Infrastructure

Infrastructure is the support system on which the efficient working of a modern economy depends. Economic infrastructure includes energy, transport, communication, irrigation and banking, which directly support production. Social infrastructure includes education, health and housing, which improve the quality of human resources. Irrigation helps agriculture and roads and railways link markets. It then focuses on energy: commercial sources such as coal, petroleum and electricity, non-commercial sources such as firewood, crop residues and dried dung, and conventional versus non-conventional sources such as solar, wind and tidal power. You will study the sources of electricity in India (thermal, hydel and nuclear). You will also study the challenges of the power sector: inadequate capacity, high transmission and distribution losses, low tariffs and the losses of state electricity boards. The chapter then examines health infrastructure: the three-tier system of primary health centres, community health centres and district hospitals, tertiary institutions such as AIIMS, and the Indian systems of medicine under AYUSH. It highlights the urban-rural divide, the burden of disease, women's health, and the growing role of private health care.

Detailed Worksheet: Infrastructure Section A - Definitions (10 marks) 1. What is infrastructure? Distinguish between economic and social infrastructure. (2 marks) 2. Distinguish between commercial and non-commercial sources of energy. (2 marks) 3. What are transmission and distribution losses? (2 marks) 4. What is AYUSH? Name its six systems. (2 marks) 5. What is a primary health centre? (2 marks) Section B - Calculations and Applications (15 marks) 6. In an illustrative year, India generated 1,500 billion units of electricity: thermal 1,100, hydel 160, nuclear 45 and renewable 195. Calculate the percentage share of each source. (3 marks) 7. A state's power plants generate 10,000 million units of electricity, but 22% is lost in transmission and distribution. Calculate the electricity that reaches consumers. If the loss is cut to 12%, how much extra electricity becomes available? (3 marks) 8. A district of 15 lakh people has 40 primary health centres. Calculate the population served per PHC. If the norm is one PHC per 30,000 people in the plains, how many more PHCs are needed? (3 marks) 9. A household's monthly energy use is 60% firewood, 25% LPG and 15% electricity. If its total energy cost is Rs 2,400, calculate the cost of each. Why is firewood use harmful? (3 marks) 10. A village receives electricity for 12 hours a day. A new solar mini-grid supplies 50 kWh a day to 100 households. Calculate the energy per household per day and per month (30 days). (3 marks) Section C - Diagrams (10 marks) 11. Draw a flowchart classifying infrastructure into economic and social, with examples. (4 marks) 12. Draw a pie chart for the illustrative electricity mix: thermal 73%, hydel 11%, nuclear 3% and renewable 13%. (3 marks) 13. Draw a flowchart showing the three-tier health care system in India. (3 marks) Section D - Analysis and Higher-order Thinking (15 marks) 14. 'Infrastructure contributes to economic development by increasing productivity.' Explain this statement with examples from agriculture, industry and services. (5 marks) 15. Explain the major challenges of the power sector in India. Suggest measures to improve the generation and distribution of electricity. (5 marks) 16. Explain the problems of the health system in India, including the rural-urban gap and women's health. How can the private sector and AYUSH help? (5 marks) Instructions: Time allowed 2 hours. Attempt all sections. Show the steps of all calculations. Data marked illustrative are for practice only.