Lifelines of National Economy Class 10 Extra

Questions Geography Chapter 7

Very Short Answer Type Questions

1. Why do we need transportation?

Answer: Goods and services do not move from their supply

locations to demand locations on their own. The movement of
these goods and services necessitates the need for transport.

2. Why is an efficient means of transport considered as a

pre-requisite for fast development?

Answer: The pace of development of a country depends upon

the production of goods and services as well as their movement
over space. Therefore, an efficient means of transport is a pre-
requisite for fast development.

3. How are transport, communication and trade

complimentary to each other?

Answer: For a long time, trade and transport were restricted to a

limited space. Today the world has been converted into a large
village with the help of efficient and fast moving transport.
Transport has been able to achieve this with the help of equally
developed communication system.

4. What has contributed to the socio-economic progress of

India?

Answer: Today, India is well linked with the rest of the world
despite its vast size, diversity and linguistic and socio-cultural
plurality. Railways, airways, waterways, newspaper, radio,
television, cinema, internet, etc., have been contributing to its
socio-economic progress in many ways.

5. Classify roads on the basis of their capacity.

Answer: (i) North-South Corridors

(ii) East-west Corridors
(iii) Golden Quadrilateral
(iv) National Highways
(v) State Highways
(vi) District Roads
(vii) Rural Roads
(viii) Border Roads

6. What is the extent of North-South Corridor of India?

Answer: North-South Corridor links Srinagar (Jammu and

Kashmir) to Kanyakumari (Tamil Nadu).

7. Name the southern terminal station of the ‘North-South

Corridor.’ [CBSE Delhi 2017]

Answer: Kanyakumari

8. Name the river which is related to ‘National Waterways’

No. 1. [CBSE Delhi 2017]

Answer: Ganga

9. How is East-West Corridor connected?

Answer: East-West Corridor is connecting Silchar (Assam) in the

East to Porbandar (Gujarat) in the west.

10. What do you know about Golden Quadrilateral?

Answer: The government has launched a major road

development project linking Delhi-Kolkata, Chennai, Mumbai and
Delhi by six lane super highway. It is looked after by National
Highway Authority of India.

11. Who looks after the National Highways of India?

Answer: National highways link extreme parts of the country.

These are the primary road systems and are laid and maintained
by Central Public Works Department (CPWD).

12. What do you know about National Highway 1?

Answer: The historical Sher Shah Suri Marg is called National
Highway 1. It is located between Delhi and Amritsar.

13. Which places are linked by National Highway 2 and 3?

Answer: National Highway 2 links Delhi to Kolkata and National

Highway 3 links Gwalior to Jhansi.

14. What do you know about National Highway 7?

Answer: National Highway 7 is the longest and traverses 2369

kms between Varanasi and Kanyakumari via Jabalpur, Nagpur,
Hyderabad, Bangalore and Madurai.

15. How is Mumbai and Delhi connected by road?

Answer: Delhi and Mumbai is well connected by National

Highway 8.

16. What do you know about National Highway 15?

Answer: National Highway 15 covers most of the Rajasthan.

17. Who looks after State Highways of India?

Answer: State Highways are constructed and maintained by the

State Public Works Department (PWD) in states and union
territories.

18. Name the river related to National Waterways No. 2.

[CBSE (AI) 2017]

Answer: The river related to National Waterway No.2 is River

‘Brahmaputra’.

19. What do you know about District Roads?

Answer: District Roads connect the district headquarters with

other places of the district. These roads are maintained by Zila
Parishad.
20. What is ‘Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana’?

Answer: Rural roads connecting villages to the towns received

special impetus under Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana. Under
this scheme, special provisions are made so that every village in
the country is linked to a major town in the country by all season
motorable road.

21. What do you know about Border Roads Organisation?

Answer: Border Roads Organisation is a Government of India

undertaking which constructs and maintains roads of the
bordering areas of the country. This organization was established
in 1960 for the development of the roads of strategic importance
in the northern and north eastern border areas.

22. Classify roads on the basis of type of material used in

them?

Answer: (i) Metalled Roads may be made of cement, concrete or

even bitumen of coal, therefore, they are all weather roads.
(ii) Unmetalled roads are Kuccha roads, mostly used in rural
areas and go out of use in the rainy season.

23. What does ‘Road Density’ mean?

Answer: The length of road per 100 sq. kms of area is known as
density of roads.

24. What is the status of road density in India?

Answer: Distribution of roads is not uniform in the country.

Density of all roads varies from only 10 kms. In Jammu and
Kashmir to 375 kms in Kerala with National Average of 75 km
(1996-97).

25. Why is railways considered a principal mode of

transport in India.

