Impact of Infrastructure in Colonial India

India chose a path of planned development after independence.

The Viceroy of British India in 1894 said, 'If the Empire loses any other part of its Dominion we can survive, but if we lose India, the sun of our Empire will have set.'

The primary objective of the book 'Indian Economic Development' is to familiarise learners with the basic features of the Indian economy after Independence.

The Indian economy was primarily stagnant and underdeveloped at the time of Independence.

India experienced agricultural prosperity in the seventeenth century.

The agricultural sector in India experienced growth under the zamindari system implemented by the British.

The British invested significantly in terracing, flood-control, drainage, and desalinisation of soil in India.

The commercialization of agriculture in certain areas of India led to a relatively higher yield of food crops.

The main interest of the zamindars was to improve the economic condition of the cultivators.

Agricultural productivity in India remained high around 200 years after the British left.

The agricultural sector in India experienced unusual improvement under the British colonial rule.

India's agriculture was well-invested in terms of technology, irrigation facilities, and use of fertilisers during British rule.

The revenue settlement by the British had no bearing on the current agricultural scenario in India.

The British colonial rule in India led to immense prosperity in the agricultural sector.

Cash crops were produced by Indian farmers primarily for domestic consumption.

Fish was not abundantly available in India during the British colonial rule.

The primary motive of the colonial government was to develop a sound industrial base in India under the colonial rule.

Modern industry began to take root in India during the first half of the nineteenth century.

The cotton textile mills in India were mainly dominated by foreigners.

The iron and steel industries began coming up in India after the First World War.

There was a significant number of capital goods industries to help promote further industrialisation in India.

The growth rate of the new industrial sector and its contribution to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) remained very high.

The public sector in India was confined only to railways, power generation, communications, and ports.

India has not been an important trading nation since ancient times.

A large section of tenants, small farmers and sharecroppers had resources and technology to invest in agriculture.

The decline of indigenous handicraft industries in India did not create massive unemployment.

The intention of the colonial government was to turn India into a sprawling market for the finished products of Indian industries.

The Tata Iron and Steel Company (TISCO) was incorporated in 1907.

India's economy before British rule was primarily based on manufacturing activities.

The purpose of the British colonial rule in India was to develop the Indian economy.

India's economic structure during British rule transformed the country into a consumer of finished industrial products from Britain.

India's national and per capita income were accurately estimated by the colonial government.

India's growth of aggregate real output during the first half of the twentieth century was more than two per cent.

About 85% of India's population during British rule derived livelihood directly or indirectly from agriculture.

India's economy under British rule was predominantly industrial.

Daccai Muslin was primarily known for its use by foreign travelers.

The finest variety of muslin was referred to as 'malmal shahi' due to its association with royalty.

The French traveler, Bernier, described seventeenth century Bengal as being poorer than Egypt.

India's economy during British rule saw a significant growth in per capita output per year.

The economic policies pursued by the British colonial government in India were primarily concerned with the development of the Indian economy.

India's foreign trade during the colonial period was not affected by the restrictive policies of the colonial government.

India primarily exported finished consumer goods during the colonial period.

The majority of India's foreign trade during the colonial period was with countries other than Britain.

The opening of the Suez Canal reduced British control over India's foreign trade.

India's export surplus during the colonial period did not come at a huge cost to the country’s economy.

The export surplus during the colonial period resulted in a flow of gold or silver into India.

The Suez Canal connects Port Said on the Mediterranean Sea with the Gulf of Persia.

A census in 1881 was the first time that details about the population of British India were collected.

India was in the second stage of demographic transition before 1921.

The overall literacy level in India before 1921 was more than 16 per cent.

Public health facilities were highly adequate before 1921.

The infant mortality rate before 1921 was about 33 per thousand.

India's first official census operation was undertaken in 1871.

The zamindari system had been completely abolished in India by the time of independence.

The Land Systems of British India was written by B.H. Baden-Powell in 1892.

India's demographic transition from the first to the second decisive stage occurred in the year 1947.

The Indian Economy: Problems and Prospects was edited by Bimal Jalan in 1993.

Major occupations in India at the time of independence are significantly different from the major occupations today.

Life expectancy in India during the colonial period was 32 years.

The agricultural sector accounted for the smallest share of the workforce during the colonial period.

The railways in India were introduced by the British in 1950.

The railways in India had no impact on the Indian economy.

The volume of India’s exports did not expand as a result of the introduction of railways.

The British infrastructure development in India primarily aimed to provide basic amenities to the people.

There was a decline in the dependence on the agricultural sector in parts of Madras Presidency during the colonial period.

India's population at the time of independence had a life expectancy of 69 years.

The colonial infrastructure development included uneconomical inland waterways, especially on the Orissa coast.

There was an increase in the share of workforce in agriculture during the same time in states such as Orissa, Rajasthan, and Punjab.

India's population during the colonial period did not face extensive poverty.

The colonial regime developed basic infrastructure like railways and ports primarily for providing basic amenities to the people.

Tata Airlines was established in 1932, inaugurating the aviation sector in India.

The canal was able to compete with the railways that ran parallel to it.

The expensive system of electric telegraph in India did not serve the purpose of maintaining law and order.

The postal services in India were adequate and met the public's needs.

There is a perception that the British administration in India was not beneficial in any way.

The agricultural sector in India had surplus labor and extremely high productivity at the time of independence.

The industrial sector in India was not in need of modernization, diversification, and increased public investment at the time of independence.

Foreign trade in India was not oriented to feed the Industrial Revolution in Britain.

The economic policies of the British government in India were concerned with developing the economic condition of the colonized country and its people.

The largest section of the Indian population did not depend on the agricultural sector for sustenance during the colonial period.

The rule of the British-India government did not contribute significantly to replacing India's collapsed handicraft industries with a modern industrial base.

The colonial regime made efforts to improve infrastructure facilities without any selfish motives.