Class 12th India People and Economy Chapter 7 TRANSPORT AND COMMUNICATION Exercise Solution (English Medium)
EXERCISES
1. Choose the right answers of the following from the given options.
(i) In how many zones has the Indian Railways system been divided?
(a) 9
(b) 12
(c) 16
(d) 14
Answer - (c) 16
Answer - (c) 16
Note - The length of Indian Railways network was 67,956 km (Railway yearbook 2019-20). It's very large size puts a lot of pressure on a centralized railway management system. Thus, in India, the railway system has been divided into 16 zones.
Railway Zone - Headquarters
1 Central - Mumbai CST
2 Eastern - Kolkata
3 East Central - Hajipur
4 East Coast - Bhubaneswar
5 Northern - New Delhi
6 North Central - Allahabad
7 North Eastern - Gorakhpur
8 North East Frontier - Maligaon (Guwahati)
9 North Western - Jaipur
10 Southern - Chennai
11 South Central - Secunderabad
12 South Eastern - Kolkata
13 South East Central - Bilaspur
14 South Western - Hubli
15 Western - Mumbai (Church Gate)
16 West Central - Jabalpur
(ii) On which river and between which two places does the National Water Way No. 1 lie?
(a) The Brahmaputra, Sadiya-Dhubri
(b) The Ganga, Haldia-Allahabad
(c) West Coast Canal, Kottapuram to Kollam
Answer - (b) The Ganga, Haldia-Allahabad
Note - National Water Way No. 1 is one of the most important waterways in India, which is navigable by mechanical boats up to Patna and by ordinary boats up to Haridwar. Its total length is 1,620 km from Prayagraj (Allahabad) (UP) to Haldia (WB). It is divided into three parts for developmental purposes – (i) Haldia-Farakka (560 km), (ii) Farakka-Patna (460 km), (iii) Patna-Allahabad (600 km).
Sadiya-Dubri stretch (891 km) forms National Waterway 2 and the West Coast Kottapuram-Kollam Canal (205 km) forms National Waterway 3. It includes 168 km of west coast canal along with Champakara canal (14 km) and Udyogmandal canal (23 km).
(a) 1911
(b) 1936
(c) 1927
(d) 1923
2. Answer the following questions in about 30 words.
(i) Which activity does transportation convey? Name three major modes of transportation.
Answer - Transportation coveys the activities of distribution of goods from site of production to site of consumption, i.e., from place of availability to place of use.
Answer - (d) 1923
Note - Radio broadcasting started in India in 1923 by the Radio Club of Bombay, which was later acquired by the government and renamed to All India Radio (AIR) in 1936 and Akashwani in 1957.
(i) Which activity does transportation convey? Name three major modes of transportation.
Answer - Transportation coveys the activities of distribution of goods from site of production to site of consumption, i.e., from place of availability to place of use.
The three major modes of transportation are Land Transportation (Road & Railway Network), Air Transportation and Water Transportation.
(ii) Discuss advantages and disadvantages of pipeline transportation.
Answer - Pipelines are the most convenient and efficient mode of transporting liquids and gases over long distances. Even solids can also be transported by pipelines after converting them into slurry.
Merits of Pipeline Transport: -
1. It is the cheapest, fastest, efficient and eco-friendly means of transportation of liquid and gaseous materials.
2. It involves only initial cost.
3. There is no special cost on its maintenance.
4. It saves transportation time and energy.
5. There is no fear of theft and accident in this.
6. It can be laid on rough terrain and even under water.
7. Due to this the supply remains regular.
8. Land does not have to be acquired in this.
9. Transshipment delays and losses are almost nil in pipeline transport.
10. It can transport solids by converting them into SLURRY or solution. For example, iron ore from Kudremukh mine (Karnataka) in India is sent in the form of Slurry (Kardam) to Mangalore port.
Disadvantages of pipeline transport: -
1. Once a pipeline is laid, its capacity cannot be increased.
2. It is a difficult task to locate and repair the leak/leakage in the pipeline when there is a fault.
3. It is not a flexible mode of transport.
(iii) What do you mean by ‘communication’?
Answer - Communication is the process through which information is imparted or exchanged, especially through writing or speaking, or using some other medium, likely Radio, TV, Internet, Facebook, WhatsApp, YouTube etc.
People use different modes of communication to convey the messages. On the basis of scale and quality, the mode of communication can be divided into following categories:
(iv) Discuss the contribution of Air India and Indian in the air transport of India.
Answer - Air transport is the fastest means of movement from one place to the other. It has reduced distances by minimizing the travel time. It is essential for a vast country like India, where distances are large, and the terrain and climatic conditions are diverse.
Answer - Air transport is the fastest means of movement from one place to the other. It has reduced distances by minimizing the travel time. It is essential for a vast country like India, where distances are large, and the terrain and climatic conditions are diverse.