Answer: Railways are the principal mode of transportation for

freight and passengers in India. Railway also make it possible to
conduct multifarious activities like business, sightseeing,
pilgrimage along with transportation of goods over longer
distances.

26. When was the first train in India launched?

Answer: The first train steamed off from Mumbai to Thane in

1853, covering a distance of 34 kms.

27. What is the network of railways in northern plains?

Answer: The northern plains with their vast level land, high
population density and rich agricultural resources provided the
most favourable condition for their growth.

28. What is the status of railways in hilly tracts?

Answer: In the hilly terrains of peninsular region, railway tracts

are laid through low hills, gaps or tunnels.

29. How are Konkan railways materialised?

Answer: In recent times, the development of the Konkan railway

along the west coast has facilitated the movement of passengers
and goods in this most important economic region of India. It has
also faced a number of problems such as sinking of track in some
stretches and landslides.

30. What is a new arrival on the transportation map of

India? [CBSE Sample Paper 2016]

Answer: Pipeline transport network is a new arrival on the

transportation map of India to transport liquids as well as solids in
slurry form.

31. What is the significance of waterways?

Answer: Waterways are the cheapest means of transportation.

They are the most suitable transportation system for carrying
heavy and bulky goods. It is fuel efficient and environment
friendly mode of transport.
32. Where are National Waterway 1 and 2 located?

Answer: (i) The Ganga River between Allahabad and Haldia is

National Waterway 1.
(ii) The Brahmaputra river between Sadiya and Dhubri is National
Waterway 2.

33. Where is National Waterway 3 located?

Answer: The West-Coast Canal in Kerala (Kottapuram-Kollam,

Udyogamandal and Champakara canals) forms the National
Waterway 3.

34. How many ports do we have in India?

Answer: With a long coastline of 7516.6 kms, India is dotted with

12 major and 181 medium and minor ports.

35. Name the first sea port developed after independence

on the western coast of India. [CBSE (F) 2017]

Answer: First Sea Port developed after independence –Kandla

36. Write about the port developed in place of Karachi

port, which has gone to Pakistan.

Answer: Kandla in Kutch was the first port developed soon after
the independence to ease the volume of trade on the Mumbai
port in the wake of loss of Karachi port to Pakistan after partition.

37. What are the benefits of Kandla port today?

Answer: Kandla is a tidal port. It caters to the convenient

handling of exports and imports of highly productive granary and
industrial belt stretching across the states of Jammu and Kashmir,
Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and Gujarat.

38. What is the contribution of two ports of Mumbai?

Answer: Mumbai is the biggest port with a spacious natural and

well-sheltered harbors. The Jawaharlal Nehru Port was planned
with a view to decongest the Mumbai Port and serve as a hub port
for this region.

39. What is the role of Goa port to Economy of India?

Answer: Marmagao Port of Goa is the premier iron ore exporting

port of the country. This port accounts for about 50% of India’s
iron-ore exports.

40. Name the State related to National Waterways No. 3.

[CBSE (F) 2017]

Answer: State related to National Waterways No. 3 is Kerala.

41. Name the port and state which caters to the export of
Iron-ore of Kudremukh River.

Answer: New Mangalore Port in Karnataka.

42. Where is Kochi port located?

Answer: Kochi is the extreme South-Western Port, located at the

entrance of a lagoon with a natural harbor in Kerala.

43. Which is the oldest artificial Port of India?

Answer: Chennai is one of the oldest artificial port of the country.

It is ranked next to the one in Mumbai in terms of the volume of
trade and cargo.

44. Which is the deepest landlocked port of India?

Answer: Vishakhapatnam is the deepest landlocked and well

protected port. This port was originally conceived as an outlet for
iron-ore exports.

45. Which is the Inland port of India?

Answer: Kolkata is an inland river port. This port serves a very

large and rich hinterland of Ganga-Brahmaputra basin.
46. What role does Pawan hans Helicopter Ltd. play?

Answer: Pawan hans Helicopter Ltd. provides helicopter service

to Oil and Natural Gas Commission in its off shore operations to
inaccessible areas and difficult terrains like the North-Eastern
States and the interior parts of Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal
Pradesh and Uttaranchal.

47. Name the Sea ports of Eastern Coast in descending

order.

Answer: (i) Haldia and Kolkata Ports

(ii) Vishakhapatnam Port
(iii) Chennai Port
(iv) Tuticorin Port

48. Name the Sea ports of Western Coast in descending

order.

Answer: (i) Kochi Port

(ii) New Mangalore Port
(iii) Marmagao
(iv) Mumbai and Jawaharlal Nehru Ports
(v) Kandla Port

49. Write the name of the international airport of Mumbai.

[CBSE (F) 2017]

Answer: International Airport of Mumbai-Chhatarpati Shivaji

Airport.

