LIFELINES OF NATIONAL ECONOMY
NCERT TEXTBOOK QUESTIONS
Q.1. Choose the right answer from the four alternatives given below :
(i) Which of the following is the most important modes of transportation in
India?
(a) Pipelines
(b) Railways (c) Roadways (d) Airways
Ans. (a)
(ii) Which one of the following terms is used to describe trade between two or
more
countries?
(a) Internal
trade (b) International trade (c) External trade (d) Local trade
Ans.
(b)
(iii) Which two of the following extreme locations are connected by the
East-West
Corridor?
(a) Mumbai and
Nagpur (b) Silchar and Porbandar
(c) Mumbai and
Kolkata (d) Nagpur and Siliguri
Ans.
(b)
(iv) Which one of the following ports is the deepest land-locked and
well-protected port
along the east coast?
(a) Chennai (b)
Paradip (c) Tuticorin (d) Visakhapatnam
Ans.
(d)
(v) Which mode of transportation reduces trans-shipment losses and delays?
(a) Railways (b)
Roadways (c) Pipeline (d) Waterways
Ans.
(c)
(vi) Which one of the following states is not connected with the H.V.J.
pipeline?
(a) Madhya
Pradesh (b) Maharashtra
(c) Gujarat (d)
Uttar Pradesh
Ans.
(b)
Q.2. What is the significance (importance) of : (a) National Highways and (b)
Border Roads?
Ans.
(a) The National Highways are the primary road systems of our
country. They link extreme
parts of the
country and provide connectivity between the different states of India. They
have been
planned to meet the requirement of fast movement of traffic in the country. A
number of major
National Highways run in north-south and east-west directions. They
connect most of
the important towns and cities of the country. The National Highways are
laid and
maintained by the Central Public Works Department (CPWD).
(b) The Border
Roads are vital road links along the frontiers of our country. These roads are
of strategic
importance. They have improved accessibility in areas of difficult terrain
mainly in the
northern and notheastern border areas. They have played a major role in the
economic
development of these areas. The Border Roads Organisation, a government of
India
undertaking, was established in 1960 for the purpose of building the border
roads.
The organisation
is in charge of construction and maintenance of these road.
Q.3. Mention four merits of road transportation with reference to India.
OR
Why is road transport more useful than rail transport in India? Explain four
reasons.
OR
Why is road transport more useful than other means of transport? Give four
reasons.
Ans.
Roadways are the most important means of transportation in India.
India has one of the largest
networks of
roadways in the world, aggregating to about 2.3 million km at present. Road
transport has
preceded railways and still have an edge over it in view of the ease with which
it can be built
and maintained. Other means of transport like pipelines have limited application
and waterways
are localised in rivers and water bodies while airways are costly and out of
reach of common
people.
Road transport
is more useful than railways on account of its following merits :
(a) Construction
and maintainence cost of roads is much lower than that of railways.
(b) Roads can
traverse comparatively more dissected and undulating topography. They can
negotiate higher
gradients of slopes and can traverse mountainous regions such as the
Himalayas. They
can reach remote villages and hilly regions where railway tracks cannot
be constructed.
(c) Roads
provided door to door service, thus the cost of loading and unloading is much
lower.
(d) Road
transport is also used as a feeder to other modes of transport, for example,
they
provide a link
between railway stations, airports and ports. They link the village, towns
and cities to
the railway stations. They provide linkage between ports and markets and
trading centres.
Q.4. Where and why is rail transport the most convenient means of
transportation? What
changes or qualitative improvements have taken place in the Indian railways
since
independece? Mention two problems faced by the railways.
Ans.
(i) Railways can transport larger number of goods and passengers over
long distances at
economical cost.
Hence, Railways are the most convenient means of transport in the vast
Northern Plains
of India. The flat terrain, dense population, rich agricultural resources and
greater
industrial activity have favoured the development of railways in this region.
The
Northern Plains,
therefore, have the densest road networks. Railways have accelerated the
development of
industry and agriculture in this region by providing quick availability of
raw materials
and distributing the finished products to the market.
(ii) Since
independence the following qualitative improvements have made railways more
efficient and
popular.
(a) The meter
gauge and other railways gauges are gradually being converted into broad
gauge to provide
ungauged operations in the country. It would provide convenience to
public and
reduce transportation costs as the capacity and speeds of the trains are
higher in broad
gauge system.
(b) Steam
engines have been replaced by diesel and electric engines.
(c) Fast
inter-city trains have been introduced.
(d) Computerized
ticket counters and better amenities in trains and stations have been
provided.
Two problems
faced by railways are :
(a) Many
passengers travel without tickets, causing loss to the railways.
(b) Thefts and
damaging of railway property may lead to severe accidents.
Q.5. Why are the means of transportation and communication called the lifeline
of a nation
and its economy?
Ans.
Transport system is the means for movement of goods and services from
their supply locations
to demand
locations. The means of transport provide an important link between the
producers
and consumers of
goods. The transport routes or channels are, thus, the basic arteries of our
economy.
Therefore, efficient means of transport are prerequisites of fast development.
They
help in
development of agriculture and industry by providing raw materials and
distributing
finished
product. A well-knit transport and communication system brings people of
different
regions within
the country and the world closer to one another. This promotes
interdependencies between them.
