conversion of meter gauge to broad gauge.

(ii) Steam engines have been replaced by diesel and electric engines. This has increased the speed and haulage capacity.

(iii) The replacement of steam engine run by coal has improved the environment of stations and its surroundings.

(iv) Railways routes have been extended to areas where there was no railway lines earlier.

Ans. (i) This pipeline is about 1700 km long.

(ii) Hazira–Jaipur–Jagdishpur cross country gas pipeline links Mumbai High and Bassien with the fertilizer, power and industrial complexes in western and northern India.

(iii) This artery has provided an impetus to India’s gas production.

(iv) The power and fertilizer industries are the key users of natural gas.

(v) Use of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) for vehicles to replace liquid fuels is gaining wide popularity in the country.

Ans. (i) They are the cheapest means of transport.

(ii) They are most suitable for carrying heavy and bulky goods.

(iii) It is a fuel-efficient and environment friendly mode of transport.

(iv) Seamen sailed far and near; spreading Indian culture and commerce.

(v) About 95% of the country’s trade volume is moved though sea.

Ans. The longest National Waterway of India is the Ganga river between Prayagraj (Allahabad) and Haldia. Importance of waterways:

(i) It is most suitable for carrying heavy and bulky goods.

(ii) It is a fuel efficient and environment friendly.

(iii) More than 95% of the country’s trade volume is moved by the sea.

(iv) It is the cheapest means of transport.

(v) They are the natural routes which do not involve cost of construction.

Ans. (i) Railways are the principal mode of transportation for freight and passengers in India.

(ii) Railways also conduct multifarious activities like business, sightseeing, pilgrimage along with transportation of goods over longer distances.

(iii) Apart from an important means of transport, the Indian Railways have been a great integrating force for more than 150 years.

(iv) Railways in India bind the economic life of the country as well as accelerate the development of the industry and agriculture.

(v) The Indian Railways have a network of about 7,137 stations spread over a route length of 66,687 km with a fleet of 11,122 locomotives, 54,506 passenger service vehicles, 6,899 other coach vehicles and 2,51,256 wagons (as on March 2016).

Ans. The distribution pattern of the railway network in the country has been largely influenced by physiographic, economic and administrative factors. It can be classified in the following points:

(i) The northern plains with their vast level land, high population density and rich agricultural resources provided the most favourable condition for the growth of rail network.

(ii) In the hilly terrains of the peninsular region, railway tracks are laid through low hills, gaps or tunnels.

(iii) The Himalayan mountainous regions are also unfavourable for the construction of railway lines due to high relief, sparse population and lack of economic opportunities.

(iv) It is also difficult to lay railway lines on the sandy plain of Western Rajasthan, Swamps of Gujarat, forested tracks of Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Odisha and Jharkhand.

(v) There are several economic factors that affect the distribution of railway e.g. state funding plays a vital role in the development of railways across the nations. The state with flexible laws supports the growth of railways.

(vi) Along with this the places that are highly industrialised attract the development of railways. Since the growth of both is complimentary to each other e.g. recently railways network is enhancing along the industrial corridors.

Ans. (i) Pipelines are used for transporting crude oil, petroleum products and natural gas from oil fields to refineries, fertilizer factories and big thermal power plants.

(ii) Solids can also be transported through a pipeline by converting it into slurry.

(iii) The far inland locations of refineries like Barauni, Mathura, Panipat and gas based fertilizer plants could be thought of only because of pipelines.

(iv) Initial cost of laying pipelines is high but subsequent running costs are minimal.

(v) Pipelines transportation rules out trans-shipment losses or delays.

Ans. Pipeline transport network is the new mode of transport these days. In the past, pipelines were used to transport water to cities and industries. Now, these are used for transporting crude oil, petroleum products and natural gas from oil and natural gas fields to refineries, fertilizer factories and big thermal power plants. Solids can also be transported through a pipeline when converted into slurry.

Merits:

(i) Useful in transporting liquid and solid slurry from far away locations.

(ii) Subsequent running costs after laying down the network are minimal.

(iii) It rules out trans-shipment losses or delays.

Demerits:

(i) Initial cost of laying pipelines is high.

(ii) Pipelines can burst or can have leakage leading to wastage of valuable resource like water, mineral oil, etc.

Ans. India has one of the largest road networks in the world, aggregating to about 54.7 lakh km (2014-15 data). In India, roadways have preceded railways. They still have an edge over railways in view of the ease with which they can be built and maintained.

Roadways still have an edge over railways in India due to the following reasons:

(i) Cost of construction of roads is much lower than that of railway tracks.

(ii) Roads can pass through comparatively more dissected and undulating topography.

(iii) Road transport is economical in transportation of a few persons and relatively smaller quantity of goods over short distances.