50. What do you know about Indian postal network?

Answer: The Indian postal network is the largest in the world. It

handles parcels as well as personal letters or written
communication.

51. What is the status of telecom network of India?

Answer: India has one of the largest telecom networks in Asia.

Excluding urban places, more than two thirds of the villages in
India have already been covered with Subscriber Trunk Dialing
(STD) telephone facility. There is a uniform rate of STD facilities
all over India.

52. How are telecommunication facilities able to reach

remote areas of India?

Answer: It has been made possible by integrating the

development in space technology with communication
technology.

53. What does ‘Mass Communication’ mean?

Answer: Mass communication provides entertainment and

creates awareness among people about various national
programmes and policies.

54. What does Mass communication include?

Answer: It includes radio, television, newspapers, magazines,

books and films. All India Radio (Akashvani) broadcasts a variety
of programmes in national, regional and local languages for
various categories of people spread over different parts of the
country.

55. What is the role of Doordarshan in mass

communication?

Answer: Doordarshan, the national television channel of India, is

one of the largest terrestrial networks in the world. It broadcasts a
variety of programmes from entertainment, educational and
sports, etc., for people of different age groups.

56. What kind of newspapers and periodicals are

published in India?

Answer: India publishes a large number of newspapers and

periodicals annually. Newspapers are published in about 100
languages and dialects. The largest number of newspapers
published in the country are in Hindi, followed by English and
Urdu.

57. What do you mean by ‘trade’?

Answer: The exchange of goods among people, states and
countries is referred to as trade.

58. What is ‘International Trade’?

Answer: Trade between two or more countries is called

International Trade.

59. What does ‘balance of trade’ mean?

Answer: The balance of trade of a country is the difference

between its exports and imports.

60. What is favourable balance of trade?

Answer: When the value of exports exceeds the value of imports,

it is called a favourable balance of trade.

61. What does unfavourable balance of trade mean?

Answer: If the value of imports exceeds the value of exports, it is

termed as unfavourable balance of trade.

62. Is it true that India’s trade has been superseded by

Information and Technology?

Answer: India has emerged as a software giant at the

international level and it is earning large foreign exchange
through the export of information technology.

63. How many people visit India as foreign tourists?

Answer: 5.78 million foreign tourists visited India in 2010.

Tourism in India has grown substantially over the last three
decades. Foreign tourist’s arrivals in the country witnessed an
increase of 11.8 per cent during the year 2010 as against the
year 2009, contributing Rs 64,889 crore of foreign exchange in
2010.

64. What are the benefits of tourism?

Answer: Tourism promotes national integration, provides support
to local handicrafts and cultural pursuits. It also helps in the
development of international understanding about our culture
heritage.

65. What types of tourisms attract tourists to India?

Answer: (i) Heritage tourism

(ii) Ecotourism
(iii) Adventure tourism
(iv) Cultural tourism
(v) Medical tourism
(vi) Business tourism

66. Which states are important destinations of foreign

tourists?

Answer: Rajasthan, Goa, Jammu and Kashmir and temple towns

attract foreign tourists in India.

67. Handling of exports and imports on a large scale is

done conveniently from the Kandla port. Why? [CBSE
Sample Paper 2017]

Answer: Kandla is a tidal port, hence large ship can enter and
leave the port easily.

68. Which commodities are imported by India?

Answer: Commodities imported to India are petroleum and

petroleum products, pearls and precious stones, inorganic
chemicals, coal, coke and briquettes, fertilisers, cereals, edible
oils and newsprint.

Short Answer Type Questions

1. ‘‘Tourism industry in India has grown substantially over

the last three decades.’’ Support the statement. [CBSE
(AI) 2017]

Answer: Tourism industry in India has grown substantially over

the last three decades
(i) Foreign tourism arrival in the country had seen an increase
contributing Rs 21,828 crore of foreign exchange.
(ii) More than 15 million people are directly engaged in tourism
industry.
(iii) Over 2.6 million foreign tourists visit India every year.
(iv) Tourism also promotes national integration and provides
support to local handicrafts.

2. ‘‘The advancement of international trade of a country is

an index of its economic development.’’ Justify the
statement. [CBSE (AI) 2017]

Answer: ‘The advancement of international trade of a country is

an index of its economic development:
(i) It is considered as the economic barometer of a country.
(ii) As the resources are space bound, no country can survive
without international trade.
(iii) A favourable balance of trade of a country indicates
economic development.
(iv) International trade helps in exchange of surplus goods with
those of deficit countries.
(v) Exchange of commodities and goods have been superseded
by the exchange of information and knowledge.