With the
development in science and technology, the area of influence of trade and
transport
has expanded far
and wide. Different countries, geographically far from each other, are now
engaged in trade
relations. A product made in the USA is now available in India. Efficient, and
fast-moving
transport and communication system has helped to convert the world into a large,
closely knit
global village. India is part of this network and is well connected with the
rest of
the world. Its
flourishing international trade has added vitality to its economy and enriched
the
lives of the
people by raising their living standards.
A dense and
efficient network of transport and communication is a prerequisite of local,
national and
global trade of today. Thus, modern means of transport and communication serve
as lifelines of
our nation and its modern economy.
Q.6. What is meant by trade? What is the difference between international and
local trade?
In this regard explain the terms ‘export’, ‘import’ and ‘balance of trade.’
Ans.
Exchange of goods, commodities or services between people, states or
countries is termed as
trade. Trade
means the exchange of products between regions of surplus and regions of
deficiency.
The exchange of
commodities between two or more countries is termed as international trade.
It may take
place through sea, air or land routes.
While local
trade is carried on within cities, towns or villages. Exchange of the items take
place
in local markets
where items of local needs are catered to. Local trade mainly takes place
through roads,
railway or inland waterways.
Export and
import are the components of international trade. When goods are traded out from
a country to
other countries, it is termed as export. When goods are traded and brought into
a country from
other countries, it is termed as import.
Export means
earning of foreign exchange by the country while imports involve use of foreign
exchange.
The difference
between export and import of a country is termed as its balance of trade.
When the value
of exports exceeds the value of imports, it is called favorable balance of
trade. If the
value of imports exceeds the value of exports, it is termed as unfavorable
balance
of trade.
Q.7. Write a note on the changing nature of the international trade in the last
fifteen years.
Ans.
India has trade relations with all the major trading blocks and all
geographical regions of the
world. Among the
commodities of export, whose share has been increasing over the last few
years till
2004-05, are agriculture and allied products (2.53%), ores and minerals (9.12%),
gems and jewelry
(26.75%) and chemical and allied products (24.45%), engineering goods
(35.63%) and
petroleum products (86.12%).
The commodities
imported by India included petroleum and petroleum products (41.87%),
pearls and
precious stones (29.26%), inorganic chemicals (29.39%), coal, coke and
briquettes
(94.17%)
machinery (12.56%).
Bulk imports as
a group registered a growth accounting for 39.09% of total imports.
This group
includes fertilizers (67.01%), cereals (25.53%), edible oils (7.94%) and
newsprint
(5.51%)
International
trade has undergone a sea of change in the last fifteen years. Exchange of
commodities and
goods have been superseded by the exchange of information and knowledge.
India has
emerged as a software giant at international level and it is earning large
foreign
exchange through
the export of Information Technology because of its fast growing Business
Process
Outsourcing (BPO) sector.
MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS
Q.1. The means for the movement of goods and services from their supply
locations to demand locations can be termed as which of the following?
(a) Capital (b)
Traders
(c) Transport
system(d) Power supply
Ans. (c)
Q.2. India has one of the largest networks of which of the following modes of
transport?
(a) Roadways (b)
Railways
(c) Waterways
(c) Pipelines
Ans. (a)
Q.3. Which of the following modes of transport would you find in higher areas of
mountainous regions like the
Himalayas?
(a) Railways (b)
Roadways
(c) Inland
waterways(d) Airways
Ans. (b)
Q.4. Which of the following are the primary road systems of our country?
(a) National
Highways
(b) State
Highways
(c) District
roads
(d) Border roads
Ans. (a)
Q.5. The National Highway No.1 is also known by which of the following names?
(a) Mahatma
Gandhi Road
(b) Sher Shah
Suri Marg
(c) Red Road
(d) Chhatrapati
Shivaji Terminus
Ans. (b)
Q.6. Which of the following National Highways is the longest in the country?
(a) National
Highway No. 8
(b) National
Highway No. 7
(c) National
Highway No. 4
(d) National
Highway No. 2
Ans. (b)
Q.7. Which of the following types of roads received special impetus under the
Pradhan Mantri Grameen Sadak
Yojana?
(a) National
Highways
(b) State
Highways
(c) Rural Roads
(d) District
Roads
Ans. (c)
Q.8. The national average for density of roads is 75 km in India. Which of the
following states has a much higher road density of 375 km? (Length of road per
100 sq km area = density of roads)
(a) Jammu and
Kashmir
(b) Arunachal
Pradesh
(c) Rajasthan
(d) Kerala
Ans. (d)
Q.9. When and between which two stations did the first train of India steam off?
(a) Kolkata to
Raniganj, 1874
(b) Mumbai to
Thane, 1853
(c) Mumbai to
Ahmedabad, 1854
(d) Chennai to
Arkonam, 1856
Ans. (b)
Q.10. Which of the following is the busiest railway junction in Northern India?
(a) Ambala (b)
New Delhi
(c) Lucknow (d)
Amritsar
Ans. (b)
Q.11. Which of the following is the headquarter for the South-Eastern Railway
and Eastern Railway Zones?
(a) Kolkata (b)
Kharagpur
(c) Bhubaneshwar
(d) Mumbai
Ans. (a)
Q.12. Which of the following means of transportation is used to transport crude
oil, petroleum products and
natural gas?
