Question 1.
\n\u201cIndia became an exporter of primary products and an importer of finished goods produced in the factories of Britain.\u201d Critically examine the foreign policy adopted by the British in the light of the above statement. (March 2009)
\nAnswer:
\nSome of the policy features of the British in India are the following:<\/p>\n
Question 2.
\nDuring the colonial period, industrial progress of Indian economy was very slow. Give reasons for supporting this statement. (Say 2009)
\nAnswer:
\nThe reasons for slow industrial growth during colonial period are:<\/p>\n
Question 3.
\nThe stagnation in the agricultural sector was caused mainly because of the various systems of land settlement that were introduced by the colonial government. Do you agree with this statement? Justify your answer. (March 2010)
\nAnswer:
\nYes, India\u2019s agriculture sector was stagnant during the colonial rule. The stagnation in the agriculture sector was caused mainly because of the following.<\/p>\n
Question 4.
\nIndia could not develop a sound industrial base under colonial rule. Substantiate. (March 2011)
\nAnswer:
\nAs in the case of agriculture, so also in manufacturing, India could not develop a sound industrial base under the colonial rule. Even as the country\u2019s world-famous handicraft industries declined, no corresponding modern industrial base was allowed to come up to take pride in a place so long enjoyed by the former. The main reasons were that Britain did not want India to be industrialised. Their policy towards India was<\/p>\n
Question 5.
\nCompare the major demographic indicators of colonial India with the present condition and comment on it. (March 2012)
\nAnswer:<\/p>\n
Question 6.
\nUnder colonial rule, basic infrastructure developed considerably in India. What was the real motive behind this development? (Say 2012)
\nAnswer:
\nBasic infrastructure like railways, roads, telegraph, etc. was developed during the British period. The purpose behind this was to satisfy various colonial interests.<\/p>\n
Question 7.
\nThe stagnation in agriculture during the colonial rule permanently broken by the Green Revolution. Discuss. (Say 2012)
\nAnswer:
\nA significant and continuous rise in agricultural production with the use of fertilizers, HYV seeds, and irrigation facilities is known as the Green Revolution. The spread of green revolution technology-enabled India to achieve self-sufficiency in food grains. It helped in improving the living standards of farmers. It also helped in creating a marketable surplus of food grains.<\/p>\n
Question 8.
\nPick out the feature of the Indian economy with respect to the occupational structure during the British rule. (High mortality rate, growing regional variation in the workforce, generation of large export surplus, take the root of modern industries.) (March 2013)
\nAnswer:
\nGeneration of large export surplus.<\/p>\n
Question 9.
\nWhile participating in a debate, your friend says, \u201cThe introduction of the railway in India by the British is one of their important contributions.\u201d Express your view with jurisdiction. (March 2013)
\nAnswer:<\/p>\n
Question 10.
\n\u2019\u2019During the colonial rule, there was neither growth nor equity in the agricultural sector.\u201d (March 2013)
\na) Name the two measures adopted by the policy makers of independent India to resolve this.
\nb) State the features of anyone.
\nAnswer:
\na) 1) Land reforms
\n2) Green revolution<\/p>\n
b) Land reform involves the changing of laws, regulations or customs regarding land ownership. Land reform may consist of a government-initiated or government-backed property redistribution, generally of agricultural land. Land reform can, therefore, refer to transfer of ownership from the more powerful to the less powerful; such as from a relatively small number of wealthy (or noble) owners with extensive land holdings (eg. plantations, large ranches, or agribusiness plots) to individual ownership by those who work the land. Such trans\u00acfers of ownership may be with or without compensation; compensation may vary from token amounts to the full value of the land.<\/p>\n
Question 11.
\nDuring the colonial period, the Indian foreign trade did not generate an export surplus. (Say 2013)
\nAnswer:
\nFalse<\/p>\n
Question 12.
\nThe development of infrastructure during the colonial period can be considered as a positive contribution of the British. Analyze this statement. (March 2014)
\nAnswer:
\nUnder the colonial regime, basic infrastructure such as railways, ports, water transport, posts, and telegraphs did develop. However, the real motive behind this development was not to provide basic amenities to the people but to subserve various colonial interests. Roads constructed in India prior to the advent of British rule were not fit for modern transport.<\/p>\n
The British introduced the railways in India in 1850 and it is considered as one of their most important contributions. The railways affected the structure of the Indian economy in two important ways. On the one hand, it enabled people to undertake long-distance travel and thereby break geographical and cultural barriers while, on the other hand, it fostered commercialization of Indian agriculture which adversely affected the self-sufficiency of the village economies in India.<\/p>\n
Though the aim of such infrastructure developments was different, the developmental activity of the British government positively contributed to the development of the Indian economy.<\/p>\n
Question 13.
\nIn a debate, one of your friends remarked, \u201cthe creation of large export surplus during the British rule did not benefit India\u201d. Do you agree? Substantiate your answer. (Say 2014)
\nAnswer:
\nI agree with this statement.
\nBasic infrastructure like railways, roads, telegraph etc. were developed during British period. The purpose behind this was to satisfy various colonial interests.<\/p>\n
Question 14.
\nThe stagnation in the Indian agricultural sector during the British period was mainly due to (Say 2014)
\na) Low level of technology
\nb) Little use of fertilizers
\nc) Various systems of land settlements
\nd) All of the above
\nAnswer:
\nd) All of the above<\/p>\n
Question 15.
\n‘The economic policies pursued by the colonial government in India were concerned more with the protection and promotion of the economic interests of their home country than with the development of Indian economy’. Critically evaluate the short-comings of the agricultural and industrial policies pursued by the colonial administrators. (March 2015)
\nAnswer:
\nAgricultural Sector: India\u2019s economy under colonial rule remained fundamentally agrarian about 85 percent of the country\u2019s population lived mostly in villages and derived livelihood directly or indirectly from agriculture. However, despite being the occupation of such a large population, the agricultural sector continued to experience stagnation. This stagnation in the agricultural sector was caused mainly because of the various systems of land settlement that were introduced by the colonial government.<\/p>\n
Industrial Sector: As in the case of agriculture, so also in manufacturing, India could not develop a sound industrial base under the colonial rule. Even as the country\u2019s world-famous handicraft industries declined, no corresponding modern industrial base was allowed to come up to take pride of a place so long enjoyed by the former.<\/p>\n
During the second half of the nineteenth century, the modern industry began to take root in India but its progress remained very slow. Initially, this development was confined to the setting up of cotton and jute textile mills. The growth rate of the new industrial sector and its contributions to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) remained very small.<\/p>\n
Question 16.
\nList the reasons for agricultural stagnation under British rule. (Say 2015)
\nAnswer:
\nIndia’s agriculture sector was stagnant during the colonial rule. The stagnation in the agriculture sector was caused mainly because of the following.<\/p>\n
Question 17.
\n\u2018India\u2019s agriculture sector was stagnant during the colonial rule. Do you agree with this statement? Substantiate. (March 2016)
\nAnswer:
\nYes I agree
\nThe reasons for the stagnation of the agriculture sector were:<\/p>\n