3. What are the problems faced by the Indian railways?

Answer: The Indian railways faces the following problems:

(i) Many passengers travel without tickets.
(ii) Thefts and damage of railway property has not yet stopped
completely.
(iii) People stop the trains and pull the chain unnecessarily. This
causes heavy damage to the railways.

4. What are the three important networks of pipeline

transportation?

Answer: (i) From oilfield in upper Assam to Kanpur via Guwahati,

Barauni and Allahabad.
(ii) From Salaya in Gujarat to Jalandhar in Punjab via Viramgam,
Mathura, Delhi and Sonipat.
(iii) Gas pipeline from Hazira in Gujarat connects Jagdishpur in
Uttar Pradesh via Vijaipur in Madhya Pradesh.
5. What are the advantages of waterways?

Answer: (i) Waterways are the cheapest means of transport.

(ii) They are most suitable for carrying heavy and bulky goods.
(iii) They are fuel-efficient and also environment-friendly mode of
transport.

6. How does India account for the largest telecom network

in India?

Answer: (i) More than two-thirds of the villages in India have

already been covered with the Subscriber Trunk Dialling (STD)
telephone facility.

(ii) In order to strengthen the flow of information from the

grassroot to the higher level, the government has made special
provision to extend twenty-four hours STD facility to every village
in the country.

(iii) There is a uniform rate of STD facilities all over India.

It has been made possible by integrating the development in

space technology with communication technology.

7. What are the advantages of using pipelines?

Answer: (i) Pipelines are used for transporting crude oil,

petroleum products and natural gas from oil and natural gas fields
to refineries, fertilizer factories and big thermal plants.

(ii) Solids can also be transported through pipelines when

converted into slurry.

(iii) Initial cost of laying a pipeline is high but subsequent running

costs are minimal. It rules out transhipment loses or delays.

8. What is pipeline transportation? Write two merits and

demerits of the same. [CBSE Sample Paper 2016]

Answer: 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 liquids 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.

9. Why is air travel economical in north-eastern regions?

Answer: (i) Airways can cover very difficult terrains like high
mountains, dreary deserts, dense forests and long oceanic
stretches with great ease.
(ii) North-eastern part of the country is marked with the presence
of big rivers, dissected reliefs, dense forests and frequent showers
and floods and international frontiers, etc.
(iii) Air travel has made access easier to these undulating north-
eastern states of India.

10. Give three advantages of personal communication.

Answer: (i) It keeps you in touch with your near and dear ones.
(ii) Long distance communication is also easier without physical
movement of the communicator or receiver.
(iii) It helps in integrating families.

11. Differentiate between personal and mass

communication.

Answer:
Personal Communication Mass Communication

1. It’s the communication between people to person. It’s the communication among masses.

2. It provides necessary communication between two people It provides entertainment as well as create
making man a social animal. awareness among the masses.

3. We have letters, e-mails, SMSs, telephone and mobile phone It includes radio, television, newspapers,
facilities which also include STD and ISD services. magazines, books, films, etc.
12. Which three highways are included in Super Highways
of India?

Answer: (i) Golden Quadrilateral: The government of India has

launched a major road development project linking Delhi, Kolkata,
Chennai, Mumbai and Delhi by a six-lane super highway.
(ii) The North-South Corridor: In the north, it links Srinagar of
Jammu & Kashmir to Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu.
(iii) The East-West Corridor: It connects Silchar of Assam in the
east to Porbandar of Gujarat in the west.

13. What are the major objectives of these Super

Highways?

Answer: The major objective of these Super Highways is to

reduce the time and distance between mega cities of India. These
projects have also helped in the economic development of the
country. These highway projects are being implemented by the
National Highway Authority of India (NHAI).

14. What is the strategic importance of New Mangalore

and Kochi ports?

Answer: (i) New Mangalore: This port is located in Karnataka

and caters to the export of iron ore concentrates from Kudremukh
mines.

(ii) Kochi: Kochi is the extreme South-Western port, located at

the entrance of a lagoon with a natural harbour. This port is
having the biggest ship building yard.

15. What kind of port is Port of Tuticorin?

Answer: Moving along the east coast, we can see the extreme
South Eastern Port of Tuticorin. This port has a natural harbour
and rich hinterland. It has a flourishing trade handlings of a large
variety of cargoes to even our neighbouring countries like Sri
Lanka, Maldives, etc. and the coastal regions of India.

16. Name the major international airports of India.

Answer: (i) Delhi: Indira Gandhi International Airport

(ii) Amritsar: Raja Sansi International Airport

(iii) Kolkata: Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport

(iv) Mumbai: Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport

(v) Chennai: Meenambakkam International Airport

(vi) Thiruvananthapuram: Nedimbacherry International Airport.