(a) Roadways (b)
Railways
(c) Pipelines
(d) Waterways
Ans. (c)
Q.13. Which of the following networks of pipeline bring mineral oil to the
refinery of Barauni and petrochemical complex of Haldia?
(a) Pipeline
from Upper Assam oilfields
to Kanpur (Uttar
Pradesh)
(b) Pipeline
from Salaya in Gujarat to
Jalandhar in
Punjab
(c)
Hazira-Bijaipur-Jagdishpur Pipeline
(d) Pipeline
from Mumbai High to
Trombay
Ans. (a)
Q.14. Which of the following modes of transport is fuel efficient and
environment friendly?
(a) Roadways (b)
Railways
(c) Airways (d)
Waterways
Ans. (d)
Q.15. Which of the following is the cheapest mode of transport?
(a) Roadways (b)
Railways
(c) Waterways
(d) Airways
Ans. (c)
Q.16. 95 percent of India’s trade volume (68 percent in terms of value) is
carried on through which of the following transportation routes?
(a) Roadways
(b) Railways
(c) Sea routes
(d) Inland
waterways
Ans. (c)
Q.17. Which of the following was the first port to be developed soon after
Independence?
(a) Mumbai (b)
Kolkata
(c) Paradip (d)
Kandla
Ans. (d)
Q.18. Which of the following is the oldest artificial port and the second most
important port of the country?
(a) Mumbai port
(b) Kandla port
(c) Chennai port
(d) Ennore port
Ans. (c)
Q.19. Which one of the following types of communication service in India is the
largest in the world?
(a) Postal
network
(b) Television
network
(c) Internet
services
(d) Radio
broadcasting
Ans. (a)
Q.20. Which one of the following is a means of personal communication?
(a) Television
(b) Radio
(c) Internet
(d) Mobile
phones
Ans. (d)
Q.21. Which of the following is a means of mass communication?
(a) Letters (b)
Television
(c) Telephones
(d) Telegraph
Ans. (b)
Q.22. Which of the following airlines is the nationalized airline of India?
(a) Air India
(b) Jet Airways
(c) Kingfisher
Airline(d) Indigo
Ans. (a)
Q.23. The largest number of newspapers published in India are in which of the
following languages?
(a) Hindi (b)
English
(c) Urdu (d)
Marathi
Ans. (a)
Q.24. In recent years, India is earning large foreign exchange through the
export of which of the following?
(a) Ores and
Minerals
(b) Information
Technology
(c) Agricultural
Products
(d) Electrical
goods
Ans. (b)
PREVIOUS YEARS’ QUESTIONS
Q.1. Which is the extreme south-western port located at the entrance of a lagoon
with a natural harbor?
(a) Tuticorin
(b) Chennai
(c) Kochi (d)
New Mangalore
Ans.
(c)
Q.2. Which one of the following is not true regarding the sea ports of India ?
(a) Mumbai is the biggest port with a
spacious natural and well sheltered harbour.
(b) Tuticorin
Port in Tamil Nadu has a natural harbour and hinterland.
(c)
Vishakhapatnam is the deepest landlocked and well protected port.
(d) Chennai is
an inland riverine port.
Ans.
(d)
Q.3. Which one of the following is the premier iron ore exporting sea port of
the country ?
(a) New
Mangalore (b) Vishakhapatnam
(c) Marmagao (d)
Paradip
Ans.
(c)
Q.4. Which one of the following is considered as the First Class Mail by the
Indian postal network ?
(a) Cards and
envelopes
(b) Registered
periodicals
(c) Book packets
(d) Registered
newspapers
Ans.
(a)
Q.5. Which one of the following groups of cities is connected by the National
Highway No. 1 ?
(a) Delhi -
Amritsar
(b) Delhi -
Kolkata
(c) Delhi -
Mumbai
(d) Varanasi -
Kanyakumari
Ans.
(a)
Q.6. Which one of the following modes of transportation reduces Tran-shipment
losses and delays in the supply of petroleum and gases ?
(a) Railways (b)
Roadways
(c) Pipeline (d)
Waterways
Ans.
(c)
Q.7. District Roads are maintained by :
(a) PWD (b) Zila
Parishad
(c) CPWD (d) BRO
Ans.
(b)
Q.8. The helicopter services to Oil and Natural Commission in its offshore
operations are provided by :
(a) Air India
(b) Indian
Airlines
(c) Pawanhans
helicopters
(d) Alliance Air
Ans.
(c)
Q.9. Which two extreme locations are connected by the North-South Corridor?
(a) Amritsar and
Tuticorin
(b) Srinagar and
Tiruvananthapuram
(c) Srinagar and
Tuticorin
(d) Srinagar and
Kanyakumari
Ans.
(d)
Q.10. National Highways are constructed and maintained by :
(a) NHAI (b)
CPWD
(c) SPWD (d) BRO
Ans.
(b)
Q.11. Which one of the following is the oldest artificial port of the country ?
(a) Tuticorin
(b) Vishakhapatnam
(c) Chennai (d)
Mumbai
Ans.
(c)
Q.12. Which of the following is the deepest and land locked port ?
(a) Kolkata (b)
Vishakhapatnam
(c) Haldia (d)
Mumbai
Ans.
(b)
Q.13. In which year was the air transport nationalized in India ?
(a) 1951 (b)
1952
(c) 1953 (d)
1963
Ans.