(iv) It provides door to door services thus the cost of loading and unloading is much lower.

(v) It is used as feeder to other modes of transport. To reach any destination be it railway station, sea port or airport, one needs to travel through roads. Apart from an important means of transport, the Indian railways have been a great integrating force for more than 150 years.

(vi) It is the prime mode of transportation for freight and passengers in India.

(vii) Railways also make it possible to conduct multifarious activities like business sightseeing, pilgrimage along with transportation of goods over long distances.

(viii) Railways in India bind the country’s economic life as well as accelerate the development of the industry and agriculture.

Ans. Kandla port is a tidal port which caters to the convenient handling of exports and imports of highly productive granary and industrial belt stretching across the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir and states of Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and Gujarat.

Ans. Chennai is one of the oldest artificial ports of India.

Ans. (i) The air travel is the fastest, most comfortable and prestigious mode of transport.

(ii) It can cover very difficult terrains like high mountains, dreary deserts, dense forests and also long oceanic stretches with great ease.

(iii) Air travel has made access easier in the north-eastern part of the country.

(iv) Airways play a significant role during natural and man-made calamities like earthquake, floods, famines and war by virtue of their swiftness.

Ans. Air transport is preferred in the north-eastern states of India because it can cover the big rivers, dissected relief, dense forests and frequent floods and international frontiers present in these regions. It has made access easier in the north-eastern part of the country. It is very useful especially during natural calamities.

Ans. (i) Kandla in Kutchchh was the first port developed soon after independence to ease the volume of trade on the Mumbai port.

(ii) It was developed in the wake of loss of Karachi port to Pakistan after the partition.

(iii) It is a tidal port.

(iv) It caters to the convenient handling of exports and imports of highly productive granary and industrial belt.

(v) It reduced the volume of traffic on Mumbai port.

Ans. One way to improve the postal system is to set up a feedback system through which the public can rate the employees and their efficiency.

Ans. Apart from the transmission process, the trains are also allocated for the purpose of pilgrimage tourism.

Ans. Personal communication means a communication between two persons either through oral, letter or through telephone, etc., while mass communication includes the use of radio, television, internet, press, films, etc. for wider public audience.

The two points of importance of mass communication are

(i) provides entertainment and

(ii) creates awareness among people about various national programmes and policies.

Ans. The industries cheek in jowl with tourism is handicraft industry, sculpture, sea-shell, regional handloom among others. Indian handicraft and handloom in particular hold special attraction for the Western tourists. Hospitality in services sectors is benefitted immensely by tourism. Also, the transportation services reap the benefits of tourism. Over 8.03 million foreign tourists visit India every year. For example, tourism contributed ` 1,35,193 crore of foreign exchange in 2015 and generated employment for 15 million people directly engaged in the tourism industry.

Ans. (i) Digital India is a programme to transform India into digital empowered society in the field of technology and knowledge economy.

(ii) It was launched on 1 July, 2015 by Narendra Modi, the Prime Minister of India.

(iii) The manifesto concentrates on e-governance as the government believes IT is a great enabler for empowerment, equity and efficiency

Ans. (i) No country in the world is self-sufficient in all its needs. Goods produced by one country are required by the other country and vice-versa. Hence, differences in resources, needs and development among nations creates conditions for international trade between them.

(ii) It helps in exchange of surplus goods with those of deficit countries through foreign trade.

(iii) Foreign trade has helped India to improve its productivity of manufactured goods.

(iv) International trade contributed to India’s economic growth, raising income levels of people thus, increasing the foreign exchange reserves.

(v) International trade helps India to import advanced technology of other countries to improve its own production.

Ans. The cultural, recreational and commercial visit to internal places is known as tourism. Tourism is known as a trade because:

(i) It country earns foreign exchange through tourism.

(ii) Tourism provides support to local handicrafts.

(iii) Foreign tourists visit India for medical tourism and business tourism.

(iv) It helps in the growth of national income and integrity.

Ans. (i) Tourism in India has grown substantially over the last three decades. Arrival of foreign tourists in the country witnessed an increase of 4.5 per cent during the year 2015 as against the year 2014, contributing Rs 1,35,193 crore of foreign exchange in 2015.

(ii) Over 80.3 lakh foreign tourists visited India in 2015. More than 150 lakh people are directly engaged in the tourism industry.

(iii) Tourism also promotes national integration, provides support to local handicrafts and cultural pursuits.

(iv) Tourism also helps in the development of international understanding about our culture and heritage.

(v) Foreign tourists visit India for heritage tourism, eco-tourism, adventure tourism, cultural tourism, medical tourism and business tourism.

(vi) Rajasthan, Goa, Jammu and Kashmir and temple towns of South India are major destinations of tourists in India.