17. What is India’s status in the making of feature films?

Answer: India is the largest producer of feature films in the

world. It produces short films, video feature films and video short
films. The Central Board of Film Certification is the authority to
certify both Indian and foreign films.

18. What commodities are exported by India?

Answer: Commodities exported from India are: agriculture and

allied products, ores and minerals, gems and jewellery, chemical
and allied products, engineering goods and petroleum products.
India has emerged as a ‘software giant’ at the international level
and it is earning foreign exchange through the export of
information technology.

19. Why do the movement of goods and services from one

place to another require fast and efficient means of
transport? Explain with examples. [CBSE Delhi 2017]

Answer: Requirement of efficient means of transport:

(i) We use different materials and services in our daily life. Some
of these are available in our immediate surroundings, while other
requirements are met by bringing things from other places.

(ii) Goods and services do not move from supply locales to

demand locales on their own. The movement of these goods and
services from their supply locations to demand locations
necessitates the need for transport.

(iii) The products come to the consumers by transportation.

(iv) The pace of development of a country depends upon the

production of goods and services as well as their movement over
space.

20. Evaluate any three features of ‘Golden Quadrilateral’

Super Highways. [CBSE (AI) 2017]

Answer: Three features of Golden quadrilateral Super Highways:

(i) It is the government project of major road development linking
Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, Mumbai and Delhi.
(ii) It is six lane super highways.
(iii) It has the objective to reduce the time and distance between
the mega cities of India.
(iv) It is implemented by the NHAI for quick and comfortable
movement of goods and passengers in India.

21. “Information and Communication technology has

played a major role in spreading out production of
services across countries.” Justify the statement with
examples. [CBSE (F) 2016]

Answer: Technology stimulated the globalization process:

(i) Improved transportation technology has made much faster
delivery of goods across long distance at lower cost.
(ii) Goods are placed in the containers that can be loaded intact
onto ships, railways, planes and trucks.
(iii) Technology in the areas of telecommunication, computers,
and internet has been changing rapidly.
(iv) Telecommunication facilities are used to contact one another
around the world.
22. “Airways is the most preferred mode of transport in
North-Eastern states of India.” Give three reasons to
prove this preference. [CBSE Sample Paper 2017]
OR
Why is air travel more popular in the North-Eastern states
of India? Explain. [CBSE (F) 2016]

Answer: Air travel is more popular in the north eastern states of

India because:

(i) The north-eastern part of the country is marked with the

presence of big rivers, dissected relief and dense forests hence, it
is difficult to construct roads and railway lines there.

(ii) There are frequent floods and international frontiers, which

require immediate and quick attention from the government
authorities. Floods also damage roads and railway lines.

(iii) Air travel has made access to north-eastern part of the

country easier and quicker.

Long Answer Type Questions

1. Examine with example the role of means of transport

and communication in making our life prosperous and
comfortable. [CBSE (AI) 2017]

Answer: Efficient means of transport are pre requisites for fast

development. Role of means of transport and communication are:

(i) Today the world has been converted into a large village with
the help of efficient and fast moving transport.
(ii) We can proudly say that India is well linked with the rest of
the world despite its large size.
(iii) Railways, Airways, Waterways, Newspapers, Radio,
Television, Cinema and Internet etc have been contributing to the
socio-economic progress in many ways.
(iv) The trades from local to international levels have added to
the vitality of its economy.

It has enriched our lives and added substantially to growth and

comfort.
2. What are the various means of mass communication
used in India?

Answer: (i) It includes radio, television, newspapers, magazines,

books and films.

(ii) All India Radio broadcasts a variety of programmes in

national, regional or local languages.

(iii) Doordarshan, the national television channel of India

broadcasts a variety of programmes ranging from entertainment,
education to sports, etc.

(iv) India publishes a large number of newspapers and periodicals

annually.

(v) Newspapers are published in about 100 languages and

dialects.

(vi) India is the largest producer of feature films in the world. It

produces short films, video feature films and video short films.

3. What is the importance of Indian railways?

Or
State any four merits of railways.

Answer: (i) Railways is the principal mode of transportation for

freight and passengers in India.

(ii) Railways also makes it possible to conduct a number of

activities like business, sightseeing, pilgrimage along with
transportation of goods over long distances.

(iii) Apart from being a means of transport, the Indian railways

has been a great integrating force for more than 150 years.

(iv) Railways in India binds the economic life of the country by

developing industry and agriculture through transportation. The
Indian railways is the largest public sector undertaking in India.