(c)
Q.14. Which one of the following ports is an inland riverine port ?
(a) Kolkata (b)
Tuticorin
(c) Mumbai (d)
Kandla
Ans.
(a)
Q.15. National Waterway No. 1 is navigable between which of the following places
?
(a) Between
Sadiya and Dhubri
(b) Between
Allahabad and Haldia
(c) Between
Kottapuram and Komman
(d) Between
Udyogamandal and Champakkara
Ans.
(b)
Q.16. Which are the terminal stations of National Highway No. 7 ?
(a) Srinagar and
Kanyakumari
(b) Porbandar
and Silchar
(c) Delhi and
Kolkata
(d) Varanasi and
Kanyakumari
Ans.
(d)
Q.17. STD refers to :
(a) Sururban
Telephone Dialling
(b) Subsciber
Trunk Dialling
(c) Social
Telephone Distributor
(d) Speed
Telephone Dialling
Ans.
(b)
Q.18. Which one of the following ports is the deepest land - locked and well
protected port along the east coast ?
(a) Chennai (b)
Paradip
(c) Tuticorin
(d) Vishakhapatnam
Ans.
(d)
Q.19. In which region air travel is extended to the common people through a
special provision ?
(a) Northern
States
(b) North -
western States
(c) North -
Eastern States
(d) South -
Western States
Ans.
(c)
Q.20. Which one of the following pair of cities is connected by NH-7 ?
(a)
Delhi-Amritsar
(b)
Delhi-Kolkata
(c) Delhi-Mumbai
(d)
Varanasi-Kanyakumari
Ans.
(d)
Q.21. The HVJ natural gas pipeline connects?
(a) Hazira,
Vijaipur, Jagdishpur
(b) Hazira,
Bareli, Jemshedpur
(c) Hazira,
Bokaro, Jaipur
(d) None of
these
Ans.
(a)
Q.22. Which one of the following ports was developed in order to relieve the
pressure of Kolkata port ?
(a) Paradip port
(b) Tuticorin
port
(c) Haldia port
(d) Chennai port
Ans.
(c)
Q.23. Which one of the following ports is a tidal port ?
(a) Mumbai
(b) New
Mangalore port
(c) Kandla
(d)
Vishakhapatnam
Ans.
(c)
Q.24. Which among the following sea ports was planned to decongest the Mumbai
port ?
(a) Goa port
(b) Marmagao
port
(c) Jawaharlal
Nehru port
(d) Kandla port
Ans.
(c)
Q.25. Which is the first class mail from the following?
(a) Book packets
(b) Registered
newspapers
(c) Periodicals
(d) Envelopes
Ans.
(d)
SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS
Q.1. Write a short note on the Golden Quadrilateral and the North-South and
East-West
Corridors.
Ans.
The government has launched a major road development project linking
Delhi – Kolkata –
Chennai – Mumbai
– Delhi by six-lane Super Highways. This is known as Golden
Quadrilateral
Super Highways as it links the four major metro cities. The general road network
formed as a
result is more or less quadrilateral in shape. It aims to improve linkage
between
the mega cities.
It has a total length of 5846 km.
The North-South
Corridor and the East-West Corridor, linking the terminal stations of Srinagar
in Jammu and
Kashmir in the north, Kanniyakumari in Tamil Nadu in the south, Silchar in
Assam in the
east and Porbandar in Gujarat in the west, are part of the Golden Quadrilateral
Super Highway
Project. The North-South and East-West Corridors have a length of 7142 km.
These highway
projects are being implemented by the National Highway Authority of India
(NHAI).
The major
objective of these Super Highways is to reduce the time and distance between the
big cities of
India by providing opportunity for free movement of traffic, thus increasing
connectivity
between them.
Q.2. Which are the three important networks of pipeline transportation in the
country? What
is the significance of developing pipeline transportation in India?
Ans.
The three important networks of pipeline transportation in the
country are :
(a) From oil
fields in upper Assam to Kanpur in Uttar Pradesh, via Guwahati, Barauni and
Allahabad. It
has branches from Barauni to Haldia, via Rajbandh, Rajbandh to Maurigram
and Guwahati to
Siliguri.
(b) From Salaya
in Gujarat to Jalandhar in Punjab via Viramgam, Mathura, Delhi and Sonipat.
It has branches
to connect Koyali in Gujarat, Chakshu and other places.
(c) Gas pipeline
from Hazira in Gujarat to Jagdishpur in Uttar Pradesh. via Bijapur in Madhya
Pradesh. It has
branches to Kota in Rajasthan, Shahajahanpur, Babrala and other places
in Uttar
Pradesh.
The pipelines
have played a significant role in the development of refineries like Barauni,
Mathura, Panipat
at far inland locations, away from producing areas to cater to the demand of
the inland
markets. The development of gas-based fertiliser plants in agricultural regions
away
from
petroleum-producing areas have also been possible due to pipeline transport.
Q.3. What are the advantages of waterways as a means of transport? Mention the
names of
three National Waterways in India.
Ans.
Waterways are the cheapest mode of transport. Neither construction
cost, nor maintenance cost
is required for
the waterways as they use the rivers, lakes, seas and oceans as highways. They
are suited for
the transport of bulky and heavy raw materials.
