Class X - 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.

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?

Ans. 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.

 

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 enonomy.

Q.6. What is meant by trade? What is the difference between international and local 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 favourable balance of trade. If the value of imports exceeds the value of exports, it is termed as unfavourable 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 jewellery (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 fertilisers (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.