ABS VIDHYA MANDHIR

THIRUVALUR
QUESTION BANK
INDIAN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

CHAPTER –I- INDIAN ECONOMY IN THE EVE OF INDEPENDENCE

Very Short Answer/Objective Type Questions

1. Whose estimate of national income was considered very significant?

(a) Dadabhai Naoroji (b) William Digb (c) RC Desai (d) VKRV Rao

2. The main interest of the Zamindar was:

(a) to collect rent (b)to improve the condition of agriculture (c)to produce food crops

(d) to produce cash crops

3. Despite being the major source of livelihood, the agriculture sector continued to experience
stagnation and deterioration during the British rule in India because of:

(a) decline of handicraft (b)land tenure system ( c)drain of India's wealth

(d)none of the above

4. Initially, the industrial development was confined to the setting up of:

(a)Cotton textile mills (b)Jute textile mills (c)Cotton and Jute textile mills (d)Capital goods
industry

5. Major contribution to the GDP of the country on the eve of independence was from:

(a) tertiary sector (b)secondary sector (c)primary sector

(d)both primary and secondary sector

6.In the history of demographic transition, which year is regarded as the year of great divide?

(a) 1901 (b) 1902 (c) 1921 (d) 1923

7. Details about the population of British India were first collected in:

(a) 1871 (bf 1881 (c) 1891 (d) 1901

8. Which of the following statement is true regarding demographic profile of India during the
colonial rule?

(a)Life expectancy was 63 years.

(b)Infant mortality rate was around 70 per thousand live births.

(c)Overall literacy level was less than 16 percent.

(d)Both birth rate and death rate were quite low.

9. Which service remained throughout inadequate under the colonial regime?

(a) Law and order (b) Postal services (c) Railways (d) Ports

10. One of the following statements about Indian economy is not true. Identify the false
statement

(a)Indian agriculture was nourishing before the advent of the British.

(b)India's foreign trade throughout the colonial period was marked by large export surplus

© India had n sound industrial base under the British.

(d)British developed the Railway System in India for their own benefit.

11.____________is an economist who estimated India's per capital income during the
colonial period.

12. _______________industries were adversely affected due to partition.

13. ______________refers to the number of deaths of children below the age of one year per
thousand live births.

14. Low level of agricultural productivity was the condition of agriculture sector at the time
of independence. (True/False)

15. High birth and low death rate implied low survival rate, which was nearly 8 per thousand
per annum during the British rule. (True/False)

16. When was the first census data collected during British India?

17. What is Muslin?

18. What is commercialization of agriculture and when did it began?

19. What was the life expectancy during British India and what is it today?

20. What was the importance of Suez Canal during British India?

21. What is GDP in economics?

22. When was Railways introduced in India

23. Iron and steel industries began coming up in which year?

24. What was the infant mortality rate of British India?

25. Which are the industries that were adversely affected due to partition of India?
26. Name some individuals who tried to estimate colonial India’s per capita income

27. What were the motives behind deindustrialization by Britishers in India?

28. What is export surplus?

29. How did export surplus lead to economic drain of wealth during colonial rule?

30. What percentage of labour was employed in manufacturing and service sector in pre
independent India?

31. Give one economic challenge before India after winning its independence.

32. Define National Income (NI).

33. What is 'Per Capita Income'?

34. Which system of land revenue settlement led to agricultural stagnation under the British
rule?

35. What do you mean by Commercialisation of agriculture'?

36. What are capital goods industries?

37. Give the meaning of Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

38. What is meant by mortality rate?

39. What is infant mortality rate?

40. Give the meaning of life expectancy at birth.

41. What do you mean by "Occupational structure"?

42. Mention the most important infrastructure developed during British period.

43. When did British introduce Railways in India?

44. Which airlines inaugurated the aviation sector in India?

Short Answer Type Questions [3/4 Marks]

30. What was the state of various sectors at the time of independence?

31. How was the zamindari system of land settlement responsible for the stagnation of Indian
agriculture?

32. Explain the state of Industries in India on the eve of Independence.

33."The colonial era was responsible for the decline/ ruin of traditional handicraft industries."
Accept/ refute the above statement.

34. What was the effect of the systematic des industrialisation policy followed by the British?
35. What was the nature of India's foreign trade under the British rule? Or

Explain the position of foreign trade at the time of independence.

36. When was the Suez Canal opened? How did it affect the Indian economy?

37. What was the infant mortality rate during the colonial rule? Why was it so high?

38. How did the construction of railways affect the structure of the Indian economy?

39. Explain the objectives of Britain for developing the railways in India.

40Explain any three positive contributions made British in India. Or

Write any three positive contributions made by 20161the British in India.

Long Answer Type Questions [6 Marks]

41. Explain any four characteristics of the Indian Economy at the eve of independence. Or

What were the main features of Indian economy at the eve of Independence?

42. Explain four main causes of India's agricultural stagnation during colonial period.

43. Was there any economic drain during the colonial period? Explain.

44. Explain any four positive contributions made by British in India.

45.Enumerate the reasons for the poor growth and productivity of the agricultural sector in
colonial period. Or How were the conditions of peasants during British rule? Or What was
the impact of the British rule on the agriculture of India

46.How was Indian economy before the advent of British colonial rule in India? Or What was
the condition of India before Britishers? Or what was the real condition of India before the
British arrived?

47. Critically apprise some of the shortfalls of the industrial policy pursued by the British
colonial administration.

48.Give a quantitative appraisal of India's demographic profile during the colonial period.