4. Classify roads of India on the basis of their capacity.

Answer: (i) Golden Quadrilateral Super Highways: These
projects are implemented by the National Highway Authority of
India (NHAI). There are three major Super Highways. Golden
Quadrilateral starts from Delhi, moves to Mumbai, Chennai,
Kolkata and back to Delhi. The North-South Corridor starts from
Srinagar to Kanyakumari. The East-West Corridor connects Silchar
to Porbandar.

(ii) National Highways: These roads are laid and maintained by

Central Public Works Department (CPWD). A number of major
National Highways run in North-South and East-West directions,
e.g., Sher Shah Suri Marg is called National Highway No. 1.

(iii) State Highways: Roads linking a state capital with different

district headquarters are known as state highways. These roads
are constructed and maintained by States and Union Territories.

(iv) District Roads: These roads connect the district

headquarters with other places of the district. These roads are
maintained by the Zila Parishad.

(v) Rural Roads: These roads link rural areas and villages with
towns. These roads are constructed under the Pradhan Mantri
Grameen Sadak Yojana.

5. What do you know about Kandla Port?

Answer: Kandla in Kachchh was the first port developed soon

after Independence to ease the volume of trade on the Mumbai
port. It is the only important port of Gujarat as after partition, the
Karachi port had become a part of Pakistan. It is a tidal port. It
caters to the convenient handling of exports and imports of highly
productive granary and industrial belt stretching across the states
of Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana,
Rajasthan and Gujarat.

6. What is the contribution of Mumbai and Goa ports in the

economy of India?

Answer: Mumbai is the biggest port with a spacious, natural and

well-sheltered harbor. The Jawaharlal Nehru port was planned
with a view to decongest the Mumbai port and serve as a hub port
for this region. Marmagao port of Goa is the premier iron ore
exporting port of the country. This port accounts for about fifty
per cent of India’s iron ore export.

7. What is the role played by the Eastern coastal ports of

India in trade?

Answer: (i) Chennai: It is one of the oldest artificial ports of the

country. It is ranked next to Mumbai in terms of volume of trade
and cargo.

(ii) Vishakhapatnam: It is the deepest land-locked and well-

protected port. This port was originally conceived as an outlet for
iron ore exports.

(iii) Paradip Port: It is located in Odisha and specialises in the

export of iron ore.

(iv) Kolkata: It is an inland riverine port. This port serves a very

large and rich hinterland of Ganga-Brahmaputra basin. Being a
tidal port, it requires constant dredging of Hoogly.

(v) Haldia Port: It was developed as a subsidiary port, in order

to relieve growing pressure on the Kolkata port.

8. What are the advantages of airways?

Answer: Today, air travel is the fastest, most comfortable and

the prestigious mode of transport. It can cover very difficult
terrains like high mountains, dreary deserts, dense forests and
also long oceanic stretches with great ease.

In north-eastern part of India, there are big rivers, dissected relief,

dense forests and frequent floods and international frontiers. In
such situations, air transport is considered to be the best option.
Government of India has made special provisions to make air
travel pocket friendly to north-eastern states of India.

9. Which tourisms attract foreigners to India?

Answer: Foreign tourists visit India for heritage tourism,

ecotourism, adventure tourism, cultural tourism, medical tourism
and business tourism. Agra (UP), Rajasthan, Goa, Jammu &
Kashmir and temple towns of South India are important
destinations of foreign tourists. There is a vast potential of
tourism development in the north-eastern states and the interior
parts of Himalayas, but due to strategic reasons, these have not
been encouraged so far. However, there lies a bright future ahead
for this upcoming industry.

10. Compare and contrast the merits and demerits of

Roadways with those of Railways. [CBSE Sample Paper
2016]

Answer: Roadways v/s Railways

(i) Construction cost of roads is much lower than that of railway

lines and construction time is also comparatively less.

(ii) Roads can traverse comparatively more dissected and

undulating topography which is a limitation in case of railways.

(iii) Roads can negotiate higher gradients of slopes and as such

can traverse mountains like the Himalayas, whereas the
mountainous regions are unfavourable for the construction of
railway lines due to high relief, sparse population and lack of
economic opportunities. Likewise, it is difficult to lay railway lines
on the sandy plains in the deserts, swampy or forested tracks.

(iv) Road transport is economical in transportation of few persons

and relatively smaller amount of goods over short distances
whereas railways are suitable for transportation of large number
of people and goods in bulk, especially over long distances.

(v) Roadways provide door-to-door service, thus the cost of

loading and unloading is much lower but railways have not
reached everywhere, still there are places which are yet to be
connected with the railways.