Air transport in India made a beginning in 1911 when airmail operation commenced over a little distance of 10 km between Allahabad and Naini. But its real development took place in post independent period. Over the next four decades, many companies joined the air service sector. In 1953, the government nationalized air transport, into two corporations; Air India International to take care of international services and Indian Airlines to look after the domestic sector.
The Airport Authority of India is responsible for providing safe, efficient air traffic and aeronautical communication services in the Indian Air Space. The authority manages 125 airports.
The air transport in India is managed by Air India. Now, many private companies have also started passenger services. Air India provides International Air Services for both passengers and cargo traffic. It connects all the continents of the world through its services. Some private companies have also started operations to foreign countries.
3. Answer the following questions in about 150 words.
(i) Which are the chief means of transportation in India? Discuss the factors affecting their development.
Answer - Road, Rail and Air transport makes up the chief means of transportation in India. By all means, India has adequate network of connectivity but it is not sufficient. With the second largest population in the World, and rough terrains over the Himalayas in the north and northeast, and varied terrain of central India, transport links have not been able to reach every corner of the country. A significant section of the population, especially in rural areas, relying on walking as there is no all-weather roads or rail-lines.
Roads in high altitudes require frequent maintenance to keep it functioning, in the face of land/mud slides, avalanches and other vagaries of the climate. Rail transport stills looses out lakhs of potential revenues due to ticket-less travel and lack of effective implementation of policies for strict vigil. Developing air strips and maintaining airports have always remained far too expensive for less developed states, hence private companies are operating these airports. Moreover, the cost of air transport is expensive for lower middle-class families, and therefore is catering only to the urban regions. The Government has taken significant steps to address these obstacles and further their development. Example, UDAN scheme for air pricing.
(ii) Give a detailed account of the development of railways in India and highlight their importance.
Answer - Indian Railway was introduced on April 16th, 1853, when a line was constructed from Bombay to Thane covering a distance of 34 km. Now, Indian Railways is the largest government undertaking in the country. The length of Indian Railways network was 67,956 km (Railway yearbook 2019-20). It's very large size puts a lot of pressure on a centralized railway management system. Thus, in India, the railway system has been divided into 16 zones.
Railways has been the lifeline of India. It is one of the longest networks in the world and facilitates the movement of both freight and passengers and contributes to the growth of the economy.
In view of modernising the network, the government has launched extensive programme to convert the metre and narrow gauges to broad gauge, also steam engines have been replaced by diesel and electric engines; this had increased the speed, as well as the haulage capacity. The most significant development, post-Independence, has been the development of the Konkan Railway along the western coast providing a direct link between Mumbai and Mangaluru.
India's fastest train (Speed 180 kmph) (Vande Bharat Express) was launched on February 15, 2019, between Delhi and Varanasi. Indian Railways has now started laying separate tracks for goods trains. Some parts of the DFC (Dedicated Freight Corridor) railways have been opened in the year 2020-21, for transportation of the freight trains. These tracks are fully dedicated railroad for freight trains.
Rail transport is much cheaper compared to road and air, and therefore, still continues to be the main means of transport for the masses. During the freedom movement of India, Mahatma Gandhi said that “Indian Railway brought people of diverse cultures together to contribute to India’s freedom struggle”.
(iii) Describe the role of roads in the economic development of India.
Answer - Roadways are often described as economic arteries of India. India has one of the second largest road networks in the world with a total length of about 62.16 lakh km (morth.nic.in, Annual Report 2020-21). About 85 per cent of passenger and 70 per cent of freight traffic are carried by roads every year. Road transport is relatively suitable for shorter distance travel.
Road transport in modern sense was very limited in India before World War-II. The first serious attempt was made in 1943 when ‘Nagpur Plan’ was drawn. This plan could not be implemented due to lack of coordination among the princely states and British India. After Independence, twenty-year road plan (1961) was introduced to improve the conditions of roads in India. However, roads continue to concentrate in and around urban centres. Rural and remote areas had the least connectivity by road.
For the purpose of construction and maintenance, roads are classified as National Highways (NH), State Highways (SH), Major District Roads and Rural Roads. National Highways are constructed and maintained by the Central Government. Meant for inter-state transport of goods and movement of defence men and material in strategic areas, these are the most important roadways in terms of economic value. Other significant roadways include State highways, District Roads and Rural roads, which spreads to the remote regions of the country. The crucial roadways in the border regions of the north and northeast are maintained by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO). International highways passing through India are meant to promote the harmonious relationship with the neighbouring countries by providing effective links with India.
The roads, thus, plays a vital role in commerce. For instance, without road transport, manufacturers would not have products and components, consumers would not receive goods, and businesses would not be able to trade internationally. Roads, therefore, offer a safe, seamless and secure way to transport goods around the country.
Project
Find out the facilities that Indian Railways provide to the passengers.