Waterways is a
fuel efficient and environment friendly mode of transportation. The boats and
steamers, even
if mechanised, consume much lesser fuel and do not pollute the surrounding.
The following
waterways have been declared as the National Waterways by the
Government :
(a) The Ganga
river between Allahabad and Haldia (1620 km) – National Waterway No. 1.
(b) The
Brahmaputra river between Sadiya and Dhubri (891 km) – National Waterway No. 2.
(c) The
West-Coast Canal in Kerala (Kottapuram – Komman, Udyogamandal and
Champakkara
canals - 205 km) – National Waterway No. 3.
Q.4. Which two modes of transport are widely used within the north-eastern
states of India?
Why?
Ans.
Inland Waterway and Airways are the two modes of transport which are
widely used in the
northeastern
states of India. The northeastern part of the country is marked with the
presence
of hilly
terrain, dissected relief, dense forests, large number of rivers, heavy rainfall
as well
as international
frontiers. As a result, roadways and railways cannot develop properly and are
lacking in this
region.
The Brahmaputra
and its tributaries are therefore used by the local people for inland navigation
as it is cheap
and convenient to use. The Brahmaputra river between Sadiya and Dhubri in
Assam has been
declared as National Waterways No. 2 by the Government, on account of its
importance.
Air travel is
another preferred mode of travel in these areas as airways can cross over
geographical
obstacles of the region with great ease. During heavy rainfall and frequent
floods,
airways become
the only mode of transport. Air transport is also subsidised in this
northeastern
states and
special provisions are made to extend the services to the common people.
Q.5. Which port serves the rich hinterland of Ganga-Brahamputra basin? Write a
short note
on this port. What is the significance of the ports in India’s economy?
Ans.
The Kolkata port serves the large and rich hinterland of the
Ganga-Brahmaputra basin covering
the states of
West Bengal, Assam, Bihar and eastern Uttar Pradesh. Tea, jute and cotton
textiles, coal,
lac, hides, engineering goods are some items of export from this region via
Kolkata port.
The Kolkata port
is an inland riverine port situated on the left bank of the River Hooghly in
West Bengal. It
is located inland at a distance of 128 km from the Bay of Bengal. It is a tidal
port. As a
result, the port faces the problem of siltation and requires constant dredging.
It is the most
important port in the eastern region. Ports hold a special position in India’s
international
trade. India’s trade with foreign countries is carried on mainly through the
ocean
routes from the
ports located along the coast. 95 percent of the country’s trade volume
(68 percent in
terms of value) is moved by the sea via the ports. Hence, ports have great
significance in
the economy of India.
Q.6. What is the significance of airways as a mode of transport? Mention two
merits and one
demerit of airways.
Ans.
Airways are the fastest, most comfortable and prestigious mode of
transport in recent times.
They can easily
cross over geographical boundaries and vast stretches of seas and oceans. They
can negotiate
over difficult terrain like high mountains, dissected terrain, dreary desert,
dense
forests with
great ease, within short period of time. Fast international travel between
different
countries of the
world have been possible because of the development of airways. Airways play
a vital role
during natural and man-made calamities like floods, famines, earthquake,
epidemics
and war. They
help in rescue operations and providing relief to the people in affected areas
within short
time.
Two merits of
airways are :
(a) It is the
fastest mode of transportation. Thousands of kilometres are covered within a few
hours.
(b) It is the
most comfortable mode of transportation.
A demerit of
airways is :
It is the
costliest mode of transportation and is out of the reach of common people.
PREVIOUS YEARS’ QUESTIONS
Q.1. Why is international trade considered the economic barometers for a country
?
Ans.
An advancement of International Trade is an index of economic
prosperity for a country.
Q.2. What is meant by road density ? Describe any four advantages Roadways have
over Railways.
Ans.
The length of road per 100 sq. km of area is known as density of
roads.
(i) construction
cost of roads is much lower than that of railways.
(ii) roads can
traverse comparatively more disseted and undulating topography than railways.
(iii) Road
transport is economical in transportation of few persons and relatively smaller
amount of goods
over short distances.
(iv) Road
provides door to door service, and thus the cost of loading and unloading is
much
lower.
Q.3. Why are metalled roads better than unmetalled roads ? What is the role of
border roads
and national highways in transportation ?
Ans.
Metalled roads are made of either cement, concrete or even bitumen of
coal therefore durable
over unmetalled
road. Unmetalled roads go out of use in rainy season.
Border roads
plays in important role in connecting strategically important difficult areas
and
helps in the
economic development of the area. National Highways are the primary road system
which links
extreme parts of the country.
Q.4. Explain any four reasons why a dense and efficient network of transport and
communication is a pre-requisite for trade of today.
Ans.
A dense and efficient network of transport and communication is a pre
requisite for the
(i) movement of
goods and services from their supply locations to demand locations.
(ii) The pace of
development of a country depends not only upon production of goods and
services but
also on their movement over space for fast economic development.
(iii) It also
contributes socio-economic progress of the country in many ways.
(iv) a dense and
efficient network of transport and communication is also a pre-requisite for
local, national
and global trade.
Q.5. Explain any four factors responsible for the development of iron and steel
industries.
Ans.
(i) Low cost of iron ore, high grade raw materials in proximity.
(ii) Cheap
labour
(iii) Vast
growth potential in the home market.