(vi) Road transport is also used as a feeder to other modes of

transport such as they provide a link between railway stations, air
and sea ports. On the other hand, railways work as a life line for
the economic growth of a country as they carry raw materials and
produced goods from one part of the nation to another on a large
scale.

11. What is trade? Explain the importance of international

trade. [CBSE Delhi 2016]

Answer: Trade: The exchange of goods among people, states

and countries is referred to as trade.

Importance:
(i) International trade of a country is an index to its economic
prosperity.
(ii) It is considered the economic barometer for a country.
(iii) As the resources are space bound, no country can survive
without international trade.
(iv) Countries have trade relations with the major trading blocks.
(v) Exchange of commodities and goods have been superseded
by the exchange of information and knowledge.

12. ‘Dense and efficient network of transport is a

prerequisite for trade.’’ Examine the statement. [CBSE (F)
2017]

Answer:
(i) They provide trade and connectivity facilities.
(ii) Railways, airways, waterways, etc. have been contributing to
its socioeconomic progress in many ways.
(iii) The trades from local to international levels have added to
the vitality of its economy.
(iv) It has enriched our lives.
(v) It has added substantially to growing amenities and facilities
for the comforts of life.
(vi) The world has been converted into a large village with the
help of efficient and fast moving transport.

13. “Roadways still have an edge over railways in India.”

Support the statement with arguments. [CBSE (Comptt)
2017, CBSE Delhi 2017, CBSE (AI) 2016]
OR
How do roadways score over railways in India?
Answer: Roadways still have an edge over railways in India:
(i) Construction cost of roadways is much lower than that of
railways. Its maintenance is cheap easy.
(ii) Roads can traverse comparatively more dissecting and
undulating plains.
(iii) Roads can negotiate higher gradients of slopes and can
traverse mountains like Himalaya.
(iv) Road transport is economical in transportation of few persons
and small amount of goods over short distances.
(v) It also provides door to door services.
(vi) Cost of loading and unloading is much lower.
(vii) Road transport is also used as a feeder to other modes of
transport such as they provide link between railway station,
airports and sea ports.
(viii) It is useful for transport of perishable commodities.

14. Explain any five major problems faced by road

transport in India. [CBSE (F) 2017, CBSE (AI) 2016]

Answer: Five major problems faced by road transport in India

are:
(i) Keeping in view the volume of traffic and passengers, the road
network is inadequate.
(ii) About 50% of the roads are unmetalled.
(iii) This limits their usage during the rainy season.
(iv) The National highways are also inadequate.
(v) Moreover, the roads are highly congested in cities.
(vi) Most of the bridges and culverts are old and narrow.

15. Define the term ‘tourism’. Why is tourism known as a

trade? Explain. [CBSE (F) 2016]

Answer: The definition of tourism is “The cultural, recreational

and commercial visits to places of interest in a country is known
as tourism”

Tourism is known as trade because:

(i) Foreign tourist arrivals in the country contributing `64,889/-
crore of foreign exchange in 2010.
(ii) More than 15 million people are directly engaged in the
tourism industry
(iii) Tourism provides support to local handicrafts.
(iv) Foreign tourists visit India for medical tourism and business
tourism.
(v) Helps in the growth of national income and integrity.

HOTS Questions (Higher Order Thinking Skills)

1. “Transport routes are called the basic arteries of our

economy.” Support this statement with examples.

Answer: We use different materials and services in our daily life.

Some of these are available in our immediate surroundings, while
other requirements are met by bringing things from other places.
Goods and services do not move from supply locales to demand
locales on their own. The movement of these goods and services
from their supply locations to demand locations necessitates the
need for transport.

Roads are very significant in carrying goods from one place to

another and serve for local, national and international trade.
Railways are the principal mode of transportation for freight and
passengers in India. Railways bind the economic life of the
country as well as accelerate the development of industry and
agriculture.

Pipeline transportation was used for water transportation only.

Now these are used for transporting crude oil, petroleum products
and natural gas from oil and natural gas fields to refineries,
fertiliser factories and big thermal plants. Waterways are the
cheapest mode of transport. They are most suitable for carrying
heavy and bulky goods.

Air travel today is the fastest, most comfortable and prestigious

mode of transport. Pawan Hans helicopters Ltd. provides
helicopter services to oil and natural gas commission in its
offshore operations to inaccessible areas and difficult terrains like
the North eastern states and interior parts of Jammu and Kashmir,
Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand.

2. ‘Transport, communication and trade are

complementary to each other’. Explain with two examples.

Answer: 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 is a
prerequisite for fast development. For a long time, trade and
transport were restricted to a limited space.

