Indian Economy on the Eve of Independence quiz

Who among these estimated India's national income during colonial rule most significantly?

TISCO was set up in:

The first official census in India was conducted in:

The main occupation of Indians at independence was:

The Suez Canal was opened in:

The Permanent Settlement was introduced in:

Which industry suffered most after the Partition because raw material areas went to East Pakistan?

The life expectancy at independence was about:

The export surplus of colonial India was used to:

Which state had the main cotton textile mills during colonial rule?

Why did the British want India to be a supplier of raw materials? (2 marks)

What was the commercialisation of agriculture? (2 marks)

Why did the colonial government not invest in irrigation? (2 marks)

Why did Indian handicrafts decline? (2 marks)

What was the drain of wealth? (2 marks)

What were the main features of India's foreign trade under colonial rule? (2 marks)

Why was the capital goods industry largely absent in colonial India? (2 marks)

What were the effects of the railways on the Indian economy? (2 marks)

Describe the demographic condition of India at independence. (2 marks)

Why were the regional variations in occupational structure significant? (2 marks)

If India's population was 34 crore in 1951 and grew at 1.3% a year in the previous decade, calculate the approximate population in 1941. (3 marks)

A handloom weaver earned Rs 30 a month before British imports and Rs 12 after. Calculate the percentage fall in income. (3 marks)

India's exports were Rs 300 crore and imports Rs 220 crore in a year. Calculate the export surplus. (3 marks)

A railway line of 400 km reduced the journey time from 20 days by bullock cart to 1 day. Calculate the average speeds by both modes, assuming 10 hours of travel a day. (3 marks)

A province had 80% of its population in agriculture. If agricultural productivity grew at 0.3% a year, how many years would it take to rise by 15% (simple growth)? (3 marks)

Read the passage and answer the questions. India's agricultural sector continued to experience stagnation and, not infrequently, unusual deterioration. Although there was some growth in the total area under cultivation, agricultural productivity declined. This was mainly due to the land settlement systems introduced by the colonial government, particularly the zamindari system in Bengal. (i) Who collected rent under the zamindari system? (ii) Why did zamindars not improve agriculture? (iii) What was the effect of commercialisation? (5 marks)

Read the passage and answer the questions. Like agriculture, India could not develop a sound industrial base under colonial rule. Even as the country's world-famous handicraft industries declined, no modern industrial base was allowed to come up. The British policy had a twofold motive. (i) What were the two motives? (ii) Which modern industries came up in the second half of the nineteenth century? (iii) Why was the growth of these industries slow? (5 marks)

Read the passage and answer the questions. India's foreign trade under colonial rule had a pattern: India became an exporter of primary products such as raw silk, cotton, wool, sugar, indigo and jute, and an importer of finished consumer goods like cotton, silk and woollen clothes. Britain maintained a monopoly control over India's exports and imports. (i) Why did India have an export surplus? (ii) What was the result of this surplus? (iii) How did the opening of the Suez Canal affect trade? (5 marks)

Read the passage and answer the questions. The first official census was conducted in 1881. Before 1921, India was in the first stage of demographic transition. Both birth and death rates were high. The overall literacy level was less than 16%, and female literacy was about 7%. Life expectancy was only about 32 years. (i) What happened after 1921? (ii) Why was the death rate high? (iii) What does high infant mortality indicate? (5 marks)

Read the passage and answer the questions. Under colonial rule, 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 serve various colonial interests. (i) Give two ways the railways helped the British. (ii) Give one benefit of railways to Indians. (iii) Why was the electric telegraph introduced? (5 marks)

Explain the low level of economic development in India under colonial rule. How did British policies affect national income? (6 marks)

Describe the condition of Indian agriculture under colonial rule. What were the causes of its stagnation? (6 marks)

Describe the condition of Indian industry under colonial rule. Explain de-industrialisation and the growth of modern industries. (6 marks)

Explain the pattern of India's foreign trade under colonial rule and the drain of wealth. (6 marks)

Describe the demographic condition, occupational structure and infrastructure of India at independence. (6 marks)