(iv)
liberalisation and Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) have given a boost to the
industry.
Q.6. As an industry, how has tourism a bright future in India ? Explain.
Ans.
Tourism industry has a bright future in India because of its
increasing contribution to foreign
exchange (Rs
21828 crore) number of foreign tourists (2.6 million) and direct employment of
15 million
people in tourism industry.
Q.7. What is the difference between personal communication and mass
communication ? State
any two points of importance of mass communication.
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,
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.
Q.8. Explain any four major problems faced by Indian Railways.
Ans.
The Four major problems faced by Indian Railways are (i) large number
of rivers requiring
construction of
bridges (ii) Hilly terrain where railway tracts are laid through low hills, gaps
or tunnels (iii)
sparse population and lack of economic viability (iv) difficulties to lay
railway
lines on sandy
plains and swamps.
Q.9. Why do roadways have an edge over railways ? Explain.
Ans.
Roadways have an edge over railways because it can be built and
maintained at ease and at
much lower cost.
Roadways also provide door to door service.
Q.10. What are Golden Quadrilateral Super Highways ? Mention any two objectives
of this
project. The North-South and East-West Corridors join which terminal cities ?
Ans.
(i) The Golden qudrilateral 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 of India.
(iii) The
North-South corridors linking Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir) and kanyakumari
(Tamil
Nadu) and
East-West corridor connecting Silchar (Assam) and Porbander (Gujarat).
Q.11. Why is air transport an important means of transport in the north-eastern
part of our
country? Explain any four reasons.
Ans.
Air transport is an important means of transport in north eastern
states because of the following
four reasons :
(i) presence of
big rivers. (ii) dissected relief.
(iii) dense
forest and frequent floods. (iv) International frontiers.
Q.12. ‘Transport, communication and trade are complementary to each other.’
Explain with
four examples.
Ans.
(i) It linked with the country with the rest of the world.
(ii) Roadways,
railways, newspaper, internet etc have been countributing to socio-economic
progress in many
ways.
(iii) Trades
from local to international levels have boosted the economy.
(iv) It enriched
life with many amenities that comforts life.
Q.13. “Efficient means of transport are pre-requisites for fast development”.
Support the
statement with suitable examples.
Ans.
The pace of development of a country depends upon the production of
goods and services as
well as their
movement over space. Therefore, efficient means of transport are pre-requisites
for
fast economic
and social development.
Q.14. Explain four advantages of road transport in India.
Ans.
The four advantages of road transport in India are
(i) Road
transport is economical. (ii) It provides door-to-door services.
(iii) The cost
of loading and unloading much lower.
(iv) It can be
used as feeder to other modes of transport.
Q.15. What is meant by international trade. State any features of India’s
international trade.
Ans.
(i) Trade between two countries is called International trade.
(ii) One of the
features of international trade of India is information technology.
Q.16. “The distribution pattern of the Railways network in the country has been
largely
influenced by physiographic factors” - Support the statement with four examples.
Ans.
Physiographic factors regulate the distribution pattern of railways
network. High mountains,
broad rivers,
dense forest, swampy land caused hindrance in the distribution pattern of
railway
networks in
India.
Q.17. Explain any four advantages of pipeline transportation.
Ans.
The four advantages of pipelines transportation are (i) Both solid
(when converted into slurry)
liquid and gases
can be transported through pipelines (ii) Initial cost of laying pipelines is
high
but subsequent
runing costs are minimal. (iii) Trans-shipment of losses and delays are
minimum. (iv) It
is economical to transport petroleum, natural gas, ferlilizers to interior
places.
Q.18. What is the importance of railways transport ? Explain three major
problems faced by
Indian railways.
Ans.
It is the principal mode of transportation for freight and
passengers. The three major problems
faced by Indian
railways are
(i) passengers
travelling without ticket (ii) thefts and damages of railways property.
(iii) people
pulls chain to stop trains.
Q.19. Define the following terms :
(i) Trade (ii) International trade
(iii) Favourable Balance of Trade (iv) Unfavourable Balance of Trade
Ans.
(i) The exchange of goods among people, states and countries is
referred to as trade.
(ii) Trade
between two countries is called International Trade.
(iii) When the
value of export exceeds the value of imports, it is called a favourable balance
of trade.
(iv) When the
value of imports exceeds the value of exports, it is termed as unfavourable
balance of
Trade.
Q.20. Describe any four major problems faced by the road transportation in
India.
Ans.
Road transport in India faced four major problems. They are as
follows :
(i) The volume
of traffic and passengers, the road network is inadequate.
(ii) About half
of the roads are unmetalled not usable during rainy season.
(iii) The
National Highways are in adequate
(iv) The
roadways are highly congested in cities and most of the bridges and culverts are
old
and narrow.
Q.21. Why are the means of transportation and communication called the lifelines
of national
economy ? Give any four reasons to support your answer.
Ans.
The means of transportation and communication are called the
lifelines of National economy
because (i) it
linked the world with transport network (ii) Railways, roadways newspaper,
television,
cinema and internet have been contributing to socio-economic progress. (iii) The
trades from
local to international levels have added to the vitality of its economy. (iv) It
has
enriched our
life and added substantially to growing amenities and facilities for the
comforts
of life.
Q.22. Explain any four qualitative improvements made in Indian Railways.
Ans.