With the development in science and technology the area of

influence of trade and transport expanded far and wide. Today
the world has been converted into a large village with the help of
efficient and fast moving transport. Transport has been able to
achieve this with the help of equally developed communication
system. Therefore, transport, communication and trade are
complementary to each other.

3. Why is the distribution of roads not uniform in India?

Explain with examples.
Or
What problems are we facing with roadways in India?

Answer:
(i) Density of all roads varies from only 10 kms in Jammu and
Kashmir to 552 kms in UP with national average of 125 kms.
(ii) Keeping in view the volume of traffic and passengers, the
road network is inadequate.
(iii) About half of the roads are unmettled and this limits their
usage during the rainy season.
(iv) The roadways are highly congested in cities and most of the
bridges and culverts are old and narrow.

4. “The distribution pattern of Indian Railway network is

influenced by the physiographic factors.” Examine the
statement.
OR
How do physiographic, economic and administrative
factors influence the railway network in India? [CBSE
(Comptt) 2017]
OR
Analyse the physiographic and economic factors that have
influenced the distribution pattern of the railway network
in our country. [CBSE, 2015]
OR
Explain with examples the conditions responsible for
uneven distribution pattern of the railway network in
India. [CBSE (F) 2016]
Answer: Physical and economic factors have influenced the
distribution pattern of the Indian Railways Network:

(i) Northern Plains : Level land , high population density and rich
agricultural resources provided the development of Railways in
these plains. However a large number of rivers requiring
construction of bridges across their wide banks posed some
obstacles .

(ii) Peninsular region and the Himalayan region : The railway

tracts are laid through low hills , gaps or tunnels .The Himalayan
mountainous regions are unfavourable for the construction of
railway lines due to high relief , sparse population and lack of
economic opportunities .

(iii) Desert of Rajasthan: It was difficult to lay railway lines on the

sandy plain of western Rajasthan which has hindered the
development of railways .

(iv) Swamps of Gujarat, forested tracks of Madhya Pradesh,

Chhattisgarh, Odisha and Jharkhand are also not suitable for the
development of railways.

(v) The contiguous stretch of sahyadri could be crossed only

through gaps or passes. Although the development of Konkan
railway along the west coast has facilitated the movement of
passengers and goods in the most important economic region of
India. It has also faced a number of problems such as sinking of
track in some stretches and landslides.

(vi) Peninsular plateau rich in minerals promotes industrial

development, encourage the railway tracks.

5. Describe the measures taken for the quick delivery of

mails in cities and large towns.
Or
How is classification of mails done by the postal networks
of India?

Answer: The Indian postal network is the largest in the world. It

handles parcels as well as personal written communication. Cards
and envelops are considered first class mail and are airlifted
between stations covering both land and air.

To facilitate quick delivery of mails in large town and cities, six

main channels have been introduced recently. They are called:
(i) Rajdhani Channel,
(ii) Metro Channel,
(iii) Green Channel,
(iv) Business Channel,
(v) Bulk Mail Channel &
(vi) Periodical Channel.

6. “No country can survive without international trade in

the present Global world.” Explain the statement.

Answer: As the resources are space bound, no country can

survive without international trade. Export and import are the
components of trade. International trade helps in exchange of
surplus goods with those of deficit countries through foreign
trade.

International trade helped India in increasing its productivity and

improving quality of its products and then exporting the
manufactured goods. International trade had also helped India to
import recent technology to improve its productivity and the
quality of the product. Government’s policy of globalisation and
liberalisation had helped four folds in making its place in the
Global World.

7. Why is tourism considered a trade as well as an

industry?

Answer:
(i) Foreign tourists’ arrival in the country had seen an increase,
contributing ₹ 64,889 crore of foreign exchange.
(ii) More than 15 million people are directly engaged in tourism
industry.
(iii) Tourism also promotes national integration and provides
support to local handicrafts.
(iv) It also helps in the development of international
understanding about Indian culture and heritage.
(v) Foreign tourists visit India for heritage tourism, ecotourism,
adventure tourism, cultural tourism, medical tourism and
business tourism.
(vi) Rajasthan, Agra (UP), Goa, Jammu & Kashmir and temple
towns of South India are important destinations of foreign tourists
in India.

8. Means of transportation and communication are called

the lifelines of a nation and its economy. Why?
OR
“Efficient means of transport are pre-requisites for the
fast development.” Express your views in favour of this
statement. [CBSE Delhi 2016]

Answer: (i) Movement of goods and services from their supply

locations to demand locations necessitates the need for transport.
(ii) The pace of a country depends upon the production of goods
and services as well as their movement over space.
(iii) Therefore, efficient means of transport and communication
are prerequisites for fast development.
(iv) Therefore, modern means of transport and communication
serve as lifelines of our nation and its modern economy.