(i) Conversion of metre 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 were there was no railway lines earlier.
Q.23. Study the following table carefully and answer the questions that follow :
Railways Network in India
Year
Langth of rail
routes (kms)
1999-2000 2000-2001
Total length
62,809
62,759
Broad Gauge
44,216
44,383
Metre Gauge
15,178
15,013
Narrow Gauge
3,415
3,363
Electrified
Route
14,579
15,063
(i) What was the total length of railways route in 2000-2001 ?
(ii) How much increase occurred in the length of electrified routes between
1999-2000 and 2000-2001 ?
(iii) How is narrow gauge different from broad gauge?
Ans.
(i) 1,40,581 kms
(ii) 484 kms
(iii) Narrow
Gauge (0.762 and 0.610 metres). Broad Gauge (1.676 metres) difference =
0.914 metres
between Broad Gauge and Narrow Gauge.
Q.24. Describe the changing nature of the international trade in the last
fifteen years.
Ans.
International trade has undergone a sea change in the last fifteen
years. Exchange of
commodities and
goods have been superseded by the exchange of information and knowledge.
India has
emerged as a software giant at the international level and is earning large
foreign
exchange through
the export of information technology.
Q.25. Name the longest National Water way of India. Write any three points of
importance of
waterways ?
Ans.
The Ganga river waterways between Allahabad and Haldia (1620 km) N.W.
No. 1 is the
longest water
ways of India. The three points of importance of waterways are (i) cheapest
means of
transport (ii) suitable for carrying heavy and bulky goods. (iii) It is a fuel
efficient
and
environmental friendly mode of transport.
Q.26. “Modern means of transport and communication serve as lifelines of our
nation.”
Explain.
Ans.
Modern means of transport and communication serve as lifelines of our
nation. It integrates
local, national
and global trade by boosting the economy and providing the comforts of life.
Q.27. How do physical and economic factors influence the distribution pattern of
Indian
railway network? Explain with suitable examples.
Ans.
The distribution pattern of the railway network in India has been
greatly influenced by physical
and economic
factors.
Level lands of
the Northern Plains of India with high density of population, rich agricultural
resources and
greater industrial activity have favoured the development of railways in this
region. The
region, therefore, has the densest network of railways in India.
The rugged
terrain of the Himalayan mountain region in the north and the north-eastern
states
with sparse
population and lack of economic opportunities are unfavourable for construction
of railway lines
and railway network is lacking in these regions.
Sparsely
populated sandy deserts of Rajasthan, hilly contiguous tracts of the Sahyadri
swamps
of Gujarat,
forested tracks of Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Orissa and Jharkhand,
frequently
flooded
floodplains of Bihar and Assam have posed great difficulty in laying of railway
lines.
On account of
the economic importance of the region, the Konkan Railways were developed
in recent times
along the west coast in spite of problems of sinking of tracks, landslides and
need for
construction of tunnels.
LONG ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS
Q.1. Mention four demerits of road transportation with reference ot India.
OR
‘Indian road transportation is confronted with problems.’ Describe any four.
Ans.
Road transportation is economical in transportation of smaller amount
of goods and few
passengers over
short and medium distances. Though they are relatively cheap and easy to
construct and
maintain, road transportation in India is confronted with a number of problems.
(a) On account
of its large population, India has large volumes of traffic and passengers which
require a large
number of vehicles. But the road network is not adequate to meet the
requirement of
handling heavy traffic.
(b) As most
roads are kuccha or un metaled, their usage is limited during the rainy
season.
The potholes on
roads form muddy pools in the monsoon season and cause accidents.
(c) There are
still more national highways to be built to connect the different parts of the
country.
(d) The roads in
the cities are highly congested and traffic jams are a constant problem. Most
of the bridges
and culverts are also old and narrow aggravating the problem.
(e) Roadside
amenities like emergency medical facilities, telephone booths etc., are lacking.
(f) Police
patrolling on the highways in not adequate, so goods and passengers are not safe
all the time.
Q.2. What is mass communication? What are the different means of mass
communication?
What is the significance of mass communication in a country like India?
Ans.
Mass communication provides entertainment as well as information to a
large number of
people at the
same time. As they are means of communication with the masses, they are known
as mass
communication.
Press or print
media like newspapers, periodicals, magazines and books, and electronic media
like radio,
television, films and computers are the different means of mass communication.
Mass
communication covers variety of topics from entertainment, educational, news,
sports to
business in
national, regional and local languages for various categories of people
belonging
to different age
groups. In a vast country like India with huge population, diverse languages
and culture,
mass communication is an important means of reaching out to the people.
They provide
information about the various national programmes and policies. They provide
knowledge about
the various social and economic problems confronted by the country. This
creates
awareness among the people and helps in forming public opinion. It can also be
used
as a medium of
educating the people. Thus, mass communication has a significant role in a
country like
India.
Q.3. Discuss the importance of tourism in India.
Ans.
Tourism has great importance in the economy and cultural development
of India. It promotes
national
integration. It makes us aware of the beauty and rich cultural heritage of our
nation.
It promote
inter-regional relationship.
Tourism
encourages cultural pursuits and provides support to local handicrafts. It helps
in
development of
international understanding.
Tourism is
considered to be an invincible trade. India’s natural beauty, diversity and
glorious
past attracts
innumerable visitors to India every year. Overseas holidayers and travellers
have
awarded India
the fourth rank among the best holiday destinations of the world. Over 2.6
million foreign
tourists visit India every year. Foreign tourists visit India for heritage
tourism,
cultural
tourism, ecotourism, adventure tourism, medical tourism and business tourism.
Tourism in India
has grown substantially over the last three decades. Foreign tourists arrivals
in the country
witnessed an increase of 23.5 percent during the year 2004 as against year 2003,
thus
contributing Rs. 21,828 crores of foreign exchange. The trend is towards
increase of
foreign tourism
and, hence, more foreign exchange earning for the country.
Tourism also
plays a major role in employment generation. More than 15 million people are
directly engaged
in the tourism industry and many more are indirectly connected to it.
There is a
bright future of the upcoming tourism industry in India.
Q.4. Write a short note on (a) Personal written communication (b) Telecom
network of India.
Ans.
(a) The personal written communication is handled by the Indian
postal network. Cards and
envelopes are
considered first-class mail and book packets, registered newspapers and
periodicals are
called second class mail. The first-class mail is air lifted while the second
class mail is
carried by surface transport. For quick delivery of mails in cities and large
towns, six mail
channels have been introduced. They are called Rajdhani Channel, Metro
Channel, Green
Channel, Business Channel, Bulk Mail Channel and Periodical Channel.
(b) India has
one of the largest telecom networks in Asia. It has about 37,565 telephone
exchanges spread
all over the country. Apart from the towns and cities, more than
two-thirds of
the villages have already been covered with Subscriber Trunk Dialling
(STD) telephone
facility. There is uniform rate of STD facility all over India and
provisions have
been made to extend 24 hours STD facility to all villages. It has been
possible by
integrating development in Space Technology with Communication Technology.
A number of
private companies have entered the field of telecommunication and this has
resulted in the
availability of better facility to the customs.
PREVIOUS YEARS’ QUESTIONS
Q.1. Write a short note on (a) Personal written communication (b) Telecom
network of India.
Ans.
(a) Personal written communication includes cards and enevelopes
which is also called first
class mail.
(b) India has
one of the largest telecom networks in Asia. Exclunding urban places more than
two thirds of
the villages in India have already been covered with Subscriber Trunk
Dialling (STD)
telephone facility. The development of space tachnology with
communication
technology has made integrated development of telecom network
successful.
Q.2. Explain any four merits of pipleline transport in India.
Ans.
The four merits of pipeline transport in India are as follows :
(i) Both liquid,
gases and solid (when converted into slurry) materials can be transported
through
pipelines.
(ii) Initial
cost of laying pipelines is high but subsequent running costs are minimal.
(iii) It’s
trans-shipment losses or delays are minimum.
(iv) Pipelines
can be laid down over long distances.
Q.3. Explain any four merits of pipleline transport in India.
Ans.
Pipelines are used for the transportation of crude oil, petroleum
products and natural gas.
The merits of
pipeline transportation in India are as follows :
(i) Pipelines
help in the growth of refineries, petrochemicals, and fertiliser factories and
big
thermal power
plants by providing raw materials directly from producing areas to the
factories and
plants.
(ii) Pipelines
can take petroleum and natural gas to places far off from the oil and gas
fields.
They help in
setting up of refineries in far inland locations to cater to the demands of
markets inland.
The refineries of Barauni, Mathura and Panipat were possible due to
development of
pipelines.
(iii) The
initial cost of laying the pipelines may be high but subsequent running costs
are
nominal.
(iv) Pipelines
transport petroleum and natural gas directly from producing areas to demand
areas, hence,
they rule out trans-shipment losses or delays.
Q.4. Why is road transport more useful than rail transport in India? Explain
four reasons.
Ans.
The four advantages of road transport in India are
(i) Road
transport is economical.
(ii) It provides
door-to-door services.
(iii) The cost
of loading and unloading much lower.
(iv) It can be
used as feeder to other modes of transport.
Q.5. How do physical and economic factors influence the distribution pattern of
the Indian
railway network? Explain with examples.
Ans.
The distribution pattern of the Railways network in the country has
been largely influenced by
physiographic
and economic factors. The northern plains with their vast level land, high
population
density and rich agricultural resources provided the most favourable condition
of
its growth.
While the Himalayan region with its high relief, sparse population and lack of
economic
opportunities have always retarded its growth and development.
Q.6. Explain, why is air transport preferred in north–eastern states of India?
Ans.
The northeastern part of the country is marked with the presence of
difficult hilly and
mountainous
terrain, dissected relief, large number of rivers, dense forest, heavy rainfall
and
frequent floods.
International frontiers also mark this region. Air transport is the best mode of
travel in these
areas as airways can negotiate over geographical obstacles and political
boundaries with
great ease. Roads and railways cannot be properly laid out in such difficult
terrain and
heavy rainfall and frequent floods disrupt all other modes of transportation.
Air
transport is the
only means of communication under such situations. They can access remote
and inaccessible
areas in these north-eastern states. They are the fastest and most comfortable
means of
transport. Domestic airlines have made special provisions to extend air service
to the
northeastern
states at subsidised rates to meet the requirement of the common people. So, the
airways are also
within the financial reach of the common people in this region.
On account of
all these factors, airways is the preferred mode of transportation in the north
eastern states
of India.